BREAKING NEWS: Gunman at VATech. | News

Virginia Tech reports gunman on campus, tells students, staff to stay inside and secure doors.

Initial reports at VA Tech from 3 juveniles attending camp at the university, said gunman headed for volleyball courts.

Witnesses on Virginia Tech Campus Say: a white male, 6 feet tall, light brown hair outside of New Residence Hall East holding what may have been a handgun. He was wearing a blue and white striped shirt (stripes were vertical), gray shorts and brown sandals.  The subject had no facial hair or glasses.

Virginia Tech is on lockdown. There are no reported shots fired as of 11:00 AM.

Lockdown is in effect until further notice.

UPDATE: As of noon, university officials said four other police departments were helping in the search but still no suspect had been captured.

UPDATE: As of 1PM, the University released a sketch of the suspect and the search continued. As of 4PM, the campus alert is lifted; authorities say no suspect was found.

More information will be posted as we receive more developments.

Breaking News: Man Responsible For Slashing Women in Malls, Northern VA | News

UPDATED (7.26)

FAIRFAX, Va. (WUSA) — A man is following young women in Northern Virginia retail stores, slashing them with a blade, then “slipping away,” police said.

The latest reported incident happened at the Fair Oaks Mall, in the “Forever 21” store Monday, at around 5:30 p.m., police said.

“The 18-year-old victim was shopping when she noticed clothes that had fallen off of a rack behind her and saw a man bending down to pick them up,” police said.

The victim felt a sharp pain and thought a hanger had struck her in the backside, police said.

“A short time later, she discovered her denim shorts had been slashed; her buttocks had been cut and were bleeding,” Fairfax County Police said in a news release.

Police say four other similar attacks have taken place in Fairfax County in retail stores since February.

There was an incident at the Marshall’s store in the Greenbriar Shopping Center on June 20th at around 2:45 p.m., police said.

The victims are all either teenaged women or in their early 20’s.

“The suspect is described as hispanic, late 20’s, around 5 feet 6 inches tall and heavy-set. He wore white shorts and a short-sleeved shirt in the July 25 assault,” police said.

________________________________________________________________

(via NBC Washington) 

One man may be responsible for stabbing at least five women in the butt, according to Fairfax County police.

In the most recent attack, a woman in her early 20s was shopping at Forever 21 inside the Fair Oaks Mall at 5:30 p.m. Monday when she was distracted by clothing falling over. Then suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her butt and realized she’d been stabbed through her jeans.

The atttacks began in February. In each attack, the victims have been women in their late teens or early 20s at retail stores, but not always at malls. In each case, the stabbing follows some sort of distraction.

Four attacks have been reported in the Fair Oaks area and one in McLean.

Breaking News: Man Wanted For Pushing Woman Out of Moving SUV | News

(@WUSA9) 

BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland State Police are looking for a man they say pushed his girlfriend out of a moving SUV on Interstate 95.

Authorities have a warrant charging 36-year-old Dante Williams of Baltimore with attempted first-degree murder. Police say he is believed to be armed with a knife and considered dangerous.
Troopers say about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Williams was in an SUV traveling south in I-95 with his girlfriend and his 14-month-old son. Officers say during an argument, Williams struck the woman in the eye.

Police say the woman unlatched her seatbelt and opened the door, asking Williams to pull over. Police say Williams pushed her out of the moving vehicle, which was traveling about 60 miles per hour.

The woman sustained serious injuries and was taken to Shock Trauma.

Breaking News: “Helpers of Global Jihad” Behind Terrorist Attack on Oslo & Utoya, Norway | International, News

Update: 80+ confirmed deaths

A group called “Helpers of Global Jihad” has taken responsibility for the bomb which ripped open buildings, including the prime minister’s office, in Norway’s capital. 

• 1.30pm: Massive car bomb explosion kills at least seven in Oslo
• 3.30pm: Between 25 and 30 dead as man disguised as police officer opens fire on island youth meeting Norwegian prime minister was due to attend
• Eyewitnesses say bodies floating in the sea around the island
• Man arrested on the island was 6ft tall, had blonde hair and spoke Norwegian – reports he was shot and wounded before being detained
• Police fear explosives may have been laid at camp
• Unknown group called ‘Helpers of the Global Jihad’ said to have posted message saying this is reaction to publication of Muhammed cartoons
• Islands residents told not to reveal their location on Twitter or Facebook
• British Foreign Minister William Hague condemns ‘horrific’ attack
• Oslo Mayor: ‘Wish I were on island to be shot instead of children’
• Police believe the two attacks may be linked and can not say whether there was more than one shooter on island

Teenagers on the Norwegian holiday island of Utoya had to ‘swim for their lives’ and hide in trees when a gunman fired indiscriminately at them.

Around 700 had gathered on the island for a meeting of the youth wing of the ruling Labour party.

Witnesses said the man in police uniform who opened fire beckoned several young people over before shooting at them. He told them to ‘come here’.

They said they were still trying to get an overview of the Utoya massacre and could not say whether there was more than one shooter.

More than 30 are believed to have been killed – seven in Oslo and between 25 to 30 on Utoya Island, 50 miles north of the capital – where the prime minister Jens Stoltenberg had been due to attend the youth Labour Party event.

The man arrested is reported to be 6ft tall, blonde and spoke Norwegian.

Simen Braende Mortensen, a guard on the boat to Utoya Island, told VG newspaper he saw a man, aged between 30 to 40-years-old, in a police uniform and bulletproof vest drive on to the boat in a silver van.

He apparently had a pistol and a rifle with telescopic sight, had a Norwegian look and spoke in a common eastern dialect.

It is reported he said he had been sent to beef up security following the Oslo bombing, and was shot and wounded before being arrested.

Read more: HERE

Breaking News: Dow Jones CEO Hinton Resigns: News Corp. | News

(via @Bloomberg)

Les Hinton, chief executive officer of News Corp. (NWSA)’s Dow Jones & Co. unit, said he is resigning, the media company’s second executive to step down today amid accusations of phone hacking by its journalists.

Hinton, 67, was chairman of News International for 12 years until 2007, giving him a leading role at the U.K. newspaper unit during the time when the alleged hacking took place. News Corp., controlled by Chairman Rupert Murdoch, announced Hinton’s resignation in a statement today.

“That I was ignorant of what apparently happened is irrelevant and in the circumstances I feel it is proper for me to resign from News Corp. and apologize to those hurt by the actions of the News of the World,” Hinton said in the statement.

News International’s News of the World tabloid is accused of hacking hundreds of voice mails, including those of murder and terrorism victims, and bribing police for confidential information. News International CEO Rebekah Brooks, former editor of News of the World, resigned earlier today.

The scandal has also led New York-based News Corp. to close the 168-year-old tabloid and drop its 7.8 billion-pound ($12.6 billion) proposed bid for full control of British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc. (BSY)  —–READ MORE HERE

 

Breaking News: Person Dies After Small Plane Crashes Near St. Mary’s Regional Airport | News

 

(via @WUSA9)

LEONARDTOWN, Md. (WUSA) — One person died in a small plane crash on Rt. 235 near St. Mary’s Regional Airport, near Leonardtown, police said.

The pilot of the plane was being flown to a Prince George’s County hospital, when the Maryland State Police chopper had to make a landing at Andrew’s Air Force Base for some reason. SKY9 then caught video of the pilot being put into an ambulance at the Air Force base.

Fire officials tell 9 News Now a small glider crashed on Route 235, near the airport.

Maryland State Police is investigating the crash, while St. Mary’s County police are assisting to direct traffic, officials tell 9 News Now.

There is no word yet about any other injuries. Stay with us for more details.

Breaking News: Tyshon Jones Wanted In Connection To Julian Kelly Murder

(via @WUSA9)

SILVER SPRING, Md. (WUSA) — Police need your help to find the fourth suspect in a murder that happened in August of 2010.

“Jones is wanted for the murder of Julian Kelly, which occurred in the 14000 block of Castle Boulevard, Silver Spring, Maryland, on August 21, 2010. Jones is a member of the “38 MOB” criminal street gang and should be considered armed and dangerous,” police said on a wanted poster.

Police are increasing the their reward for information leading to Jones’s arrest. The new reward is now $5,000, they announced to the media Monday.

“Detectives have recently received information that Jones may be living in or frequenting the area of Castle Boulevard,” police said.

Police say they’re going to start a media campaign to try to get the word out about the Kelly murder, and to help get information to find Jones.

If you have information about this crime, contact Montgomery County Crime Solvers.

It was on August 21, 2010 at approximately 12:45 a.m. that officers from the 3rd District responded to the 14000 block of Castle Boulevard in Silver Spring for the report of shots fired. Upon arrival, officers found Julian Kelly suffering from a gunshot wound. Kelly succumbed to his injuries on September 4th, 2010.

Breaking News: Melvin Smith Wanted For First Degree Murder | News

 (via @WUSA9)

WASHINGTON (WUSA) — Police are searching for a Maryland man wanted for the murder of 33-year-old Tranice Richardson of Frederick Maryland.

Investigators say Melvin Smith, also known as “Rock,” shot and killed Richardson Friday night at Orchard Terrace and Hill Street. After further investigation, police say the suspect and the victim were involved in a romantic relationship.

The suspect is wanted for charges related to the homicide.

Smith is 26-years-old, 5’08 and 150 lbs. He has black hair with brown eyes and has an identifiable tattoo on his right forearm of a skull. He is said to be armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information on his location is asked to contact the Frederick Police Department at 301-600-2102 or by using any of the following available resources for reporting crimes or suspicious activity:

Report Crime anonymously 301-600-TIPS (8477) or fpdcrimetip@frederickmdpolice.org

Report Drug Activity anonymously: 301-600-2246 fpddrugtip@frederickmdpolice.org Text Crime TIPS to 240-674-TIPS (8477)

(Updated) Breaking News: Worker Attacked on Baltimore-Washington Parkway | News

(via @WUSA9)

(WUSA) — The Baltimore-Washington Parkway is closed in both directions at Route 195 while police search for a person armed with a shotgun and a hammer who attacked a worker who was manning a speed enforcement camera vehicle.

The worker was not injured.

The attacker stepped out of a wooded area along the parkway at about 11:30 a.m. and smashed the windshield of the speed camera vehicle with a “small hammer,” according to Greg Shipley, spokesman for Maryland State Police.

The attacker was shouting incoherently, Shipley said.  He then fled back into the same wooded area.  No shots were fired by the suspect.

The Baltimore Washington Parkway between Maryland Route 100 and the Baltimore Beltway remained shut down two and a half hours after the attack as police scoured the area for the suspect using dogs and a helicopter.  Hundreds of workers are unable to get to offices and hotels inside the search perimeter.

The suspect is described as a white man in his 60’s, about 150 lbs, who was wearing a red and blue plaid shirt and blue jeans.

“Obviously he was armed, so we consider him a threat to the public,” Shipley said.

For people trying to get to BWI Marshall Airport, the Maryland State Highway Administration recommends using I-95 to I-195 or I-97 to MD-176.