Two teens shot and six others bear-sprayed at New York City Pride march
New York police said the shooting occurred near the historic Stonewall Inn in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, where the gay rights movement kicked off with an anti-police demonstration in June 1969.
Police said both victims – girls aged 16 and 17 – were shot shortly after 10pm and taken to New York's Bellevue hospital. One of them is listed in critical condition from a gunshot to the head, police said. The other was shot in the leg and was reported to be in stable condition. No suspect has been identified, according to CBS News.
The shootings happened in Sheridan Square, which was teeming with revelers. Reports suggest that the daytime festivities were peaceful but, as night-time approached, the crowd of revelers grew rowdy and out of control.
'Saddened to learn about the shooting by the Stonewall Inn tonight as Pride celebrations were winding down,' New York City's mayor, Eric Adams, posted on X late on Sunday night. 'During a time when our city should be rejoicing and celebrating members of our diverse LGBTQ+ community, incidents like this are devastating.'
He added: 'We're praying for the speedy recovery of the victims in tonight's shooting. [Police] will work quickly and tirelessly to bring the suspects to justice.'
Police have not offered a motive for the double shooting.
About two hours earlier, six people were injured in nearby Washington Square Park after being hit with bear spray, which is similar to pepper spray and is used to ward off angry bears.
The New York fire department said that the six who were injured were hit with the irritant at about 7.50pm and evaluated for minor injuries. Police later posted on social media saying: 'An individual deployed bear deterrent. This individual is in custody.'
Police later identified the suspect in the bear spray case as Dominic Sabator, 33. According to the New York Daily News, Sabator told police he deployed the spray believing he was about to be beaten by a group . He faces counts of assault, reckless and endangerment and illicit possession of a noxious chemical.
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The Guardian
35 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Emil Bove's confirmation hearing was a travesty
In The Godfather, a Mafia turncoat appears before a Senate committee in order to testify as a protected witness about its operations. Frank Pentangeli, 'Frankie Five Angels', a capo allied with the old godfather, Vito Corleone, has had a falling out with the new one, his son Michael Corleone, who attempted to assassinate him. As Pentangeli is about to speak at the hearing, he notices his brother Vincenzo, a mafioso from Sicily, seated behind him. Michael has arranged his grim looming presence. Pentangeli is suddenly reminded of his oath of omerta, the code of silence. He recants on the spot, saying that he just told the FBI 'what they wanted to hear'. On 25 June, Emil Bove, Donald Trump's former personal attorney, whom he had named associate deputy attorney general, and now after five months seeks to elevate as a federal judge on the US third circuit court of appeals, appeared before the Senate judiciary committee for his confirmation hearing. He faced, at least potentially, a far-ranging inquiry into his checkered career. There were charges of abusive behavior as an assistant US attorney. There was his role as enforcer of the alleged extortion of New York City Mayor Eric Adams to cooperate in the Trump administration's migrant roundups in exchange for dropping the federal corruption case against him. There was Bove's dismissal of FBI agents and prosecutors who investigated the January 6 insurrection. And there was more. On the eve of the hearing, the committee received a shocking letter from a whistleblower, a Department of Justice attorney, who claimed that Bove said, in response to a federal court ruling against the administration's immigration deportation policy: 'DoJ would need to consider telling the courts 'fuck you' and ignore any such order.' Senator Charles Grassley, Republican of Iowa, the committee chairperson, the ancient mariner of the right wing at 91 years old, gaveled the session to order by invoking new rules never before used with a nominee in a confirmation hearing. Instead of opening the questioning to examine the nominee's past, he would thwart it. Grassley announced that Bove would be shielded by the 'deliberative-process privilege and attorney-client privilege' from 'an intense opposition campaign by my Democratic colleagues and by their media allies'. This was the unique imposition of a code of omerta. 'My understanding is that Congress has never accepted the constitutional validity of either such privilege,' objected Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island. 'This witness has no right to invoke that privilege,' said Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut. But Grassley stonewalled. Prominently seated in the audience behind Bove were the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, and the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche. Never before had such top officials been present at a confirmation hearing for a judicial nominee. The federal government through the justice department would inevitably appear in cases before his court. The attorney general and her deputy created an immediate perception of conflict of interest, an ethical travesty. But Bondi and Blanche were not there to silence Bove. They were there to intimidate the Republican senators. If there were any dissenters among them, they knew that they would suffer retribution. 'Their being here is for one reason – to whip the Republicans into shape,' said Blumenthal. 'To make sure that they toe the line. They are watching.' The rise of Emil Bove is the story of how a lawyer from the ranks associated himself with Donald Trump, proved his unswerving loyalty to become a made man, and has been richly rewarded with a nomination for a lifetime federal judgeship, presumably to continue his service. In his opening statement, Bove said: 'I want to be clear about one thing up front: there is a wildly inaccurate caricature of me in the mainstream media. I'm not anybody's henchman. I'm not an enforcer.' Bove began his career as a paralegal and then a prosecutor in the US attorney's office for the southern district of New York. He was known for his attention to detail, relentlessness and sharp elbows. Seeking a promotion to supervisor, a group of defense attorneys including some who had been prosecutors in his office wrote a letter claiming he had 'deployed questionable tactics, including threatening defendants with increasingly severe charges the lawyers believed he couldn't prove', according to Politico. Bove posted the letter in his office to display his contempt. He was denied the promotion, but eventually received it. As a supervisor, Bove was known as angry, belittling and difficult. He developed an abrasive relationship with FBI agents. After complaints, an executive committee in the US attorney's office investigated and suggested he be demoted. He pleaded he would exercise more self-control and was allowed to remain in his post. 'You are aware of this inquiry and their recommendation?' Senator Mazie Hirono, Democrat of Hawaii, asked Bove about the incident. Bove replied: 'As well as the fact that I was not removed.' In 2021, in the prosecution of an individual accused of evading sanctions on Iran, a team Bove supervised as the unit chief won a jury verdict. But then the US attorney's office discovered the case was 'marred by repeated failures to disclose exculpatory evidence and misuse of search-warrant returns' by the prosecutors handling the case, according to the judge. Declaring that 'errors and ethical lapses in this case are pervasive', she vacated the verdict and dismissed the charges as well as chastising those prosecutors for falling short of their 'constitutional and ethical obligations' in 'this unfortunate chapter' and criticizing Bove for providing sufficient supervision to prevent those failures. Bove became a private attorney, joining the law firm of Todd Blanche, whom Trump hired in 2023 to defend him in the New York case involving his payment of hush-money to the adult film actor Stormy Daniels. Blanche brought Bove along as his second chair. The qualities that made him a black sheep in the US attorney's office recommended him to Blanche and his client. In Bove's questioning of David Pecker, publisher of the National Enquirer, about his payments to women in his 'catch-and-kill' scheme to protect Trump, Bove twice botched the presentation of evidence, was admonished by the judge and apologized. Trump was convicted of 34 felonies of financial fraud to subvert an election. Upon Trump's election, he appointed Bove as acting deputy attorney general and then associate deputy once Todd Blanche was confirmed as deputy, reuniting the law partners, both Trump defense attorneys now resuming that role in an official capacity. On 31 January, Bove sent two memos, the first firing dozens of justice department prosecutors and the second firing FBI agents who had worked on the cases of January 6 insurrectionists, whom Trump pardoned on his inauguration day. Bove quoted Trump that their convictions were 'a grave national injustice'. He also had his own history of conflict with fellow prosecutors and FBI agents. Asked about his actions by Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, Bove presented himself as even-handed. 'I did and continue to condemn unlawful behavior, particularly violence against law enforcement,' he said. 'At the same time, I condemn heavy-handed and unnecessary tactics by prosecutors and agents.' Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion In February, Bove played a principal role in filing criminal charges claiming corruption in the Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The head of the criminal division at the US attorney's office of the District of Columbia, Denise Cheung, believing there was no factual basis to the accusation, resigned with a statement praising those who are 'following the facts and the law and complying with our moral, ethical and legal obligations'. When Whitehouse sought to ask Bove about the episode, Bove replied: 'My answer is limited to: 'I participated in the matter.'' Whitehouse turned to Grassley. 'Do you see my point now?' he said. The code of omerta was working to frustrate questioning. Bove also deflected questions about his central role in the dropping of charges against Eric Adams. The acting US attorney for the southern district of New York, Danielle Sassoon, had resigned in protest, writing in a letter that Bove's memo directing her to dismiss the charges had 'nothing to do with the strength of the case'. She noted that in the meeting to fix 'what amounted to a quid pro quo … Mr Bove admonished a member of my team who took notes during that meeting and directed the collection of those notes at the meeting's conclusion.' Questioned about the Adams scandal, Bove denied any wrongdoing. Senator John A Kennedy, Republican of Louisiana, played his helpmate. He asked Bove to 'swear to your higher being' that there was no quid pro quo. 'Absolutely not,' Bove said. 'Do you swear on your higher being?' 'On every bone in my body,' Bove replied. Hallelujah! Then Bove was asked about the letter sent by former justice department lawyer Erez Reuveni alleging that Bove planned the defiance of court rulings against the administration's deportation policy. 'I have never advised a Department of Justice attorney to violate a court order,' Bove said. Senator Adam Schiff, Democrat of California, repeatedly asked him if it was true he had said 'fuck you' as his suggested plan of action against adverse court decisions. Bove hemmed and hawed, and finally said: 'I don't recall.' Senator Cory Booker, Democrat of New Jersey, remarked: 'I am hoping more evidence is going to come out that shows that you lied before this committee.' Grassley, however, succeeded in protecting Bove. Bondi and Blanche stared down the Republican senators whose majority can put Bove on the bench. He is Trump's model appointment of what he wants in a judge. In announcing his nomination, Trump tweeted: 'Emil Bove will never let you down!' In another scene in The Godfather, Virgil 'The Turk' Sollozzo, another Mafia boss, comes to Vito Corleone, offering a deal to cut him in on the narcotics trade. 'I need, Don Corleone,' he says, 'those judges that you carry in your pockets like so many nickels and dimes.' It was an offer that the Godfather refused. He left the drugs, but kept the judges. Sidney Blumenthal, a former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, has published three books of a projected five-volume political life of Abraham Lincoln: A Self-Made Man, Wrestling With His Angel and All the Powers of Earth. He is a Guardian US columnist and co-host of The Court of History podcast
The Independent
37 minutes ago
- The Independent
A timeline of the rise of Sean 'Diddy' Combs and his legal troubles
For more than two decades, Sean 'Diddy' Combs was one of hip-hop's most nimble entrepreneurs, spinning his hitmaking talents into a broad business empire that included a record label, a fashion brand, a TV network, deals with liquor companies and a key role in a reality TV show. Then he was charged with forcing, threatening and manipulating two ex-girlfriends into drug-fueled sex marathons, with assistance from a network of associates. Combs denied the allegations and went to trial in a high-stakes federal sex crimes and racketeering case. The trial ended Wednesday with a verdict that his attorneys called a victory: Combs was convicted of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of higher-level charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. Here is a timeline of major events in his life story: 1990-1999 1990: Combs, then a student at Howard University, gets his start in the music business with an internship at Uptown Records in New York. Dec. 28, 1991: Nine people die at a celebrity basketball game promoted by Combs and the rapper Heavy D when thousands of fans try to get into a gym at the City College of New York. A mayoral report lays part of the blame for the catastrophe on poor planning by Combs. 1992: Combs is one of the executive producers on Mary J. Blige's debut album, 'What's the 411?" 1993: After being fired by Uptown, Combs establishes his own label, Bad Boy, which quickly cuts a lucrative deal with Arista Records. 1994: Bad Boy releases Notorious B.I.G.'s album 'Ready to Die." Two months later, Tupac Shakur survives a shooting in New York and accuses Combs and Biggie of having prior knowledge of the attack, which they deny. Shakur was later killed in a 1996 shooting in Las Vegas. 1996: Combs is convicted of criminal mischief after he allegedly threatened a photographer with a gun. 1997: Biggie is killed in Los Angeles. Combs, then known as Puff Daddy, releases 'I'll be Missing You' in honor of his dead star. 1998: Combs wins two Grammys, one for best rap album for his debut 'No Way Out' and another for best rap performance by a duo or group for 'I'll Be Missing You' with Faith Evans. Also that year, Combs' Sean John fashion line is founded. April 16, 1999: Combs and his bodyguards are charged with attacking Interscope Records music executive Steve Stoute in his New York office in a dispute over a music video. Combs is sentenced to an anger management course. Dec. 27, 1999: Combs is arrested on gun possession charges after he and his girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Lopez, fled a shooting that wounded three people at a New York City nightclub. Some witnesses tell police Combs was among the people shooting in the club. He is later charged with offering his driver $50,000 to claim ownership of the 9 mm handgun found in his car. 2001-2008 March 17, 2001: Combs is acquitted of all charges related to the nightclub shooting. One of his rap protégés, Jamal 'Shyne' Barrow, is convicted in the shooting and serves nearly nine years in prison. Two weeks after the trial, Combs announces he wants to be known as P. Diddy. (Barrow also later changed his name, to Moses Barrow, and became a parliamentarian in his native Belize). 2002: Combs becomes the producer and star of 'Making the Band,' a talent search TV show. Feb. 1, 2004: Combs performs at the Super Bowl halftime show along with Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake and others. A week later, Combs, Nelly and Murphy Lee win a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group for 'Shake Ya Tailfeather.' April 2004: Combs makes his Broadway acting debut in 'A Raisin in the Sun.' 2005: Combs announces he is changing his stage name to Diddy, getting rid of the P. March 2008: Combs settles a lawsuit brought by a man who claims Combs punched him after a post-Oscar party outside a Hollywood hotel the previous year. In May, Combs is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 2015-2022 2015: Combs is arrested after a confrontation on the campus of UCLA, where one of his sons played football. Assault charges are later dropped. 2016: Combs launches a Harlem charter school, the Capital Preparatory School. Also that year, he announces he is donating $1 million to Howard University. 2017: Combs is named the top earner on Forbes' list of the 100 highest-paid celebrities, which says he brought in $130 million in a single year. 2018: Kim Porter, Combs' former girlfriend and the mother of three of his children, dies from pneumonia at age 47. 2022: Combs receives a lifetime honor at the BET Awards. 2023-2025 Sept. 15, 2023: Combs releases 'The Love Album — Off the Grid,' his first solo studio project since 2006's chart-topping 'Press Play.' Nov. 16, 2023: R&B singer Cassie sues Combs, alleging that during their decade-plus as a couple, he subjected her to abuse, including beatings and rape. A day later, the lawsuit is settled under undisclosed terms. Combs, through his attorney, denies the accusations. Nov. 23, 2023: Two more women accuse Combs of sexual abuse in lawsuits. Combs' attorneys call the allegations false. Dozens of additional lawsuits follow by women and men who accuse Combs of rape, sexual assault and other attacks. Plaintiffs include singer Dawn Richard, a 'Making the Band' contestant who alleged years of psychological and physical abuse. Combs denies all the allegations. March 25, 2024: Federal agents search Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach, Florida. May 17, 2024: CNN airs video that shows Combs attacking and beating Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. Two days later, Combs posts videos on social media apologizing for the assault. Sept. 16, 2024: Combs is arrested at his Manhattan hotel. A federal sex trafficking and racketeering indictment unsealed the next day accuses him of using his business empire to coerce women into participating in sexual performances. Combs denies the allegations. His attorney calls it an unjust prosecution of an 'imperfect person.' May 5, 2025: Jury selection begins for Combs' trial. May 12, 2025: A jury is selected and testimony begins in Combs' trial. June 30, 2025: Jury deliberations begin in Combs' trial. July 2, 2025: The jury convicts Combs of two counts of a prostitution-related offense but acquits him of higher-level charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. The outcome significantly reduces the rap mogul's potential prison sentence, which a judge will determine in the months to come. His lawyers unsuccessfully ask for him to be released on bond in the meantime. Combs is visibly relieved by the verdict, and his lead lawyer calls it "a victory of all victories.'
Reuters
42 minutes ago
- Reuters
Sean 'Diddy' Combs back in Brooklyn jail ahead of sentencing
NEW YORK, July 3 (Reuters) - Despite being found not guilty on the most serious counts at his sex trafficking trial, Sean "Diddy" Combs will spend months awaiting sentencing at a notoriously understaffed and violent Brooklyn jail where the music mogul has lived through nearly ten months of lockdowns and fights. Combs, 55, has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center since his September 2024 arrest. The facility, which has also held convicted sex traffickers like British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and rhythm and blues singer R. Kelly, is a far cry from the luxurious Los Angeles and Miami mansions Combs called home until last year. After the verdict was read on Wednesday, Combs' lawyers asked U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian to release him on $1 million bond ahead of his sentencing, expected to take place by October. "I understand that you don't, that Mr. Combs does not want to go back to the MDC," the judge said. Combs shook his head. His hopes of returning to one of those homes and the embrace of his family after being cleared of the more serious charges were soon dashed. The judge denied Combs' request for bail, citing evidence of his violent behavior presented during the trial. In recent years, MDC has been plagued by persistent staffing shortages, power outages and maggots in inmates' food. Two weeks after Combs' arrest, prosecutors announced criminal charges against nine MDC inmates for crimes including assault, attempted murder and murder at the facility in the months before Combs arrived. In January of last year, a federal judge in Manhattan declined to order a man charged with drug crimes detained pending trial at the MDC, calling the conditions there an "ongoing tragedy, opens new tab." Last August, another judge said he would convert an older defendant's nine-month jail term to home incarceration if he were sent to MDC, citing the jail's "dangerous, barbaric conditions, opens new tab." The U.S. Bureau of Prisons, which operates MDC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The bureau has said it takes its duty to protect inmates seriously. During the eight-week trial, U.S. Marshals transported Combs to and from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan each day from the facility in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood, which has also housed former cryptocurrency entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried and Luigi Mangione, accused of killing a health insurance executive. Bankman-Fried has since been moved to a low-security prison in California and is appealing his fraud conviction and 25-year sentence. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to murder charges. A jury found Combs not guilty on Wednesday on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, sparing him a potential life sentence, but convicted him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution that could land him in prison for several years. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges. Combs' defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said in court on Wednesday that Combs had been housed in "a very difficult part of the MDC" where there have been fights. His lawyer Alexandra Shapiro said in a November 2024 court filing that frequent lockdowns at the facility had impaired Combs' ability to prepare for trial. On Wednesday, Combs' lawyers praised MDC staff, who they said had facilitated their access to him during the trial. "Despite the terrible conditions at the MDC, I want to thank the good people who work there," defense lawyer Teny Geragos told reporters after the verdict.
