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Arkansas Police Arrest Suspect In Devil's Den State Park Double Homicide

Arkansas Police Arrest Suspect In Devil's Den State Park Double Homicide

Yahoo12 hours ago
Arkansas State Police arrested Andrew James McGann, 28, of Springdale, on Wednesday in connection with the brutal slayings of a married couple at Devil's Den State Park.
The victims, Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were killed while hiking with their two young daughters on Saturday.
McGann was apprehended at 4:57 p.m. at a hair salon in Springdale, about 30 miles north of the 2,500-acre park, and charged with two counts of capital murder.
Authorities said the couple's daughters, ages 7 and 9, were unharmed and are now with relatives.
The Brinks, who recently relocated to Prairie Grove from South Dakota, were found dead on a remote trail after police received reports of a double homicide at 2:40 p.m. Saturday.
Clinton Brink was set to start work as a milk delivery driver in Fayetteville, while Cristen Brink was a licensed nurse, according to their employer and public records.
Investigators have not disclosed the cause of death or a motive, citing the ongoing investigation.
Maj. Stacie Rhoads of the Arkansas State Police said public-submitted video footage was 'instrumental' in identifying McGann, who recently moved from Oklahoma and was hired as a teacher for the upcoming school year at Springdale School District. Superintendent Jared Cleveland confirmed McGann had not yet interacted with students or families.
Previously, McGann taught fifth grade at Sand Springs Public Schools in Oklahoma during the 2024-25 school year and worked at Broken Arrow Public Schools in 2023-24, where he passed required background checks, according to district statements.
Prior to that, McGann was employed in Texas at Donald Elementary School in Flower Mound, CBS reported. He resigned in 2023 after he was investigated for 'poor classroom management and poor professional judgement.'
'While our investigation did not find any evidence of inappropriate behavior with a student, we did find his classroom management and professional judgment to be below our district's expectations,' a school administrator said in an email to parents in 2023.
Flower Mound resident Sierra Marcum told CBS News that her son was in McGann's fourth-grade classroom three years ago at Donald Elementary, and she described him as 'Pretty cold. You could ask him a question and he would give you a one word response. Overall just pretty disinterested in his students.'
Marcum's son told her that McGann touched the girls in the class inappropriately, put them on his lap, and kept them in the classroom during recess.
'It was reported to the principal, Heather Shorter, at the time and he was allowed to resign without any consequence and even went on to continue teaching in another district,' Marcum wrote in a Facebook post. 'Finding out he went on to kill a couple in front of their two little girls is horrifying and the fact that there were warning signs and he was continually allowed around children is a travesty.'
Although investigators have not commented on a possible motive for the murders, McGann's reported previous history of inappropriate conduct with female students has fueled speculation that McGann may have targeted the Brink family's two daughters, and the parents may have been killed while protecting their children.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders expressed grief over the 'senseless and horrific crime,' stating, 'No news can heal the enormous harm done to the Brink family in last weekend's crime, but this arrest is a comfort and reassurance for our State.'
She praised the collaborative efforts of state police, park rangers, local law enforcement, and federal partners, adding, 'Let there be no mistake—we do not tolerate violent crime in Arkansas.'
Col. Mike Hagar, director of Arkansas State Police, commended the investigation, saying, 'Because of their hard work and investigative skill, we were able to take a monster off the streets, and bring relief to those two precious girls, and the rest of our citizens.'
The Brink family described the couple as 'heroes' who died protecting their daughters.
'Clinton and Cristen died heroes, protecting their little girls, and they deserve justice,' their family said in a statement.
Police had earlier released a composite sketch and a photo of a man seen leaving the park in a black, four-door sedan, possibly a Mazda, with a license plate that had been taped over. The FBI provided manpower and resources to aid the investigation.
McGann is held at the Washington County jail, with court appearances pending. It is unclear if he has legal representation.
All trails at Devil's Den State Park remain closed, according to Arkansas Secretary of Parks Shay Lewis.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Arkansas State Police.
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The Manhattan shooter had a previous arrest and 2 psychiatric holds, sources say. How was he able to own a gun?
The Manhattan shooter had a previous arrest and 2 psychiatric holds, sources say. How was he able to own a gun?

CNN

timean hour ago

  • CNN

The Manhattan shooter had a previous arrest and 2 psychiatric holds, sources say. How was he able to own a gun?

Crime Gun violence Gun control Mental healthFacebookTweetLink Follow New York City's deadliest shooting in 25 years – in a state with some of the toughest gun laws in the nation – is raising questions about how a gunman with a history of mental health issues was able to obtain multiple firearms and drive undetected across several states to carry out the attack. The gunman who walked into a Midtown Manhattan office building on Monday, M4 assault-style rifle in hand, and sprayed it with gunfire, had a license to carry a concealed weapon in his home state of Nevada, officials said. He also had been placed on psychiatric hold in 2022 and 2024, law enforcement sources told CNN. But that may not have necessarily prohibited him from obtaining his license in 2022 or buying firearms – depending on the circumstances of the holds, according to gun law experts. Shane Devon Tamura, 27, of Las Vegas, killed four people at the 345 Park Avenue office building and injured another before he died by suicide, police said. While public health experts continue to stress that the vast majority of people experiencing mental health challenges are not violent, questions remain about the details of Tamura's psychiatric holds and if they would have shown up in a background check. The case underscores the wide gap in sharing mental health data with the federal government – an issue that can be attributed to inadequate funding to manage or require the data, as well as privacy issues, according to Thomas Chittum, former associate deputy director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Tamura had 'a documented mental health history,' according to New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch, and a previous run-in with law enforcement. Tamura was arrested and charged with misdemeanor trespassing in 2023 in Clark County, Nevada, after he refused to leave a Las Vegas casino after attempting to cash out about $5,000, according to a police incident report. A court database suggests a district attorney declined to pursue the case, meaning the incident wouldn't have prevented him from obtaining a gun. The case also throws private gun sales under the microscope. The AR-15 style weapon used in the shooting was legally purchased last year by the gunman's supervisor at the Vegas casino where he worked, two law enforcement officials told CNN. The supervisor then assembled it and sold it to Tamura for $1,400, the officials said, citing an interview with the supervisor who is cooperating with authorities. It's not yet clear whether the private sale between Tamura and the supervisor involved a background check. But the supervisor, who has not been named by authorities, could face legal jeopardy if the investigation reveals the firearm transfer took place in Nevada and the private sale didn't follow a state law requiring background checks for private sales, according to Warren Eller, gun violence expert and associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. As police work to uncover a motive behind the shooting, investigators are digging into Tamura's history and examining are how he obtained multiple firearms and made his way from Las Vegas to New York City with the assault rifle. A search of the gunman's car turned up a host of items, including additional ammunition, another loaded weapon, headphones potentially used for target practice, two cell phones, the antidepressant Zoloft and cannabis, a law enforcement source told CNN. A note found in the gunman's pocket claimed he had CTE, a disease linked to head trauma, one that's often associated with football players, a source told CNN. New York City's chief medical examiner's office will test Tamura's remains for CTE, an office spokesperson told CNN Tuesday. The only way to diagnose the disease is through an autopsy of the brain. As for the psychiatric holds, it's difficult to say without knowing the details whether they would have shown up in a background check or prevented Tamura from purchasing weapons, experts say. 'If you were on a 48-hour hold, if you were released at the end of that, it would not affect your ability to possess firearms under federal law,' Chittum said. Most states barely touch on the area of mental health when a person applies for a gun license due to concerns over privacy issues and stigmatizing people who have mental health issues, according to Eller. One concern, for example, is soldiers who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, might be reluctant to seek help because they fear their treatment history would deprive them of possessing firearms. 'Between the lack of funding to make sure the background check system is effective for those problems and the legal hang ups with advocacy groups who will challenge this, that's a long road ahead,' Eller said. There's a concerted effort by veterans' groups and advocacy organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union to fight against the sharing of mental health records with the National Crime Information Center and local law enforcement, which most states rely on for background checks, according to Eller. 'Groups have been combating that because simply being mentally ill doesn't mean you're mentally incompetent, nor does it mean you're a danger,' he added. However, in cases where a person was declared incompetent by a court, faced a restraining order, involuntarily committed or deemed a danger to themselves or others due to a mental illness, the federal government restricts firearm ownership and states largely follow federal law with some variations, according to Chittum. 'Even when we have someone who has a mental health issue that prohibits them under the law, the next question is whether the background check identifies that. Historically, mental health records have been some of the hardest for FBI to obtain when doing background checks,' Chittum said, adding there have been efforts to improve the availability of those records in some legislation. As New York homicide detectives work to piece together a timeline of events leading up to the deadly Manhattan attack, the way Tamura obtained the high-powered M4 rifle from an associate and whether Nevada's background check laws were violated will likely come under scrutiny. In Nevada, the private sale of a firearm between two parties requires a federal background check before the transfer is complete. Both individuals must go to a federally licensed firearm dealer, which conducts the background check on their behalf. There are limited exceptions, including firearm transfers between immediate family members, which do not require this process. If the private sale between Tamura and the supervisor did abide by the law and the facts can't prove the supervisor had any knowledge of possible disqualifiers in Tamura's history, including intended use of the firearm, then the seller likely won't be prosecuted, according to Eller and Chittum. Federal law doesn't impose any obligation on private gun sellers to identify the buyer, conduct a background check or keep any record of the sale, Chittum said. The Nevada law enforcing background checks for private sales was implemented in January 2020, closing the so-called 'gun show loophole' that gun safety advocates have long criticized as a means for bypassing records checks that can flag past criminal history. Most states conduct background checks through federally licensed dealers relying on the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), while some states like Nevada have a designated 'point of contact' system that offers access to state criminal history records. Under federal law, an unlicensed person buying a firearm directly from a gun dealer must also undergo a background check, however, those who already have a concealed carry permit – like Tamura had – may be exempt because they would have already undergone a background check to get the permit. Hours after the shooting in Manhattan, Las Vegas Police Crimestoppers received a tip from a licensed firearms dealer saying he remembered Tamura sought to buy an aftermarket trigger assembly for an M4 rifle at a Las Vegas gun show in June, a senior law enforcement official told CNN. Tamura returned the trigger assembly the next day, saying he needed the money back to buy 500 rounds of .223 ammunition – the same kind of ammunition used in the New York shooting, according to the official. The gun dealer told police Tamura came back the next day with additional funds and re-purchased the trigger assembly, the official said. Tamura's case calls attention to the 'gray area' in the federal regulation and enforcement of private sales that exists when people buy firearms for cash in a private sale, according to Eller. Because a concealed carry permit would exempt an individual for five years from a background check when buying a firearm from a licensed dealer, it creates a 'nuanced area' where a person could obtain a license to carry and then subsequently be convicted or have a mental health prohibitor and might still be able to use their card to purchase a firearm and avoid the background check, Chittum said. Some states recognize this issue and routinely run background checks on licensed holders to determine if their license is still valid, Chittum said. Red flag laws, including the one in Nevada, aim to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others. But such laws are only effective if the individual demonstrated warning signs so that others can alert law enforcement and initiate the process of revoking the person's firearm, Chittum said. It's not clear if Tamura demonstrated any warning signs that would trigger the state's red flag law. The style of weapon Tamura used to slaughter four people has commonly been seen in some of the nation's deadliest mass shootings and has prompted renewed calls by progressive lawmakers for increased regulation. 'In the State of New York, you cannot buy one of these,' Gov. Kathy Hochul told CNN on Tuesday, criticizing what she said were 'much looser laws in the State of Nevada than we have here.' Hochul called on federal lawmakers to pass a national assault weapon ban that would limit access to high-powered guns like the AR-15 style rifle used in Monday's massacre and slammed GOP counterparts whom she accused of being 'intimidated by the gun lobby.' 'We need a national awakening here, people need to be talked about this once again and it shouldn't just happen in the wake of a tragedy like this,' said Hochul. CNN's Mark Morales contributed to this report.

The Manhattan shooter had a previous arrest and 2 psychiatric holds, sources say. How was he able to own a gun?
The Manhattan shooter had a previous arrest and 2 psychiatric holds, sources say. How was he able to own a gun?

CNN

timean hour ago

  • CNN

The Manhattan shooter had a previous arrest and 2 psychiatric holds, sources say. How was he able to own a gun?

Crime Gun violence Gun control Mental healthFacebookTweetLink Follow New York City's deadliest shooting in 25 years – in a state with some of the toughest gun laws in the nation – is raising questions about how a gunman with a history of mental health issues was able to obtain multiple firearms and drive undetected across several states to carry out the attack. The gunman who walked into a Midtown Manhattan office building on Monday, M4 assault-style rifle in hand, and sprayed it with gunfire, had a license to carry a concealed weapon in his home state of Nevada, officials said. He also had been placed on psychiatric hold in 2022 and 2024, law enforcement sources told CNN. But that may not have necessarily prohibited him from obtaining his license in 2022 or buying firearms – depending on the circumstances of the holds, according to gun law experts. Shane Devon Tamura, 27, of Las Vegas, killed four people at the 345 Park Avenue office building and injured another before he died by suicide, police said. While public health experts continue to stress that the vast majority of people experiencing mental health challenges are not violent, questions remain about the details of Tamura's psychiatric holds and if they would have shown up in a background check. The case underscores the wide gap in sharing mental health data with the federal government – an issue that can be attributed to inadequate funding to manage or require the data, as well as privacy issues, according to Thomas Chittum, former associate deputy director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Tamura had 'a documented mental health history,' according to New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch, and a previous run-in with law enforcement. Tamura was arrested and charged with misdemeanor trespassing in 2023 in Clark County, Nevada, after he refused to leave a Las Vegas casino after attempting to cash out about $5,000, according to a police incident report. A court database suggests a district attorney declined to pursue the case, meaning the incident wouldn't have prevented him from obtaining a gun. The case also throws private gun sales under the microscope. The AR-15 style weapon used in the shooting was legally purchased last year by the gunman's supervisor at the Vegas casino where he worked, two law enforcement officials told CNN. The supervisor then assembled it and sold it to Tamura for $1,400, the officials said, citing an interview with the supervisor who is cooperating with authorities. It's not yet clear whether the private sale between Tamura and the supervisor involved a background check. But the supervisor, who has not been named by authorities, could face legal jeopardy if the investigation reveals the firearm transfer took place in Nevada and the private sale didn't follow a state law requiring background checks for private sales, according to Warren Eller, gun violence expert and associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. As police work to uncover a motive behind the shooting, investigators are digging into Tamura's history and examining are how he obtained multiple firearms and made his way from Las Vegas to New York City with the assault rifle. A search of the gunman's car turned up a host of items, including additional ammunition, another loaded weapon, headphones potentially used for target practice, two cell phones, the antidepressant Zoloft and cannabis, a law enforcement source told CNN. A note found in the gunman's pocket claimed he had CTE, a disease linked to head trauma, one that's often associated with football players, a source told CNN. New York City's chief medical examiner's office will test Tamura's remains for CTE, an office spokesperson told CNN Tuesday. The only way to diagnose the disease is through an autopsy of the brain. As for the psychiatric holds, it's difficult to say without knowing the details whether they would have shown up in a background check or prevented Tamura from purchasing weapons, experts say. 'If you were on a 48-hour hold, if you were released at the end of that, it would not affect your ability to possess firearms under federal law,' Chittum said. Most states barely touch on the area of mental health when a person applies for a gun license due to concerns over privacy issues and stigmatizing people who have mental health issues, according to Eller. One concern, for example, is soldiers who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, might be reluctant to seek help because they fear their treatment history would deprive them of possessing firearms. 'Between the lack of funding to make sure the background check system is effective for those problems and the legal hang ups with advocacy groups who will challenge this, that's a long road ahead,' Eller said. There's a concerted effort by veterans' groups and advocacy organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union to fight against the sharing of mental health records with the National Crime Information Center and local law enforcement, which most states rely on for background checks, according to Eller. 'Groups have been combating that because simply being mentally ill doesn't mean you're mentally incompetent, nor does it mean you're a danger,' he added. However, in cases where a person was declared incompetent by a court, faced a restraining order, involuntarily committed or deemed a danger to themselves or others due to a mental illness, the federal government restricts firearm ownership and states largely follow federal law with some variations, according to Chittum. 'Even when we have someone who has a mental health issue that prohibits them under the law, the next question is whether the background check identifies that. Historically, mental health records have been some of the hardest for FBI to obtain when doing background checks,' Chittum said, adding there have been efforts to improve the availability of those records in some legislation. As New York homicide detectives work to piece together a timeline of events leading up to the deadly Manhattan attack, the way Tamura obtained the high-powered M4 rifle from an associate and whether Nevada's background check laws were violated will likely come under scrutiny. In Nevada, the private sale of a firearm between two parties requires a federal background check before the transfer is complete. Both individuals must go to a federally licensed firearm dealer, which conducts the background check on their behalf. There are limited exceptions, including firearm transfers between immediate family members, which do not require this process. If the private sale between Tamura and the supervisor did abide by the law and the facts can't prove the supervisor had any knowledge of possible disqualifiers in Tamura's history, including intended use of the firearm, then the seller likely won't be prosecuted, according to Eller and Chittum. Federal law doesn't impose any obligation on private gun sellers to identify the buyer, conduct a background check or keep any record of the sale, Chittum said. The Nevada law enforcing background checks for private sales was implemented in January 2020, closing the so-called 'gun show loophole' that gun safety advocates have long criticized as a means for bypassing records checks that can flag past criminal history. Most states conduct background checks through federally licensed dealers relying on the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), while some states like Nevada have a designated 'point of contact' system that offers access to state criminal history records. Under federal law, an unlicensed person buying a firearm directly from a gun dealer must also undergo a background check, however, those who already have a concealed carry permit – like Tamura had – may be exempt because they would have already undergone a background check to get the permit. Hours after the shooting in Manhattan, Las Vegas Police Crimestoppers received a tip from a licensed firearms dealer saying he remembered Tamura sought to buy an aftermarket trigger assembly for an M4 rifle at a Las Vegas gun show in June, a senior law enforcement official told CNN. Tamura returned the trigger assembly the next day, saying he needed the money back to buy 500 rounds of .223 ammunition – the same kind of ammunition used in the New York shooting, according to the official. The gun dealer told police Tamura came back the next day with additional funds and re-purchased the trigger assembly, the official said. Tamura's case calls attention to the 'gray area' in the federal regulation and enforcement of private sales that exists when people buy firearms for cash in a private sale, according to Eller. Because a concealed carry permit would exempt an individual for five years from a background check when buying a firearm from a licensed dealer, it creates a 'nuanced area' where a person could obtain a license to carry and then subsequently be convicted or have a mental health prohibitor and might still be able to use their card to purchase a firearm and avoid the background check, Chittum said. Some states recognize this issue and routinely run background checks on licensed holders to determine if their license is still valid, Chittum said. Red flag laws, including the one in Nevada, aim to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others. But such laws are only effective if the individual demonstrated warning signs so that others can alert law enforcement and initiate the process of revoking the person's firearm, Chittum said. It's not clear if Tamura demonstrated any warning signs that would trigger the state's red flag law. The style of weapon Tamura used to slaughter four people has commonly been seen in some of the nation's deadliest mass shootings and has prompted renewed calls by progressive lawmakers for increased regulation. 'In the State of New York, you cannot buy one of these,' Gov. Kathy Hochul told CNN on Tuesday, criticizing what she said were 'much looser laws in the State of Nevada than we have here.' Hochul called on federal lawmakers to pass a national assault weapon ban that would limit access to high-powered guns like the AR-15 style rifle used in Monday's massacre and slammed GOP counterparts whom she accused of being 'intimidated by the gun lobby.' 'We need a national awakening here, people need to be talked about this once again and it shouldn't just happen in the wake of a tragedy like this,' said Hochul. CNN's Mark Morales contributed to this report.

Sheriff Says Someone 'Sympathetic' to Travis Decker Is Possibly Helping Him Evade Law Enforcement (Exclusive)
Sheriff Says Someone 'Sympathetic' to Travis Decker Is Possibly Helping Him Evade Law Enforcement (Exclusive)

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Sheriff Says Someone 'Sympathetic' to Travis Decker Is Possibly Helping Him Evade Law Enforcement (Exclusive)

The manhunt for Travis Decker began on June 2 after his three daughters were found asphyxiated in a remote area of the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, TO KNOW The manhunt for Travis Decker began on June 2 after his three daughters were found dead in a remote area of the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Wash. Since then, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office, along with search and rescue organizations, have conducted an exhaustive search for Decker in the surrounding counties Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison tells PEOPLE that there's the "potential that he could have someone that was just more sympathetic to him and is providing him assistance"As the search for Travis Decker — the man suspected of killing his three daughters nearly two months ago — continues, the Washington Sheriff leading the investigation says it's possible someone is helping the former combat veteran evade the law. 'Certainly, [there's the] potential that he could have someone that was just more sympathetic to him and is providing him assistance,' Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison tells PEOPLE. 'We put the message out that we don't think that's a wise decision, but we get that everyone's going to make their own choices.' The sheriff's office, along with search and rescue organizations, have conducted an exhaustive search for Decker in the surrounding counties. The manhunt began on June 2 after his three daughters, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were found asphyxiated in a remote area of the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Wash. Decker's pickup truck was found at the campground, but the 32-year-old murder suspect was nowhere to be found. Decker had picked up the girls on May 30 for a court-approved visit but failed to return them to their mother. The mom, Whitney Decker, reported her daughters missing to police later that night, setting off a frantic search for the four missing people. On Friday, July 25, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said they were scaling back the search for Decker due to a 'decrease in leads and tips' into Decker's location. The office said 'there is insufficient information to suggest that he is alive, nor if he is deceased." Morrison tells PEOPLE 'there's still a potential' that Decker is alive. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 'Unless he's accounted for, there's still the potential that he could be alive and still actively fleeing from us,' he says. 'Right now, you're in a pretty leisurely time for our county that you could be outdoors and probably live decently comfortable." "We get that the probability that if he is still out there, he's going to be looking to obtain supplies, food, other resources, which right now we're not getting any reports of anything like that missing," Morrison says. "The probability of him just surviving off foraging or trapping — not likely." Morrison says he can't discount the possibility that Decker may have hitchhiked out of the area or gotten picked up by someone. 'Could be a potential,' he says. 'There are roads in the area that he could have made it to. And if someone wasn't paying attention, they might've provided a ride to him not knowing what he was associated with. Or maybe they did know, and they did provide him a ride.' The most recent search for Decker was conducted in the Blewett Pass area in the Wenatchee Mountains. There were two possible sightings of Decker — one in June and another in July — but authorities have since confirmed they were not him. Authorities have also previously said Decker may have attempted to cross into Canada because he allegedly searched "how to relocate to Canada" online, according to a U.S. Marshals Service affidavit obtained by PEOPLE. 'We're frustrated because, certainly, we'd like to have closure not only for our community, but for the family,' says Morrison. 'And with the amount of resources we put in there, I was kind of hopeful that we would've gotten something. This could be a longer, drawn-out search and we're still optimistic that we will get closure." Decker is wanted on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword

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