Month: January 2023

Tuscaloosa law enforcement announced on Monday that University of Alabama basketball player Darius Miles, 21, has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with a shooting near the campus Sunday, which left a 23-year-old woman dead.  The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit said in a press release that 20-year-old Michael Lynn Davis has also been charged in the shooting. Both suspects are charged with capital murder and are being held without bond, it said.

The University of Alabama athletics department said in a statement: “We were made aware of the recent charge against student-athlete Darius Miles, and he is no longer a member of the Alabama men’s basketball team. Investigators said Miles is the only person involved who is connected to the University of Alabama. Miles is a junior at the university from Washington, DC, according to an archived version of the men’s basketball team roster. Miles was playing his third season as a forward for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

According to a release from the violent crimes unit, police responded to the shooting around 1:45 a.m. local time Sunday and discovered that Jamea Jonae Harris had been shot and killed while sitting in a car less than half a mile from the university’s campus. Investigators said that the driver of the car told police that someone had shot into his vehicle and said he returned fire in self defense, possibly striking one of the suspects. According to the press release, “after processing the scenes, speaking with multiple witnesses, and viewing video surveillance, two suspects were developed,” adding that of the suspects had been hit by the returning gunfire and had a non-life-threatening wound.   Unit Captain Jack Kennedy said: “It appears that the only motive to this was a minor altercation that these individuals had with the victim as they were out on The Strip.”  The Strip is a hub of restaurants and businesses near the university campus.

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California authorities confirm that on Monday six people were shot to death in a suspected drug-related “massacre” that included a 17-year-old mother and her 6-month-old baby. The shooting took place in a residential area of Goshen, located about 40 miles northwest of Fresno, Calif., in the Central Valley.

Tulare County, Calif., Sheriff Mike Boudreaux told reporters they received multiple calls of shots fired shortly before 4 a.m. Monday in the town of Goshen. Callers reported a possible active shooter situation due to the number of shots fired. Sheriff Boudreaux said two victims of what he called a “massacre” were found dead when deputies arrived shortly after the gunshots were reported. A third victim was found in the doorway of a home where shots were heard, and police found more victims inside the home, including one male victim who was found alive but later died at the hospital.

No arrests have been made as of press time.  Boudreaux said the mother and child were shot in the head, and added that authorities believe there are two suspects involved in the shooting.  Said Boudreaux: “We also believe this is not a random act of violence. We believe this was a targeted family. We believe that there are gang associations involved — as well as potential narcotics investigations.” He added that search warrants for a drug probe were executed at the residence about a week ago, and said detectives have information that they are hopeful will lead to arrests.

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Officials confirmed that one person was killed and four were wounded early Sunday in a Houston-area shooting believed to involve an AK-47 assault rifle. The Harris County sheriff’s office said that multiple people appeared to get out of a vehicle and open fire toward patrons outside the Lounge 33 nightclub in Harris County about 2 a.m. local time. Three women and two men were wounded by gunfire. One of the men died, and the other four victims were taken to a local hospital.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at a news conference: “It looks like over 50 shots were fired here, which is a very scary situation considering there’s a mobile food truck here and, again, the number of patrons that were outside. Two men and three women were wounded in the shooting. One of the men died, while the four surviving victims were hospitalized.”  Gonzalez added:  “It appears at least one AK-47 was utilized, so it’s pretty potent stuff that we’re seeing out here on the streets … If the information is correct that somebody exited from a vehicle and began opening fire, then that’s probably a good indicator that they were coming with purpose and maybe it was targeted at somebody. Maybe there was some type of beef before inside the club that later spilled out, but at this point we don’t know that.”

None of the victims have been publicly identified, and officials haven’t announced any arrests. Since many witnesses left the scene after the shooting, the sheriff is asking that any witnesses with pertinent information to come forward to assist in the investigation.

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A 56-year-old woman was arrested after she allegedly confessed to repeatedly stabbing an Asian student at Indiana University in the head on a public bus in Bloomington, Indiana, in what police said appeared to be an unprovoked, racially-motivated attack. The attack unfolded aboard the bus around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, the Bloomington Police Department said in a statement. The knife attack was captured on the bus’ onboard surveillance camera. The victim, whose name was not released, told investigators she was attacked without warning when she stood up to exit the bus on Fourth Street in downtown Bloomington, several blocks from the Indiana University campus. Police officers called to the scene found the victim bleeding from her head and immediately called an ambulance, which took the victim to an area hospital for treatment where it was determined that the victim had multiple stab wounds to her head.

Authorities said that the suspect, Billy R. Davis of Bloomington, was taken into custody after a passenger who witnessed the assault followed her on foot.  According to a criminal complaint, the suspect allegedly confessed to stabbing the 18-year-old victim with a folding knife and told detectives she did so because it would mean “one less person to blow up our country.” Davis was initially booked at the Monroe County Jail and on a felony battery charge, which was later amended to attempted murder after she allegedly confessed to investigators.

James Wimbush, vice president of diversity, equity and multicultural affairs at Indiana University, said in a statement: “This week, Bloomington was sadly reminded that anti-Asian hate is real and can have painful impacts on individuals and our community. No one should face harassment or violence due to their background, ethnicity or heritage. Instead, the Bloomington and IU communities are stronger because of the vast diversity of identities and perspectives that make up our campus and community culture.”

Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton also said in a statement: “We stand with the Asian community and all who feel threatened by this event. Following the brutal attack of a member of our community, I want to state categorically that here in the city of Bloomington we deplore any form of racism and discrimination, especially hate based violence. This behavior is not acceptable and will be dealt with accordingly. Bloomington is a relatively safe place, but we are not immune to issues with which our entire nation is dealing. This senseless incident is a reminder that we should all look out for each other, be aware of our surroundings and seek to combat racism and prejudice in all its forms wherever and whenever we encounter it.”

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A former American serviceman detained in Russia since April was released on Thursday. The family of Navy veteran Taylor Dudley, 35, said he safely crossed into Poland after being released by Russian authorities at the Polish border. Dudley was originally detained in April while backpacking after he crossed the border from Poland into Russia.

The Richardson Center, a non-profit organization founded by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, helped secure Dudley’s release.  According to its website, The Richardson Center promotes global peace and dialogue with countries and communities averse to formal diplomatic channels. Richardson said in a statement: “It is significant that despite the current environment between our two countries, the Russian authorities did the right thing by releasing Taylor today … The negotiations and work to secure Taylor’s safe return were done discreetly and with engagement on the ground in both Moscow and Kaliningrad and with full support from Taylor’s family back in the United States.”

Dudley was joined in Poland by a Richardson Center representative, as well as his mother for the journey home. Said Richardson: “And as we celebrate Taylor’s safe return, we remain very concerned for Paul Whelan and committed to continue to work on his safe return, as we have been for the last four years, as well as other Americans.” Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, remains in Russian custody. He has been there since he was arrested in a Moscow hotel in 2018 and later convicted of espionage charges. The United States continues to assert that he is being wrongfully detained.

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Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Thursday the appointment of Robert Hur as special counsel to investigate the discovery of classified documents found in a private office and a garage of President Joe Biden.

Garland laid out a timeline explaining how the documents were discovered, saying that on Nov. 4, 2022 the National Archives told the Justice Department the White House had notified them that the documents were discovered at the office of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington D.C. Said Garland: “That office was not authorized for the storage of classified documents. The prosecutor was also advised that those documents had been secured in an archives facility.”

On Nov. 9, the FBI started an assessment consistent with standard protocols to determine whether the classified information had been improperly handled in possible violation of federal law. Garland said he assigned U.S. Attorney John Lausch Jr. to do an initial investigation on Nov. 14.  Biden’s lawyer informed Lausch on Dec. 20 that additional classified documents were found in the garage of Biden’s Delaware home. Lausch briefed Garland on the initial results of his investigation Jan. 5 and told him a special counsel was warranted.  Said Garland: “Based on Mr. Lausch’s initial investigation, I concluded that, under the special counsel regulations, it was in the public interest to appoint a special counsel.” Garland said Thursday that the documents in question have been secured by the FBI and National Archives.

The White House on Thursday confirmed the discovery of the second set of classified documents from Biden’s time as vice president. Special counsel to the president Richard Sauber said Thursday: “During the review, the lawyers discovered among personal and political papers a small number of additional Obama-Biden administration records with classified markings. All but one of these documents were found in storage space in the president’s Wilmington residence garage. One document consisting of one page was discovered among stored materials in an adjacent room.”

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