Mass shooting in Wisconsin cemetery during funeral. 5 people were shot

By Edward Era Barbacena

Racine police described the shooting as a "critical" incident and urged people to stay away.

The Draeger-Langendorg Funeral Home and Crematory confirms to TMJ4 News that a funeral during that time was for Da'Shontay L. King Sr. The worker at the funeral home said King's family members were hit. All funeral home staff are OK, they said.

Several shots were fired, but it's not known exactly how many, Racine police tweeted.

Family previously identified Da'Shontay King Sr. as the man who a Racine police officer shot and killed on March 20.

Police said then that an officer attempted a traffic stop for a firearms investigation.

Police said King got out of the vehicle armed with a firearm.

The officer ordered the suspect to stop and comply with commands, but he refused. The officer opened fire. King was pronounced dead at the scene.

Law enforcement is asking the public to avoid the area.

 

Three dead in latest mass shooting to plague the US: Gunman opens fire in Iowa church parking lot killing two young women and himself

By Edward Era Barbacena

A shooting outside of a church in Iowa on Thursday evening left two young women and the male gunman dead. 

The shooting took place in the parking lot of the Cornerstone Church in Ames, Iowa, shortly before 7pm. 

A youth ministry program was taking place inside the church at the time of the shooting.

A statement from a representative of the church characterized the victims as being 'young members' of the church community, though their ages are not known. It is believed the gunman shot himself.

The representative described the shooter as an 'adult male.' 

Story County Sheriff Capt. Nicholas Lennie said that 911 calls reporting the shooting began to come in at 6:51pm on Thursday evening.

The shooting took place in the parking lot as people were inside the church attending the weekly Salt Company youth ministry event. 

Two young women were killed before the gunman died from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot, according to police. None of their ages or identities are known, but a representative of the youth ministry group said the victims were members of the church.   

'We are grieving deeply,' said Mark Vance, of the Salt Company youth ministry at the Cornerstone Church, 'Tonight, a tragic shooting occurred involving two young members of our Cornerstone Church community. It is believed that an adult male shot these two victims and then took his own life.

Vance declined to give further details about the incident, citing the ongoing investigation. 

Churchgoers reportedly remained on the grounds and inside the church for hours after the shooting, and photos from the scene show groups of people hugging one another in tears.

Law enforcement has not released any information about the weapon used in the shooting, or suspected motivations. 

In a tweet, Iowa governor Kim Reynolds characterized the shooting as 'senseless violence.'

'Tonight's act of senseless violence took the lives of two innocent victims at their place of worship. Kevin and I grieve for the families who have suffered an unfathomable loss.' 

The shooting is the latest in a string of mass-shootings that have plagued the US in recent weeks. 

On May 14, an 18-year old white supremacist, Payton Gendron, murdered 10 people inside a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, with an assault rifle.

Then on May 24, another 18-year-old shooter murdered 19 elementary school students and two teachers at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. 

The following holiday weekend there were at least 14 'mass shootings' across the US according to the Gun Violence Archive, an institute tracking shootings in the country. 

On June 1, 45-year old Michael Louis shot four people dead at the Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was targeting a doctor he blamed for his chronic back pain. 

In a rare evening address on Thursday, President Biden characterized American communities as 'killing fields,' while calling for a ban on assault weapons. 

'Enough, enough. It's time for each of us to do our part,' the president said, 'For the children we've lost. For the children we can save. For the nation we love.' 

 

The Philippine NBI is on a hunt for former Comelec chief Andy Bautista in the United States 

By Edward Era Barbacena

Source: CNN

It's been almost two years, but former Commission on Elections chief Andres Bautista has managed to walk free in the United States despite a standing arrest warrant issued by the Senate.

As we all know, Bautista, was an ally of the opposition's liberal party during the Aquino Administration and he even received blessings from the catholic priests  Cardinal Tagle by washing his feet within the bounds of the catholic church on March 24, 2016 which was published by ABSCBN.

This was among issues raised during the Senate debates on the ₱22-billion budget of the Department of Justice for 2020. Its attached agency, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), said it has yet to find a way to capture Bautista, who was impeached by the House of Representatives in 2017 amid allegations of unexplained wealth.

Before an impeachment trial could stretch longer, Bautista resigned from his post October that year. The complaint stemmed from allegations made by his estranged wife, Patricia, that he accepted commissions on referred cases, had ghost employees, and went on questionable trips.

It was later on discovered that Bautista has flown to the US On November 21, 2017. He refused to return to the Philippines despite a subpoena to attend a Senate probe, citing "medical challenges", and added that he never received the summons sent by lawmakers.

"They (NBI) said he is really in the US. They are studying their next moves," Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara said during the plenary debates. He added that the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) said the Office of the Ombudsman has been coordinating with their office regarding the case.

Prior to his stint as Comelec chief, Bautista was head of the PCGG and was dean of the Institute of Law of the Far Eastern University

Former Commission on Elections chief Andres Bautista (FILE)

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 20) — It's been almost two years, but former Commission on Elections chief Andres Bautista has managed to walk free in the United States despite a standing arrest warrant issued by the Senate.

This was among issues raised during the Senate debates on the ₱22-billion budget of the Department of Justice for 2020. Its attached agency, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), said it has yet to find a way to capture Bautista, who was impeached by the House of Representatives in 2017 amid allegations of unexplained wealth.

Before an impeachment trial could stretch longer, Bautista resigned from his post October that year. The complaint stemmed from allegations made by his estranged wife, Patricia, that he accepted commissions on referred cases, had ghost employees, and went on questionable trips.

It was later on discovered that Bautista has flown to the US On November 21, 2017. He refused to return to the Philippines despite a subpoena to attend a Senate probe, citing "medical challenges", and added that he never received the summons sent by lawmakers.

Senate President Tito Sotto sought for an update into his case.

READ: Senate panel wants ex-Comelec chief arrested for skipping probe despite subpoena

"They (NBI) said he is really in the US. They are studying their next moves," Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara said during the plenary debates. He added that the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) said the Office of the Ombudsman has been coordinating with their office regarding the case.

Prior to his stint as Comelec chief, Bautista was head of the PCGG and was dean of the Institute of Law of the Far Eastern University.

Bautista's wife presented documents to the NBI to reveal more than ₱335 million in local and foreign bank accounts that were not disclosed in the public official’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities, alongside 14 real properties said to be worth over ₱300 million.

She also accused Bautista of having a "gift-wrapped" cash package in their home. Bautista denied all these claims, instead saying that his wife stole his cash, bank cards, and other documents in 2016 and accusing her of extortion.

Patricia's lawyer Lorna Kapunan wrote in a BusinessMirror column on Monday that Bautista was spotted roaming the US in a "comfortable self-exile". She pointed out Facebook posts that showed Bautista attending the screening of the documentary film The Kingmaker there, which tackles the life and wealth of former First Lady Imelda marcos.

 

Racist white woman and a mother Cheryl Hampton

Illinois Attorney General files hate crime lawsuit against white woman Cheryl Hampton and her son  Chad Hampton accused of harassing Black neighbor

Racist family built lynching mockup to intimidate Black neighbor:

By Edward Era Barbacena

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed the office's first-ever hate crime lawsuit on May 31 against two Carroll County white racist residents.

The lawsuit, filled in the 15th Judicial Court, is against two white Carroll County residents who allegedly spent months intimidating their neighbor, who is a Black man. The complaint alleges the two committed a hate crime by intimidation and disorderly conduct, and the lawsuit seeks civil penalties and equitable relief.

According to the lawsuit, Chad Hampton, 45, of Victoria, Illinois, and his mother, Cheryl Hampton, 67, of Streator, Illinois, allegedly engaged in months of racist behavior aimed at intimidating their neighbor, Gregory Johnson.

The defendants displayed the N-word in front of a Confederate flag in a window facing Johnson's home, and Chad Hampton had allegedly previously displayed swastikas in direct view of Johnson's home. Raoul said the harassment came to a head when the Hamptons used a noose to hang a bound and chained effigy of a Black man-made to resemble Johnson from a tree in direct view of his home.

“I looked out of my new home at a Black-faced mannequin shackled and lynched on a tree branch, the N-word scrawled upon a window, and swastikas,” Johnson said in a press release Wednesday. “Our American flag was replaced with their Confederate flag. Have we not come any farther than this? This lawsuit is about tearing off the shackles that still restrain us to this day. It’s about never giving up on the mission of our United States Constitution. We, as a nation, are better than this.”

The Carroll County State's Attorney's office has charged Chad Hampton with criminal destruction of property and Cheryl Hampton with criminal harassment of a witness.

Raoul filed the lawsuit following a hate crimes investigation by his office's Civil Rights Bureau with assistance from the Carroll County State's Attorney's office, the City of Savanna and the Savanna Police Department.

A 2018 amendment to the Illinois Hate Crimes Act allows for civil lawsuits to be filed against perpetrators of hate crimes. This is the first time Raoul has filed such a lawsuit.

“Our complaint alleges the defendants intentionally used the shameful history of lynching and racism in America to terrorize and instill fear in their next-door neighbor simply because he is Black. No one should be subjected to this kind of hate,” Raoul said. “I am committed to continuing to partner with law enforcement agencies across Illinois to prosecute hate crimes and send a message that hate and bigotry of any kind are not welcome and will not be tolerated.”

 

Utah woman sentenced to jail for role in Jan. 6 Capitol riot

She also faces three years of probation and $500 in restitution.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A 58-year-old Kaysville woman was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in jail and three years on probation for her role in the January 6 Capitol insurrection.

Janet Buhler pleaded guilty on January 13 to a single count of count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Thus far, she is the only Utahn to serve jail time of the eight arrested in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, which happened as members of Congress gathered to certify the election of President Joe Biden.

Buhler was arrested in Salt Lake City on July 30. She was originally charged with four other counts: knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority; disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building; entering or remaining in the Gallery of Congress; and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.

The other charges were dismissed when she was sentenced, per her plea agreement with federal prosecutors, court records indicate.

According to court documents, investigators identified Buhler when reviewing footage taken inside the U.S. Capitol of Michael Lee Hardin, a retired Salt Lake City Police officer and Buhler’s stepson-in-law.

Hardin was sentenced in April for the same charge, and was ordered to 18 months of probation and 60 hours of community service, along with a fine of $500 in restitution.

Footage obtained by investigators showed that Buhler and Hardin entered the Senate gallery for about a minute at 2:44 p.m. on January 6, 2021. The two were in the Capitol for a total of about 28 minutes, documents state.

Two witnesses positively identified the woman in the footage as Buhler, and cellphone data confirmed she was using a cell site that includes service to the interior of the U.S. Capitol building, documents state.

After she serves 30 days in jail, Buhler will be placed on probation for three years. She also was ordered to pay $500 in restitution.

 

4 people were killed in a mass shooting in Tulsa, Oklahoma, hospital campus .

Another day of mass shooting in the land of the free

By Edward Era Barbacena

Source: CNN

At least four people were killed Wednesday in a shooting on a hospital campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma, police said in a news conference Wednesday evening.

The gunman is also dead, police said. Authorities believe the shooter's gunshot wound was self-inflicted, Tulsa Police Department Deputy Chief Eric Dalgleish said in the news conference.

Dispatchers received a call about an active shooter at the Natalie Medical Building, a physicians' office building on the St. Francis Hospital campus, at roughly 4:52 p.m. local time, Dalgleish said.

Officers responded to the scene at roughly 4:56 p.m. and made contact with victims and the suspect roughly five minutes later, Dalgleish said. The officers who arrived could hear shots inside the building, which directed them to the second floor, according to the deputy chief.

"The scene is fairly limited to one section of that floor, on the second floor," Dalgleish said. No officers were injured, he added.

Investigators are interviewing witnesses that were in the building, Dalgleish said.

Police said they are "getting close" to identifying the suspect, who Dalgleish said had one rifle and one handgun with him.

A 'catastrophic' scene

Earlier Wednesday, Richard Meulenberg, with police, said authorities were continuing to evacuate "multiple floors" of the building, which included "hundreds of rooms and hundreds of people."

"We're treating this as a catastrophic scene right now," Meulenberg said.

There has been a reunification site set up for family members and friends at Memorial High School west of LaFortune Park, police added.

President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting, a White House official said. The White House is closely monitoring the situation and has reached out to state and local officials to offer support.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also assisting on scene, the ATF Dallas Field Division said on Twitter

'I just knew that it was a shooting'

Debra Proctor was in another building on the hospital campus for a doctor's appointment when she heard police sirens ringing out.

When she stepped outside, first responders were lined up everywhere, she told CNN. Proctor, who has been a registered nurse for more than four decades, said it was a "shocking" scene.

"Police were everywhere in the parking lot, up and down the surrounding blocks," Proctor said. "They were still arriving when I was leaving."

Kalen Davis, a lifelong Tulsa resident, was waiting in traffic around 5 p.m. local time when she saw multiple police cars responding to the scene.

In a video she shared with CNN, authorities can be seen running toward a building with their guns drawn. Two officers are seen taking long guns out of their trunks as more emergency vehicles race to the scene.

"I just knew that it was a shooting situation because I saw police running with rifles," Davis, 45, told CNN. "That's when I got emotional."

 

Jury rules in favor of Johnny Depp in defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard

The jury awarded compensatory damages in the amount of $10 million, and punitive damages of $5 million.

By Edward Era Barbacena

On Wednesday, a jury in Virginia determined that Johnny Depp won his libel lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

The jury awarded compensatory damages in the amount of $10 million, and punitive damages of $5 million. Notably, Virginia has a $350,000 cap on punitive damages, which the judge adjusted in Depp's case following the reading of the verdict. 

The jury also awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages for the defamation counterclaim that she filed against Depp, in which Heard said that she was defamed when Depp’s lawyer claimed that her abuse allegations were a hoax.

The jury ruled unanimously in favor of Depp in his case, responding yes to every question asked on whether he had proved that Heard had acted with actual malice, and that statements made by Heard in regards to Depp were false.

In regards to Heard’s countersuit, the jury found that she had, only in some cases, proven her case of defamation against Depp.

The jury deliberated for around 12 hours over the course of three days, the Associated Press reported. Notably, Depp was not present at the court for the decision. He appeared over the weekend in the UK performing at a concert.

Depp filed the $50 million lawsuit against Heard, in which he accuses her of libeling him in a 2018 op-ed that she wrote for the Washington Post, describing herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse."

The trial took place in Fairfax, Virginia because the Washington Post's servers are located in the state.

Each person accused the other of destroying their careers. Both are actors, with Depp most famously starring in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, and Heard playing the role of Meta in the DC comics movie "Aquaman."

The two were married between 2015 and 2017. Heard filed for divorce in 2016, and was granted a temporary restraining order after she claimed that Depp had thrown a phone at her, leaving her with bruises, according to NBC.

Heard testified that Depp had physically and sexually assaulted her more than a dozen times over that time span.

During her time on the stand, Heard recalled Depp resuming a lifestyle of drug usage and heavy drinking, stating in graphic detail the abuse she allegedly received from Depp.

She said that Depp was controlling and jealous, and that on more than one occasion she feared for her life.

Jurors were shows photos of an injured Heard, as well as expletive-riddled emails and text messages between the couple.

Depp testified though that these allegations were made up, and that he never abused her. He instead claimed that Heard was the one who physically attacked him on multiple occasions.

"Never did I, myself, reach the point of striking Ms. Heard in any way, nor have I ever struck any woman in my life," Depp said while speaking from the stand, according to the Washington Post.

Depp told the jurors that Heard would frequently berate him, and that she would sometimes "strike out" physically in a violent way.

The jury was shows a photo of Depp, who had a bruise on his face, taken by a security guard after Heard had hit him. Another photo showed his face with scrapes on it which occurred after another argument.

Depp said that Heard had been the "perfect partner" for the first year to 18 months of their relationship, but that soon changed to one where the two got into arguments.

Depp also said that Heard had "grossly embellished" his "quote-unquote substance abuse."

According to the Associated Press, jurors had to determine in both claims whether statements were made with "actual malice," "meaning they knew what they were saying was false, or were acting with a reckless disregard for the truth."