Man who threatened school online sentenced
Andre Smith, 18, was sentenced Wednesday to two years in the Indiana Department of Corrections with 380 days suspended to probation. He will receive credit for 175 days spent in custody since his arrest.
He must also write a letter of apology to the school.
Smith pleaded guilty in February to one count of intimidation as a Level 6 felony. A second count of intimidation was dismissed.
Smith was arrested shortly after the Sept. 18 incident, which police said caused close to 80 percent of Goshen Community Schools students to miss classes that day. The school remained open despite the threats, which were posted on Facebook at around midnight.
A post on the 'Nosy Neighbors of Michiana' Facebook group stated, 'Goshen high school students be ready' followed by several gun and devil face emojis. Another said 'My friend will take care of GPD also be ready boys in blue.'
Investigators arrested smith, with the help of the Indiana State Police, after connecting him to the Facebook account that posted the threats. He told them he made the threats because he wanted to 'scare people that were mean to others,' according to police.
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Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Wife finds missing husband's blue kayak on river, then body is found, WA cops say
A 38-year-old man was found dead in a river after his wife spotted his empty blue kayak, deputies in Washington said. Adam Anson was reported missing Saturday, Aug. 2, in Asotin, the Asotin County Sheriff's Office said in an Aug. 4 news release. His wife found his kayak anchored about 50 feet from the shoreline, across from Asotin Elementary School, deputies said. But her husband was nowhere to be seen. She called 911 and showed authorities his empty kayak, deputies said. Deputies said they tracked Anson's phone and used side-scan sonar but couldn't find him. The Nez Perce County Sheriff's Office brought a marine unit and dive team from Idaho to the river and found his body within 20 minutes, deputies said. Anson's body was found about 80 yards from where his kayak was left, deputies said. Authorities said they believe he died from accidental drowning as there was no sign of foul play A medical examiner will confirm his official cause of death. Grieving friends and family shared their thoughts and memories of Anson on Facebook. 'I will cherish every moment we had together! I will never forget the endless love you have shown me in every day of our 15yrs as partners, lovers, best friends, we have so many memories I will hold with my soul forever!' his wife, Kelsey Anson, said in a Facebook post. 'Adam was so loved by this entire valley. He was a Husband, A Father, A son. Many knew him from his friendly face + service at Autozone,' Christy Wassmuth said in another post. 'Adam was a kind man and a good neighbor. Our hearts are broken for his sweet family, friends, and coworkers,' his neighbor Lynndee Wilks said in another post. The Snake River divides Washington and Idaho. Asotin is a small city near the river in southeastern Washington.
Politico
4 hours ago
- Politico
About that Jack Smith investigation
Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook: Remaking Government, your guide to Donald Trump's unprecedented overhaul of the federal government — the key decisions, the critical characters and the power dynamics that are upending Washington and beyond. Send tips | Subscribe | Email Sophia | Email Irie | Email Ben JACK SMITH's time has finally come. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel last week launched an investigation into the man who brought two federal criminal cases against DONALD TRUMP in 2023. But the investigation appears to be a thinly veiled political stunt aimed at placating the president, who has promised to seek retribution against the former Justice Department special counsel. The probe focuses on whether Smith used his position as a federal government employee to engage in political activities in violation of the Hatch Act. It comes after Senate Intelligence Chair TOM COTTON (R-Ark.) requested that OSC investigate Smith for 'unprecedented interference in the 2024 election.' The office, an independent agency in the executive branch, investigates whistleblower complaints and alleged violations of civil service laws. It is separate from DOJ special counsels who are appointed by the attorney general to handle politically sensitive cases. The inquiry raises a number of questions, including: what conduct, if any, by Smith might be considered political; how the OSC could even punish him; and what Trump's ultimate aim could be. What did Smith say or do that could be considered political activity? Smith appeared to go to great lengths during his investigations to avoid saying anything publicly that could be construed as political. During the prosecution of Trump for his effort to subvert the 2020 election, Smith avoided any mention of the looming 2024 election. And he made no mention of the contest in court briefs urging the Supreme Court to quickly take up the election subversion case. Smith referenced the country's 'compelling interest' in determining the outcome of the case, writing that the public interest demands 'prompt resolution' without 'undue delay.' Cotton said Smith's push for a speedy trial and what he described as a 'procedurally irregular' brief in September 2024 'were the actions of a political actor masquerading as a public official.' The brief, which Smith filed at the direction of a federal judge, included large swaths of evidence to argue the case was still salvageable in the wake of the Supreme Court's immunity ruling. Trump balked about the inclusion of derogatory details of the case being made public in the final weeks of the election. But RICHARD PAINTER, who served as the chief White House ethics lawyer for former President GEORGE W. BUSH, said that 'absent Smith giving interviews, making public statements referring to the 2024 election,' his behavior wouldn't merit a Hatch Act violation. Justice Department policies prohibit indicting a candidate close to an election, but 'if you have a previously indicted candidate, and you're just going through the steps you know that lawyers go through in these cases,' that is permissible activity, Painter said. 'I've never heard of a Hatch Act case being premised on court filings,' he said, adding: 'I just don't see the evidence there.' A lawyer for Smith didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for OSC declined to comment. How might OSC punish Smith if it were to find a violation occurred? There's virtually no way to punish Smith. Federal employees who are found to violate the Hatch Act primarily lose their jobs, but Smith is no longer employed by the federal government. Other penalties include suspension, formal reprimand and a $1,000 fine. So, what does Trump get out of this? One possibility is that Trump's disdain for Smith, whom he has described as 'mentally deranged,' is satisfied merely by seeing headlines about Smith under investigation. And even if Smith is ultimately cleared, Trump may take pleasure in dragging Smith through the burdens of an investigation — including the legal expenses. And it is possible for OSC to take the rare step of escalating the inquiry into a criminal matter, according to Painter. The office can make a criminal referral if it finds that someone ordered or coerced a federal employee to engage in partisan politics. 'I don't see any evidence, quite frankly, that he violated that,' said Painter, who added that he isn't aware of the OSC ever having made such a referral. MESSAGE US — West Wing Playbook is obsessively covering the Trump administration's reshaping of the federal government. Are you a federal worker? A DOGE staffer? Have you picked up on any upcoming DOGE moves? We want to hear from you on how this is playing out. Email us at westwingtips@ Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe! POTUS PUZZLER Which presidents have donated their salaries? (Answer at bottom.) WHO'S IN, WHO'S OUT LABOR SHEDS CIO: THOMAS SHEDD left his role as chief information officer at the Department of Labor last week, Nextgov/FCW's NATALIE ALMS reports, a move that comes as the agency has lost about 20 percent of its total workforce and about 40 percent of its tech office to voluntary departures. The former Tesla engineer still appears to hold positions at the General Services Administration and the Federal Acquisition Service. FEMA TO ICE: The Department of Homeland Security has reassigned dozens of employees with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to assist in vetting and processing new hires for the government's mass deportation efforts, WaPo's BRIANNA SACKS reports. 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The officials were specifically concerned that more of the document should remain classified to obscure U.S. spy agencies' sources and methods. The document that Director of National Intelligence TULSI GABBARD, with the president's blessing, ordered released last month is a 46-page report stemming from a review that began in 2017 by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee. The report takes issue with U.S. intelligence agencies' finding earlier that year that Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN developed a preference for Trump over Democratic candidate HILLARY CLINTON and looked to help him win the election. The document contains multiple references to CIA human sources reporting on Putin's plans. Those sources are among the agency's most closely guarded secrets — so much so that after the report was completed in 2020, it was considered sensitive enough to be stored at the CIA rather than on Capitol Hill. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. 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LET'S SLOW DOWN: The Trump administration is directing the Bureau of Land Management to cut spending associated with several key agency programs, including renewable energy and land acquisitions, POLITICO's E&E News' SCOTT STREATER reports. The guidance, sent Monday from the Office of Management and Budget, directs BLM to cut spending on these programs 'outside of Federal salary and payroll expenses, minimum expenses to maintain safe operations, or payments otherwise required by law.' Representatives at the Interior Department and BLM did not respond to requests for comment. What We're Reading 'You're Asking Me to Contemplate the Nuclear Scenario' (POLITICO's Victoria Guida) Trump's War on Big Law Means It's Harder to Challenge the Administration (ProPublica's Molly Redden) Trump Amps Up an Obama Strategy to Crack Down on Colleges (NYT's Jeremy W. 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Chicago Tribune
4 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Army sergeant shot 5 soldiers before he was tackled and arrested at Fort Stewart, officials say
FORT STEWART, Ga. — A sergeant shot five soldiers Wednesday at one the country's largest Army bases before he was quickly tackled by other Fort Stewart troops, forcing a brief lockdown, officials said. Few details were immediately available about what led to the gunfire, but officials said the shooter was Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 28, who used a personal handgun, not a military firearm. Radford opened fire where he worked but officials wouldn't speculate about a motive, authorities said. The injured soldiers are stable and expected to recover, said Brig Gen. John Lubas. The soldiers who tackled Radford helped ensure his arrest, Lubas said. 'These soldiers, without a doubt, prevented further casualties or wounded,' he said. This latest act of violence on a U.S. military installation — sites that are supposed to be among the most secure in the country — again raised concerns about safety and security within the armed forces' own walls. The Army said it's investigating the shooting. There were still many unanswered questions, including the condition of the soldiers, the scope of their injuries, the name of the shooter as well as any possible motive. The injured were treated and then moved to Winn Army Community Hospital, base officials said in a Facebook post, adding there's no threat to the community. Some of the wounded were also taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, said spokesperson Bryna Gordon. The hospital is the top-level trauma center for coastal Georgia. Gordon said she didn't know how many people were being taken to the hospital or what their conditions are. Law enforcement was sent to the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team complex shortly before 11 a.m. Wednesday. The shooter was arrested at 11:35 a.m., officials said. The lockdown lasted about an hour. After it was lifted, cars began to move through the normal security checkpoint at the fort's main gate. The Army's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team was created in 2016 when the service added more than 200 vehicles to an infantry unit of roughly 4,200 soldiers. Also known as the 'Spartan Brigade,' the Army has called the unit its 'most modern land fighting force.' Located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Savannah, Fort Stewart is the largest Army post east of the Mississippi River. It's home to thousands of soldiers assigned to the Army's 3rd Infantry Division and family members. White House and Defense Department officials said President Donald Trump and Secretary Pete Hegseth had been briefed on the shooting. The FBI was at the fort to help investigate, said Deputy Director Dan Bongino. Among the deadliest acts of violence on U.S. military bases was a 2009 attack. A U.S. Army psychiatrist killed 13 people in a shooting that left more than 30 wounded at Fort Hood, a military installation in Texas. In 2013, a defense contract worker and former Navy reservist killed 12 people at Washington Navy Yard. He was then killed in a gun battle with police. In 2014, a soldier opened fire on his fellow service members at Fort Hood, killing three people and wounding more than a dozen others before the gunman killed himself. In 2019, an aviation student opened fire in a classroom at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, killing three people and injuring another dozen people including two sheriff's deputies. Just days earlier, a U.S. Navy sailor shot two people to death before killing himself at Pearl Harbor, the Naval station in Hawaii.
