A gunman wearing military-style clothing and body armor opened fire with a rifle at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, killing at least 10 people before being taken into custody Saturday afternoon, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.
Details on the number of additional people shot at the Tops Friendly Market and their conditions weren’t immediately available. The two officials were not permitted to speak publicly on the matter and did so on the condition of anonymity. The suspect was being questioned Saturday evening by the FBI, one of the officials said.
A crowd gathers as police investigate after a shooting at a supermarket on Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Buffalo, N.Y. Multiple people were shot at the Tops Friendly Market. Police have notified the public that the alleged shooter was in custody. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex) (Joshua Bessex/AP)
Investigators believe the gunman may have been streaming the shooting through a camera affixed to his helmet, one of the officials said. The video showed the gunman, dressed in military gear, pulling up to the front of the store with a rifle on the front seat and then pointing the rifle at people in the parking lot as he exited the vehicle and opening fire, the official said.
It also shows the suspect walking into the supermarket and shooting several other victims inside, the official said. One of the victims was a recently retired police officer who was working as a security guard at the store, according to the official.
One of the officials cautioned the investigation was in its preliminary stages and that authorities hadn’t yet discerned a clear motive, but were investigating whether the shooting was racially motivated.
The supermarket is in a predominately Black neighborhood, about 3 miles (5 kilometers) north of downtown Buffalo. The surrounding area is primarily residential, with a Family Dollar store and fire station near the store.
Buffalo police confirmed the shooter was in custody in a tweet, but did not identify the suspect. Police officials did not immediately respond to messages from the AP seeking comment.
Witnesses reported the gunman was wearing military-style clothing in addition to the body armor, one of the officials said
Braedyn Kephart and Shane Hill, both 20, pulled into the parking lot just as the shooter was exiting. They described him as a white male in his late teens or early twenties sporting full camo, a black helmet and what appeared to be a rifle.
“He was standing there with the gun to his chin. We were like what the heck is going on? Why does this kid have a gun to his face?” Kephart said. He dropped to his knees. “He ripped off his helmet, dropped his gun, and was tackled by the police.”
At the White House, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden is receiving regular updates on the shooting and its aftermath.
“The president has been briefed by his Homeland Security advisor on the horrific shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., this afternoon. He will continue to receive updates throughout the evening and tomorrow as further information develops,” she said, adding the president and first lady were praying for the victims and their loved ones.
Tops Friendly Markets released a statement saying, “We are shocked and deeply saddened by this senseless act of violence and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.”
Police closed off the block, lined by spectators, and yellow police taped surrounded the full parking lot. Mayor Byron Brown and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz were at the scene late Saturday afternoon, gathered in a parking lot across the street from the Tops store and expected to address the media.
More than two hours of the shooting, Erica Pugh-Mathews was waiting outside the store, behind the police tape.
“We would like to know the status of my aunt, my mother’s sister. She was in there with her fiance, they separated and went to different aisles,” she said. “A bullet barely missed him. He was able to hide in a freezer but he was not able to get to my aunt and does not know where she is. We just would like word either way if she’s OK.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted that she was “closely monitoring the shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo,” her hometown. She said state officials have offered help to local authorities. The Erie County Sheriff’s Office said on social media that it ordered all available personnel to assist Buffalo police.
Attorney General Merrick Garland was briefed on the shooting, Justice Department spokesperson Anthony Coley said.
The shooting came little more than a year after a March 2021 attack at a King Soopers grocery in Boulder, Colorado, that killed 10 people. Investigators have not released any information about why they believe the man charged in that attack targeted the supermarket.
For the first time in six years, the City of North Miami (NoMi) has reported a budget surplus, due in large part to City Manager, Theresa Therilus, who joined the City in 2020. Under Therilus’ guidance, NoMi has accelerated the turnaround of the General Fund deficit by making difficult decisions to reduce costs and expenditures, while maintaining a consistent level of service to the community.
To create radical financial transformation, Therilus established a balanced budget and successfully generated more revenue than expenditures, resulting in a positive year-end balance. Additionally, the fund balance was improved through preventative measures that successfully mitigated a larger deficit during the pandemic’s peak in addition to the receipt of American Rescue Plan Act funding to cover the prior year’s deficit resulting from loss of revenues.
In fiscal year 2020, NoMi’s budget expenditures were nearly $67 million. After Therilus implemented her budget reforms, the City’s budget came in at $57.6 million, an over 15% drop in expenditures.
“I am thankful for the support and focus of the Mayor and Council during this process,” said Therilus. “If it were not for them and the dedicated staff of the City of North Miami, the fiscal turnaround would not have been possible”, Therilus continued. “In July of 2020 when I arrived, the City was $14 million in the red. Now, I am proud to report we are in the black for the first time in six years, with almost $4 million in budget surplus.”
Correcting the City’s unsustainable budget required cutting over $9 million in expenditures, which Therilus accomplished while continuing to provide crucial social services to residents, such as mortgage and rental assistance and much needed financial support for NoMi’s small business during the devastating global pandemic. Despite these gains, the road forward will not be easy; in particular the challenge of dealing with expenses that have historically outpaced revenues.
“The City Manager has done a great job getting us out of this massive deficit,” said Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime. “We’ve been working hard to get on a path to fiscal stability, and now thanks to some difficult conversations and decisions, we are on the way there and the City can successfully move forward.”
POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies have responded to what could be a crime spree in Broward County that may possibly be connected to and involving children.
A shooting in Deerfield Beach took place following a crash at the corner of Powerline Road and Sample Road, Friday afternoon.
One person suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was rushed to the trauma center at Broward Health North.
The victim reportedly died at the trauma center.
The suspect later crashed along the 4300 block of Sample Road in Coconut Creek.
Two people in the vehicle he crashed into suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.
The suspect then got out of his truck naked and robbed a woman in the parking lot of a Walgreens of her necklace.
After the robbery, he ran west on Sample Road, still naked, before he was apprehended by Coconut Creek Police at a Shell gas station at 4701 W. Sample Road.
He was then taken to Northwest Medical Center in Margate.
Coral Springs Police and Fire Rescue responded to the suspect’s home in Coral Springs on the 4100 block of Northwest 88th Avenue, where they located two juveniles with traumatic injuries.
One child was rushed to Broward Health Medical Center.
Police will not confirm what happened to the second child.
The nature of the children’s injuries has not been disclosed.
Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.
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LAKELAND, Fla. (WSVN) – Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives are searching for a 22-year-old woman who threw a tantrum at a McDonald’s.
The incident took place at 2606 US 92 East at around 5:34 p.m, Thursday.
Tianis Jones became enraged when her order at the drive-thru was taking too long. That’s when she stormed into the McDonald’s and started to complain at the front counter.
Jones became impatient and started to become violent by hitting a small plastic sign in the direction of the employees. She then started to throw several bottles, and at one point walked behind the counter to throw cups at the employees.
A relative tried to calm Jones down.
Employees at the eatery told Jones multiple times to leave.
Ignoring the commands of the employees, Jones then called 911 on her cell phone and told the operator, “I’m five-months pregnant, these people don’t know how to run a [expletive] McDonald’s!”
The entire incident lasted roughly 10 minutes before her relative and another woman convinced her to leave.
Before leaving the McDonald’s, Jones lifted up her shirt and exposed her belly at the employees and began twerking at them.
“I don’t know why this woman got as angry as she was, but as the saying goes, ‘She’s a few fries short of a Happy Meal,’” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “Her actions were outrageous, especially for a place where small children often visit, and she caused about $100 in damages since the items she threw on the floor can’t be used for customers. She better not complain about the food we serve her at the county jail.”
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Jones with charges for burglary with assault, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.
If anyone has any information regarding the whereabouts of Jones, you are urged to call the PCSO at 863-298-6200 or Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477).
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