List of All Articles with Tag 'us crime news'

UNC at Chapel Hill graduate student Tailei Qi has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the on-campus shooting on Monday that left one faculty member dead. Mr Qi, a second-year applied physical sciences major, was not officially identified by university officials and law enforcement on Monday but was named in court documents obtained by NBC. His profile page on the university’s website was taken down as of Tuesday morning. According to his LinkedIn page, Mr Qi graduated from Wuhan University in 2015 before pursuing a master’s in material science at Lousiana State University. The suspect’s relationship with the unnamed fatal victim remains unclear. UNC police said during a press conference on Monday that a motive was not immediately evident, adding that the victim’s name would be released once next of kin was notified. Mr Qi was arrested near a residential area two miles from campus nearly three hours after faculty members received an alert about an active shooting situation. This is a breaking story ... check again for updates. Read More UNC shooting – latest: Graduate student charged with murder of faculty member on Chapel Hill campus A new college term, a faculty member killed and a suspect arrested: What we know about the UNC shooting UNC faculty member confirmed dead as active shooter shuts down Chapel Hill school

The community of Jacksonville has been left reeling after a gunman killed three Black people in a racially-motivated attack at a dollar store. The shooting took place inside a Dollar General store in a predominately African-American neighbourhood on Saturday, with 21-year-old gunman Ryan Palmeter opening fire on innocent victims with an AR-15-style rifle decorated with swastikas. As well as the rifle, Palmeter was also armed with a Glock handgun and was wearing a tactical vest and face mask when he carried out his attack. He briefly visited one dollar store before leaving and heading to the historically-Black Edward Waters University, where a security guard refused him entry to the campus. He then headed to the Dollar General, arriving at around 1pm local time. Police said Palmeter first fired 11 rounds into a black Kia before entering the store, allowing some shoppers to leave before opening fire on those who remained. As law enforcement descended on the store, the shooter killed himself. Speaking at a press conference, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said that the shooting was definitely “racially motivated." “He hated Black people,” he said after reviewing the killer’s writings, which were sent to federal law enforcement officials and at least one media outlet shortly before the attack. The gunman acted alone and “there is absolutely no evidence the shooter is part of any larger group,” he added. He added: “This is a dark day in Jacksonville’s history. There is no place for hate in this community. I am sickened by this cowardly shooter’s personal ideology.” On Sunday, the three victims – two men and one woman – were identified as Angela Michelle Carr, 52, Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr, 19, and Jarrald De’Shaun Gallion, 29. Here, we take a look at the victims who lost their lives in the horrific Jacksonville shooting Angela Michelle Carr - a hardworking mother Angela Michelle Carr, 52, was a mother and worked as an Uber driver. On Saturday, Carr was dropping off a passenger at the Dollar General store and was sat inside her vehicle when the gunman opened fire on her. Speaking to NBC News on Monday, Carr’s daughter Ashley Carr, 36, said: “She wasn’t meant to go that fast. She wasn’t even supposed to be there. She was shot in her car. She never even had a chance.” Ashley remembered her mother as a “dedicated” and “hardworking” woman. “She was a great woman, and she’s been taken. I hope her spirit is at rest,” she said. Carr’s daughter said that she knows the gunman’s family and is also praying for them. As well as her love for her family and her work, Carr was dedicated to her faith. She joined St. Stephen African Methodist Episcopal Church in Jacksonville when she was three years old and still attended services there up until her death. The pastor said the church community has rallied behind her family. “She was just a loving, caring mother,” Reverend David Green said. Jarrald De’Shaun Gallion - the devoted father Jarrald De’Shaun Gallion has been remembered as a devoted father, brother and grandson. The 29-year-old was brutally shot dead as he entered the Dollar General store’s front door on Saturday with his girlfriend. “My brother shouldn’t have lost his life,” his sister, Latiffany Gallion, said on Sunday. “A simple day of going to the store, and he’s taken away from us forever.” As father to four-year-old daughter Je Asia, Gallion’s family said he was planning to spend the weekend with her on the weekend when he was killed. Family members said he worked two to three jobs to try to build the best life for her. Je Asia’s maternal grandmother Sabrina Rozier said at a press conference on Monday that Je Asia’s fifth birthday is coming up and the family was planning a big party for her. Gallion was also looking forward to a father-daughter dance in February. “He was so excited about it, talking about the colours they would wear,” Ms Rozier said. “Now she’s asking, ‘Who shot my daddy?’” “From the time my daughter got pregnant ‘til yesterday, Jerrald never missed a beat,” she added of Gallion. Ms Rozier said that the family is now trying to figure out how to tell his daughter that he “is gone” and said she does not have the “words to tell her, to break her heart”. “This man saw fit to break my granddaughter’s heart and take her daddy away,” Ms Rozier said about the gunman. Tyesha Jones, the mother of Gallion’s four-year-old daughter, said he was a devoted father and co-parent. Although the two were no longer together, they remained close, according to NBC News. In a vigil held on Sunday, Ms Jones told the news outlet that Gallion was her “best friend” and added: “He was my daughter’s best friend. He got her every weekend. He was the best daddy ever.” Anolt Joseph ‘AJ’ Laguerre Jr - a high school graduate Anolt Joseph Laguerre Jr, also known as AJ, was only 19 years old and worked at the Dollar General store when he was shot and killed by the gunman. The youngest of five siblings, they were raised by their grandmother after their mother passed away in 2009. AJ graduated from high school in 2022, which was a proud moment for him and his family. While he was thinking about going to college to study cybersecurity, he took up a job at the Dollar General store just a few months ago to help his grandmother pay the bills. In his downtime, AJ liked to play Fortnite and other videogames on Twitch, his brother said, using the gamer tag galaxysoul. His goal was to build a large online following. “He had dreams and aspirations of being a professional streamer,” Quan Laguerre said. “So after he would get off work, he’d just stay up until 3 or 4am in the morning just grinding, you know, trying to get that stance and have followers.” Additional reporting from agencies Read More Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis faces Black leaders' anger after racist killings in Jacksonville Family of Jacksonville shooting victim say they don’t want call from Biden Jacksonville killings refocus attention on the city’s racist past and the struggle to move on

The motive for the shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which left one faculty member dead remains under investigation following the arrest of the suspected gunman. On Monday, the UNC campus was rocked by an active shooting situation which plunged the area into lockdown from around 1pm ET. Local law enforcement and UNC officials warned that “an armed and dangerous person” was on or near the campus before confirming that a faculty member was killed in the shooting. An image of the suspect was circulated by officials before he was taken into custody around three hours later near a residential area 10 minutes away from campus. The weapon used in the shooting is yet to be recovered. Neither the victim nor the suspect have been publicly identified by officials and it is not clear if the attack was targeted or random. “The students are certainly traumatised,” UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin M Guskiewicz said. “But I want to commend those who were inside the building ensuring everyone’s safety.” Read More UNC faculty member confirmed dead as active shooter shuts down Chapel Hill school America is on pace for its worst year of mass shootings in a decade. What’s driving the record-breaking surge?

A college campus in North Carolina is waking up on Tuesday gripped by fear, grief and many unanswered questions. Just days into the start of a new term, students and faculty members at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found themselves hunkering down inside classrooms and leaping from first floor windows as an active shooting situation unfolded on site. Inside the science building, a faculty member was found shot dead. Following a brief moment where the wrong person was arrested – an unsuspecting individual who missed the shelter-in-place alerts – campus police confirmed that the suspect had been taken into custody around 10 minutes from the scene. Harrowingly, the horror was a somewhat familiar sight for the UNC community coming four years after a mass shooting at the Charlotte campus left two dead and four injured. Officials are yet to release the identities of both the suspect and the victim in this latest attack, with much of the details of what happened and why still unclear. Here’s what we do know so far about the shooting The shooting The shooting unfolded at around 1pm local time on Monday when UNC Police responded to a 911 call reporting gunfire at the science lab in the heart of the campus. Law enforcement arrived on the scene around two minutes after the call came in and plunged the campus into lockdown, warning that “an armed and dangerous person” was at large. Officials later confirmed that a faculty member had been shot dead inside a campus building. Soon after, the UNC Police released an image of a person of interest in the case, warning the public that “if you see this person, keep your distance, put your safety first and call 911”. Chilling footage shows terrified students and staff members barricaded inside classrooms and offices for fear that an active shooter was at large. Around three hours on from the shooting, police confirmed that a suspect was arrested near a residential area 10 minutes away from campus. The gun is yet to be recovered, police said. The lockdown was eventually lifted at around 4.15pm. The suspect Neither the victim nor the suspect have been publicly identified by officials. It is not clear if they knew each other prior to the shooting or if the attack was targeted or random. At a press conference on Monday evening, police would not confirm whether or not the person arrested was the same man who was identified as a person of interest. Instead, police said that they would release the suspect’s identity once charges had been filed. The victim’s identity will also be released once next of kin is identified. The motive also remains unknown at this time. UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin M Guskiewicz said in a statement that a hotline and other mental health resources were on offer for staff and students affected by the shooting. “The students are certainly traumatised,” he said. “But I want to commend those who were inside the building ensuring everyone’s safety.” Classes have been canceled through Tuesday. Read More UNC shooting – latest: Motive remains unknown after shooter kills faculty member in Chapel Hill Suspect's motive unclear in campus shooting that killed 1 at UNC Chapel Hill, police say A white gunman killed three Black shoppers at Dollar General. Then police uncovered ‘the diary of a madman’

A Florida mother killed her two children and then herself in an apparent murder-suicide after losing a custody battle. Brandy Hutchins “from every indication in our investigation now, has murdered her 10-year-old child and her 19-year-old child. Murdered them,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a press conference on Sunday. “And then subsequent to that, she shot herself.” The murders of Hutchins’ 10-year-old son and 19-year-old daughter happened inside a mobile home over the weekend, just days after a judge ordered her to turn over custody of the boy to his father. Sheriff Judd called the tragedy “absolutely devastating for everyone,” including his deputies who responded to the tragic scene on Friday. Hutchins had been ordered to hand over the 10-year-old boy by 6pm Friday. He was later identified online by his father as Aiden Hutchins. When Hutchins failed to comply with the order, a search was launched for the boy so his father could take him back to Maine. On Sunday afternoon, police found the bodies of Hutchins and her two children inside a mobile home in the Waverly neighborhood of Lake Wales. “We’re devastated for this beautiful 10-year-old child, all because mom did not want to turn the child over to the rightful father pursuant to a court order,” the sheriff said. Aiden’s father shared a heartbreaking post after learning the news on Sunday. “[i]t is with a heavy heart that I am writing this to give everyone an update about my son Aiden Hutchins who was missing and taken by his mother on August 25 2023 who decided to murder him.” “[H]e was killed by her today August 27 2023. he will forever be in my heart and did not deserve this. Rest in peace my sweet boy I will see you again. I love you,” he said. Sheriff Judd also noted at the press conference that there was no indication of possible violence as a result of this custody battle or any history of mental illness. “There was no indication that there should be any violence, but it was violent,” Judd said. “This was a domestic event, a court-ordered event, where she had to turn custody over to the ex-husband and she wasn’t going to do that, so she murdered the 10-year-old. The 19-year-old daughter was there and [she] murdered her as well.” “There was absolutely zero evidence in the court order or testimony that there was any violence or threat of violence or a danger,” Judd added. The sheriff said that his office deals with “hundreds and thousands” of court orders, so for one to turn out like this has left them “heartbroken and devastated over this horrible, horrible event.” “I can’t imagine a more horrific set of circumstances.” Read More Rachel Morin’s mother shares ‘unbearable’ pain as Bel Air killer still at large weeks after murder Couple who considered making Lucy Letby their son’s godmother now believe she was trying to kill him

One person was wounded after an active shooter was reported to be on the campus of the University of North Carolina Monday afternoon. At least one shot fired in Caudill Labs on South Road, according to Orange County Fire and EMS radio. A suspect, described as a male wearing a gray shirt, was said to be in police custody. Students are still under a shelter-in-place order as police and paramedics respond to the scene. University Communications said they have no further information at this time.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has issued an emergency alert amid reports of an active shooting situation near campus. Local law enforcement and UNC officials have said that “an armed and dangerous person” is on or near the university. At least one person was wounded, The Daily Tar Heel reports. A suspect, described as a male wearing a gray shirt, was said to be in police custody. Students are still under a shelter-in-place order as police and paramedics respond to the scene where at least one shot was allegedly heard near Caudill Labs. More details are continuing to emerge as the situation unfolds.

Loved ones gathered on Sunday to honor Rachel Morin’s memory as her killer remains at large weeks after she was found dead on the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland. The 37-year-old’s heartbroken mother shared what she felt when she found out her daughter’s body had been found. “The pain was so unbearable,” Patty Morin said. Morin was found dead after heading off for a walk along on the trail on 6 August. Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler recently told Fox News that identifying and catching the suspect is a “top priority” amid fears that he could do “something harmful to someone else”. “This individual poses a threat to every community from here to Los Angeles because we don’t know where he’s laying his head at night,” Sheriff Gahler said. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office revealed that DNA found at the scene of Morin’s murder had been matched to the DNA left at a home where an unknown man broke into a home in Los Angeles and violently attacked a young girl back in March. “The public will not be safe until we get him in custody,” Sheriff Gahler said. Read More Maryland police have DNA matching Rachel Morin murder suspect and video images but no identity Rachel Morin’s mother breaks silence on daughter’s killing Maryland sheriff calls out ‘heinous coward’ who killed mother-of-five Rachel Morin Rachel Morin’s boyfriend speaks out after police name man wanted over sex assault as suspect in murder Rachel Morin killer ‘not going to stop’ unless arrested, police say as new clues dry up

The parents of a South Carolina college student are mourning the loss of their son after he was fatally shot when he entered the wrong house by mistake. Nicholas Anthony Donofrio, 20, was a student at the University of South Carolina and lived at the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity house, his parents told local news station WTNH. According to the City of Colombia Police Department, Donofrio was mistaken for a burglar and shot in the early morning hours of 26 August after he tried to enter a residence a few houses away from the fraternity on South Holly Street. Authorities said that a 911 call was initially made regarding an ongoing burglary, but it later escalated to a shooting situation. Donofrio was pronounced dead at the scene. The young man had recently moved into the fraternity’s off-campus home ahead of the start of his junior year at the university. Donofrio, a Kinesiology and Exercise Science major, was looking forward to living at the fraternity home with four close friends. ”[Nick was] a great son, loving, compassionate, all the traits you would want in a son,” Donofrio’s grieving parents said in a statement to WTNH. Donofrio was originally from Madison, Connecticut and graduated high school in 2021. “When officers arrived on the scene, they found a deceased male on the front porch with a gunshot wound to the upper body,” the City of Columbia Police said in a statement. “Preliminary information indicates that Donofrio who resided on South Holly Street attempted to enter the wrong home when he was fatally shot.” Classes at the University of South Carolina resumed on 23 August. “Our Student Affairs team is providing resources and support to those who may be affected by this tragedy, and we remind all of our students that help is always available to them,” the university said in a statement to The State. In South Carolina, individuals have no obligation to retreat and are allowed to use deadly force if they’re not engaged in unlawful activity and are in a place where they have a right to be — such as their home or place of business. The state’s “stand your ground” laws also limit law enforcement’s ability to immediately arrest the shooter if they claim they were attacked first or acting in self-defence. The City of Columbia Police Department said the investigation remains ongoing and it will consult with the solicitor’s office regarding the circumstances surrounding the case and whether charges could be filed. Read More Ron DeSantis booed at Jacksonville vigil as police say racist Florida shooter bought weapons legally – live Who is Ryan Palmeter? What we know about the racist 21-year-old Dollar General shooter Judge to decide if father of man accused in parade shooting will stand trial too

An attorney for the sole suspect in Andrea Vazquez’s kidnapping and murder has said that his client is “scared” after being hit with multiple felony charges. Gabriel Sean Esparza, 20, is facing charges of murder, kidnapping and attempted rape in the death of 19-year-old Andrea Vazquez, according to a criminal complaint submitted in Los Angeles Superior Court. Mr Esparza is accused of randomly kidnapping Vazquez last week while she was on a date with her boyfriend at Penn Park in Whittier, California. Vaquez was shot and yanked out of a parked car as her boyfriend rushed for help but she was nowhere to be found when he returned to the scene. Her body was found days later by Whittier Police detectives in Moreno Valley. Mr Esparza’s attorney Ambrosio Rodriguez told FOX11 that his client was “scared” and “just beginning to understand what is going on.” “Everyone in this case is in shock, and everyone who knows him can’t believe that he has been charged with this crime,” Mr Rodriguez said. Mr Esparza, the son of an LA fire captain, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and is being held without bond. Read More Ambushed at an LA park, kidnapped and her body dumped in a field: What happened to Andrea Vazquez? Andrea Vasquez: California woman shot and kidnapped from boyfriend’s car found dead Son of LA County fire captain pleads not guilty to Andrea Vazquez murder

Florida governor Ron DeSantis was heckled at a vigil held for the three victims of a racially motivated mass shooting in Jacksonville. Two men and one woman were killed on Saturday afternoon at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville by a white gunman carrying a weapon decorated with swastikas. The gunman, identified as 21-year-old Christopher Palmeter, shot and killed himself at the scene. Mr DeSantis, who is running for the GOP nomination for president, has been criticised for easing gun laws in Florida and initially staying silent on the shooting. In April this year, the governor signed a bill into law that allows people to carry concealed weapons without a government permit. As the governor began speaking at the vigil on Sunday, many members of a crowd of over a hundred people booed Mr DeSantis, forcing him to step back from the microphone. Ju'Coby Pittman, a Jacksonville city councilperson who represents the neighbourhood where the shooting took place, stepped in and asked the crowd to listen. "We are going to put parties aside because it ain’t about parties today," she said, adding: "A bullet don’t know a party." Mr DeSantis shared a video on social media condemning the violence, while calling the gunman a "deranged scumbag". "Casey DeSantis and I stand with the families impacted by the tragic shooting in Jacksonville," the governor wrote on X, previously known as Twitter. "The people of Florida stand united in condemning the horrific, racially-motivated murders." Mr DeSantis said that on Monday the state would be announcing financial support for security at Edward Waters University, the historically Black college near where the shooting occurred, and to help the affected families. Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters identified those killed as Angela Michelle Carr, 52, who was shot in her car; store employee AJ Laguerre, 19, who was shot as he tried to flee; and customer Jerrald Gallion, 29, who was shot as he entered the store in a predominantly Black neighbourhood. The gunman entered the store armed with an AR-style rifle, Glock handgun and “outfitted with a tactical vest" shortly after 1pm on Sunday. He first went to the campus of Edward Waters University, where he refused to identify himself to a security guard and was told to leave the campus. The gunman’s father then received a text from his son, telling him to check his computer. His parents then found “several manifestoes” written by the gunman, intended for his parents, law enforcement, and the media. The sheriff called the writing “the diary of a madman”. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has opened a civil rights investigation and says it will pursue the incident as a hate crime. "Hate crimes are always and will always remain a top priority for the FBI because they are not only an attack on a victim, they're also meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community," said Sherri Onks, special agent in charge of the Jacksonville FBI office. Read More DeSantis is silent on whether he will visit Jacksonville after racially-motivated mass shooting Biden demands US do better on racism amid Jacksonville shooting: ‘Hate must have no safe harbor’ Jacksonville shooter in racist attack is named as it’s revealed he bought weapons legally - latest

Florida governor Ron DeSantis was heckled by mourners at a vigil held in Jacksonville for the three victims killed in a racially motivated attack. Two men and a woman were killed on Saturday by a 21-year-old white man named Ryan Palmeter, who “hated Black people”. The victims were identified as Angela Michelle Carr, 52, Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr, 19, and Jarrald De’Shaun Gallion, 29. As the governor began speaking at the vigil on Sunday, many members of a crowd of over a hundred people booed Mr DeSantis, forcing him to step back from the microphone. Ju'Coby Pittman, a Jacksonville city councilperson who represents the neighbourhood where the shooting took place, stepped in and asked the crowd to listen. The shooting took place at a Dollar General store just blocks from the historically-Black Edward Waters University. Shortly before the gunman went on a killing spree, his parents called law enforcement to say they had found a manifesto. The gunman had reportedly called his parents ahead of the attack and told them to look at his computer. Sheriff TK Waters described those writings as a “disgusting ideology of hate”. Read More Florida shooting victim planned to spend Saturday with his daughter. He was killed before he could. Biden demands US do better on racism amid Jacksonville shooting: ‘Hate must have no safe harbor’ Chilling CCTV shows Jacksonville shooter entering Florida store during deadly rampage Everything we know about the Florida Dollar General Shooting