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  • Dawn Nguyen Sentenced To 8 Years For Role In Shooting Spree

    It was a Christmas tragedy that has since haunted the Webster, N.Y. community.

    On Christmas Eve in 2012, a gunman named William Spengler stormed into the West Webster firehouse and went on a shooting spree.

    The 63-year-old injured firefighters Ted Scardino and Joseph Hofstetter and killed firefighters Mike Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka.

    A body found at Spengler’s home was later identified as belonging to his 67-year-old sister Cheryl.

    The man eventually took his own life on a Lake Ontario beach, leaving no hope of direct justice for the pain caused on that awful morning.

    State and federal prosecutors instead turned toward the next best possible action.

    Dawn Nguyen was arrested and charged for the role she played in allowing Spengler access to the firearms used to kill the firefighters, his sister, and then himself.

    According to prosecutors, the 25-year-old lied on paperwork that she filled out when purchasing weapons for Spengler, who as a convicted felon was not permitted by law to own those weapons at all.

    Spengler had previously served jail time for beating his 92-year-old grandmother to death with a hammer. It was a crime for which the man had served 17 years in prison.

    Nguyen pleaded guilty to federal charges in June; she had already been convicted at the state level in April.

    Her defense attorney claimed that Nguyen bought the weapons in 2010, but had no idea how Spengler intended to use them.

    Judge David Larimer informed her that she “gave [Spengler] the instruments of death” he would use on himself and five others. The weapons purchased and used include a semi automatic rifle and shotgun.

    Nguyen apologized in open court on Wednesday ahead of her sentencing. She turned to the surviving firefighters who were in attendance and shared that she took full responsibility for her actions.

    She added that her choices would haunt her for the rest of her life.

    Nguyen was sentenced to eight years by Larimer on federal charges. The federal sentence will run concurrently with the one and a half year sentence already handed down by the state of New York.

  • Alex Karras Only Has Days To Live

    Alex Karras Only Has Days To Live

    Alex Karras, the former Detroit Lion and star of “Webster”, has been given days to live by his doctors after it was determined he is dying of kidney failure.

    Karras also suffers from dementia and has been engaged in a lawsuit with the NFL regarding the way head injuries were treated when he was playing. His wife, actress Susan Clark, says the 77-year old was diagnosed with the disease several years ago, but that in recent months his quality of life has suffered because of it. The couple were joined by several other former players in various suits against the NFL for the mishandling of injuries.

    “This physical beating that he took as a football player has impacted his life, and therefore it has impacted his family life,” Clark said earlier this year. “He is interested in making the game of football safer and hoping that other families of retired players will have a healthier and happier retirement.”

    The NFL has said they have taken steps over the years to ensure the safety of their players. The Lions issued a statement regarding Karras’ prognosis, saying, “The entire Detroit Lions family is deeply saddened to learn of the news regarding the condition of one of our all-time greats, Alex Karras. Perhaps no player in Lions history attained as much success and notoriety for what he did after his playing days as did Alex.”