Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 Eight People Killed By Gunman At Texas Outlet Mall
Eight people died and seven others were injured after a gunman opened fire Saturday at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas. Law enforcement officials told ABC News that the suspect, who was killed by a police officer responding to an unrelated call at the mall when the shooting began, was discharged from the U.S. Army “due to mental health concerns.” Authorities say that insignia on the shooter’s equipment and social media accounts linked to the suspect suggests a right-wing extremist ideology. The shooter reportedly used a semi-automatic rifle during the attack and carried numerous magazines and additional handguns. Vice President Kamala Harris released a statement yesterday and urged Congress to send a bill to President Biden’s desk to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. The ages of the victims, at one of the hospitals, ranged from five to 61.
2 Seven Victims Killed By Vehicle At Bus Stop In Texas
Eight people waiting at a bus stop in Brownsville, Texas were killed yesterday when an SUV ran a red light and plowed into the crowd. The victims were believed to be migrants, and law enforcement officials haven’t determined if the incident was intentional or not and are continuing to investigate. The suspect driving the vehicle was taken to the hospital, where blood was drawn and sent to be tested for intoxicants. Brownsville Police Lt. Martin Sandoval said that the driver, a Hispanic male, wasn’t cooperating with investigators and had given them “several names.” The suspect has been charged with reckless driving, and more charges are likely, with the FBI assisting the Brownsville Police Department in the investigation. A dozen more people were injured during the crash, with one being airlifted to Valley Baptist Medical Center.
3 Yellen: “No Good Options” If Congress Doesn’t Raise Debt Ceiling
The majority and minority leaders of the House and Senate are set to meet with President Joe Biden tomorrow to discuss the looming deadline to raise the debt ceiling for the U.S. government to avoid going into default. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said yesterday on ABC’s “This Week” that America’s first-ever default would bring about an economic “calamity,” and there are “no good options” if Congress doesn’t raise the debt ceiling before the start of June. Republicans are demanding spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt ceiling while Democrats, including President Biden, say the threat of default shouldn’t be used as a bargaining chip. House Republicans passed a bill on April 26th that would raise the debt limit but put significant spending cuts in place. While there’s been some talk about Biden using an interpretation of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution to raise the debt limit without action from Congress. Yellen said yesterday that it shouldn’t be considered a valid option to fix the problem. When asked what effect hitting the debt limit would have, Yellen said on “This Week” that “Whether it’s defaulting on interest payments that are due on the debt or payments due for Social Security recipients or to Medicare providers, we would simply not have enough cash to meet all of our obligations.”