Latest news with #homicide
Reuters
13 hours ago
- Reuters
Police seek clues to motive behind deadly mass shooting in Manhattan office tower
NEW YORK, July 29 (Reuters) - New York City homicide detectives sought clues on Tuesday to what possessed a Las Vegas man to drive cross-country and storm into a Midtown Manhattan office tower to open fire with a military rifle, killing four people, including a policeman. Gunman Shane Tamura, 27, brought the carnage to an end not long after it began on Monday evening by fatally shooting himself in the chest on the 33rd floor of the Park Avenue skyscraper, which houses the NFL headquarters and offices of several major financial companies. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters Monday night that the gunman appeared to have acted alone, though his motives remained a mystery. Tisch said Tamura had a documented history of mental illness and appeared to have driven to New York from Las Vegas over a period of three days. Tamura carried out his rampage, according to Tisch, armed with an M4 carbine, an assault-style rifle used extensively in the U.S. military. A loaded revolver was later recovered from the black BMW vehicle Tamura had left double-parked outside the office tower, along with a backpack and prescription medications, she said. Authorities offered no explanation for why Tamura might have singled out the building at 345 Park Avenue, whose tenants include the National Football League, private equity giant Blackstone, the accounting firm KPMG and real estate company Rudin Management. Among the four victims slain was Didarul Islam, 36, a New York Police Department officer who immigrated to the U.S. from Bangladesh. Mayor Eric Adams described the officer, who had been on the force for about 3 1/2 years, as a "true blue" hero. Authorities offered few details about the three other victims - two men and a woman. A third man was gravely wounded by the gunfire and was "fighting for his life" in a nearby hospital, the mayor said. According to recap of the shooting spree outlined by Tisch at a late-night news conference, Tamura entered the skyscraper's lobby, turned to his right and immediately opened fire on the NYPD officer, who was assigned to the building's security detail. The suspect then proceeded to shoot a woman and two men as he sprayed the lobby area with gunfire but inexplicably allowed another woman to pass him unharmed before he took the elevator to the 33rd-floor offices of Rudin Management. There he fatally shot his final victim before taking his own life, Tisch said. A widely published photo of the shooter, that CNN said was shared by police, showed him walking into the building carrying his rifle. Preliminary checks of the suspect's background did not show a significant criminal history, CNN reported, citing officials. Another widely circulated photo showed the permit issued to Tamura by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department allowing him to legally carry a concealed firearm.
CBC
15 hours ago
- CBC
Montreal lawyers see troubling increase in teens accused of homicide
Social Sharing Prosecutors and defence lawyers in Montreal are calling attention to the rising number of young people accused of homicide. "What we've seen is an increase — those files and numbers are increasing in our office," said Crown prosecutor Louis-David Bénard. And it's not a small increase, said defence lawyer Tiago Múrias. "It's very, very, very obvious," he said, recalling a time when it was rare for young people to be either accused of or victims of homicide. "Now it's like tenfold." The spike began during the pandemic and has grown serious enough that a dedicated team of prosecutors now handles homicide cases in youth court in Montreal. While many factors contribute to the trend, one stands out: access to firearms. "For young teenagers, it's easier for them to possess or buy firearms on the streets of Montreal," said Bénard. WATCH | Increasing number of youth-related homicides, lawyers say: Rise in Montreal teens accused of homicide sparks creation of special prosecutors team 7 minutes ago Rise in violent youth crimes In recent years, several high-profile cases have involved teen suspects or victims. Amir Benayad, 17, was shot and killed in an alley in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough at the start of 2022 during a dispute. Two youths pleaded guilty in that case. In July 2024, police arrested a 16-year-old in connection with a fatal shooting in a Dollard-des-Ormeaux parking lot. The victim in that case was 42. More recently this summer, a 17-year-old survived multiple gunshot wounds in Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. "How did it come to that?" asked Múrias, noting that teenagers used to get in trouble for stealing chips from convenience stores — not carrying guns. "That's something that is very troubling." And it's not just firearms. In April, 16-year-old Makhai Bennett-Ruddock was fatally stabbed in Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. A 17-year-old was charged with manslaughter in that case. A year earlier, a 35-year-old man was stabbed outside the Lionel-Groulx Metro station. The attack, described by police as random, led to the arrest of five teens aged 13 to 18. Bénard said teens are particularly vulnerable and easily influenced as they look to build a name for themselves on the streets or social media. He was unable to provide exact numbers, but he said the increase in youth violence is clear. "We're seeing a proliferation of guns and youth firing guns," he said. Youth murder cases are complex, lawyers say Lawyers say murder cases involving minors are legally complex — especially when it comes to sentencing. When an adult is convicted of first-degree murder, the sentence is automatic. But that's not the case for youth. "To sentence those young teenagers with a sentence adapted for them — it's not an easy task," said Bénard. Múrias described the sentencing phase as "a trial after the trial," focusing on maturity and accountability. "It becomes a trial about just and proportionate consequences in regards to cerebral development. So it's really a challenge," he said. That challenge may soon grow. A Supreme Court of Canada decision last week will make it harder for minors convicted of murder to be sentenced as adults. The decision says youth court judges shouldn't consider the seriousness of the offence when deciding whether to impose an adult sentence. Instead, they must focus solely on the accused's development and moral judgment. It also states that prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a youth had adult-level maturity. The ruling reaffirms that young people are presumed to have diminished moral blameworthiness under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
News.com.au
18 hours ago
- News.com.au
Homicide investigation launched after Elmar Kalejs, found with serious head injuries in carpark in Bedfordale, near Perth, dies in hospital
Police have issued a renewed appeal for information after a man found with serious injuries in a carpark in Perth's southeast died in hospital just a few months later. Elmars Kalejs, 53, was found by a member of the public in the carpark adjacent to the Settlers' Common Environmental Centre in Bedfordale about 12.30pm on April 18. He was lying unconscious near the driver's side door of his silver Holden Commodore sedan, with clear and significant head injuries. Mr Kalejs was transported to hospital in a serious condition with head injuries and broken ribs. He died two months later in hospital. Homicide detectives have now launched a renewed investigation into the incident, specifically seeking any information over the 24 hours from midday April 17 to the same time on April 18. CCTV released by police captures Mr Kalejs walking through a shopping centre car park on April 18, dressed in a blue and black chequered shirt and black hat, carrying a black backpack. Detective Senior Sergeant Jarrod Manson said even the smallest piece of information could hold the key to providing some answers for Mr Kalejs' family. 'Somebody out there may know what happened, and exactly how Mr Kalejs sustained these injuries. We want to find that explanation and we believe that's possible with the help of the community,' Senior Sergeant Manson, from the state's Homicide Squad, said on Tuesday. Senior Sergeant Manson told the ABC police still did not know how Mr Kalejs sustained his injuries but assured there was no evidence to suggest any risk to the public. 'We understand (Mr Kalejs) was sleeping in his car at this location and there's been no other incidents that we're aware of, where someone's been injured in such a manner,' he said. Courtney Mallard, Mr Kalejs' daughter, said her family were desperate for answers. She added it had been a hard few months due to the 53-year-old not being able to meet his third and final grandson, describing Mr Kalejs as a 'loving, gentle man' who 'lived off the land'. 'Please just help, if you know anything it's OK, we forgive anyone who's done it. Just please come forward,' she told the ABC. 'We just need closure as a family.'
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man accused of killing brother of Lapu-Lapu Day murder suspect pleads guilty
The man charged in the homicide of Alexander Lo, the older brother of accused Lapu-Lapu Day festival killer Kai-Ji Adam Lo, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Alexander Lo, 31, was found dead in a home near Knight Street and East 33rd Avenue in Vancouver in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2024. Dwight William Kematch, 39, was arrested at the scene and charged with the killing. He pleaded guilty to the single count of second-degree murder on Friday. Kematch's sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 11 at 10 a.m. PT in Vancouver. Investigators have not said how Alexander Lo died. Three months ago, his younger brother, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, was arrested after allegedly driving his SUV into a crowd at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival in Vancouver, killing 11 people and injuring dozens more. He is facing 11 counts of second-degree murder and is currently the subject of a court hearing to determine whether he is fit to stand trial on those charges. Police have said Kai-Ji Adam Lo was under the care of a mental health team at the time of the alleged car ramming attack. According to a February 2024 story in the Detroit Free Press, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) alleges Kematch sent death threats over Facebook to the then-mayor and council of Hamtramck, Mich., three days before Alexander Lo was murdered in Vancouver.
ABC News
20 hours ago
- ABC News
Police investigate death of Elmars Kalejs after he was found injured beside car in Bedfordale
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains an image of a person who has died, used with the permission of their family. Detectives are investigating the suspected homicide of a man who died in a Perth hospital, two months after he was found lying next to his car with serious injuries in Perth's south-east on Good Friday. Elmars Kalejs, 53, was found by a passer-by on April 18, sprawled unconscious next to the driver's side door of his silver Holden Commodore sedan in a car park near the Settlers' Common Environmental Centre in Bedfordale. Emergency services attended the scene and took him to Royal Perth Hospital with head injuries and broken ribs. Mr Kalejs died two months later. Homicide Squad Detective Senior Sergeant Jarrod Manson said officers still did not know how Mr Kalejs sustained his injuries. "It may be from a vehicle and it may be from an assault and that's what we're here trying to figure out," he said. Senior Sergeant Manson said police were looking for anyone who saw him in the 24-hour period before he was located. "It's Good Friday, so there would have been people travelling towards Albany, or down towards the south-west, so they've got dash cam [footage] heading along Albany Highway that can assist our inquiry," he said. "Somebody out there may know what happened and exactly how Mr Kalejs sustained these injuries." Senior Sergeant Manson said there was no evidence to suggest any further risk to the public and described the incident as "rare". "We understand [he] was sleeping in his car at this location and there's been no other incidents that we're aware of, where someone's been injured in such a manner," he said. Mr Kalejs' daughter, Courtney Mallard, said her family wanted to know what happened so they could have closure. "Please just help, if you know anything it's OK, we forgive anyone who's done it. Just please come forward," she said. "We just need closure as a family." Ms Mallard said her father was a loving, gentle man who "lived off the land." "It's been pretty hard these last few months, as Elmars didn't get to meet his final, third grandson," she said. Homicide Squad officers will be located at a mobile police facility in the Armadale CBD this week to speak to members of the public. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
