NBC News uses internet posts and public records to sketch years of life for Amanda Karolkiewicz and her six children in Michigan before their deaths, offering a fuller background as investigators seek motive.
The community of Smiths Station, Alabama is mourning the loss of Mayor Bubba Copeland, who took his own life amidst controversy surrounding online posts. Two women have come forward, feeling victimized after their names and photos were posted without their permission. The Lee County Sheriff's deputies attempted a welfare check on Copeland, leading to a low-speed chase that ended with Copeland taking his own life. The investigation will be presented to the District Attorney and a grand jury for review.
Authorities are investigating a series of antisemitic threats made against the Jewish community at Cornell University through online posts. The university's president has condemned the threats and notified law enforcement, including the FBI, of a potential hate crime. The threats come amidst rising tensions on college campuses across the US due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Cornell's Hillel organization has warned students and staff to avoid a specific building on campus as a precaution. The university is prioritizing community safety and working to combat antisemitism.
A Saudi man, Mohammed bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, has been sentenced to death by Saudi Arabia's Specialized Criminal Court for his online posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) and YouTube. The charges against him include betraying his religion, disturbing the security of society, conspiring against the government, and impugning the kingdom and the crown prince. This marks the latest crackdown on dissent in the country, and the sentencing highlights the alarming stage where peaceful tweets can result in the death penalty. Saudi Arabia executed nearly 200 inmates last year, the highest recorded by Amnesty International in the last three decades, and al-Ghamdi's case appears to be the first death sentence solely for online posts.