Archive
Ex-NASCAR driver Dick Trickle dead at 71 after apparent suicide www.privateofficer.com
The sheriff says Trickle’s body was found near his pickup truck at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Boger City, N.C., about 40 miles northwest of Charlotte. Sheriff’s Lieutenant Tim Johnson says foul play is not suspected.
Trickle was the Winston Cup series rookie of the year in 1989 but never won a Cup race. He won two Busch Series races.
Higley High School athletic director dies of self-inflicted gunshot wound www.privateofficer.com
Gilbert AZ May 16 2013 Colleagues of Art Wagner, the executive director of support services in the Higley Unified School District who was found dead Wednesday, said he was a hard-worker and “a friend to everyone.”
A Higley High School employee discovered Wagner’s body about 8:45 a.m. just off campus between the baseball fields and railroad tracks with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Gilbert Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jesse Sanger said. He was 42.
Police had not found a suicide note and are still investigating, Sanger said. No students were hurt at the school, which is near Pecos and Recker roads in Gilbert.
“Art Wagner is one of those people who has a great heart, very caring, very service-oriented, (would) do anything for you, give you the shirt off of his back,” district Superintendent Denise Birdwell said. “He was the kind of employee who goes above and beyond, (and) would take on more responsibility just to make sure that all of the work got done.”
Wagner had been an educator for 20 years, including four years with the Higley district. As executive director of support services, he oversaw all transportation, athletics, community education, parks and recreation, maintenance and operations, and construction for the district.
He was recognized last month as an outstanding administrator by the Arizona School Administrators Association, and recently had earned a certificate for “Master Athletic Administrator” from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. Only 10 other athletic administrators in Arizona have the certificate.
Birdwell said Wagner was dealing with multiple health issues, including sleep deprivation caused largely by an ear issue for which he was receiving medical treatment, and had taken on more than his share of responsibilities at work.
“Between the lack of sleep, the medical issues he was facing, a lot of responsibilities, I just think there were just so many issues weighing heavily on him,” she said.
District staff had taken on more responsibilities over the last four years due to budget cuts. Birdwell said that while doing the budget for next year, officials realized Wagner had “more on his responsibility list” than other employees. They planned to bring in a director to work underneath him and help alleviate the duties.
But despite the difficulties Wagner was dealing with, she said employees were “caught off guard” by the news of his death.
“Art did not believe that the answer to problems is through suicide,” Birdwell said. “He is a strong individual. I think he was out of character because of all that he was dealing with physically. But Art Wagner was a great educator, an intellectual person, a caring person. He was a great athlete. He was a great coach.”
Wagner married Higley Elementary and Middle School Principal Kat Hughes around spring break. He had no children.
School board members said they were shocked when they learned of Wagner’s death.
“He was such an inspiration,” board member Jake Hoffman said. “He could light up the room with his smile.”
He said Wagner was hard working and resourceful.
“You’d come to him with an issue, and boom, an hour later, a day later, he was on it, and he was quick with everything,” Hoffman said. “It was phenomenal to see how we would tackle projects and requests.”
Kim Anderson, vice president of the governing board, said Wagner “had a great legacy.”
“He was really committed to kids,” she said. “He was always really concerned about students and how well they do. He liked to say, ‘Finish strong.’”
Board member Kristina Reese said Wagner was very enthusiastic and talented.
“He was very friendly and always had a smile,” she said. “It’s a huge loss.”
Wagner had served as the executive board president of the Arizona Interscholastic Association, a three-year term that would have wrapped up this month, AIA Executive Director Harold Slemmer said. He had been selected to serve another term beginning in August.
In part, the association offers administrators courses to further their education. Slemmer said Wagner was “a real advocate for professional development.”
“He led by example and encouraged others to do it. He taught a number of leadership training courses provided by the AI-Triple-A,” Slemmer said. “He was well-respected as a teacher for other professionals, and he just lived by example.”
Wagner had worked for the Higley district since July 2009, he said. Previously, he worked for the Tempe Unified School District from 1993 to 2009, at both McClintock and Mountain Pointe high schools.
Slemmer said he and colleagues involved with the AIA were in shock at the news of Wagner’s death “because the level of respect that Art commanded was just as high as it could be.”
“There’s no question that Art was probably one of the best liked and most loved school administrators,” he said. “He certainly had a stellar career.”
Chuck Schmidt, associate executive director of the AIA, said his “heart and prayers go out to his family.”
“Art had such a great passion for kids,” he said. “He was a go-to guy.”
Man Commits Suicide at Oakland Police Facility www.privateofficer.com
OAKLAND FL May 15 2013 — Oakland Police are investigating an apparent suicide in the parking lot of their public safety facility, officials said.
Source-tribune.com
Ex-Motel Security Guard Accused of Shooting Manager, Killing Self is ID’d www.privateofficer.com
St Petersburg FL May 15 2013
Police say that a fired security guard shot the hotel manager and later committed suicide.
Detectives have identified Anthony Graig Taylor, 45, as the man accused of shooting the manager at a St. Petersburg motel and then killing himself early Tuesday morning.
Witnesses told police Taylor had worked as a security guard and was staying in one of the rooms at the New Plaza Motel but was fired because he had gotten into “several confrontations” with motel patriots, St. Petersburg Police.
Taylor was still allowed to rent a room after his firing but had recently been told he was evicted because he was behind on his rent, police said.
The motive in the shooting of manager Jerome Horacek remains unclear, police said, because Horacek was not responsible for Taylor’s firing or eviction. The two had had “casual conversation” about an hour before the shooting, officials said.
Detectives said they believe Taylor may have been attempting to rob Horacek, “who immediately attempted to flee once Taylor entered the office and pointed the handgun at him,” the police stated. Taylor “was seen shooting out of the window at the office entrance as Horacek fled.
Horaceck suffered multiple gunshot wounds in his upper torso but is expected to survive, authorities said.
A K-9 unit later found Taylor’s body in a lot at 3462 3rd Ave. N. after he had apparently committed suicide with the same handgun used in the shooting, according to police.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Three security officer shootings leave 1 dead www.privateofficer.com
MAY 15 2013
FORT PIERCE FLA
Two armed men exchanged fire with a security officer at a La Quinta Inn in Fort Pierce during an attempted robbery about 1 a.m., Fort Pierce spokesman Sgt. Dennis McWilliams said.
The security officer was not injured and it’s uncertain whether the two men who fled the scene in a black sport utility vehicle were hit by the guard’s fire, McWilliams said. Police continue to look for the suspects.
The two men entered the La Quinta Inn at 2655 Crossroads Parkway shortly after 1 a.m. Preliminary information indicates the men came in and got into the office area where the clerk would be, but the clerk apparently suspected trouble and was able to hide in a back room, McWilliams said.
“So they never really confronted anyone,” McWilliams said. But on the suspects’ way out, an armed security officer identified himself and chased the men as they left. The guard has told police they shot at him and he shot back, McWilliams said.
Police are not releasing details about what was taken during the robbery.
ST PETERSBURG FLA
Police say that a fired security guard shot the hotel manager and later committed suicide.
Detectives have identified Anthony Graig Taylor, 45, as the man accused of shooting the manager at a St. Petersburg motel and then killing himself early Tuesday morning.
Witnesses told police Taylor had worked as a security guard and was staying in one of the rooms at the New Plaza Motel but was fired because he had gotten into “several confrontations” with motel patriots, St. Petersburg Police.
Taylor was still allowed to rent a room after his firing but had recently been told he was evicted because he was behind on his rent, police said.
The motive in the shooting of manager Jerome Horacek remains unclear, police said, because Horacek was not responsible for Taylor’s firing or eviction. The two had had “casual conversation” about an hour before the shooting, officials said.
Detectives said they believe Taylor may have been attempting to rob Horacek, “who immediately attempted to flee once Taylor entered the office and pointed the handgun at him,” the police stated. Taylor “was seen shooting out of the window at the office entrance as Horacek fled.
Horaceck suffered multiple gunshot wounds in his upper torso but is expected to survive, authorities said.
A K-9 unit later found Taylor’s body in a lot at 3462 3rd Ave. N. after he had apparently committed suicide with the same handgun used in the shooting, according to police.
The investigation is still ongoing.
AURORA, CO.
A student was injured Monday at an Aurora, Colo., high school after he was accidentally shot by an armed security officer.
Police report that the student was getting a ride home from a Rangeview High School employee who also works as an armed security officer at the school.
The employee was putting the gun into the glove box when it discharged, hitting the student in the leg and causing a “significant injury,” police said.
The school employee drove the student from the school parking lot to a nearby hospital.
The student, whose name and age were not released, is expected to survive.
Police did not say why the employee was driving the student home about an hour after school ended.
No charges have been filed at this point.
Man kills himself in North Canton park www.privateofficer.com
Canton OH May 10 2013 Police say a man killed himself in a city park after he was approached by police. The incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at North Canton Rotary Park at 904 Applegrove St. NW. Police got a call from a male — possibly from the man police later encountered — about gunshots being fired at the park, according to Police Chief Stephan Wilder.
Virginia Beach woman suspected of homicide dies of self-inflicted gunshot www.privateofficer.com
VIRGINIA BEACH VA May 4 2013
A woman who police say was suspected of a homicide has died at a hospital from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
On April 26, police arrived in the 5700 block of Bayside Road to investigate a possible shooting. They found Andrew Bonelli, 50, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, the release said.
Officers learned about a suspect’s location and found Helen Ruth DeHarde in the 5500 block of Campus Drive with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She and Bonelli were acquaintances, the release said.
Both were taken to a hospital, where Bonelli died, according to the release.
The case remains under investigation by the department’s homicide unit.
DeHarde, 51, of the 1300 block of Crane Crescent, died April 27 after being in critical condition since the day before, a news release said
Houston airport gunman left suicide note saying he had ‘monster within’ www.privateofficer.com
HOUSTON TX May 3 2013 — A gunman walked into Bush Intercontinental Airport with an AR-15 and a handgun Thursday and fired at least two shots before killing himself. It happened in the ticket area inside Terminal B around 1:35 p.m.
The suspect has been identified as 29-year-old Carnell Moore of Beaumont.
He left behind a suicide note that said he had a “monster within” and wanted the cops to take care of it. The note said Moore had a bigger plan, but decided to show mercy on others.
Moore posted two cryptic messages on his Facebook wall Wednesday: “This Life Will Crash Tomorrow!” and “I recently had the chance of staring death in the face, and she was beautiful.”
Moore had been staying in a Houston hotel the last few days. He would have turned 30 this month.
A McDonald’s employee who works at the airport heard the gunshots.
“As soon as he walked in, he just automatically started shooting quickly,” said the employee named Kendra Carrizales. “And we hear two shots and we just automatically started running. We ran all the way to the back.”
A Homeland Security special agent heard the gunfire and confronted Moore. The agent fired at the gunman at the same time that Moore shot himself in the head, according to HPD.
“We just saw the dude walking in, and he was already suicidal because he put the gun to his head,” Carrizales said.
The suspect was taken away in an ambulance, but he didn’t survive.
No one else was injured. But passengers and employees were shaken by the shooting.
“It was traumatic it really was, it was too much going on. Everybody was running, and all that stuff, it was a lot going on,” Carrizales said.
Dale Howard, who was at the airport to pick up his sister for a family funeral, was on the lower level when the chaos erupted.
“Right off the bat, there were two shots, about an eight to 10-second delay, two more shots, a short delay, then a fifth shot,” he said.
After that, people were running in panic.
“There was a bunch of screaming, a bunch of people running, people coming down the escalator the wrong way getting away from it, leaving their bags on the thing,” Howard said.
Terminal B was closed for more than three hours while police investigated the shooting scene. They found one bullet hole in the ceiling.
They also found Moore’s white pickup truck parked outside the terminal. It was searched and towed away.
Bomb-sniffing dogs swept the terminal as a precaution.
The FBI is assisting with the investigation.
source- khou
3 officers shoot, kill man in ‘suicide by cop’ www.privateofficer.com
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – May 3 2013
Three officers shot and killed a 41-year-old man after police said he stabbed his stepfather, then later charged an officer while holding a pellet gun following a nearly two-hour standoff Tuesday evening, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Chief Tom Hackney said at a news conference Wednesday.
Todd Jones died at the scene of the shooting — the Countryside Village Mobile Home Park in the 9900 block of Beach Boulevard. Police said Jones stabbed his 59-year-old stepfather, Elbert Lilley, after calling him to the home.
Hackney said the two had been family members for more than 20 years. He said Lilley was married to Jones’ mom, who died April 19 after a short battle with cancer.
“The two had lived in the trailer for some period of time,” Hackney said. “When it was obvious that Jones and Lilley could not get along, an ultimatum was given by Mrs. Lilley about one of the two of them leaving the trailer. They decided at that point in time that Mr. Lilley would move.”
He moved to the beach, where he lived alone for some time. Lilley owned the trailer, and after his wife died, he told Jones he needed to find somewhere else to live.
Hackney said when Lilley went to the home Tuesday at Jones’ request, Jones threw the door open and immediately screamed at him to “die die,” then stabbed him in the chest with a makeshift spear — a PVC pipe with a knife attached to it.
The two fell to the ground, and Lilley told police Jones was trying to take a black handgun from Lilley’s pocket.
“The gun got hung up on his pocket, and that gave Mr. Lilley a chance to escape,” Hackney said.
He ran to a neighbor’s house and called 911.
Lilley was flown to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. He has since been upgraded to serious condition.
When police arrived, Lilley told them Jones had gone into the trailer armed with a gun and a knife. Lilley told police he thought Jones was suicidal based on the ambush.
Police said Jones did not cooperate with their request to come out of the home. The SWAT team was called out and established a perimeter about 6 p.m.
About two hours later, police said, Jones threw the front door open and ran out screaming. Hackney said Jones was holding a handgun when he charged one of the officers.
Three officers shot Jones with their department-issued AR-15 rifles. Those officers were Sgt. Joel Weeks, a 20-year veteran, and Officer Robert Holmes, a six-year veteran, and Officer Angel Santiago, a four-year veteran. All three were placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in a police-involved shooting.
This was Weeks’ fourth police-involved shooting and the first for Holmes and Santiago.
Hackney said a total of 21 shots were fired by the officers, and Jones was struck at least 11 times, including in the chest.
Hackney said the gun recovered from Jones turned out to be a pellet gun.
Jones’ only previous encounter with police was a domestic disturbance with Lilley in 2009. No charges were filed.
“That makes this an obvious suicide by cop in our opinion,” Hackney said. “He exited the trailer holding what he knew not to be a firearm, charging officers that he knew to be armed with that. Couple that with Mr. Lilley’s assessment of his actions earlier clearly makes that a suicide by cop.”
No officers were injured in the shooting.
Source- newsjax4.com
Michigan bank robbery suspect commits suicide in Georgia www.privateofficer .com
ALPHARETTA, Georgia May 2 2013 — Police in metro Atlanta say a man who was wanted in a series of bank robberies in Michigan has committed suicide.
Alpharetta Police Sgt. George Gordon tells WAGA-TV authorities used the man’s cellphone signal to track him and began pursuing him Monday afternoon.
Gordon says when the man realized police surrounded his car, he shot himself. His name wasn’t immediately released.
Police across Michigan’s Lower Peninsula have been seeking a man suspected in holdups from Kalamazoo in the west to Yale in the east. The latest happened Saturday at Capac State Bank in Yale, 55 miles north-northeast of Detroit in St. Clair County.
The St. Clair County sheriff’s department told The Associated Press on Tuesday night that no further information on the Michigan connection will be released until Wednesday.
Cincinnati student shoots himself at school in suicide attempt www.privateofficer.com
CINCINNATI OH May 1 2013 (AP) — A student at an all-male parochial high school pulled out a gun in front of other students in his first-period classroom Monday morning and shot himself in an apparent suicide attempt, police said.
The youth was taken to a hospital, and there appeared to be no threat to other students at La Salle High School, a private Catholic school west of Cincinnati that was immediately put on lockdown as a precaution, police said. Students were later dismissed for the day, and the school posted a message on the announcement board in front of the building: “Please Pray for the Students of La Salle.”
At around 8 a.m., “a student produced a gun inside one of the classrooms and shot himself, and we’re dealing with that now,” Green Township Police Chief Bart West told reporters. School officials said the shooting was during the first class period of the day. No information was released immediately on the type of gun the student had.
West said the student apparently was trying to kill himself, but he had no other information on why he fired the shot. He said authorities weren’t aware of any threats made concerning the school or any other students. Authorities said all other students were safe.
Students, some in tears, gathered in the school gym. The school’s website said all students were safe and being released to parents “due to an attempted suicide involving one student.”
A school official said counselors were meeting with students, and officials were talking to students to try to learn more about the student who fired the shot.
“We just ask that you pray for him and his family,” said Greg Tankersley, La Salle’s director of community development. “It’s a tragic situation for this young man.”
He said the youth was “fighting for his life.” A message was left at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center about the student’s condition.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese sent additional counselors to the school, he said, and a priest went to the hospital where the student was taken. Tankersley said he wouldn’t release other information about the student at this point.
In the aftermath of last year’s fatal shootings of three students in Chardon High School in northeast Ohio and December’s Sandy Hook Elementary shooting rampage in Connecticut, most schools have taken steps to increase security. In Ohio, that’s included taking shooting prevention and response training courses offered by the state attorney general and updating safety procedures with police.
“We always have concerns about school security,” West said, but he added that La Salle “did an excellent job” in responding Monday. He said township police had met recently with school officials to review their safety plan.
“We’re going to go back and look at everything,” Tankersley replied when asked at a news conference about a gun getting into the school. But he added that Monday’s top priority was the condition of the wounded student and the well-being of the others.
Updated with new information, 12:50 p.m. Monday
Milwaukee police shoot-kill armed suicidal man www.privteofficer.com
MILWAUKEE WI April 27 2013—Milwaukee police shot and killed a man they said was armed with a knife and threatening suicide.
Sgt. Mark Stanmeyer said officers were called to the area of 73rd Street and Mill Road at about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday by a person who said a relative was threatening to kill them.
Stanmeyer said officers found the man inside the home armed with a large kitchen knife.
Police said officers repeatedly told the man to drop the knife, but he instead advanced toward officers with the knife in hand.
Stanmeyer said when the man advanced, a 29-year-old officer fired his handgun.
The victim, identified as James Coleman, was treated on the scene by Milwaukee Fire Department personnel. He died of his injuries.
No officers were injured in the incident.
The officer involved is a three-year veteran with the Police Department.
Stanmeyer said the police department and the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the incident, and the officer involved has been placed on administrative duty pending the completion of the investigation.
source- http://www.wisn.com
Albemarle County police investigate suicide on county road www.privateofficer.com
Albemarle County VA April 23 2013 Albemarle County police responding to a report of a car accident found that the driver had committed suicide.
Traffic along U.S. 29 at the U.S. 250 Bypass near Barracks Road came to a halt Sunday morning as police investigated the death in one of the highway’s northbound lanes.
According to Albemarle County police, the incident was reported just after 9 a.m. Sunday morning.
Authorities immediately closed the northbound lanes at the scene of the collision as they conducted their investigation.
Although investigators were on the scene for about three hours Sunday morning and early afternoon, details remain limited due to the sensitive nature of the case.
County police spokeswoman Carter Johnson said no other motorists were involved or injured in the incident.
Traffic resumed its normal flow by 1 p.m. Sunday.
NV Mom Accused of Killing 2 Children, then Herself www.privateofficer.com
LAS VEGAS NV April 23 2013 (AP) — Las Vegas police are searching for leads in what they call a murder-suicide involving a woman and her two children.
Forty-year-old Hae Chong Serra is accused of killing her two children inside their Wolf Pack Lane home before turning the knife on herself.
The Clark County Coroner’s Office on Saturday identified the children as 11-year-old Hope Stream Serra and 9-year-old Cory Yoon Serra.
Police say a woman notified them after arriving at her sister’s home several miles southwest of the Las Vegas Strip and finding the three dead Friday afternoon.
The deaths remain under investigation.
Dumont man commits suicide on railroad tracks www.privateofficer.com
DUMONT NJ April 22 2013 – A man got out of his car and lied down on the railroad tracks and was killed by an oncoming train this afternoon, police said.
The identity of the victim was not released by police, who described him as a man in his 60s. Police are treating the death as a suicide.
Police closed off Cortland Avenue between West Madison and Niagara Street. Officers were Dumont, Bergenfield, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and the rail freight company, CSX, are on the scene.
The train, a CSX freight train bound for Albany, N.Y., was headed north through Dumont shortly after 1 p.m. The victim parked his grey Chevrolet on Cortland Avenue, across the street from the tracks. He got out, lied down on the tracks, and waited for the train to strike him, police said.
Police were seen taking pictures of what is believed to be the victim’s vehicle parked on Cortland Avenue. No one else was injured.
For further detail, call the CSX police at 1-800-232-0144.
source -northjersey.com
Man commits suicide after hijacking bus www.privateofficer.com
Austin TX April 22 2013 Police say a gunman hijacked a city bus in Austin and led officers on a 30-mile chase before pulling over and killing himself.
Austin police Lt. James Nisula tells Associated Press Radio the man boarded the bus Saturday and ordered the bus driver to get off.
The Austin American-Statesman reports he also forced two passengers to leave the vehicle before getting behind the steering wheel and driving away.
Police spotted the bus and pursued it. They tried several times to get the driver to pull over, but he refused.
Nisula says officers put down road spikes and deflated the bus tires. He says the man eventually pulled into an auto parts store parking lot, where he fatally shot himself.
Police didn’t immediately release the man’s name.
Temple high School student commits suicide on campus www.privateofficer.com
TEMPLE TX April 21 2013–Solomon Harris, a 15-year-old Temple High School student who shot himself in the head Tuesday on the school campus died overnight in a Temple hospital.
Brad Sheffield, spokesman for Temple Independent School District, told News 10 Harris died early Thursday morning at Scott & White Hospital.
Harris had been in extremely critical condition in ICU at Scott and White since Tuesday morning when police say he shot himself in the head while standing near the tennis courts on the high school campus.
Temple police Cpl. Christopher Wilcox said police recovered a handgun at the scene of the shooting.
Temple ISD confirmed Wednesday Harris was a member of the school’s ROTC program.
School administrators were looking into reports of possible bullying.
The teenager was taken by ambulance Tuesday from the scene to Scott & White with what Wilcox described as “a very serious life threatening injury.”
The school was immediately locked down after the incident, but the lockdown was lifted at around 10:30 a.m. after the scene was deemed safe and classes continued as usual, a school district spokesman said.
Wilcox said several teachers and staff members both heard and saw the incident and they were being interviewed by police Tuesday morning.
Grief counselors were on hand at the school to speak with both students and faculty.
Source: KWTX
Pennsylvania man’s apparent suicide leaves 3 others dead www.privateofficer.com
QUAKERTOWN, Pa. April 19 2013 – Friends and neighbors were stunned and saddened by the deaths of four family members who appear to have died of carbon monoxide fumes that resulted from the husband’s apparent suicide.
Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler said Tuesday night that a state police investigation indicates that Gary Reitnauer went to the garage of an adjacent home on the family’s property on Monday and started the car following a disagreement with his wife, Michelle.
He said it is believed that Michelle Reitnauer and the family’s two daughters tried to rescue him and were overcome by the fumes. Fire department rescue crews were unable to revive the family.
“Good man,” a nephew, Rob Zern, told reporters as he left the home. “The family was trying to save each other and it didn’t work out … don’t know what all went wrong, but it’s a tragedy all around.”
A neighbor described them as “just the sweetest family.”
State police were called to the home in Milford Township in rural Bucks County, about 45 miles northwest of Philadelphia, at 11:20 p.m. Monday. They found the structure filled with high levels of carbon monoxide from a running vehicle, Lt. Vincent D’Angelo said in a news release.
Investigators “believe the husband committed suicide and each … of the family members succumbed to carbon monoxide when they went to check on him and tried to rescue him,” Heckler said.
The cause and manner of death must still be confirmed by the county coroner’s office, he said. Autopsies will be performed Wednesday on the family, according to WFMZ-TV.
State police have found no note but the garage door handle had been knocked off “which suggested that the husband went in there and did not intend to be disturbed or rescued,” Heckler said.
He said the circumstances also indicate that the wife went to the garage and broke the window of another door in an attempt to rescue him, but was apparently overcome by the deadly fumes and was found inside.
The family’s 16-year-old daughter, Kimberly, then is believed to have gone to a kitchen adjacent to the garage. She was found on the floor there, Heckler said. Ten-year-old daughter Jamie is thought to have done the same and was barely alive when rescuers arrived. She later died.
The Quakertown Community School District announced the deaths on its website and said counselors would be made available to help grieving students and teachers.
The site said Kimberly, a junior, was a gifted student, receiving the highest possible score on the advanced placement calculus exam at the end of her sophomore year. She also sang in the chorus and played in the jazz band, and was set to compete at a band festival in Erie.
Her sister was a fifth grader and took part in her school’s Reading Olympics Team. Like her sister, she played in the school band and sang in the chorus. She wanted to become a veterinarian, the site said.
The children were adopted from China, according to Maggie Chambers, a neighbor. She said they were “just the sweetest family.”
Like other neighbors and friends, the deaths stunned her.
“It’s not that kind of family,” she said. “For me to even think for a minute that this was a deliberate thing, it’s just not them. It’s not.”
Six of Kimberly’s high school classmates placed flowers on the family’s mailbox Tuesday afternoon, then formed a circle, clasped hands and prayed. Afterward, they remembered their friend as a highly intelligent student near the top of her class, and as a talented musician who played piano and trumpet. She was happy, kind and humble, they said.
“Everyone here loved her. She always had a smile on her face. Her whole family did. They were just the happiest people, and they made everyone else feel the same way,” said Aislinn Strohecker, 17, a close friend and neighbor.
Neighbors said there was no inkling of trouble in the Reitnauer home.
Michelle Reitnauer, 58, gave Christmas cookies every year to a well-drilling company down the gravel road, and would fetch the company’s mail when she got her own, according to Gloria Mayberry, a secretary at the firm. Reitnauer’s 59-year-old husband, known as “Ozzy,” would use the bucket on his John Deere tractor to take his trash can to the end of the drive, a cigar usually hanging from his mouth, she recalled.
source- http://www.foxnews.com/
Man dies after jumping from escalator at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport www.privateofficer.com
ATLANTA GA April 17 2013 — Atlanta police are investigating the death of a man who jumped from an escalator at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The man was discovered lying near a maintenance room on Concourse E shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday.
Atlanta police spokeswoman Kim Jones said investigators determined Monday afternoon that the man intentionally jumped from the escalator.
The victim was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name was not released.
Man fatally shoots self in I-575 standoff www.privateofficer.com
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. April 16 2013
Authorities say an armed man officers were looking for near Interstate 575 in Holly Springs has shot and killed himself.
Dozens of law enforcement officers are at I-575 southbound between Canton and Sixes roads, which officers closed to respond to the situation.
The incident began around 7:30 a.m. when the man pulled over on the side of I-575 and went inside of his trunk. A witness told Channel 2′s Amanda Cook that the man, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest, crossed two lanes on the interstate and went under a bridge. A passerby saw him sitting there, holding a gun to his head and called 911.
“It’s not a normal call, but we’re going to handle it just like we would handle any other hostage situation, whether he’s holding himself hostage or someone else,” said Holly Springs Police Lt. Tanya Smith.
A frightened passerby recalled what she saw.
“We were driving and there were a bunch of cop cars, fire trucks, and there were all (of) these guys with all (of) these huge guns. And we were like, ‘What in the world!’ It was really scary,” one girl said.
Officers and hostage negotiators provided assistance at the scene, but the man eventually took his own life around 9:30 a.m..
Officers said the man’s gold car was filled with military gear.
They did not release his name but said he has a lengthy criminal record. He is not from the area, authorities said.
Source: WSBTV
Suspected Texas sex offender commits suicide www.privateofficer.com
Round Rock TX April 16 2013 Last week, Round Rock Police put out a public warning about a sex offender offering rides to young girls. On Sunday, Police Chief Tim Ryle announced the man, whom police say never faced any charges, killed himself.
Police Chief Tim Ryle held a very brief press conference Sunday afternoon to discuss the matter.
Ryle did not say why Robert Wooster, of Georgetown, committed suicide; however, we do know it was shortly after police released his name to the public.
Ryle said Wooster killed himself on Friday. Just days earlier Round Rock Police had warned that Wooster was driving around trying to pick up young girls. Wooster was a registered sex offender who was not facing any pending charges. Still Ryle said he released name to the public because he felt Wooster’s behavior was abnormal.
Ryle said Wooster had picked up a 12 year old girl and drove her home from a store in round rock abdout three weeks ago. Wooster told police he thought the girl was 19. Ryle said she was not harmed and no laws were broken, but he still wanted to let the public know what Wooster was allegedly doing, as they believe he may have tried to pick up other young girls.
Chief Ryle says now that Wooster has taken his life he is no longer going to discuss the case publicly…
“Mr. Wooster made a number of bad choices over the last few weeks. This was another one of those bad choices. This is tragic. Our hearts go out to him. Our prayers are out for not only his family, but also the families of these little girls and that they get peace. That they’re not scared of everybody that comes around. With having said that, out of respect for the Wooster family, I know they’re grieving at this time. I’m not going to make any more statements about this particular case.”
That press conference lasted for about 3 1/2 minutes. The media was not allowed to ask questions.
source-www.myfoxaustin.com
Washington DC man tries committing suicide by jumping in front of train www.privateofficer.com
WASHINGTON DC April 15 2013 A train struck an adult male after he intentionally placed himself on the Metro train tracks in Rossyln Sunday, officials said.
According to a Metro spokesperson, the operator applied the emergency breaks when he saw the man on the platform at about 10:30 a.m. but still struck him.
The man was rushed to an area hospital and survived. He is with non-life threatening injuries, a spokesperson said.
The blue and orange line were single tracking for about two hours after the incident.
Police did not say if the man would face any criminal charges.
Man commits suicide at NRA Texas Motor Speedway race www.privateofficer.com
Fort Worth TX April 15 2013 The death of a man in the infield of Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday night during the Sprint Cup Series NRA 500 has been ruled a suicide from a gunshot to the head, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office.
The incident happened late in the race when Kirk Franklin, 42, of Saginaw, Texas, apparently got into an argument with other campers. Track spokesperson Mike Zizzo said Saturday night that the incident happened “in or around a pickup truck” in the infield.
Firearms were prohibited by Texas law from being brought in to the track by fans. The NRA’s sponsorship of the race came under scrutiny when it was announced earlier this year after Michael Waltrip ran a Sandy Hook benefit car at the Daytona 500 encouraging fans to text to give to Newtown, Conn. It was the NRA’s first Sprint Cup Series sponsorship; it sponsored the Nationwide Series race at Atlanta Motor Speeedway in September.
As is custom for all race sponsors, the NRA was offered the chance to buy the premium ad package from Fox Sports that would include commercial time, sponsor mentions and graphics with the race name. The NRA declined, and thus the race was presented without a sponsor on in-race graphics and the Fox broadcast mentioned the title sponsor once an hour. Earlier in the week, Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy (D) wrote a letter to Fox to ask the network not to broadcast the race.
The NRA’s sponsorship met and passed all NASCAR guidelines for sponsorship approval, but the sanctioning body said on Friday that it would take a closer look at other factors when going through its standard sponsorship approval process moving forward.
In 2008, a fan was hit by a stray bullet at Texas Motor Speedway after a gun was shot into the air and the bullet came into her RV through the roof and landed in her arm.
3 teens arrested for assault after girl’s suicide www.privateofficer.com
SAN JOSE, Calif. April 13 2013 (AP) — Eight days after allegedly being sexually battered while passed out at a party, and then humiliated by online photos of the assault, 15-year-old Audrie Pott posted on Facebook that her life was ruined, “worst day ever,” and hanged herself.
For the next eight months, her family struggled to figure out what happened to their soccer loving, artistic, horse crazy daughter, whose gentle smile, long dark hair and shining eyes did not bely a struggling soul.
And then on Thursday, seven months after the tragedy, a Northern California sheriff’s office arrested three 16-year-old boys on charges of sexual battery.
“The family has been trying to understand why their loving daughter would have taken her life at such a young age and to make sure that those responsible would be held accountable,” said family attorney Robert Allard.
“After an extensive investigation that we have conducted on behalf of the family, there is no doubt in our minds that the victim, then only 15 years old, was savagely assaulted by her fellow high school students while she lay on a bed completely unconscious.”
Allard said students used cell phones to share photos of the attack, and that the images went viral
Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Lt. Jose Cardoza said it arrested two of the teens at Saratoga High School and the third, a former Saratoga High student, at Christopher High School in Gilroy on Thursday. The names of the suspects were not released because they are minors.
Cardoza said the suspects were booked into juvenile hall and face two felonies and one misdemeanor each, all related to sexual battery that allegedly occurred at a Saratoga house party.
The lieutenant said the arrests were the result of information gathered by his agency’s Saratoga High School resource officers. He said the investigation is ongoing, and Los Gatos police also continue looking into the girl’s September suicide.
The Associated Press does not, as a rule, identify victims of sexual assault. But in this case, Pott’s family wanted her name and case known, Allard said. The family also provided a photo to the AP.
The girl’s family members did not comment and have requested privacy until a planned news conference Tuesday. Her father and step-mother Lawrence and Lisa Pott, along with her mother Sheila Pott, have started the Audrie Pott Foundation (audriepottfoundation.com) to provide music and art scholarships and offer youth counseling and support.
The foundation website alludes to the teen’s struggles, but until now neither law enforcement, school officials nor family have discussed the sexual battery.
“She was compassionate about life, her friends, her family, and would never do anything to harm anyone,” the site says. “She was in the process of developing the ability to cope with the cruelty of this world but had not quite figured it all out.
“Ultimately, she had not yet acquired the antibiotics to deal with the challenges present for teens in today’s society.”
On the day Pott died, Saratoga High School principal Paul Robinson announced her death, stunning classmates. Two days later other students and staff wore her favorite color, teal, in her honor.
Robinson wasn’t immediately available for comment Thursday.
The Pott family is not alone.
In Canada on Thursday, authorities said they are looking further into the case of a teenage girl who hanged herself Sunday after an alleged rape and months of bullying. A photo said to be of the 2011 assault on 17-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons was shared online.
No charges initially were filed against four teenage boys being investigated. But after an outcry, Nova Scotia’s justice minister appointed four government departments to look into Parsons’ case
Man Tries to Cut Off His Arms at California Home Depot www.privateofficer.com
West Covina CA April 13 2013 It was a bloody scene at a Home Depot in West Covina, Calif., on Wednesday when a man entered the store and began sawing his arms off with a hand saw, scaring customers into a panic, according to local police.
The man, who is in his late 50s, is not being identified and is in critical condition. However both his arms were saved, a Queen of the Valley Hospital spokesperson said.
Capt. Art Hurtado, an off-duty paramedic from Pasadena, said in a press conference Thursday that he was going to the store for supplies for a project and had stumbled upon police outside the store. He ran in to help with the scene and saw the man lying face down and surrounded by a pool of blood.
“There was pandemonium when I walked into the store. A lot of chaos, people running in all directions,” Hurtado said. “As I walked in, he was face down and I thought it was a crime scene with a fatality, that is how it seemed. There was a pulse, a very faint pulse and he was barely breathing. I knew I had to slow the bleeding down, or this patient may or may not make it.”
Hurtado said he did not have the equipment he normally would have with him had he been working. So he immediately had to “engage in some cursory care” by asking for towels and rope, which he used to make a makeshift tourniquet to stop the bleeding.
We started the tourniquet in his worst arm, and the dressings were applied to both,” he said. “We got him into a gurney, and he was taken to the local hospital.”
The man was taken to the hospital and his family was notified early Thursday morning, the hospital spokesperson said.
Hurtado, who has served with the Pasadena Fire Department for 22 years, said he is always ready to help, whether he’s at work or not, because of his “training as a firefighter and a paramedic.”
“I am always on duty, just like any other brother and sister firefighter,” he added.
Stephen Holmes, a spokesman for Home Depot, told ABCNews.com he commends all individuals involved in the rescue of the man.
“We greatly appreciate the fantastic support from the first responders, the city, and our employees and we’re all pulling for a full recovery for this individual,” Holmes said. “It was obviously extremely tragic, and we want to show our appreciation to the city and the great job they did.”
The Home Depot was cleaned by a third-party hazardous-material team and opened for business as schedule Thursday, Holmes said.
Source: ABC News
Florida gun-range shooting claims the life of a customer www.privateofficer.com
Orange County FLA April 13 2013 A man died Friday at Oak Ridge Gun Range after shooting himself in the head, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies are investigating whether the shooting, which happened about 11:45 a.m., was intentional or accidental, said Jeff Williamson, a sheriff’s spokesman.
About a dozen people were inside at the time. The building at 6160 S. Orange Ave. includes a gun shop and an indoor firing range, sheriff’s Cpl. Alex Greenberg said.
The man, whose name was not released, was not taking a concealed-weapons permit class, and authorities were investigating whether he rented a gun or brought his own.
Homicide detectives were interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance video.
Central Florida gun ranges have been the scene of at least eight previous customer shootings since 2009.
•In November 2011, a 45-year-old man shot himself dead at Oak Ridge Gun Range.
•In August 2011, a man in his 30s was gravely injured when he turned a gun on himself at Shoot Straight in Apopka.
•In June 2011, , a man killed himself with a rented gun at Shoot Straight in Casselberry after leaving a suicide note on his cellphone.
•In August 2010, a 24-year-old man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at The Shooting Gallery in Orange County.
•In June 2009, a woman tried to kill herself at East Orange Shooting Sports near Winter Park.
•In April 2009, a 26-year-old man killed himself with a handgun at the Casselberry Shoot Straight.
•Earlier in April 2009, a mother with a history of mental illness shot her 20-year-old son in the head, also at Casselberry Shoot Straight, then killed herself.
•In July 2009, a 43-year-old man killed himself with a rented gun at Rieg’s Gun Shop in Orange County.
Source: Orlando Sentinel
Police Investigate Possibility Army Recruiter Preyed on Teen Girls www.privateofficer.com
Montgomery County MD April 12 2013 Montgomery County police are looking in to the possibility that a U.S. Army recruiter believed to have killed a 17-year-old U.S. Army Reserves recruit may have had inappropriate relationships with other teen girls in the county, sources told News4′s Pat Collins.
Staff Sgt. Adam Arndt, 31, fatally shot 17-year-old Michelle Lynne Miller then killed himself inside his home in the 12900 block of Pinnacle Drive in Germantown, Md., police said.
Friends told investigators that Michelle had a romantic relationship with Arndt.
Michelle had signed up to enter the Army Reserves after graduation from Rockville High School this year. Kevin Miller, Michelle’s father, said that he had not met Arndt, but that his daughter had seemed “a little smitten with this guy,” the Associated Press reported. However, he said he didn’t believe there was a romantic relationship between the two.
Miller said he believed Arndt — a nine-year veteran of the Army who had served in Korea, Germany and Turkey — was the “man above her recruiter.” He thinks his daughter met Arndt about four or five months ago.
Police said it’s possible Arndt victimized other teenage girls.
“Investigators are reaching out to others, both men and women, who may have had contact with him professionally as part of this recruitment process,” said Paul Starks, of Montgomery County police.
Police are checking Arndt’s emails and phone records and visiting high schools in the county.
Arndt worked at a military recruiting office in Gaithersburg as a member of the Baltimore recruiting battalion, Spencer reported. His duties included visiting schools, the AP reported. Army recruiters are barred from having personal relationships with recruits.
His 21-year-old wife, who was stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., at the time of the shooting, would visit on the weekend, News4′s Chris Gordon reported. She signed up at the recruitment office where Arndt worked, but it’s unknown if Arndt recruited her, Collins reported.
Michelle wanted to someday become a military psychotherapist and work with wounded warriors, family members said, but it appears that her willingness to help may have taken her life.
Michelle’s grandmother hopes the teen will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, saying she planned to join the U.S. Army Reserves after high school and died doing what she hoped to do in the Army.
“I feel that she died a hero’s death trying to save someone else, and it cost her her life,” said Dr. Alice Miller. “And her family, because the Army meant so much to her, they want her buried with honors at Arlington Cemetery. I’m hoping you can get a congressman to hear this, because they say she wasn’t officially inducted. She was due to be. She wasn’t inducted because a soldier killed her.”
U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., released this statement: “I will be paying close attention to the details that emerge and I will work with local, state and federal officials to determine whether we can learn any lessons that might prevent a similar tragedy in the future.”
Kevin Miller said Michelle received a call or text about 9 p.m. Sunday from someone whom she said was suicidal, reported News4′s Darcy Spencer.
Michelle left their Rockville home at about 9:15 p.m. to help that person. Miller said he was opposed to her leaving, but his daughter said she would be fine and promised to text him the address when she arrived.
Kevin Miller said he got a “vague” text from her about the location, but she then stopped responding to his texts and calls, the AP reported.
Spencer reported that one of Michelle’s friends said she received some texts from Michelle’s phone. One text said Michelle loved her friend. The final one said, “Goodbye.”
Family members told Spencer they believe the texts were sent by Arndt.
Michelle’s friend gave Kevin Miller details about where she might be. He drove to the location and saw Michelle’s car. No one answered the door, so he called police, the AP reported.
Officers went to the home about 8:50 a.m. Monday.
After failing to communicate with anyone inside, police broke into the home after 10 a.m. and found the bodies of Arndt and Michelle, police said.
Police found a firearm inside the house and are not looking for other suspects.
“Her whole ambition was to be a psychotherapist in the Army, and she wanted to help wounded warriors and the men with PTSD and the women,” her grandmother said. “That’s what I thought she was doing when she answered that phone call. He called and said he was suicidal, and so she went to save him, and instead, he put a bullet in her head.”
Neighbors told News4′s Jim Rosenfield that Arndt seemed to be a pleasant neighbor.
They also said they’d seen Michelle Miller’s car parked on Arndt’s street before but didn’t recognize her picture.
“It’s very startling,” said a neighbor. “It’s crazy to think this is all going on our street.”
The neighbor said she used to see Arndt walking his dog. “He was pleasant. I didn’t have a lot of interaction with him….” she said. “I had seen people coming and going pretty regularly. He seemed to be a social guy.”
Family members and fellow students held an emotional memorial for Miller on Tuesday night.
Monday afternoon, Rockville High School sent a letter home to parents that read in part:
“For those of you who knew Michelle, we ask that you remember and celebrate her life. She was currently an athlete on our varsity lacrosse team, an honors/AP student, and an active member of the Senior Class. For those of you who did not know Michelle, we ask that you respect our sadness and support us with your understanding.”
A classmate said she was shocked to hear the news.
“I was frozen in place. I felt like I couldn’t move or breathe. I couldn’t believe it,” student Emily Kjellman told Spencer.
“Everyone was crying and so all of us started crying,” she said.
“She was definitely one of the most popular girls in our school, but in a good way,” Kjellman said. “She was probably the most fun-loving person you’ll ever meet.”
Kevin Miller said Michelle had wanted to go into the Army since elementary school.
“She wanted to serve her country; she wanted to see the world; she wanted to finance her education,” Kevin Miller said at his Rockville home Monday evening, according to the AP.
Michelle lettered in basketball, soccer and lacrosse at Rockville High.
Counselors were at Rockville High Tuesday to speak with students there after a senior was found dead Monday morning.
“Everyone knows her, so it’s kind of like shocking that she’s gone from our community, so that whenever we walk in school we won’t be seeing her in our classes,” basketball teammate Hellen Kim said.
Michelle’s lacrosse coach said she was the sparkplug of the team.
“She cared about everybody,” Caitlin Ulmer said. “She wanted to be a therapist. She wanted to help people, particularly people who suffered through combat, and I think the military was going to provide her with an amazing opportunity to get that experience and really be able to touch lives.”
Source: NBC4
U.S. Army recruiter kills Rockville High School student before committing suicide www.privateofficer.com
Oklahoma City police investigating murder-suicide at hotel www.privateofficer.com
Two bodies, a man and a woman were found inside of a Days Inn hotel room near SE 25th and I-35 Wednesday evening.
Source: news9
