List of All Articles with Tag 'crime'

The attacker may still face the death penalty if convicted for murder charges in state court.

A Princeton doctoral student has been kidnapped in Iraq while doing field work in the country, according to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday. “Elizabeth Tsurkov is still alive and we hold Iraq responsible for her safety and well-being,” Mr Netanyahu wrote in a statement. Ms Tsurkov is an Israeli-Russian dual citizen, the Israeli prime minister wrote. She is also a fellow at the Washington DC-based think tank, New Lines Institute, and is a contributor to New Lines magazine. They wrote they hadn’t heard from her since 19 March, when she said she wanted to leave the Middle East and return to Princeton to write her dissertation. They added that just over a week after hearing from her, they “learned from our sources that a pro-Iranian militia had kidnapped her in Baghdad.” The writers underscored that Ms Tsurkov’s work “poses no threat to anyone.” The magazine also wrote that Ms Tsurkov “is an outspoken critic of all three of the major likely players involved in negotiating her release: Israel, Iran and Russia.” The group said that they reached out to US and foreign officials and will continue to do so. They urged the United States to get involved in her release, because despite the fact she is not a US citizen, she “is very much a part of America,” they wrote. “She works with a Washington think tank, writes for an American magazine and studies at Princeton University. She deserves America’s every effort to bring her to safety,” New Lines magazine writers said. Ms Tsurkov’s family also confirmed details of her disappearance in a statement. “She was kidnapped in the middle of Baghdad, and we see the Iraqi government as directly responsible for her safety,” the family’s statement said. “We ask for her immediate release from this unlawful detention.” Read More Missing two-year-old’s grandmother shares ‘mental torture’ after alleged kidnapper arrested Kremlin open to talks over potential prisoner swap involving detained WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich Death of student, 20, outside club ‘senseless and avoidable’, court told

Rudy Farias returned home the day after he went missing in 2015, and despite “numerous” false statements being made to police no charges are planned, the Houston police say. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner told a press conference on Thursday that police interviews with Mr Farias and his mother Janie Santana on Wednesday had found no evidence of sexual or abuse during the eight years he was supposedly missing. Mr Farias, 25, was reported missing in March 2015, and an open police investigation into his disappearance continued until his mother Ms Santana said he had been discovered outside a church in Houston, Texas on 29 June. However, Houston police said he was not in fact missing, and had given false names and date of births to avoid detection when spoken to by police. “Both Janie, Rudy’s mother, and Rudy himself gave fictitious names while interacting with various patrol officers,” Lieutenant Christopher Zamora, a detective with Houston Police Department (HPD)’s missing persons unit, told reporters. “After investigators talked with him yesterday, it was discovered that Rudy returned home the following day on March 8 2015. “Mother Janie continued to deceive police by remaining adamant that Rudy was still missing. She alleged her nephew was the person friends and family were coming and going.” Mr Zamora said the district attorney had declined to lay charges “at this time” for making fictitious reports to police. “Being missing is not a crime,” Mr Zamora told the press conference. Mr Farias, who was 17 when he was first reported missing, was considered an adult under Texas state law. Mr Zamora also contradicted claims made by Houston activist and counsellor Quanell X, who alleged that Mr Farias had suffered sexual and physical abuse during. “We do take all allegations seriously and any new information or facts that we receive will be investigated.” Read More Houston police deny Rudy Farias was abused by mother but confirm he was never missing - latest update Rudy Farias’ mother says she expects to be arrested amid bombshell claims she hid and abused him for years An eight-year search for Rudy Farias came to a miracle conclusion. But was he actually missing?

At least three people are dead and six more have been injured in a mass shooting that took place at an annual Fourth of July block party in Shreveport, Louisiana on Tuesday evening. It is unclear how the shooting unfolded, how many shooters were involved or how many more people may be injured. Shreveport police lieutenant Van Ray told local news outlet KSLA that when authorities arrived at the scene on Pearl Avenue, two people were found dead. A third person died at the hospital. Mr Ray was unsure what conditions the six injured people were in. Police had a difficult time reaching the victims because there was still “an enormous amount” of people and vehicles at the scene when authorities arrived. “Getting here and getting EMS here was a difficult thing. A lot of us had to park our cars and take off running because there were so many cars on the side of the street,” Mr Ray said. Shreveport District A Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor expressed her frustrations with the shooting to KSLA. “This should not happen. Now we are the victims of a mass shooting in our community,” Ms Taylor said. “It is trauma for those individuals that only wanted to have a very good time on this holiday,” she added. Louisiana joins several states in experiencing a deadly mass shooting over the holiday weekend. Three people died in Forth Worth, Texas and five others were killed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Monday, 3 June. Nine people were injured during a drive-by shooting in Washington DC on Wednesday. There are been 350 mass shootings in the US this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. The Independent has reached out to the Shreveport Police Department for comment. Read More Fourth of July travel weekend in disarray after airport meltdowns, wildfire smoke and extreme heat Fort Worth shooting – live: Dramatic video captures chaos at ComoFest two of three victims identified Nine victims including two children injured in drive-by shooting in Washington DC

Dramatic footage has captured the chaotic moment that gunfire erupted at Fort Worth’s ComoFest on the eve of July 4, leaving three victims dead. The video shows terrified revellers fleeing as shots are fired into the crowd. Police in Fort Worth, Texas, said that no suspects have been identified but that “several unknown males were reported to have started firing into the crowd indiscriminately and then fled the scene”. Two of the three victims killed were identified on Tuesday as Cynthia Santos, 22, and Paul Willis, 18. The incident marked just one of four shootings that left at least 17 people shot – three of them fatally – in Fort Worth, Texas, on the night of July 3. The other three shoootings took place at a home, an AMC movie theatre, and in a car. Following a wave of shootings this week, President Joe Biden renewed his calls for Congress to act and “come to the table on meaningful, common sense reform” on gun control. Read More America’s mass shooting crisis, in numbers: More than halfway through 2023, US on pace for record-setting year Three people killed and eight wounded in mass shooting at July 4 fireworks event in Fort Worth Philadelphia shooting: At least five dead as heavily armed gunman opens fire at random on streets Biden renews call for assault weapons ban after ‘tragic and senseless’ spate of July 4 shootings

The five people killed in a mass shooting in the Kingsessing neighbourhood of Philadelphia have been identified. Philadephia police issued a statement on Tuesday naming the victims as follows: Lashyd Merritt, 20; Dymir Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; Daujan Brown, 15; and Joseph Wamah Jr, 31. Two children – aged two and 13 – were also injured in the shooting but are in stable condition. Police have not released their names yet. The shooting unfolded at around 8.30pm Monday when police said the 40-year-old suspect, dressed in a bullet-proof vest and armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun, left his home and began shooting at victims. On Wednesday, following a rash of shootings in recent days, President Biden called on Republican lawmakers in Congress to “come to the table on meaningful, commonsense reform”. Read More Five adults dead and two children wounded: What we know about mass shooting in Philadelphia Philadelphia shooting: At least five dead as heavily armed gunman opens fire at random on streets Biden renews call for assault weapons ban after ‘tragic and senseless’ spate of July 4 shootings America’s mass shooting crisis, in numbers: More than halfway through 2023, US on pace for record-setting year

Some families of those killed in the 2018 massacre at a Parkland, Florida, high school will get a chance to visit the site where their loved ones lost their lives beginning Wednesday, the Broward County state attorney's office said.

At least 17 people have been shot – three of them fatally – across four shootings in Fort Worth, Texas, on the eve of July 4. Two of the victims were identified Tuesday as Cynthia Santos, 22, and Paul Willis, 18, who were killed hours after the ComoFest event ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. Just before midnight on Monday night, gunfire erupted among a crowd of people who had gathered to enjoy the annual ComoFest event in the Como neighbourhood of the city. Fort Worth Police described a chaotic scene where at least one shooter opened fire into the crowd, shooting at least 11 people and sending people running for their lives. Three people were killed and eight others were wounded. At least one of the victims of the shootings is believed to be a juvenile. No arrests have been made and the identities of the shooter or shooters remain unknown. Just over an hour before the mass shooting at ComoFest, Fort Worth Police were called to a separate incident where three men were shot at a home. Meanwhile a man was shot at an AMC theatre and a man and woman were shot while driving a car. Read More Three people killed and eight wounded in mass shooting at July 4 fireworks event in Fort Worth Philadelphia shooting: At least five dead as heavily armed gunman opens fire at random on streets

Jurors in Pittsburgh have begun considering whether the gunman in a white supremacist 2018 shooting at a local synagogue complex should get the death penalty. In June, Robert Bowers, who killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue, was convicted on 63 federal counts. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, experts called by his attorneys have been arguing in court in recent days that he was so mentally damaged by the time of the shooting he shouldn’t face the death penalty, which is forbidden against people with certain intellectual handicaps. They pointed out how Bowers had been in multiple psychiatric hospitals by the time he was 13 years old, diagnosed with depression and other ailments. As a teenager, he also attempted to kill his mother by spraying an aerosol toward her and trying to light it on fire. By 16, he was voluntarily committed again to a mental facility and had made “repeated suicide attempts,” according to the defence. Richard Rogers, a forensic psychologist who met with Bowers four times while he was in prison, told jurors the gunman showed signs of delusional thinking tied to his white supremacist ideas. “He did not just believe [his conduct] to be correct,” Mr Rogers said, “he believed it absolutely had to be done.” A majority of families whose loved ones died in the shooting have voiced their support for the death penalty in the case. “We are not a ruthless, uncompassionate people; we, as a persecuted people, understand when there is a time for compassion and when there is a time to stand up and say enough is enough — such violent hatred will not be tolerated on this earth,” they wrote in a 2022 letter in the Pittsburg Jewish Chronicle. “Our beloved 11 were taken from us in a brutal, cold-blooded act of hatred and violence. We, the undersigned, will feel further violated by letting the defendant have the easy way out. His crimes deserve the death penalty.” Others tied to the tragedy, the deadliest antisemitic shooting in US history, argued the death penalty violates Jewish tradition. “Jewish practice as I understand it does not — outside of self-defense — allow humans to take the lives of other humans. Not even the life of a murderer whose guilt is beyond doubt,” Beth Kissileff, whose husband, a rabbi, was in the Tree of Life facility during the shooting, wrote in The New York Times. “The death penalty does nothing to promote healing; it only continues more killing,” she added. The Independent and the nonprofit Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) have launched a joint campaign calling for an end to the death penalty in the US. The RBIJ has attracted more than 150 well-known signatories to their Business Leaders Declaration Against the Death Penalty - with The Independent as the latest on the list. We join high-profile executives like Ariana Huffington, Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson as part of this initiative and are making a pledge to highlight the injustices of the death penalty in our coverage. Read More A copycat Zodiac Killer terrorised New York years after the California original. This is how he got caught Pittsburgh synagogue killer has extensive history of mental illness, defense expert testifies Doctors give mixed testimony on whether tests show brain damage in the Pittsburgh synagogue killer

Five people have been killed and at least two others wounded in the Kingsessing neighbourhood of Philadelphia on Monday night, when a gunman dressed in a bullet-proof vest and armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun opened fire. The mass shooting unfolded at around 8.30pm when Philadelphia police said the 40-year-old suspect left his home and began shooting at victims. Police initially said that four men were killed but early on Tuesday revealed that a fifth victim, a 31-year-old man, had since been found dead inside a home. Two children – aged two and 13 – were also injured in the shooting but are in stable condition. Responding officers chased the suspect and arrested him on the scene. As well as the weapons, a police scanner was found. The identities of both the suspect and the victims have not been released. While the motive for the massacre remains unknown, Police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a press conference that “at this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals”. A second person was also taken into custody with police saying they believe the individual returned fire on the shooter. Read More Philadelphia shooting: At least four dead as heavily armed gunman opens fire at random on streets The aftermath of mass shootings infiltrates every corner of survivors’ lives Two killed, 28 injured and manhunt on for gunmen: How a Baltimore block party turned into a bloodbath

Police in Atlanta said multiple department motorcycles were set on fire at a training facility early on Saturday. The fire comes amid a high-profile battle over another planned police training facility in a forest on the outskirts of the Georgia city that environmental and racial justice activists have dubbed “Cop City”, though the fire set on Saturday was at a different police training site. The fire was first reported by WANF-TV. Investigators have not yet identified any suspect or motive in the case. They do, however, believe the fire was set intentionally. Atlanta Fire and Rescue Department firefighters who responded to the scene of the fire around 2.20am on Saturday morning found “incendiary devices” used to start the flames. According to an Atlanta Police statement provided to the Associated Press, the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. Governor Brian Kemp, a strong supporter of the “Cop City” project, said in a statement that the fire was “outrageous”. “Those are the tactics of organized criminals, not protesters, and their supporters should ask themselves if they truly want to be associated with such radical and violent people,” Mr Kemp said. “Working with state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, we will find these criminals and bring them to justice.” Mr Kemp did not specify which “protesters” he was referring to, nor did he provide any context for linking protesters to the fire before any arrests in the case have been made. Tensions in Atlanta continue to run high over the construction of the training centre, which is expected to cost $90m and is being financed in part by the city. Opponents of the project argue that it will have disastrous environmental effects and lead to more militarised, racist policing in what is already the most-surveilled city in the country. The movement against the construction of the facility has grown following the law enforcement killing of activist Manuel Esteban Paez Terán at the site in January. Police said they fired on Terán in self-defence, though other protesters have rejected that claim. The investigation into that shooting also remains open. Read More Atlanta police training center opponents sue over delays in approving referendum Atlanta clerk sued for denying 'Stop Cop City' petition lets effort move forward

At least four were killed after a mass shootout on Monday evening in Philadelphia, according to reports. There were “multiple gunshot victims”, the Philadelphia Police Department said but didn’t reveal the identities or any further details about the victims. Reports said that at least eight people were shot. Six victims were taken to the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and two were taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, according to local reports. There was no information available regarding the condition of the injured. The shooting took place on the 5700 block of Warrington Avenue in Philadelphia’s Kingsessing neighbourhood at around 8.30pm local time, police said. The Philadephia Inquirer reported that the bodies of four victims were found at several locations. Police spokesperson Miguel Torres said in a statement to CNN that officers have taken a suspect into custody and recovered a rifle, a handgun, and additional magazines of ammunition from him in the alleyway behind the 1600 block of South Frazier Street. At least two juveniles were among those shot, according to local reports. According to Gun Violence Archive, at least 339 mass shootings – with four or more killed or injured – have occurred in the US so far this year. “Horrified by the reports of a shooting in Southwest Philadelphia,” Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney tweeted. “My heart is with the loved ones and families of everyone involved, and I send my prayers to the victims. This devastating violence must stop,” he added. Meanwhile, police said that officers did not discharge their firearms during the arrest.