Foreign

Police Shoots Man in Hunt for Gunman

By Web News 377

Police in Brussels have shot a man suspected of killing two Swedish nationals on Monday evening.

Report says, the man was shot in a café in the Schaerbeek neighborhood, and it is unclear if he is dead.

Two Swedes were killed and a third person injured in the automatic rifle attack on Monday, which took place during the Belgium-Sweden Euro 2024 qualifier football match.

Brussels has been on its highest terror alert ever since.

The gunman is believed to be a 45-year-old man of Tunisian origin who was in Belgium illegally, after having his asylum application rejected.

He posted a video online saying he had killed people in the name of God and the prosecutor’s office believed he was inspired by the Islamic State Group.

Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden told Flemish public broadcaster VRT that the automatic weapon found on him was the same as the one used in Monday’s attack.

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, called Monday’s shooting “a harrowing act of terrorism” in a press conference on Tuesday. It took place on Boulevard d’Ypres, some 5km (3 miles) from the King Baudoin Stadium.

The prosecutor on the case has said the likely motive was the Swedish nationality of the victims.

Mr De Croo said: “Perpetrators, they try to instil fear, distrust and division in our free societies. Terrorism. Terrorists must understand that they will never succeed in their intent.”

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BBC/Taiwo Akinola

Crime

Racial Hatred: Gunman Kills Three Black People in Florida Store

By Web News 426

A gunman killed three black people in a racially motivated attack then killed himself in Jacksonville, Florida, the city’s sheriff said.

The man, described as white and in his early 20s, entered a Dollar General store and opened fire, triggering a standoff with police.

Sheriff T K Waters said two men and a woman were killed by the gunman, who wore body armour and left manifestos.

Mayor Donna Deegan said it was a “hate-filled crime” driven by racist hatred.

The sheriff said the shooter – who has not yet been officially named – carried a lightweight semi-automatic rifle and a handgun.

He is believed to have acted alone and allegedly wanted to kill himself. He lived in Jacksonville’s Clay County with his parents and left several messages about his intentions, Sheriff Waters said, including one to his parents and another to the media. The sheriff added that at least one of the guns had a swastika drawn on it.

The standoff took place at this Dollar General store

The FBI has opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting, which it is treating as a hate crime.

The attack happened less than a mile from the historically black Edwards Waters University.

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan told local TV channel WJXT: “One shooting is too much but these mass shootings are really hard to take.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called the gunman a “scumbag” and described the shooting as “horrific”.

“He [the gunman] was targeting people based on their race, that is totally unacceptable,” said Mr DeSantis, who is competing to be the Republican party’s presidential candidate.

“This guy killed himself rather than face the music and accept responsibility for his actions and so he took the coward’s way out.”

The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the shooting.

In a statement provided to the BBC’s US partner, CBS News, Dollar General said it was “heartbroken by the senseless act of violence that occurred at our Kings Road store”, adding that “supporting our Jacksonville employees and the DG family impacted by this tragedy is a top priority as we work closely with law enforcement”.

There have been over 28,000 gun deaths in the US so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive website.

The Jacksonville attack comes on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr’s famous “I have a dream” speech. Tens of thousands of people gathered in the capital on Saturday to mark the historic milestone in the civil rights movement.

BBC/Simeon Ugbodovon

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Foreign

Gunman Kills Three at Michigan State University

By Web News 373

At least three people have been killed after a gunman opened fire at Michigan State University.

The report says another five people were injured in the attack at the main campus in the city of East Lansing late on Monday.

The State Police described the suspect as “a black male, shorter in stature”. They later said he was 43 years old with no known affiliation with the university.

Students and local residents were told to shelter in place during the man-hunt, however, police later lifted it, saying there was “no longer a threat to campus”.

They added that the suspect “had been located off campus”.

In photos released earlier, the suspect was wearing a denim jacket, a navy baseball cap and red trainers.

The shooting started shortly after 20:00 local time on Monday, 01:00 GMT Tuesday.

Police officers responded to the attack, finding victims at the Berkey Hall on the campus’ North-side, and the adjacent Michigan State University Union building.

At a news briefing, the police said, there were several crime locations, and their investigation continues, as the attacker’s motive is yet to be known.

A number of ambulances were seen arriving at the scene, to rescue the injured as some of them believed to be in a life-threatening condition – are now being treated in hospital.

“This truly has been a nightmare that we are living tonight,” said Deputy Chief Chris Rozman of the university’s police force.

All campus activities have been halted for at least 48 hours. East Lansing lies about 70 miles, 112km, North-west of Detroit.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

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