Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 Highland Park Shooter Faces Judge, Remains Held On Bond
Officials say the alleged shooter at a 4th of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois is admitting to the crimes he’s accused of – and revealing that he had another similar attack in mind. But more on that in a minute. The 21-year-old man charged with killing seven people and injuring 30 more has now been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder. Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart says dozens more charges are expected in the near term – to include attempted murder charges and aggravated battery charges. Rinehart adds, “There will be dozens of more charges.” But Reinhart has also revealed that the shooter has admitted that he came upon a 4th of July celebration in Madison, Wisconsin in the aftermath of his initial attack – and was going to open fire on that event, but didn’t…because he hadn’t had time to plan properly. He remains in custody, having been denied bond.
2 Uvalde, Texas Report Shreds Police Response
A new report is showing police in Uvalde, Texas had three chances to stop the armed gunman before he entered an elementary school where 19 students and two teachers were murdered. The 26-page report reveals that in one case, an officer with a rifle had the attacker in his sights, but didn't get permission from a supervisor to pull the trigger – either because his request wasn’t heard…or the response came too late – as the shooter was already inside the school. Also among the findings: It appeared that no officer waiting in the hallway during the shooting ever tested to see if the door to the classroom was locked. The head of Texas' state police agency has also faulted officers on the scene for not checking the doors. When officers finally entered the classroom at 12:50 p.m. — more than an hour after the shooting began — they were no better equipped to confront the gunman than they had been up to that point. "Effective incident command" never appears to have been established among the multiple law enforcement agencies that responded to the shooting. The report from the ALERRT Center at Texas State University says officers "lost momentum" after coming under fire. It's critical of the rank-and-file officers who converged on the campus.
3 Brittney Griner Heading Back To Court Today
WNBA star Brittney Griner is expected to be back in court today in Russia – potentially to receive the verdict in her case. The Phoenix Mercury star stands accused of having under a gram of cannabis oil in her luggage when she was arrested at the airport in Moscow back in February. Russian officials say that Griner may appeal her sentence or ask for clemency…but only after the verdict is reached. As a spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry notes, "The court must first deliver its verdict, but no one is stopping Brittney Griner from making use of the appeal procedure and also from requesting clemency.” That suggests that a verdict is coming…and that it isn’t going to be in her favor. While the White House has now spoken to Griner’s wife, Cherelle, the same cannot be said of Paul Whelan’s family. Like Griner, Whelan is also being wrongfully detained – though he’s been held since 2018. Whelan’s family has yet to hear anything from the White House.