Rear Admiral Barry Black (Ret.), the Senate chaplain, opened the legislative session with a powerful prayer for lawmakers to take action in the wake of the recent school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. He urged them to reject “the paralysis of analysis” and move beyond “thoughts and prayers” to make a difference. Black invoked the words of Edmund Burke, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing,” as a reminder of the urgent need for gun control legislation.
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On Tuesday morning, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department released body camera footage of the moment officers Rex Engelbert and Michael Collazo confronted and killed the shooter at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. The shooter, Audrey Hale, had killed six people, including three nine-year-olds, in the deadliest US school shooting in nearly a year. The Covenant School released a statement expressing their heartbreak and grief, and the community of Nashville is still reeling from the tragedy. The investigation is ongoing, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has not released any further information.
Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency firm FTX, has been charged with a 13th criminal count of bribery by federal prosecutors. The new indictment accuses Bankman-Fried of bribing “one or more” Chinese government officials with $40 million in 2021 in an effort to unfreeze accounts belonging to his hedge fund. Bankman-Fried has already pleaded not guilty to eight criminal counts of fraud and conspiracy, and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The case is being closely watched by the cryptocurrency industry as Bankman-Fried was one of its most prominent figures prior to his arrest.
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), who represents the district where a school shooting occurred on Monday, faced criticism after a 2021 photo resurfaced showing him and his family posing with firearms in front of their Christmas tree. Ogles released a statement offering “thoughts and prayers” to the victims’ families, but gun control advocates and Democrats argued that the post was insensitive and called for stricter gun control measures. Ogles has yet to respond to the criticism, but has previously expressed support for gun rights.
Prince Harry and Elton John are in court for a hearing to determine if their phone hacking lawsuit against the publisher of The Daily Mail can proceed. The lawsuit alleges that Associated Newspapers Ltd. hired private investigators to illegally bug homes and cars and to record phone conversations in order to obtain dirt on celebrities. The hearing is expected to last several days and could have far-reaching implications for the media industry and the protection of celebrities’ privacy.
Six people, including three children, were tragically killed in a shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. The shooter, Audrey Hale, was identified by the Nashville Police Department and surveillance video shows her arriving at the school wearing a vest, camouflage pants and a red baseball cap. The community is mourning the loss of the six victims, while police investigate the motive for the shooting.
At least 39 people have died in a fire at an immigration detention center in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, near the U.S. border. 29 other people were seriously injured and taken to local hospitals for treatment, while images and video from the scene showed bodies covered in blankets lined up outside the facility. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and the incident has sparked outrage among human rights activists.
Audrey Hale, a former student of Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, opened fire on the school on Monday, killing three children and three adults. Police released surveillance video of the attack, showing Hale's car driving up to the school and her entering the school through a shattered glass door. Investigators are still trying to uncover the motive behind the attack, as the community of Nashville mourns the victims.