Showing posts with label gunshot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gunshot. Show all posts

Sunday, July 24, 2022

PTSD: children have been living in the shadows of gun violence

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 24, 2022

Before you read this, I have to ask a question. Why is it that when people have any type of illness, they have no problem seeking help to recover, but when they have a mental illness, they do? What will it take for you, or anyone else to figure that one out?
John Woodrow Cox author of Children Under Fire was interviewed by NPR after the Uvalde school massacre. The title of the article was about as powerful as it can be.

The trauma of gun violence affects all children, not just the ones who were there

Tuesday was a hard day. You know, it - I felt nauseated. I really did in those early minutes. I think for me, the weight of everything that I've written about, all the stories that I've done, the kids I've interviewed through all these years comes back. And time after time after time, you realize that the scope of this epidemic is so much broader than we think because we do only think of the children who die, the children who are maimed. But the reality is that there are hundreds of thousands, even millions of children who are directly impacted by gun violence in this country. And their lives are fundamentally changed because of it.
He also talked about Columbine.
And, you know, I know survivors from Columbine who are still - in their 40s - and they're still dealing with enormous amounts of trauma and PTSD. And again, none of these people were physically harmed. So we just have not grasped how far this extends in this country.

It is highly recommended that you read the rest of this article, along with the book if you want to understand exactly what it is we need to be paying more attention to.

NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer has done a lot of interviews and that is what makes what she said all the more powerful because most people are not aware of this.
Well, you're making me realize, I mean, it's certainly devastating for adults even to read or hear about it. But when you're a child and this happens, you're at a more formative stage of life.

The other thing is, that Cox is no stranger to reporting on events that we know cause PTSD. He is a reporter with the Washington Post. Cox has received numerous awards including, "He was also part of the team of Post journalists awarded the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for public service for coverage of the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol."

And back to the NPR interview, another thing too many people are not aware of.

PFEIFFER: John, at the Washington Post, where you work, there's a database you've created that tracks gun violence. And I believe the current tally is that since the shooting at Columbine in 1999, more than 300,000 students have experienced school shootings at school during the school day. That gives us a sense of how exponential the impact is because those 300,000 may have siblings, family, parents, and all of those people are affected.
and then there is this,
PFEIFFER: We often hear people say children are resilient; they will ultimately be OK. Is that your experience?

COX: You know, that is a phrase that I've come to despise, that children are resilient, because I think it's a way for adults to be dismissive of what children have gone through. And it's also because children have a hard time articulating their struggle. If a kid is suddenly having outbursts, they can't link that to the fact that they just survived a school shooting. They struggle to say, here's why I'm feeling what I'm feeling. "" What I like to say is that children can be resilient, but it is incumbent on the adults in their lives to make that possible - to provide therapy, to provide help, to provide support, to be patient. Because it can take children years to work through events like these.
Now you have a better idea of how children have been living in the shadows of gun violence. Thanks to reporters like John Woodrow Cox, people will begin to look where trauma lives on long after reporters walk away from the story.

I came across this story doing research for part three of The Lost Son Alive Again Series part three because Chris decided to focus on gun violence in his new book. It was the one cause of trauma he didn't spend time on because no one he knew had it caused by that. 

None of them talked about gun violence. Bill, David, and all the other veterans in his life didn't talk about it, even though all of them faced gun battles in wars. After Chris was shot, that began to haunt Grace because while she thought she had put the Pulse Nightclub shooting behind her, there was something else she didn't confront about her past.

Trauma hits survivors of every age and the thing is if we fail to help kids heal early on they carry it on their backs for the rest of their lives.

Friday, June 17, 2022

Peeving and perplexing problems to ponder on PTSD

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
June 17, 2022


Peeving because the following story has been repeated over decades of promises from the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to do better addressing PTSD. A claim we've been hearing for decades. Not a typo because they started working on PTSD in the 80's.

Perplexing because I lost count of how many times this was reported on from different alerts. Not one of the reports had solutions and didn't seem to ask many questions. 

Like for starters, why is this such a huge story when there are so many other people, in the millions with #PTSD but reporters don't seem to report on any of us? How on earth will veterans finally understand that when humans survive trauma, that is the only way PTSD happens, if reporters don't report on the rest of us? Wouldn't that go a long way toward getting rid of the stigma for all of us?

Ponder this one.

KABC STUDIO CITY, LOS ANGELES reported a veteran refused to get help for PTSD until recently, but couldn't get an appointment. He shot a police officer.
"He kept saying 'I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead.' He kept saying that, but I'm sure he probably is experiencing some kind of PTSD," said Lewis. "He said he was in one of the bloodiest battles in Afghanistan, but he also said he had two platoon members this week to commit suicide."

Khosroabadi's family said they've been trying to get him help for years but he refused. He sought help from the VA recently but couldn't get an appointment until January.

"It hurt us a lot to see that because we do have family in law enforcement, so if we ever got that call, we would be really sad as well and we're so sorry," Shayesteh said.

You can find more information here from The National Center for PTSD. 6% of the population of adult Americans with PTSD. That means the vast majority of members of the PTSD club have PTSD while veterans, a minority in the country, have PTSD, but are the bulk of the news reports on PTSD. Doesn't make sense as it is but what is worse, is the fact

Did you know about this?
Child protection services in the U.S. get around three million reports each year. This involves 5.5 million children. Of the reported cases, there is proof of abuse in about 30%. From these cases, we have an idea how often different types of abuse occur:
65% neglect

18% physical abuse

10% sexual abuse

7% psychological (mental) abuse
Why didn't he call the VA Crisis Line? On their site, there is this,


If he couldn't get an appointment but knew he needed help, why did he still have a gun instead of making sure he couldn't use it? Why didn't he call the crisis line and get the help he was looking for?

His family says they tried to get him to go for help for years, but he wouldn't go. This is a common problem. Ask the family of any Vietnam Veteran and they'll tell you horror stories about trying to get their veteran to go for help. (Including me) The question use, why didn't he want to? It isn't like it was back in the 80's or 90's. Reporters have been covering veterans with PTSD for over 20 years because of Afghanistan and Iraq veterans using social media to share with others. Why aren't they sharing solutions as much as they share scams and stupid ideas like "raising awareness" veterans are committing suicide, when they already know that?

Top that off with the news report had the "22 a day" number which was debunked ten years ago. Do they mention how many Americans commit suicide every year is over 46,000 according to the CDC?


For Heaven's Sake! This is PTSD Awareness month but first we need to make reporters aware of what they are supposed to be reporting on or nothing will ever change for any of us!

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

45 rounds a minute hitting kids is something to debate? Seriously?

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
June 8, 2022

This is from The Guardian
Miah was joined by other families affected by gun violence, including Felix and Kimberly Rubio, whose daughter Lexi died in Uvalde, and Zeneta Everhart, whose son Zaire Goodman was injured in Buffalo. Ten people were killed there, in a supermarket by another gunman with an AR-15-style rifle.

“We don’t want you to think of Lexi as just a number,” Rubio told the committee. “She was intelligent, compassionate and athletic. So today we stand for Lexi, and as her voice we demand action.”

But the emotional and searing testimony did not stop Republicans on the committee rehashing talking points about why they oppose gun restrictions.

“Kneejerk reactions to impose gun control policies that seek to curtail our constitutional right to bear arms are not the answer,” said James Comer, the Republican ranking member.
A "kneejerk reaction? Well, he got the "jerk" part right. Who could listen to testimony after testimony from survivors and families of kids slaughtered and come out with something like that? How many more kids have to die just because they went to school on the day a murderer decided to load AR15s and use them as target practice? How many more people have to die while going food shopping in the wrong store at the wrong time? How many have to die for going to a concert to enjoy some great music and be laid to rest with sad songs because someone decided they were going to make sure a lot of people didn't go back home? How many have to die because someone doesn't like their choice of lifestyle and obliterates as many as possible at a nightclub? While all of the weapons used were not all AR15s, not all of the shooters were younger than 21, but they were armed with weapons intended to kill as many people as possible. 

How many more times will we have to tolerate the sound of elected officials' voices showing more contempt toward people trying to stop the slaughtering of more people, than they show to those who committed the crimes? How many more times will we have to hear them defend these guns being allowed to be purchased by anyone who wants them, because, they like to shoot critters with them?

This is from TIME when they had a chance to do something about all this and used that same excuse for allowing them to get into the hands of anyone. It was after the PULSE massacre!
In interviews with TIME, leaders of 15 state shooting groups said semiautomatic rifles are popular with hunters in their states. Hunters say they favor the gun for its versatility, accuracy and customizable features for shooting animals. The semiautomatic feature, which allows these guns to shoot up to 45 rounds a minute, is not always necessary, but useful in some situations, hunters say.

“It’s the most capable tool for the job at this time,” said Eric Mayer, who runs AR15hunter.com. “Bar none. Period. It is.”

The thing is, it is a capable tool for killing. So why would anyone want everyone to be able to get as many of them as they wanted? When will they ever learn?

The kids and families will be suffering for the rest of their lives, just like all the others who were in the wrong place at the right time to be murdered! If you think #PTSD is an epidemic already, wait until it happens again if nothing is done again and members of the GOP in Congress defend the means of mass murder, instead of the life they claim to be so "pro" for!

Monday, June 6, 2022

Matthew 5 Christians time to speak boldly

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
June 6, 2022

Are you a Matthew 5 kind of Christian? Those who believe they should treat others the way Jesus explained it in the Sermon On The Mount, need to start speaking out just as loudly as those who scream about condemning others, treating others horribly, and lying about how "Christian" they claim to be. To me, they are not just repulsive but make others think all Christians are like them'


 We live in some terrible times but instead of being the voice of what Jesus taught, we walk away, shaking our heads in disgust and then fear saying we are Christians because of them.

When 19 little children and two teachers were slaughtered at Robb Elementary School, right away politicians who professed the loudest about their so-called "Christian values" were defending gun rights instead of the rights of these children to go to school and for parents to be able to send them without fear they would be slaughtered by a weapon intended for war.

People like Sen. Ted Cruz actually said that it was more a mental health issue than a "gun" issue.
Cruz continued to say that targeting felons and fugitives and those with mental illness is a more effective strategy in preventing crime.
The rebuke was swift.
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) also had choice words for Cruz, tweeting at the Texas senator, “F— you @tedcruz you care about a fetus but will let our children get slaughtered. Just get your ass to Cancun. You are useless.”
Gallego was referencing when Cruz flew to Cancun, Mexico, while his home state of Texas experienced a severe power outage that left millions of Texans without heat or electricity in February 2021.

Firstly, we have the fact that Cruz admitted that people with mental illness can get their hands on these guns at will, but he doesn't have a problem with it. If he cared, then he would support background checks and limitations to access. The slaughterer managed to buy two AR15s on his eighteenth birthday, in the same state where he cannot buy a handgun until the age of twenty-one.

Cruz went to speak at the NRA convention along with others and blamed "evil" for what was done, yet again, avoiding the fact that evil people can obtain these killing machines as easily as everyone else. It is repulsive they do not have a problem with that at all. Ex-President Trump added this, "The existence of evil is one of the very best reasons to arm law-abiding citizens."

There were heavily armed men outside of the school when the children were being slaughtered, yet they insist that arming more people, including teachers will solve the problem.

They use the title of Christian while they do not prove they have any relationship with Jesus at all. These quasi-Christians have been allowed to corrupt people by using their fame to turn people away from Jesus as well as everything that is good. They say that evil is bad while committing evil acts, and we say nothing?

There is a group in the House holding hearings on the January 6th attack on the US Capitol searching for facts. The same people screaming about how their faith matters so much, have no problem with what was done in Trump's name and want to divert the conversation from seeking the truth into something politically motivated when their own actions trying to overturn the election were in fact politically motivated.

When does this end and when do we rise up to speak boldly against these people who apparently hate all we are supposed to love. Seeking to destroy all we are taught we should value, they claim their right to do it. When do we claim our right to defend the One We Follow? 

People like them add to the number of people with #PTSD by all they stand for, from gunshot victims, pandemic patients, and people being attacked for what they do in their own personal lives with the same free will choices we all have. We are only supposed to live our own lives and take care of others with kindness and love, as directed by Jesus. Top all that off within this country, everyone is free under the Constitution to worship as all of us see fit. 

So, when do we do it?

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Firefighter killed by another firefighter

UPDATE

California fire crews attend graduation to support daughter of slain firefighter

read the story here


2 firefighters shot, 1 killed by off-duty colleague at LA County Fire Station 81; suspect dead

FOX 11 News
By Mary Stringini
June 1, 2021
Firefighter specialist Tory Carlon, 44, was killed in the shooting. He was a twenty-year veteran of the department, Osby said.
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - An off-duty firefighter opened fire Tuesday at Los Angeles County Fire Dept. Station 81 in the Agua Dulce area, killing a fellow firefighter and injuring another. The suspect then fled to his home in nearby Acton, barricaded himself inside, and set the house on fire before he was believed to have been found dead.

"I never thought one of our firefighters would face danger at one of our own community fire stations," said Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby.
read more here

Friday, May 22, 2020

Fort Hood soldier shot to death, jeep set on fire

Fort Hood soldier found shot dead near burning Jeep


Army Times
Kyle Rempfer
May 22, 2020

Texas police and Army CID agents are investigating the death of a Fort Hood soldier as a homicide after he was found dead from a gunshot wound roughly 13 miles from post on Monday.
Pfc. Brandon Scott Rosecrans, 27, was identifed as the victim by local police and post officials. (Army)

Harker Heights police officers identified 27-year-old Pfc. Brandon Scott Rosecrans as the victim in their murder investigation and also the owner of an orange 2016 Jeep Renegade that was found along with the deceased.

The vehicle was on fire when it was first reported to police, officers said, and it was later confirmed to belong to Rosecrans. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Harker Heights fire marshal, police said.
read it here

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Veteran with PTSD shot during standoff with police

Man Shot By Police During Standoff In Doylestown Dies In Hospital: Officials

By CBS3 Staff
March 1, 2020
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (CBS) — A man who police shot during a standoff and shootout in Doylestown has died more than one week later.

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office says 60-year-old Thomas Zeller had been hospitalized since the standoff in the Olde Colonial Greene residential community on Feb. 20.

A neighbor told CBS at the time that Zeller was a veteran who suffered from PTSD.

It’s unclear who fired first. The shooting remains under investigation.
get updates here

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

What happened to John Dees, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, was found dead?

'Some demons you can’t beat': Man found shot in woods was Iraq war veteran


Tallahassee Democrat
Jeff Burlew
Jan. 21, 2020
Kimberly Dees said her family had been looking for him for years. They were dreading the worst.

“He was sick,” she said. “And he was easy to take advantage of because he was sick. He wanted to get better. But there are some demons you can’t beat.”
John Dees, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, was found dead Jan. 13, 2020, in a wooded area off Pecan Road on Tallahassee's west side. Dees, who struggled with personal demons after coming home from the war, had been shot. (Photo: Special to the Democrat)
Military clockwork — if not fate or instant attraction — brought John Dees and Kimberly Crosby together.

They met in 2006 after both were stationed at the Army's Fort Lewis outside Tacoma, Washington. Young and starting out in life, he worked as an air defense early warning system operator; she was a human resources manager. Their names were so close alphabetically that wherever one lined up, the other inevitably would follow.

“Everywhere we went, we were always together,” she said. “I think it kind of skipped friendship and went straight to romance.”

Charming and good-looking, Dees even got her into country music, something she didn’t think possible. The two bonded listening to Brad Paisley’s “Mud on the Tires” together. Three months after meeting, they got married at the courthouse.
About the same time, a woman took him in at her Mission Road apartment in an act of charity. The night of Jan. 9, she called police to report he had become loud and combative, according to TPD records. Officers determined he had residency rights and took no action.

Less than four days later, Dees was found dead, in an area near the apartment. Police declined to discuss a possible motive, citing the ongoing investigation.
read it here

Monday, January 13, 2020

New York soldier fought in Iraq and Afghanistan...and in his neighborhood?

Army member allegedly ‘shoots up’ block with AR-15 claiming wife cheated


New York Post
By Andrew Denney, Joseph Konig and Aaron Feis
January 12, 2020
“He was very calm,” the neighbor added. “He took the gun apart, left it on the porch and called the cops on himself.”
Harold Beard's Dyker Heights home. Kevin C Downs for the New York Post
A US Army member turned his quiet Brooklyn block into a shooting range, firing his AR-15 into his own car and a neighbor’s home while accusing his wife of infidelity, authorities allege.

Harold Beard, a veteran of campaigns in both Iraq and Afghanistan, allegedly pointed his assault rifle out of the second-floor window of his Dyker Heights home at around 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 7, squeezing off at least 29 rounds, officials said.

“My wife is cheating on me,” Beard, 28, told responding cops, according to a criminal complaint. “I have an AR-15, I shot at my car, I shot it out of the window.”

No injuries were reported, but two rounds punched into Beard’s Cadillac as more sailed across 82nd Street and blew out a pair of windows at a neighbor’s home, authorities said.
read it here

Friday, December 6, 2019

Four dead in Fla. Navy base shooting

Four dead in Fla. Navy base shooting; gunman was Saudi air force officer, officials say


STARS AND STRIPES
By CAITLIN M. KENNEY
Published: December 6, 2019
“You just don’t expect this to happen at home…But it did and it has,” Sheriff David Morgan said.
Navy Capt. Tim Kinsella briefs members of the media following a shooting at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla., Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. A U.S official told The Associated Press that the suspect was a Saudi aviation student, and that authorities are investigating whether the shooting was terrorism-related.
TONY GIBERSON/PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL/AP

WASHINGTON — A member of the Saudi Arabian air force opened fire Friday morning in a classroom building at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., killing three and injuring several others, according to local and law enforcement officials.

The aviation student, who was fatally shot by an Escambia County sheriff's deputy, was a second lieutenant in the Saudi air force, two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press. The officials said authorities were investigating whether the attack was terrorism-related.

Seven other people were injured in the shooting, including two sheriff deputies, Chief Deputy Chip Simmons of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said. One deputy was shot in the arm and the other in the knee, and both are expected to survive, he said.

The shooter used a handgun and all of the shooting took place in one classroom, authorities said. Capt. Timothy Kinsella, the commanding officer of NAS Pensacola, noted weapons are not allowed on the base.
read it here

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Offutt Air Force Base Servicemember and Spouse Found Dead

2 dead in shooting near Offutt identified as active-duty service member, spouse


Omaha World Herald
By Kevin Cole and Jessica Wade / World-Herald staff writers
1 hr ago

Offutt Air Force Base officials have confirmed that two people died Saturday night in a shooting in a base community.
An active-duty service member from Offutt and their spouse died, a spokesman for the Air Force base said Sunday. The bodies were discovered about 8:15 p.m. in Rising View, Offutt’s privatized housing area in Bellevue.

Law enforcement officials from Offutt and Sarpy County responded to a call from the home, the spokesman said. The names of the deceased are being held pending notification of the next of kin.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations detachment at Offutt is leading the investigation. A post on the Offutt-based 55th Wing's Facebook page by Col. Gavin P. Marks, commander of the wing, confirmed the deaths.
read it here

Saturday, August 31, 2019

Warm welcome home for Green Beret who survived ambush

Hundreds give wounded veteran hero's welcome in North Idaho


KREM 2 News
Author: Megan Carroll
August 30, 2019

Army Sgt. 1st Class Brian Sharp and his fellow Green Berets were ambushed during a mission in Afghanistan. Sharp was shot multiple times and almost died.
KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho — Dozens of community members are lined up to give a hero's welcome on Friday to a veteran who was wounded in Afghanistan this year.
Deputies with the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office provided an escort for Army Sgt. 1st Class Brian Sharp from Stateline to Highway 95, then north to Lancaster Road at 11 a.m. on Friday.

The sheriff's office has also reached out to Idaho State Police and other law enforcement agencies that may want to help.

Sharp is the cousin-in-law of KCSO Sgt. Erik Hedlund, who says Sharp is coming to visit family in North Idaho now that he has recovered enough to travel.

Sgt. Sharp and his fellow Green Berets were on a mission in Afghanistan earlier this year when they were ambushed by their own Afghan support team, Hedlund said.

Two soldiers were killed in the battle. Sharp was shot multiple times in the pelvis and abdomen, and almost died in the field. He was awarded a Purple Heart for his sacrifices.

After Sharp was stabilized, he returned to the United States and has been recovering in the hospital, just recently regaining the ability to walk, Hedlund said. At the same time, his one-year-old daughter, Audrey, was also learning to walk for the first time.
read it here

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Civilian shot at Andersen Air Force Base

Intruder Shot, Security Forces Member Stabbed During Incident at Andersen Air Force Base


Stars and Stripes
By Matthew M. Burke
15 Aug 2019

A Defense Department civilian security forces member was stabbed Thursday morning at Andersen Air Force Base while attempting to apprehend an intruder fleeing from Guam police.

Information on the unnamed security forces member's condition was not immediately available. Air Force officials said the intruder -- who was also not named -- was shot during the incident.

The fugitive was treated at a civilian hospital, Air Force officials said Thursday in a statement. Information on his condition was not available.

The incident began at approximately 7:35 p.m. Wednesday when a civilian attempted to enter the base's main gate while fleeing from Guam Police, Air Force officials wrote on Andersen's Facebook page several hours after the incident began. The intruder crashed his vehicle into emergency defensive barriers deployed by members of the 36th Security Forces Squadron following a high-speed chase. He then fled on foot.
read it here

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Six Philadelphia officers shot, another trapped with gunman

Suspect in custody after 6 officers hurt in hours-long Philadelphia standoff


All of the officers who were shot had been released from the hospital by late Wednesday night. The city’s mayor said that one of those officers, who is the father of two boys, suffered a graze wound to his head and could have been killed.
read it here

Six Philadelphia officers shot in active standoff with gunman holed up in house


NBC News
By Doha Madani and Tom Winter
Aug. 14, 2019

At least six Philadelphia police officers were shot Wednesday afternoon in an active standoff with a gunman holed up in a North Philly house.

A large police presence responded to a shooting incident at about 4:30 p.m. local time in a residential area of the Nicetown section of the city. One male shooter was still inside a residence in what police described as an active situation.

A police spokesperson told NBC News that the incident began when an officer attempted to serve a warrant at the address.
read it here

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Fort Bragg solider dressed to kill, then opened fire in a home

Police: Fort Bragg Soldier Wearing Military Gear Opened Fire into Home


The Associated Press
June 14, 2019
The active duty soldier is charged with attempted first-degree murder and shooting into an occupied dwelling, both of which are felonies. He will be taken into custody if he is released from the hospital, officials said.
Fort Bragg soldier Eric Jerrod Davis is accused of shooting at someone with a shotgun inside a home, officials said. (Scotland County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigative Unit/Facebook)
LAUREL HILL, N.C. — A soldier wearing military-issued ballistic gear opened fire inside a North Carolina home and was wounded by return gunfire before he left and was injured in a car crash, according to authorities.

U.S. Army E-4 Specialist Eric Jerrod Davis was in critical condition at a hospital, news outlets reported Wednesday. Davis is accused of shooting at someone with a shotgun on Sunday morning inside the home in Laurel Hill, officials said.

"Several innocent bystanders were present at the time, and one innocent bystander returned fire, shooting Davis," the Scotland County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. It is not clear if anyone else was injured.
read more here

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Florida veteran shot for trying to apologize?

He Wanted to Apologize for Cutting Off Another Driver. It Ended in a Deadly Shootout


Sun Sentinel
By Wayne K. Roustan and Laurel Weibezahn
13 Jun 2019

DAVIE, Florida -- Keith Byrne was trying to do the right thing. After the Marine Corps veteran accidentally cut off another car, he was ready to apologize at the next light.

Before he could, a passenger got out of the cut-off car and shot him square in the chest.

The mortally wounded Byrne, 41, was also prepared to fight back. With his own gun, he fired two shots at 22-year-old Andre Sinclair, and Sinclair died of his injuries at the hospital two days later. Byrne died on scene.

Sinclair had been a passenger in the car his girlfriend was driving. Their toddler was in the backseat.
read more here

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

LA Gunman who shot officer in the back of head caught on video!

update California deputy shot while getting food at Jack in the Box has died, officials say

take a look at the picture and the car...the officer was off duty and just getting something to eat at the Jack-in-the-box!

Sheriff's Deputy Shot in the Head at Jack in the Box in Alhambra


NBC Los Angles
By Eric Leonard, Andrew Blankstein, Jamie Bankson and Shahan Ahmed
Published Jun 10, 2019

The wounded deputy was taken to an area hospital and was in critical condition
A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was in critical condition after being shot in the head at a fast food restaurant in Alhambra Monday, authorities said.

The 13-year veteran of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department was out of uniform and off-duty at the time of the shooting, which occurred at around 5:45 p.m. in the 2500 block of West Valley Boulevard at a Jack in the Box restaurant, officials from the LASD said at a news conference Monday night.
The shooting was caught on video, and the victim was inside the restaurant waiting for food, said Capt. Kurt Wegener of the LA County Sheriff's Department. The shooter entered the restaurant and shot the deputy in the head and walked out, with no one inside the restaurant intervening before the man exited the Jack in the Box, Wegener said.

The shooter was described as a man in his 20s, 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-11, wearing a light colored fedora hat, black sunglasses, a short sleeved burgundy color shirt, slim fit jeans and grey shoes with white bottoms, Wegener said.
READ MORE HERE

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Virginia Beach Victims identified, employees and contractor getting permit

update Virginia Beach attacker, who had served in National Guard, notified boss of plans to leave job

Officials ID Virginia Beach gunman as city employee


Associated Press
Ben Finley
June 1, 2019

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — The gunman who killed 12 people in a Virginia Beach municipal building was identified by police Saturday as a 15-year city employee who had served in the military and was described by neighbors as quiet and rarely smiling.

Virginia Beach Police Chief James Cervera identified the gunman as DeWayne Craddock, who was employed as an engineer with the city's public utilities department. Cervera declined to comment on a motive for Friday's rampage that ended with Craddock dying in a gun battle with police. .

Authorities used a Saturday morning news conference to focus on the victims, saying 11 of them worked for the city. Another victim was a contractor trying to get a permit. They projected photos on a screen and gave each victim's name along with biographical details.
The 11 city employees who died were identified as;
Laquita C. Brown of Chesapeake,

Tara Welch Gallager of Virginia Beach,
Mary Louise Gayle of Virginia Beach,
Alexander Mikhail Gusev of Virginia Beach,
Katherine A. Nixon of Virginia Beach,
Richard H. Nettleton of Norfolk,
Christopher Kelly Rapp of Powhatan,
Ryan Keith Cox of Virginia Beach,
Joshua A. Hardy of Virginia Beach,
Michelle "Missy" Langer of Virginia Beach
Robert "Bobby" Williams of Chesapeake
The 12th victim, Herbert "Bert" Snelling of Virginia Beach, was a contractor filling a permit.
read more here

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Firefighter shot and killed while trying to save a life

Fallen Appleton firefighter identified as Mitchell Lundgaard


APPLETON, Wis. (WBAY) - The firefighter who was killed in a shooting at Valley Transit Center in Appleton has been identified as Mitchell F. Lundgaard.

Lundgaard was shot an killed Wednesday while responding to a call about a medical emergency on a bus.

"Mitch was married and a father of three young kids. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers at this difficult time," said Appleton Fire Chief Jeremy Hansen. Hansen choked up as he remembered Lundgaard during a news conference Thursday.

Donations can be made in Mitchell Lundgaard's honor at The Friends of the Appleton Fire Department or mailed to:
700 N. Drew St.
Appleton, WI 54911


On Thursday, police and fire vehicles escorted Lundgaard's body down College Ave and to Brettschneider-Trettin-Nickel Funeral Chapel Citizens lined the street to pay their respects.
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WBAY 2 News

APPLETON, Wis. (WBAY) - UPDATE: The Appleton Fire Department says the firefighter who was shot Wednesday night has died. The firefighter's name has not been released, but the statement says the firefighter had been with the department for 14 years.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Fire Chief Jeremy Hansen and Mayor Hanna will make a statement to the media on Thursday at the Appleton Police Department.

A procession was held overnight in Milwaukee as the firefighter's body was brought to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office. Firefighters lined the street as emergency vehicles escorted the body.

Valley Transit tells Action 2 News that buses will be running today, but the transfer point will be at West Franklin St. and North Superior St.

Appleton police say an officer and a firefighter are among four people wounded in a shooting near the city transit center Wednesday evening.

Police say all those injured were transported to hospitals. We don't know their conditions. Each of the patients was accompanied by officers.
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Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Police body cam released in shooting death of 84 year old veteran

How a violent confrontation led to a military veteran's death

Local 10 News
By Amy Viteri - Investigative Reporter
April 30, 2019

Attorneys say apartment complex pushed fragile man over the edge
"He is a veteran. He has a disability of a visual problem," Harkow said on the call. "I would say he's grossly depressed because the apartment where he is living is evicting him. He told me he was going to kill his two dogs and himself."

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - It was a story that shocked a South Florida community last year: An elderly military veteran with a gun was shot down by police in a hail of bullets.

New body camera video given to Local 10 News showed how and why it happened, and how possible discrimination by the man's apartment complex could have contributed to his death.

"For the love of God, man, please put your hands up!" an officer can be heard shouting in exclusive body camera video obtained by Local 10 News.

The video details the desperate standoff between Miami-Dade police officers and 84-year-old Raymond Bishop. Bishop, a disabled military veteran, was threatening to shoot himself inside his apartment.

"I do not want to hurt you," said one officer. "Sir you are a veteran. You are a hero to us. Please do not do this!"

The video is from February 2018, after a 911 call from Bishop's social worker Jaye Harkow with the Department of Veteran Affairs, brought officers to the Hidden Grove apartments near Homestead.
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