Police: Colo. Suspect Planned Massacre for Months

Details emerging on the Colorado massacre suspect show a budding scientist, brimming with potential, who pursued a graduate program even as he assembled weaponry he would allegedly use in the deadly midnight rampage inside an Aurora movie theater.

James Holmes planned the attack with "calculation and deliberation," police said Saturday, receiving deliveries by mail that authorities believe armed him for battle and were used to rig his apartment with dozens of bombs.

Meanwhile, a federal law enforcement official provided an updated account about the gunfire inside the theater, saying that a semi-automatic assault rifle used by the shooter jammed during the attack, forcing him to switch to another weapon.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to in order to discuss the investigation, said that the jammed weapon had a high-capacity ammunition magazine. Police have said that a 100-round drum magazine was recovered at the scene and that such a weapon would be able to fire 50 to 60 rounds a minute.

In Aurora, investigators spent hours Saturday removing explosive materials from inside Holmes' suburban Denver apartment a day after police said he opened fire and set off gas canisters in a theater minutes into a premiere of the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises." The massacre left 12 people dead and 58 injured.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/police-colo-suspect-planned-massacre-months-16830181

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the White House

The Tragedy in Colorado

Just after midnight, a gunman walked into a busy movie theater in Aurora, Colorado and opened fire into the crowd. Police report that 12 people have been killed and dozens more are currently being treated for injuries.

Just moments ago, President Obama discussed the shooting, calling on the country to stand with those who have been touched by the tragedy:

[Even] as we learn how this happened and who's responsible, we may never understand what leads anybody to terrorize their fellow human beings like this. Such violence, such evil is senseless. It's beyond reason. But while we will never know fully what causes somebody to take the life of another, we do know what makes life worth living. The people we lost in Aurora loved and they were loved. They were mothers and fathers; they were husbands and wives; sisters and brothers; sons and daughters, friends and neighbors. They had hopes for the future and they had dreams that were not yet fulfilled.

Earlier, the President spoke with both the mayor of Aurora, Steve Hogan, and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper -- and pledged the full support of federal law enforcement to aid the investigation.

To read President Obama's full remarks, click here. To read a statement from the President, click here.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/07/20/tragedy-colorado

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 21, 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Google News

Cops may set off suspect's booby traps today

(CBS/AP) AURORA, Colo. - Investigators are preparing to detonate shooting suspect James Holmes' apartment building, perhaps as early as today, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Glor.

Holmes is being held in what is now the biggest mass shooting in U.S. history. Twelve people were shot and killed and 58 hurt, most by gunfire -- and some in the chaos as patrons rushed to flee the theater -- allegedly by the 24-year-old Holmes at a midnight premiere of the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises" Friday.

He says he rigged his apartment with a complex system of booby traps and explosives, and police say they have found no way of safely diffusing them.

"It is a very vexing problem how to enter that apartment safely," Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates says. "I personally haven't seen anything like what the pictures show us is in there. I'm a layman when it comes to bomb stuff, (but) I see an awful lot of wires, trip wires, jars full of ammunition ... jars full of liquids, mortar rounds. We have a lot of challenges to get in there safely."

After spending most of Friday evacuating and scouring the complex, investigators were planning to detonate the devices, using a robot.

Police grimly went door to door late Friday with a list of the deceased victims,, notifying families who had held out anxious hope that their loved ones had been spared.

And Aurora residents are coming together to support each other, as well as the victims who remain in critical condition.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-33816_162-57477179/cops-may-set-off-suspects-booby-traps-today/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Colorado Gun Laws Remain Lax, Despite Some Changes

The news of the horrifying armed assault in Aurora, Colo. — just a half-hour drive from the site of the Columbine High School shootings in 1999 — has a freakish resonance in a state that has long played an unsought role in the national debate over gun laws and firearm rights.

As a mountain state, Colorado has a history of broad support for Second Amendment rights. But in the years since the Columbine tragedy, the state's lawmakers and voters passed some gun restrictions, including requirements governing the sale of firearms at gun shows, a law regulating people's ability to carry concealed weapons and legislation banning “straw purchases” of weapons for people who would not qualify to buy them legitimately.

Still, James Holmes, 24, the former neuroscience student believed to be the lone gunman in Friday's shootings in Aurora, armed himself with an assault rifle, a shotgun and a handgun to allegedly kill 12 and wound 59 others, many critically. All were weapons that would probably be legal for him to possess.

“The guy basically had normal guns,” said Eugene Volokh, an expert in constitutional law at the University of California, Los Angeles. Unless some new evidence of documented psychiatric disturbance emerges, Mr. Volokh added, “there's no indication that, from his record, he is someone whom more restrictive screening procedures would have caught.”

Despite the changes over the past 13 years, Colorado law still prohibits local governments from restricting gun rights in several significant ways. Moreover, gun rights organizations have successfully fought other efforts to restrict access to guns, including blocking a University of Colorado rule prohibiting concealed weapons on campus.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/21/us/colorado-gun-laws-remain-lax-despite-changes-after-columbine.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mass. man pleads guilty in plot to blow up Pentagon with explosive-packed model planes

BOSTON — A Muslim-American man admitted Friday that he plotted to use remote-controlled model planes packed with explosives to blow up the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol.

Rezwan Ferdaus, 26, pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to terrorists and attempting to damage and destroy federal buildings by means of an explosive.

Ferdaus, of Ashland, was arrested last year after federal employees posing as members of al-Qaida delivered materials he requested, including grenades, machine guns and plastic explosives.

Under a plea agreement, federal prosecutors agreed to drop four other charges. Prosecutors and Ferdaus' lawyers also agreed to jointly recommend a 17-year prison term. Sentencing is set for Nov. 1.

Ferdaus, who grew up in Massachusetts and has a physics degree from Boston's Northeastern University, smiled and greeted a large group of family and friends as he entered the courtroom.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/mass-man-to-plead-guilty-in-plot-to-blow-up-pentagon-with-explosive-packed-model-planes/2012/07/20/gJQAqigLxW_story.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

South Carolina

Aiken Public Safety puts new emphasis on community policing

News 12 joins the Aiken Department of Public Safety for a ride-along, but this mission is a special one. The department is putting a special emphasis on community police work.

AIKEN, S.C. -- Patrolling the streets of Crosland Park Friday morning, Corporal Jeremy Hembree wasn't looking to make arrests. He was looking to make friends.

Hembree's part of the Aiken Department of Public Safety's new effort to patrol communities around the city. His assignment is Crosland Park.

"The public perception of Crosland Park is that it is a high crime area. Although, if you look at the numbers, it is in line with other areas throughout the city,” said Hembree.

News 12 rode along with Corporal Hembree for a typical patrol. He spends about five and half hours patrolling the streets of Crosland Park. The remaining time is spent in his office that's also in Crosland Park.

"This is it,” he said showing off his office. “This is where we want to feel comfortable at to where we feel comfortable and also the community feels comfortable to come in and talk with us."

http://www.wrdw.com/crimeteam12/headlines/Aiken-Public-Safety-puts-new-emphasis-on-community-policing-163271576.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 20, 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Google News

12 dead, 50 wounded in shooting at Colorado theater, police chief says

(CNN) -- A heavily armed gunman tossed tear gas into an Aurora, Colorado movie theater, then sprayed the audience with gunfire during an early morning screening of the new Batman movie, authorities said. Twelve people died and 50 were wounded.

One of the wounded victims was just 3 months old, according to hospital workers.

Police arrested a man believed to be the shooter in a rear parking lot of the theater, Frank Fania, a police spokesman, told CNN. The suspect was not immediately identified, though Fania said he was believed to be in his early 20s.

"He did not resist. He did not put up a fight," Fania said. Police seized a rifle and a handgun from the suspect, and another gun was found in the theater, he said.

Oates said there was no evidence of a second gunman, and FBI spokesman Jason Pack said it did not appear the incident was related to terrorism.

President Barack Obama issued a statement saying he and first lady Michelle Obama were "shocked and saddened" by the shooting and pledged the administration's support for victims of the shooting.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/20/us/colorado-theater-shooting/index.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Death Warrants' Found on Homeless LA Stab Victims

Police have linked three stabbings of homeless people in recent weeks to a suspect who left typewritten "death warrant" notes at each crime scene, and they're seeking a person of interest who goes by the name left on the letters.

The third signed letter was found at a stabbing early Thursday morning in Hollywood and was similar to letters found at two previous stabbings in downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica, Police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said. Police are asking for the public's help in finding a person of interest.

All three victims are in their 50s and were stabbed in the back in the early morning hours as they slept, Smith said. The victims survived, though one remains hospitalized, police said.

Police are warning homeless people to seek shelter at night and avoid sleeping alone in the streets.

"Any homeless person sleeping anywhere outside is vulnerable tonight — more vulnerable than usual," Smith said.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/death-warrants-found-homeless-la-stab-victims-16818096

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 19, 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the L.A. Daily News

George Zimmerman says he was not pursuing Trayvon Martin

SANFORD, Fla. - George Zimmerman says he would tell Trayvon Martin's parents: "I'm sorry," and says he's open to talking with them. Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the teenager's death.

He made the statement Wednesday in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. When asked to explain what he meant when he told a police dispatcher he was following Martin, the neighborhood watch volunteer said he was trying to keep an eye on Martin to tell police.

Zimmerman says after he got out of his car, Martin was next to him. Zimmerman says he looked down, then looked up and Martin punched him and broke his nose.

He says as the two were struggling, Martin said "you're going to die tonight." He says Martin also reached for the gun that Zimmerman always carries.

Suicide Attacker With Fake U.S. ID Blamed in Bus Bomb

BURGAS, Bulgaria — The attack on a tour bus carrying Israeli vacationers outside the airport here was carried out by a suicide bomber carrying fake American identification, officials said on Thursday.

There were conflicting reports on the number of dead. The Bulgarian interior minister said the toll was seven, including six Israelis. Officials in Israel said, however, that only five Israelis had been killed. The Bulgarian driver of the bus was also killed along with the bomber when the vehicle exploded in a fireball on Wednesday. Dozens more were injured in what Bulgaria, Israel and the United States called a terrorist attack. Israel quickly blamed Iran and promised a firm response.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Israeli officials blamed Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, and Iran.

Speaking to reporters at the airport at this Black Sea resort on Thursday morning, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said the bomber was carrying a fake Michigan driver's license at the time of the blast. One of the six Israeli victims died overnight, along with the 36-year-old Bulgarian bus driver.

Mr. Tsvetanov described the bomber as a man with long hair wearing a backpack. The man looked like a tourist and blended in with the travelers from Israel, security footage showed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/world/europe/explosion-on-bulgaria-tour-bus-kills-at-least-five-israelis.html?pagewanted=all

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arizona sheriff faces racial profiling allegations

PHOENIX (AP) – For six years, the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in America has vehemently denied allegations that his deputies racially profile Latinos in his trademark immigration patrols.

Joe Arpaio would dismiss his critics in his signature brash style at countless news conferences and in numerous appearances on television.

Now, the sheriff in Arizona's most populous county will have to convince a federal judge who is presiding over a lawsuit that heads to trial on Thursday and is expected to last until early August.

The plaintiffs say Arpaio's officers based some traffic stops on the race of Hispanics who were in vehicles, had no probable cause to pull them over and made the stops so they could inquire about their immigration status.

"He is not free to say whatever he wants," said Dan Pochoda, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, one of the groups that has pushed the lawsuit against Arpaio.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-07-19/arizona-sheriff-profiling-allegations/56328082/1?csp=34news

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Detroit boy falls to his death; EMS is a no-show

DETROIT – A 9-year-old boy leaped or fell to his death from a bedroom of his family's ninth-floor apartment unit Wednesday, Detroit police said.

After the fall, no paramedics arrived on the scene and the boy was transported to the hospital in a police car. A state lawmaker is blaming city budget cuts for the lack of EMS response.

According to police, the youth had threatened to commit suicide several times recently. The incident occurred about 5:30 p.m. at a low-income housing complex, about one-half mile west of Henry Ford Hospital.

"It's real sad. There's too many young people doing this," said bystander Sheila Bowman, 35.

Wednesday's apparent suicide comes less than two months after the May 23 death, later ruled a suicide by the Wayne County Medical Examiner, of a 7-year-old Detroit boy. He was found hanging by a belt from his bunk bed after he locked his bedroom door, following weeks of complaining about being bullied at school, according to a police report.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-07-19/detroit-boy-death/56328496/1?csp=34news

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FBI did not investigate Fort Hood shooter because of political correctness, report says

The FBI was too concerned about political correctness and did not launch an investigation into a man who was later charged with killing 13 people in a 2009 attack at the Fort Hood military installation in Texas, despite significant warning signs that he was an Islamic extremist bent on killing civilians, according to a lawmaker briefed on a new report about the terrorist attack.

In emails to a known terrorist, Army Maj. Nidal Hasan expressed his support for suicide bombings and killing civilians, while the terrorist, Anwar al-Awlaki, encouraged Hasan to stay in touch, Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, told The Associated Press on Wednesday after he was briefed on the findings of a new review of the attack.

The review was done by former FBI Director William Webster and was more than two years in the making. FBI Director Robert Mueller asked that Webster conduct an independent review, and the bureau is expected to release an unclassified version this week.

Much was already known about the series of oversights and missteps the government made leading to the terror attack at the Fort Hood Army post. Soon after the attack, it was revealed that members of two FBI anti-terrorism task forces saw emails between the Army psychiatrist and al-Awlaki beginning in December 2008. Those task forces reviewed the communications and decided they were in keeping with Hasan's research at the time, and as a result, no formal investigation of Hasan was opened. Hasan was writing a research paper about the effects of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/19/fbi-did-not-investigate-fort-hood-shooter-because-political-correctness-report/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New Jersey

Teaneck to join cities nationwide for 'America's Night Out Against Crime'

The Teaneck Police Department is hosting this year's Teaneck's National Night Out Tuesday, Aug. 7, according to Chief Robert A. Wilson and the Community Policing Squad of the Teaneck Police Department.

Teaneck Police encourages everyone to come out and join their neighbors in partaking in this crime and drug prevention event. National Night Out involves more than 15,325 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world. In all over 37.1 million people are expected to participate in this year's 29th Annual National Night Out.

National Night Out is designed to:

DOJ: Newark misused $3.5 million community policing grant

Auditors with the Justice Department's Inspector-General say Newark, NJ, officials improperly used every penny of a $2.8 million Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) plus most of an addition $987,000 in local funds.

The DOJ-IG's lengthy list of deficiencies in how Newark officials spent the COPS funds unusually blunt and deserves being quoted at length.

The report is brutal in its analysis of misuse of the funds.

It's great that the Mayor can bring in outside support like the COPS grant, but unless proper governance is in place to administer the funds, progress will take one step forward, two steps back.

FBI, Dutch police investigate needles in Delta sandwiches

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Police at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport have opened a criminal investigation into how needles got into turkey sandwiches served to passengers on Delta Air Lines flights from Amsterdam to the United States, a spokesman said Tuesday. The FBI also is investigating the incidents.

Delta said what appear to be sewing needles were found in five sandwiches on Sunday. One passenger on a flight to Minneapolis was injured. The other needles were on two flights to Atlanta and one to Seattle.

"We are keeping all options open because at this moment we have no idea why somebody or something put needles inside the sandwiches so that is what we have to investigate," airport police spokesman Robert van Kapel told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

The sandwiches were made in the Amsterdam kitchen of catering company Gate Gourmet. The company's listed address in the Netherlands is in the Schiphol area, where the Dutch capital's airport is based. Gate Gourmet's website says the company handles more than 3 million airline flights each year.

The company issued a statement Monday saying, "We take this matter very seriously, and we have launched our own full-scale investigation." It also said it was "heightening our already stringent safety and security procedures, to prevent any recurrence."

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_21092962/fbi-investigates-needles-airplane-sandwiches

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 17, 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the L.A. Daily News

FDA approves Truvada as first drug to reduce risk of HIV

WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection, a milestone in the 30-year battle against the virus that causes AIDS.

The agency approved Gilead Sciences' pill Truvada as a preventive measure for people who are at high risk of acquiring HIV, such as those who have sex with HIV-infected partners.

Gilead Sciences Inc. has marketed Truvada since 2004 as a treatment for people who are infected with the virus.

But company studies have shown the drug can prevent people from contracting HIV when used as a precautionary measure. A three-year study found that daily doses cut the risk of infection in healthy gay and bisexual men by 42 percent, when accompanied by condoms and counseling.

Bridge company suspects Canadian connection in bomb threat

Bridge links Windsor and Detroit at North America's busiest border crossing

The president of the Detroit International Bridge Company suspects Monday's bomb threat against the Ambassador Bridge is somehow related to cuts to the Canada Border Services Agency.

"We cannot confirm, but suspect that this is has something to do with Canada's disinvestment at the border by cutting back on customs agents," president Dan Stamper wrote in a statement to media. "The Detroit International Bridge Company remains vigilant in its efforts to ensure that all those who cross the Ambassador Bridge remain safe."

Jason McMichael first national vice president of the Customs and Immigration Union, called Stamper's comment "mindless rhetoric" and "so perverse, it's laughable."

"Despite the fact they are faced with cuts and despite the fact they have been working without a contract for the last year, these folks go to work every day and protect the Canadian economy, Canadians and international travellers," McMichael said of his union's members.

McMichael acknowledged there may be people who would suspect disgruntled border agents, but said he doesn't believe anyone related to the CBSA is responsible.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/07/16/ambassador-bridge-windsor-threat.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NYC bus driver Steven St. Bernard catches 7-year-old girl after 3-story fall

(Video on site)

(CBS) NEW YORK - A quick-thinking New York City bus driver is being praised as a hero after catching a 7-year-old girl who fell out of a third-floor window in Brooklyn.

Saleema McCree told WCBS-TV that her daughter Keyla is autistic and was supposed to be asleep in her bedroom at the time of the incident. But she apparently slipped out of the window and climbed onto the family's newly installed air conditioner. Witnesses at the scene said she started dancing on top of the unit before falling.

The episode was caught on video.

"I heard somebody banging on the door, stating that my daughter was outside on the air conditioner, but I had no idea what was going on because I had my son," McCree said.

Steven St. Bernard was arriving home from work moments before Keyla fell.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57473596/watch-nyc-bus-driver-steven-st-bernard-catches-7-year-old-girl-after-3-story-fall/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Department of Homeland Security

The Truth About BioWatch: The Importance of Early Detection of a Potential Biological Attack

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 16, 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Google News

Court-martial to begin in Texas base sex scandal

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Military officials say the initial flirtations that Staff Sgt. Luis Walker directed at the women he trained at a Texas Air Force base became something more sinister: threats and intimidation that led to sex and eventually rape.

Walker is among 12 instructors at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio who are being investigated in a widening sex scandal that has rocked one of the nation's busiest military training centers. Walker's court-martial is scheduled to begin Monday.

He faces the most serious charges in the case — 28 counts, including rape, aggravated sexual contact and multiple counts of aggravated sexual assault. He could get up to life in prison and a dishonorable discharge if convicted.

The 10 female recruits Walker is accused of either sexually assaulting or engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct with are expected to testify during the court-martial at Lackland. A seven-member jury made up of military personnel will decide the case. At least 31 female trainees have been identified as victims in the sex scandal.

http://www.chron.com/news/article/Court-martial-to-begin-in-Texas-base-sex-scandal-3709384.php

.