Latest news with #gunviolence
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man accused of shooting woman during domestic dispute in Harrison Twp. indicted
Jun. 27—A grand jury indicted a 29-year-old man accused of shooting a woman in the leg and seriously injuring her in Harrison Twp. Caleb Cox was indicted on two counts of felonious assault and one count each of having weapons while under disability and tampering with evidence in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday. On June 18, Cox reportedly pulled out a pistol while involved in a domestic dispute with a woman in Harrison Twp. Fearing Cox would shoot her, the woman curled into the fetal position on the bed, according to Vandalia Municipal Court records. "Cox shot the victim in the outer right thigh, causing the bullet to travel up into her abdomen due to her laying in the fetal position in front of Cox," an affidavit read. He then reportedly threatened to shoot himself. The woman was afraid Cox would shoot her again before harming himself, so she offered to say she shot herself, according to court records. "The victim called 911 and claimed to have shot herself," the affidavit read. When Montgomery County sheriff's deputies arrived, they found Cox doused in gasoline. The woman was transported to the hospital in critical condition. Witnesses told investigators Cox carried the woman to front porch before going back into the house and jumping from a side window, according to court records. He then allegedly poured gasoline onto his head and body. The pistol believed to be used in the shooting was found in a neighboring lot, according to court documents.
CBC
7 hours ago
- CBC
These graduates lost their friend to gun violence. Now they're making sure he's never forgotten
A Toronto teen whose life was cut short by gun violence was remembered in a valedictorian speech at the school where he should have graduated on Thursday. Mohamed Doumbouya, who died at the age of 16, would have been in Grade 12 this year. But instead of marking a milestone at his Parkdale high school this week, he was gunned down inside an apartment unit in the area of King Street W. and Jameson Avenue on July 8, 2024. Two teen boys, 16 and 17 at the time, have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in his death. Since his death, Mohamed's friends have dedicated themselves to advocating against gun violence and honouring his memory. "Mohamed was more than a friend," said Grade 12 student Brian Ehigiator in his valedictorian speech at Parkdale Collegiate Institute on Thursday. Ehigiator said he'd known Mohamed since childhood. "He was a bright, kind and playful presence who left a lasting mark on everyone who knew him. This school year has been really difficult without being able to see him in the halls... There's been an emptiness, a silence where laughter used to be. "But even though he is not physically here, his presence is still felt in every corner of this building." Ehigiator said Mohamed's friends have made sure that "his story, his life continues to matter." Students organize to honour Mohamed's memory In an interview with CBC Radio's Metro Morning, Ehigiator said of his friend: "He really knew how to lighten a room. Even during serious situations, he was always funny, which I guess I loved about him the most." Tania Camuti, principal of the school, said that after Mohamed's death, a group of 14 students applied for funding from the city's Community Crisis Response Program through its fund for youth initiatives in order to honour him. The fund provides one-time financial assistance to support communities affected by traumatic incidents and community violence. Camuti said the students put together a number of initiatives using the funding. They organized a group called Project MD that does anti-gun violence advocacy at the school. They also organized a play day for his elementary school in Parkdale, Dr Rita Cox — Kina Minagok Public School. And they organized to have the field at the school renamed in his honour. They also arranged for a plaque and rock on the field dedicated to Mohamed, facing the apartment building where he lived. On top of that, they put together a display case, commissioned art and brought a guest speaker to the school to talk to students about youth and gun violence. "What I've seen is a group of Grade 12s come together in tragedy to ensure that Mohamed's memory is not how he died but who he was," Camuti said. Camuti said she heard about the shooting death on the news, had a gut feeling and wondered: "'Was that one of ours?' And unfortunately, about a day later it was confirmed that that was a Parkdale student." 'A person who lit up the room' Cole Leason, a Grade 12 student, said Mohammed could make a person smile if they were having a bad day. "He was a close friend to all of us. He was really just a person who lit up the room. He was the life of the party," he said. "He was really a big part of our group and just a big part of what it meant to be at Parkdale. Losing him was a big loss." 2 teens charged in fatal shooting of teen in Parkdale Police ID boy, 16, shot dead in Parkdale apartment Leason said the students wanted to not only to honour Mohamed but also to push back against gun violence. "We want to show that this tragedy doesn't represent who Parkdale is, who Mohamed was, what his life meant and what it was on track for. It's really to show that our community won't let violence take control and have a shackle on us." Ethan Rebelo, another Grade 12 student, also called Mohamed a friend. "Within our friend group, he was like our core of our friend group and really made everybody, just in the school that knew him, very happy. He was a very genuine guy." For Ehigiator, his friend's death has taught him an important lesson.
CTV News
11 hours ago
- CTV News
Man on statutory release for manslaughter among 2 suspects charged in Burlington gunpoint carjacking
Guns and ammunition seized in connection with a carjacking investigation in Burlington. (Halton Regional Police) A man out on statutory release for manslaughter is among the two people charged in connection with a gunpoint carjacking of a luxury vehicle in Burlington this week. Halton Regional Police said a woman was driving her Porsche Macan near Guelph Line and Derry Road around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday when she observed a grey Chevrolet pickup truck following her. She pulled into the parking lot of Kilbride Public School, where two masked men got out of the pickup and pointed their handguns at her, police said. The woman exited her Porsche and surrendered the vehicle. The suspects took the vehicle and drove it away in tandem with the pickup. Police said the victim was not injured. Officers responded, and an hour later, they located the Porsche abandoned and unoccupied in the parking lot near Tobyn and Kilmer drives. They later found the pickup truck nearby, police said. The two suspects were subsequently identified, and on Thursday, police located them in the area of Walkers Line and Kilmer Drive. One suspect was quickly apprehended, while the other fled in a Volkswagen SUV. However, police shortly tracked the vehicle in Sherwood Forest Park and arrested the second suspect. They have been identified as 33-year-old James Garthwaite from Burlington and 32-year-old William Langdon from Oakville. Investigators searched the pickup truck and a Burlington residence, where they allegedly found items of evidentiary value, including a 3D printer, 3D printed firearms and a vehicle reprogramming device. They also determined that the pickup was stolen out of the Niagara Region. Both men are facing a combined 20 charges, including robbery with a firearm, motor vehicle theft when violence is used, unauthorized possession of a weapon, and disguise with intent. 'I cannot imagine the fear experienced by the victim during this violent and terrifying armed carjacking. On behalf of the Halton Regional Police Service, I extend my thoughts to her and her family during this incredibly traumatic time,' Halton police Chief Stephen Tanner said in a statement. 'I am deeply concerned by the escalating level of violence and the use of loaded firearms in the commission of these crimes. Let me be perfectly clear—this type of criminal behaviour will not be tolerated in our community. If convicted, I am hopeful the courts will impose substantial sentences that reflect the serious and dangerous nature of these offences.' Police said at the time of their arrests, Garthwaite was on federal statutory release. He was convicted of manslaughter in 2018 for a shooting during a home invasion that left a woman dead. 'He was sentenced to 10 years but released early after receiving 16 months of credit for pre-sentence custody,' Tanner said. Meanwhile, Langdon was on a form of release for unrelated firearms offences. Police said there is an ongoing investigation into the 3D-printed firearms that could result in more charges. Police dog injured during search Freddy Halton police dog Freddy is seen in this undated photo. (Supplied) During the post-arrest article search in Sherwood Forest Park, Halton police dog Freddy came in contact with a loaded firearm that Langdon allegedly discarded. 'The firearm was located in an area of heavy brush and discharged, resulting in Freddy sustaining an injury to his foot,' police said. Freddy was treated and is expected to make a full recovery. 'We are appreciative of the collective efforts and collaboration of many internal and external personnel who worked tirelessly, quickly and effectively to get violent offenders and several firearms off our streets. We are equally grateful for our tenacious PSD Freddy and look forward to his full recovery,' Supt. Dave Costantini of 3 District Burlington said.
New York Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Mourners gather at the Minnesota Capitol, where the Hortmans are lying in state.
Elected officials and everyday Minnesotans streamed into the white-domed State Capitol on Friday to pay their respects to State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, who were fatally shot at their suburban Minneapolis home this month. A line of mourners stretched around the block outside the Capitol in St. Paul as people slowly passed through the rotunda to mourn the Hortmans, who were lying in state in wooden caskets adorned with floral arrangements. An urn for their dog, Gilbert, who was also killed in the attack, was displayed alongside photographs. The authorities have described the killing of Ms. Hortman, a Democrat who previously served as speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, as an assassination. The suspect in the couple's deaths appeared briefly in federal court on Friday. At the Capitol, Gov. Tim Walz and his wife Gwen were the first to approach the caskets. Mayor Melvin Carter of St. Paul wiped tears from his eyes as he passed. Lisa Demuth, the Republican speaker of the State House, was also among the first to pay respects. Other mourners lined up outside the building, some carrying bouquets or accompanied by their dogs. Waiting in line, Faith Mainor said, 'I'd like to see some scaling back of the dialogue that led to this.' Also outside the Capitol, Amy Schulte held flowers and a dog toy that she planned to leave in the rotunda as a tribute to the Hortmans. 'I just felt like it was just a senseless death, just violent, indescribable,' said Ms. Schulte, a Minneapolis resident. Mike Starr arrived hours before the Capitol doors opened. He said he had met Ms. Hortman years ago when he was running for office, and felt it was important to honor her. The shootings, he said, had left him with a series of questions: 'Why? What for? How come?'
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
A slain Minnesota lawmaker's beloved dog, Gilbert, stays with her as she and her spouse lie in state
Gilbert was with his family when a gunman murdered two of his family members, a prominent Minnesota legislator and her husband, and the golden retriever was beside them as they lay in state Friday at the state Capitol. He is all but certainly the first dog to receive the honor, having been put down after being badly injured in the attack. There is no record of any other non-human ever lying in state, and the late state Rep. Melissa Hortman, the state House's top Democrat and a former speaker, is the first woman. The state previously granted the honor to 19 men, including a vice president, a U.S. secretary of state, U.S. senators, governors and a Civil War veteran, according to the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Gilbert has received a flood tributes like Hortman and her husband, Mark, ever since news spread online that he had been shot, too, in the attack early on the morning of June 14 by a man posing as a police officer. The accused assassin, Vance Boelter, is also charged with shooting a prominent Democratic state senator and his wife, and authorities say Boelter visited two other Democratic lawmakers' homes without encountering them. The dog's injuries were severe enough that surviving family members had him put to sleep at a veterinary clinic in the Hortmans' hometown of Brooklyn Park, a Minneapolis suburb. The clinic, Allied Emergency Veterinary Service, called Gilbert 'sweet and gentle' and 'deeply loved' on a GoFundMe site raising money for the care of local police dogs. Hours after the shootings, a nonprofit that trains service dogs, Helping Paws Inc., posted a picture on Facebook of Gilibert with the murdered Minnesota lawmaker, both smiling. The Hortmans provided a foster home to dogs to help train them to be service animals, and one of them, Minnie, had graduated on to assisting a veteran. But Helping Paws said in its post that Gilbert 'eventually career changed." One of Hortman's fellow lawmakers, Democratic Rep. Erin Koegel, told AP that the golden retriever had 'flunked out of school" and that 'Melissa wanted him to fail so she could keep him.' Gilbert had been deemed 'too friendly" to be a service dog, KARE-TV reported.
