1 Texas Police Confirm Two Dead, Including Gunman, In Church Shooting
Officials in Texas are crediting the heroism of parishioners who stopped a gunman who opened fire at a church. It wasn’t completely random – as the parishioners were part of a trained security team at the West Freeway church of Christ in the Fort Worth area. When the unnamed man pulled a long gun from under his coat, however – and pulled the trigger? They returned fire and stopped the gunman in just seconds, clearly, saving the lives of other church members. In the end, two people were killed in the shooting – the gunman also died later at the hospital. Police have declined to name the victims, the perpetrator - or the parishioners who saved the day. As law enforcement tries to figure out the motive, parishioners are just glad it wasn’t worse. “We lost two great men today,” said Britt Farmer, the church’s senior minister. “But it could have been a lot worse, and I am thankful our government has allowed us the opportunity to protect ourselves.”
2 Mass Stabbing At New York Hanukkah Party
Police are investigating after five people are stabbed inside of a Jewish House of Worship in New York’s Rockland County. The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council says the victims were attacked while attending a Hanukkah celebration just before 10pm Saturday at a rabbi's home. According to officials, 37-year-old Grafton Thomas walked into the residence with a machete and started stabbing people. Thomas allegedly took off in a car, but an eagle-eyed witness made note of his license plate. Something that police say was key in stopping Thomas before he got into a local synagogue. Now? New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is calling what happened an “act of domestic terrorism.” And it’s easy to see why given the string of attacks against Jewish people in the state in recent weeks. At last check, there have been 13 anti-Semitic attacks in the area, in the last three weeks alone. Cuomo has released a statement saying citizens “have absolutely zero tolerance for such acts of hate."
3 North Korea Holds Meeting Before U.S. Deadline
Kim Jong Un is meeting with top party officials as North Korea's year-end deadline for de-nuke talks with U.S. approaches. North Korean state news says Kim convened a meeting Saturday to discuss important policy matters ahead of the deadline. The report said party officials discussed "important matters," including the "building of the state and national defense." Saturday was reportedly just the first day of the meeting, but further details were not provided. North Korea has given the U.S. until the end of the year to offer a new initiative to resolve their differences over nuclear weapons. As for what happens if the deadline passes without talks, that’s unclear – though White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien maintains the United States will take appropriate action as a “leading military and economic power.”