Kare11
Minnesota woman dies on African safari
A friend confirms the victim was 80-year-old Gail Mattson of Hopkins. A tour company says a bull elephant charged a vehicle, killing Mattson and injuring another.
ZAMBIA, — A Minnesota woman is dead after a rate elephant attack while she enjoyed a dream vacation in Africa.
Tour operator “Wilderness” confirmed the incident to NBC news, saying the “aggressive” creature rushed a vehicle carrying six tourists and a guide while they were on a game drive at the Kafue National Park in western Zambia Saturday. The company said an 80-year-old died after the elephant attack, and her daughter confirmed that Gail Mattson of Hopkins is the victim.
Rona Wells shared some pictures of her mom on the South African safari on her Facebook page, along with a post to share news of her death with friends and family.
“Sadly she lost her life in a tragic accident while on her dream adventure,” Wells wrote. “I hope these pictures bring some happiness to those that loved her. RIP Mom. We love you and will miss you.”
Wilderness describes itself as a “leading conservation and hospitality company” operating in eight African countries, including Zambia. The company says the tour vehicle was blocked in when the elephant charged, leaving the driver unable to move or escape. Another tourist is reported hospitalized while four others suffered minor injuries.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11’s newscasts. You’ll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist:
Officials say Jonathan Fleury was last seen leaving a Moorhead care facility on Sept. 16.
MOORHEAD, Minn. — Moorhead Police are asking for the public’s help in finding a 16-year-old reported as missing.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) posted on X that teenager Jonathan Fleury was last seen leaving a Moorhead care facility on Sept. 16.
Fleury is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and 150 pounds with brown hair. Officials say he was last seen wearing a blue shirt and black pants.
If you have any information on Fleury’s whereabouts, call 911.
Protesters were calling on the University of Minnesota to divest from companies that support Israel.
MINNEAPOLIS — Protests continued at the University of Minnesota Tuesday after 11 people were arrested the night before after barricading themselves inside Morrill Hall, and damaging the building.
Across town, outside the Hennepin County Justice Center, those involved in last night’s protest were waiting out front for the 11 individuals arrested, to be released.
“We don’t want our money to be sent to contribute to a genocide,” said student organizer Juliet Murphy. “Especially for those of us who have family that live in Lebanon, live in Palestine.”
Murphy is a sophomore at the U, and part of Students for a Democratic Society. She says Monday’s occupation was needed for students to get their voices heard. Students have been calling for the university to divest from companies that support Israel. They also want the university to divest academically and stop study abroad programs in Israel.
“We have gone through all of the ‘right channels’ and this seemed like the logical next step since there are so many escalations happening across the world from us right now,” Murphy said.
Around 5 P.M. on Tuesday, while the protest was going on, The University of Minnesota sent out a safety alert saying that buildings surrounding the campus mall were locked until further notice.
Protesters deny that they held any staff inside Morrill Hall against their will Monday, but the University says some employees were unable to exit. University President Rebecca Cunningham said in a statement that this was a “terrifying experience for many of our employees.”
Steve Hunegs, the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relation Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, says he’s grateful for the response of President Cunningham, and feels that Monday’s occupation was about stoking fear into University staff.
“Everybody should be against the behavior that was conducted yesterday on campus,” Hunegs said. “This is not about free speech, this is about intimidation, this is about vandalism.”
At this time, KARE 11 is not naming the 11 people arrested as they have not been charged yet. According to organizers of the occupation, all 11 arrested are either current students or recent graduates at the U.
The teen had been last seen around 5 a.m. Tuesday in the area of Forest St. and 4th Ave. E. in St. Paul’s Dayton Bluff neighborhood.
ST PAUL, Minn. — A missing teenager in St. Paul has been found safe, according to a brief news release from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Ke-Andre Oliver-Butler had been last seen around 5 a.m. Tuesday in the area of Forest St. and 4th Ave. E. in St. Paul’s Dayton Bluff neighborhood. Officials announced he was found in an update Tuesday evening.
“Thank you to all who helped search for him or shared the information,” Minnesota BCA said on social media.
