Latest news with #WCTV
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Miami Herald
18-year-old was shot, found dead in submerged car, FL cops say. 2 friends charged
Florida 18-year-old was shot, found dead in submerged car, FL cops say. 2 friends charged William Powell Jr., 18, was found dead in a submerged vehicle in the Suwannee River in north Florida, authorities said. Street View Image from September 2023 © 2025 Google When an 18-year-old's body was pulled from a submerged car in the Suwannee River in Florida, investigators learned he had also been shot, authorities said. William Powell Jr. was found in the river in White Springs after a 911 call came in shortly after midnight on Sunday, May 4, Hamilton County Sheriff Brian Creech said at a news conference on May 6. Cameron Fine, 18, was charged with second-degree murder and destroying evidence, while Josh Daniel, 18, was charged with accessory after the fact and destroying evidence, the sheriff said. Investigators said Powell was killed May 3, and his body was retrieved from the submerged vehicle the next day. Creech called it a 'senseless murder that should've never happened.' The same day Powell's body was discovered, investigators said they arrested the two 18-year-olds. The sheriff told McClatchy News they were friends of Powell. Sherry Blankenship told WCTV her cousin Powell was a 'wonderful kid' who was loved widely. 'We love him so much and we want justice done for Junior,' Blankenship told the outlet. 'We want justice. We want no stone unturned.' Investigators are working to determine a motive. Hamilton County is on the border of Florida and Georgia, about a 90-mile drive west from Jacksonville. OL Olivia Lloyd mcclatchy-newsroom Go to X Email this person Olivia Lloyd is a National Real-Time Reporter for McClatchy covering the Southeast. She is based in South Florida and graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Previously, she has worked for Hearst DevHub and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Express Tribune
18-04-2025
- Express Tribune
6 hurt after shooting at Florida university
First responders respond to a reported shooting at the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee, Florida, US on April 17, 2025. Courtesy: CNN At least six people were hurt, one of them critically, after a mass shooting at a Florida university on Thursday, hospital officials said. The campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee was locked down after gunfire erupted, with students ordered to shelter in place. Local media, citing a police spokesperson, reported one man was in custody. The Tallahassee Democrat newspaper said the spokesperson did not confirm the identity of the man, or comment on social media reports that there was more than one shooter. Witnesses spoke of chaos as people began running through the sprawling campus when shots rang out in the area of the student union. "Everyone just started running out of the student union," a witness named Wayne told local news station WCTV. "About a minute later, we heard about eight to 10 gunshots." The eyewitness said he saw one man who appeared to have been shot in the midsection.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Six hurt after shooting at Florida university: hospital
At least six people were hurt, one of them critically, after a mass shooting at a Florida university on Thursday, hospital officials said. The campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee was locked down after gunfire erupted, with students ordered to shelter in place. Local media, citing a police spokesperson, reported one man was in custody. The Tallahassee Democrat newspaper said the spokesperson did not confirm the identity of the man, or comment on social media reports that there was more than one shooter. Witnesses spoke of chaos as people began running through the sprawling campus when shots rang out in the area of the student union. "Everyone just started running out of the student union," a witness named Wayne told local news station WCTV. "About a minute later, we heard about eight to 10 gunshots." The eyewitness said he saw one man who appeared to have been shot in the midsection. "The whole entire thing was just surreal. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. "Everything was really quiet, than all chaotic." The university, a public institution with more than 40,000 students, warned all those on campus to take shelter. "An active shooter has been reported in the area of Student Union," the university said on social media. "Police are on scene or on the way. Continue to seek shelter and await further instructions. Lock and stay away from all doors and windows and be prepared to take additional protective measures." A statement from Tallahassee Memorial Hospital said doctors were "actively receiving and caring for patients." A spokesperson for the hospital told AFP: "We have six patients, one in critical condition, and the rest in serious condition," confirming they were hurt in the shooting. Student Sam Swartz told the Tallahassee Democrat he had been in the basement of the student union when shooting started. "Everyone started freaking out," Swartz said, adding he had heard around 10 shots. A group of eight people, who were working on a project, huddled in a hallway and barricaded themselves with trash cans and plywood. "I remember learning to do the best you can to make them take time because they don't want to do anything that takes time, they're just trying to get as many people," Swartz said. Footage on social media showed a stream of young adults walking through corridors with their hands in the air as they evacuated the building. Mass shootings are alarmingly common in the United States, where a constitutional right to bear arms trumps calls for stricter rules. Despite widespread public support for tighter control on firearms, including restricting the sale of high-capacity clips and limiting the availability of automatic weapons of war, an entrenched political establishment refuses to act. A tally by the non-profit Gun Violence Archive shows there have been at least 81 mass shootings -- which it defines as four or more people shot -- in the United States so far this year. hg/acb
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Active shooter reported at Florida State University; multiple people reportedly hospitalized
Multiple people were taken to a hospital in Tallahassee, Fla., on Thursday after an active shooter was reported at Florida State University, officials said. Shortly after noon, the school issued an alert that said an active shooter was reported in the area of the student union, asking students to shelter in place. 'Lock and stay away from all doors and windows and be prepared to take additional protective measures," the alert read. The university sent out a second alert as police were responding to the active shooter call, telling students to continue to shelter in place. All classes and university events were canceled for the day, and the school urged anyone not already on campus to stay away. WCTV reported that at least four people have been hospitalized. Tallahassee Memorial Hospital issued a statement to the Tallahassee Democrat confirming that it was 'receiving and caring for patients related to an incident that has occurred at Florida State University' but had no additional information on the number of people or extent of their injuries.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Yahoo
Florida hunter hit with lifetime ban after blatant killing in front of witnesses: 'They shouldn't be shooting'
One Floridian has received a lifetime hunting ban for shooting a protected bird, according to Outdoor Life. A pair of tundra swans were spotted by Lake Jackson near Tallahassee. This being a rare sight in the region, word got out, and hunters and photographers alike took up positions to find them. The pair swam by one group of hunters unimpeded. One unnamed hunter in a kayak, however, was spotted shooting one of the tundra swans, wringing its neck, and hiding it in his kayak. Authorities went to investigate and found the bird after an initial denial from the hunter. He claimed to have been hunting for 35 years and never misidentified a bird, per WCTV. Bird photographers were able to capture evidence of the hunt in the act. If it can be proved the hunter took the shot knowing the species, he could face felony charges. The tundra swan is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act because of its rarity in Florida. "If they can't tell what they're shooting, they shouldn't be shooting," said one of the witnesses. Another witness said they were "satisfied" with the court's ruling. In addition to his lifetime ban on hunting nationwide, the defendant was also subject to up to 60 days in jail and up to $500 in fines. Migratory birds already face significant challenges with habitat loss and shifts in climate. Populations already on the precipice may be pushed into extinction if they're being targeted by zealous hunters. Seeing protection measures come into force in this case should act as a deterrent for hunters in the future. There is good news, however. Though the tundra swan is incredibly rare in Florida, global populations are healthy enough to put the species in the "least concern" category on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. Reddit commenters were still quite incensed with the hunter in question. "There is only one explanation for someone who unknowingly mistakes a tundra swan for a snow goose: blindness. … Those suckers are BIG birds and the sound of their wings is quite clear," said one poster. "The penalty is a joke. We all know this poacher is not going to stop hunting, and it's almost certain that no one will ever stop him again," said another. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
