Student shot at Md. high school; suspect held

By ALEX DOMINGUEZ | Associated Press

PERRY HALL, Md. (AP) — A 15-year-old student opened fire on the first day of classes Monday at aBaltimore County high school, getting off two shots and wounding a classmate before being rushed byteachers, authorities said.

Investigators do not believe the victim, a 17-year-old male, was targeted by the shooter, a 15-year-old who is also a student at Perry Hall High School, Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson said. The 15-year-old boy was taken into custody after the shooting and was cooperating with investigators, police said. Police took the weapon, although they did not say what kind of gun it was.

Johnson said at about 10:45 a.m., a student walked into the cafeteria and pulled out a gun. He fired one shot before being grabbed by teachers, and then another shot went off as teachers grabbed him, Johnson said.

Johnson said the shooter acted alone. He did not answer numerous questions from reporters about a motive.

Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger said it was too early to know what charges the shooter would face. Police said they would work with prosecutors to determine whether he would be charged as an adult.

The victim remained in critical condition at Maryland Shock Trauma Center on Monday evening, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Jordan Coates, a 17-year-old student who was in the cafeteria at the time of the shooting, said the student used a shotgun. Coates said he watched teachers, including guidance counselor Jesse Wasmer, pin the student against a vending machine.

"My back was to the door. I heard a pop and thought it was a bag because people do that, but then I heard another one," Coates told The Associated Press. "And I turned around and a teacher had a kid pinned up against the vending machine, and I saw the barrel, and another shot goes off and people just start running."

Coates credited Wasmer with helping to stop the shooting, and numerous students took to Twitter to thank him.

"He grabbed the gun from the kid and got him" until other teachers came over, Coates said.

Kelsey Long, a junior at Perry Hall who was in the cafeteria, said she also thought the first gunshot was someone popping a bag.

"But then we heard it again and again and everyone started screaming and ran out to the front of the school," Long told The Associated Press in a Twitter message.

Detectives were interviewing the suspected shooter Monday afternoon, Baltimore County police spokeswoman Elise Armacost said. Officers spent several hours searching the school and found no other weapons or suspicious materials, she said.

Although no one other than the 17-year-old was shot, several people suffered cuts and bruises in the ensuing melee, Armacost said.

"We have some heroic and brave faculty members," Schools Superintendent Dallas Dance said. "They responded very quickly to minimize damage."

Seth Warner, a youth pastor at the Faith Fellowship Church across from the high school who graduated in 1999 with Wasmer, said he was not surprised to hear that the guidance counselor had intervened. He described Wasmer as "not big, but built."

"I knew that if anyone could take him down, it would be Jesse," Warner said.

The school was evacuated, and students were escorted to a nearby shopping center and middle school.

Perry Hall is a middle-class community along the Interstate 95 corridor, northeast of Baltimore city. The school is the largest in the county, with 2,200 students.

County Councilman David Marks, who lives next door to the school, said he had received dozens of phone calls and text messages from worried parents and residents.

"This is a very comfortable, very safe community, and it's an excellent high school," said Marks, who graduated from Perry Hall. "I think this is an aberration, but clearly one that is horrifying, particularly on the first day of school."

Police planned to provide additional security when the school reopens on Tuesday, and stress counselors were called in to work with students, faculty and staff.

Television coverage showed scores of police cars surrounding the school and parked on neighborhood streets. A group of officers with weapons drawn staked out a corner of the building, one of them lying prone on the ground and appearing to cover a particular area of the campus. Hundreds of students streamed away from the school.

Cathy Le, 15, said students were panicking as they tried to find out what was happening. They texted and called each other frantically as they were locked in their classrooms for more than an hour, she said.

At the scene, buses, emergency vehicles and parents in cars filled the roadway between the high school and the shopping center. There were obvious signs of relief displayed as parents found their children.

Kristin Kraus, whose son James attends the school, described hearing about the shooting as "absolute terror." However, Kraus said, "within a couple of minutes he texted my husband that he was OK."

___

Associated Press writer Ben Nuckols in Washington contributed to this report.

Commentary: Every parent's worst fear is hearing about a shooting at their child's school. As schools around the country have started up again, this is the last thing any parent wants to hear. It's sad that the youth of today are using assorted means of venting their frustrations that often end violently. Thankfully bystanders were able to apprehend the shooter before anymore serious damage or possible deaths could have occurred. 

Since the time God has been removed from all schools, these things seemingly have been occurring more frequently. Prayer should be restored in all schools like it used to be, perhaps this sort of violent outbursts wouldn't occur as often. I hope all the other students and teachers shall be able to gradually move on.

Empire State Building Shooting Suspect Kept Firing After Victim Fell - ABC News

Empire State Building Shooting Suspect Kept Firing After Victim Fell - ABC News

By RICHARD ESPOSITO, MARK CRUDELE, RUSSELL GOLDMAN (@GoldmanRussell) ,CANDACE SMITH (@CandaceSmith_) and LEE FERRAN

Aug. 24, 2012

The gunman who triggered a wild shootout in front of the Empire State Building today gunned down a former work acquaintance without saying a word, and stood over his prone victim to pump more bullets into him, police said today.

The shooter, identified by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as Jeffrey Johnson, pulled his gun a second time when confronted by two police officers a half block away and pointed it at the police.

He was cut down in a hail of 16 bullets that left Johnson riddled with 10 bullet holes. Nine bystanders were also wounded by what police believe were ricochets, police said.

Johnson, 58, was lurking outside a building adjacent to the Empire State Building, ABC News station WABC in New York reported. The building housed Hazan Imports Corp., which had once contracted with Johnson to design T-shirts, police told WABC.

Johnson's relationship with the company ended bitterly a year ago in a dispute with the company's account executive, Steven Ercolino, 41, police said.

A friend of Ercolino's who witnessed the shooting told police that she noticed Johnson, who was wearing a suit and carrying a black bag, outside the building. She saw him walk up to Ercolino and without saying a word, fire five times at the victim and keep firing as Ercolino slumped to the ground, police told WABC.

Ercolino's father was heartbroken.

"Steven was a wonderful son. He was very good son and person," Frank Ercolino of Warwick, N.Y., told ABC News.

Johnson calmly walked away from the shooting, the witness told police, but New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said he was followed by a construction worker. The worker alerted two New York Police Department officers who confronted Johnson.

Johnson pulled his gun again, held the gun chest high and extended his arm, police told WABC.

The two cops, who were about eight feet away from Johnson, opened fire, killing Johnson.

"He tried to shoot at the cops," Bloomberg said. "We do not know if he got any shots off."

Police told WABC Johnson had a .45-caliber handgun and there was an extra clip of bullets in his bag.

Johnson was struck at least seven times and some of the 10 bullet holes were exit wounds, authorities said.

The nearby curb was lined with large cement flower pots meant to thwart an attempted car bomb, and some were damaged, WABC reported.

Witness George King told ABC News he watched several people around him struck by bullets.

"I heard multiple gunshots, I'd say about 12 of them," he said. "I thought they were firecrackers, at first. I didn't know what was going on. Everyone started running for cover along with me. The girl that was running next to me fell down to the pavement and, when I looked at her, I could see she had been hit in the leg. She was bleeding from the leg.

"I noticed about five people who had been struck on the sidewalk or the street," he said.

Another witness to the shooting, Cyrus Balanlayos, told ABC News he was on a bus just outside the Empire State building when he heard several very quick gunshots.

"I looked up and saw hundreds of people running north. It seemed like a Godzilla film," Balanlayos said. "I saw two bodies on the ground right in front of the bus."

Balanlayos said that after he got off the bus he saw another two other people who appeared to have been shot -- a man and a woman.

"All I heard was, 'Oh my god, Oh my god,'" he said.

Police told WABC that Johnson legally bought his gun in Sarasota, Fla., in 1991. He illegally brought it to New York City, which has strict gun laws.

Commentary: It breaks my heart when a tragedy such as this occurs, innocent lives are taken. The gunman really didn't care about his actions. May God guide the families effected by this unfortunate tragedy, bestow strength upon them to gradually move on.

Keauhou Beach Hotel to close, 112 to lose jobs - Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

Keauhou Beach Hotel to close, 112 to lose jobs - Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

By Rich Meiers - email

 

 

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KEAUHOU, BIG ISLAND (HawaiiNewsNow) -

112 people will lose their jobs when the Keauhou Beach Hotel on the Big Island closes in late October.

Kamehameha Schools made that announced Wednesday.

"This hotel has been a place of rest and play for so many people in its past 40 years - myself included," said Kamehameha Schools CEO Dee Jay Mailer. "Despite the good work of many committed and talented people, financial losses at the hotel over the last six years have been substantial."

Outrigger Hotels manages the property.

Kamehameha Schools says Outrigger Hotel management & ILWU leaders have been told of the decision and have met with the majority of the hotel employees to let them know of this difficult decision in person.

"The decision has been very difficult because of its impact on the people here." said KBH's Kyle Chock. "Many of these employees have given years of dedicated service to the Keauhou Beach Hotel, and we owe them our sincerest thanks and appreciation. We along with Outrigger management and the ILWU, will do all we can to assist those affected by the closure."

Once the hotel closes, property will be turned over to Kamehameha Schools.

Kamehameha Schools says planning is underway to demolish the hotel in order to create the opportunity for KS to re-claim and restore a portion of the cultural landscape in Kahalu'u ma kai that has been covered or impacted by the hotel and its surrounding structures for decades.

"We envision creating a place for teaching and learning of applied Hawaiian knowledge. A place where a broad range of culture and aina based learning experiences that recognize and respect the legacy of this place and out kupuna," said

Greg Chun, Vice President of KS' Keauhou-Kahaluu Education Group.

Kamehameha Schools CEO Dee Jay Mailer noted that KBH, KS and various independent consultants had, over the last 18 months, studied a number of options as alternatives to closing the hotel, but the analyses came to the same conclusion: selling, renovating or re-purposing the hotel would create an unacceptable financial risk for Kamehameha Schools and its educational mission.

Commentary: It's never fun seeing a long time business closing its doors, however, with the current state of the economy, this was probably the best decision management had to make. I do hope when the property is used for something else, that it may provide jobs for those losing theirs because of the hotel closing its doors.

Gasoline prices jump 5 cents in one day after Richmond refinery fire

By George Avalos Contra Costa Times RICHMOND -- Gasoline prices jumped in the Bay Area by at least 5 cents a gallon Wednesday after a disastrous fire at Chevron's Richmond refinery that shut down a crucial distilling unit, guaranteeing higher gas prices for Northern California for months to come. "This unit is the heart of the refinery," said Bob van der Valk, a Montana-based fuel price analyst. "Without this crude distillation unit in operation, Chevron can't refine products." He and other analysts said the damage to the refinery, which produces 20 to 25 percent of the gasoline for Northern California, could push gas prices higher for the rest of 2012 and perhaps into 2013. "The East Bay, San Jose area, San Francisco and all the other parts of the Bay Area will be hit by $4-a-gallon gasoline in the next 24 to 48 hours," said Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy. "Supply is very tight on the West Coast." Analysts noted that a similar fire that engulfed a key unit at a refinery in Washington state shut down production there for a four-month stretch from February to June. "Chevron is still putting out hot spots in the area of the original fire," van der Valk said. "They won't be able to do anything there for months." The crude distillation unit that the fire knocked out at the Richmond refinery provides the first step in transforming crude oil into motor fuels and other transportation fuels and products, according to Justin Higgs, a Chevron spokesman. The damaged unit, the only one of its kind at the refinery, supplies most of the feedstock that other production units require later in the refining process. Chevron on Wednesday was shuttling materials that had already been distilled to the other production units at the refinery, and also continued to refine feedstock it had previously bought. "We continue to operate, we continue to supply product," Higgs said. But Higgs declined to provide specifics on current production levels, or to say how long it would take to repair the damage from the fire. Average gasoline prices jumped 6 cents in the East Bay and the South Bay, and 5 cents in San Francisco by evening Wednesday over what they had been late Tuesday, according to a survey by the GasBuddy online site. "Five or 6 cents a gallon, you might see that sort of increase in a week, but to have that in one day, that shows how significant the refinery fire is," DeHaan said. "Five or 6 cents in a day, that's a lot." The average price of gasoline was $3.93 a gallon in the South Bay, $3.91 in the East Bay and $3.99 in San Francisco on Wednesday, GasBuddy reported. "There is definitely a price spike going on," said Gregg Laskoski, a senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy. "There is no question the fire at the Richmond refinery is the catalyst for this." Chevron's Richmond refinery can handle 244,000 barrels of oil a day. In addition to producing 20 to 25 percent of the gasoline used in Northern California, it also supplies about 50 percent of the jet fuel used at the major airports in the region. "They are probably running at half capacity at the Richmond refinery," van der Valk said. "They can bring in blended stocks from other parts of the world, such as from the huge Chevron refinery in India. That could take two months to get here. Chevron will just try to hobble along for a while at the refinery." Other challenges have surfaced that have contributed to the gasoline price problems on the West Coast. For one thing, refinery inventories are low because refinery operators don't want to be caught with a oversupply of summer fuel ahead of the annual switch to winter fuel blends Oct. 1. And the Valero refinery in Benicia has suffered some hiccups lately. "There are big problems in California right now," Laskoski said. Commentary: It's often not too surprising how gas prices suddenly spike upward whenever a refinery has a malfunction that occurs. It's even more interesting that Chevron hasn't become better prepared for these type of situations through the years.

Colt Brennan investigated for felony drug possession and DUI - Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

Colt Brennan investigated for felony drug possession and DUI - Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

Story by Tim Sakahara for Hawaii News Now

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -

Colt Brennan is one of the all time favorite University of Hawaii athletes and fans are disappointed to hear he's been arrested for felony drug possession and drunk driving.

At noon former UH star quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Colt Brennan was released pending investigation from the Honolulu Police Station.  He got into his attorney's Bentley and immediately got on his cell phone, no doubt talking about what happened 12 hours earlier.

Police say he was arrested in Kailua for drunk driving and promoting a dangerous drug in the third degree which is a felony.  Lab tests have not revealed what the powdery substance was.  The fact it's a "dangerous" drug means it is more serious than marijuana which is listed as a "harmful" drug under Hawaii law.

"There is more here as to how you get to being on top of the mountain to being in the gutter somewhere," said Michael Green, Brennan's Attorney. "How did I get here? Not why he got arrested but how did I wind up in jail. From being at the very top to being in a cell on Beretania Street. So I would describe his demeanor as pure sadness."

The rental car sat in the parking lot in front of the businesses at the corner of Kailua Road and Uluoa Street where Brennan was arrested.  A hat, gum and Bob Marley cigarette papers sat on the front seat.

Green says the traffic stop may not have been justified.  Brennan was stopped for going 10 miles per hour over the speed limit.  Green also says the drugs could have belonged to the rental car's previous customer.

Brennan had recently returned to Hawaii.  He had plans on staying permanently and is said to have been meeting with another local television station earlier in the day.

"Interviewing about him doing some work for them, piece work where they would pay him for various projects he did for them and he wound up being downtown and he stayed later walking around, hanging out kicking back and walked into a club or a place he knew and ran into somebody and having some drinks and went back home to Kailua where he was staying. He gets stopped on a traffic offense and winds up sitting in the can," said Green.

The arrest doesn't help his job prospects in TV or especially as a professional athlete.  The man who used to throw spirals for touchdowns now appears to have a spiraling career.

"When you get this kind of a case (teams) won't touch you after that. They worry about substance abuse problems," said Green.

"It's pretty shocking and pretty sad," said Gordon Ahnee, Kailua resident who lives near the arrest scene.  "You would think he left all that behind him but unfortunately I don't think so."

"It sends a very bad message to the kids. Especially those idolized him," said Darrylnn Ferreira, Kailua resident.

Brennan was released pending investigation and has not been charged, therefore there was no need to post bail.  No court date has been set.

Last month, Brennan was released by the Saskatchewan Roughriders two days before the first preseason game. He was competing for a back-up position on the Canadian Football League team.

Brennan was originally a sixth round pick of the Washington Redskins in the 2008 draft. He spent a short amount of time with the Oakland Raiders and Hartford Colonials of the UFL.

Back in Nov. 2010, Brennan was involved in a head-on vehicle crash on the Big Island.

Brennan's girlfriend at the time, Shakti Stream, was driving an SUV that crossed the center line and collided into a car driven by Dr. Theresa Wang.

Stream and Brennan were both hospitalized for less than a week. However, Wang needed more treatment.

Wang was taken to the Queen's Medical Center where she was in a coma for weeks. She was then transported to a Colorado rehab hospital that specializes in brain and spinal cord injuries.

Brennan says he does not remember the crash or the days after it.

Stay with HawaiiNewsNow.com for the latest updates on this story.

Commentary: It seems Colt has been making many poor choices lately that have gotten him into the spotlight for the wrong reason. Although he enjoyed a successful college football career, Colt has never been able to put it together in the NFL or even the CFL. Time will tell what happens in this current matter Colt finds himself in. It's sad when a talented athlete makes poor choices, without realizing their possible full potential in a professional league.

Colt could possibly tryout in the Arena Football League, he could possibly enjoy a successful career there. Hopefully Colt will get his act together, avoid future encounters with police for the wrong reasons.

Women Who Survived Theater Shooting Grieve for Hero Boyfriends

Story by CHRISTINA NG and DAN HARRIS


Of the 12 people killed in the Aurora theater shooting, four of them were men who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect their girlfriends. Now, each of these women are struggling to come to terms with both their grief and their gratitude.

Alexander Teves, 24, attended the midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" with his girlfriend Amanda Lindgren , 24,and another friend.

When suspected gunman James Holmes opened fire in the sold out theater, Teves immediately lunged to block Lindgren from the gunfire.

"I was really, really confused at first about what was going on, so confused," Lindgren told ABC News. "But, it's like Alex didn't even hesitate. Because I sat there for a minute, not knowing what was going on, and he held me down and he covered my head and he said, 'Shh stay down. It's ok. Shh just stay down.' So I did."

Teves blocked the bullets from Lindgren but he was shot and killed. She was not hit.

"He was my angel that night, but he was my angel every day I knew him," Lindgren said. "I'm broken."

Lindgren reflected on the profoundly close relationship she had with Teves, saying that the couple would not go an hour in the day "without missing each other terribly."

"My other half was just ripped apart from me and so for me it's still unreal," she said. "I can't picture my life without him. How do you? When someone loves you that much and you love somebody that much…how do you believe that this is real? And of all places. We were in that theater, that specific room. We were just supposed to watch a movie."

When asked if she thought Teves knew he was putting himself in danger for her, Lindgren said, "I know he did. He'd do anything for me. He always told me that, too. I just wish I could have protected him the same way he protected me."

Teves' father Tom Teves is also devastated, but said that his son is still with him.

"I'm hollow. But Alex has come and brought me…from heaven, he's been bringing me hope," Teves told ABC News. "He's still my inspiration. And I know now more than ever that there is a God. Because of Alex. Because Alex is still coming through. Because that's the kind of man he is."

Elsewhere in theater nine, John Larimer and his girlfriend Julia Vojtsek went through a similar situation.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class John Larimer, 26, and his girlfriend Julia Vojtsek, 23, were sitting int the middle of the theater when the shooting began.

"John immediately and instinctively covered me and brought me to the ground in order to protect me from any danger," Vojtsek wrote in a statement. "Moments later, John knowingly shielded me from a spray of gunshots. It was then I believe John was hit with a bullet that would have very possibly struck me. I feel very strongly that I was saved by John and his ultimate kindness."

The couple had known each other since they were 21 and 18 years old when they met working at a Chili's in Illinois, where they are both from. Larimer was home for the summer from school and Vojtsek was getting ready to go to college. They became close and stayed in touch with Facebook and text messages.

This summer, Vojtsek's father Fred Vojtsek came to Colorado to work for an extended period of time. When Julia Vojtsek traveled to Colorado to spend part of her summer with her father, she told him that Larimer was stationed in Aurora and he encouraged her to see him.

"I wanted her to see him because he would have been a kid that a father wants to see his daughter with, a kid of values and things like that," Fred Vojtsek told ABCNews.com. He said his daughter and Larimer became boyfriend and girlfriend about three weeks ago. "So many kids these days don't really want to hear what parents have to say or engage or listen, and he did. That's what stood out with me."

"We were planning on going to church Saturday night," Vojstek said. "He was a good kid."

Fred Vojstek has been staying in a place just minutes away from from the Century 16 movie theater where the shooting took place. His panicked daughter called him as she was running out of the theater and he arrived within minutes of the shooting.

"She was hysterical and then she got more into a shock stage," Vojtsek said.

Since then, Julia Vojtsek has told her father that she was at the movie with Larimer, two other navy men and a woman. Fred Vojtsek said that after Larimer was shot, the other two navy members were "unbelievable" in making sure his daughter got out safely, even though they had just met her earlier that day.

"I'm grateful my daughter is alive and hopeful he can get through this," Vojtsek said, adding that she is "very, very traumatized."

He said that Larimer's family has been very good to his daughter and that he is "eternally grateful" for Larimer and his Navy friends for saving his daughter.

Vojtsek wrote that just weeks earlier, Larimer had spoken to her about his further advancement in the military.

"John convincingly stated to me that he wanted to be deployed for two simple reasons: He wanted to protect his country, and he wanted to save others from danger and harm," she wrote. "John adamantly wanted to make a difference in the world, and he thought that his military service would be the best chance for him to do so."

"John served his country to the fullest, fulfilling both of his goals," she added.

In addition to these two couples, Matthew McQuinn, 27, and Jon Blunk, 26, died saving their girlfriends in similar ways. Their girlfriends Samantha Yowler, 26, and Jansen Young, 21, did not respond to requests for comment.

Commentary: These gentlemen were real heroes in every sense of the word, when without hesitation they shielded their girlfriends from spraying bullets. The pure love these couples shared shall remain a love without end amen, while in this life these women will always carry the love of their boyfriends for a lifetime.

Lawyer says Colo. suspect's family stands by son

Lawyer says Colo. suspect's family stands by son

Accused movie theater shooter James Holmes makes his first court appearance at the Arapahoe County on July 23, 2012 in Centennial, Colorado. According to police, Holmes killed 12 people and injured 58 others during a shooting rampage at an opening night screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" July 20, in Aurora, Colorado. (RJ Sangosti - Pool, Getty Images)

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) — The suspect in Friday's deadly movie theater shooting in Colorado has been seen publicly for the first time since then -- in court today, looking dazed, and with his hair dyed a comic-book shade of orange-red.

James Holmes said nothing, and simply closed his eyes at one point during the hearing. He's expected to be formally charged next Monday.

Prosecutors said later they didn't know if he was on medication.

 Holmes is being held in isolation.

One man who watched today's hearing says his son "could have wiped the floor with him without breaking a sweat." The angry words came from Tom Teves, whose son, Alex, was killed along with 11 others. He says he wishes the suspect had picked on "some guys who know how to use guns."

The lawyer for Holmes' family says they support him, explaining to reporters in San Diego: " He's their son." But she adds that the family's hearts go out to the victims and their families. 

Commentary: I can't even imagine what the family of James Holmes is experiencing in wake of this senseless tragedy. No one wins in such matters, as justice needs to be carried out according to the rule of law. I do hope something good can come out of this tragedy, as the healing begins to all affected families of those who died, those who were injured.