25-year-old Texas woman Cassandra Damper was arrested on April 1 (Easter Sunday morning) after a Facebook Live video went viral showing her shooting a 26-year-old man named Devyn Holmes in the head.
Another man who goes by Cadillac Coleman was also involved in the shooting and police are currently investigating the matter.
Here’s what you need to know about Cassandra Damper, Devyn Holmes, and the viral Facebook live shooting.
Cassandra Damper shot Devyn Holmes in the head, and the incident was caught on video via Facebook Live.
Cassandra Damper, Devyn Holmes, and Cadillac Coleman were all sitting in a car outside of a Valero gas station off Southmore Boulevard in Houston, Texas when the shooting took place early Easter Sunday morning (Apr. 1).
In the viral Facebook live video, Damper and Holmes (the shooting victim) can be seen together in the front seat talking to Facebook live followers when Damper pulled out a gun and shot off a shot striking Holmes in the head. After shooting Holmes, Damper and Coleman both run out of the car and left Holmes lying in the front seat unconscious with blood all over his face.
It is being alleged that Cassandra Damper and Cadillac Coleman set Devyn Holmes up, however, that hasn’t been confirmed.
In the Facebook live video showing the shooting, Damper pulls out a gun while addressing “lying a** hoes” on Facebook. When Holmes sees the gun, he tries to grab the weapon and tells Damper, “You’re making me nervous.” Holmes then asks Damper, “Where you from again?” before she points the gun at him and cocks it. Damper then says to Holmes “Say something b*tch” before firing the bullet into his head.
There’s also a Facebook thread going around social media that shows Coleman and Holmes may have had beef prior to the shooting.
In the thread, Cadillac Coleman says to Devyn Holmes, “I got one for you trick.” Holmes responds “Fukk u,” in which Coleman chimes back, “I’ll smash you boy”.
Cassandra Damper was arrested and has been charged with tampering with evidence in relation to a homicide.
Despite shooting Holmes on camera, Damper was arrested and only charged with tampering evidence (homicide related).
According to her initial arrest record, She was booked at Houston Southeast Jail on Sunday, April 1 and was held without bail.
Devyn Holmes did not die after the shooting, and is currently in critical condition on life support. His family says his condition is improving and he’s breathing on his own.
Immediately after the shooting, Holmes was rushed to Ben Taub hospital, and, according to various reports, he is on life support.
Holmes’ family has provided updates via Facebook, with one family member saying that he’s now breathing and responding on his own, without the help of machines.
Devyn’s older brother, Kendric Holmes, wrote on Facebook Monday morning: “He pulling thru… I need you baby brother #pray4devyn.”
“Hey. got some positive vibes for you he was alert ,responding to command physically and breathing more on his own then yesterday. Now that’s some news you can repost.my lil mans a gentleman, scholar and a warrior keep your prayers coming…”
Late Sunday night, Kendric wrote about how devastating it was to watch his brother being shot and asked people to stop sharing the footage. “Please take that video dwn… I can’t take it anymore,” he posted, “I’m goin crazy…stop doin my brother like this please.”
A woman presumed to be a family member (likely a cousin), Dekenia Thats’my-Attitude Mcneal, also went off on people sharing the video on Holmes’ shooting.
“I HAVE HELD MY TONGUE LONG ENOUGH CUZ I KNO MY MOUTH IS RUTHLESS….. YALL NEED TO STOP REPOSTING THAT VIDEO FOR THE SAKE OF HIS FAMILY,” she wrote. “STOP MAKING FALSE STORIES LIKE YALL INVESTIGATORS (HALF OF YALL HAVENT EVEN SEEN A COLLEGE CAMPUS BEFORE!)….. HALF OF YALL DONT EVEN FUCKIN KNO HIM AND ITS PISSING ME OFF….. He’s STILL ALIVE.”
Devyn Holmes has a 5-year-old daughter and is fluent in three different languages.
Holmes’ Facebook profile says he’s from Galveston, Texas and now lives in Beaumont, TX. He graduated from Ball High School in Galveston in 2009 and got a degree from Lamar University in 2013. His profile also says that he attended La Marque High School in La Marque, TX.
In several photos on his Facebook page, Holmes can be seen spending time with his young daughter. Just last month, he celebrated her 5th birthday and two appear to have a great father-daughter relationship.
Holmes’ Facebook page also lists that he’s fluent in at least three different languages: French, Spanish and Serbian.
Holmes’ last post, which was published on March 31st around 4:45 a.m., about 24 hours before the shooting, reads: “SUMBODY BRING ME A BURRITO IM BY ALAMO.”
An infant’s death in Michigan has made headlines and shocked the nation after a boyfriend of the child’s mother was found responsible.
5-month-old Jordan Algee Jr. was pronounced dead after suffering blunt force trauma to his vital organs. 19-year-old Rico Antonio Riggs has been arrested and charged in connection with the child’s death.
The boy’s 23-year-old mother, Temara Shaniece Reed, was not at the home when the crime was committed, but she is also facing charges for trying to help cover up Riggs’ involvement in the murder of her child.
Here are some things you need to know about the murder of Jordan Algee Jr
Rico Riggs killed Baby Jordan Algee Jr. over text messages he found in Temara Reed’s phone.
Pictured: Rico Riggs (L) and Jordan Algee Jr. with his big sister Nyla (R)
According to authorities, Temara Reed’s boyfriend, Rico Riggs, severely injured 5-month-old Jordan Algee Jr. after she left him alone with the child at the home to get the baby snacks from the store. Reed left her phone behind and Riggs found text messages that made him fly into a rage.
Riggs initially lied to police and told them Reed’s other child, her daughter Nyla, was responsible for the infant’s deadly injuries.
After giving several different accounts of his story, Riggs later admitted he kicked the child over text messages in Reed’s phone that showed she had been in contact with her ex-boyfriends.
“I lost control, spazzed out and kicked the baby,” Detective Brett Orvis told a judge Reed admitted to him.
Riggs also admitted to police he was mad because the exes had been over the house when he wasn’t there.
“He had found out that they were coming over when he wasn’t there. He didn’t know their names. He said he found out by going through her phone,” Orvis testified, according to ABC 12 News. Detective Orvis also testified that the baby began crying when Riggs aggressively attacked him.
“He got upset and went upstairs angry,” Orvis said. “That’s when he spazzed out and kicked the covers, losing control. Jordan was laying in the blankets that he kicked. As soon as he kicked the covers, Jordan immediately began crying.”
The infant was pronounced dead at the hospital.
ABC News reports when Reed returned home from the store she found the baby injured and screaming. She allegedly “rubbed his stomach and he was screaming” before taking him to McLaren Flint hospital because he was having trouble breathing.
When the baby arrived at the hospital, doctors at first thought he was dead. He was then revived and was immediately transported to Hurley Medical Center, where he died of his injuries on March 25th. An autopsy showed his cause of death was blunt force trauma.
Lt. Matt Lasky with Mt. Morris Township Police told WNEM the baby died after something struck the child “impacting the organs.”
“The autopsy reports indicate the baby was killed by blunt force trauma,” Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said.
Both Reed and Riggs are facing serious charges and jail time.
Temara Reed’s boyfriend, Rico Riggs, has been charged with felony murder, first-degree child abuse, first-degree child abuse committed in the presence of another child, tampering with evidence, and intimidating witnesses.
Reed was charged after she was convinced by Riggs to lie about his involvement in the murder. She was charged with tampering with evidence, lying to a police officer conducting a violent crime investigation, being an accessory after the fact to a felony, and third-degree child abuse.
“The investigation has led us to Rico Riggs as the person who inflicted these injuries and caused the baby’s death. The mother has also been charged as an accomplice after the fact and for attempting to thwart the lawful police investigation,” Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton told WNEM.
If convicted, Reed could up to 21 years in prison. Riggs faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if he is convicted of the most serious charges.
Daycare workers said that Jordan was a “healthy baby with a special smile.”
Barbara Griffin, an employee at Charlotte’s Web Childcare and Learning Center in Flint told reporters that she was shocked to hear the news about Baby Jordan.
“He had a special little smile. He was just a healthy little boy,” Griffin said. “He was very strong in his limbs. There is nothing wrong with Jordan. They were telling me what happened and I was so shocked.”
Another daycare worker told WNEM, “I couldn’t imagine getting up and picking myself up in the morning time after burying a child.”
Reed posted on Facebook several times about her son’s death.
Before her arrest, Reed wrote on Facebook about suffering deeply over her son’s death.
“He gone. My baby gone what im gone do why me,” she wrote on the night of the infant’s death.
The next day, Reed posted a message thanking all of her family and friends for their support and said losing her son was the worst pain she’s ever endured in life.
“I wanna thank all my family, friends & everyone that may not know me for praying for me. I can’t say I’m ok because I’m not but I can say Being a mother of 2 & losing 1 is the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life ! I just can’t wrap my finger around this one.”
She also posted pictures of baby Jordan and wrote in a caption, “Not waking up to you is killing me man.”
Officials have identified a 38-year-old woman named Nasim Aghdam as the suspect who opened fire at the YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, California on Tuesday (Apr. 3), NBC News reports. She was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after shooting multiple people outside YouTube’s HQ.
Aghdam was born in Iran and was a resident of Riverside, California at the time of the shooting. She was active on YouTube and was known for ranting about the company and complaining about its policies in videos on her YouTube channels, on Instagram, and on her own website.
Investigators initially categorized the shooting as a domestic dispute, however, they believe it may have been the result of grievances she had with YouTube.
The shooting appears to have occurred in a courtyard area on YouTube’s campus, San Bruno Police Chief Ed Barberini said. Law enforcement officials said Aghdam approached an outdoor patio and dining area at YouTube’s headquarters and opened fire with a 9mm handgun. Senior officials said they don’t believe the incident is connected to terrorism.
Aghdam—who identified as Persian and frequently posted videos and other posts in both English and Farsi, the official language of Iran—had various online aliases including Nasim Sabz and Nasin VeganBreeze.
Here are some things you need to know about Nasim Aghdam and the YouTube headquarters shooting.
Nasim Aghdam had her own channel on YouTube and was angry at the company for allegedly discriminating against her videos, which caused her to lose money and views.
While it was initially believed that Aghdam, 39, was a “disgruntled employee,” authorities don’t believe she had any direct connection to YouTube, however, according to NBC, she did have her own YouTube Channel, where she would often post videos that featured rants against the company.
Her YouTube channel, where she posted under the name “Nasim Wonder1,” has since been deleted. Before its deletion, she boasted more than 5,000 subscribers and her videos had been collectively watched millions of times.
The About page on her channel read:
Nasim the Persian Azeri female vegan bodybuilder, also animal rights activist promoting healthy and humane living. Nasim produced and launched the first Persian TV commercial and music video (Do You Dare) regarding animal rights and veganism through international Iranian satellite Television in 2010.
In addition to her YouTube channel, Aghdam was also known for ranting about the platform on her own website because she believed that the company was purposely filtering her channel to keep her from getting views.
Aghdam wrote on her website, “This video got age restricted after new close-minded YouTube employees, got control of my Farsi YouTube channel last year 2016 & began filtering my videos to reduce views & suppress & discaurage [sic] me from making videos!”
Another message on her site read, “There is no free speech in [the] real world & you will be suppressed for telling the truth that is not supported by the system. Videos of targeted users are filtered & merely relegated, so that people can hardly see their videos! There is no equal growth opportunity on YouTube or any other video sharing site, your channel will grow if they want to!!!!”
She also felt the need to point out the fact that her Instagram followers and interaction were all real, and not purchased like some people with large followers sometimes do.
“My Instagram followers, views, likes are real. On instagram, you can buy pages, buy likes, buy followers,….” she wrote. “But mine are real, without advertising or using programs designed to promote instagram pages.”
Aghdam identified as “Baha’i” and her online posts were in both English and Farsi, the official language of Iran. She also had various online aliases including Nasim (or “Nasime”) Sabz and Nasim VeganBreeze.
Aghdam, who referred to herself as “Persian,” had an online presence that consisted of a number of posts, photos and videos in English and in Farsi, which is the official language of Iran. She posted several videos on Instagram discussing subjects like freedom of speech. “When it comes to freedom of speech do you think Iran is better than the USA or the USA is better than Iran?” Aghdam asked her IG followers in a video posted on Sunday, March 25.
Be aware! Dictatorship exists in all countries but with different tactics! They only care for personal short term profits & do anything to reach their goals even by fooling simple-minded people, hiding the truth, manipulating science & everything, putting public mental & physical health at risk, abusing non-human animals, polluting environment, destroying family values, promoting materialism & sexual degeneration in the name of freedom,….. & turning people into programmed robots! ‘Make the lie big, Make it simple, Keep saying it, And eventually they will believe it’ Adolf Hitler.
In an article posted under one of her aliases, Aghdam revealed that she identified as Baha’i. Using the name Nasime Sabz, Aghdam talked about her spiritual beliefs and also said that Baha’i followers are “frequently persecuted in Iran.”
In thousands upon thousands of locations around the world, the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith inspire individuals and communities as they work to improve their own lives and contribute to the advancement of civilization. Bahá’í beliefs address such essential themes as the oneness of God and religion, the oneness of humanity and freedom from prejudice, the inherent nobility of the human being, the progressive revelation of religious truth, the development of spiritual qualities, the integration of worship and service, the fundamental equality of the sexes, the harmony between religion and science, the centrality of justice to all human endeavours, the importance of education, and the dynamics of the relationships that are to bind together individuals, communities, and institutions as humanity advances towards its collective maturity.
On one of Aghdam’s websites, she criticized the Middle Eastern practice of animal sacrifices, writing, “Backyard slaughters are also common among Middle Easterns (sic) & Muslims even Bahai’s who believe in animal sacrifice & think animal blood will bring joy to their lives. In western countries they do it in their backyards or even bathtubs.”
According to another website of hers, Aghdam had four YouTube channels: one in Farsi, one in Turkish, one in English and one dedicated to making beaded necklaces.
YouTube has since deactivated all four pages “due to multiple or severe violations of YouTube’s policy against spam, deceptive practices, and misleading content or other Terms of Service violations,” the website said.
Aghdam was an animal rights activist and a “vegan bodybuilder.”
Aghdam called herself a “vegan bodybuilder” and frequently shared workout videos on YouTube. She explained to Vegan Idea World in a now deleted interview (which was re-posted by a site called Peaceful Dumpling) her decision to become vegan:
“From a very young age I used to care about the animals and their welfare, and think about the source of meat and where it came from and I knew that the fried chicken on my dinner plate once was a beautiful yellow chick! I was surprised to learn how people were so indifferent toward humanitarian issues; why harming and killing innocent animals were so normal to them; why they followed the ancient traditions no matter what they were; why they looked at meat only as delicious food and not look at the source of this product. From that age I started opposing eating meat and wearing animal skin, and what my family and other people said in order to discourage me had no effect on me because I had faith that my belief was true and that meat is not a food of compassion and kindness.”
She also talked about veganism from the perspective of health and explained how athletes could benefit from a healthy vegetarian diet:
“Vegan diet is the healthiest diet for humans because the human body is naturally an herbivore body. The human body is not driven to attack, tear apart, eat or drink [the] blood of a live animal upon laying eyes on her/him. But when someone sees a grape on a vine, her/his mouth waters, walks toward the grape, picks and eats it. By contrast, when you see a dead animal on the side of the road, are you tempted to eat the animal with your bare hands?
“Following a vegan, especially raw vegan, diet benefits our health, animal welfare and survival of the planet earth because animal products are one of the major causes of environmental pollution and destruction. I grew up as a vegetarian but after becoming aware of how inhumanely other animal products such as milk, dairy and eggs are produced and how harmful these products are to [the] human body, I went vegan.
“I have been a vegetarian from a young age and I used to realize how much healthier my body is compared to others. I always had higher energy, was active in sports and had [a] stronger immune system (hardly caught a cold) unlike what most omnivores experienced. After going vegan, I felt much more healthier and lighter, even more energetic. Most common question meat eater athletes ask vegans is how you can get energy from eating plants–and where you get your protein. Meat eaters believe that the only source of protein for building muscle is animal protein. The fact is that animal protein slows down digestion and the body has to get more energy from [the] body to work harder to break down this protein because [the] human body is not designed to digest meat. But plant-based protein is easily absorbed and turned into energy.
“This is one reason why vegans are more energetic. Almost any food has protein in it and foods high in protein are legumes, nuts, seeds and dark leafy green vegetables. Going vegan is so easy and the only important thing that we need to consider is eating a variety of plant-based whole foods and not even worry about taking supplements. I have never needed to worry about measuring my protein, vitamin or calories intake. You will know what, when and how much to eat when you become acquainted with your body.”
She also said that we as humans should “more plant-based whole foods and stay away from processed/filtered foods because the methods of preparation strip a lot of the nutrients.”
Alleged YouTube shooter Nasim Aghdam posted some brutal animal rights videos and promoted vegan lifestyle. Sources familiar with her from Peta say she volunteered briefly on 2-3 protests, but then did not return calls for more actions. #ABC7nowpic.twitter.com/SnEvBYvR6W
Aghdam’s social media pages contained lots of graphic images of animals being mistreated. Several of the posts on her “vegan” page were censored by Instagram, as seen below, because of how disturbing the content was. Like her YouTube channels, both her personal and vegan Instagram accounts have been deleted as well. She also had a Facebook page under the name “Nasime Sabz,” which was also deleted.
Nasim Aghdam pictured at a PETA protest in 2009
Nearly a decade ago, back in 2009, Aghdam participated in a protest organized by PETA at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California, where she joined about two dozen other activists who protested the killing of live pigs for military training sessions for Marines and sailors.
News accounts published around the time of the protest said she carried a plastic sword and wore pants spattered with fake blood. “For me animal rights equals human rights. Just because they can’t talk doesn’t mean we should take advantage of them,” a then-29-year-old Aghdam told The Los Angeles Times.
Aghdam had been reported missing by her family, and her father and brother both told police she was angry with YouTube prior to the shooting.
Ismail Aghdam, Nasim’s father, spoke with Mercury News in a telephone interview following Tuesday’s shooting. He told the outlet that he had called police prior to the shooting and told them that his daughter had been missing for two days.
Mr. Aghdam said he also told police that his daughter may have been headed to YouTube because she “hated” the company because they were censoring her videos and had stopped paying her for them. “She was angry,” he told Mercury News.
On Tuesday, April 3 around 2 a.m. Pacific time (about 11 hours before the shooting), Mountain View police found Aghdam, who they said had been sleeping in her car, but she was OK and everything was “under control,” Aghdam’s father said.
“Our officers made contact with the woman after the license plate of her vehicle matched that of a missing person out of Southern California,” Mountain View Police spokeswoman Katie Nelson said. “The woman confirmed her identity to us and answered subsequent questions. At the conclusion of our discussion, her family was notified that she had been located.”
Ismail Aghdam also told Mercury News that he and his family were unaware that Nasim owned a gun. “Maybe she bought one” recently, he said. Mr. Aghdam asked one reporter about the condition of the victims, Mercury News reported. Nasim’s brother, Shahran Aghdam, also spoke to the media outlet from the family’s home Tuesday night, and his mother could reportedly be heard crying in the background.
Shahran said the family came to California from Iran in 1996, and he said Nasim had been recently living with their grandmother in San Diego. He said, “She was always complaining that YouTube ruined her life.” He also said his sister had been missing since Saturday and wasn’t answering her cell phone.
When Shahran found out she was in Mountain View, he said Googled the city and found it was near YouTube’s headquarters. He said he called the Mountain View police, who found her and reported back to him that she was fine and they would watch her from there. Wednesday would have been Nasim’s 39th birthday, Shahran said.
Aghdam shot three people. Police originally believed a male who was injured was an intended target, and don’t believe the shooting was an act of terrorism.
Police have yet to reveal a motive behind the shooting, and though law enforcement officials initially believed could have been due to a “domestic-related dispute,” MSNBC reported, investigators are now saying, “there is no evidence that the shooter knew the victims of this shooting or that individuals were specifically targeted.” They do, however, believe that the shooting was not terror-related “in any way,” MSNBC reported.
“This woman came to the YouTube workplace with a specific target in mind; someone she knew, someone with whom she wanted to settle a grievance. She shot that person, she may have shot a second person who was with him, intentionally. We’re not sure about the third person,” MSNBC reporter Pete Williams originally said, however, this has not been confirmed.
San Bruno police confirmed that four people were taken to area hospitals and treated for injuries. Three of the victims had been shot and one had a broken ankle. San Bruno Police Chief Ed Barberini said during a press conference:
“We did encounter one victim with an apparent gunshot wound, towards the front of the business as we arrived. Several minutes later, while conducting a search of the premises, officers located a second individual with a gunshot wound, that [may have been] self inflicted. We are still working on confirming that. Two additional victims were located several minutes later at an adjacent business. The extent of all the injuries of our victims, are unknown right now. They were all transported for emergency medical care… We have four victims who have all been transported for gunshot-related [injuries].”
Brent Andrew from San Francisco General Hospital told the media, “We received three patients.” A 36-year-old male was listed in critical condition at this time. A female victim was listed in serious condition and a third victim, another female, was said to be in fair condition.
Officials previously believed the male in critical condition may have been Nasim Aghdam’s intended target, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet.
The former LAPD sergeant who went to prison for his involvement in the Rodney King beating is in trouble with the law again.
According to multiple news reports out of Los Angeles County, 67-year-old Stacey Koon was arrested on suspicion of DUI after he crashed into a parked car Tuesday (May 1).
Koon was driving a 1999 GMC Yukon along Heather Lane west of Greenwood Place around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon when he slammed into a parked pickup truck, according to a California Highway Patrol incident report.
Authorities said Koon, who was the only person involved in the wreck, sustained no visible injuries from the collision. Someone who witnessed the crash called 911, and the investigating officer who arrived at the scene determined that Koon was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
The California Highway Patrol said that Koon’s BAC (blood alcohol content) was over the legal limit by a “decent amount,” but not double the limit. The CHP report noted that Koon was “police and cooperative throughout the incident.”
Koon, who suffered no visible injuries in the crash, was booked at the sheriff’s Santa Clarita Valley station and has since been released.
Koon was the police sergeant in charge when Rodney King was brutally attacked by LAPD officers. Koon—who at the time of the King beating was a 14-year LAPD veteran—was acquitted of criminal charges in a California Superior Court in April 1992 for using excessing force on King. Koon’s acquittal triggered the infamous L.A. riots of 1992.
Koon was tried in L.A. federal court in 1993 for violating King’s civil rights. He was found guilty of those charges and sentenced to 30 months in prison. He later released a memoir titled “Presumed Guilty: The Tragedy of the Rodney King Affair,” in which he maintained that he and his fellow officers did nothing wrong. He instead blamed the riot on the news media and city officials’ reaction to King’s televised beating.
In 2012, two decades following the Rodney King beating, Koon’s attorney said in an interview with the L.A. Times that Koon is a family man but chooses not to talk about his personal life due to continued death threats. “He’s moving forward with his life as best as he can,” Koon’s attorney told the Times.
Alize Ramon Smith and Jarron Moreland—a pair of 21-year-old black men, were murdered—dismembered, chained and thrown into a pond in Oklahoma, and police have accused four members of a local white family of being involved in the slayings.
The racial dynamics of the case has led a number of people to categorize the murders as a “modern day lynching” in news reports and on social media, though authorities have said they don’t believe the men’s race was the motive for their murders, which allegedly stemmed from a botch sale of a gun via Craigslist.
According to reports, the two victims were reported missing on April 14th. Four days later, after a frantic search by family members, neighbors, and authorities, the men’s severed bodies were found “chained to cinder blocks” in an Oklahoma City pond.
Here are some things you need to know about the murders of Alize Smith and Jarron Moreland, and the four white people allegedly responsible for their deaths:
Four members of a white Oklahoma family have been accused in connection with the murders of Alize Smith and Jarron Moreland, which is being referring to a “modern day lynching.”
According to WJLA-TV, when Alize Smith and Jarron Moreland were reported missing on April 14th, family members, neighbors and authorities began a frantic search for the two 21-year-old men.
Four days later, on April 18th, police discovered their severely dismembered bodies in a pond in Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City. That same day, police arrested 22-year-old Kevin Garcia-Boettler, 42-year-old Johnny Shane Barker and 16-year-old Brett Garcia-Boettler, who police believe is the suspected shooter. Kevin and Brett’s mother, 40-year-old Crystal Rachelle Boettler, was also later arrested and charged with accessory and unlawful removal of a dead body.
Pictured: Crystal Boettler and her son, 16-year-old Brett Garcia-Boettler
According to court documents, the 16-year-old charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, unlawful removal of a dead body, desecration of a human corpse and possessing a firearm after delinquent adjudication.
Barker—who is believed to be Boettler’s boyfriend—was charged with accessory after the fact, unlawful removal of a dead body and desecration of a human corpse. According to arrest records, bond for Kevin’s bond was set at $6 million and Barker’s bond was set for $9 million.
Authorities believe Alize Smith and Jarron Moreland were shot before they were dismembered and tossed in the pond. Barker is accused of helping the two brothers (Kevin and Brett) remove the bodies, strip them naked, cover them with tarps, and attach cinder blocks around them with chains before dumping them in the pond.
On Twitter, journalist and social media activist Shaun King called the incident a “modern day lynching.”
This literally appears to be a modern day lynching.
These 2 men, and 1 other, abducted 2 young Black men from a grocery store parking lot in Moore, Oklahoma.
The brutal slayings allegedly happened during a Craigslist sale of a gun that “went wrong.”
Pictured: Jarron Moreland
According to court records, on April 14th, Kevin drove Brett to meet Alize Smith and Jarron Moreland because he believed his brother was attempting to purchase a gun from Moreland. The sale was reportedly arranged via Craigslist and the two parties had agreed to meet in a grocery store parking lot.
Kevin told police that Moreland and Smith got out of a sedan and into the back seat of his van. He told police he heard a gun “rack” and he witnessed his brother open fire, killing the two men.
“When [Smith and Moreland] entered the vehicle, the white men said they heard a gun being racked,” Sgt. Jeremy Lewis of the Moore Police Department said. “So one of them fired four rounds.”
Kevin told police that he and his younger brother Brett took the victims’ dead bodies to a nearby residence, where they met up with Barker who helped them dispose of the bodies and clean the van.
Barker told police they tied cinder blocks to the bodies so they would sink in the pond. He also told police he and the Garcia-Boettler brothers removed both victims’ clothing and burned them in a barrel before dumping their naked bodies in the water.
KFOR reports that the police found cleaning products and a power washer surrounding the white Chrysler Town and Country van. Authorities said the inside of the van was splattered with blood, and a chainsaw and jigsaw were found soaking in water.
Police later searched the pond with the family outside the property and found Smith and Moreland’s dismembered corpses tied with tarp and attached to cement blocks in the water.
A GoFundMe page set up to help Moreland’s family says the whole thing started with the Craigslist deal. The summary on the GoFundMe page states: “Hello. As you may already know, my brother Jarron and another individual by the name of Alize Smith were murdered and abducted as the result of what I, myself, would call a cold blooded unnecessary craigslist deal ‘gone wrong.'”
Jarron’s brother wrote that he was a young father. He wrote: “My brothers funeral was April 28th, just two days after his son Jarron Jr.’s 6th birthday. His funeral has been paid for by some sort of victims fund provided to us by the state of Oklahoma. At this point the only thing we as a family are worried about is taking care of Jarron Jr. in Jarron Sr.’s absence. Anything helps and everything is appreciated, Thank you for your time and if you choose to donate, thank you for your donation.”
The prosecutor doesn’t plan on charging the white family with a hate crime or any race-related charges.
Cleveland County prosecutor Greg Mashburn told the Associated Press that “he does not plan to seek additional charges related to race,” despite the glaring evidence appearing to suggest otherwise.
“We definitely explored that, and the evidence absolutely shows that this was not racially motivated,” Mashburn told AP. However, people on social media don’t see it that way, as they are referring to the homicides as a lynching, though authorities refuse to use that term in relation to the case.
Alize Smith and Jarron Moreland’s death have left behind grieving families. “It’s like my whole world’s been crumbled,” said Kennetha Moreland, Jarron’s mother. “I can’t even have proper closure because my baby is disfigured,” Kennetha said, “and I can’t even see him.”
She said she knew something terrible had happened when she first found out her son was missing. “I told the detective that if my son don’t call me by a certain time, my son is hurt bad or he is dead,” Kennetha said.
When she found out Jarron was dead, it “felt like somebody ripped my heart out of my chest.” Then, her pain worsened once she learned that her son’s body was found in pieces.
“The medical examiner told me to remember the vision that I have of him in my mind,” Kennetha said. “The funeral home director man, when he got him, he said, you don’t want to look at him because that’s something that you’ll never, ever, ever forget.”
Kennetha said that she couldn’t understand why her son and his friend’s murderers chose to dismember their bodies. She also questions what really happened the night the men disappeared, and whether it really was a “gun sale gone bad,” as the defenders contended. “To me, it’s like y’all planned to torture them,” she said.
Ms. Moreland said she won’t rest until justice for her son’s murder is served. She said she wants to see the four suspects receive the same treatment they allegedly gave Jarron and Alize.
“I know he’s in heaven, he’s looking down,” Kennetha said, “and he knows that his mama got him.”
Jarron’s uncle, Anthony Anderson, told KFOR News that his nephew was a “great dad.”
Jarron’s grandmother, Bobbie Moreland, also spoke highly of her grandson as a devoted father. “Very, very good daddy. He took care of his little boy and the boy is going to be lost without his daddy,” she said.
Alize’s 12-year-old sister told News9 her brother “was the sweetest person you could wish for. He was the best person to me.”
Raquel Hall, Alize’s aunt, remembered her nephew for his joyful disposition. “He had this goofy laugh that we all still can see and hear,” she said. “And we want people to know that he really tried. He had a few problems in his life but he had a great support system and we were all there for him.”
A number of celebrities have spoken out about the case and the lack of coverage by mainstream media.
For whatever reason, so far, the mainstream media has not reported on the brutal slayings of Alize Smith and Jarron Moreland. The only reports we could find about the case are from local media and online sources. As far as we know, the incident has not been covered on television, and internet reports didn’t emerge until after media outlets were called out on social media.
It took me 10 days to hear about this. No type of media coverage. Why do we allow these things to go under the radar? We can’t stop until justice is fulfilled. SAY THEIR NAMES #RamonSmith#JarronMorelandpic.twitter.com/as0yVuxGmT
Because of this, a number of celebrities and social media activists have spoken out about the incident and are calling the mainstream media out for the lack of coverage.
Actor/comedian D.L. Hughley shared a newspaper headline on his Instagram that read: “Two Young Black Men Lynched In Oklahoma By Four Whites And It’s Getting No Media Attention.”
Marlon Wayans also shared the newspaper photo, writing, “And racism doesn’t exist?”
Rappers T.I. and Lil Boosie followed up with their own posts as well. “#USorELSE,” Tip wrote in the caption. “F**ked all the way up It’s 1968 all over again smh. LYNCHED!!” Boosie shared.
Members of the accused family have criminal histories.
Pictured: Crystal Boettler
With the exception of 16-year-old Brett Garcia-Boettler, all the suspects involved have had previous run-ins with the law.
Crystal Boettler, Kevin and Brett’s mother, was previously accused of multiple counts of violation of the compulsory education act (i.e. truancy). Fourteen charges are listen in court records, with all either resulting in acquittal or dismissal. Court records from 2011 read: “COURT BELIEVES STATE SHOULD OFFER PROOF BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT AS TO DEFENDANT’S WILLFUL FAILURE TO CAUSE OR COMPEL MINOR CHILD TO ATTEND AND COMPLY WITH SCHOOLS RULES) IN THIS CASE MINOR CHILD IS CLEARLY BEYOND THIS DEFENDANT’S PARENTAL CONTROL.”
Boettler was accused of dealing meth in 2009, but that charge was dismissed by request of the state. A second drug charge involving PCP in that case resulted in a deferred disposition. Oklahoma court records also mention other cases under a different first name with “Crystal Boettler” listed as the alias.
According to court records, Boettler’s alleged boyfriend, Johnny Shane Barker, has a criminal history in Cleveland County, Oklahoma. He was convicted in 2006 of second-degree burglary and drug offenses.
Kevin Garcia-Boettler also has a past drug case in Cleveland County from 2015, however, court records say the disposition was deferred.
The victims also had some prior run-ins with the criminal justice system. In 2015, Moreland was convicted of possessing a firearm in 2015. As for Smith, a bench warrant was issued for him in a drug case that was pending at the time of his death. He was would have been sentenced in that case in April.
With just weeks left until the last day of school for many students in the U.S., law enforcement officials are reporting that at least 10 people were killed after a shooter opened fire at Santa Fe High School in Texas.
Federal and local law enforcement told local media that a suspect is in custody and at least 10 fatalities have been confirmed—nine students and one teacher—and an officer, as well as multiple students, were injured.
According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzales, the suspected shooter is a 17-year-old male student, and a second person detained after the shooting is also believed to be a student at the school.
At least 12 people from the shooting are being treated at various Texas hospitals. Seven people are being treated at Clear Lake Regional Medical in Webster, two patients are being treated at Mainland Medical Center in Texas City, and three others are at John Sealy Hospital in Galveston.
According to CNN, “we’re only 20 weeks into 2018, and there have already been 22 school shootings where someone was hurt or killed,” which “averages out to more than one shooting a week.”
The Santa Fe School District first warned the public of threats of an “active shooter” at the high school around 9:20 a.m. EST (round 8:20 a.m. local time) and a lockdown was immediately initiated. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) confirmed that they were responding to the reported shooting just before 9:30 a.m. EST.
BREAKING: ATF is responding to a school shooting at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas. pic.twitter.com/LXC6d8jTYZ
One student told CNN the shooting happened after what seemed like a fire drill. Apparently, someone pulled the fire alarm to alert everyone in the school and get them out of the building.
“So, it was just a normal-like class day. We all were doing our work in first period. And then all of a sudden like it’s a fire drill,” 14-year-old Angelica Martinez said. “So we followed the fire drill procedures. And then we went outside. Like we were all standing there, but not even five minutes later, we all start hearing gunshots.” She said that’s when everyone started running, despite teachers telling them to “stay put.”
Santa Fe High School student tells CNN shooting happened after what seemed like a fire drill: "It was just a normal like class day…. then we all start hearing gunshots. And then everybody starts running." pic.twitter.com/wRNbUryZPR
Shaken students told a local NBC affiliate they heard several shots ring out after a fire alarm went off just before 8 a.m.
“I was sitting in my classroom and I heard really loud booms, but I really didn’t know what they were at first,” student Dakota Shrader said. “Then, I realized what they were when I heard screaming.” Shrader added through tears, “Nobody knew what to do. There was nothing we could do but run.”
Students reported that the shooting happened in an art class.
“I shouldn’t be going through this, it’s my school, this is my daily life,” an unnamed student told ABC News outside the school, crying. “I shouldn’t have to feel like that, and I feel scared to even go back.”
After the building was evacuated, explosive devices (pipe bombs and pressure cookers) were found at the school and off campus. Chief Walter Braun of Santa Fe Independent District School Police urged community members to be on alert for any suspicious devices, and call 911 if they found anything suspicious.
Galveston County Judge Mark Henry added that authorities did find “suspect material” off campus, and warned people, “Anything you see, please do not touch it.”
According to a law enforcement source, investigators said they were searching a nearby trailer where it is believed IEDs were assembled.
Speaking at an unrelated event, President Donald Trump spoke about the shooting at Santa Fe High School. He said shootings like today’s have “been going on too long in our country” and said his administration was “determined to do everything in our power to protect our students, secure our schools, and to keep weapons out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves, and to others.”
President Trump on the school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas: “We’re closely monitoring the situation and federal authorities are coordinating with local officials. This has been going on too long in our country” https://t.co/x1Z8g2XnJV
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos just a statement on the shooting, saying that schools must be “safe and nurturing environments for learning” and “no student should have to experience the trauma suffered by so many today and in similar events prior.”
She added, “We simply cannot allow this trend to continue… Our nation must come together and address the underlying issues that lead to such tragic and senseless loss of life.”
This is a developing story… Please check back for updates.
17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis has been identified as the suspect from the Santa Fe High School shooting that left at least 10 people dead and 12 injured Friday (May 18).
Initial reports stated that eight people were killed, however, that number eventually rose to 10, with officials saying that nine students and one adult were among the fatalities.
Pagourtzis is currently being held at Galveston County Jail on charges of capital murder without bond and additional charges may follow, the Galveston County Sheriff’s office says.
According to CNN, a second possible suspect, an 18-year-old who police called a “person of interest,” was detained at the scene in relation to the shooting and is being investigated as a possible accomplice. His or her name hasn’t been released.
Here’s what you need to know about Dimitrios Pagourtzis and the Santa Fe High School shooting:
Dimitrios Pagourtzis reportedly yelled “surprise!” before opening fire.
According to a Fox 26 reporter, a student said that Dimitrios Pagourtzis shouted “surprise!” as he burst into a first-period art class and started shooting.
At least 10 people—nine students and one teacher—were killed in the shooting. Some reports note 12 people were injured, while others say 10 were injured.
A female student at the school described the confusion she felt even after hearing the gunshots. “I was sitting in my classroom and I heard really loud booms,” she said. “I didn’t know what they were at first and then I realized what they were when I heard screaming.”
Other students reported seeing victims with gunshot wounds.
Authorities said a substitute teacher pulled a fire alarm when he realized what was going on in an effort to alert others of the dire situation at the large campus. Aerial footage from the scene showed students lining up outside the school and emptying their backpacks.
A sophomore described the situation as “chaos” once the fire alarm sounded and people found out there was an active shooter on campus. 16-year-old John Robinson said he was in his first period English class when he heard the fire alarm go off.
“Everybody was just trying to get away from the school. They kept saying there was a shooter, people were shot,” Robinson told KHOU 11 News. He said he felt scared and simply wanted to get as far away as possible from the school.
Pagourtzis was reportedly armed with a sawed-off shotgun, a .38 revolver and was also allegedly carrying pipe bombs, which were found at the school and off campus.
Initial reports about the shooting indicated Pagourtzis was armed with a sawed-off shotgun, a .38 revolver and was also carrying pipe bombs. Witnesses have said they saw Pagourtzis, who was wearing a trench coat in 90-degree weather, with a duffel bag. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said a news conference Friday afternoon that the shooting suspect was hiding a shotgun underneath his trench coat.
Police said explosive devices (pipe bombs and pressure-cooker bombs) were found both inside and around the school building, which is located about 30 miles southeast of Houston.
#BREAKING::: second scene along Hwy 6, about two miles from the school. Authorities say they’re investigating the possibility of explosive devices inside a mobile home. pic.twitter.com/P7ktSzLxHq
Officers also searched property related to the suspect for bombs, according to reports, including a trailer in Alvin, Texas about three miles from the school belonging to Pagourtzis’ mother. Police also reportedly searched a second home about four miles away from the school.
Dimitrios Pagourtzis posted a photo of a t-shirt with the words “BORN TO KILL” written across it and a jacket with Nazi symbols on Facebook.
On April 30, Dimitrios Pagourtzis shared a photo on Facebook of a t-shirt with the words “BORN TO KILL” in all caps written across it. According to a CW39 report, witnesses who described the suspect as “quiet” and “kept to himself” saw him wearing that same “Born to Kill” shirt and “army boots.”
According to Pagourtzis’ now-deleted Facebook page, he is an 11th grade student at Santa Fe High School. That page was also a source of promotion for a YouTube channel which he posted to under the pseudonym “Comma Kazi.” The channel, which has 240 subscribers, features three uploaded videos of various rap songs, with the last update posted in 2013.
Another photo posted on Pagourtzis’ Facebook page showed a jacket with icons including Nazi symbols. He described the medals attached to the jacket, including the “Iron Cross,” which he said stands for bravery.
Pagourtzis’ classmates told NBC News that he wore a trenchcoat to school every day, even if it was hot.
17-year-old Dustin Severin told KPRC-TV he saw Pagourtzis in the hallway before the shooting wearing what he described as his “usual outfit.” Pagourtzis told the news station, “He wears a trench coat every day, and it’s like 90 degrees out here.”
Pagourtzis once played for the Santa Fe JV football team, and in October 2016, was noted as playing “a huge role” in a 14-0 victory for the team. Ray Montemayor III, a teammate of Pagourtzis’ told the Daily Beast, “I played football with him for three years. People on the news said he was bullied a lot. I never seen him being bullied. I never bullied him. He was cool to me. I lifted with him a couple of times.”
However, Severin’s account of Pagourtzis’ alleged bullying was different. He told KPRC, “He’s been picked on by coaches before, for smelling bad and stuff like that. And he doesn’t really talk to very many people either. He keeps to himself.”
Montemayor III continued, “He was quiet. He did keep to himself. That’s pretty much it. I know he was quiet and everything but any conversations we had in the locker room or in the field or after games, he never struck me as that person.” He added that Pagourtzis “was a really cool guy.”
A now-deleted Instagram page appearing to belong to Pagourtzis featured a photo showing a gun and combat knife.
An Instagram page that has since been deleted also appeared to belong to Pagourtzis. It only featured three photos, with one showing a handgun and combat knife, while another showed a shooting arcade video game.
The caption of the photo showing a handgun and combat knife read “Hi f**kers.” The bio section of the IG account read, “Numb.”
The Instagram account only followed 13 pages, which were all related to either guns or President Donald Trump.
Police are investigating reports of shots fired after a woman said she was shot in the parking lot of an elementary school in Spalding County, Georgia Monday afternoon (May 21).
According to Channel 2 Action News, the shooting victim was taken to Spalding Regional Hospital. While being interviewed, the woman said she was shot in the parking lot of Beaverbrook Elementary School, which is about 38 miles south of Atlanta.
The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office assured the public that students were not in danger and the shooting had nothing to do with the school. Classes were dismissed at their normal time today.
Spalding deputies say the shooting at Beaverbrook Elementary had nothing to do with the school. The woman who was shot was here for an awards ceremony. @wsbtvpic.twitter.com/tsT2NGDo8H
“All indications are that this incident was not related to the school nor were any students or staff targeted,” Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Dwayne Jones said. “At this time, investigators are speaking with school staff and processing a crime scene where the shooting occurred.”
The Griffin-Spalding County School System released the following statement about the shooting outside Beaverbrook Elementary School:
“The Spalding County Sheriff Department is investigating an alleged shooting incident that occurred at Beaverbrook Elementary School. According to the Sheriff’s Department, this incident was unrelated to the school, all students and staff remained safe, and there was no interruption to dismissal. Beaverbrook Elementary School administrators are cooperating with law enforcement as they continue their investigation on campus. The safety and security of students, staff and parents remains are top priority and we are grateful for the Sheriff’s Department’s immediate response to this matter.”
The woman reportedly told police she was in the car with two other people when she was shot once in the back. She was later flown to Atlanta Medical Center and described as alert. Her condition was unknown at press time.
Authorities are still trying to figure out what led to the shooting, but police said the woman gave conflicting stories, including one account that the gunfire was “accidental.”
“Beaverbrook Elementary School administrators are cooperating with law enforcement as they continue their investigation on campus,” district spokeswoman Kimberly Willis Green said in a statement. “The safety and security of students, staff and parents remains our top priority and we are grateful for the Sheriff’s Department’s immediate response to this matter.”
The shooting comes just days after gunfire near a Clayton County High School left one woman dead and another injured. That shooting happened just hours after a student opened fire at Santa Fe High School, killing 10 and injuring 13 others.
The Clayton County shooting happened across the street from Mt. Zion High School, whose parking lot was being used as overflow parking for the Perry Career Academy graduation at the Clayton County Performing Arts Center. The ceremony had just ended when the women were shot, but the school district said that the incident wasn’t related to the graduation or the high school.
Two people were arrested, but their names and charges haven’t been released yet.
A former professional wrestler was severely beaten in front of his home in Mar Vista, Los Angeles, and neighbors said it all started over a disagreement about a parking space.
Tom Magee—who, in addition to being a WWE veteran, was also a world powerlifting champion and a former contender for World’s Strongest MAN—had gotten into an argument with a group of guys outside his house, and was subsequently kicked and punched in the head repeatedly until he was left with a broken jaw, a concussion, and a broken eye socket.
It wasn’t clear who the aggressor was in the situation, however, it was clear that Magee was outnumbered by the six men who brutally attacked him to the point where he could have died.
The Los Angeles Police Department says they’re investigating the fight, and two of the six attackers (Justin Lee and Degrate Bryant, both 20) have been arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon.
Magee has since been released from the hospital and is recovering at home.
A security guard is accused of manhandling a group of women at Houston’s restaurant in Atlanta for the crime of using the bathroom, and the aftermath of the situation was caught on video.
According to the police report obtained by 11 Alive News, an off-duty cop was working an extra job as security for Houston’s at 2166 Peachtree Road last Sunday (May 13) on Mother’s Day when the incident occurred.
The report states that the restaurant’s manager asked top flight security (FYI: This is what we call cornball off-duty cops or security guards who have no authority and take their jobs waaaay too seriously) to escort three women out of the restroom because they were utilizing the facilities after hours, and they had refused to leave after being asked twice to do so.
When top flight security went into the restroom, he found the three women, later identified as Brittany Marie Lucio, Asia’h Sharrell Epperson and Erica Walker, all on their phones and ignoring his orders to leave the establishment.
The “officer” asked the women to leave a second time, and was, once again, met with no response, however, this time, the “officer” says they laughed at him, crushing his fragile ego. He says he asked them a third time to leave, and was, again, ignored.
Top flight security grabbed the same woman by the wrist once again, this time dragging her out the bathroom and through the restaurant before tossing her outside, where she shouted, “Get your f**king hands off me! You ain’t about to touch me!”
That’s when the “officer” said the woman, Brittany Lucio, swung at him and hit him in the mouth, which caused two “lacerations inside [his] mouth,” 11 Alive reported. And, apparently, that’s when all hell broke loose.
The “officer” then grabbed Lucio, as well as her friend, Erica Walker, and asked for the manager to call 911 for “backup” while he detained them. Not believing what she was seeing in front of her, Asia’h Epperson—an actress on the OWN TV show “Greenleaf” and a former American idol finalist—started recording the incident with her cell phone.
Video footage shared via Instagram shows the two women on the ground arguing with the manager while top flight security—whose name appears to be “J. Guzeman”—struggles to detain the women until the “real police” arrive.
Epperson can be heard in the background telling the cop, “You need to get off of these women! Let go of her!”
Not too long afterward, a real cop with handcuffs arrived on the scene and arrested Lucia because “they all began to walk away,” the police report states.
More officers came to rescue top flight security from the women, who were all checked for injuries by Grady EMS and subsequently arrested and booked into the Fulton County Jail on charges of criminal trespass. Lucio was additionally hit with a felony obstruction charge.
11 Alive reporter Faith Abubey talked to Gerald Griggs, the attorney representing Lucio and Walker, and he said there are a number of “factual inaccuracies in the officer’s reporting.” Griggs added, “I’m concerned about that, considering there are numerous witnesses that will state they (the women) were an invitee onto the location.”
Griggs said that the restaurant’s kitchen was closed, but the dining room was still open. He explained that the three women had walked in to meet some friends who were already eating in the restaurant, and they claim that they were told by restaurant staff that it was OK for them to use the restroom.
Asked why the women didn’t just leave when they were asked, Griggs told 11 Alive, “You can’t just leave the restroom after you just finish using it. You have to wash your hands. Have to make sure that you have taking care of all of your needs.”
Griggs said top flight security escalated the situation by trying to forcibly remove them from the restaurant through the back door, and now he and his clients are looking forward to a full investigation from the Atlanta Police Department, and the women would like for the D.A. to drop the charges against them.
“We are seriously concerned about the level of force that was used,” Griggs said, referring to a claim from the women that top flight security threw them into the bushes. “We believe they were profiled and subject to police brutality.”
In response to Griggs’ claims of police brutality, a spokesman for Atlanta PD told 11 Alive “after claims of excessive force were brought to our attention, the Chief directed The Office of Professional Standards to review the officer’s actions.”
Griggs said, ultimately, he wants to know why the women were manhandled and how they ended up in the bushes, calling Houston’s response to the situation “very disturbing.” He said, “This is a very disturbing case and we hope to be able to come to a swift resolution with the charges being dropped.”
Griggs told 11 Alive that, as a result of the incident and the attention its brought, Lucio was cut from a movie she was filming. She wrote on her Instagram page that she was “frustrated” by what happened and told 11 Alive in a personal statement that she was “embarrassed, humiliated” and “traumatized by the officer’s lack of ethics, professionalism and blatant physical assault on my friends for no valid reason.”
Lucio added that top flight security’s version of events were “false and exaggerated” and reiterated that she would be taking legal action.
Griggs went on to say that he and his clients were in the early stages of planning a demonstration/protest, and were also calling for diversity and inclusion training, in reference to previous incidents in which the staff displayed racial bias towards black customers.
One of the women shared photos online highlighting the extent of her injuries. The pics showed a number of deep bruises on her arms and legs, scratches on her back (consistent with being thrown in bushes), and cuts to the back of her ears. She appears to have a black eye in two of the photos.
For their part, Houston’s said that they were aware of the complaint and were in the process of investigating. They also released the following BS statement:
“The evidence we have seen thus far shows that three women arrived approximately 30 minutes after closing time, they went into the restroom as a group after being told that the restaurant was closed. The three stayed in the restroom for more than 10 minutes, and refused to leave despite repeated requests from several managers to do so. Eventually, an off-duty Atlanta Police Officer was summoned with whom one or more of the women got into an altercation that led to arrests. Based on our current understanding, we believe our managers responded appropriately to this unfortunate situation.”
Atlanta rapper T.I. led a boycott against Houston’s last October after an employee at the restaurant’s Buckhead location threw out a group of black female customers.
“This is the kind of activity that we will not accept in our community, as a culture, and with us having buying power in this city,” he said. T.I. worked closely with the owners to improve relations before eventually calling off the boycott.
Police in Noblesville, Indiana have confirmed that a shooting at Noblesville Middle School has left two people—a teacher and a student—injured. The suspected gunman, a male student at the school, has been detained in connection with the shooting and is believed to have acted alone, police said. The identity and age of the shooter were not immediately released and a motive is unknown at this time.
Authorities said in a press conference that the first call reporting an active shooter situation came it at around 9:06 a.m. and officers responded immediately. One of the victims is an adult teacher and the other is a juvenile student, officials confirmed. Authorities also said that there was a “secondary threat” made at Noblesville High School and they have dispatched officers there as a precaution.
WSBT reporter Todd Connor reported via Twitter, “Police confirm two victims in school shooting at Noblesville West Middle School, a student and teacher. Male student in custody. Police presence at high school after another threat, as a precaution.”
Police confirm two victims in school shooting at Noblesville West Middle School, a student and teacher. Male student in custody. Police presence at high school after another threat, as a precaution.
According to CBS4 WTTV-TV, Fox59 evening news anchor Dan Spehler shared with reporters a firsthand account from a seventh grader who was in the Noblesville West Middle School classroom where the shooting occurred.
The seventh grader said a student walked into a science classroom and shot at someone. The science teacher immediately sprung into action by bravely tackling the gunman and swatting the gun away from him, possibly saving others from being injured. The student didn’t say whether or not the hero teacher was injured.
“I literally just spoke with a seventh grader who was in the room where this happened. Her mom came to pick her up this morning. She confirmed what I heard from another person who lives nearby that this was in a science classroom and that a science teacher may have been the one to literally tackle this kid and swat the gun away from him,” Spehler said.
“That is a firsthand account… She described him as a student, and that he shot at someone in the room, and one student was injured. And that this science teacher bravely swatted that gun away from the gunman’s hands, saving everyone else in that room.”
CBS4 WTTV-TV reported that Noblesville Middle was placed on lockdown immediately after the shooting and students were taken to nearby Noblesville High School to be picked up by their parents.
The two shooting victims—a juvenile student and an adult teacher—were taken to area hospitals. IU Health officials said the adult was being treated at Methodist Hospital while the teen was being treated at Riley Riley Hospital for Children. Officials didn’t have any information about the victims’ conditions.
It hasn’t been confirmed whether or not the science teacher who tackled the gunman was the one who was taken to the hospital.
Noblesville West Middle School is located about 27 miles north of Indianapolis.
A dispute over a Google search has left former Florida official Tony Brown in critical condition after being shot in the back of the head by his wife.
Former Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency executive director Tony Brown, 58, was airlifted to UF Health Hospital on Tuesday (May 29). He is scheduled to have brain surgery on Thursday to remove bullet fragments.
Lawanda Brown, Tony’s wife, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with attempted murder. A judge set bond at $500,002. As of this writing, she remains held in Nassau County Jail.
JUST IN: @NCSO_FL says it arrested Lawanda Brown, 57, for attempted murder of her husband, Tony Brown, 58. Deputies say Lawanda Brown shot him in the back of the head. He has critical injuries. @ActionNewsJaxpic.twitter.com/WIa2CpJLPp
“It was all a blur,” Lawanda described the shooting to investigators.
According to the 57-year-old, the confrontation began after Tony asked his wife to do a Google search for a template to use for a project the couple was working on. Lawanda says she didn’t like Tony’s tone and could tell that he was not happy with how she was conducting the search.
Authorities arrived at the couple’s Fernandina Beach home around 1:30 p.m. to find Tony lying in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound in the back of his head. Tony was walking away from Lawanda prior to being shot.
Police found a .38 caliber handgun in the couple’s bedroom.
Tony became Riviera Beach’s CRA director in 2010 but was fired in 2016, along with the CRA chairman, due to concerns with their leadership.
In 2001, President George W. Bush nominated Tony for a position in the U.S. Treasury Department. Prior to the nomination, Tony was a Senior Vice President for Bank of America in Jacksonville, Fla.
He’s now CEO of T. Brown Consulting Group, a consulting business he runs with his wife and alleged shooter, Lawanda. The two were working on a project together in their home office at the time of the incident.
A friend of the family says Tony is lucid and speaking, his condition was recently upgraded from critical to serious and stable. But brain surgery to remove bullet fragments is still needed.
A popular YouTube vlogger known for showcasing and interviewing up and coming Chicago rappers and other popular figures in the area was shot and killed early Wednesday morning (May 30).
Chicago police said 30-year-old Zachary Stoner, also known as “Zack TV,” was shot multiple times in the city’s South Loop neighborhood. Stoner was driving his Jeep around 1:30 a.m. local time when a driver of another vehicle pulled up beside his car and fired a number of shots, police said.
30 year old man dead in Printers Row shooting on Clark btwn Harrison & Polk. He was the driver of this silver Jeep that crashed into a light pole after he was shot in the head & neck. @WGNNews@WGNMorningNewspic.twitter.com/wzSuxBZxwV
Zack was shot in the head and neck before he hit a curb and crashed into a light pole, WGN 9 reported. He was rushed to Northwestern Hospital in critical condition, where he later died of his injuries.
Video footage showing the shooting’s aftermath was posted on social media (see below). A man can be heard frantically shouting “Let’s go!” as several others run from a damaged Chevy Caprice to a third car that was on the scene, which drives away. The footage shows a taxi passing the fleeing car before backing up and stopping at the scene.
Friends said Stoner had just left a rap concert at Refuge—a nightclub less than half a mile from the scene of the shooting.
Police haven’t identified the suspected shooters and are still piecing together evidence to help find them.
Here’s what you need to know about Zachary “ZackTV” Stoner and his shooting death:
Zachary “ZackTV” Stoner was shot multiple times in the head and neck while driving his Jeep, which crashed into a light pole.
WGN 9 News reported that Zachary Stoner (aka “ZackTV”) was driving his Jeep Cherokee around 1:30 a.m. local time when he shot multiple times in the head and neck by bullets fired from another car.
After losing consciousness, Stoner hit a curb and crashed into a light pole. He was taken to Northwestern Hospital in critical condition and was pronounced dead at 4:20 a.m, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
According to friends of Stoner, he had just left a rap concert at Refuge—a nightclub less than half a mile away from the scene—right before the shooting.
“I’m hearing stories like they may have been mad at him because he did interviews with certain rappers,” said friend Phor Robinson, a reality TV star on the VH1 show ‘Black Ink Crew Chicago.’ “But that’s not his fault for him doing his job. I don’t know why anyone would attack Zack and shoot him. He’s not that type of person. He showed love to everybody in Chicago.”
Robinson believes his friend may have been an unintended target of the shooting.
“It just [doesn’t] make sense that they would just kill Zack and drive off. I don’t know if it was a setup or what… I don’t know if they [were] personally shooting at him, or if it was somebody he was with,” Robinson said. “I don’t know what it was. All I know is my friend is gone.”
Chicago police are still investigating the shooting, and so far, they don’t have any suspects in custody.
Chicago activist and mayoral candidate Ja’Mal Green, who is also a friend of Stoner’s, said he’s offering a $1,000 to anyone who has any information that would lead to an arrest and conviction.
My friend.. WOW! Seen a few times in the last few weeks. Was just about to do an interview for my campaign! I want to offer an award for information leading to the arrest of the suspects. This is sickening! https://t.co/suZZQNPpI9
Video footage shows cars fleeing the murder scene and a man can be heard yelling “Let’s go!” in the clip.
Someone who heard the gunshots and people shouting from below their apartment recorded a video of the scene from their cell phone. In the video, Stoner’s jeep can be seen, as well as three men jumping from one car into another, leaving a damaged Chevy Caprice behind as they fled the scene.
One of the men can be heard frantically yelling “Let’s go!” in the clip as they run from the Caprice and pile into a third tan-colored. The footage also shows a taxi passing the fleeing car before backing up and stopping at the scene.
“I heard a couple of individuals say, ‘Let’s go,’ and they were yelling and jumping up and down in the middle of the street in the middle of the night,” said Reyna Levine, who lives near where the shooting occurred.
“There wasn’t a lot of traffic, but there was a couple of bystanders and there was a taxi cab. After they sped off, the bystander and the taxi cab [driver] engaged and called emergency services,” Levine said.
Zachary Stoner had a popular YouTube channel called “ZackTV” (aka “The Hood CNN”) with over 170,000 subscribers where he interviewed and promoted up-and-coming Chicago rappers. He also interviewed friends of Kenneka Jenkins, the young woman who was found dead in a hotel freezer.
Zachary Stoner was known for interviewing and promoting a number of up-and-coming Chicago rappers via his “ZackTV” YouTube channel, which boasted over 170,000 subscribers and featured thousands of videos, some with millions of views. He also interviewed Chicago gang members and highlighted the city’s infamous gun violence problem.
Stoner was credited with giving some of Chicago’s most controversial artists their first on-camera exposure, including then-teenage drill music pioneer Chief Keef. He also posted clips showing young men from rival gangs flashing guns and threatening each other.
Stoner described himself on Twitter, where had had over 14K followers, as the “best interviewer in the world” who took his faith in God and his camera to “some of the dangerous hoods in America.”
ZackTV said in an April interview with the Chicago Defender that he wanted to show an alternative view of Chicago and its residents with his YouTube channel, which was often nicknamed the “Hood CNN.”
“I wanted to show the world the other side of Chicago. Back when I was growing up, we had Common and Kanye West. Those are great brothers and great entertainers, but I didn’t think they represented Chicago the way that I’ve seen Chicago,” Stoner said. “I wanted to show the world what the other side of Chicago looks like … our culture—the way we dress, what we eat, how we talk, how we walk.”
The Defender wrote that Stoner “documents what others neglect and repeatedly interviews personalities who many had hoped would never grace a camera. His videos are not fluffy, glitzy, and sentimental documentary shorts; on the contrary, they are more like visceral punches to the gut that can leave you either inspired for change or disturbed by reality.”
“A lot of people respect what I do. I’m the ‘Hood CNN,'” Stoner told The Defender. “A news station is one-sided. They’ll get your full interview, but they will cut and edit and put whatever they want out. Whatever you say to me will get put out in full no matter if it’s positive or negative. I show both sides.”
Two of ZackTV’s most popular interviews were with friends of Kenneka Jenkins, the young woman was who became the subject of a viral story and public investigation after she was found dead in a freezer at a Chicago hotel.
In one interview, Zack spoke with Jenkins’ friend Irene Roberts, who also went viral on social media in connection with the case after her Facebook Live video showing the hotel party was dissected by internet sleuths in an effort to determine what happened to Jenkins.
Another interview was with two men who were also at the hotel party before Jenkins was found dead. Both interviews were published in November 2017, two months after Kenneka’s death, which was ultimately ruled an accident.
Just three days before Stoner’s murder, Jenkins was remembered on Sunday (May 27) during a tribute at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois where she died. The celebration of life marked what would have been the Chicago teen’s 20th birthday, ABC7 reported.
Close friends of Zack’s say he was a peacemaker who looked out for everyone and would look for ways to help rival gangs settle their difference to help lower Chicago’s violent crime rates.
JP “Jaepilla” Lee, owner of Groundzero Studios, had known Zachary Stoner since 2002. He said Stoner’s ZackTV YouTube channel was considered the “Hood CNN” because of its influence with young people in the community.
Lee said one of ZackTV’s missions was to help rival gangs settle their differences, which in turn would help lower Chicago’s violent crime rates. Lee said weeks before Zack’s murder he contacted him about an idea he had to link up with Chicago’s rival gangs and record a collaboration song and accompanying music video.
“What’s even worse about all this sh*t is Zack just hit my line a couple weeks ago talking about setting up a few blocks of studio time to do a collaboration song with all the Chicago ‘organizations’ and their rivals and was gonna have me record the song and he was gonna drop a video and all to it,” Lee said in a Facebook post. “It was dope to see him make his own lane and become very successful at it.”
Lee told the Sun-Times that Zack’s main focus was bringing people together.
“He wanted to see young people come up. He was a motivator to the youth. He was about his money and his business,” Lee said. “He was always giving to the needy and poor. And even just looking our for guys in the hood. He also managed and supported a young artist by the name of Rome. He wasn’t in any gangs and he would and could literally go into any hood with his camera and get nothing but love.”
Unfortunately, not everyone was a fan of ZackTV’s style of journalism and reporting. As word of his death spread, social media insinuated that his shooting may have been retaliation for the interviews he did with Kenneka Jenkins’ friends (which you can watch above).
“He said he was getting threats and sh*t from powerful people telling him not to release the interview. I believe he released it anyway. Or at least some of it,” Lee said. “He was literally like the Hood CNN. I hate to say it but sh*t like ‘his death’ is the type of story he would be all over and have footage and interviews on already. He jumps on sh*t as soon as it pops.”
Zachary Stoner headed a for-profit collaborative called “Good Brothers” that did a lot of community service work in Chicago.
Zachary Stoner’s 37-year-old business partner and mentor Tony Woods said Stoner didn’t get the credit he deserved for his work behind the camera.
“People don’t see what he does behind the scenes,” Woods told The Chicago Defender. “There have been many occasions where a guy will call Zack on his way to ride on his opps (slang for enemies) and Zack would talk him down. The brother has a jail phone. He sends money to incarcerated brothers and takes care of their families. People don’t get to see that side of it. They assume because he’s interviewing the GD’s or BD’s that he’s fanning the flames and that’s not the case.”
Along with Tony Woods and actor Curtis Toler, Stoner headed for-profit collaborative called “Good Brothers.” Toler said the name came from how they refer to stand-up men in their community.
“The name is self-explanatory,” Toler said. “In Chicago, we use a lot of different terms like ‘beloved.’ Cats in LA and New York start to use our lingo. ‘Good Brother’ is a term of endearment and also vouching for a person’s character.”
“The Good Brothers is a behind-the-scenes organization that prides itself on doing community service work,” The Chicago Defender wrote. The organization has mentored youth, hosted workshops teaching youth how to monetize their social media presence, and they also partnered with a church for a gun buyback event. Last November, The Good Brothers used ZackTV’s platform when they went to try and broker a peace treaty between two rival gangs in the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood.
Before his death, Stoner, who stressed entrepreneurship, tweeted that he and “a few other important people in the city” were due to host a seminar on Thursday (May 31) to help people looking to start their own businesses.
? Food ? Drinks ????????Who all looking for jobs or looking to start their own business, for entrepreneurship. I along with a few other important people in the city will be throwing a seminar this Thursday in Roseland At 11209 s. Michigan at 1:00 p.m. All are invited?
“We’re trying to make peace profitable. People make a lot of money off of violence,” said Woods. “The legal system. Social service organizations. Non-Profits. The people make a bag off of us, death, and everything that goes wrong in the community. We can use Zack’s platform as a method of promoting peace indirectly.”
The Defender described ZackTV as the city’s “Bat Signal” and “The Good Brothers are are Batman coming to Gotham’s rescue.” ZackTV challenged traditional journalism by not being afraid to address the issues that he covered, “a model worth emulating given the relationship with Black communities and exploitative media,” wrote the Defender.
Stoner—who said he wanted to “change Chiraq into Chicago”—explained to The Defender: “If you study ZackTV’s interviews, you’ll notice that at the end of them, I often ask ‘What can we do to resolve the violence in Chicago?’ But a lot of young men feel that their hood will look down on them if they wanted to fix the problem. A lot of people may look at these individuals like they’re thugs, ghetto hoodlums, or nobodies. But to me, I look at each artist as a human being that is stuck in this box that they are trying to get out. When you’re in the hood—ghetto, urban communities, whatever you want to call them—it’s a way of life but also survival tactics. Never judge a book by its cover. Never look down on the next man.”
Fans of ZackTV and members of the Chicago Hip-Hop scene have taken to social media to offer their condolences regarding Zachary Stoner’s death.
Zachary “ZackTV” Stoner pictured here with Chicago rapper Mubu Krump, who was also killed in a drive-by shooting just days before Stoner.
As news of ZackTV’s death spread, tributes began to pour in on social media, with many praising him for his work shining a light on people often overlooked by mainstream media.
Andrew Barber, founder of the Hip Hop blog Fake Shore Drive tweeted: “RIP ZackTV — a dope Chicago journalist,” to which Chance the rapper replied, “Oh no man RIP.”
I ain't see nobody in Chicago take a kid off the street , treat him like family buy him kicks food all that Shit just to let lil homie know SOMEBODY OUT HERE CARE ABOUT YOU. @TheRealZacktv1#ZackTv was a real dude for that and Chicago needed him real talk ?
Damn never thought this would happen to you ? thank you for exposing me to the great talent and awesome,culture of your city my life got a lot more turnt cause of you ? from the 100's to the world zacktv4L #ZackTV ? pic.twitter.com/DMTR72agBQ
RIP to ZackTV. He helped me out alot giving me 2 interviews plus advice n help on my channel, always encouraged me n supported me from the start. I owe him alot. Im prayed up and ready to go cuz every public person in chicago is a target. RIP Zack BIP Forever ??
Im So Sick of this City thats Why i Never Stay In Dis Hell Hole. ? Zack Tv You know what You did for the City Bro You Know the Talks we Had I seen u Last Night So Ima cherish dat Handshake u gave Me after i Performed ?? Rest Up Bro ? Your soul was So Pure @TheRealZacktv1 ?? pic.twitter.com/GRL0ONYhXy
An up-and-coming rapper out of Chicago who was close friends with Zachary “ZackTV” Stoner was reportedly killed this weekend, and many believe it was because of allegations that he had something to do with Zack Stoner’s murder.
According to internet reports, Chicago rapper “T Streetz” (not to be confused with Young Money rapper T Streets) was gunned down in the city late Friday night (Jun. 8). The shooting apparently happened after T Streetz went to police to clear his name after people online were accusing him of setting up ZackTV’s murder.
Zachary Stoner, a YouTube vlogger who ran a popular channel called “Zack TV,” which was considered the “Hood CNN,” was shot and killed in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood on Wednesday, May 30th. Police said the 30-year-old was driving his jeep around 1:30 a.m. when a driver of another vehicle pulled up beside his car and fired a number of shots.
Zack was shot in the head and neck before he hit a curb and crashed into a light pole. He was rushed to Northwestern Hospital in critical condition, where he later died of his injuries. Friends said Zack had just left a rap concert at Refuge—a nightclub less than a half a mile away from the scene of the shooting.
Video footage showing the shooting’s aftermath was posted on social media. A man could be heard frantically shouting “Let’s go!” as several others ran from a damaged Chevy Caprice to a third car that was on the scene, which drove away.
Police still haven’t identified the suspected the shooter(s) and are still piecing together evidence to help find out who was responsible for Zack’s murder. But internet sleuths who felt like they already had the answers pinned the crime on Zack’s friend T Streetz.
Zack and Streetz worked closely together setting up and conducting interviews with rappers in Chicago for ZackTV. Last week, people started accusing T Streetz of somehow being involved with Zack’s murder.
A number of prominent Chicago internet personalities were claiming on social media that T Streetz was one of the men in the video (above) seen fleeing the scene after Zack was killed, however, there has been no solid evidence to support those claims.
But when Zack’s mom, Yolanda Jones, went on Facebook calling someone out for setting Zack up, the rumor mill went into overdrive, with many assuming she was referring to T Streetz.
Hours before he was killed, T Streetz went to a police station in Chicago in an effort to clear his name, and he documented the visit with a Facebook Live recording.
In the video, he called out so-called “internet detectives” for accusing him of setting up Zack TV’s murder, which he adamantly denied. It is believed that the Facebook Live video led T Streetz’ killers right to him, because later that night, he was murdered.
Another video posted on YouTube purports to show the scene where police found T Streetz body early Saturday morning after he was gunned down the night before.
According to the Chicago Tribune, at least five people were killed in shootings between Friday night and early Saturday morning, and this part of their report appears to describe T Streetz murder:
Officers responding to a call of a person down about 6:10 a.m. in Bronzeville found a man unresponsive in the 4500 block of South Champlain Avenue. He had multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead, police said. Detectives in Area Central are investigating.
It is believed that this photo shows T Streetz’ lifeless body on the sidewalk under a white sheet while police survey the scene for evidence:
Coincidentally, Zack Stoner’s funeral was held Saturday in Chicago.
This is a developing story and we will update this article as more details emerge…
The man described by my favorite website, Very Smart Brothas, as the “worst white man in America” has finally been identified.
Henry Sintay has reportedly been arrested on robbery charges, and his friends have also identified him as the jogger (aka “Jogger Joe”) who went viral for tossing a homeless black man’s belongings into Lake Merritt in Oakland, California.
If the name “Lake Merritt” sounds familiar to you, it should, because that’s the same lake where “BBQ Becky” Jennifer Schulte harassed a group of innocent black people for BBQing with a charcoal grill.
Here’s what we know about Henry Sintay so far:
“Jogger Joe,” whom acquaintances have identified as Henry Sintay, was filmed throwing a homeless man’s things into the trash and a nearby lake.
Over the weekend, a shirtless and bearded white man only known at the time as “Jogger Joe,” was recorded on video rummaging through a homeless black man’s belongings and tossing them into the trash and a lake in Oakland, California.
Henry Sintay was jogging Saturday evening (Jun. 9) when he came across the homeless person’s things and decided to throw them away. Sintay first took the man’s belongings to a nearby trashcan, but he also appeared to throw some of his stuff into the lake.
When an onlooker pointed out to Sintay what he had done, he tried to claim it was an accident, but the person wasn’t buying what he was selling and told him “No, it wasn’t [an accident]… I saw you drag and throw it in.”
Acquaintances who watched the video after it went viral on social media said “Jogger Joe” was someone they knew—Henry Sintay.
“I am still stunned that yesterday I captured this video of some guy throwing a homeless man’s belongings into Lake Merritt and around the area. The police showed up soon after as the guy ran away to continue his workout. They said they couldn’t do anything because the homeless man’s possessions are considered ‘debris.’ Only possibility is he ‘may’ get a fine for littering. This is ridiculous that these are the kind of people who are living in Oakland now. Please share. This bro needs to go down.”
A man named Refugio Cuco commented on Harris’ video, saying he knew the man whose belongings were tossed away. “He has been trying really hard to get his life together after dealing with complicated MEDICAL problems,” he wrote.
Harris, who lives near the Bay Area park and is familiar with the homeless man, later identified simply as “Drew,” said the man’s items were always relegated to the corner and were “not blocking the walkway.” Harris told The Guardian he started recording once he saw “huge amounts of blankets” being tossed into the lake.
Oakland City Councilmember Lynette Gibson responded to Harris’ video and said she would be sending it to the City Administration and would reply after she found out what the local laws were in regards to the belongings of unsheltered people.
Sintay assaulted another man, stole his phone and took off running with it.
Another video related to the incident recorded by another man, Matt Nelson, shows Sintay returning to the lake and trying to remove items that fell into the lake, according to Sintay.
Sintay explained to Nelson that he’s always throwing away trash in the area, and he considered the man’s belongings “trash.” Asked why he was in the lake taking stuff out, Sintay claimed he was “trying to do the f**king right thing” because he didn’t want to “pollute the lake.”
Sintay then acknowledged that he’d seen the destitute man in the area before and that he knew what he was throwing away was the man’s stuff, but he didn’t care because he still considered it trash.
“He’s been a resident here for a long time,” the videographer said, referring to “Drew,” who didn’t appear to be in the area at the time. “He has no place to have his stuff, so just leave him alone,” a passerby said to the group. “He’s not bothering anybody.”
When Nelson asked Sintay what his name was (he hadn’t been identified at the time of the recording), instead of answering, Sintay—who noticed that he was being recorded—appeared to assault Nelson and grabbed his phone before taking off with it. You can actually hear Nelson crying out for help in the video and saying that he’s being attacked.
Unbeknownst to Sintay, the video was filmed on Facebook Live, so it was posted (and remains online) even though Nelson no longer has access to his phone, which was stolen by Sintay. Watch above.
According to Nelson, Sintay did not return his phone and he had to go to the emergency room after being injured from Sintay’s assault.
“Is this that same dude? UPDATE: Thank you, loved ones! And thanks especially to my amazing nephew, Theo! Henry and his “friend” assaulted me multiple times, I was also dragged by their moving vehicle and hit a few times in the head, but I’m safe now. Still do not have my phone. Please keep calling it and if Henry picks up, I’d like it back. I’ll continue to share the story and folks should feel free to reach out to me here or via email.
“QUICK UPDATE #2: Thankful for the ER staff who assessed my injuries and thankful for my hard head! Even more thankful for the kind and loving friends and family who have been looking out for me and taking care of me. And, thankful to my community, who knows that Oakland can be a place where the dignity, safety and full human rights of everyone can be defended, protected, and affirmed. I know we have a long way to go, but I also know we have no choice but to get there…onward!
“BRIEF UPDATE #3: I am recovering from a mild concussion, some cuts and bruises, and many sore and strained muscles. Your love, food, joy, outrage, companionship, laughter, rides, check-ins, insight, and incredible displays of compassion have helped me heal and prepared me for the work ahead. Deepest thanks to everyone who has reached out with love and support! You have taken care of me, and for this, I am deeply grateful.
“And let’s not lose focus: HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT. While my wounds will heal, the deep wounds of inequality and injustice in #Oakland will fester unless we dramatically improve how we treat our neighbors who are unhoused, unsheltered, or on the verge of losing their housing. This is a moral and cultural issue and a reflection of our values as much (or more) than it is a policy and civil code issue. And our values and morals must guide our political decisions. We can do much better by our people. And to achieve this, we need you and the love you’ve shown me to lead us forward to a town rooted in full dignity and human rights for all.”
Henry Sintay has been arrested on first-degree robbery charges.
Henry Sintay, aka #JoggerJoe the guy caught on video throwing a homeless guy's stuff into Lake Merritt, is in jail for robbery. pic.twitter.com/HZmc6BOTkw
According to Oakland News Now, a man named Henry William Sintay was arrested by Oakland police on first-degree robbery charges Monday afternoon (Jun. 11). Sintay’s charges apparently stem from the theft of Matt Nelson’s phone after he was filmed throwing the homeless man’s belongings in the trash and a nearby lake.
The arrest report states that Sintay was cuffed around 1 p.m. Monday and booked just after 9 p.m. the same day at the Glenn E. Dyer Detention Facility in Downtown Oakland. The 30-year-old’s bail was set at $100,000 and he will be arraigned Wednesday morning (Jun. 13).
That Sintay was arrested and charged with robbery and not assault seems to be pure luck on his part, considering he did attack the man he also robbed.
Henry Sintay’s apparent Facebook page shows a man who appears to live a “hippy” and “outdoorsy” lifestyle.
While Henry Sintay himself hasn’t made a public post about the incident, a number of people who know him have ID’d him as the “Jogger Joe” seen in the viral video tossing out a homeless man’s belongings.
We came across what appears to be Sintay’s Facebook profile, and on the page is a photo of a man who strongly resembles the man seen in the videos. The profile also lists the man’s location as Lower Lake, California.
Sintay’s Facebook page also includes an interesting set of photos of him and his friends that would lead one to believe he lives a kind of “hippy” and “outdoorsy” lifestyle. He also appears to have “white people dreadlocks” in some photos that show him at what looks like the Burning Man Festival.
An online criminal record for Henry Sintay reveals that he was arrested in 2015 for marijuana-related offenses.
According to an online arrest record, Sintay was arrested in June 2015 and charged for cultivating and possessing marijuana for sale, along with a charge of conspiracy to commit a crime.
The online arrest record from ArrestFacts.com states that Sintay was released from a jail in Lake County, California on November 17th, 2017—more than two years after his arrest. The record also lists his birthplace as Boise, ID and his occupation (at the time of his arrest) as construction.
One odd thing about that 2015 record though is that it lists his birthday as October 10th, 1979, while his recent arrest record (for the robbery charge) lists his birthday as November 10th, 1987. The mugshot related to the 2015 arrest, however, definitely resembles the same Henry Sintay we found on Facebook as well as the man seen in the viral videos.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the homeless man, simply identified as “Drew,” by Kenzie Smith, the same man who was harassed by “BBQ Becky” Jennifer Schulte.
Oakland residents have banded together to help “Drew,” who has been identified as the homeless man who lost his belongings at the hands of Henry Sintay.
“If you live in Oakland, you’ve seen this homeless man. He is sweet and kind and friendly. You know where his spot is,” a woman named Anastasia Kuba wrote on Facebook. “Stop by today with some clothing, sleeping bag, blanket, sandwich or/and cash. This man deserves better and we should stick up for him.”
In response to the incident, Kenzie Smith—the same man who was harassed by “BBQ Becky” Jennifer Schulte last month—told the San Francisco Chronicle that he and his friend, J.J. Harris (the man who filmed the original video of Sintay) tried to track down the homeless man “Drew” to reach out to him and provide any needed assistance.
“With me and my situation arrived with BBQ Becky, I vowed to City Hall that I would not have another BBQ Becky,” Smith said, referencing the incident at Lake Merritt in which “BBQ Becky” called the police on him for BBQing with a charcoal grill. “When [Harris’] video broke, I was outside at the lake, I found Drew and I talked to him, gave him food and water. I went back out that night to make sure no one messed with him again.”
Smith said he called on the community to donate items, and “Drew” was provided with clothing, groceries, blankets and other things to replace some of his belongings that Sintay threw away. Smith said Drew was very thankful for the donations.
Millions of people across the world have seen the video of that shows a white woman who called the police on me and a friend for #BBQingWhileBlack. This week lots of you will probably see another video from Lake Merritt in Oakland that shows a man throwing a homeless man’s belongings into the lake.
That homeless man’s name is Drew (he’s in the middle in the pic) and he’s lived at Lake Merritt for a long time. Like the thousands of other people in the Bay Area without homes, Drew is one of our neighbors. We’re disgusted that someone thought it was ok to treat Drew this way and want to show him through our care that what happened to him is unacceptable. It’s not ok to destroy someone’s things just because they are homeless. Help us show Drew that his community is here for him and that we care.
All donations will go towards our goal of replacing everything that was thrown in the lake including:
If we meet our goal, we’d also be able to get him a tent so he can sleep more peacefully and his belongings can be more protected. Drew told us that would help him feel more safe after this incident.
Please donate today and help support Drew. No donation is too big or too small and all money will go directly to getting Drew what he needs. We’ll also provide updates each time we do something for Drew.
Let’s show how Oakland really treats each other.
Thank you for reading and please share!!
As of the writing of this article, Drew’s GoFundMe has exceeded its $3,000 goal with nearly $8,000 in donations.
Richard Ives—a teacher at the Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School (MICDS) in Ladue, Missouri—was arrested Wednesday (Jun. 13) after allegedly having sexual relations with an underage boy he met on a gay dating app.
Ives is the latest teacher in the United States to be accused of having sexual contact with an underage person. Similar to other cases, Ives is accused of using a social media app to aid his criminal activity. According to KMOV 4 News, the boy Ives was messing with is only 14-years-old.
Here’s what you need to know:
Richard Ives allegedly used the Grindr Dating App to meet up with a 14-year-old boy, who he received a “lap dance” from. Ives was caught with the boy after getting pulled over for a traffic violation.
According to court documents, 48-year-old Richard Ives was pulled over by a St. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Deputy after he ran a stop sign just after midnight early Wednesday morning (Jun. 13).
The deputy said when he pulled over Ives’ gray Chevy Malibu he noticed a 14-year-old boy sitting in the front seat of the vehicle. Court documents state that the deputy also noticed evidence of a sexual act and that Ives admitted there was sexual activity between himself and the juvenile.
When the boy was asked for his identification, he said he was Ives’ nephew but didn’t provide any additional information. The deputy said he asked Ives to exit the vehicle and questioned him about why he was out so let with a young boy. The suspect confessed to the deputy that he took the boy to a commuter lot and kissed him. While Ives and the boy were kissing, other sexual contact was made, court documents stated.
The boy’s mother was immediately contacted by deputies, and when she arrived, the 14-year-old told the officer he met Ives on “Grindr,” a social media “hookup app” for gay men. The boy then corroborated Ives’ story that he had been picked up and taken to a commuter lot, where sexual contact was made.
According to Fox2Now, after searching the minor’s pockets, the deputy found ten $20 bills ($200) that the boy admitted were given to him by Ives. The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that the boy allegedly gave Ives a “lap dance” in exchange for the money.
Ives was arrested and charged with enticement of a child, patronizing prostitution 14 years of age and younger, sexual misconduct of a child under 14 and second-degree sodomy. He was held on a $50,000 bond, which he posted overnight.
Richard Ives has been teaching since 1995 at MICDS, where he is a fine arts teacher and curriculum coordinator.
Richard Joseph Schwartz Ives has been teaching for 23 years at MICDS (since 1995), according to his LinkedIn bio, which states that he was a “Curriculum Coordinator” for the school. A statement from the school after Ives’ arrest also revealed that he is also a Lower School Theater and Art teacher.
The statement, which was also emailed to parents, stated that he had been placed on leave and wouldn’t be allowed back on campus until the investigation was complete. Read the statement in its entirety below:
Dear MICDS Families and Employees,
By now, some of you will have heard that Rich Ives, Lower School Theater and Art Teacher and Director of Camp Pegasus, was arrested on Wednesday, June 13, in St. Genevieve County and reportedly has been charged with sexual misconduct with a minor. The young person involved is not a student or camper at our school.
Mr. Ives has been placed on leave from his job as Camp Director and as Art Teacher; he will not be allowed back on campus during the pendency of any charges and until an investigation has been completed. We are in communication with law enforcement and continue to gather facts. Tim Storey will serve as interim Camp Director.
The safety, health and well-being of all children is our first priority. We conduct thorough, periodic background screenings on all employees, provide training regarding child safety, and respond immediately and appropriately to all reports of misconduct.
I am deeply saddened to have to share this news. Should you have questions, please feel free to reach out to me or to Becky Young, our Associate Head of School.
Sincerely, Lisa Lyle Head of School
MICDS is a prestigious private day school serving students from kindergarten age through high school. The school’s about us statement reads: “At MICDS, we strive each day to uplift our bold Mission as we prepare the whole person with the intellectual, social/emotional and leadership skills they need to be successful and positive contributors to a diverse, global and rapidly changing society.”
Fun fact: Actor Sterling K. Brown is an alum of MICDS.
In addition to teaching at MICDS, Ives also worked as the director of a local camp.
According to Richard Ives’ LinkedIn resume, he worked at a local camp called Camp Pegasus, a summer camp program at MICDS.
“Pegasus has earned a strong reputation in the St. Louis area for its innovative offerings, organization, and outstanding staff (roughly 80 employees annually),” the page reads. “We serve approximately 750 families each summer, and deliver exciting opportunities for children ages 4-14 to learn, grow, and express themselves in the arts, sciences, sports, technology, and more.”
Ives’ LinkedIn bio says he was the camp’s director and held that position for at least 17 years in the greater St. Louis area. The website currently lists “Rich Ives” as the director.
Ives has a Master’s Degree in Education and Innovation from Webster University.
According to Richard Ives’ LinkedIn page, he attended college between 1990 and 1993 at Webster University, where he studied education and innovation, as well as elementary curricular leadership and literature and language. He received a master’s degree from the school, his LinkedIn page states.
A 23-year-old man was arrested on murder charges in connection with a deadly shooting Thursday (Jun. 14) in Westminster, Colorado.
Police have identified the accused shooter as Jeremy John Webster—who reportedly shot four people, including two children, in the parking lot outside of a Westminster, Colorado dentist’s office. According to police, road rage is believed to have been the motive for the shooting, which left a child dead.
Police said that the suspect didn’t know any of the victims, whose names have not yet been released.
“Through our investigation we have been able to determine the suspect did not know any of the victims and did not have a relationship with any of them. It appears as if this incident stemmed from a road rage,” wrote police.
Of the four victims, three were a mother and her two juvenile sons, one of which was killed.
A photo of Jeremy Webster has not been published because police are still conducting lineups with witnesses and have requested that media outlets refrain from publishing pictures of the suspect until he has been properly ID’d.
Jail records show that Jeremy Webster was booked into jail into the Adams County jail just after 1:30 a.m. early Friday morning (Jun. 15).
Webster is being charged with murder in the first degree after deliberation with intent, murder in the first-degree with extreme indifference, assault in the first degree, and criminal attempt to commit a class one felony. He is being held without bond and is due in court on Monday (Jun. 18).
Here’s what you need to know about Jeremy John Webster and the deadly shooting:
The mass shooting happened outside a dental office in Westminster, Colorado.
Thursday’s shooting in Westminster, Colorado is the latest mass shooting to traumatize the United States. The first reports of the incident said that an active shooter was near a dental office, and the suspect was still at large for several hours.
Initial reports stated that the shooting occurred inside a dental office, but that later proved untrue. The shooting happened in the parking lot outside Comfort Dental at 80th and Sheridan.
23-year-old Jeremy John Webmaster from Colorado Springs was first identified as the shooter by CBS Denver the Friday morning after the shooting. Webster was arrested after a wildlife officer spotted his car, which was described by police as a black 4-door Toyota Corolla with a Colorado license plate (NPQ-091).
Children’s Dentistry of Westminster posted a statement on Facebook:
“We want to thank everyone in the community for the outpouring of support we received after the tragic and senseless incident that occurred today. We ask that you keep the victims in your thoughts and prayers. We would like to give a special thanks to the Westminster fire and police department who responded quickly and immediately took action. We are truly thankful for their efforts today. All Children’s Dentistry staff are now home and safe. Our office will be closed until Monday, June 18.”
Jeremy Webster shot 4 people, including 2 children, one of whom died. The mother and brother of the child who died are in critical condition.
Jeremy Webster opened fire on four people, including two children, of whom died as a result of the shooting.
Of the four victims, three were a mother and her two sons (one of them died). The mother and her surviving son are in critical condition, and it is believed that the fourth shooting victim, an adult male not related to the other three victims, will also survive.
A heartbreaking scene occurred outside the dental office where the child was killed. A little girl wanted to bring flowers for the boy who died, and she and her grandfather “prayed in the parking lot,” according to Denver Post reporter Elizabeth Hernandez.
Just saw a scene that brought me to tears. Brandy Navarette lives near the shooting. His 6-y/o granddaughter Lilly Diaz wanted to bring flowers for the little boy that died, she said. They brought flowers, a rosary & prayed in the parking lot. She asked me why he had to die. pic.twitter.com/glE2VoFSIt
“When officers arrived on the scene, they found two adults and two children, suffering from gunshot wounds,” police said in the news release. “All four victims were shot in the parking lot of the business complex. There were no additional victims in any of the businesses.”
“An adult male who was shot is expected to survive his injuries. There is no relation between this victim and the below-listed victims,” police said. “An adult female and her two male children were also struck by gunfire. The female and one of the children sustained life-threatening injuries and are in critical condition. A juvenile male succumbed to his injuries.”
Police haven’t yet released a photo of the suspected shooter because they’re still conducting lineups with witnesses and have requested that the media refrain from publishing any pictures until the suspect has been properly ID’d.
CBS Denver posted this photo showing a man being taken into custody, but they blurred the man’s face:
The Westminster Police Department said they are also not releasing the identity of the victims at this time.
There were reportedly 20 witnesses to the shooting.
Police first indicated that they weren’t sure what the motive was for the crime, but they later revealed that they believed that a road rage incident drove the mayhem. They haven’t provided any additional details yet.
Police released a description of the suspect’s vehicle early on, writing on Twitter, “Vehicle of Interest: Black Toyota 4 door” with a Colorado license plate “NPQ 091.” Police added: “occupant(s) should be considered armed. Call 911 or WPD with info 303 658 4360.”
According to the Denver Post, at least 20 people witnessed the shooting, and it wasn’t clear whether it was targeted or random. A witness told The Post he “found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and his clothes saturated in blood,” The man was “very coherent” and “very calm,” the witness said.
One witness described hearing “deliberate gunshots.”
Spoke with the owner of a car shop near the dentist office who says he heard 7 or 8 “deliberate” gun shots and watched as a man ran down the sidewalk of Sheridan. He says police ran after him when they arrived #9Newshttps://t.co/bSj6n9RpLg
9 News reporter Katie Eastman said she spoke with the owner of a car shop near the dentist office where the shooting occurred. The shop owner said he heard around seven or eight “deliberate” gunshots and watched as a man ran down the sidewalk of Sheridan. The shop owner said he saw police running after the man when they arrived on the scene.
James Sisneros told 9 News that his daughter was locked inside the dentist’s office near where the shooting occurred while police investigated. He said he saw one of the bleeding victims and it “didn’t look very good.”
The woman who kidnapped a newborn baby from a Florida hospital two decades ago and raised the child as her own in South Carolina was sentenced to 18 years in prison for kidnapping. She will also serve five years concurrently on a charge of custody interference.
52-year-old Gloria Williams was sentenced last Friday (Jun. 8) for the kidnapping of Kamiyah Mobley from a hospital in Jacksonville in July 1998. Williams testified at her trial that she wore scrubs to look like a nurse and put the infant in a bag and snuck her out of the hospital. She said she was in an abusive relationship and was suffering from depression at the time.
Williams said that when she stole Kamiyah, she had lost custody of her two other children and had recently suffered a miscarriage. After the loss of her pregnancy, she drove to Jacksonville from South Carolina.
As the judge read her sentence, Williams—wearing an orange jumpsuit—stood next to her attorney and was looking down as if in prayer, not visibly reacting to the judge’s words.
Before announcing the sentence, Judge Marianna Aho said “there are no winners and no losers in the case,” which caused many people to suffer, including Williams. “The family in this case suffered not knowing what happened to their child for approximately 18 years,” Judge Aho said.
Williams got credit for 511 days she’s already served, and has 30 days to appeal the sentencing.
Williams raised Mobley—who grew up as Alexis Manigo—in Walterboro, South Carolina until her arrest in 2017. She didn’t tell the girl her true identity until the girl found out she couldn’t get a driver’s license because she didn’t have a valid birth certificate or Social Security card.
After discovering her true identity, Mobley told a friend about it. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children eventually received an anonymous tip about Kamiyah’s whereabouts, which alerted authorities, and Williams was arrested.
According to news reports, Kamiyah legally changed her name from Alexis and reconnected with her birth parents Shanara Mobley and Craig Aiken (pictured above) since learning her true whosidentity.
Though Kamiyah has spent time with her biological parents, she still supports the only mother she knew. She professed sadness that Williams was facing years in prison, and had pleaded with the judge for a shorter sentence. She was in tears at Williams’ first hearing.
“I believe now that this is over, we can continue on our journey of healing together as a family and support our daughter on her decision making,” Aiken said in a brief statement to reporters after the hearing.
Her paternal great-grandmother, Barbara Stewart, told News4Jax that Kamiyah decided to stay in North Carolina during Friday’s sentencing because she didn’t want to have to decide whether to sit with her birth family or the family that raised her.
Stewart said Kamiyah has a long road of recovery ahead of her. “Some things got to be worked out still, because she loves the lady that had taken her away and she loves her mother,” Stewart said. “And you know, sometimes, it’s just going to take time for it to heal.”
Stewart said she believes Williams is sorry for what she did, and though she’s thankful that Kamiyah was taken care of, “that still don’t make it right.”
Kamiyah Mobley and her birth father Craig Aiken appeared on OWN’s Iyanla: Fix My Life but the episode took a dark turn when Kamiyah went off on the host and her crew while filming the episode.
Kamiyah, who agreed to stay in a house with Iyanla overnight to begin her healing process, verbally attacked Vanzant and threatened to cause her physical harm after she was informed that her family was told not to answer the phone if Kamiyah called to ask for a ride home.
Westminster, Colorado police have finally released the mugshot of the man accused of shooting four people, including a child who died, in the parking lot of a dental office after a road rage incident Thursday afternoon (Jun. 14).
23-year-old Jeremy John Webster was arrested on murder charges in connection with the deadly shooting that was the result of an alleged road rage incident.
Jeremy Webster is being charged with murder in the first degree after deliberation with intent, murder in the first-degree with extreme indifference, assault in the first degree, and criminal attempt to commit a class one felony. He is being held without bond and is due in court on Monday (Jun. 18).
Of the four people Webster opened fire on, three were a mother and her two sons. The 41-year-old mother and her 8-year-old son are in critical condition, while the mother’s 8-year-old son died as a result of his injuries. An adult male not related to the victims was also involved in the shooting. It is believed he will survive.
“When officers arrived on the scene, they found two adults and two children, suffering from gunshot wounds,” police said in the news release. “All four victims were shot in the parking lot of the business complex. There were no additional victims in any of the businesses.”
“An adult male who was shot is expected to survive his injuries. There is no relation between this victim and the below-listed victims,” police said. “An adult female and her two male children were also struck by gunfire. The female and one of the children sustained life-threatening injuries and are in critical condition. A juvenile male succumbed to his injuries.”
Police said the suspect didn’t know any of the victims, whose names have not yet been released.
According to the Denver Post, at least 20 people witnessed the shooting. One witness told The Post he “found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and his clothes saturated in blood,” The man was “very coherent” and “very calm,” the witness said.
A reporter for Denver’s Contact 7 News obtained a search warrant in the case that provided more details into the shooting. It was revealed that Webster allegedly used a Glock 19 handgun in the shooting, and one of the mother’s sons (who was not injured in the shooting) described to police what happened, saying that his mom “had some sort of altercation near the intersection of Sheridan Blvd. and Turnpike Drive.”
The uninjured boy allegedly told police that Webster followed his mother’s car into the parking lot of the office building where the shootings happened and parked behind her car. A total of three children were in the car—two of them were shot; one of the two who were shot died.
The woman snapped a picture of Webster’s license plate and then exited the car with her children, and then an argument ensued, DenverChannel.com reported. As Webster and the woman argued, witnesses saw Webster pull out a handgun and shoot the woman “multiple times,” according to the warrant.
The woman fell to the ground, and Webster then turned to two of the boys and shot them both multiple times, the affidavit said. As Webster started to walk back toward his car, he turned around and shot one of the boys again as he was lying on the ground. The third child was able to run away from the scene without being shot.
After shooting the woman and her two sons, Webster made eye contact with a man in a different vehicle—a pickup truck—with his daughter. As Webster walked toward the man’s truck, he fired at it multiple times, hitting the man in both arms. He was able to put his truck in reverse and drive out of the parking lot. Thankfully, his daughter was not injured.
The woman’s 12-year-old son, who wasn’t injured in the shooting, was able to describe to police about the road rage incident and about the photo his mother took of the suspect’s license plate, which allowed officers to be able to track the vehicle to Webster, who was later apprehended on I-25 near Castle Rock.
9 News reporter Katie Eastman said she spoke with the owner of a car shop near the dentist office where the shooting occurred. The shop owner said he heard around seven or eight “deliberate” gunshots and watched a man run down the sidewalk. The shop owner said he saw police running after the man when they arrived on the scene.
Jeremy Webster reportedly waived his Miranda rights and admitted to the shooting. He also told police that he suffers from “mental health issues” and had just started a new prescription medication the day of the shooting.
Webster informed police that his new medication and the box for the handgun were at his house. The claims about his mental state and medication haven’t yet been independently verified beyond what the affidavit states.
The unarmed black teen who was fatally shot by police in East Pittsburgh has been identified as 17-year-old Antwon Rose Jr., according to WPXI-TV.
Rose was killed Tuesday night (Jun. 19) while running away during a traffic stop. The shooting was captured by an eyewitness on video, which shows Rose exiting the vehicle with another person and running away from police before multiple shots were fired.
After hearing two shots, the person recording the video gasps in shock and can be heard saying, “Why are they shooting? All they did was run, and they’re shooting at them.”
According to the Allegheny County Police Department, Rose exited a vehicle matching the description of a vehicle seen near a shooting that occurred shortly after 8:30 p.m. on a neighboring street. An officer was reportedly handcuffing the driver of the vehicle when two males—one of them Antwon Rose—ran from the car.
Police processing suspects gray car along Grandview Ave in East Pittsburgh. County investigators believe this car was involved in a separate shooting in N Braddock where man was wounded. Suspects fled. 1 suspect shot, another in custody and police still searching for the third. pic.twitter.com/xz1AuURF78
An eyewitness told WTAE-TV that she saw the whole thing go down from her porch. She said she saw officers approaching the vehicle with their guns drawn, and when the officers handcuffed the driver, that’s when the two passengers opened their doors and took off running. She then heard shots fired.
Another video shows Rose being put into an ambulance while receiving chest compressions from a paramedic. Rose was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The 22-year-old male who was shot in the shooting police were initially responded to was taken to the hospital and survived.
The investigation into the officer-involved shooting is ongoing, the Allegheny County Police Department said in a press release Tuesday night. Police have not released the names of the officers involved in the shooting, but the officer who shot Rose has been placed on administrative leave.
Allegheny County Police Department Superintendent Coleman McDonough said two guns were found in the car, but Rose was NOT armed when he was shot in the back. The 20-year-old driver of the vehicle was released after he was questioned by police.
The other man who ran from the vehicle was not apprehended, and police are asking him to turn himself in “so that he can give a comprehensive description of what occurred.”
Gisele Fetterman, who runs several charities in the Pittsburgh area, wrote on Facebook that Antwon Rose had previously volunteered for her at Freestore15104, which helps provide goods to people in need. “His life was just starting, he was part of a wonderful family and he was SO LOVED by so many and he didn’t deserve this,” she wrote in the post.
Fetterman—wife of Braddock Mayor John Fetterman (who is a current candidate for Pennsylvania lieutenant governor)—described Rose as her “friend” on Twitter and shared an e-mail thread between them from 2015.
She told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the community was “shocked” over Antwon’s death. “He was just a really lovely, gentle kid,” Mrs. Fetterman said. “His mom is amazing. All the kids loved him. Just a fine person. Bubbly. Funny. Goofy. Just really special.” She said Antwon planned to return this summer to volunteer for Freestore15104.
Duquesne City Mayor Nickole Nesby, who is friends with Antwon’s mother and knew him since birth, said “he was a beautiful little boy” and described him as well-mannered and very smart—with an IQ of 120. Antwon enjoyed playing basketball ad “was full of life,” she said.
Antwon had just gotten his driver’s license a few months ago, and Mayor Nesby said he went to pick her up and take her for a ride. “He was a pleasure,” she said.
