All articles tagged with #parkland
Decades after a farming family deeded 87 acres to the City of Taylor for a public park, the city sold the land to Blueprint for $10 million in 2025, and it is slated to become a 135,000-square-foot data center, sparking heartbreak for longtime residents who used the land for generations.
Two suspects linked to the May 24 Parkland robbery and the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Braylon Diaz appeared in Pierce County Superior Court for the first time. Alyssa Vaught-Barr, the getaway driver, and Alejandro Lorenzo Diaz, a fugitive in Oregon, faced the hearing with Vaught-Barr’s bail set at $1 million and Diaz’s at $250,000, while the alleged shooter Brandon Torres-Mesa remains at large as investigators say more people may be involved in the case.
Two people have been arrested in connection with the killing of 17-year-old Braylon Diaz in Parkland after he was shot during a necklace robbery; the Pierce County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation, with charges not yet disclosed.
A 17-year-old Braylon Daniel Diaz, a student at Washington High School, was shot and killed in an off-campus incident in Parkland. The Franklin Pierce School District says the community is grieving and has opened counseling spaces for students and staff, with additional mental health resources available. A GoFundMe for Diaz’s family had raised about $24,350 as of Thursday morning. Police released video of a red four-door car believed to be involved and are asking for tips from the public as investigators seek more information about the vehicle and its occupants.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office identified 17-year-old Braylon Daniel Diaz as the victim in Sunday’s Parkland shooting; he was robbed of jewelry, shot, and died at the scene, and investigators are seeking surveillance footage and tips while a GoFundMe fundraiser is raising funds for funeral costs.
Vice President Harris plans to visit Parkland, Fla., to advocate for the increased use of red flag laws, which allow for the temporary removal of guns from individuals deemed to pose a danger to themselves or others. She will walk the halls of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and announce a new effort to provide training and technical assistance to states, local governments, law enforcement, and health care providers in using these laws. Harris will also urge states to utilize funding from the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to raise awareness about the laws and train court staff and first responders.
Six years after the Parkland shooting, the NRA is in turmoil as Wayne LaPierre resigns amid accusations of misusing funds, following pressure from the March For Our Lives movement. The NRA has lost over a million members and cut back on core activities, impacting its political influence. Despite this, resistance to gun control remains strong among lawmakers, highlighting the ongoing challenge in addressing deeply held cultural beliefs around guns in the US.
The father of a Parkland school shooting victim criticized administrators for trying to avoid responsibility for a student's brutal beating in a nearby parking lot. The school claimed that since the incident occurred off school property, they were not accountable. However, parents argue that the parking lot is commonly used by students and should be considered part of the school's responsibility for student safety. The incident has led to five arrests so far, and the school principal plans to expel the students involved. The father, Fred Guttenberg, emphasized the importance of school security beyond the campus perimeter.
A disturbing video captured a brutal beating at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, resulting in the hospitalization of one student and the arrest of five others. The incident, which escalated from a small argument, shows a group of boys attacking a teen and slamming him headfirst onto the concrete. The victim sustained a skull fracture and is now recovering at home. The school board expressed deep concern over the incident, and the police are seeking a sixth person involved. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is the same school where the tragic shooting took place in 2018.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School's Eagle Regiment marching band from Parkland, Florida, performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, honoring the memory of Alex Schachter, a former band member and victim of the 2018 school shooting. The band played "The Polar Express" and had the names of Alex and another victim, Gina Montalto, on their flag. The performance was described as incredible, and the band received support from the families of the victims.
A portion of the former Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island has been transformed into parkland, with the soil being replenished by composted human feces from a solar-powered restroom. Mayor Eric Adams celebrated the development, stating that the waste from the restroom will go back into feeding the soil, effectively turning "crap into energy." The conversion of Fresh Kills to parkland is an important environmental priority for Adams, bringing equity to the working-class residents of Staten Island. The park's opening marks a long-awaited restoration for the borough, which was once a symbol of mistreatment by City Hall.
Former President Donald Trump pleads not guilty to four criminal charges related to his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election; the 2018 Parkland school shooting will be reenacted with live gunfire as part of a civil lawsuit against a former sheriff's deputy; an appeals court allows the Biden administration to keep a controversial asylum policy in place; Ukrainian forces attack a ship at a Russian naval base; Wells Fargo experiences a technical glitch causing direct deposits to disappear from some customers' bank accounts.
Families and survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting visited the preserved crime scene in the 1200 building, where their loved ones were killed over five years ago. Max Schachter, father of one of the victims, described the tour as horrifying, with blood everywhere and likened it to a horror movie. Schachter emphasized the importance of prioritizing school safety and educating about best practices. Other visitors included Debra Hixon, a Broward school board member, and surviving students Isabel Chequer and William Olson. More family members are expected to visit in the coming days.
Former Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson, who was acquitted of felony child neglect charges related to the Parkland school shooting, stated that he "wouldn't have done anything different." Peterson's defense argued that he took cover due to limited information and echoes of gunshots, while prosecutors claimed he could have confronted the shooter and saved lives. Peterson hopes to meet with the families of the victims to explain his actions, but some have no interest in speaking with him. This case marked the first trial of a law enforcement officer for conduct during an on-campus shooting in U.S. history.
Former Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson, who was acquitted of felony child neglect charges related to the Parkland school shooting, stated that he "wouldn't have done anything different." Peterson's defense argued that he took cover due to limited information and echoes of gunshots, while prosecutors claimed he could have confronted the shooter and saved lives. Peterson hopes to meet with the families of the victims to explain his actions, but some have no interest in speaking with him. This case marked the first trial of a law enforcement officer for conduct during an on-campus shooting in U.S. history.