Month: November 2023

U.S. officials said Sunday that five U.S. servicepeople were killed when a military helicopter crashed over the eastern Mediterranean Sea during a training mission. All five crew members on board were killed when the aircraft went down “during a routine air refueling mission as part of military training,” according to the military’s European Command. It wasn’t immediately clear which military service the aircraft belonged to.

The military said that the cause is under investigation, but there are no indications of any hostile activity involved. It said on Sunday that “search and rescue efforts began immediately, including nearby U.S. military aircraft and ships.” European Command said that out of respect for the families of the service members and in line with Department of Defense policy, the identities of the crew members are being withheld for 24 hours until the families of those killed have been notified.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement: “we mourn the tragic loss of five U.S. service members during a training accident in the Mediterranean Sea early Saturday morning. While we continue to gather more information about this deadly crash, it is another stark reminder that the brave men and women who defend our great nation put their lives on the line each and every day to keep our country safe.”

Editorial credit: Philip Yabut / Shutterstock.com

A SWAT team member and three others were killed after a man barricaded himself in a house in Austin, Texas along with two hostages before opening fire on police officers.

Interim Chief of Police Robin Henderson announced at a press conference that the violent scene unfolded in South Austin, when Austin Police SWAT officers forced entry into the home where the man was allegedly armed with a knife and gun and two trapped hostages. , Henderson said that one woman who managed to escape called police for help, saying that she had been stabbed. Officers responded to the call and forced entry inside but backed out when the suspect opened fire before the SWAT team was then called.

Two officers who were shot were transported to the hospital, with one officer succumbing to his injuries, with the other in stable condition, said Henderson. The suspect and two other victims who were still barricaded inside the home were all pronounced dead at the scene.

The fatal shooting marks the first time in a decade that an Austin Police Department officer was killed in the line of duty, according to reports, and marks the first time in over a decade in which an Austin officer was shot and killed in the line of duty. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said in a post on X: “This is a horrible moment for our city and those who protect us. I thank these courageous public servants and ask that our community hold them close, support them, respect them, and lift them up in prayer.”

Editorial credit: Kokoulina / Shutterstock.com

Officials confirmed that a Nashville college student has died a day after she was shot in the head by a stray bullet while walking on a trail near the campus of Belmont University.  The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in a news release that the Belmont University freshman, 18-year-old Jillian Ludwig of New Jersey, was shot Tuesday afternoon as she walked on a track in Edgehill Memorial Gardens Park. She was taken to the hospital in extremely critical condition after a passerby found her lying on the ground. The department later shared on social media Thursday morning: “Sadly, Jillian Ludwig passed away during the night.”

A suspect is in custody in the shooting, which happened around 2:24 p.m. Shaquille Taylor, 29, was quickly identified as a suspect and taken into custody. Police said the gunfire came from a public housing unit across the street from the park and that Taylor was allegedly shooting at a car when a stray bullet struck Ludwig. Taylor was charged with aggravated assault and evidence tampering and is being held on a $280,000 bond. Police said Thursday they were in discussion with the district attorney’s office about modifying his charges.

Authorities said the suspect had previously been released for incompetence to stand trial in a separate shooting. At the time of Ludwig’s shooting, Taylor had a warrant for failing to appear in court stemming from a Sept. 21 arrest in a grocery store parking lot. Taylor was driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck that had been carjacked by two men wearing ski masks on Sept. 16. Taylor, who did not admit to being involved in the carjacking, was charged with felony auto theft and was released on a $20,000 bond.

Ludwig was a freshman music business major and was remembered by the university as an “engaged member of our community” who loved “music and its incredible power.” Belmont University President Lorentz Gregory Jones shared: “This is a lot for us all to process. We grapple now with grief, anger, anxiety and a strong sense of fear in the face of senseless violence.”

Ludwig’s family said they were “beyond devastated” by her death, saying: “Jillian was a creative, compassionate, fearless young woman. She was thriving in her freshman year of college and on the cusp of so many successes. She was senselessly robbed of those opportunities and we will miss her dearly every day forever.”

Editorial credit: Cheri Alguire / Shutterstock.com