Month: November 2022

Police in Moscow, Idaho, have released the names of four University of Idaho students killed over the weekend in an apparent homicide. The victims are: Ethan Chapin, 20, of Conway, Washington; Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Xana Kernodle, 20, of Avondale, Arizona; and Kaylee GonCalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho.

The four victims appeared to be friends based on their social media interactions and posted a photo with two other friends just hours before they were found dead on Sunday. According to University of Idaho President Scott Green, Mogen and Kernodle were in the same sorority; Goncalves was a member of a different sorority, and Chapin was a fraternity member (who had recently celebrated his birthday). Green said in a Monday statement that the students are “believed to be victims of homicide.”

The Moscow Police Department (MPD) responded on Sunday to reports of an unconscious person on King Road – near the university’s golf course and adjacent to Greek Row – just before noon, and found the four deceased students upon arrival. The MPD said in a Monday afternoon statement: “Details are limited in this investigation  Currently, there is no one in custody,” adding that the department and city are “deeply saddened for the families of these individuals, fellow students and friends, and [the] community during this time.”

Authorities do not believe there is an active threat to the community, and are expected to release more information regarding the students’ deaths at a later time. Police investigating the incident are asking anyone with information to contact the Moscow Police Department at 208-882-COPS (2677).

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Authorities announced Monday that a University of Virginia student is in custody after the killing of three of the school’s football players in a shooting Sunday night, which injured 2 others. The school’s president confirmed Monday that the suspect, identified by authorities as student Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., was in custody.

UVA President Jim Ryan revealed during a press conference the deceased victims identities: Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry. Two other students, one in critical condition and one in good condition, were wounded in the shooting and were receiving treatment. Chandler was a second-year student, Davis was a third-year student and Perry was a fourth-year student. Ryan told reporters: “This is a sad, shocking and tragic day for our UVA community… The entire university community is grieving this morning. My heart is broken for the victims and their families and for all those who knew and loved them, and they are all in my prayers.”

Police responded to a call of shots fired at approximately 10:30 p.m. Sunday night, and Ryan said that the shooting took place near a campus parking garage on a bus full of students returning from a play in Washington, D.C.  During Ryan’s press conference, Tim Longo, the university’s police chief, received word of the suspect’s apprehension. The 22-year-old suspect was taken into custody without incident shortly before 11 a.m. southeast of Charlottesville in Henrico County, Virginia.  Longo said the suspect was charged with three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of using a handgun in the commission of a felony.

Virginia’s elected leaders reacted to the shooting on social media: Gov. Glenn Youngkin tweeted: “We had a horrific tragedy overnight at UVA, lives were lost and families changed forever. Due to the diligence and commitment of our law enforcement, the suspect is in custody. While there are still many details to uncover, let us lift up the entire community in prayer.”  Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said in a series of tweets: “Very grateful to law enforcement for their heroic work to apprehend the suspect. I continue to keep the UVA community in my prayers on this tragic day,” and later added: “Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry. Today, we honor their memories after their lives were tragically cut short. I’m keeping their loved ones in my prayers.”

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Police confirmed that one person was killed and one was injured in a shooting during a Florida high school football playoff game Saturday in Orlando, Florida. Witnesses told authorities gunshots were heard in the parking lot of Jones High School, located near Camping World Stadium.

Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith told reporters: “There were two different groups, two different people at the event and got into whatever altercation they did. It’s part of our investigation to find out exactly what happened. We know shots rang out, two people were hit and fell.”

Smith said that both of the people involved are adults, adding that one died in the shooting while the other was taken to a hospital. Four juveniles have been taken into custody and police are still trying to identify the shooters.

Jones football coach Elijah Williams told the Orlando Sentinel: “It’s just an unfortunate situation… It’s real senseless. At that point we just wanted to keep both teams safe, our kids safe.”

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Officials said on Sunday that the death toll has risen to six after a mid-air plane crash at an air show in Dallas.  Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a statement: “According to our Dallas County Medical Examiner, there are a total of 6 fatalities from yesterday’s Wings over Dallas air show incident. Authorities will continue working today on the investigation and identification of the deceased. Please pray for their families and all involved.”

The two aircraft were both vintage collections from the Commemorative Air Force and were part of an air show that was being held at Dallas Executive Airport. Details of the crash (caught on video) remain unknown. The B-17, nicknamed “Texas Raiders,” was one of about 45 complete surviving examples of the model, only nine of which were airworthy. The other aircraft was a P-63 which was even more rare. Only 14 are known to have survived.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson tweeted, “As many of you have now seen, we have had a terrible tragedy in our city today during an airshow. Many details remain unknown or unconfirmed at this time. The @NTSB has taken command of the crash scene with @DallasPD and @DallasFireRes_q continuing to provide support. The videos are heartbreaking. Please, say a prayer for the souls who took to the sky to entertain and educate our families today.”

The Allied Pilots Association said in a statement that two of the victims were former members and identified them as Terry Barker and Len Root: “We are saddened to report that former APA members CA Terry Barker and CA Len Root were among the crew members lost on B-17 Flying Fortress during the Wings Over Dallas airshow today. Our hearts go out to their families, friends, and colleagues past and present.”

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/killed-vintage-aircraft-collide-dallas-air-show-93213570

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Hurricane Nicole made landfall on Florida’s Atlantic coast early Thursday, leading to at least four deaths, widespread power outages, and the collapse of several homes. Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane, just six weeks after Category 4 Hurricane Ian, and weakened into a tropical storm shortly after making landfall.  Destructive winds and heavy rains along the coast created widespread damage as the storm travels over Florida.

The National Hurricane Center said that the hurricane made landfall just south of Vero Beach around 3 a.m. ET on the east coast of the Florida Peninsula on North Hutchinson Island, with sustained winds estimated to be around 75 mph.  The Orange County sheriff’s office said Thursday afternoon: “Earlier today deputies responded to the intersection of Bayfront Parkway and Pershing Avenue and found a man who was unresponsive after he exited a vehicle and made contact with a downed power line. A woman traveling with the man was also electrocuted and was transported to the hospital, where she died.”   Authorities in Orange County, Florida, said that two more people have been killed in a storm-related incident. Florida Highway Patrol said a pickup truck driving on the turnpike around 5:30 a.m. swerved toward the shoulder of Florida’s Turnpike after losing control and struck a driver of a tow truck who was standing behind his parked truck; both drivers were killed.

Residents also faced widespread power outages Thursday with more than 303,000 customers without electricity in the state as of 1:30 p.m.  Nicole making landfall is rare for the region, as only two hurricanes on record have made landfall in Florida during November: Hurricane Yankee in 1935 and Hurricane Kate in 1985.

The National Hurricane Center warned that Nicole is forecast to bring a dangerous storm surge along parts of the east-central and the northeastern coasts of Florida, as well as portions of coastal Georgia and the Florida Big Bend along the Gulf coast. Flooding is also possible through the southeast US and the central Appalachians, extending northward through eastern Ohio, west-central Pennsylvania and western New York on Friday night into Saturday.

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The White House confirmed on Thursday that President Biden will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, Nov. 14, at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. Although they have met virtually, it will be their first in-person meeting between the two since Mr. Biden took office.

A meeting between Biden and Xi had been under discussion by U.S. and Chinese officials in the weeks leading up to the summit, as the U.S. aims to navigate their relationship with China. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement: “The leaders will discuss efforts to maintain and deepen lines of communication between the United States and the [People’s Republic of China], responsibly manage competition, and work together where our interests align, especially on transnational challenges that affect the international community. The two leaders will also discuss a range of regional and global issues.”

During a press conference, Biden said he has told Xi in the past that he’s “looking for competition, not conflict,” adding, “and so what I want to do with him when we talk is lay out what each of our red lines are and understand what he believes to be in the critical national interests of China, what I know to be the critical interests of the United States, and to determine whether or not they conflict with one another … And if they do, how to resolve it and how to work it out.”  The president said he anticipated that the two leaders will discuss Taiwan, as well as China’s relationship with other countries in the region. The two leaders spoke by phone in July for more than two hours over tensions in Taiwan.

Biden embarked on a three-part trip to Egypt, Cambodia and Indonesia, and will first stop in Egypt for the COP27 United Nations climate change summit, then head to Cambodia this weekend for the annual U.S.-ASEAN summit and East Asia Summit, and finally travel to Bali for the G20 summit.

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