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Madison school shooting: What we know so far
Police in Wisconsin’s capitol city descended on Abundant Life Christian School around 11 a.m. following multiple 911 calls reporting an active shooter.
MADISON, Wis. — Police in Madison, Wisconsin are in the early stages of investigating a deadly mass shooting that took place at a private school late Monday morning.
Here’s what we know so far.
Where it happened
Madison Police Chief Dr. Shon Barnes said 911 calls began coming in around 10:57 a.m. reporting an active shooter at Abundant Life Christian School. Officers from Madison and across Dane County arrived at the school, 4901 Buckeye Road, on the city’s east side, just blocks from Lake Monona.
Abundant Life Christian School is described as non-denominational. The enrollment at the school is just under 400.
The victims
During an early press conference with reporters, Chief Barnes said three people are dead including the suspected shooter. At least five others were transported to area hospitals, with injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening. Barnes would not confirm how many of the victims are children or staff members, saying authorities are still sorting that out.
At one point in the press conference, police said five people were dead, but they subsequently backed off on that number.
“Today is a sad, sad day, not only for Madison but for our entire country,” Barnes said. “Every child in that building is a victim, and will be a victim forever.”
The shooter
Barnes said officers responding to the incident found the suspected shooter, who he described as a juvenile student at the school, dead of what they believe to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. At this point a motive for the deadly attack is unclear.
The investigation
Reporters on the scene said both state and federal law enforcement are on scene to help with the investigation, including personnel from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Police Chief Dr. Shon Barnes said another press briefing is currently scheduled for 2:30 p.m. KARE 11 will plan on carrying it live on our YouTube channel, with links on our other social channels.
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Moorhead Police ask for help locating endangered missing 17-year-old
Melissa Barrett is 5-foot-2, 100 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a blue shirt and black pants.
MOORHEAD, Minn. — Moorhead Police are asking for help locating an endangered teen who hasn’t been seen in 30 days.
Melissa Barrett, 17, was last seen in West Fargo, North Dakota in mid-November. Officials describe her as 5-foot-2, 100 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a blue shirt and black pants.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Moorhead Police Department at (701)-451-7660.
*This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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Minneapolis crash leaves 2 dead, teen waiting for bus injured
Three people were hurt and two are dead in a crash in north Minneapolis.
MINNEAPOLIS — Two women are dead and two people have severe injuries after a crash in Minneapolis that also left a teen waiting for the bus to school injured.
It happened at the intersection of N 26th Avenue and N Emerson Avenue shortly before 10:30 a.m. Monday. Police say a car going north on N Emerson collided with a vehicle going east on N 26th. The vehicle on N 26th “veered off the road” and into the bus shelter, police said, hitting the teen. A KARE 11 photographer on the scene could see the vehicle flipped on its side against the bus shelter.
According to the Minneapolis Police Dept., one of the women in the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. The other was extricated from the vehicle and taken to the hospital where she died. The driver and passenger of the car driving on N Emerson were also taken to the hospital, with police describing their injuries as “potentially life-threatening.”
The teen was also taken to the hospital and police say he is expected to survive.
A woman who identified herself by her first name Candy spoke to KARE 11 after the crash, saying people often drive at high speeds in this area and go through lights at this particular intersection. She said she’s been rear-ended just a block away from where this crash took place and thinks more patrols in the area would help stop dangerous driving.
“You gotta always wait, even if the light’s green, wait because they’re gonna hit y’all,” she said.
Police Cheif Brian O’Hara said the cause of the crash is still being investigated, but speed is “likely a contributing factor.”
“I want to emphasize the importance for every driver to drive at safe speeds and stay hyper-focused and engaged while operating a motor vehicle,” he said in a press release.
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Judge grants Chauvin access to test new theory about Floyd’s death
The ex-Minneapolis Police Officer was convicted of killing George Floyd in 2020, sparking worldwide protests and reckoning over racial injustice.
MINNEAPOLIS — The ex-officer convicted of killing George Floyd in 2020 is challenging his federal conviction and is asking the court to let his defense team test a new theory about how Floyd could have died.
Floyd, 46, died in May 2020 after ex-Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pinned him to the ground with a knee on Floyd’s neck as the Black man repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe. The killing, captured on bystander video, sparked protests in 2020 as part of a worldwide reckoning over racial injustice.
Chauvin is making a longshot bid to overturn his federal guilty plea, claiming new evidence shows he didn’t cause Floyd’s death. According to a motion, Chauvin is arguing his attorney Eric Nelson gave ineffective counsel.
According to the judge’s order, Nelson was reached out to by a doctor who said it was his opinion Floyd died “due to a catecholamine crisis.” Nelson did not consult with Chauvin on this issue and the opinion was not tested, the order says.
Now, Chauvin is asking the court to have tests performed that could support the doctor’s opinion. The tests will require access to Floyd’s preserved heart tissue slides and photographs, along with other fluids. A judge has authorized these tests be done.
If Chauvin is unsuccessful at overturning his federal conviction, he won’t be released until 2038.