April 10 top stories
It is April 10. Here are today’s top stories.
Four killed in mass shooting in Louisville bank
This morning, a man carrying an AR-15-style rifle shot up a bank in downtown Louisville, Kentucky and killed at least four people. The bank’s name is the Old National Bank.
When police arrived at the bank about three minutes after getting calls, the shooter was still firing. Police and the gunman exchanged fire and the gunman died, but it is not clear if he committed suicide or was killed by police.
A survivor told local news that the shooter opened fire when he was in the back of the building in a conference room.
The shooter was identified as Connor Sturgeon, a 23-year-old man who worked at the bank.
The four victims’ names were Joshua Barrick (40), Thomas Elliot (63), Juliana Farmer (45), and James Tutt (64).
Several people were wounded in the shooting, including two police officers. One of them is in critical condition after being shot in the head.
Kentucky Gov. Beshear said two of his close friends were killed in the shooting and that the bank was his bank.
President Biden said that our nation is once again mourning after a senseless act of gun violence and called on Republicans in Congress to pass stricter gun laws.
Mother of elementary student who shot teacher now faces charges
The mother of the 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher at an elementary school in Virginia in January is now facing two criminal charges. A grand jury indicted the mother, named Deja Taylor, with felony child neglect and misdemeanor recklessly leaving a loaded firearm as to endanger a child.
Police said the gun was a 9mm Taurus pistol and that it was legally purchased by the boy’s mother.
The boy took a gun from his home and brought it to the elementary school. The teacher that was shot’s name is Abigail Zwerner. She was seriously injured but is expected to recover fully. Zwerner has filed a lawsuit against school officials for not doing more after they received warnings that the boy had a gun.
The boy had an acute disability and was under a care plan at the school that included either one of his parents attending school with him. On the day of the shooting, neither parent was with him.
Perry found guilty of murder, but Abbott wants pardon
On Friday, a jury in Austin found Daniel Perry guilty of murder. He is an Army veteran who shot and killed a BLM protester in July 2020 named Garrett Foster. Foster is also a veteran who served in the Air Force.
What happened? Perry was driving for Uber in downtown Austin during the same time there were protesters marching in the streets. Foster was a part of the march and he was openly carrying an AK-47 rifle, which is legal in Texas. Perry honked at the protesters and drove his car into the crowd. Foster and the other protesters confronted the car. Perry had a gun with him and shot at Foster, killing him. He then drove off and called the police and told them he shot Foster in self-defense.
During the trial, prosecutors said Perry ran a red light before the shooting and showed that his social media posts had language expressing anger and a desire to kill BLM protesters. The defense said Foster was at fault for carrying an AK-47. The jury convicted Perry of murder after deliberating for two days.
It seemed like the case was closed, but Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said he would pardon Perry because he believes he acted in self-defense. He said he’s requested authorities to look at the case and if they bring a recommendation to pardon to his desk, he will sign it.
The district attorney in Austin said a governor cannot get to decide whether a person is guilty or not. So this is now a big controversy in Texas, with the governor stepping in to change a murder verdict.
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Federal judge halts FDA approval of abortion pill
On Friday, a federal judge in Texas made a ruling that the FDA’s approval of an abortion pill called mifepristone is no good because it violated federal rules. The pill was approved by the FDA 20 years ago.
The judge, Matthew Kacsmaryk, put his decision on hold for a week to allow the Biden administration to file an appeal and they did on Friday night.
CBS News said the judge’s decision does not withdraw or suspend the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, but it has caused “chaos” in abortion access nationwide.
President Biden said if the ruling stands, then virtually any prescription that is approved by the FDA could become targeted by political groups.
Dalai Lama asks boy to suck his tongue, apologizes
The Dalai Lama, who is a major leader in Tibetan Buddhism, was seen in a video clip kissing a young boy on the lips and then asking him to suck his tongue. This was during a public event in February to honor 100 young students who graduated from a program.
Many people on social media expressed shock and said it was inappropriate and disgusting.
The Dalai Lama posted a statement saying he wants to apologize to the boy and his family for the “hurt his words may have caused.” He said he often teases people.
CNN said a prominent Delhi-based child rights group said what the Dalai Lama did had nothing to do with any kind of cultural expression and even if it is, “such cultural expressions are not acceptable.”
Massive California snowpack may cause flooding
California had one of the heaviest snow seasons in history and now there are serious concerns about flooding that may be caused by melting snow. The snowpack in central California mountains is between 200% to 300% above normal.
Authorities say river and stream flows will be at levels that have not been seen in years. The water will be flowing fast and be cold. Authorities are encouraging people in California to wait until summer before they do activities in the water or at least be aware of the dangers.
California’s Central Valley, an agricultural region, may face severe flooding. The Washington Post said towns in the valley are preparing by laying sandbags, declaring emergencies, and preparing levees. Flooding could happen in May or June.
That’s all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://apnews.com/article/downtown-louisville-shooting-dc7b45a9c5d2b384a16d653864f8b735
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/04/08/california-snowpack-flooding-worries/
https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/louisville-kentucky-shooting-04-10-23/index.html
https://abcnews.go.com/US/virginia-mom-facing-charges-6-year-shot-teacher/story?id=98479923
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/04/07/daniel-perry-austin-protest-garrett-foster/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-judge-halts-fda-approval-of-abortion-pill-mifepristone/
https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/10/india/dalai-lama-apology-kissing-boy-video-intl-hnk/index.html
https://www.sierrasun.com/news/snow-load-to-snowmelt-officials-urge-caution-this-spring/