April 17 top stories

It is April 17. Here are today’s top stories.

Black teen shot after going to wrong house

Kansas City Star reported a 16-year-old high school junior, Ralph Yarl, was shot twice in the head and in the arm after knocking on the wrong door. What happened? His parents asked him to pick up his brothers at a residence on 115th Terrace, in the city’s northeast, but he instead went to a residence on 115th street on Thursday night. Kansas City Police said they were dispatched to the area around 10pm and transported him to a hospital.

Yarl’s aunt said a shooter opened the door, saw Ralph and shot him in the head. When Ralph fell to the ground, she said the shooter shot him again. Ralph got up, fled the property and went to three different homes for help before someone assisted him. The family also said Yarl was unarmed and the shooter is white.

Police Chief Graves said without mentioning their gender and race, the homeowner was taken into custody and put on a 24-hour hold then released. The suspect is no longer in jail and that is sparking protests across the city and attention from celebrities and politicians across the country.

Yarl’s aunt started GoFundMe and raised over 1 million dollars. His aunt described Yarl as a fantastic kid who is passionate about music and academics. She said Yarl hoped to one day attend Texas A&M to study chemical engineering and to travel to West Africa.

Explosive thrown at Japan PM

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated unharmed Saturday after someone threw an explosive device in his direction. He visited a town to support his ruling party’s candidate in a local election.

In the video, you can see the pipe rolling on the floor as his bodyguard acted fast pushing it with his bulletproof briefcase before he went to rescue the PM. Kishida was able to whip around, saw the pipe being scooted away and took cover.

[video clip: https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1647544233438461955?s=20]

Police tackled a suspect to the ground working to remove the tube from his hands. A large explosion was heard near where Kishida had been standing. The crowd screamed and scattered in panic to get away.

The Japanese officials refused to comment on the suspect’s motive and background, saying police are still investigating. This is the second attack against a leading Japanese politician during a campaign tour in less than a year. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot by a homemade gun while delivering an election campaign speech in July last year.

Alabama birthday party shooting

The local news reported four people were killed and 28 injured during a shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party Saturday night in Dadeville, Alabama. At least fifteen teenagers were shot and taken to a local hospital. The shootings rocked the small city of 3,200. Dadeville is situated in east Alabama, about 57 miles northeast of Montgomery, Alabama.

The shooting happened around 10:30 pm and there was no confirmation about what led to the shooting, said the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). They promise a swift, thorough investigation into this matter.

Tallapoosa County coroner identified the victims as Shaunkivia Smith, 17, Marsiah Collins, 19, Corbin Holston, 23, and Philstavious Dowdell, 18.

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Sudan: rival armed forces clash for control

At least 97 civilians have been killed in three days of intense battle between Sudan’s military and a powerful paramilitary force as two rival generals compete for power.

The country’s capital, Khartoum, saw heavy fighting with airstrikes, shelling and gunfire. Shops are shut and food is running low with the streets deserted. The main international airport has also been damaged, with flights suspended.

Sudan has been known for its history of military coups and civil conflicts since it gained independence in the 1950s. Only four years ago, the country ousted long-time autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir.

In a rare moment of unity, the US, Britain, Russia and China have all called for an end to the unrest in the country.

FBI arrests Chinese agents

The FBI has arrested two individuals, Liu Jianwang, 61 and Chen Jinping, 59, associated with operating a Chinese “secret police station” in New York City’s Chinatown Monday. The “police station” has been shut down since a search warrant was executed at the location last fall.

The Justice Department also announced charges against 34 officers working for China national police for harassing Chinese nationals in the US critical of the Chinese government. They worked to silence dissidents within the United States.

All 34 of the defendants are believed to live in China and remain at large. The officers were part of an effort by the Chinese government called the “912 Special Project Working Group” to influence global perceptions of China. In addition, the agents allegedly used threats to intimidate people into skipping pro-democracy protests within the US.

That is all the top stories for today and stay with the light!

Kansas teen:

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article274380535.html

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/17/us/kansas-city-teen-shot-wrong-house/index.html

Japan PM:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/14/world/asia/japan-prime-minister-blast-fumio-kishida.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65284306

Alabama shooting:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/4-killed-multiple-injuries-alabama-shooting-rcna79925

https://www.wvtm13.com/article/multiple-deaths-alabama-shooting/43610885

Sudan:

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/sudan-military-rivals-fight-power-killing-least-25-2023-04-16/