Mass Shootings

The Chicago Tribune reports: Robert Crimo III will spend the rest of his life in prison for opening fire on spectators at the 2022 Highland Park Independence Day Parade. Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti imposed the expected sentence Thursday after listening to statements from 19 survivors and loved ones of people killed in the mass shooting. He was sentenced to seven …

The Washington Post reports: The Justice Department on Tuesday canceled hundreds of grants to community organizations and local governments, including funding for gun-violence prevention programs, crime-victim advocacy and efforts to combat opioid addiction, according to an email obtained by The Washington Post. Maureen Henneberg, the acting head of the Office of Justice Programs, which oversees the Justice Department grant program, …

The Associated Press reports: Students and instructors will have the option of holding classes remotely or in person, depending on the class. The school has waived all mandatory attendance policies that could affect grades, so students won’t be punished if they choose not to go to class in person, FSU President Richard McCullough said in a letter to students and …

The Miami Herald reports: The night before police say Phoenix Ikner killed two people and wounded five others on Florida State University’s Tallahassee campus with his stepmother’s handgun, he was cracking jokes and sharing emojis in a chat for Christian college athletes. He quipped about taking something to help him “sleep like a champ” and, responding to another student, laughed …

USA Today reports: The son of a Florida sheriff’s deputy suspected to be the gunman in an attack at Florida State University that killed two and injured six had a history of espousing radical conspiracy theories, according to people who knew him. Leon County Sheriff Walter A. McNeil identified the alleged gunman as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a student at Florida …

“I’m a big advocate of the Second Amendment. I have been from the beginning. I protected it. And these things are terrible. But the gun doesn’t do the shooting. The people do. It’s, you know, a phrase that’s used probably too often. “I will tell you that it’s a shame. I’m just hearing about it now, just heard about it. …

“Casey and I stand in solidarity and are praying for the entire Florida State community. We’re mourning the two individuals who lost their lives in this tragic attack, and we wish well of those who are currently recovering in the hospital. “This killer must and will be brought to justice to the fullest extent of the law. I want to …

CNN reports: Two people are dead after a shooting at Florida State University, according to FSU Chief of Police Jason Trumbower. He said five others were reported to a local hospital with gunshot wounds. The shooter was also taken to the hospital, Trumbower said. Around 11:50 a.m. ET today, a gunman opened fire on the main campus of Florida State …

The Washington Post reports: Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Monday that she would rescind a Biden-era gun policy that yanked licenses from federally licensed firearm dealers if they intentionally falsified records or sold weapons without running a background check. “This Department of Justice believes that the 2nd Amendment is not a second-class right,” Bondi said in the statement. Trump administration …

El Paso Matters reports: Patrick Crusius believed he was acting at the direction of President Donald Trump when he murdered 23 people and wounded 22 others at an El Paso Walmart on Aug. 3, 2019, his defense lawyer told El Paso Matters. “He thought he had to stop the invasion because that’s what his president was telling him, which is …

Reuters reports: The U.S. Justice Department is considering merging the lead agencies enforcing drug and gun laws in a major shakeup as it moves to follow President Donald Trump’s instructions to sharply streamline the government. In addition to merging the Drug Enforcement Agency and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, department leaders are considering eliminating field offices that handle antitrust …

USA Today reports: The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the Biden administration’s regulation of untraceable “ghost guns,” ruling that the weapons can be subject to background checks and other requirements. The 7-2 decision, which overturned an opinion by a conservative appeals court, was a victory for former President Joe Biden. But President Donald Trump could repeal the regulation, something gun …

Politico reports: The Department of Health and Human Services recently removed a former surgeon general’s warning declaring gun violence a public health crisis to comply with the president’s executive order to protect Second Amendment rights, according to a White House official. Giffords, the gun violence prevention group founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords, announced on Monday that former Surgeon General …

Orlando’s ABC affiliate reports: A 17-year-old boy is in custody after Sanford police say he threatened a school shooting. Police said the student is enrolled in Elevation High School, but the threat was made against Seminole High School. Officials said the teen posted a concerning video online, which led to his arrest. Police are praising the person who informed law enforcement …

Florida Politics reports: In his annual State of the State Address, Gov. Ron DeSantis laid out his priorities of abolishing property taxes, repealing gun control laws and cleaning up the Everglades. As property values jump, DeSantis continued to pitch his proposal to eliminate property taxes. DeSantis anticipates the issue will end up on the 2026 ballot for voters to approve. …

Roll Call reports: Rep. Robert B. Aderholt, R-Ala., a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said former President Joe Biden was not going to sign an appropriations bill with certain language that went after his own administration’s gun rules. “We don’t have that issue this time,” Aderholt said. “I think it’s very ripe that we can get some of that …

Florida Politics reports: Rep. Monique Miller, a Palm Bay Republican, said she has a bill in drafting that would allow anyone in Florida to openly carry firearms. She said the issue is especially important in the state for women who own guns. “Sometimes women have to choose between protecting themselves and what they want to wear that day,” Miller said. …

Florida Politics reports: Eight months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a 2018 ban on bump stocks that enable semiautomatic rifles to fire at machine gun-like speeds, Florida should do the same, says state Rep. Toby Overdorf. Overdorf, a Palm City Republican, has filed legislation (HB 6013) to repeal a ban on the controversial gun accessories, which have been …

Reuters reports: A decades-old U.S. government ban on federally licensed firearms dealers selling handguns to adults under the age of 21 is unconstitutional, a U.S. appeals court held on Thursday, citing recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings expanding gun rights. The ruling by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals marked the first time a federal appeals court has …

Nashville’s NBC affiliate reports: For as long as he can remember, Gunner Joseph Fisher, 18, has thought about mass murder. “When I was a f**king child, before I even got into school, I saw crowds of people and (fantasized) about someone mowing them down.” Driven by a hatred of Jews, African Americans and Muslims, Fisher believed he was “bound to …