LAS VEGAS – The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said three people were killed while one person remains in stable condition after a shooting unfolded at UNLV on Wednesday.

Authorities also said the suspected gunman is also deceased.

Sheriff Kevin McMahill said an armed confrontation with police led to the suspect’s death and prevented more harm to the campus community.

McMahill said investigators know who the suspected gunman is but will not release the person’s identity until the next of kin is notified. The names of the victims have not been released.

They add four additional people were sent to local hospitals for panic attacks.

Police were called about an active shooter on campus at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, said Adam Garcia, a university police official. He said officers found and “engaged” a suspect, who is now dead. It was not immediately clear how the suspect died.

The university said on X, formerly Twitter, that the shooter was at the Beam Hall, Frank and Estella Building, home of UNLV’s Lee Business School, and that police were responding to an additional report of shots fired at the nearby student union.

Las Vegas police posted on X that a suspect “has been located and is deceased” about 40 minutes after the initial alert was posted.

Students and the community were alerted to the emergency by a university post on X.

“This is not a test,” the university wrote. “RUN-HIDE-FIGHT.”

Student John Harris heard what he later realized was a gunshot as he was getting out of his car in the parking garage of an on-campus apartment complex. In the elevator, Harris he got an emergency text alert text from the university.

“I wasn’t sure what to believe,” said Harris, 21, who ended up sheltering at a friend’s dorm. “But as I came down to the street, and I saw there were a bunch of cops in the parking lot at the student union, I knew what I heard was a gunshot and this wasn’t a drill.”

Professor Kevaney Martin took cover under a desk in her classroom, where another faculty member and three students took shelter with her.

“It was terrifying, I can’t even begin to explain,” Matin said. “I was trying to hold it together for my students, and trying not to cry, but the emotions are something I never want to experience again.”

Martin said she was texting friends and loved ones, hoping to receive word a suspect had been detained. When another professor came to the room and told everyone to evacuate, they joined dozens of others rushing out of the building. Martin had her students piled into her car and drove them off campus.

“Once we got away from UNLV, we parked and sat in silence,” she said. “Nobody said a word. We were in utter shock.”

Administrators said the UNLV campus and all other Nevada System of Higher Education institutions will be closed for the remainder of the day.

Authorities also said they do not know a motive for the shooting.

The shooting occurred in a city still scarred by one of the worst mass killings in U.S. history, the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas, in which 60 were killed and hundreds more wounded.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office said if you are looking for a loved one who was on the UNLV campus, call 702-455-AIDE (2433). A Family Reunification Center will be located at the Las Vegas Convention Center. You can also click here. 

The White gunman who killed three Black people in a racially motivated attack at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday legally purchased the two firearms he used in the shooting earlier this year, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said in a news conference Sunday.

The gunman, identified as 21-year-old Ryan Christopher Palmeter, bought a handgun in April and an AR-15-style rifle in June, the sheriff said. He lived with his parents in nearby Orange Park and had no criminal arrest history, although he had been temporarily involuntarily held under the Baker Act in 2017, the sheriff said.

“In this situation, there was nothing illegal about him owning the firearms,” he said.

The news conference came a day after Palmeter fatally shot three Black people at the Dollar General store in what authorities say was an anti-Black hate crime. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department is investigating the shooting as a hate crime and an act of racially motivated violent extremism.

Ryan Christopher Palmeter, 21, was identified as the gunman in the shooting.

The gunman used racial slurs, left behind a racist screed and drew swastikas on his firearm, authorities said. He was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun and was wearing a tactical vest and blue latex gloves, the sheriff said.

The victims were identified as Angela Michelle Carr, 52; Jerrald Gallion, 29; and Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr., 19.

Sabrina Rozier, a relative of Gallion, described him as a fun, loving young man. He left behind a 4-year-old daughter, Rozier told CNN.

“It’s hurtful, I thought racism was behind us and evidently it’s not,” she said Sunday at a vigil for the victims.

Sabrina Rozier, left, and Jerrald Gallion.

Sabrina Rozier

Laguerre was an employee at the Dollar General store, the company said in a statement, adding it was sending its condolences to his family and loved ones of the two customers who were killed in the “senseless violence.”

“There is no place for hate at Dollar General or in the communities we serve,” the company said. “Right now, we are focused on providing support, counseling and resources to our teams and their loved ones, and we are evaluating how we can best support and stand with the greater Jacksonville community during this sad and difficult time.”

Prior to the shooting, the gunman had been turned away from the campus of a nearby historically Black university, Edward Waters University. There, he refused to identify himself to an on-campus security officer and was asked to leave, the university stated in a news release.

“The individual returned to their car and left campus without incident. The encounter was reported to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office by EWU security,” the school said.

The shooting came five years to the day of a mass shooting in downtown Jacksonville at a Madden video game tournament. The attack also coincided with the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, the iconic civil rights demonstration that called on the government to better protect the rights of Black people.

The attack was one of several shootings reported in the US over two days, including one near a parade in Massachusetts and another at a high school football game in Oklahoma, underscoring the everyday presence of gun violence in American life.

There have been at least 470 mass shootings in the US so far in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are wounded or killed, not including the shooter. It is almost two mass shootings for each day of the year so far.

The attack in Florida is the latest in a number of shootings in recent years where a gunman has targeted Black people, including at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, last year and a historically Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015.

“I did a terrible thing that day. I shot and killed people because they were Black,” the Buffalo shooter said in court as he was sentenced to life in prison. “Looking back now, I can’t believe I actually did it. I believed what I read online and acted out of hate.”

Sheriff outlines timeline of Dollar General attack

Sheriff Waters provided a minute-by-minute timeline of the attack on Saturday.

The shooter left his home in Clay County around 11:39 a.m. and headed to Jacksonville in neighboring Duval County, Waters told CNN.

At 12:48 p.m., the suspect headed to New Town, a predominately Black area of Jacksonville, and stopped at Edward Waters University in a gray Honda, donning a bulletproof vest. The sheriff said a TikTok video was also taken around this time showing him getting dressed.

University police backed into a parking spot in the same lot as the suspect, and the suspect left at 12:57 p.m., the sheriff said. University police followed him out of the lot and flagged down a sheriff’s officer, saying there was a suspicious person on campus, the sheriff said.

At 1:08 p.m., at the Dollar General parking lot, the gunman shot into a black Kia and killed Carr, the sheriff said. He then entered the store and fatally shot Laguerre, the sheriff said.

Others fled out the rear exit of the store, and the suspect exited the same door before returning inside. The gunman then fatally shot Gallion, who had just walked into the store, and chased after and shot at Gallion’s fleeing girlfriend, the sheriff said.

Law enforcement on the scene of the shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday.

WJXT

At 1:18 p.m., the gunman texted his father and told him to go into his room, where the father found a will and a suicide note, the sheriff said. Officers entered the store a minute later – 11 minutes from the start of the shooting – and heard one gunshot, which is presumed to be when the gunman shot and killed himself, the sheriff said.

The suspect’s father called the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at 1:53 p.m., the sheriff said.

The attack clearly targeted Black people, Waters said. The suspect used racial slurs and left behind writings to his parents, the media and federal agents outlining his “disgusting ideology of hate,” the sheriff told reporters.

“This shooting was racially motivated, and he hated Black people,” Waters said on Saturday.

Authorities also played two short video clips of the shooting. One clip shows the shooter pointing his weapon at a black Kia car outside the store, and the other shows the shooter walking into the store and pointing his rifle to his right.

“I wanted the people to be able to see exactly what happened in this situation and just how sickening it is,” Waters said.

The shooter did not appear to know the victims and it is believed he acted alone, he said.

“This is a dark day in Jacksonville’s history,” the sheriff said. “Any loss of life is tragic, but the hate that motivated the shooter’s killing spree adds an additional layer of heartbreak.”

Shooter’s father called police after shooting started

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released a photo of a firearm used in the shooting, left, and a close-up, right, which shows several swastikas drawn on it.

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office

Photos of the weapons the gunman had were shown by authorities, including one firearm with swastikas drawn on it.

“The suspect’s family, they didn’t do this. They’re not responsible for this. This is his decision, his decision alone,” the sheriff later told CNN.

The shooter was the subject of a 2017 law enforcement call under the state’s Baker Act, which allows people to be involuntarily detained and subject to an examination for up to 72 hours during a mental health crisis.

Waters did not provide details on what led to the Baker Act call in that case but said normally a person who has been detained under the act is not eligible to purchase firearms.

“If there is a Baker Act situation, they’re prohibited from getting guns,” he told CNN Saturday. “We don’t know if that Baker Act was recorded properly, whether it was considered a full Baker Act.”

Later, on Sunday, the sheriff said investigators found the guns appeared to be obtained legally.

The shooter’s writings indicated he was aware of a mass shooting at a Jacksonville gaming event where two people were killed exactly five years earlier, and may have chosen the date of his attack to coincide with the anniversary, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said.

Leaders react to Jacksonville shooting

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at a vigil Sunday evening for the victims.

“We are not going to let people be targeted based on their race,” DeSantis said. He added his office has identified state funds to help the community and nearby Edward Waters University.

“You are not going to target HBCUs in the state of Florida and get away with it,” the governor said. “We’re going to hold you accountable.”

Deegan spoke at the vigil about unity.

“The division has to stop, the hate has to stop, the rhetoric has to stop,” Deegan said.

The Jacksonville branch of the NAACP issued a statement saying it stands in solidarity with the families affected.

“It is deeply disheartening that our black communities live in constant fear of being targeted based on the color of their skin, unable to shop at their local store without the threat of violence,” the branch said.

President Joe Biden noted the tragic symbolism of the shooting on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington.

“[T]his day of remembrance and commemoration ended with yet another American community wounded by an act of gun violence, reportedly fueled by hate-filled animus and carried out with two firearms,” Biden said in a written statement.

“Even as we continue searching for answers, we must say clearly and forcefully that white supremacy has no place in America. We must refuse to live in a country where Black families going to the store or Black students going to school live in fear of being gunned down because of the color of their skin.”

The northwest Jacksonville community shaken by Saturday’s violence is processing the loss, according to Florida State Sen. Tracie Davis, who represents the area of Jacksonville where the shooting happened.

“I’m angry, I’m sad to realize we are in 2023 and as a Black person we are still hunted, because that’s what that was,” Davis told CNN. “That was someone planning and executing three people.”

Pastor Willie Barnes led a Sunday service at the nearby Saint Paul A.M.E. Church. He said students at Edward Waters University who witnessed the gunman on campus were in attendance.

The focus now is turning the community’s pain into healing, he said.

“I hope that the world pays attention to how strong we are,” Barnes said, “and how we’re going to come back better than we are now.” source

]]> https://goodshepherdmedia.net/at-least-5-shot-in-pasadena-police-say/ Sat, 26 Aug 2023 03:24:32 +0000 https://goodshepherdmedia.net/?p=15723 At least 5 shot in Pasadena, police say

PASADENA, Calif. – A shooting in Pasadena ended with at least five people being hurt Friday night.

The Pasadena Police Department responded to a call in the 100 block of East Orange Grove Boulevard around 7:30 p.m. Upon arrival, officers found five people with gunshot wounds.

Police believe the shooting may have stemmed from a fight that broke out. source

believed to be a former cop, went on a rampage at a biker bar in Southern California, the Orange County Sheriff confirmed

At least nine people were shot Wednesday night in the Trabuco Canyon area of Orange County, a representative for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. PT at Cook’s Corner, a well-known bar and grill, located on Santiago Canyon Road in Trabuco Canyon, in South Orange County, California, according to the OC Sheriff’s watch commander.

The suspect is down, authorities said.

The scene is not active.

FBI agents are responding to the scene, but the OC Sheriff is going to take the lead in the investigation. source

11 shot at biker bar in Orange County’s Trabuco Canyon

Deputies and medical personnel rushed Wednesday night to a mass shooting at a bar in Orange County’s Trabuco Canyon, with sources saying five could have been killed including the shooter. Six more people were transported to a hospital or hospitals.

It happened on Santiago Canyon Road at Cook’s Corner, a biker bar where it was Spaghetti Night.

Orange County Sheriff’s Capt. Aaron Brady confirmed there was a mass shooting there Wednesday evening. Sources later said it likely started as a domestic dispute. The Sheriff’s Department also later said there was a deputy-involved shooting during the response. No deputies were injured.

Sources said preliminary reports are that five were dead in the aftermath of the shooting, including the shooter. It is believed the shooter is a former law enforcement officer from outside of the area.

Social media posts showed a massive response by deputies and Orange County Fire Authority personnel.

A CBS LA reporter in a helicopter around 8:15 p.m. reported seeing what appeared to be at least three sheets covering bodies, one in a parking lot, one on the street and one at the rear of the property. At least two others were being treated by emergency personnel.

“This is real,” she wrote on Facebook at 7:45 p.m.. “… 4 or 6 shots strait (sic) at me.  But he missed me.  Thank you, God!!”

Her photos showed a large smear of blood on the floor of the bar. She shared videos of a chaotic scene outside the bar with deputies and paramedics working on shooting victims in the parking lot.

Gus Gunderman of Tustin was at Cook’s for the $8 spaghetti dinner. He left before the shooting, he said Wednesday night in a public post on Facebook.

“Family members saw family members die tonight,” he wrote. “Glad to be home safe. I left there not too long ago, like minutes before. Apparently it was soon enough.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom was monitoring the shooting “and coordinating with local officials as more details become available,” his office said.

Cook’s Corner on its website promotes cold beer and good food and says “children welcome.” “Cook’s Corner is considered to be one of the most famous biker bar & restaurant in Southern California,” the site says.

An earlier notable mass shooting in Orange County, also involving domestic violence, happened in October 2011 when Scott Dekraai fatally shot eight people at a hair salon in Seal Beach.

Wednesday’s shooting was the first mass shooting in the county since one at a Laguna Woods

source

BALTIMORE — Two people are dead after as many as 30 people were shot in a mass shooting overnight in Brooklyn while investigators search for the shooters, Baltimore police said.

What happened

Acting Baltimore Police Commissioner Rich Worley said during a news conference shortly after 5 a.m. that officers received multiple calls just after 12:30 a.m. for a mass shooting in the 800 block of Gretna Court, where there was a block party underway.

Residents told 11 News there was a large gathering in the neighborhood before they heard what sounded like fireworks, which they later learned were gunshots. Worley said the event was not permitted and police were unaware of it taking place until some time Saturday.

The victims

Worley said officers found an 18-year-old woman dead at the scene. Nine others were taken to hospitals, and as many as 20 others — ranging in age from 13 to 32 — arrived at hospitals across the region on their own. Worley said 14 minors were among the injured.

A 20-year-old man also died, and three others were in critical condition.

The University of Maryland Medical System said it received patients at Shock Trauma as well as others at the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Pediatric Emergency Department.

MedStar reported receiving several patients at Harbor Hospital, some of which were stabilized and transferred to trauma centers. Some patients have been treated and released.

Search for suspects

Worley said no suspects are in custody, but that investigators were reviewing video and talking to witnesses to try to identify at least two suspects.

“We do know more than one person was shooting,” Worley said at an afternoon news conference. “We don’t know if they were targeted (shootings) or whether they were shooting indiscriminately up the street.”

As Worley asked the public for videos, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott implored the public to provide information.

“This is an absolute tragedy that did not have to happen,” Scott said. “Anyone that knows anything about what happened here, anything about this mass shooting, come forward with any piece of information. Treat this as if it was your family and how you would want people to treat it as if you were mourning, as if this were an event happening in your community.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7LOCKUP.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said its special agents, K-9 and task force officers are supporting Baltimore police in the investigation.

No further information was immediately released.

Mayor releases statement: City services available

The city has brought out resources, including the Peacemobile, which will remain in the area the next 45 days to help residents.

The mayor’s office said city agencies are offering resources at the Brooklyn Homes Community Center (4140 10th St.) for those affected by the mass shooting. Mental health clinicians and food and water were being made available to residents in need, according to the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.

The mayor’s office released a statement, saying: “In the early morning hours of July 2, a horrific mass shooting occurred at Brooklyn Homes in south Baltimore. At this time, two people have been killed and 28 others injured, leaving three people in critical condition. My heart is with those who lost their lives, all those who are now battling injuries, and their loved ones. This community should also know that they have our wholehearted support during this unimaginably difficult time. This act of violence has shaken our city to the very core, and we are all grappling with the shock, pain, and trauma that accompanies such a heinous act of destruction.

“This investigation is ongoing, and we will not rest until the people responsible are held accountable. This tragedy again shows why we must continue to focus on the amount of illegal guns on our streets that make it into the hands of individuals who should not have them and continuously carry out violent acts in our city. There must be accountability at each level of the illegal gun trade from those using them, those trafficking them to those who manufacture them in ways they know will lead to violence. I’m asking that anyone who has information on who committed this cowardly, violent act to come forward and help us secure justice for the Brooklyn community.

WBAL-TV\Breana Ross

“To support residents of south Baltimore during this time, my office has stood up immediate resources in and surrounding the Brooklyn Homes area. Today, the Brooklyn Homes Community Center will serve as a central place for various city agencies to provide residents immediate aid and services.

“My Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) will immediately begin their work activating a Coordinated Neighborhood Stabilization Response within this community, focused on addressing trauma and stabilizing the neighborhood in partnership with community-based organizations and city agencies.

“In the coming days, our community will undoubtedly be faced with grief, questions, and the need for answers. I assure you that the Baltimore Police Department, MONSE, and every other city agency is working diligently to investigate, engage residents, and keep everyone informed of additional pertinent information when it becomes available.”

Raw video below: 5 a.m. police news conference in its entirety

Gov. Wes Moore releases statement

“Last night, we saw yet another mass shooting strike our community where a celebratory gathering turned deadly. My heart breaks for these victims, their families and the Baltimore community that is coping with the loss.

“Maryland has had enough of watching gun violence continue to ravage our state and our nation. The fact that these horrific shootings continue to take place is abominable. We as a state will continue to do everything we can to prevent senseless acts of violence like the one we saw last night.

“We are grateful for the actions of the first responders who jumped quickly into action and are confident that our law enforcement officials will swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. My administration is in close touch with local officials and will provide whatever resources are needed to assist.

“To the loved ones of these Marylanders, I am so sorry for your loss. You deserve better and we will work together to bring you just that. You have my word.”

Council President Nick Mosby releases statement

“My heart breaks for the lives lost and all affected by the senseless violence that occurred in south Baltimore last evening.

“As Baltimoreans, we must unite to stand against violence in our communities and understand that each and every life in our city is precious, valuable and essential.

“The residents of Brooklyn Park deserve to live in a safe community and not wake up today after what was to be a day of celebration, faced with trauma, pain and loss. All the violence in my beloved city breaks my heart, as I imagine it does yours.

“I implore all those with information that can help police apprehend the perpetrators of this callous act, to please step forward and contact BPD Homicide detectives at 410-396-2100, or if you wish to remain anonymous, call the Metro Crime Stoppers tip line at 866-7LOCKUP.”

Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates releases statement

“On behalf of the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City (BCSAO), we are profoundly saddened and outraged by the tragic events that unfolded earlier today. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families affected by this senseless violence. But we need more than thoughts and prayers; we need policy and change in Maryland, particularly Baltimore. A policy that helps us hold repeat violent offenders accountable and reduces the number of illegal firearms in our communities.

“A mass shooting occurred in our city, resulting in the injury of 30 individuals and the loss of at least two innocent lives. This shocking incident could have happened to any of us celebrating in our communities this holiday weekend. The immense pain and grief felt throughout our city today is palpable. My office and I stand with those impacted by this tragedy and offer our support in any way we can.

“Our homicide prosecutors have been in close contact with BPD detectives and are providing support and assistance as needed. Additionally, our Victim/Witness coordinators and Community Engagement Team are canvassing the community to ensure residents are aware of available resources and how to access them.

“We must unite as a city and support one another in such times. I encourage anyone affected by this tragedy to reach out for assistance, whether it is emotional support, counseling, or any other form of help they may require. My office will collaborate with local organizations and coordinate resources to provide the necessary support, including relocation support. I call upon the public to provide authorities with any information about this tragic event. If you have information about this shooting, contact BPD homicide detectives. Those who wish to remain anonymous can use the Metro Crime Stoppers tip line at 866-7LOCKUP.” source

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Gunfire that erupted during a block party early Sunday morning left two people dead and 28 others injured, according to Baltimore City Police. Police said they were still looking for the suspects.

Both victims killed were identified as an 18-year-old woman, and a 20-year-old man, according to police. The 28 other victims range between the ages of 13-years-old through 32-years-old as well, police say.

In an update Sunday afternoon, officials said 9 victims still remain in the hospital. Their conditions are unknown.

---

Shooting in Baltimore leaves dozens wounded, multiple dead: police

30 people were shot, including two victims who were killed, police said

A shooting in Baltimore, Maryland, early Sunday morning left dozens of people wounded and multiple fatalities.

The incident happened during a gathering in the Brooklyn Homes section of South Baltimore, according to police.

Police officers and medical personnel responded to the scene on the 800 block of Gretna Avenue at around 12:30 a.m., acting Baltimore police commissioner Rich Worley said at a news conference.

Worley said 30 people were shot, including three victims in critical condition and two fatalities.

 

A shooting in Baltimore, Maryland, early Sunday morning left dozens of people wounded and multiple people killed. (Baltimore Police)

A suspect, who has not been taken into custody, opened fire during a block party, police said.

Some victims were transported to the hospital by emergency personnel while others self-transported to the hospital.

“All of Baltimore is grieving the lives that we lost here our hearts are with all those that are recovering as a result of this mass shooting,” mayor Brandon Scott said at the news conference. “This investigation is ongoing, and our homicide detectives will continue to work until they find out what happened here but what we do know this morning is this is a reckless cowardly act that has happened here and has permanently altered many lives and cost two people their lives.”

Witnesses told Fox 45 Baltimore they heard 20 to 30 shots fired.

The incident happened during a gathering overnight in the Brooklyn Homes section of South Baltimore. (Ulysses Munoz/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) source

Texas authorities confirm 8 dead in Allen Premium Outlets shooting near Dallas, several more injured

Texas police confirmed multiple people were killed and the shooter is also dead

Texas officials announced that 8 victims were killed in a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday afternoon, which also injured 7 others.

Allen Fire Department chief Jonathan Boyd reported that four of the injured victims are stable, while three are still in critical condition. Nine people have died in total to include the suspected shooter – seven at the scene, and two who later succumbed to their injuries.

Police chief Brian Harvey said at a Saturday evening presser that a police officer was on an unrelated call nearby when gunshots erupted at Allen Premium Outlets at 3:36 p.m.

The officer “engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat,” according to police. A law enforcement source told Fox News that the suspected shooter is dead and that they believe he acted alone.

A Medical City Healthcare spokesperson told FOX 4 Dallas that their facilities were treating eight victims between the ages of 5 and 61 years old.

The ATF Dallas Field Division announced that it was responding to an active shooting situation on Twitter earlier on Saturday. FBI officials were also on scene.

Operations Administrator Joshua W. Barnwell told FOX 4 Dallas that he heard at least 30 gunshots and saw around 60 rounds of ammunition on the ground.

Aerial footage shows hundreds of people exiting the mall after the shooting. (FOX 4 Dallas)

A mother who was at the mall with her daughter said she heard popping noises and saw sparks flying.

“We were outside the Converse store and we just heard all this popping,” Elaine Penicaro explained to FOX 4. “We kind of all just stopped, and then a second later, just ‘Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,’ and there were sparks flying like it was right in front of us.”

Allen Police Department asked everyone to avoid the area on Saturday afternoon in a statement on Twitter.

Collin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Fox News Digital that Allen Police Department is investigating an incident at Allen Premium Outlets. (FOX 4 Dallas)

“Law enforcement is on the scene at Allen Premium Outlets. An active investigation is underway,” the statement read. “Please avoid the area until further update.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a statement expressing his condolences and affirming that the state will provide resources to local officials.

“Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy,” Abbott said in the statement. “I have been in contact with Mayor Fulk and DPS Director McCraw as well as other state and local leaders and offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure all needed assistance and resources are swiftly deployed, including DPS officers, Texas Rangers, and investigative resources.”

Texas police responded to reports of a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday afternoon. (FOX 4 Dallas)

By Andrea Vacchiano | Fox News

If you have any tips or information, please call the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office at 936-653-4367. You can remain anonymous.

A manhunt continues for a mass shooting suspect in San Jacinto County as law enforcement officials have now widened their search up to a 20-mile radius to find a gunman who killed five people, including an 8-year-old.

Authorities have identified the gunman as 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa.

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Oropesa was shooting an AR-15 outside his home on the 100 block of Walters Rd. in Cleveland, TX around 11:30 p.m. Friday when his next-door neighbors asked him to stop because their baby was sleeping.

Oropesa reportedly told the neighbors he would do what he wanted. Deputies say the 38-year-old, who was intoxicated at the time, went on a shooting spree and shot all five family members “execution style” before fleeing. Oropesa hasn’t been seen since.

Cleveland, TX mass shooting: Authorities searching for suspect that killed 5, including 8-year-old

In San Jacinto County, various government agencies are on a manhunt Saturday after a gunman killed five people, including an 8-year-old child at a home west of Cleveland, Texas. FOX 26’s Shelby Rose reports on what we know so far.

Officials have released the names and ages of all the victims. They are Sonia Argentina Guzman 25, Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21, Julisa Molina Rivera, 31, Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18, Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman, 8.

However, there were a total of 10 people inside the home at the time.

Three other children were also found “covered in blood,” Sheriff Capers said, and taken to the hospital. Two other people inside the home were evaluated for injuries at the scene but released.

Those who knew the family from Honduras were heartbroken to learn the tragic news.

“I’m shocked and sad because I did know the people, the victims. It’s heartbreaking because I used to see him (Daniel) every day walk to the bus stop,” said neighbor, Vivian Posada.

“The fact that it was the type of gun that it was, everybody should not be allowed to have those types of weapons,” Barbara S. Justice, President of the Coldspring Chamber of Commerce said.

In lieu of their annual fundraiser, San Jacinto County Democrats held a prayer vigil for the victims.

“That’s the kind of thing we just don’t see in San Jacinto County, so to say it’s shaken the community, would be a dramatic understatement. Here we have another case where it’s easier to get a machine gun than a fishing license, and we continue to see these tragedies across the United States; kids dying,” San Jacinto County Democratic Party Chairman John Michael Adams said.

The Sheriff says they know exactly who the shooter is based on seeing him with Ring Doorbell footage with the weapon and SWAT cleared his home, but as of this writing, several agencies are still looking for him. The search area has reportedly increased and, officials believe Oropesa could be on foot, but they are unsure.

The FBI Houston has taken control of the investigation.

“Better is achievable, good is no longer good enough, that we as a people have to continue to stand together to make change because if not, it could be your little girl, your little boy that’s gone, or your family member that’s gone,” said Pastor Jocelyn Traylor with the St. Galilee Missionary Baptist Church.

Sheriff Capers says though they have not located Oropesa yet, they did find a cell phone they were looking for along with articles of clothing.

Officials say they have responded to calls in that neighborhood in the past. A judge has filed an arrest warrant and assigned the shooter a $5 million bond. source

If you have any tips or information, please call the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office at 936-653-4367. You can remain anonymous.

updated 5/1/2023

200 officers are in a manhunt for the Texas suspect accused of killing his 5 neighbors. Authorities are offering $80,000 for information

More than 200 officers from multiple law enforcement agencies are searching for the gunman accused of shooting and killing five people, including a 9-year-old child, at a Cleveland, Texas, home after neighbors asked him to stop firing his rifle outdoors, officials said Sunday.

Those officers are going door to door and asking community members for information while authorities are also creating billboard posters in Spanish to inform everyone of the search, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said in a Sunday afternoon news conference.

And there’s now also a collective $80,000 reward being offered for information that leads to the suspect’s arrest, FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge James Smith announced in the news conference.

Francisco Oropesa, 38, is accused of killing four adults and a 9-year-old boy at a neighboring home Friday night in the city of Cleveland – about 40 miles northeast of downtown Houston. Investigators initially started tracking Oropesa using his cellphone, but said that trail went cold Saturday evening – and he could now be anywhere.

Suspect Francisco Oropesa, seen here in a picture posted by FBI Houston on Twitter.

FBI Houston

“We don’t have any tips right now to where he may be and that’s why we’ve come up with this reward, so that hopefully somebody out there can call us,” Smith said at Sunday’s news conference.

“I can pretty much guarantee you, he’s contacted some of his friends,” Smith said, adding, “We just don’t know what friends they are and that’s what we need from the public, is any type of information because right now we’re running into dead ends.”

In a Twitter post earlier Sunday, the FBI warned the suspect is “armed and dangerous” and urged anyone who saw Oropesa not to approach him.

The US has suffered at least 184 mass shootings in the first four months of this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The nonprofit, like CNN, defines mass shootings as those in which four or more people are shot – not including the shooter.

How the massacre unfolded

Authorities said Sunday they were focused on capturing the suspect and bringing closure and justice to the five people killed. A day earlier, the sheriff described how the violence unfolded.

“The victims, they came over to the fence said, ‘Hey, could you mind not shooting out in the yard. We have a young baby that is trying to go sleep,’” Capers said Saturday.

The suspect, who had been drinking, responded: “I’ll do what I want to in my front yard.”

At some point, a doorbell camera at the home of the victims captured the suspect approaching with his rifle, Capers said.

Then the home turned into a scene of carnage. Multiple people were later found dead in different rooms.

Nine-year-old Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman was shot and killed. So were Sonia Argentina Gúzman, 25; Diana Velázquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31, and José Jonathan Cásarez, 18.

All five were shot “almost execution style” – above the neck at close range, the sheriff said.

Five other people who were home during the rampage were not hurt, Capers said. Three children were found covered in blood and were taken to a hospital, but were not injured.

Authorities believe two women died while using their bodies to shield the children who survived.

“The three children … were covered in blood from the same ladies that were laying on top of them trying to protect them,” the sheriff said Sunday. Those children are now safe and with family, he added.

A vigil for the 9-year-old boy was scheduled to take place Sunday evening, the sheriff said. Authorities initially reported the boy was 8 years old, but his father told CNN on Sunday his son turned 9 in January.

Father of slain boy describes what happened

Wilson Garcia, the father of the young boy killed, said they called 911 five times Friday night to report the suspect shooting his firearm.

Capers, the sheriff, said Sunday authorities got to the scene as fast as they could but there is a small force covering a large county. The home where the shooting took place is about 15 minutes outside of town.

Garcia said he and two other men walked over to Oropesa to ask him to stop shooting so close to their home because their baby was sleeping. He said they asked Oropesa to shoot on the other side of his property.

About 10 to 20 minutes later, the suspect came back, walked up to the house and started shooting, killing Garcia’s wife, Sonia Argentina Gúzman, first at the front door of the home, he said.

Garcia said he jumped out of a window and ran – adding another woman told him he had to survive because his children didn’t have a mother anymore and needed him.

Sonia Argentina Gúzman and Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman.

Family photo

‘We have zero leads’

Authorities had received previous calls about Oropesa allegedly shooting his rifle in the front yard, the sheriff said.

Law enforcement initially spelled the suspect’s name as “Oropeza” but the FBI said Sunday it will use the spelling “Oropesa” to “better reflect his identity in law enforcement systems.” The FBI acknowledged he has been listed in various databases with both spellings.

Oropesa was known to shoot a .223 rifle, Capers said. Shell casings were also found outside the home after the shooting.

Authorities found at least three weapons inside the suspect’s home and spoke to the suspect’s wife, the sheriff said.

Oropesa’s cell phone was found abandoned, along with articles of clothing, Capers said.

“The tracking dogs from Texas Department of Corrections picked up the scent, and then they lost that scent,” he said.

Authorities said Sunday they did not know if the suspect was still in the area.

“If anybody, whether you are here in this county, or this state of Texas or around the country, have any tips, we’re asking you to please call” authorities, Smith, with the FBI, said. “Right now, we have zero leads.”

All 5 slain victims were Honduran

Some of those inside the home had moved there from Houston just days ago, the sheriff said.

Wilson Paz, director general of migrant protection for Honduras, told CNN all five victims were Honduran.

he Honduran Consulate in Houston is offering support to the victims’ families and preparing to repatriate the five people killed, the Honduran Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on Twitter.

“The Government of Honduras deeply regrets the loss of these valuable lives and accompanies all their loved ones in their pain,” the statement said. “We demand that the pertinent authorities arrest the perpetrator of this terrible event and apply the full weight of the law.”

Correction: A previous version of this story gave the wrong photo of the suspect due to incorrect information provided by the FBI Houston Field Office. source

Texas shooting: Suspect accused of killing 5 neighbors after request to stop firing rifle

San Jacinto County, Texas sheriff names suspect in shooting as Mexican national Francisco Oropeza, as manhunt closes in

A Mexican national is suspected of killing five neighbors in southeast Texas after one of them asked him to stop shooting his rifle late Friday, saying that a baby was trying to sleep.

The suspect in the execution-style killings is Francisco Oropeza, 39, a Mexican national, according to San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers.

Capers said during a Saturday afternoon press conference that Oropeza “could be anywhere now.” Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Houston Field Office said that Oropeza should be considered “armed and dangerous” and is a “threat to the community.”

The Texas Department of Corrections has sent a team with dogs, officers on horseback and a drone in the air to assist with Oropeza’s arrest, police said.

Francisco Oropeza, 39, a Mexican national, is suspected of killing five people near Cleveland, Texas, Friday, April 28, 2023. (Fox News)

A Mexican national is suspected of killing five neighbors near Cleveland, Texas, Friday, April 28, 2023, after one asked him to stop firing a rifle. (KTRK)

Law enforcement authorities removing bodies from a scene where five people were shot the night before Saturday, April 29, 2023, in Cleveland, TX. Authorities say an 8-year-old child was among five people killed in a shooting at the home in southeast Texas late Friday night. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Officials said the following individuals were killed in the shooting: Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Daniel Enrique Laso, 8; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; and Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18.

Capers said during the press conference that law enforcement officers located some Oropeza’s clothing and tracking dogs picked up the scent, adding that the dogs lost the scent after they reached the water. Officers also located his cell phone.

He added that the search area is now up to 10 or 20 square miles.

Capers told Fox News Digital he is “praying” that the suspect will be in custody in the next two to four hours.

He said this was the first mass shooting incident with more than three victims his office has ever dealt with.

“Nobody should ever have to witness this,” Capers said. “Nobody should ever have to live through this.”

Just before midnight, deputies with the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to respond to a call for “harassment” at the 100 block of Walters Road in the Trails End area of Cleveland, about 50 miles north of Houston.

En route to the scene, the sheriff’s office received multiple 911 calls about an active shooter at the location. Upon arriving, officers discovered five people had been shot at the residence, police said.

According to the sheriff, the suspect was a neighbor who had been firing an AR-15-style .223 caliber rifle in his yard before midnight. Police found shell casings in the yard.

“One of the victims came out of the house and said, hey, we have a small baby that’s trying to sleep,” Casper told KTRK. “And the man said, I’ll shoot out in my front yard, I do what I want to in my own residence.”

The house of the suspect who is responsible of killing five people is photographed Saturday, April 29, 2023, in Cleveland, TX. Authorities say an 8-year-old child was among five people killed in a shooting at the home in southeast Texas late Friday night. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A Mexican national is suspected of killing five neighbors at a home near Cleveland, Texas, Friday, April 28, 2023, after one asked him to stop firing a rifle. (KTRK)

Witnesses told investigators the gunman was drinking alcohol.

What happened next is shocking. Police say the man walked up to the front door of his neighbor’s house and began firing. One victim was found by the doorway leading into the living room. Another victim was found dead in the living room. Two more women were found shot dead upstairs, their bodies shielding young children who survived and were taken to a hospital.

Caspers said each victim had been shot in the head.

When police arrived, four people were pronounced dead at the scene and an eight-year-old boy was airlifted in critical condition to a local trauma center, where he died, Capers said.

A SWAT unit from neighboring Montgomery County arrived to assist and cleared several properties near to the crime scene. The shooter was determined to have fled the county.

Police respond to the scene where a Mexican national is suspected of killing five neighbors near Cleveland, Texas, Friday, April 28, 2023, after one asked him to stop firing a rifle. (KTRK)

Law enforcement authorities responded to a scene where five people were shot the night before Saturday, April 29, 2023, in Cleveland, TX. Authorities say an 8-year-old child was among five people killed in a shooting at the home in southeast Texas late Friday night. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Three other victims were taken to the hospital “covered in blood,” according to the sheriff’s office. It was not clear if they were injured or if the blood belonged to the other victims.

Capers said that the victims were from Honduras. He said a total of 10 people were living in the house. Of those killed, four were adults, one male and three females, while the youngest was just eight years old. The three other victims who were taken to the hospital were children.

Two other people inside the residence were evaluated at the scene and released, police said.

“When we got here, the two females in the bedroom were actually laying over the top of the younger children, two of the three younger children” that survived, Capers said.

The sheriff’s office is withholding the identities of the victims pending notification of next of kin, but says it has a copy of Oropeza’s consular identification card.

Caspers said authorities confiscated a shotgun, two rifles, including the .223 caliber rifle, and a pistol from the victims’ residence.

A judge issued a warrant for the suspect’s arrest and assigned a $5 million bond.

Texas Rangers are assisting with the ongoing investigation. Police are asking the public to avoid the area, as there is still a heavy police presence.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. 

By Chris Pandolfo , Adam Sabes | Fox News

---

Cleveland, Texas, shooting suspect remains at large; $80K reward offered for illegal immigrant turned fugitive

Manhunt intensifies for Texas mass shooting suspect Francisco Oropesa

Illegal immigrant accused of killing Texas family was deported 5 times

Lt. Chris Olivarez discusses manhunt for illegal immigrant accused of killing family and preparations for the end of title 42.

A Mexican national – reported to be an illegal immigrant – wanted for the Texas shooting of five neighbors including a young boy, remained at large Monday morning.

More than 48 hours after the massacre in Cleveland, Texas, outside Houston, authorities are offering an $80,000 reward for information that leads to the capture of Francisco Oropesa.

Neighbors had allegedly asked Oropesa to stop firing his rifle in his yard late Friday so that a baby could sleep. The 38-year-old suspect, who authorities identified from video at the scene and by a Mexican consulate card, then entered the neighboring home and opened fire on five of the 10 people inside, allegedly killing the victims execution-style.

FBI Houston, which has taken over updates from the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office, said Sunday evening that more than 250 law enforcement officers from over a dozen agencies were actively searching for Oropesa.

FBI Houston released the newest images of Francisco Oropesa and a prominent tattoo on his left forearm. Going forward, FBI said the subject’s last name will be spelled “Oropesa” to better reflect his identity in law enforcement systems. (FBI Houston)

“FBI Houston and other local, state, & federal agencies will not stop assisting SJSO until he is captured and justice is brought on behalf of the five victims,” they said.

FBI Special Agent in Charge James Smith announced Sunday an additional $25,000 FBI reward in connection with the investigation.

That increased the total reward amount to $80,000, up from the combined $55,000 being offered by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office and multi-county crime stoppers.

“My heart is with this 8-year-old little boy. I don’t care if he was here legally. I don’t care if he was here illegally. He was in my county. Five people died in my county. And that is where my heart is. In my county, protecting my people to the best of our ability,” San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers told reporters in an update Sunday afternoon.

Capers said that he was supposed to escort the widow of a constable who died about a year ago to a Texas police officers’ memorial Sunday night but explained to her why he could not.

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers, left, wipes his eye as FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge James Smith speaks during a news conference, Sunday, April 30, 2023 in Cleveland, Texas. The search for suspect Francisco Oropesa is ongoing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

“My main intent and focus is 100% on capturing this suspect,” Capers said. The sheriff also said he would not be at the vigil for the slain boy held at Northside Elementary in Cleveland. “Once again, I would love to be there, but I’m going to be here looking, searching for the suspect,” Capers added.

Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of Oropesa is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI with tips.

Young boys play outside their home as law enforcement continues to investigate the Cleveland, Texas, neighborhood Sunday, April 30, 2023, where a mass shooting left five people, including a child, dead two nights before. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

“We’re asking everyone for your help so we can bring this suspect – or this monster, I will call him – to justice,” Smith said at the same press conference Sunday. “Right now we just don’t know because if we did we would have him in custody. We do not know where he is. We do not have any tips right now where he may be.”

“I can pretty much guarantee you, he’s contacted some of his friends. We just don’t know which friends they are,” Smith added. “That’s what we need from the public, any type of information, because right now we’re just – we’re running into dead ends.”

Mass shooting survivor Wilson Garcia becomes emotional during a vigil for his son, Daniel Enrique Laso, Sunday, April 30, 2023, in Cleveland, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Capers told reporters that two women were found lying on top of and trying to protect three surviving children inside the home Friday night. The three children were loaded into an ambulance and brought to a hospital, where it was discovered they had not been physically injured. Four adults were found deceased at the scene: Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; and Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18. Daniel Enrique Laso Guzman, age 8 or 9, was airlifted to a hospital, where he was declared deceased.

Another survivor, Wilson Garcia, whose wife Sonia and third-grade son were murdered, spoke to reporters at a vigil hosted Sunday afternoon at the school the boy had attended.

“My wife died, and my 9-year-old son died,” Garcia said in Spanish. “What can I say, I am trying to stay strong for my children. My daughter kind of gets, understands things. It’s hard when she comes to me and starts asking for her mom and her brother.”

Wilson Garcia, center, holds a young girl during a vigil at Northside Elementary for his son Daniel Enrique Laso, Sunday, April 30, 2023, in Cleveland, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Garcia said another woman in the house told him to save himself.

“She told me to throw myself out of a window because my children were already without a mother,” he said.

The deceased victims are said to have been from Honduras, according to local reports.

A source with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Fox News that Oropesa has been previously deported, has “multiple” illegal re-entries on his record, and was last encountered by ICE in 2016. A second source, within the Department of Homeland Security, told Fox News that Oropesa had been deported five times between 2009-2016.

Oropesa was previously ordered removed by an immigration judge on March 16, 2009, and subsequently removed by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston to Mexico on March 17, 2009, a spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Fox News. At an unknown time and location, Oropesa unlawfully reentered the United States, and was apprehended and removed several more times by ICE ERO in September 2009, January 2012, and July 2016.

Oropesa, who sometimes uses the additional hyphenated surname Perez-Torres, has also been previously convicted in Montgomery County, Texas, of driving while intoxicated in January 2012, and sentenced to serve time in jail, the spokesperson said. As a result of the April 29 incident, the Cold Spring Texas Sheriff’s Office issued an arrest warrant for Oropesa for homicide. He is wanted by the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office in connection to the suspected shooter incident in Cleveland, Texas.

By Danielle Wallace | Fox News

DADEVILLE, Ala. – Students in the tiny Alabama town of Dadeville wore their black and gold school colors Monday as they mourned two seniors who were among four young people killed by gunfire at a Sweet 16 birthday party over the weekend.

Less than six weeks from graduation, faculty, staff and students filed past flags at half-staff to meet counselors waiting to talk about the shooting, which also injured 28 at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio off the courthouse square.

Investigators were still trying to piece together what happened at the party, where numerous gunshots left the dance studio’s windows pocked with bullet holes. While police sought clues, others said they were tending the community’s heart.

“It’s going to be a tough time for graduation and for these kids,” said Heidi Smith, a spokesperson for the 46-bed Lake Martin Community Hospital, where a number of victims were treated. “We will be here for them and their families for the duration.”

The weekend was marked by a series of high-profile shootings in the U.S. One left two people dead and four wounded Saturday in Louisville, Missouri; another resulted in four men being shot — one fatally — in Los Angeles; and a third left two women wounded at Lincoln University in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Dadeville locals were quick to say that such violence was uncharacteristic of their community, but gun deaths are more common in Alabama than in most places. The state had the fifth highest rate of gun deaths nationwide in 2020, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It wasn’t clear if all 28 people injured in Dadeville were shot or if some suffered other injuries. Smith said 15 people with gunshot wounds were seen at her hospital. More were taken to other facilities.

Those killed were identified as Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19, of Opelika; Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, of Dadeville; Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, 18, of Camp Hill and Shaunkivia Nicole “Keke” Smith, 17, of Dadeville, Tallapoosa County Coroner Mike Knox told The Associated Press on Monday. Relatives had identified Dowdell and Smith on Sunday.

It was still unclear who started the shooting or why, or whether investigators had made any arrests. Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency did not take questions during news conferences Sunday. Officials repeatedly asked others to come forward with information on the shooting.

Much of the public attention focused on Dowdell, who played wide receiver on the Dadeville High football team in a state where football rules Friday nights and Saturdays in the fall. The Tigers went undefeated in last year’s regular season before losing in the playoffs.

The shooting happened at his sister’s birthday party.

Michael Taylor, an assistant coach, said he met Dowdell when the boy was 9 and coached him in youth football. The Tigers were invited to Atlanta to play in the stadium used by the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.

“He did some amazing things there, and he never stopped doing them since then,” Taylor said of Dowdell, who also played basketball and was a track standout. “He was the No. 1 athlete in the school.”

Antojuan Woody, another senior, grew up in nearby Camp Hill with Dowdell and was fellow wide receiver for the Tigers. The two were best friends all their lives.

“It hurts,” Woody said as a steady stream of friends and teammates walked over to hug him during a prayer vigil Sunday. “It’s unreal. I can’t believe it.”

Woody said he and Dowdell had a special relationship on the football field. “Us being friends forever like that, our chemistry was spot on. We always celebrated together on the field.”

Keenan Cooper, the DJ at the party where the shootings took place, told WBMA-TV the event was stopped briefly when attendees heard someone had a gun. He said people with guns were asked to leave, but no one did.

The shooting sparked what Mayor Frank Goodman said was a “chaotic” scene at the town’s small hospital, where emergency workers, relatives and friends swarmed on Saturday.

Smith said six people were treated locally and released, but others were transferred to larger hospitals in Birmingham, Montgomery and Opelika, Alabama, as well as to Columbus, Georgia. source

Alabama birthday girl begged dying brother to ‘stay with me’

DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Alexis Dowdell’s Sweet 16 birthday party ended with her kneeling beside her fatally wounded brother on the blood-slicked floor of a dance studio in small-town Alabama, the bodies of other wounded teens scattered around them.

Dowdell told the story of Saturday’s terror in Dadeville to The Associated Press on Monday surrounded by family. The shooting left her 18-year-old brother, Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, and three others dead, along with another 32 injured, some critically.

“I got on my knees and he was laying face down. And that’s when I grabbed him. I turned him over, I was holding him,” Alexis Dowdell said, recalling the moment she found her brother with the life ebbing out of him.

She tapped her brother’s face, begging him to, “stay with me.” “I wasn’t crying at the moment because I was trying to be strong instead of panicking. And so I said, ’You’re going to be all right. You’re a fighter, you’re strong,” she recalled.

As of Monday evening, state officials had yet to release much information about their investigation. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said only that shell casings from handguns had been found, noting that there was no evidence a high-powered rifle was used. Investigators continued to appeal for information from the public, including videos.

The weekend was marked by a series of high-profile shootings in the U.S. One left two people dead and four wounded Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky; another resulted in four men being shot — one fatally — in Los Angeles; and a third left two women wounded at Lincoln University in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Saturday night in Dadeville, about an hour’s drive northeast of Montgomery, began as it should have, with “everybody dancing, vibing to the music,” Alexis Dowdell said. Keenan Cooper, the DJ at the party, told WBMA-TV the event was stopped briefly when partygoers heard someone had a gun. He said people with weapons were asked to leave, but no one did.

Soon after, the shooting started.

Dowdell said she dove to the floor near the DJ as the dozens of revelers ran. She “didn’t know where to run,” in part because shots seemed to come from multiple directions.

When there was a break in gunfire, she bolted for the front door. But someone pushed her. It was her brother, trying to protect her.

“I guess he tried to push me out the door as fast as he could, but I ended up slipping on blood, because it was a whole bunch of blood on the floor,” she said.

Once outside, she found her mother and stepfather. “Where are my cousins, where are my friends? Where is my brother?” Dowdell pleaded.

Making their way back to Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio, the children’s mother looked inside. “She came out and she was like ’My baby, my baby’s gone,’” she said.

Phil Dowdell, a star wide receiver with plans to play football in college, was fading in and out of consciousness. His sister made her way to him, begging him to stay with her. She checked on wounded friends, including one she said was shot in the head. By the time paramedics arrived, Phil no longer had a pulse.

“When they came in, I said ‘Can you check on my brother?’” Alexis Dowdell recalled. “And he checked my brother’s pulse and I was like, ‘Is he alive or is he dead?’ And the people didn’t want to tell me, so they just gave me, like, a certain look. And I just knew he was just gone.”

In addition to Phil Dowdell, Tallapoosa County Coroner Mike Knox said the dead included fellow Dadeville High senior Shaunkivia Nicole “KeKe” Smith, 17, an athlete-turned-team manager; 2022 Opelika High School graduate Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19, an aspiring singer whose father told AL.com that Collins planned to start college this fall; and 2018 Dadeville High graduate Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, another former athlete at the school.

In the aftermath of the shootings, friends and family remembered details large and small about the dead.

Smith was so excited about finishing high school and starting college that when a former neighbor asked her about it, Smith responded with the exact hour she was supposed to graduate.

She had already shared selfies taken in her cap and gown, writing “almost out.”

Amy Jackson, an older cousin of Smith’s who said she was more of an aunt to the teenager, recalled her “million-dollar” smile.

“She would light the room up when she walked in. She was that type,” Jackson said. She described her as a talented athlete who ran track and played multiple team sports until a knee injury sidelined her.

Smith’s last act before leaving for the party Saturday was to get her little sister ready for bed.

“That was her nature. She was a caretaker,” Jackson said.

Much of the early public attention focused on Phil Dowdell, because he was a star football player in a state where high school football rules Friday nights in the fall.

Antreal Allen, an assistant coach at Georgia State University and an uncle to the Dowdells, said his nephew was “super excited to go play football at the next level” at Jacksonville State University east of Birmingham.

But Allen said it was about more than football. The uncle said he was the first college graduate in the family and that Phil “was up next.”

“He had a lot of the younger generation looking up to him. He tried to lead by example,” Allen said. ___

This story has been updated to correct the year that Corbin Dahmontrey Holston graduated high school to 2018.

___

Amy reported from Atlanta.

Mexican authorities have not yet identified a motive in the resort shooting

A shooting at a Guanajuato resort in Mexico Saturday left seven dead, including a 7-year-old child, authorities said.

Mexican officials said a band of gunmen invaded the La Palma resort in the Cortazar municipality and shot the vacationers at the swimming pool. Authorities said three women and three men died, including a child, as well as an eighth person who was seriously wounded. The identities of the victims have not yet been released.

Videos on social media show police on the scene as tourists look on in shock, many still in their swimsuits and towels. Others are seen crying and hugging their children.

“Heavily armed sicarios arrived and this is what happened,” said one man filming the aftermath, using a word for hired assassins.

Mexican officials said a band of gunmen invaded the La Palma resort in the Cortazar municipality and shot vacationers at the swimming pool. (Reuters)

Authorities said the gunmen then destroyed the spa shop and took the security cameras before fleeing the scene.

Mexican soldiers and police aided by a helicopter were searching for the attackers. A statement released by officials in the Cortazar municipality in Guanajuato state did not speculate on a possible motive.

No arrests have been made.

Guanajuato has been increasingly plagued by drug cartel violence for years, despite also being an agricultural and industrial hub in the country. The Jalisco New Generation drug cartel has been fighting with local criminal groups, including the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel, which is apparently backed by the Sinaloa cartel.

Mexican soldiers and police aided by a helicopter were searching for the attackers. A statement released by officials in the Cortazar municipality in Guanajuato state did not speculate on a possible motive. (Reuters)

The deadly Guanajuato resort shooting comes the same month as the killings of four men in the resort city of Cancun, right at the start of Easter Week vacation festivities. Authorities said on April 4 the killings were probably related to drug gang rivalries, specifically identifying drug gang leader Hector Flores Aceves, known by his nickname “Pantera,” or the Panther. \

The U.S. State Department issued a travel alert for spring breakers just one month prior in March as a result of increasing gang violence. The alert warned travelers to “exercise increased caution” especially after dark at Caribbean beach resorts like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum.

The deadly Guanajuato resort shooting comes the same month as the killings of four men in the resort city of Cancun, right at the start of Easter Week vacation festivities. (Reuters)

The alert also cautioned travelers about U.S. citizens falling ill or dying after using synthetic drugs or adulterated prescription pills.

That warning followed reports that some pharmacies in Mexico freely offer sedatives and other drugs that can only be sold with prescriptions in the United States. source

7 killed after gunmen shoot up resort in central Mexico, officials say

Authorities say a band of gunmen invaded a resort where dozens of vacationers were spending the weekend and opened fire, killing six adults and a 7-year-old.

Tucker dissects what is not being said about shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee

It was just last week that we noticed that parts of the transgender movement seemed to be getting militant and possibly dangerous. We did a whole segment about it on Thursday night. That segment was sparked by an NPR segment we had heard and never expected to hear. NPR, as always, as a matter of editorial policy, completely opposed to civilian ownership of firearms, with the possible exception of the IRS agents.

Yet here suddenly was that very same station, National Public Radio, positively urging trans people to buy guns, as many guns as possible and if necessary, to use them. “The world is dangerous,” explained one trans gun owner, “You have to be dangerous back.”

That seems strange to us. Is the United States really a dangerous place for trans people? Well, West Baltimore is dangerous. You could easily get murdered there. But if you’re trans in this country, obviously there are many downsides, but there do appear to be some benefits. It’s a lot easier to get into Harvard, for example. It’s definitely easier to get a job at Citibank or in the Biden White House. If you’re transgender can so much as fly a kite, the Pentagon will happily make you an F-35 pilot just so Hollywood can make a movie about it.

NASHVILLE SCHOOL SHOOTING SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS HATE CRIME, HAWLEY SAYS

The people in charge despise working class Whites, but they venerate the trans community. People are just responding to incentives. It’s rational in a way. But that does not explain the anger that we heard in that NPR segment. Why are some transpeople so angry, and why do they seem to be mad specifically at traditional Christians? We can’t think of any trans person who’s ever been murdered by a pastor. As far as we know, that has never happened. So, it’s not an actual threat of violence from Christians that’s inspiring some trans people to buy an AR-15. No, it’s got to be more fundamental than that, and it is. The trans movement is the mirror image of Christianity, and therefore its natural enemy.

In Christianity, the price of admission is admitting that you’re not God. Christians openly concede that they have no real power over anything, and for that matter, very little personal virtue. They will tell you to your face that they are sinful and helpless and basically absurd. They’re not embarrassed about any of this. They brag about it. “That saved a wretch like me” goes the most famous Christian hymn ever written in English.

The trans movement takes the opposite view. Trans ideology claims dominion over nature itself. We can change the identity we were born with, they will tell you with wild eyed certainty. Christians can never agree with the statement because these are powers they believe God alone possesses.

That unwillingness to agree, that failure to acknowledge a trans person’s dominion over nature, incites and enrages some in the trans community. People who believe they are God can’t stand to be reminded that they’re not. Christianity and transgender orthodoxy are wholly incompatible theologies. They can never be reconciled. They are on a collision course with each other. One side is likely to draw blood before the other side. That’s what we concluded last week.

Yesterday morning, tragically, our fears were confirmed. A self-identified trans person called Audrey Hale committed mass murder at a Christian school in Nashville. Hale burst into a place called the Covenant School and executed three nine-year-olds as well as three adults. Police have released body cam footage from the end of the massacre. We’re showing you just a small part of it. You can see the rest online if you want. We’re not going to show it because it’s too awful and sad.

TERRY MORAN: Audrey Hale… identified herself as a transgender person. The state of Tennessee earlier this month passed, and the governor signed a bill, that banned transgender medical care for minors, as well as a law that prohibited adult entertainment, including male and female impersonators after a series of drag show controversies in that state. 

The state of Tennessee bans the sexual mutilation of children. Children get shot to death in a school. It’s cause and effect. That’s what ABC News is telling you. That’s not far from justifying mass murder, but others took the next step.

A group called the Trans Resistance Network said that the shooter’s death was a complex tragedy that resulted from “anti-trans bias.” The Hershey Chocolate Company’s new trans spokesman, meanwhile, someone called Fae Johnsone, posted messages after the shooting complaining about “trans misogyny.” In Canada, a taxpayer funded trans rights organization put out a statement that ignored the murder of the children in Nashville entirely and instead claimed that there has been an “exponential rise in anti-trans violence.”

That is a lie. It’s a provable lie, and in fact, the opposite is true. We seem to be watching the rise of trans terrorism. The man who tried to murder Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh after the repeal of Roe v. Wade, identified as a “trans gamer girl.” The man who shot up a nightclub in Colorado in this past Novembe,r and murdered five people identified as non-binary, and now this and there could be more.

Antifa has announced this coming Saturday is the Trans Day of Vengeance. Vengeance for what? That’s not explained, but the suggestion is there will be violence in Washington this weekend. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted about this today, because if there is a day of vengeance coming, the rest of us should probably know about it and for doing so immediately at her had her official congressional Twitter account suspended. You’re not supposed to talk about any of this, apparently, and the authorities in Nashville are certainly not planning to talk about it. They’re doing their best not to.

Here’s the police chief of Nashville explaining that while he’s happy to talk about the shooter’s guns, he’s not going to tell you anything about the shooter’s motives. Watch.

JOHN DRAKE, NASHVILLE POLICE CHIEF: So, in the manifesto, there’s several different writings about other locations. There were locations. There was talks about the school. There was a map of the school, a drawing of how potentially she would enter and the assaults that would take place. There’s quite a bit of writing to it. I have not read the whole the entire manifesto. Our team and the FBI has been working on this.  

Well, that’s interesting. Within what seemed like minutes, we saw pictures of the rifles and the pistol. We now have horrifying body cam footage from within the school. So unsettling, we’re not going to show it to you. But somehow we can’t see the manifesto in which the killer explains why she killed. Why is that? It’s not accidental. You know exactly why it is – because it would make the obvious undeniable. The trans movement is targeting Christians, including with violence.

Most Christian leaders in this country don’t want to admit that. Admitting it might force them to take deeply unfashionable positions, but it is true and anyone who’s paying attention knows that it’s true and so, like most true things at this point, it is officially suppressed. Here, for example, is Joe Biden yelping again about how it’s all your fault when these tragedies happen because you’ve got guns at home. This is from yesterday.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at an event marking the 13th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act in the East Room of the White House on March 23, 023 in Washington, DC.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

PRESIDENT BIDEN: We have to do more to stop gun violence. It’s ripping our communities apart, ripping a soul this nation ripped into a very soul, the nation and we have to do more to protect our schools so they aren’t turned into prisons. You know, a shooter in this situation reportedly had two assault weapons and a pistol, two AK-47s. So, I call on Congress again to pass my assault weapons ban.  

We’re going to prevent you from learning why the shooter did it, and we don’t have to guess because she wrote a whole manifesto about why she did it, and we know that she did that because she told a friend of hers on Instagram that she did it. But we can’t see it. We can only talk about the guns. We can’t know what kind of drug she was taking, what kind of hormones or SSRI or benzodiazepines. We can only guess. We can only talk about the guns. Pass my assault weapons ban. That’ll fix the problem,

But Joe Biden is lying about that. He knows that he’s lying and you know that he’s lying. Yesterday’s massacre did not happen because of lax gun laws. Yesterday’s massacre happened because of a deranged and demonic ideology that is infecting this country with the encouragement of people like Joe Biden. Let’s start by being honest about that.

Nashville school shooting should be investigated as hate crime, Hawley says

Josh Hawley says Nashville school shooting should be called a ‘hate crime’ because gunman Audrey Hale ‘targeted’ Christians

The shooting at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee that left three children and three adults dead should be investigated as a hate crime, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley said Tuesday.

“We should be clear about what happened in Nashville. Police say the shooting was ‘targeted,’” the Republican lawmaker tweeted. “That makes it a federal hate crime – against Christian children and teachers. Targeting victims on the basis of religious affiliation is a hate crime. It should be investigated as such.”

“All federal resources necessary should be brought to bear,” Hawley added in a follow-up tweet. “And those individuals or groups who have spread a message of hate against the Christian community – which resulted here in horrific violence – should be held to account.”

NASHVILLE SCHOOL SHOOTING: OFFICERS WHO TOOK OUT SUSPECTED COVENATN SHOOTER IDENTIFIED

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., grills Colleen Shogan, nominee to be Archivist of the United States, about her twitter feed during her confirmation hearing in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in Washington on Tuesday, February 28, 2023.  (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“I urge you to immediately open an investigation into this shooting as a federal hate crime,” Hawley wrote to FBI Director Chirstopher Wray and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday.

On Monday, an armed gunman went on a rampage at The Covenant School in Nashville, killing six people.

The victims were identified by police as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all age 9, Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and 61-year-old Mike Hill. Koonce was the head of school at Covenant, according to the school’s website.

The Covenant School is a private Christian institution for students up to 6th grade, according to its website.

Police named the shooter as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a 28-year-old Nashville resident who identified as transgender. Investigators were investigating a home connected to her. Nashville police Chief John Drake said Hale possibly prepared for the shooting, including having written a manifesto.

“We have also determined that there were maps drawn of the school in detail of surveillance entry points. At one point she was a student at that school,” he said at a news conference Monday. “There was a vehicle nearby that gave us a clue as to who she was.”

NASHVILLE SCHOOL SHOOTING: 6 KILLED INCLUDING 3 STUDENTS, SHOOTER DEAD

A police officer walks by an entrance to The Covenant School after a shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday, March 27, 2023.  (AP Photo/John Amis)

Police said that Hale was a former student at the school.

The shooting began at around 10:13 a.m. local time Monday morning. According to police, Hale drove a Honda Fit to the school parking lot. She was heavily armed with two AR-style weapons and a pistol, but was not wearing body armor.

Surveillance video released by Metropolitan Nashville Police showed Hale shot her way into the church/school through a set of glass doors at a side entrance of the building.

MNPD Officers Rex Englebert and Michael Collazo were among those who responded to the scene. They encountered Hale on the second floor of the school building and fatally shot her, putting an end to the rampage.

TENNESSEE SHOOTING: NASHVILLE POLICE RELEASE SECURITY CAMERA FOOTAGE OF COVENANT SCHOOL ATTACK THAT KILLED 6

Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake identified the two officers who fatally shot suspected school shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale on March 27, 2023. (Metro Nashville Police Department)

The responding officers neutralized the shooter within 15 minutes of the first shots fired.

The shooting remains under investigation and is being led by several MNPD components, with assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the ATF and Tennessee Highway Patrol.

“The full resources of the federal government must be brought to bear to determine how this crime occurred and who may have influenced the deranged shooter to carry out these horiffic crimes,” Hawley wrote Tuesday. “Hate that leads to violence must be condemned. And hate crimes must be prosecuted.”

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom, Lawrence Richard and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

By Chris Pandolfo | Fox News