Tag Archives: Crime news

Father lunges at Nassar during hearing

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By ABBY LLOYD

On Feb. 2, Larry Nassar, ex-USA gymnastics team doctor and Michigan State University athletics trainer, had his third criminal hearing in front of his victims and their family members. Nassar harmed more than 250 victims and will be sentenced somewhere from 40 to 175 years in prison.

Nassar was a osteopathic doctor, which meant he moved his hands over a patient’s muscles and joints to stretch and apply pressure and resistance to those joints. However, he took the care too far. Nassar stated after getting caught that “as a doctor, he was in a position of authority over his victims, and that he used that position to coerce them to submit to the penetration.”

As girl after girl after girl, came up to the podium to speak the gruesome details of her attack, parent Randal Margraves grew angry and unsettled. Margraves, a father of three daughters all of which were abused by Nassar, commented to the judge, “Give me one minute with that bastard.”

After Judge Janice Cunnigham responded to his request “no,” Margraves ran over to Nassar and his attorney and attacked him. He was tackled by four deputies and escorted out of the courtroom. His daughters all screaming “Dad!” while his wife hugged them.

“There is no way this court is going to issue any type of punishment due to the circumstances of this case,” Eaton County Circuit Judge Janice Cunningham said later the same day.

On Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram people are calling Margraves a “hero.” Someone started a GoFundMe page for him that is currently at $2,000 in donations to the family.

Before this all happened, Nassar was getting away with his countless sexual assaults. A softball player at Michigan State, Tiffany Lopez, who was also assaulted was told by someone she confined in that “she was fortunate to receive the best medical care possible from a world-renowned doctor.”

More than five girls came forward about Nassar’s abuse to Michigan State officials. However, they weren’t taken seriously. When officials decided to ask Nassar about such accusations he replied that they were “misunderstandings with the girls.” The twisted world we live in.

Child shootings occur daily in America

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By VERONICA SPAGNA

We already must be concerned with protecting the children in America from attackers, drugs and numerous of the other constant dangers in the world. Just last week last Sunday, eight children were killed, a part of the biggest mass shooting in Texas history. But children should not be presented with danger just because of an adult’s irresponsibility.

Thursday afternoon, a 2-year-old toddler shot himself in the head and was found dead in a basement of a home in Philadelphia’s Olney neighborhood. The police recovered the handgun, but have still not shared the identity of the owner.

Just in 2016, 318 incidents occurred where someone under the age of 18 had access to a firearm. A total of 21 adults were shot by kids and 121 kids were killed by self-inflicted wounds or were shot by another kid.

As of this month, the data of children unintentionally pulling the trigger and shooting themselves, other children and other adults is shocking and just disgraceful. A total of 116 kids have already been killed this year by another child or by a self-inflicted wound.

A new study on gun violence with the objective to examine fatal and nonfatal firearm injuries among children aged infant to 17 in the United States was published in the Journal of Pediatrics. This study was conducted by statisticians at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of Texas. With results showing that 19 children are shot every single day in the United States.

This means that an average of 3.5 children is killed by guns each day.

A part of America believes that guns are needed for safety, although they seem to be a constant danger. If adults make the decision to possess firearms for their own safety, as they believe it is their right as written in the constitution, then they should also have the decency to be responsible with its power. It is not fair that children who can grow and live a life, are unable to because of their own curiosity and an adult’s carelessness.

TripAdvisor hides warnings of rape

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By EVAN ALDO

More than 10 travelers from around the United States say reviews website TripAdvisor is deleting and muzzling their accounts of rape, blackouts and other injuries suffered at resorts in Mexico, according to an extensive investigation published Wednesday by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

This report came out two days after U.S. officials called on the U.S. State Department and the Office of the Inspector General to investigate Mexican resorts that have allegedly been serving dangerous, tainted alcohol.

Tourists who have had terrible experiences say their posts of TripAdvisor are frequently removed and labeled as “hearsay.”

“To me it’s like censoring,” said Wendy Avery-Swanson of Phoenix. “It wasn’t hearsay. It actually happened to me.”  In her review, she wrote she blacked out after being served alcohol at a swim-up bar.  This review was scrubbed from the website.

Another review that was taken off the website was one by Kristie Love of Dallas. She posted that she had been raped by a security guard at the Iberostar Paraiso Resort near Playa Del Carmen.  She wrote that she had been followed by the guard who later overpowered her and raped her outside. She claims that the hotel staff refused to call police.  Her post was taken down for violating the “family friendly” guidelines.

“We apologize to the sexual assault victim,” said Brian Hoyt, senior director of communications for TripAdvisor. “Since 2010, when the forum post was removed, our policies and processes have evolved to better provide information like this to other travelers.  As a result, when recently brought to our attention, the victim’s initial forum post was republished by our staff.”

Hoyt also said the company is creating a “badge” notification to apply to businesses to “alert consumers of health & safety or discrimination issues at that business reported on within the media or other credible sources of information.”

Hopefully TripAdvisor is being truthful and will no longer censor these voices.

The media has done a very good job of covering this story.  An interview of a woman whose post was deleted had been featured on the NBC Nightly News last week.  The story has been showing up on CNN, FOX, and MSNBC’s websites as well.

This is an important story that many should be aware of, especially college students since many of them go to Mexico for spring break each year.  It is very good that many major news sources have been covering it and getting the word out there.  A lot of people will likely think twice about going to Mexico after reading about this.

School sells bulletproof backpack panel

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By NINA GARZA

Florida Christian School in Miami recently added a new item for purchase on its school website: bulletproof panels that can fit inside students’ backpacks.

The dean of the school, George Gulla, said that these panels would add another level of protection in the event of an active shooter. He also stated that teachers are to instruct students to use their backpacks as shields for protection.

The price for the bulletproof panel is $120.

With so many recent active shooter stories in the news recently, Florida Christian School wants to make sure students are well equipped in case they ever encounter one.

Gulla thinks offering the panels for parents to buy will give them peace of mind. However,  Kenneth Trump, school security expert, does not agree. He told CNN the panel “are not well focused for a child-centered environment.”

It is important to be prepared in case of an active shooter encounter. Though the topic of selling bulletproof panels for students’ backpacks can be controversial, it is good that CNN reported two different opinions on the matter.

No stories that I read on this topic stated any comments made by the parents of the students who attend Florida Christian School. I think that would have been good sources, seeing what the parents have to say and whether they think the school is making the right decision in selling the panels and if they would purchase them for their children’s backpacks.

8 killed in New York City truck attack

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By EVAN ALDO

Police and witnesses say a man deliberately drove a rented truck onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center in Manhattan which killed eight people and injured at least 12 others.

The man later got out of the truck waved around a fake gun before being shot by police.  He was wounded and taken into custody.

“This was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians.  It was a very painful day in our city,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

This was the deadliest act of terror in New York City since 9/11.

The suspect was identified by law enforcement as Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, a 29-year-old truck driver from New Jersey and Florida.  He immigrated to the U.S. from Uzbekistan in 2010.

A federal law enforcement source said a note had been found inside the truck that was in reference to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Saipov does not appear to have an extensive criminal background, according to the FBI and the NYPD.  New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the attack appeared to be a “lone wolf” incident with no links to a wider terrorist plot.

The incident occurred at West Street and Chambers Street at 3:05 p.m.  The truck drove down a bike path for about four blocks and stuck cyclists and pedestrians before moving back into traffic lanes and striking a school bus.

The media should pay very close attention to the fact that this attack occurred without the use of any firearms.  Lately the media has been giving a lot of attention towards the possibly of banning firearms to increase safety.  However, I believe that they do not realize that there are many other ways that criminals commit murder.

This incident shows that even without a gun, a person can murder multiple people at the same time.  Firearms aided the police in this situation.  They wound the man with their firearms and stop him from creating anymore havoc.

If firearms are banned, I believe that terrorists will find other ways commit mass murder.  As seen in Nice, France last year, a trunk ran over and killed 86 people.  This was more than the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history last month that killed 58 people.

Media should report these facts accordingly and point out the fact that this incident shows banning guns will not solve the occurrence of mass murders.

Manhattan attack leaves eight dead

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By BEN EZZY

Eight people were killed and 11 injured Tuesday in Manhattan after a driver ran them over in his pickup truck. The lone driver then ended the rampage after crashing into a school bus and shouting “Allahu akbar” as he ran around the road with a pellet gun and a paintball gun. He was later identified as 29-year-old Sayfullow Saipov, after being shot by police in the abdomen.

Investigations following the incident have revealed that Saipov spent weeks planning the attack and that it was tied to directives he received from the Islamic State. The instructions were to carry out an attack with a truck and leave a note behind that praised the group and its philosophies. Crime scene investigators found an assortment of knives around the truck, along with a note as described.

As the story has developed and more information has become available, news media outlets have done a good job handling and dispersing the material in a way that keeps details from becoming confusing. This is a sensitive topic and, in organizing information for readers, this has allowed for order in the face of chaos.

The New York Times, for example, has published several pieces on the attack, including angles relating to the potential motivation behind the attack, the state of affairs as they stand, and what is happening in the aftermath of the incident. The newspaper also published one story online that was simply a list of facts that “we know” and “we don’t know” at this point. In doing so, readers can quickly understand where the story is and how it is developing.

Other outlets, like CNN, placed an emphasis on the use of images and video to complement the written articles. A slideshow that is part of the latest CNN article allows readers to visualize with the current situation is like. There are also links to “related articles,” which give viewers a complete picture of what is happening and what the effects will be for the people of Manhattan and the United States at large.

Woman is killed in boy’s suicide attempt

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By NINA GARZA

Marisa Harris, 22, was killed instantly when a 12-year-old boy jumped off an overpass above a Virginia interstate highway in a suicide attempt, falling onto her car.

The 12-year-old was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and is currently being treated.

Police are still investigating suicide attempt.

Harris was driving while her boyfriend was riding in the passenger seat when the boy fell onto the car. Harris’s boyfriend immediately took control of the steering wheel to get off of the interstate. He suffered no injuries.

Harris was a graduate student studying mental health counseling in pursuit of helping children battling depression. Her uncle spoke to reporters telling them it was ironic that the boy who killed Harris was someone she could have helped.

When this story first came out, news articles stated that Harris’s mother and father had declined to speak to the news media. Due to this, her uncle talked to reporters instead. I know that it is the news media’s job to contact family members during a tragedy, however it is really hard for a mother and father to want to immediately talk to the news media when their child just died.

It has now been several days since this incident and Harris’s mother has said a few words to the news media about her daughter. She told reporters that her daughter had graduated from Towson University and was currently getting her master at Marymount University.

Teenagers face jail after rock kills man

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By NINA GARZA

Five teenagers are charged with second degree murder after throwing rocks from a bridge above a highway that killed a man.

Kenneth White was riding in the passenger seat of his co-worker’s van on his way from from work, when a rock smashed into car, hitting him in the face and killing him instantly.

Police stated that after the boys had thrown 20 rocks onto the highway as they went to go eat lunch at a McDonald’s.

The boys range from 14 to 17 years of age, but are being charged as adults. They are being charged with second degree murder as well as conspiracy to commit murder and destruction of property. They have pleaded not guilty and have been denied bond.

White’s fiancé, Aimee Cagle, sat down with reporters to talk about this tragedy. She said that White was a good father and a good man. She also said that she hopes the boy who threw the rock is sentenced to life in prison.

The news media have been tracking this story and updating the public on the charges and court hearings. Cases like these are tragic and sensitive, however the news media have done a great job informing the public on updated information.

Halloween decorations draw police

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By VERONICA SPAGNA

Halloween is coming soon, meaning that American homes are decorated with pumpkins, ghosts and other original decorations, ready for trick-or-treaters to come on the night of Oct. 31.

This year, just as every year, some homes seemed to have crossed the line using controversial decorations that terrified and profoundly offended viewers. Making us question when do we know when we cross a line? How objective is this issue?

This year, in New Jersey, Kevin and Krysten Negrotto displayed in their front yard a white Toyota all covered in blood. The car was pinning a body against a tree, surrounded with police tape showing a bloody crime scene.

The neighbors of this couple find the display so disturbing that they think it should be considered a crime. The cops showed up at the Negrotto house, with complaints received about the set up from the neighbors who requested its removal.

Kyrsten Negrotto, 27, posted on Facebook saying the officers “LOVED” the display and encouraged them to add more to it. Kyrsten wrote “It’s a free country! … stop wasting these officers’ time on stupid complaints over our HALLOWEEN decor when they could be out saving real lives! It’s all about zombies. It’s about HALLOWEEN.”

The couple has a 5-year-old son, and claimed that it is just for fun and they didn’t mean any harm. Kyrsten Negrotto told a news source “We don’t mean to offend anyone. We do it for the love of Halloween. We just want kids to enjoy like we did as kids.”

Just as the Negrotto family, numerous other homes around the country received criticism, where the police had to intervene by receiving complaints on neighbors for having insulting displays. Many “offensive” decorations went viral and shared on social media. Numerous  decorations targeted by angry viewers were not just the ones considered gory, but also displays considered racially and culturally insulting.

In Parishville, N.Y., Michelle Cross displayed a figure forming a circle made from white bedsheets, surrounding a dark-face gorilla hung with a rope around his neck. A passenger took a photo of Cross’s yard and posted it on social media. By the next day, the photo was shared numerous times and had many comments. The comments suggested that the arrangement had racial connotations, as the circle of ghosts was perceived to represent the gathering of the Ku Klux Klan.

Michelle Cross took the gorilla down and just left the ghosts, out of respect to her community. Cross said, “I took it down because a few people in the neighborhood thought it was offensive for some reason,” and added, just like Kyrsten Negrotto “It is simply Halloween.”

The news media covered the stories on Halloween displays well, by including social media comments on the opinion of viewers and the displayers of the decor. One important area the reporters did not cover in the articles is the opinion of political public figures on the issue, which should also be present to address people on their freedom of expression.

The issue of offensive Halloween decorations is a very controversial topic. Displays, such as Michelle Cross’s, are open to interpretation and the fact that some people viewed it as a racial overturn is demonstrating their own subjective truth and negative view of the world. I do feel like people have the right to display whatever they think is appropriate for Halloween. If the neighbors or passersby have an issue with the display, then they can simply not look at it instead of calling the police.

What happened in Las Vegas?

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By DANNY LAROSE

Conspiracy theorists rejoice — Fox News’ Tucker Carlson is making waves.

The popular talk show host recently held a segment covering how little we know of what occurred leading up to, during and after the Las Vegas shooting from earlier this month. Carlson specifically attacked the story of the only eyewitness Jesus Campos, revealing that Campos left the country days after the shooting and is not in fact a licensed security guard as his testimony to police stated. Carlson raised many unnerving questions and pointed out that as this investigation proceeds, the information — or lack there of, for that matter – becomes more unclear.

Carlson’s assessment of events in Las Vegas is necessary. Falling short of conspiracy theorizing and speculation, he points out the shortcomings of the information received by the public and the misinformation that has been espoused. Most importantly, however, is the fact that Carlson is covering the story at all.

There has been what some have called a news media blackout in regard to the Las Vegas Shooting over the past few weeks. Most likely this is because no new, concrete evidence has turned up since the shooting, but the lack of attention the media is giving the largest mass shooting in modern American history is particularly surprising.

Looking at what information authorities and the public have, we should be increasingly aware at how little we know, despite many logistical questions and a substantial period of time. The current news media are no strangers to speculation or calling into question missing pieces of an investigative puzzle; they have been harping the same Donald Trump collusion with Russia in the 2016 election for about a year now. But the Las Vegas story is not receiving the same treatment. That is not right.

I am wary of even writing on the lack of attention given to this mystery out of fear of riling conspiracy theory and government sabotage, etc. Conspiracists will jump on anything if you give them the chance. Thankfully, Carlson does none of that. He merely reminds viewers that there is more we don’t know about Las Vegas than is typical or justified. And after seeing his segment I have to wonder, why isn’t this receiving more attention?

It is a difficult story to develop, no doubt, as many people are directly affected by the tragedy and the risk of spreading rumors is great in an event of this proportion. However, silence is also not appropriate. The news media used to be on the ground floor discovering new leads when they broke, but for this story it seems we are stuck with speculation and unanswered questions.

Allegations against Weinstein continue

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BY IZABELLA FELPETO

30 women have come forward to confirm sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein.

Stories of assault from women who interacted with one of the most powerful men in Hollywood have been circulating the media since October 5th, when the New York Times shed light on a crime that has been terrorizing women for decades. Three of the thirty women that have come forward about Weinstein’s advances go as far as defining the violation as rape.

The New York Police Department is further investigating claims of assault made by women who worked with the co-founder of the production-and-distribution companies Miramax and Weinstein Company. This was no surprise to the N.Y.P.D., who had a secret recording of Weinstein apologizing to a model after admitting to groping her outside of a hotel room. It was determined that the recording did not supply sufficient evidence against Weinstein.

“Our sex-crime prosecutors made the determination that this was not going to be a provable case and the decision was made not to go forward,” said District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. when questioned about the recording.

Previously received reports accusing Weinstein of sexual assault are now being used as evidence in reviewing the case.

“We are focused on the facts, not if people liked Harvey,” said the DA.

Several actors have come forward with statements about the abuse of power in the film industry. Reports of Weinstein’s abuse were overlooked even though suspicions circulated around Hollywood for years.

“Why weren’t people able to speak out in the way they wanted to?” said Film producer Elizabeth Karlsen in a detailed interview.

She goes further to explain that the inability of entertainers to speak up about this sort of behavior is one of the worst and unspoken issues in the industry and has to end.

“This behavior toward women in any field, any country is unacceptable,” said Angelina Jolie, who is a director and well-known actress and worked with Harvey in the 90s. She too spoke up about the producer’s advances.

Weinstein’s career at the Weinstein company has been terminated and he has issued a public apology for his inappropriate behavior. However, he has not admitted to any allegations of assault. Meanwhile police investigation continues.

Police charge 10 in LSU fraternity hazing

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By EVAN ALDO

Police at Louisiana State University have issued arrest warrants for 10 Phi Delta members in an investigation on whether fraternity hazing lead to the death of a freshman student.

The student, Maxwell Gruver was a Phi Delta pledge from Roswell, Georgia whose death last month had been ruled accidental and was caused by “acute alcohol intoxication with aspiration,” according to the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office.

Gruver’s blood alcohol was 0.495.  Anything above 0.4 carries a moderate risk of death.

Last month, LSU President F. King Alexander said the 18-year-old’s death is being investigated as a “potential hazing incident.”

“As we’ve continually warned over and over again, hazing is dangerous, irresponsible, and unacceptable, and it will not be tolerated at LSU period,” said Alexander.

All of the 10 fraternity members were charged with hazing.  One of them faces an additional charge of negligent homicide.

Phi Delta’s LSU chapter has been suspended by the university and by the fraternity’s national office.  The national office also has opened an investigation into the incident.

Hazing incidents such as these happen far too often at American universities and colleges.  I believe the news media do not put enough effort and reporting into these cases.

Hazing deaths happen multiple times each year and usually do not receive major coverage. If college students and administrators saw these stories in the national news, they would likely think twice about the risks they bring to campuses.

With broader coverage of these stories, students would likely take time to reflect and think before deciding to join a fraternity.  Many would realize that making friends and getting into parties is never worth the risk of death.

News media miss an opportunity

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By VICTOR GUZMAN BERGER

Stephen Paddock killed 58 people from his 32nd floor room at the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Sunday, Oct. 1, during the Harvest Music Festival. He was  found dead.

The news media categorized this act of horror as the largest massive attempt of the U.S. history. Every newspaper in the nation, every magazine, TV news and Internet news outlet reporting has something to show  every day about this story.

During a whole week the construction and de-construction of the events, the characters, police interventions, President Trump meeting the families of the victims, witnesses snapshots and testimonials have saturated the news media. It has been a written and visual message of dead bodies, injured people and desperate families of the victims. It has become an open competition to monopolize the space to sell sensational horror news.

The press lost the great opportunity to fulfill one of the most noble aims of journalism. That of reporting and providing a strong opinion on the need of severely regulating the purchase and use of weapons.

We lost the chance to show that the news media can be a powerful weapon, not for evil, but for good. It should be used to generate thinking and commitment from the public.

Las Vegas coverage evolves by hour

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By BEN EZZY

Over the past week, the world has reacted to the gruesome Las Vegas Massacre, cited as the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. In its wake, there has also been intense scrutiny into the man behind the attack, Stephen Paddock, and his potential motives.

News coverage of the event has been very high, as expected due to the magnitude of the attacks and the public interest in seeing the story develop. A renewed battle for gun control has also been sparked, with social media biting on both sides of the controversial issue.

In following the story for several days, two things have stood out to me: how the information has changed so rapidly, and each news organization has approached putting the story together in a unique way.

First, there were two people dead. Then ten. Then 20, 30, 40. The number was different with each new article until the final toll was reached, with hundreds more injured. Information about the shooter was unknown, or even if there were more than one.

There were unconfirmed reports that ISIS had taken credit for the attacks. What we saw were news organizations trying to get information out to the public that craved them, without having enough time to properly verify it. In some cases, accurate information was unknown, and could only be speculated.

I also noticed that, while each organization was telling the same basic information, they had different ways of drawing in potential readers. The Washington Post highlighted that “new details have emerged,” while The New York Times chose to focus on the “cryptic clues” and the “vexing and terrifying mystery” behind Paddock’s motivation for the massacre.

Either way, the methods of differentiation made each story slightly different than the previous, ensuring that readers had to check out all of them to understand fully.

Sensationalizing tragedy on television

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By DANNY LAROSE

The story at the forefront of American news media this week has been the horrific shooting that occurred in Las Vegas Sunday night. A final count of 58 people were killed and more than 500 were injured in the massacre. And yet, the news media embraces the violence as if it were a great show.

You know the teasers: “Tonight at 11, what is in your refrigerator that may be poisoning your food? Find out on the *insert local station* nightly news.” *intense sound effect*

These teasers, while quite reminiscent of Internet click-bait, are all well and good with such a story as the fabricated example above. However, this week the news, and specifically 24-hour news channels such as CNN or Fox News, have been teasing their stories out of Las Vegas in that manner.

It is sickening. It reminds me of the film “Nightcrawler” starring Jake Gyllenhal, who is a multimedia journalist taping gruesome crime scenes and worrying only about the “shot” but never the victims involved. And his station encourages it.

But this is real life, not a movie. As if the deaths of 58 Americans in the largest mass shooting in this nation’s history weren’t attention-grabbing enough, now news programming feels that they need to entice the viewer with dramatic music and sensational latest reports out of Las Vegas.

The hundreds of families and friends affected, as well as all of us innocent, confused Americans, could do without the 24-hour news cycle pushing a traumatic event like this down our throats as if it were a movie trailer.

While average Americans are trying to wrap their heads around such a terrifying event and go on with their days, the media is lapping it up, hyping up the fact that the shooting is now deadliest in U.S. history, and has racked up more deaths than the Orlando night club shooting.

Sensationalizing tragedy is not appealing. It should not earn viewers and in turn earn more money. Unfortunately, the news seems to believe in it, and we are living in a time of glorifying horror on television.

Security addressed after Vegas shooting

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By VERONICA SPAGNA

Sunday evening in Las Vegas left many people without a friend, a sibling, a parent, a son, a daughter. And, as any tragedy, it happened in an unexpected place at an unexpected time.

Till now 58 people were shot dead at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival, and more than 450 were injured.  Stephen Paddock, 64, shot festival attendees from the 32nd floor of a hotel room in Mandalay Bay Hotel.

Paddock had capability of bringing 23 guns to his hotel room, 12 of which were semi-automatic guns, also known as self-loading guns. What is worrying people is that the assassin could transport all those firearms in the hotel without going unnoticed. This brings to the surface the issue of safety and security in hotels, as well as music festivals.

Bruce Mclndoe, president of iJet international, said the Las Vegas attack has stimulated immediate changes to security protocols.

iJet international preforms around 400 security inspections globally every year.

Mclndoe said that it is likely that hotels will have to train their security surveillance staff to inspect customers with items that could be rifles such as; fishing gear, skis and other long items.

Another tactic addressed to increase security measured was more specific to the idea of gatherings in outdoor situations. In an e-mail response, former director of the Center for Security Policy Studies at George Mason University, Audrey Cronin, addressed the shooting as “Horrifying but not unprecedented.” Pointing out that having large number of people in an open space next to a tall structure, makes people an easier target.

Cronin highlighted that typically, when major political events take place, law enforcement has access to high places nearby.  She suggested that this procedure also be applied to other types of gatherings, which will most likely imply changes to hotel security. Cronin said, “Unfortunately, our law enforcement practices must often adapt in the wake of major tragedies.”

Many articles also mentioned the idea of baggage screening and metal detectors in hotels. The opinion of many concerning the idea of adding metal detectors is very unlikely in hotels, especially in Las Vegas, where hotels are connected to casinos and the business model would be damaged.

The Las Vegas shooting last Saturday, Oct. 1, is the deadliest shooting in U.S. history, it will continue to be addressed and discussed, hopefully, this tragedy will lead to change, some real outcomes.

Even though violence can never be completely stopped, I do think that it is important to continue to improve security, especially in a time where gun violence in public scenarios is becoming more present. The news articles covered a lot of useful information but I really think that the changes that will be made in the Mandalay Bay hotel, should be investigated.

Challenges reporting breaking news

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By ANAEL GAVIZON

Last Sunday, there was a mass shooting in Las Vegas during Jason Aldean’s concert performance. A lone gunman unleashed bullets from the 32nd floor of Mandala Bay Casino and Resort.

The shooter killed at least 58 people and injured more than 500 others attending a country music festival below, according to officials.

The initially unknown shooter, now identified as Stephen Craig Paddock, fired shot after shot from his room at the hotel down on the crowd of about 22,000.

Terrified concertgoers were literally running for their lives. It has been the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

As one can see, this story was breaking news late on Sunday and early on Monday. However, most of the information was incomplete and unknown. It is a story that has been developing during the week. Each day adds new information that sometimes leads to new stories.

This is one of the challenges of covering breaking news. Sometimes you could get more information, details and sources than others.

The process begins with an alert that carries immediate, yet very limited information. That would be the first news on Sunday night. Next comes the news break, which includes the answer to main facts (who? what? when? where?), the source and the circumstances.This would be the stories from Monday and Tuesday talking about the details of the event, most importantly who committed the act and why.

Last, but not least, the updates and second stories that are stories carrying an earlier report by weaving together fresh developments, reactions, added context and analysis. These are stories like the ones about the gunman’s girlfriend, heroes that saved lives, interviews with the killer’s family.

Little by little, journalists get to weave the story, starting from the very basic and developing into the more complex details.

It doesn’t matter what his name is

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By JUSTIN STEVENS

This past Sunday a lone gunman unleashed rapid-fire bullets from the 32nd floor of a Las Vegas hotel, killing at least 58 people and injuring more than 500 others attending a three-day country music festival.

The act was the single-deadliest mass shooting in American history. Only one shooter was connected to the act. Inside his hotel room in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Vegas Strip was 23 guns and another 19 were found inside his house.

The suspect, who is now deceased, checked into the hotel on Sept. 28 and it was likely that he requested a room on a high floor overlooking the festival grounds, overlooking the 22,000 attendees at the concert.

President Trump visited Las Vegas on Wednesday to pay his respects and offer his condolences. Several other politicians and entertainers expressed their sorrow on social media with the hashtag, #prayforlasvegas, which has been trending on Twitter.

Police are lost as they are still looking into what the motive is for this act of pure evil. After interviewing several people close to the shooter and digging up almost every detail about his past, investigators are stumped.

The problem with the reporting of the shooting is far too many news media outlets are using the shooter’s picture and his name as if it was the president’s. They’re creating a situation of martyrdom and creating a following for him.

The truth of the matter is, it doesn’t matter what his name is. It doesn’t matter what is gender is, his age is, his occupation is, his demeanor, where he lives, who his family is, or what his hobbies are.

TMZ the infamous celebrity gossip site took this too far when they released an article titled, SHOOTER DOESN’T FIT MASS SHOOTER PROFILE. They had this great quote, “The 64-year-old Nevada resident lived in a retirement community. He has no criminal record, at least none we’ve been able to find so far. We found Paddock has a hunting license in Alaska. He got a pilot’s license in 2003, which means he’s undergone some physical and mental evaluation.”

This is disgusting. A man killed 58 people and injured more than 500 people. Then he killed himself. He fits the mass shooter profile because he acted as a mass shooter. It doesn’t matter if he was mentally insane, or if he was “normal” to the eyes of police. He committed an act of violence and caused devastation. His name, picture and background doesn’t need to be shared. He is a mass murderer.

Plans in order to ban ‘bump stock’

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By IZABELLA FELPETO

After one of the deadliest shootings in American history, with 58 people killed and 489 wounded; it is no surprise that officials are beginning to consider the steps necessary to further regulate access to and use of guns.

On Thursday, Oct. 5, lawmakers began efforts to ban legislation on bump stocks, an attachment that enables a semiautomatic weapon to fire faster. Bump stocks are not banned even though it allows a person to fire a gun at the speed of a fully-automatic gun because of technicalities with how it is made.

Jill Snyder, a special agent in charge at the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, says “The classification of these devices depends on whether they mechanically alter the function of the firearm to fire fully automatic.”

After the world witnessed painful video coverage of the shooting; experts concluded it is proof enough that a semi-automatic weapon with a bump stock can accelerate the speed of the shots to the level of a fully-automated weapon. Twelve of Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock’s rifles carried a bump stock.

The National Rifle Association issued a statement saying “The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations.”

Republicans have already demonstrated support to alter the gun laws. Republican representatives Mike Gallagher and Adam Kinzinger asked for signatures to petition a change in the 2010 administrative decision saying that bump stocks are legal.

There is still no answer on this ban from President Trump, but White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the president is a “supporter of the Second Amendment” and that he is “open” to discussing the ban on “bump stock.”

58 killed in Las Vegas shooting

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By NINA GARZA

A gunman opened fire on a country music festival in Las Vegas, killing 58 people and injuring more than 500. This occurred late on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017.

The shooter has been identified as Stephen Paddock, who was found dead by self inflicted injury in his hotel room. Paddock was staying in the Mandalay Bay Resort. Just past 10 p.m., on Sunday is when Paddock began shooting at people attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival from his hotel room.

Videos of the shooting have been posted on Twitter, showing people running and screaming as the gunfire began. Country singer Jason Aldean had just started singing his last song of the night when the shooting started. He quickly ran off stage to take cover.

Country singer Jake Owen had performed before Aldean but was still at the festival watching Aldean perform before the start of the shooting, He spoke to CNN on the phone and said, “it was ringing off the top of the stage, you can hear it hitting trailers, people scattering, here and there, it was chaos.”

Being that this incident has been the largest shooting in modern United States history, the news media have been very sensitive and respectful. I saw several videos on reporters talking to people who were there and the police officers who were on the scene and they were very considerate towards them. The news media did a great job handling and covering this tragedy, being that it is a very serious and devastating event that occurred.