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Tag: shootings

  • 6 Dead In Chicago Shootings Over The Weekend

    Chicago police are reporting that 6 people are dead as a result of shootings over the weekend.

    The AP reports that 6 people were killed and another 11 wounded in a string of gun violence that took place over the weekend in Chicago. On Friday, a 17-year-old and a 22-year-old were both killed in separate shootings. Then an 18-year-old and a 29-year-old were killed as a result of gun violence.

    After two days of gun violence resulting in deaths, Chicago still couldn’t breathe easy. On Sunday morning, a 42-year-old man was shot in the head after a vehicle crash. The woman in his vehicle was taken to a hospital. In a separate event, a man in his late 20s was shot in the armpit and later pronounced dead at a hospital.

    It should be noted that none of these deaths are likely related. If anything, Chicago found itself with an incredibly violent weekend. Unfortunately, it’s not anything new for residents of Chicago as people are sometimes killed by stray bullets from gang wars. The most recent being a 6-month-old child that was shot and killed by such a stray bullet.

  • Stray Bullet Kills Girl On New York Bus

    A 14-year old girl was the victim of a random act of gun violence on Saturday after a gunman opened fire when a city bus was stopped at a traffic light.

    The gunman fired ten shots into the bus, one of which hit Deja Robinson in the head. New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly commented on the girl’s tragic death, saying, “Terrible – this is, as I say, another senseless shooting.”

    It appears that the gunman–who was outside the bus while it was stopped on Sutphin Blvd. in Jamaica–was not targeting the girl specifically. Robinson was coming home from a friend’s Sweet 16 party, and officials have interviewed other attendees who say there was no altercation that would have led to the shooting.

    “One thing is clear — she was not, in our judgment, the target of the shooting,” Kelly said.

    So far, no arrests have been made, but witnesses describe the shooter as a male, between 18 and 25 years old, wearing a black sweater. Now, Robinson’s family and friends are left to mourn the young life of a girl who was doing nothing more than riding the bus home.

    “She was a good kid, she didn’t deserve this,” neighborhood resident Kenny Brown said.

    Sadly, Robinson is the latest in a string of accidental gunshot victims this year. In February, two teen girls in Chicago were in the wrong place at the wrong time and were hit by stray bullets. Both died from their wounds.

    Image: Daily Mail

  • Police Shoot Suspect’s Car at Florida Airport

    Jacksonville, Florida authorities this week revealed that police were involved in a shooting in a parking garage at Jacksonville International Airport.

    Jacksonville Police Chief Tom Hackney stated that police were following up on a car theft case from earlier this month. Police were able to follow 20-year-old Rodney Lorenzo Addison (pictured) to a rental car return parking garage at the airport and block his car in. The suspect began ramming police cars without regard for the officers standing in front of them in an attempt to escape, causing one officer to fire at the car.

    Addison was able to drive away, but the car was later found at a nearby apartment complex. An unidentified 17-year-old male who was in the car with Addison was shot in the leg by the officer in the parking garage. He has been treated at a nearby hospital, and is now cooperating with police. Another unidentified male was in the car during the airport confrontation. Addison remains at large, and is currently wanted for a variety of charges, including some related to attempting to run over police officers. Hackney made it clear that police believe Addison to be dangerous, and possibly armed.

    Jacksonville police are currently searching the car the suspect was driving at the time of the incident. Authorities have learned that the car, a white Crown Victoria, was reported stolen on May 9.

  • New Orleans Shooting: Mother’s Day Violence Shocks Neighborhood

    A shooting spree in New Orleans during a Mother’s Day parade has shocked a neighborhood near French Quarter, and police are still investigating the damage left behind.

    About 400 people had turned out for the parade, including many children, when someone opened fire in the crowd. At least 19 were injured, with three people in serious condition as of this morning. Two of the injured were 10-year old children. Although cell phone footage shows the aftermath of the gunfire–shocking images of the injured laying in pools of blood–no one has come forward yet with information on the shooter or shooters.

    “These kinds of incidents will not go unanswered. Somebody knows something. The way to stop this violence is for you all to help,” Mayor Mitch Landrieu said.

    As of right now, it isn’t clear whether specific people were targeted for the shootings or if it was a random act of violence, but the FBI is calling it a “flare-up of street violence”. The parade was just blocks away from where the popular HBO show “Treme” is filmed.

  • Hip-hop Producer Shot, Hospitalized

    The Associated Press is reporting that hip-hop producer Abraham Orellana, who performs as AraabMUZIK, has been shot. He has not died and is currently hospitalized.

    A spokesperson for Orellana told the AP that the artist was “in the wrong place at the wrong time” and was shot Wednesday night while “hanging out with friends. The spokesperson further stated that Orellana is “alive and well” while recovering.

    Orellana’s manager, George Moore, known as rapper and producer DukeDaGod, tweeted out a request for well-wishes over his Twitter account:

    DukeDaGod also posted a dour photo of friends and family crowding around the Orellana’s hospital bed. Orellana appears to have been sleeping at the time the photo was taken.

    (image)

  • Houston Airport Shooting Ends in Suicide, Note and Facebook Posts Left Behind

    A man fired multiple shots from a handgun in Bush Intercontinental Airport on Thursday before committing suicide. No one but the shooter was injured.

    Houston’s KHOU news is reporting that the man was 29-year-old Carnell Moore from Beaumont, Texas. The TV news station also reported that Moore left behind a suicide note stating he had a “monster within” and coloring the shooting as a suicide-by-cop situation.

    Over the course of the week, Moore had posted cryptic messages to his Facebook account about “staring death in the face” and stating, “This Life Will Crash Tomorrow!”

    (image)

    Witnesses to the shooting told KHOU that Moore simply walked into terminal B at the airport and began firing his weapon. A U.S. Homeland Security agent is reported to have fired on Moore as the shooter fired a gun at himself. An autopsy will be performed to determine which bullet ended Moore’s life.

  • School Shooting In Cincinnati: Student Shoots Self At La Salle High School

    Update: In a press conference, it was said that the student is “fighting for his life”.

    According to reports, a high school student at La Salle High School in Cincinnati shot himself this morning.

    The story is still developing, but according to Ohio’s 10TV.com, police are on the scene after being called around 9AM:

    Officers were called to the school on North Bend Road around 9 a.m. Monday. Authorities say a student shot himself in the school.

    It reportedly happened during the first class of the day, and multiple students called 911 to report the incident.

    The school is reportedly on lockdown, and the student was taken to the hospital. The Hamilton County sheriff’s office told the AP that there was no apparent threat to other students.

    The student’s condition is unknown at this time. Reporters are waiting to talk to hospital officials.

    The student has not been identified, but is apparently male, as La Salle is a Catholic all-male school. It’s on North Bend Road, and reportedly has about 800 students enrolled.

    Local12 (CBS) has a live feed.

    Update: From Fox19:

    The student was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center…The school was placed on lockdown after the shooting, but parents are now being allowed in the school to meet with their sons. Classes have not been cancelled, but parents are permitted to take their student home.

    Update: The school has issued a statement:

    ALL LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE SAFE AND BEING DISMISSED INTO THE CUSTODY OF THEIR PARENTS DUE TO AN ATTEMPTED SUICIDE INVOLVING ONE STUDENT.

  • 4-Year-Old Shoots 6-Year-Old in New Jersey

    As the debate over gun rights ramps up in the U.S., reports of accidental shootings that would have remained local tragedies have been rising to the forefront of national news coverage.

    This week, a six-year-old in New Jersey died after being shot by a four-year-old neighbor. According to a report from New York ABC station WABC, Brandon Holt of Toms River, New Jersey died after being shot in the head with a .22-caliber rifle.

    Holt was playing in a four-year-old neighbor’s yard when the four-year-old found the rifle inside his house. The gun is reported to have accidentally fired and hit Holt from 15 yards away. Police have stated that the four-year-old’s parents were also in the yard. Holt was taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center, where he later died from his wounds.

    Toms River police are still investigating and have not released any further details about the incident, including information on how the four-year-old may have obtained the rifle.

  • Golfers Find 2 Bodies Near Tallahassee Golf Course

    Golf is generally regarded as a leisure activity, something to pass the time in the sun while on vacation or on the weekend. So, when something as grisly as a shooting intrudes on such a leisurely activity, it makes the news.

    The Associated Press is reporting that golfers at the Hilaman Golf Course in Tallahassee, Florida heard gunshots on Tuesday afternoon, around 5 pm. The golfers (bravely, I suppose) went to check out the source of the shots and found the bodies of two women.

    According to a Leon County Sheriff spokesperson, the bodies were found in an area between the golf course and a nearby apartment complex. The names, ages, or descriptions of the victims have not been released, and law enforcement has begun canvassing the area for possible witnesses.

  • Father Kills Son, Self in Pennsylvania Murder-Suicide

    As Lamar Odom can attest, child custody arrangements are often contentious and exhausting. The stress involved is enough to engender harsh feelings, but one Pennsylvania man has taken his hatred much further.

    The Altoona Mirror is reporting that Kenneth Ayers of Petersburg, Pennsylvania shot and killed his two-year-old son before killing himself on Saturday, March 23. The shooting took place during a child custody visit and the boy’s mother, Hollie Ayers, was shot as well, but is expected to survive.

    Kenneth arrived at his mother’s house on Saturday, where his supervised visit with his son was to have taken place. He allegedly shot Hollie in her leg and arm, then shot his son, Michael, before taking the boy’s body to his car. Hollie is reported by the Mirror to have followed and attempted to retrieve Michael before being shot once more in the face.

    Kenneth drove off, switched vehicles, and was later found in the cab of his truck, dead from apparent suicide. The newspaper reported that the man was under a protection from abuse order, a type of domestic violence protection issued in Pennsylvania. Police stated that Kenneth may have planned the shooting.

  • Aurora Shooter James Holmes Islam Conversion Rumored

    Earlier this month, Aurora shooter James Holmes appeared in court sporting a huge beard. Now, rumors have begun to surface claiming that the man has converted to Islam.

    According to a report in the Daily Mail, the rumor first surfaced in the tabloid publication The National Enquirer. An unnamed “prison source” allegedly told the Enquirer that Holmes has converted to Islam, prays five times a day, eats only halal food, and studies the Koran. The source is quoted as saying Holmes now believes his shooting rampage was part of “his own personal jihad.” The rumors also hold that Holmes’ fellow muslim inmates are not happy with his alleged conversion, as they don’t want the religion to be associated with his crimes.

    Holmes is currently on trial for the shooting that took place at an Aurora, Colorado movie theatre in July 2012 during a showing of the move The Dark Knight Rises. He allegedly entered the theatre wearing a gas mask and shot canisters of tear gas into the crowd. He then shot into the crowd with a shotgun, semi-automatic rifle, and handgun. 12 people died and 58 others were injured.

    The rumors of Holmes’ religious conversion sound a bit sketchy. If true, though, they could be an indication of Holmes’ mental health, which has been called into question. Of course, the rumors could just be false, or Holmes could simply be trolling everyone.

  • Six Killed in Bar Shooting in Cancun

    Six Killed in Bar Shooting in Cancun

    Cancun is known as as a premiere tourist destination and an island of respite from many of the problems that plague the rest of Mexico. This week, however, a bit of the country’s drug violence hit the seaside resort town.

    Reuters is reporting that two gunman entered a bar on the outskirts of Cancun on March 14, opening fire and killing six people. The gunmen were reported to be carrying a handgun and a “machine gun,” according to Reuters. Five other people were also wounded in the shooting.

    Cancun is located in souteastern Mexico, and is known primarily for being a tourist destination. The city’s beaches, its blue Caribbean water, and its constantly tropical weather bring tourists from all over the world. In addition to its beachside attractions, Cancun is located near many Maya ruins such as Chichen Itza and the city itself even contains maya ruins.

    Outside of Cancun, the Mexican government has been fighting a drug war against cartels within the country. Estimates show that drug war murders in Mexico have increased significantly in the past decade. The group Reforma Ejecutometro estimating over 12,000 drug war-related murders took place in 2011.

    (Image via Safa in la/Wikimedia Commons)

  • 6-Month-Old Shot, Dies in Suspected Gang Shooting

    A six-month-old girl who was shot in a Chicago neighborhood on Monday has now died.

    The Chicago Fox station is reporting that Jonylah Watkins was shot five times as her father, Jonathan, changed her diaper in the front seat of a minivan. Jonathan was also shot, but is expected to recover from his wounds. The shooting took place in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood.

    Though the police told Fox that they are investigating multiple possibilities, they also stated that the shooting had “very strong gang overtones. Jonathan Watkins has more than 30 arrests on record.

    “Regardless of who you are or regardless of what your role is as an adult, everybody has a role to play to make sure every child is in a safe city, in a safe neighborhood, and in a safe community on a safe street like other parts of our city,” said Rahm Emanuel, mayor of Chicago.

    Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

    Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

  • 13 Hurt in D.C. Shooting; Surveillance Footage Released

    The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department has released footage of a drive-by shooting that occurred in Washington D.C. on Monday, March 11.

    According to police, the shooting took place in the 1200 block of North Capitol Street at around 2:10 am. A surveillance camera was able to capture the event, which may have involved two different cars. The footage was released so that the public might be able to help identify the “vehicles of interest.” The D.C. police are offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the shooting.

    The footage shows two very dark-colored cars drive by a large group of people outside of a D.C. apartment building. As the gunshots begin, people can be seen running in different directions and falling as they are shot. Though initial reports stated that one of the vehicles may have been a BMW, police have stated that neither of the cars in the video appear to be a BMW.

    The Associated Press is reporting that 13 people were injured in the attack, with one of them critically wounded. None of the victims are expected to die, and the police are currently interviewing witnesses to determine a possible motive for the shooting.

    (Image via Washington Metropolitan Police Department Facebook page)

  • Cops Kill Teen Gunman in Brooklyn

    Cops Kill Teen Gunman in Brooklyn

    The local ABC affiliate in New York City is reporting that a teenager in Brooklyn was gunned down by police after he pulled a gun on two officers in Brooklyn.

    The report states that on Saturday, March 9, two plain-clothed officers in an unmarked car who are part of the Brooklyn South anti-crime unit accosted a group of young men on 52nd street. One of the teens then began acting suspicious and the officers approached him. According to police, the 16-year-old then pulled a .38 caliber revolver and pointed it at the officers, who opened fire using their weapons. The teen, identified in the ABC report as Kimani Gray, later died at Kings County Hospital.

    The NYPD has not released the names of the officers involved in the shooting, and has said it is continuing to investigate the incident. Police stated that the gun the teen allegedly pointed at police, which was loaded, was recovered at the scene of the incident, but it is unclear whether the teen fired it at the officers.

  • D.C. Shooting Suspect was Carrying Chick-fil-A Sandwiches

    In a bizarre twist to the story of the attempted shooting at the headquarters of a conservative religious lobbying group in Washington D.C. yesterday, the shooter was apparently carrying Chick-fil-A sandwiches in his backpack. According to an FBI affidavit, the man, Floyd Lee Corkins, was carrying 15 Chick-fil-A sandwiches in the same backpack from which he pulled a handgun before shooting a security guard.

    Chick-fil-A has been at the center of the U.S. fight over gay rights in recent weeks after the Jim Henson company cut its marketing ties with the restaurant when Chick-fil-A’s president, Dan Cathy, made public comments opposed to same-sex marriage. Since then, the restaurant has seen a conservative Christian-backed appreciation day and a “kiss-in” day by gay rights supporters. All of this attention has made Chick-fil-A one of the fastest growing brands on Facebook.

    The shooting occurred on Wednesday when Corkins entered the lobby of the Family Research Council (FRC) offices. The FBI affidavit states he said “something to the effect of, ‘I don’t like your politics,’” to security guard Leo Johnson, then pulled the handgun from his backpack and shot Johnson in the arm. Johnson was able to wrestle Corkins to the ground and disarm him. The gunshot wound was not life-threatening and an FRC spokesman has said that Johnson is expected to make a full recovery.

    According to an AP report, Corkins is 28 years old and lived with his parents at the time of the shooting. He had recently volunteered at an LGBT community center in the D.C. area. Corker has been charged with assault with intent to kill and carrying firearms across state lines.

  • Temple Shooter’s Ex-Girlfriend Arrested on Gun Charge

    Temple Shooter’s Ex-Girlfriend Arrested on Gun Charge

    The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the ex-girlfriend of Wade Michael Page has been arrested on gun charges. Page is the man who shot and killed six people at a Sikh temple in a Milwaukee, Wisconsin suburb on Sunday.

    The report states that Misty Cook (right), Page’s ex, was arrested on Tuesday for having an “unauthorized” gun in her possession. Authorities found the firearm while searching Cook’s home for some of Page’s posessions. The South Milwaukee Police Department stated that Cook was arrested for being a felon in posession of a firearm. Cook was arrested and convicted in 2005 of fleeing a traffic officer, a charge for which she served 97 days in jail and 18 months of probation.

    It has been reported that Police believe Page acted alone, though they have no information about his possible motivations. From the L.A. Times report:

    “We’re looking at all the obvious indicators — things that would happen in somebody’s life that would cause them to snap,” Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards told CNN. “We’re not finding anything like that…. We may never know the motive, because he died, and that motive died with him.”

    The Anti-Defamation League states that Cook is active in neo-Nazi and white power organizations. Page has also been tied to hate groups, and was the lead singer of what the Alabama Southern Poverty Law Center calls a “racist skinhead band.” Cook is currently a nursing student in the Milwaukee.

  • Sikh Temple Gunman Identified as a Veteran With Ties to Hate Groups

    The gunman who shot and killed six people at a Sikh temple on Sunday has been identified as Wade Michael Page. According to unnamed Fox News sources, Page is a veteran of the U.S. Army who was once stationed at Fort Bragg. According to Reuters, the man also had ties to hate groups.

    Page drove to the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in a suburb of Milwaukee on Sunday and opened fire on worshipers with a 9mm pistol, which CNN reports he legally owned. Six people died and three others were injured, including a police officer. Page himself was killed by a police officer, ending his rampage.

    The motivation behind Page’s attack is not entirely known, though he had vague ties to hate and neo-Nazi groups. Reuters reports that over a decade ago he tried to “buy goods” from a neo-Nazi organization called the National Alliance.

    Page was also a member of a band called End Apathy. The band’s MySpace page is still available, including pictures of Page playing with the band. According to the band’s MySpace bio, its music was “a sad commentary on our sick society and the problems that prevent true progress. Reuters quotes Heidi Beirich, the director of the intelligence project at the Montgomery, Alabama Southern Poverty Law Center, as saying End Apathy was a “racist skinhead band.”

    An interview with Page was published by the Uprise Direct blog in 2010. In the interview, Page described the lyrics he wrote as being about “sociological issues, religion, and how the value of human life has been degraded by being submissive to tyranny and hypocrisy that we are subjected to.” According to Page, the band was created in 2005 so that he could “figure out what it would take to actually accomplish positive results in society and what is holding us back.”

    (Photo courtesy MySpace)

  • Virginia Tech Verdict Gives Peace To Families Of Slain

    A verdict reached by a jury yesterday in a wrongful death case against Virginia Tech has awarded two victims’ families four million dollars each, but the money is not what matters, say the parents.

    Jurors sided with the Peterson and Pryde families, whose daughters Julia and Erin were killed in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history when student gunman Seung-Hui Cho opened fire on his classmates in 2007. Cho fatally shot 32 people before turning the gun on himself, but not before he wounded 17 others. The families filed suit against the school for wrongful death, claiming officials didn’t do enough to warn students that they were in danger. During the trial, the parents’ attorneys claimed that campus police jumped to the conclusion that the first two victims were shot by a jealous boyfriend, and that the gunman was not a threat to others. They presented evidence that campus leaders heeded the police conclusion without question, then waited 2-1/2 hours before sending a campus-wide warning that a shooting had occurred. It did not say a gunman was still at large even though no one had been taken into custody at that time.

    Virginia Tech spokesman said in a statement, “We are disappointed with today’s decision and stand by our long-held position that the administration and law enforcement at Virginia Tech did their absolute best with the information available on April 16, 2007.”

    Both the Peterson and Pryde families were eligible to receive a share of the $11 million awarded after a lawsuit in 2008 and both rejected the money, instead making the decision to file a wrongful death suit.

    “When you know that something is right you’re not deterred from your course,” said Celeste Peterson. “We wanted the truth from the very beginning and we got it. All I know is today we got what we wanted.”