List of All Articles with Tag 'rl'

The gunman who killed eight people and injured seven others at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas brought eight weapons with him, police confirmed in a press conference. Mauricio Garcia, 33, the man law enforcement identified as the gunman, used an AR-15-style rifle to carry out the mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday (6 May). But according to police, Garcia had seven additional weapons. “He had eight weapons with him,” Hank Sibley, the regional director of the Texas Department of Safety said on Tuesday. Mr Sibley said three of the eight were carried on Garcia while five remained in the vehicle he drove to the outlet. All eight were legally obtained by the gunman, Mr Sibley confirmed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms ran traces on all of the weapons. Garcia used one of his weapons to shoot and kill eight people, three of which were young children, and injure seven others. The victims are 20-year-old Christian LaCour, 26-year-old Aishwarya Thatikonda, 37-year-old Kyu Song Cho, 35-year-old Cindy Cho, three-year-old James Cho, 11-year-old Daniela Mendoza, 8-year-old Sofia Mendoza and 32-year-old Elio Cumana-Rivas. Law enforcement said the shooting only lasted between three to four minutes before a police officer subdued the gunman. Mr Sibley said the motive of the gunman was still unknown though law enforcement indicated Garcia had “neo-Nazi ideation”. Garcia was found at the shooting bearing patches that said “RWDS,” an acronym for “Right Wing Death Squad.” The acronym is associated with far-right groups such as The Proud Boys. An online profile on the Russian website ok.ru that seemed to have belonged to Garcia also included posts from the gunman that had photos of the Allen Premium Outlets mall and location information that showed when the mall was at its busiest. Posts reviewed by The Independent included praise for Adolf Hitler, photos showing SS, incel-like ideas and complaints about the state of his mental health. Read More Texas mall shooting - live: Allen police confirm Mauricio Garcia’s neo-Nazi views as cache of guns revealed Texas mall shooting victim Christian LaCour hailed as a hero for helping person to safety before he was killed Texas mall shooting: All we know about the Allen outlet massacre

A mom promoted a children's book on grief on local TV before being arrested for her husband's murder. Kouri Richins, 33, appeared on TV only last month to speak about her book Are You With Me? “My husband passed away unexpectedly last year. March 4 was a one-year anniversary for us, He was 39,” she said on ABC4. “It completely took us all by shock,” she added. “We have three little boys, ten, nine and six, and my kids and I kind of wrote this book on the different emotions and grieving processes that we’ve experienced in the last year. I went on Amazon and Barnes and Noble to try to find something to help us cope at night, nights are the hardest. I just wanted some story to read to my kids at night and I couldn’t find anything that suited them, so I was like ‘let’s just write one’.” Ms Richins was arrested Monday for the March 2022 murder. She is accused of having poisoned her husband with fentanyl at their home in Kamas, Utah – a small town in the mountains close to Park City, according to the Associated Press. Prosecutors argue that Ms Richins made a late-night call to the authorities in March last year to say that her husband was “cold to the touch”. Ms Richins told police that she made her husband a mixed drink using vodka to supposedly celebrate a recent sale of a home before she left to help one of their three children to sleep in their bedroom. She claimed that when she returned, she found him unresponsive and called the emergency services. A medical examiner found that Eric Richins had five times the lethal amount of fentanyl in his system. Ms Richins has been charged with murder in addition to allegedly possessing GHB. It’s a narcolepsy drug often used recreationally, such as at dance clubs, the AP notes. The charges are based on the officers’ accounts of their interactions with Ms Richins as well as the account of an “unnamed acquaintance” who said they sold the fentanyl to Ms Richins. The charges come two months after Ms Richins appeared on local TV to speak about her picture book Are You With Me? – which she authored to help children after losing someone close to them. Ms Richins appeared on a segment called Good Things Utah, saying that the death of her husband was unexpected and describing how it adversely affected her and her three children – all boys. She said that grieving for children was about “making sure that their spirit is always alive in your home”. “It’s, you know, explaining to my kid just because he’s not present here with us physically, doesn’t mean his presence isn’t here with us,” she told the local TV station. A police search warrant states that Mr Richins died on 4 March 2022. The Richins family is notable in Summit County, according to KPCW. The Richins Building in Kimball Junction was named after one member of the family – Sheldon Richins. Members of Mr Richins’s family said not long after his death that they suspected his wife of having killed him. Warrants state that “he warned them that if anything happened to him, she was to blame”. One of Mr Richins’s sisters claimed that he called her a few years ago when he was in Greece on vacation. He claimed that one of the drinks his wife had given him had made him very ill. The sister claimed that Ms Richins had made an attempt to take her brother’s life. A warrant also states that Ms Richins was caught changing her husband’s life insurance policy to make herself the only beneficiary. On Valentine’s Day last year, less than a month before his death, Mr Richins had an allergic reaction after having dinner with his wife. He broke out in hives, was unable to breathe, and passed out after using taking Benadryl and using his son’s EpiPen. According to court filings, Ms Richins had bought fentanyl pills for $900 a few days before the dinner. She asked for another $900 not long before Mr Richins’s death. Before he died, Mr Richins changed the beneficiary of his will and his power of attorney from his wife to his sister. A warrant states that he thought his wife might “kill him for the money”. Warrants also state that Mr Richins was planning on divorcing his wife, but that proceedings had yet to start at the time of his death. Ms Richins published the book on 7 March of this year, telling KPCW a few weeks later that it’s “designed to offer comfort and solace to young minds”. Last month, she told KPCW that the book was inspired by her own kids’ questions. “You know, ‘Is dad with us?’” she said. “Because they’re going through the sadness of knowing that he’s not here, presently.” The Independent has reached out to Ms Richins’s attorney for comment. Read More She wrote book on husband's death; police say she killed him Who is Lori Vallow? The ‘doomsday cult mom’ on trial for her children’s murders Alex Cox, Tammy Daybell and Charles Vallow: Key players in the Lori Vallow trial

Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said he is monitoring how strains in the banking

A statement from the White House says the events surrounding the death of Jordan Neely “demand a thorough investigation,” as Manhattan prosecutors and police continue to investigate the case more than a week after the 30-year-old homeless street performer was choked to death on a subway traincar. “Jordan Neely’s killing was tragic and deeply disturbing,” according to the statement from President Joe Biden’s administration. The incident has prompted city, state and federal officials, advocacy groups and protesters to demand an arrest and call attention to urgently needed support for mental health services and people experiencing homelessness. A veteran New York photojournalist was arrested on Monday night during a vigil and protest, one of several in New York City in the week after Neely’s death. At least 10 people were arrested by NYPD officers, including photojournalist Stephanie Keith, who was filmed being carried away by police while displaying her press pass and announcing that she is a member of the press. Widely shared footage from 1 May shows a men identified as Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old former US Marine, wrapping his arm around Neely’s neck on the floor of the traincar. He has not been charged with a crime. Read More Daniel Penny: Everything we know about ex-Marine filmed choking Jordan Neely in fatal subway incident Jordan Neely wanted help. A brutal narrative about homelessness blamed him for his own death Jordan Neely family attorneys call statement from Daniel Penny’s legal team ‘character assassination’ Protesters jump on New York subway tracks in anger over Jordan Neely death

A man in Louisiana has been detained after he shot his 14-year-old neighbour in the back of the head as she played hide and seek in his yard. David Doyle, 58, told the authorities that he “unknowingly” struck the girl after he discharged his firearm at a group running away from his home who turned out to be a number of children playing hide and seek. A press release from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office states that police were called to the scene in a small Lake Charles neighbourhood early on Sunday. The wounded teen girl was found at the scene, after which police learned that multiple children had been playing in the area and hiding on the property of a neighbour. “When detectives spoke with the property owner, David V. Doyle, 58, [of] Starks, he stated he observed shadows outside his home, at which time he went inside and retrieved his firearm,” the press release said. Mr Doyle told investigators that he went outside and started firing his gun at those he spotted running away from the home. The teenager was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the Sheriff’s Office said. Members of her family told KPLC7 News that she’s “okay and recovering”. The local TV station reported that the area where the shooting occurred “is a dead-end road with only three residents: Doyle, the victim’s family and a relative to the victim’s family”. An area resident connected to the teenager’s family told The Daily Beast that Mr Doyle’s nephew was one of those playing hide and seek with the wounded teen girl. “Things like this need to stop,” the resident told the outlet. “I believe in people owning guns, but your life has to be in danger first. That man’s life was not in danger… It was just lucky, that her guardian angel had their hand on her, and it wasn’t worse than it was.” Mr Doyle was booked on Sunday at 6.45am, according to online jail records. He has been charged with aggravated battery, aggravated assault with a firearm, and illegal discharge of a firearm. This incident is just one of several similar incidents recently. Older people have shot several younger individuals after they made simple and harmless mistakes. Ralph Yarl, a Black 16-year-old honour student, was shot and wounded last month after he accidentally rang the door of an 84-year-old resident in Missouri. Two days later, Kaylin Gillis, 20, was shot and killed by a 65-year-old man after she was in a car alongside others that entered his driveway in upstate New York as they were looking for the house of a friend. Read More Mike Pence makes excuses for shootings of Ralph Yarl and Kaylin Gillis Man who shot at Florida couple when they went to wrong house on Instacart delivery will not face charges ‘License to kill’: How ‘Stand Your Ground’ gun laws are fuelling random shootings and racism across the US

The judge presiding over Lori Vallow’s murder trial has ruled that the court will stream the verdict of the high-profile case once it’s reached. The decision was made public on the fourth week of Ms Vallow’s trial over charges of conspiracy to kill her children JJ Vallow, seven; and Tylee Ryan, 16; as well as his doomsday preacher husband Chad Daybell’s wife Tammy Daybell. Last year, Judge Steven Boyce banned cameras from the courtroom, citing concerns that they could prevent a fair trial. It came after Ms Vallow’s attorneys contended that one news organisation abused the privilege by repeatedly zooming in on Ms Vallow’s face during previous hearings. Prosecutors sided with the defence and said the cameras should be banned as news coverage could make it hard for the court to find an impartial jury. A coalition of more than 30 news organisations including The Associated Press and East Idaho News asked the judge to reject the motion but the court ultimately decided that news organisations would no longer be able to shoot still photography or videos inside the courtroom. Judge Boyce stated in his Tuesday ruling that the reasoning behind the ban loses validity upon the reaching of a verdict, allowing the court to stream the final chapter of the weeks-long trial through its YouTube channel, according to East Idaho News. On Monday, the court heard testimony from retired FBI Agent Doug Hart, whose role in the investigation was to comb through Ms Vallow’s iCloud accounts. With more than 4,500 text messages saved to the accounts, he was able to piece together a timeline of the developing relationship between Mr Daybell and Ms Vallow over 2019. This included the period in which Ms Vallow’s previous husband Charles Vallow was shot to death by her brother Alex Cox and she was able to pursue a romance with doomsday author Mr Daybell. In addition to raunchy text messages — some threaded together to form a lengthy story — the couple’s bizarre beliefs about possession and zombies and rating individuals on a light-to-dark scale were laid out. Shortly after the death of Charles Vallow on 11 July 2019, Ms Vallow and her son JJ, seven, took a trip with her niece Melani Boudreaux and her two children. It is not known if Tylee Ryan was on the trip. In texts, Mr Daybell referred to the Boudreaux children as “3s” based on where he placed them on his strange rating system. He sent Ms Vallow a text asking if she wanted him to “cause pain” to the two 3s she was travelling with. The two believed in an ability to use their minds to cast out demons from people and “work on them”. She replied to him telling him to hold off, but added that if they started to act up again “we can zap them”. Mr Daybell agreed and responded: “If they are going to act up, we’ll at least give them a reason to scream.” JJ and Tylee vanished without a trace back in September 2019, with their mother refusing to reveal their whereabouts to authorities for many months. One month after they were last seen alive, Tammy – an otherwise healthy 49-year-old – died suddenly and Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell soon jetted off to Hawaii to get married on the beach. In June 2020, the remains of JJ and Tylee were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, and the doomsday cult couple were eventually charged with murder. Prosecutors allege that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with Ms Vallow’s brother Alex Cox to murder Tammy, JJ and Tylee as part of their bizarre cult beliefs – but also for financial purposes so that they could collect Tammy’s life insurance money and the children’s social security and survivor benefits. Mr Daybell will stand trial separately with a potential date of June 2024 spoken about in court. Read More Lori Vallow trial - live: Court hears chilling ‘demons’ comments as judge allows livestream of verdict Lori Vallow trial verdict will be livestreamed, judge rules after banning video of testimony Lori Vallow’s disturbing texts revealed: ‘A reason to scream’

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy rejected the possibility of a short-term debt-limit extension hours ahead of a meeting

A large share of independents don’t support President Joe Biden across multiple polls as he launches his 2024 re-election campaign. Interactive Polls tweeted out four surveys that showed Mr Biden has a net negative 29 per cent approval rating. A survey from The Washington Post and ABC News showed that in a rematch against former president Donald Trump, 42 per cent of independents said they would back Mr Trump compared with 34 per cent who said they would support Mr Biden. In addition, 30 per cent of independents approve of the job Mr Biden is doing compared to 60 per cent who disapprove. By comparison, Mr Biden beat Mr Trump with the group by nine points in 2020, according to the Pew Research Centre. Mr Biden also lags in other polls among independent voters. A The Economist/YouGov poll found that 33 per cent of independent voters approve of Mr Biden. Meanwhile, a Civiqs poll found that 29 per cent of independent voters approve of him compared to 58 per cent who disapprove of Mr Biden. An Investors Business Daily/TIPP found that 27 per cent of independent voters approve of Mr Biden’s job performance while 63 per cent disapprove. The numbers come as Mr Biden announced his re-election campaign last month, aiming to create a contrast between himself and Mr Trump as well as “MAGA Republicans” who want to restrict abortion and ban books. But Mr Biden faces significant headwinds as he faces re-election. The Post/ABC poll found that 44 per cent of people polled said they would vote for Mr Trump and only 38 per cent said they would vote for Mr Biden. Similarly, 42 per cent said they would vote for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis while 37 per cent said they would back Mr Biden. Read More Biden trails Trump in brutal new poll Two days, three attacks, 18 dead: Texas reels from weekend of horror

The jury in E Jean Carroll’s civil rape trial against Donald Trump will soon decide whether or not the former president raped and defamed the magazine columnist. Both sides delivered closing arguments in a Manhattan courtroom on Monday, with Ms Carroll’s lawyer Roberta Kaplan using Mr Trump’s own words – “grab ’em by the pussy” – against him. “In a real sense, Donald Trump is a witness against himself,” she said. Mr Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina countered that while his comments in the infamous Access Hollywood tape are “rude” and “gross”, he claimed “that doesn’t make Ms Carroll’s unbelievable story believable”. Judge Lewis Kaplan is instructing the jury before they will begin deliberations in the case. Ms Carroll has claimed that Mr Trump raped her in a dressing room of the Bergdorf Goodman department store in the 1990s. In other legal troubles, the judge in Mr Trump’s hush money case issued a gag order on Monday banning him from posting information about the evidence and witnesses on social media. Read More Who is Natasha Stoynoff? The journalist whose testimony could help bring down Trump Soccer executive and celebrity attorney: Who is Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina? Trump rape case explained: How a chance department store meeting led to a court case decades later Who is E Jean Carroll? The writer and TV host taking on Donald Trump What are the allegations in E Jean Carroll’s rape case against Donald Trump?

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have asked Harlan Crow, the GOP megadonor and friend of Clarence Thomas whose gifts to the Supreme Court justice have prompted fresh criticism about the ethical standards of the nation's highest court, for more information about the expenditures.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has agreed to pay $215 million to put an end to a long-running class-action

The police officer who has been hailed as a hero for taking down the gunman who killed eight people after opening fire at Allen Premium Outlets in Texas has released a statement saying he’s “doing well.” Three days after the tragic shooting, the officer’s attorney, Zach Horn, released a statement on behalf of the officer to local news outlet WFAA. “He’s doing well and would appreciate privacy and he continues to process this life-altering tragedy,” the statement from Mr Horn read. In the statement, Mr Horn said the officer, who wishes to remain unidentified, “sprinted toward the high power rifle fire as everyone else ran away” to subdue the gunman. “He’s a brave servant with a gentle heart that embodies the best the law enforcement profession has to offer,” Mr Horn added. The Independent has reached out to Mr Horn for comment. The gunman, who has been identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, was taken down by the officer after killing eight people, including three children, and injuring seven others. Garcia arrived at the Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday (6 May) armed with an AR-15 style rifle, ammunition and body armour. Authorities are unsure what the motive behind Garcia’s attack was though police found he may have had ties to a far-right organisation, white supremacy and possibly neo-Nazism. The shooting is one of over 200 to have occurred in the United States this year so far. More follows. Read More Texas mall shooting – latest: Allen officer who shot ‘neo Nazi’ gunman breaks silence as flags at half mast Gruesome video footage won’t make gun control happen Victims of the Texas mall shooting – everything we know