All articles tagged with #us crime news
A Marion County, Florida man, 38-year-old James Westervelt III, has been indicted on first-degree felony murder charges after authorities say he used a leaf blower on his infant son as a prank; the child later died from injuries attributed to shaken baby syndrome, with deputies reporting video evidence of him using the tool on the child when younger and prosecutors noting additional charges are pending.
A Nevada judge ruled that a 2008 police interview with Duane “Keffe D” Davis is admissible at the Tupac Shakur murder trial, a decision prosecutors say could be pivotal as the four-week case begins in August; Davis faces life without parole if convicted for the 1996 Las Vegas drive-by, and the interview has long been cited as a central piece of evidence in the case.
Elaine Forbes, 53, Sausalito’s newly appointed city manager, was arrested on burglary charges after reportedly boarding someone else’s yacht at a harbor early Saturday, less than three weeks after starting the job; authorities say she attempted to start a vessel and alcohol was found on board. Forbes is in custody, the city has placed her on leave amid an active investigation, and family representatives say she is experiencing a mental health crisis.
A 24-year-old Veronica Lopez and a 48-year-old man were killed when her boyfriend allegedly opened fire inside a Pomona, California, apartment. The suspect, 48-year-old Robert Galtman, was arrested after an hours-long chase with California Highway Patrol. Family descriptions and GoFundMe pages frame the incident as domestic violence; bail for Galtman was set at $3.1 million, and Lopez’s family has raised funds for funeral expenses.
A teenage barrel racing competitor in Las Vegas has been arrested and charged with stabbing three horses at the National Barrel Horse Association’s Las Vegas Super Show at South Point Casino. She faces 12 counts of willful or malicious killing, maiming or torturing an animal and three counts of felony destruction of private property over $5,000. The incident occurred early Saturday; injuries to the horses were not life-threatening, and investigators say the suspect had access to the barn. She was detained at a nearby hotel and transported to Clark County Juvenile Hall. The NBHA described the event as an isolated incident and said the competitor involved was removed and there is no ongoing threat to horses.
Shannon Marie Harris, 46, of Tyrone, Georgia, was removed from a Delta flight from Miami to Atlanta and arrested for misdemeanor trespassing after allegedly refusing to end a phone call when crew asked; the plane returned to the gate and departed about an hour later. Delta said it has zero tolerance for disruptions; the FAA requires devices to be in airplane mode and passengers to follow crewmember instructions, with penalties for violations.
More than half of the 22 victims of the shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade are under 16 years old, with one fatality identified as local DJ Elizabeth Lopez-Galvan. Three individuals, including two juveniles, have been detained, but no charges have been filed yet. President Biden called for stricter gun control measures, while the shooting is believed to have stemmed from a dispute and is not terrorism-related. The lax gun laws in Missouri have come under scrutiny, and a GoFundMe page has raised over $100k for the victim's family.
During the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade, a shooting occurred, leaving one person dead and over 20 injured, with more than half of the victims under 16 years old. Police have detained three individuals, two of whom are juveniles, and recovered several firearms from the scene. The shooting is believed to have stemmed from a dispute and is not related to terrorism. Witnesses described the chaos and heroic actions during the incident. President Biden called for stricter gun control measures, while former President Trump boasted about protecting the Second Amendment.
The recent shooting at Houston's Lakewood Church has brought attention to Texas' gun laws after a woman with a history of mental illness and a criminal record legally purchased a gun and opened fire at the megachurch. The shooter's son remains in critical condition, prompting discussions about red flag laws and the need for better mental health care. Mayor John Whitmire has called for action, while Pastor Joel Osteen has announced a special service for healing and unity. The shooter's former mother-in-law believes systemic failures and lax gun laws contributed to the tragedy, while neighbors describe years of intimidation and threats from the shooter.
Students at the University of North Carolina are demanding action on gun control following the deadly shooting on campus. The student newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel, featured a powerful front page displaying the terrified text messages sent during the shooting. Around 600 students participated in a rally calling for stricter state gun laws and held a moment of silence for the slain professor. The motive for the attack remains unclear, and the search for the gun is ongoing. The university will return to normal operations, and the district attorney will not seek the death penalty for the suspect.
The gunman who killed three people in a racially motivated attack at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, may have originally planned to target a different store. Surveillance footage shows the gunman arriving at a Family Dollar store before going to the Dollar General store where he shot and killed three people. The shooter, identified as 21-year-old Ryan Palmeter, had previously worked at a similar discount store. Governor Ron DeSantis has faced criticism for loosening gun laws in the state.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was booed by mourners at a vigil in Jacksonville for the three victims killed in a racially motivated shooting. The gunman, identified as 21-year-old Ryan Palmeter, targeted a Dollar General store near a historically Black university. Prior to the attack, Palmeter's parents found a manifesto on his computer and alerted law enforcement. The shooting occurred on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. The White House condemned the shooting and called for gun control measures.
Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, the ex-wife of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan, has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge and accused of conspiring to have her husband killed. She was arrested on Thursday morning. Bridegan was killed in an ambush shooting last year after dropping off his two children at his ex-wife's home. Mario Fernandez, Gardner-Fernandez's second husband, was previously arrested and charged with orchestrating the murder. Prosecutors will seek the death penalty if Gardner-Fernandez is convicted.
Carlee Russell, the Alabama woman who claimed she was kidnapped after stopping to help a toddler on the side of the road, is expected to face criminal charges for falsely reporting the incident. The charges being considered are falsely reporting an incident and false reporting to law enforcement authorities, each carrying a maximum sentence of one year in jail. The Black and Missing Foundation has urged the public to not let this case impact future missing persons cases, emphasizing the importance of continuing to search for missing individuals, particularly people of color.
Mauricio Garcia, the gunman who killed eight people at a Texas mall, posted a chilling video of himself in a Scream mask before the massacre. Garcia had a stash of eight legally-purchased weapons, including an AR-15-style rifle, and had ties to far-right-wing groups, white supremacy and neo-Nazism. The shooter was terminated from the US Army training in 2008 due to a physical or mental health concern. Twitter has been criticised for allowing graphic images of the victims to circulate for hours. Elon Musk appeared to entertain the idea that the shooting was a “psyop”.