Suspect Caught in Atlanta Shooting that Killed 1 and Injured 4, Police Say
A gunman who opened fire at a medical office building in midtown Atlanta on Wednesday, killing one and injuring four others, has been caught after a search that lasted several hours, authorities said. The gunman, identified as Deion Patterson, 24, stole a vehicle afterward and fled, the Atlanta Police Department said. Atlanta police Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a news conference that the gunman fired shots just after noon inside a waiting room on the 11th floor of a Northside Hospital medical office, killing a 39-year-old woman and injuring four others. Police have not detailed a possible motive for the shooting, which came as the country continues to reel from incessant acts of gun violence.
Chokehold Death of Man on New York City Subway Is Ruled a Homicide
The death of a New York City subway rider who was placed in a chokehold by another passenger Monday was ruled a homicide, the city’s medical examiner confirmed Wednesday evening. The man who died, Jordan Neely, was homeless and had been screaming at passengers when the other rider wrapped his arms around Neely’s neck and head and held him for several minutes until he went limp. Neely died from compression to his neck as a result of the chokehold, according to Julie Bolcer, a spokesperson for the medical examiner. The killing has led to investigations by police and prosecutors, a spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.
Trump Will Offer No Defense Witnesses in Rape Trial, His Lawyer Says
A lawyer defending former President Donald Trump against writer E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit accusing him of rape said that he would present no witnesses during the trial, which completed its sixth day Wednesday. The lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, had earlier told Judge Lewis A. Kaplan that Trump would not come to Manhattan federal court to testify in the civil case. Trump, who is again running for president, went to Scotland and Ireland this week. When a reporter asked him why he was in Ireland instead of New York for his civil case, he responded that he had a long-standing agreement to travel there, according to a recording posted on Twitter on Wednesday.
Former FBI Agent Charged in Jan. 6 Riot
Federal prosecutors have charged a former FBI agent with illegally entering the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and said he had called police officers Nazis as he encouraged a mob of Trump loyalists to kill them. The former agent, Jared L. Wise, was arrested Monday and faces four misdemeanor counts, including disrupting the orderly conduct of government and trespassing, after agents received a tip in January 2022 that he had been inside the Capitol, according to a criminal complaint. Over the past two years, scores of rioters with military experience have been arrested in connection with the Capitol attack. But Wise is the rare former federal agent to have been charged.
RSV Vaccine Approved for Older Adults
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved GSK’s vaccine for the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, for adults who are 60 and older, the company said. The vaccine, to be sold as Arexvy, appears to be the first in the world approved for sale to protect older adults from RSV, a potentially fatal respiratory illness. The FDA estimates that RSV is associated with 6,000 to 10,000 deaths each year in adults 65 and older and at least 60,000 hospitalizations in that age group. It is a leading killer of children worldwide. Last winter, RSV contributed to the “tripledemic” also involving flu and COVID cases that swamped children’s hospitals and some ICU wards.
7th Grader Opens Fire at School in Serbia, Killing 8 Children
A seventh grade student armed with pistols and Molotov cocktails shot and killed eight children and a security guard Wednesday in an attack against his school in the Serbian capital, Belgrade. Six children and a teacher were also injured in the attack. Saying the shooter “showed no remorse,” President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia confirmed that he had been arrested and taken to a mental health clinic. He would not be held criminally responsible for the killings because is younger than 14. The boy’s parents had also been arrested, the president said.
‘A New Spike’ in Global Temperatures in the Forecast
Forecasters from the World Meteorological Organization are reporting increased chances that the global climate pattern known as El Nino will arrive by the end of summer. With it comes increased chances for hotter-than-normal temperatures in 2024. While there is not yet a clear picture of how strong the El Nino event will be or how long it might last, even a relatively mild one could affect precipitation and temperature patterns around the world. “The development of an El Nino will most likely lead to a new spike in global heating and increase the chance of breaking temperature records,” said Petteri Taalas, the secretary-general of the organization.
For King Charles, Coronation Day Is a Step on a Tightrope Walk
It’s good to be the king. But it’s not without its traps, as King Charles III learned when the organizers of his coronation invited millions of Britons to pledge an oath of homage to the monarch during the ceremony Saturday. “A spectacular misjudgment,” said Graham Smith, whose group, Republic, wants to abolish the monarchy. The archbishop of Canterbury, who will preside over the service, insisted that the oath would be purely voluntary. It was meant as a democratizing gesture: At Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, only members of the hereditary aristocracy swore allegiance.
Floods and Landslides Kill More Than 120 in Rwanda
More than 120 people were killed in floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in Rwanda, the government said Wednesday, the highest death toll from a flood reported in a single day in the country’s recent history. Entire families were killed, injured or left homeless and in desperate need of assistance. The rains started Tuesday, but residents said some people were still trapped in their homes Wednesday, suggesting the number of deaths could rise. Emergency workers were deployed to rescue those caught by the floods, helping the injured and those trapped in their homes.
New Voter ID Rules Are Raising Hackles in Britain
The rituals around voting have changed little for decades in Britain, where electors give their names and addresses to polling station staff, are checked off a list and then handed a paper ballot to mark and cast in a box. But on Thursday, a new requirement will be added for those choosing thousands of elected representatives for municipalities in England: proof of identity. The move has unleashed a political storm in Britain. Critics claim the change could reduce turnout, discourage young people from voting and disenfranchise some minority voters and others who are less likely to have a passport or driver’s license.
By wire sources
