Latest news with #HadiyaPendleton
CBS News
11-06-2025
- CBS News
Man charged with murder of Hadiya Pendleton due in court while awaiting new trial
The man accused of killing 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton in 2013 was due back in court on Wednesday for a hearing in his new murder trial. An honor student at King College Prep High School, Hadiya was shot and killed just days after she marched in former President Obama's second inauguration parade. In 2023, the Illinois Appellate Court threw out Micheail Ward's conviction for her murder, after ruling his videotaped confession was inadmissible. During his police interrogation, Ward said he fired at Pendleton and her friends because he thought they were rival gang members and his co-defendant threatened to kill him if he didn't. Defense attorneys have said police coerced him into giving a false confession. In throwing out his videotaped confession, appellate judges said Ward repeatedly told detectives during the interrogation that he didn't want to talk to them, but police kept questioning him and obtained his confession in violation of his constitutional rights. Earlier this year, the Illinois Supreme Court rejected prosecutors' appeal of that ruling. Ward, 30, remains in custody as he awaits a new trial. It's unclear if a new trial date will be set on Wednesday.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida No. 2 in gun sales but numbers are dropping here and in the US. Possible reasons
Floridians, and Americans in general, are buying fewer guns. People in the Sunshine State bought just over an estimated 1.2 million guns in 2024, according to the annual report from safety product review site based on data from the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). That's a 7% drop from 2023. Florida still ranks No. 2 in the country in total gun sales, though, behind Texas (1.36 million). Sales were down nationally as well, where the estimated 16.1 million firearms sold in 2024 were a 3.4% decline from the previous year. The National Shooting Sports Foundation's annual report calculated a lower number, 15.2 million sold in 2024, but also said sales were declining. Sales have declined every year since 2020 after peaking during the COVID pandemic, SafeHome said. Gun sales in Washington plunged nearly 46%. "Some expected the 2024 presidential election to drive a spike in gun sales, but early data from 2025 tells a different story," said SafeHome managing editor Rob Gabriele. "In the first four months of the year, just over 5.29 million guns were sold, averaging around 1.32 million per month. "If that pace holds, 2025 will end with roughly 15.5 million gun sales, a 3.8 percent drop from 2024 totals," he said. "This mirrors the previous year's rate of decreasing sales." However, 15 states saw increases in gun sales, with Massachusetts residents buying 22.5% more of the weapons. SafeHome releases its report every year in time for National Gun Violence Awareness Day, which was June 6. Many Americans wear orange between June 6-8 in honor of Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago. SafeHome estimates that 389,994 guns have been sold in Florida from January through April 2025, behind Texas with 443,224. But by this time last year, Florida gun sales hit nearly half a million. Florida saw gun sales go up 1% in 2023, the same year the state passed a law to allow permitless concealed carry. The Sunshine State was one of only four states to see an increase, with 1,316,471 estimated sales in 2023, according to the report. FBI report: Active shooter incidents decrease in 2024, list includes Florida I-10 shooter Whlie the answer remains unclear, the record sales during the pandemic may have lowered the demand for now. 'What we saw in 2020 and 2021 were not sustainable from a market standpoint,' Jonathan Metzl, director of Vanderbilt University's Center for Medicine, Health, and Society, told The Trace, a website tracking gun violence. 'But also, many more people have guns now, and so the market of potential consumers is a lot smaller than it was during the pandemic.' Another factor is a Republican president in the White House. Gun sales tend to rise when presidents from the Democratic Party are elected, due to expectations of more restrictive gun laws, weapons confiscation, or fears of violent right-wing suppression. In January 2021, the month rioters swarmed the Capitol to prevent the certification of former President Joe Biden's votes, the firearms industry set a new record of more than 2 million firearms in one month, CNN reported. That was a 75% increase over the number sold in January 2020. Firearm and ammunition sales also spiked during former President Barack Obama's terms. However, gun sales dropped 17% during the first three years of President Donald Trump's first term, The Trace said. Some gun owners may be shifting their focus on accessorizing the firearms they own instead of buying more, Guy J. Sagi wrote for the American Rifleman in February. An October 2024 NSSF press release (now deleted, archived here) reported that American ownership of suppressors is skyrocketing, with as many silencers sold between May 2021 and July 2024 as were registered in the previous 87 years. Other possible reasons for a drop in sales include more restrictive gun laws in some states and inflation pushing firearms farther down the list of immediate needs for many Americans. According to SafeHomes' analysis of NICS data, these are the states with the most firearms sales in 2024: Texas: 1,363,596 (1.2% increase) Florida: 1,224,566 (7% decrease) California: 1,019,136 (2.3% decrease) Pennsylvania: 822,286 (2.3% decrease) Tennessee: 583,750 (7.8% decrease) Ohio: 583,959 (0.1% increase) Virginia: 566,053 (2.7% decrease) North Carolina: 530,083 (6.1% increase) Missouri: 500,885 (3.8% decrease) Michigan: 481,870 (13.3% decrease) Adjusted for population, Wyoming, Montana and Alaska have the highest gun sales rates in SafeHomes' report. "These states have strong hunting traditions fostered by rural lifestyles and less rigid gun control laws," Gabriele said. "The pro-gun cultures and the need for self-defense in such remote areas, which abound in predators that could harm livestock, may also contribute to higher gun ownership and sales." Wyoming: 68,964 (16.1 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) Montana: 135,882 (15.9 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) Alaska: 79,217 (15.4 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) New Hampshire: 145,700 (13.3 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) Oregon: 429,892 (13.2 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) Alabama: 460,694 (12.3 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) North Dakota: 65,170 (11.7 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) Idaho: 162,079 (11.5 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) West Virginia: 155,421 (11.5 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) Oklahoma: 322,315 (11.1 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) Tennessee: 583,750 11.1 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) In comparison, Florida saw 7 firearms sold per 100 residents 21 and older. National Gun Violence Awareness Day, which falls on the first Friday in June every year, was established to honor the estimated 88 Americans (as of 2015) whose lives were cut short by gun violence every day, and the survivors whose lives are forever changed. The day, and the Wear Orange movement, began when some Chicago teens asked their classmates to wear orange on June 2 to commemorate the birthday of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton. Pendleton was shot and killed a week after marching in President Obama's 2nd inaugural parade. Orange was chosen because it's what responsible gun owners wear in the woods while hunting to protect themselves and others. Former First Lady Michelle Obama attended Pendleton's funeral and delivered the commencement address at what would have been her graduation ceremony. Former President Barack Obama talked about her death in his 2013 State of The Union Address. The Obamas announced they were honoring the slain student through the Hadiya Pendleton Atrium at the Obama Presidential Center. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Gun sales down in Florida, America. Why the decline?
CBS News
08-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Hadiya Pendleton's parents hold annual "Party 4 Peace" honoring slain honor student
More than 12 years after 15-year-old honor student Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed in Chicago, her parents remain as passionate as ever about preventing gun violence, holding an annual event to honor the life of their daughter and other families who have lost loved ones to shootings. Hadiya was shot and killed just days after she marched in former President Obama's second inauguration parade. Her death sparked a national conversation about gun violence in Chicago that resonated all the way to the White House. For the past 12 years, her parents have held an annual "Party 4 Peace" on the South Side. Saturday afternoon, Nate Pendleton and Cleopatra Cowley found peace in the park now named after their daughter. "It means something. It's highly impactful," Cleopatra said. "She was a majorette at King High School. She was a very bright person. Sometimes you could forget that you're talking to a child," Nate said. Nate and Cleopatra lost their daughter in January 2013. Hadiya was shot and killed in Harsh Park about a half mile away from her school. It's a different park than the one now bearing her name. "Hadiya was 15 when she died. She got shot in the park. Since then, we've just been trying to make something better happen," Nate said. A year after Hadiya's murder, her parents started the nonprofit Hadiya's Promise – committing to prevent gun violence and to support families like their own. "It is very important to us that people feel like there's a place that they're safe," Cleopatra said said. The first Saturday of every June, Hadiya Pendleton Park in the Grand Boulevard neighborhood is peaceful – and bright orange – at the annual Party 4 Peace. Orange was Hadiya's favorite color, and since 2015 the "Wear Orange" movement has honored her life and all those affected by gun violence. "My goal is to share with others what I've experienced. Like, hey, let's have a conversation about it, because it's very often where we feel like we're by ourselves," Cleopatra said. Cleopatra and Nate are not alone, but surrounded by their daughter's friends and their growing family. "The family keeps expanding," Cleopatra said. In the park named after their daughter, Hadiya's parents are at peace and feel her presence. "She's here. She's here right now," Nate said. "That's what brought all these people out. So her essence is here." The man previously convicted of Hadiya is awaiting a new trial. Micheail Ward's new trial date has not been set, but he's due back in court on Wednesday.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
Community gathers to honor Hadiya Pendleton in Bronzeville
CHICAGO (WGN) – Community members came together Saturday on the South Side to honor the memory of Hadiya Pendleton 12 years after she was murdered. Hadiya's Promise held its 12th annual Party 4 Peace to help raise awareness for gun violence prevention. This year's party brought out hundreds of people to Hadiya Pendleton Park in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood. 'We called this event today a party for peace, because there was no way we could have partied when Hadiya left us,' Hadiya's mother Cleo Cowley said. Getaway driver in deadly shooting of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton sentenced to 42 years Hadiya was 15 years old when she was shot and killed in the same park where Saturday's event was held. The shooting happened just days after she performed at former President Barack Obama's second inauguration as a member of her high school marching band. Cowley said several of her daughter's classmates from King College Prep were in attendance at Saturday's event. 'That is just a glimpse into the impact gun violence has. It's not just the person that dies, it's not just the immediate family, it's the people they touch, and that goes for everyone,' Cowley said. Hadiya's family holds their Party 4 Peace every year on the first Saturday in June, because Hadiya's birthday was June 2. It's also within the same week that 'Wear Orange Day' or 'National Gun Violence Awareness Day' are observed. This year, Hadiya would have turned 28 years old. 'It's important to let her name live on. It's something that maybe she wouldn't have wanted to be involved in, but her namesake is promoting healthy outcomes for children,' family friend Nikki Wilson said. Man convicted in Hadiya Pendleton death to remain in custody as he awaits new trial The event also promotes the park as a safe place for families to come after shootings once gave it a bad reputation. Organizers hope their efforts can help further legislation aimed at preventing gun violence. 'We're not going to get weary. We're going to keep fighting. We're going to keep joy i the fighting until we don't have to fight anymore,' Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Illinois) said. Hadiya's alleged shooter, Michael Ward, was convicted but had the conviction overturned by a judge in 2023. He now awaits a new trial, which comes as tough news for a family who said they want closure. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
St. Francis Hospital recognizes National Gun Violence Awareness Day
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Friday is National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Guns are listed as the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States and more than 100 Americans are killed with guns every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Governor Lamont advocates for more funding for gun violence prevention Saint Francis Hospital hosted a ceremony and speaking program Friday morning to honor those who have been impacted by gun violence and raise awareness of the important day. 'On Jan. 29, 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old high school sophomore was shot and killed while standing in harsh park in Kenwood, Chicago,' hospital president Valerie Powell-Stafford said. 'Her death drew a national spotlight and stands as a reminder of how easily and abruptly gun violence can disrupt lives. The 'Wear Orange' campaign for gun violence awareness runs through the weekend. You can wear something orange to show your support for the movement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
