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I-84 West Closed in Plainville for Crash

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Interstate 84 westbound is closed in Plainville for a crash involving a tractor-trailer and multiple cars, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The highway is shut down near exit 33. State police said there are no major injuries, but there is a fuel spill that needs to be cleaned up. Three cars were towed from the scene, police said.

Drivers should seek an alternate route.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: Connecticut Department of Transportation

Employee of Company That Helped Elderly Embezzled $850K: PD

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A Winsted woman is accused of embezzling more than $850,000 from several clients of a company that provides financial management and personal services to the elderly, infirm and people with special needs, according to Avon police.

Police said Sheila Grochowski, 70, of Winsted, worked for Barbara H. Hance Associates, had access to accounts for clients of the life care consulting company and embezzlement money from several clients between 2010 and 2016.

Authorities said they have identified 25 victims, including several who were “conserved” people with cases in various probate courts in the state.

Grochowski has been charged with 19 counts of second-degree forgery. She is being held on $750,000 bond and will be arraigned today.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Hubbard Park Bandshell in Need of Repairs After Storm

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There’s caution tape up and a giant hole in the roof after a tree crashed into the James J Barry Bandshell at Hubbard Park in Meriden during a powerful storm at the end of October. 

“The root ball pulled out of the ground. As you can see over there it’s nice and carved out right now, but it was all damaged looking. It’s actually upsetting,” said Meriden City Council member, Cathy Battista. 

Battista said city workers are making some repairs now, but they have to hire a contractor to finish the work and it could cost as much as $20,000. It must get done, even if it means taking a look at other budget items like fireworks and camp programs. 

“We’re going to get the money somehow because it’s dangerous,” she said. 

In just a few weeks this will be a popular spot for pictures for the Festival of Silver Lights, so the massive hole must be fixed as quickly as possible.

Some people said the repairs are worth it, despite the cost. 

“My son is here now and I wanted to take him this winter,” said Mercedes Davis, of Waterbury. 

Others said they hope other programs like fireworks don’t get cut. 

“It’s something we really look forward to and my 3-year-old really appreciates them now,” said Meriden resident, Caitlin Horbacewicz. 

Battista said it’s too soon to say if it’ll come to that. 

They’ll ask the city manager if the money can come from the contingency fund.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

2 Employees Arrested After Raid at Manchester Spa

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Police arrested two employees after raiding Bright Spa in Manchester spa over allegations of prostitution and the business has been closed down for code violations.

Authorities raided the spa at 73 West Center St. Thursday while investigating complaints about prostitution and said the business was not licensed for massage services. 

The state Department of Labor, a Manchester building official and the fire department also found several code violations at the residence, which was being used as a commercial business as well as apartment living space, police said. 

Lihue Zhang, 58, was charged with third-degree promoting prostitution and 57-year-old Shuying Whitmore was charged with second-degree promoting prostitution. 

Police said Whitmore was the only employee listed for the business and she was not working when the search warrant was executed. 

Zhang was there, giving a massage, when police arrived, according to police. A man was also arrested during the raid. His name has not been released. 

Police seized computers, documents, an advanced security system and cash.



Photo Credit: Manchester Police Department

Church Shooting Hero: Stepping in Was 'Right Thing' to Do

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When a man dressed in all-black tactical gear opened fire with an assault rifle on a church in rural Texas, two men intervened, helping to stop the gunman's deadly rampage, NBC News reported.

One, who has yet to be identified, exchanged fire with gunman Devin Patrick Kelley. The other, Johnnie Langendorff, spoke to NBC News affliate News 4 San Antonio, about his decision to help chase Kelley down as he fled the church.

Langendorff said he pulled over when he saw the the shootout.

"I did what I thought I needed to do," he said. "They said there was a shooting. I pursued and I just did what I thought was the right thing."



Photo Credit: WOAI-TV

Newtown Among 800 School Sites Attacked By Hackers

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Newtown Public School District’s website was hacked Monday morning and a school official said the district’s website was one of 800 across the country attacked by hackers.

Instead of seeing the school website as it was supposed to look Monday, anyone who visited it saw former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and a message written in Arabic that said, “There is no God but God. Mohamad is the profit of God.”

Interim Superintendent, Dr. Lorrie Rodrigue said the website was hacked around 4 a.m.

“It certainly sets you back, even though we don’t see any imminent threat,” Rodrigue said. “It still is a concern for parents, especially here in Newtown with news headlines that just occurred the other day that just makes it even more of a concern.”

A group that calls itself Team System DZ claimed responsibility for the hack. The group was blamed for hacking local government websites across the country over the summer.

The district’s website was back up and running by 7 a.m. Monday, but it was down an hour later at the orders of Interim Superintendent Lorrie Rodrigue.

“I want to make sure we’re confident that this cannot happen again,” she said.

All 800 schools websites that were hacked are run by the same service, “School Desk,” which is based in Georgia. http://www.schooldesk.net/

Rodrigue said she has no idea who Team System DZ is or why it targeted Newtown or hundreds of other schools in Georgia, Texas, and Louisiana.

“I know that we’re not alone. Other schools are feeling the same way, and I don’t want to make us vulnerable again without some level of assurances that this can’t happen,” Rodrigue said.

Rodrigue also ordered more police presence at the schools and the Newtown police chief was at the high school Monday morning.

“Police will be in and out of schools for the entire day and maybe for the entire week and beyond. We just want to make sure that we can say to parents your students are safe coming to school today,” Rodrigue said. “Just to give an added comfort level.”

Rodrigue said the extra police presence was strictly a reaction to the hacking, but when asked if the district was on edge because of the recent shooting at a Texas church she said, “I think not only Newtown, but all districts are on edge. Communities are on edge with all the headlines out there now, and all the shootings and I think that doesn’t make it easy for parents, and community members, and staff,” she said.

Local police and the FBI are investigating the hack.



Photo Credit: Michael Trevail

New Haven Police Seek Bank Robbery Suspect

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New Haven police are searching for a suspect in a bank robbery at the Key Bank on Church Street Monday morning.

According to police, around 8:45 a.m. a male suspect entered the location at 195 Church Street and passed a note to a teller demanding cash. She teller complied and the suspect fled with the cash. No weapon was shown and no injuries were reported.

The suspect fled on foot down Elm Street toward State Street.

The suspect is described as around 6-foot with a stocky build, a short beard and moustache. He was wearing silver-rimmed glasses, dark-colored pants or jeans, white sneakers, a plaid black and white button down shirt and a black flat-brimmed baseball cap with “$$$” embroidered on the front.

Anyone with information on this crime should contact New Haven police.



Photo Credit: New Haven Police Department

Connecticut Churches React After Texas Massacre

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Seeing the deadly massacre of 26 people inside a small church in Southerland Springs, Texas, hits close to home for parishioners in Connecticut.

Many of them were in church on Sunday when the shooting occurred.

“People gather in a church feeling safe. This is a safe place here in a church. So it’s really deeply saddening to see that something like this would happen inside the holy walls of a church,” said Rev. Michael Casey, with Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford.

That violated sense of safety and security did not stop parishioners from gathering at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford Monday morning. They prayed for the victims and their families.

At Emmanuel Baptist Church in Newington, Senior Pastor Cary Schmidt said the congregation is praying and brainstorming ways they can show their support to the people most affected. They are thinking about sending cards and letter or taking up an offering.

“Something to reach out and say we love you and we’re wanting to comfort and encourage you,” said Schmidt.

Pastor Schmidt said their hearts break for people affected by the tragedy and also for the people who are feeling hopeless.

“People who are in the grips of such despair that they don’t know what to do. That’s why we exist as a church to try to help those people,” Schmidt said.

When tragedies like this happen, Schmidt said he reminds his congregation to be vigilant.

“We have a team that every service is functioning to look for these types of threats. So we’re being vigilant as much as possible. I would say vigilance combined with courage. In other words we’re not going to live in fear. We’re going to live our lives, we’re going to worship Jesus,” Schmidt said.

Others like parishioner Mark Saur hope more is done as a nation to stop these mass murders.

“It appears the signs were there and this man, could, should have been caught quite some time ago. Hopefully we’ll begin to look at the mental health issues that exist in this country,” said Saur.



Photo Credit: Erich Schlegel/Getty Images

Spoof Ad for Used Car Goes Viral, Sparks Bidding War

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Carrie Hollenbeck’s fiancé listed her 21-year-old car on Ebay at a starting price of $499.

Five days later, bidding on the green 1996 Honda Accord coupe had reached $150,000 on the auction site thanks to a viral satirical commercial that helped drive up the price.

But by Monday morning, Ebay had "canceled the original auction in error" and the car, nicknamed Greenie, was relisted. Bidding as of 8 a.m. PT was $1,025.

It was not clear what prompted Ebay to cancel the auction and a request for comment was not immediately returned.

It is no small feat to sell a used car, much less one that has 141,095 miles under its belt. So Hollenbeck’s financé, Max Lanman, a Los Angeles-based writer and director, latched on to an idea that had sparked some time ago and decided to use his film-making skills to help.

"A few years ago, I was driving to Big Sur with my (then) girlfriend Carrie to go camping on Highway 1. While we were traversing gorgeous switchbacks, it felt like (we) were driving in a car commercial and that's when it hit me that it would be really funny to make a high-end car commercial for a crappy car," he said.

Hollenbeck "had just the car for the job," but, Lanman quipped, he "had to wait until she was finally ready for an upgrade!"

Although attached to the car she has driven since high school, Hollenbeck, drawn to the idea of owning a bluetooth-enabled car and reducing her carbon footprint, decided in 2016 to sell Greenie, according to Lanman.

So he got to work and spent the next year working on the ad that has taken the Internet by storm. The minute-long commercial, with all the bells and whistles of a professional production, begins with an actress pinning up her hair.

"You. You're different," the narrator begins. "You do things your way. That's what makes you one of a kind."

The woman settles into the driver's seat and a fluffy grey cat, perched next to her on the center console, meows before crawling onto her lap.

"You dont need things. You're happy with who you are. You don't care about money. You have everything you ever wanted," the narrator continues.

The woman reaches over and pours coffee into a mug as she drives Greenie down a winding road overlooking the ocean. "Introducing a used 1996 Honda Accord," the narrator says in the slick advertisement.

As the sun sets in the background, the driver is shown sitting on her car, which is parked on the shoulder of the road. The narrator concludes in his ever-so-serious tone that Greenie is "a car for people that have life figured out and just need a way to get somewhere."

The commercial concludes with the tagline: "Luxury is a state of mind."

Lanman posted the video's YouTube link to Reddit, triggering a bidding war.

"I haven’t paid attention to an ad in months and here I am..." a Redditor commented.

"I'm beside myself," said a stunned Lanman. "I could never have imagined that this thing that I made with my friends, that three days ago was just a Premiere project on my computer, is now being watched by people all over the world."

Lanman had originally planned to try and sell Greenie for $999, but was dissuaded by his brother. The idea was to price the car lower and make it affordable to more people.

It worked.  

By Saturday, 141 people had bid for Greenie, which has passed a smog check and has a new battery, while also offering its new owner a bug shield, rubber duckies — which make a cameo in the ad — and tape converter. By Sunday, 114 people had pushed the bidding mark to $150,000.

"This part of the experience is insane," Lanman admitted. "Both of us are in disbelief and I don't think either of us will believe it until we see it. When we started, my personal goal was just to beat the Kelley Blue Book value of $1,500."

Viewers on YouTube had hilarious reactions to the parody.

"This is the greatest thing to ever happen to the internet," one person wrote.

"I want that cat," said another.

Others urged Chevy to "for the love of god please hire this man."

The consensus? "Car is worth $500, but this commercial is priceless."

When asked if there was anything he'd like to say to the people who were furiously bidding on Greenie, Lanman replied: "Thank you?! We have a life to start, with a wedding next summer and hopefully a down payment on a house to make someday, so it would truly change our lives."



Photo Credit: Max Lanman via YouTube
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Watertown Officer Accused of Stealing Raffle Prize at Charity Event

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A Watertown police officer has been arrested, accused of tampering with a raffle at a police-sponsored golf tournament to benefit a cancer center and trying to steal a watch and bracelet that were donated for the event.

Watertown police officer Christopher Masayda, 26, of Watertown, has been charged with fifth-degree larceny and breach of peace.

State police said the alleged theft happened on Oct. 6 at a police-department sponsored charity golf tournament at Crestbrook Park Golf Course in Watertown to benefit the Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center.

Masayda is accused of tampering with raffle drawings and later stealing a watch and bracelet that a local jeweler donated for the event. The prize was estimated to be worth $595, according to state police.

Police said someone who was complaining about the raffle process took video that showed Masayda taking a piece of paper from under a raffle prize, folding it, putting it inside a raffle prize bag, then picking up the bag and walking away from the raffle area.

After seeing the video, tournament and raffle organizers asked Masayda to show them the winning raffle ticket for the gift bag. State police said he could not produce the ticket and gave the bag back.

Masayda is also accused of taking the cellphone that police said had video of him stealing the items.

When Masayda spoke with police, he told them he went to the tournament after work, had not slept and was drinking, according to the arrest warrant application.

He admitted to stealing the raffle prize, but said he immediately regretted it and was thinking about giving it back when he person confronted him and accused him of stealing, according to police.

Masayda denied getting into a fight and said he was not trying to take the cell phone, police said. He also denied tampering with the raffle, but later agreed he was interested in the men’s watch and said it was “an easy score because no one was paying attention,” according to the arrest warrant application.

State police arrested Masayda Monday and he was released on a promise to appear. He is due in court on Nov. 20.

Watertown police said Friday that an officer was placed on administrative leave over allegations of misconduct. They did not identify the officer.

Watertown Police Chief John Gavallas said Friday he became aware of an incident on Saturday, Oct. 7, spoke with several people close to the situation and determined “immediate and appropriate action” needed to be taken.

He said the Connecticut State Police Central District Headquarters and the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney are handling the issue to avoid any conflict of interest, according to police.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Mom Suffocated Girl, 4, Dumped Body in Trash: Police

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A Florida woman is accused of suffocating her 4-year-old daughter and then tossing her body in a dumpster, police said. 

Tina Farrington, 31, was held without bond Monday at the Miami-Dade County jail on a first-degree murder charge, officials said. 

According to an arrest report, Farrington told police she was at her home on Halloween night with 4-year-old Tania Paige and another child when she became upset with the girl.

Farrington lured Tania and her brother to a bedroom, according to police, and then used a pillow to suffocate her.

Farrington hid the girl's body in the trunk of her car for several days until she noticed a foul odor, the report said. On Sunday, she moved the child's remains to the dumpster of her apartment complex, the report said.

A resident at Tuscany Place Apartments was throwing out garbage Sunday when he discovered the body around 12:45 p.m.

The man, Alan Tapia, said he lifted the lid on one side of the dumpster and was making room for his trash when he saw feet sticking out of a blanket. Tapia ran to his apartment and reported the body to his children. 

"I didn't believe that so when I went, I checked and the baby was wrapped in the blanket with signs she was beaten to death," Alan's daughter, Milagros Tapia, said. "I don't feel safe anymore here. Because we don't know who is around us."

The report said Tania's body had bruises on her arms, legs and torso. Farrington confessed to her involvement in her death, the report said.

Jail records did not show whether Farrington had an attorney.



Photo Credit: Miami-Dade Police Department

Man Arrested on Home Invasion Charges in Vernon

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Vernon police have arrested a man on home invasion and robbery charges and are seeking a second suspect in the case.

Jaequan Marquez, 24, faces various charges including Conspiracy to Commit Home Invasion, Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, Weapons in a Motor Vehicle, and interfering with police, among others.

Police said that on Saturday just before 10 p.m. they responded to a burglary in progress at 30 Spring Street. Officers spotted a sedan with occupants matching the description of the suspects leaving the area and attempted to stop it. The car took off and crashed into a utility box at the corner of West Main Street and Main Street, then the suspects fled on foot.

Marquez was taken into custody but a passenger escaped. Police determined that the car Marquez was driving had been reported stolen out of Windsor.

The case remains under investigation and more charges are expected.

Marquez was held on a $400,000 bond and is due in court Monday.



Photo Credit: News 4 New York

City of New Britain Receives Check from Pan Am Railways

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Days before the City of New Britain would have filed a lawsuit against Pan Am Railways over reimbursement for the thousands of dollars it cost to deal with a December 2016 derailment, the city has received a check.

The derailment cost the city just over $78,000. New Britain city officials told NBC Connecticut that Pan Am Railways wanted to settle for $38,432, which totals the approximate cost of the city’s emergency response, equipment and overtime, after a Pan Am train derailed on Columbus Boulevard.

Part of a settlement states that Pan Am, who was at fault for the derailment, would remove the rest of a brick wall that was damaged.

After the city said they reached an agreement with the railroad company, they were supposed to receive half of the money in September and the other half in October, but the city had not received the money until Monday when it received a check for $38,432.24 from Pan Am Railways.

Mayor Erin Stewart previously said the company had a deadline of Nov. 15 to pay. If the money did not come by then, the city planned to move forward with a lawsuit for the damages. 

Prior to the settlement agreement, Stewart said it took getting state senators involved so that the city could hear back from Pan Am.

Pan Am chose not to comment for the story earlier this month.

21st Century Fox in Talks on Partial Sale to Disney: Sources

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21st Century Fox has been holding talks about selling most of the company to Walt Disney Co., except for media properties focused tightly on news and sports, people familiar with the situation tell CNBC.

The on again, off again talks have taken place over the last few weeks, and there is no certainty they will lead to a deal. Officials at Disney and Fox declined to comment.

Fox is said to believe that it does not have the scale to compete with organizations like Disney, Amazon, Netlfix, Facebook and Google, and that a group of properties more narrowly focused on news and sports could compete more effectively in today's marketplace.

The deal would give Disney control of another movie studio and significant TV production assets, and would give it more exposure to international markets.



Photo Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images, File

Suspects in Bridgeport Armed Robbery Arrested

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Five people suspected in an armed robbery in Bridgeport Monday morning have been arrested and police said they are looking into whether the group is behind several robberies over the last several weeks.

Police responded to Bunnell Street in Bridgeport at 12:53 a.m. to investigate a robbery and met with the victims, who said four to five males waiving guns came into their yard, demanded money, searched the victims and took money, cell phones and a gray 2005 Honda Civic, police said.

A ping on one of the phones came back to a location in Milford and police found the victim’s vehicle, according to Bridgeport police.

Milford police detained two suspects and officers learned that one of the males had rented a room at the Motel 6. When police went to the motel, they found three more suspects.

During a search of the room, police said they found three firearms, narcotics, a wallet and cell phones belonging to the victims, vehicle keys and several ski masks.

David Elliston, Ronaldo Beckett, Akeem Mitchell, Overton Rowe and Christopher Campbell were arrested and police said Beckett confessed to being in possession of the Colt firearm which was seized at the motel. Rowe confessed to being in possession of the Ruger .38 and the Berretta, police said.

When police searched the suspects’ residence, they said they found several shell casings for the firearms which were found in their possession at the motel, several cell phones and clothing matching descriptions from several robberies in the area.

The robbery squad is investigating to see if there is any connection to several robberies over several weeks, including on Laurel Avenue in Bridgeport.

Note: Photos of Overton Rowe and Christopher Campbell are not available. 






Photo Credit: Bridgeport Police

Third Person Charged in Violent Home Invasion in Groton

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A third person has been charged in a brutal home invasion in Groton.

Police said 22-year-old Brandon Chapman was arrested and charged in the Oct. 4 crime.

On that date, two intruders hit a woman who lives in the Buddington Road several times with a baseball bat, held three other residents at gunpoint and stole gaming systems, cash and cell phones, according to police.

The two men were wearing masks and dark clothing went they invaded the house shortly before 10 p.m., police said.

The female victim was taken to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital and officials said her injuries are not life-threatening.

A next-door neighbor said the woman ran to his home, said she was attacked and asked to use the phone to call for help.

Chapman was arrested Monday morning and charged with home invasion, conspiracy to commit home invasion, first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.

Albert Goss, 25,  was arrested on Oct. 7 and charged with home invasion, conspiracy to commit home invasion, first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary. A 16-year-old suspect was previously arrested and charged with home invasion, first-degree robbery, second-degree assault and second-degree larceny.

Police have said there is no threat to the public.

"The potential may exist that the suspects had a reason to go to that particular house," Groton Police Chief L.J. Fusaro said.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information on the crime or who saw something suspicious in the area around that time should contact the Groton Town Police Detective Division at (860) 441-6712.



Photo Credit: Groton Police

New Details on Sen Paul Assault: Sneak Attack, Possible Feud

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Disagreement between Sen. Rand Paul and his neighbor over the senator's politics and his property line were possible motives in the Sunday attack that left the Kentucky lawmaker with five broken ribs, a source told NBC News on Monday.

Paul was wearing headphones while mowing his lawn in Bowling Green, Kentucky, when he was attacked from behind by Rene Boucher, 59, on Sunday afternoon, two sources said. Paul suffered five rib fractures, including three displaced fractures.

Paul managed to throw Boucher off of him and they exchanged words, sources said.

The two men had not spoken in several years and a rift between the pair possibly stemmed from Boucher's distaste for Paul's politics, as well as those of his father, former Texas Rep. Ron Paul, a source said.



Photo Credit: Warren County Regional Jail via AP

War With Kim Jong Un 'Must Not Happen,' South Korea Says

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While President Donald Trump's visit across Asia is underway, the United States testy relationship with North Korea has become a central issue to discuss for South Korean officials, NBC News reported. 

South Korea's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha told NBC News before President Donald Trump's visit that war, "on the Korean Peninsula must not happen." 

Trump is expected to arrive in Seoul — where the subject of how to tackle North Korea's totalitarian dictator is expected to be at the top of the agenda.

Kang cautioned against "military options," NBC News reported. 

South Korea is home to over 50 million people and estimated 28,000 American troops are stationed in the country.



Photo Credit: AP/Ahn Young-joon

Police Investigating Robbery at Key Bank in New Haven

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A man robbed Key Bank in New Haven Monday morning and police are searching for him.

The robber passed a note to a teller at 195 Church St. at 8:43 a.m. demanding she hand over the money, police said.

The robber did not show, mention or imply a weapon and the teller handed over the cash, police said. No one was injured and the robber ran down Elm Street toward State Street, then likely on to Grand Avenue, police said.

The robber is 6 feet tall or taller and has a stocky build, police said. He wore dark pants or dark jeans, white sneakers, a plaid black and white button-down shirt and a black flat-brimmed baseball cap with “$$$” embroidered on the front.

He has a short beard and mustache and was wearing silver-rimmed prescription eyeglasses.



Photo Credit: New Hven Police

Air Force Failed to Submit Texas Shooter's Criminal History

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Trump administration officials say the Air Force didn't submit the accused Texas church shooter's criminal history to the FBI, as required by Pentagon rules.

The officials were not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Devin Patrick Kelley was convicted of assault in an Air Force court martial in 2012 and given a bad conduct discharge in 2014.

He is the suspected gunman in the attack Sunday in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in which 26 people were killed.

Under Pentagon rules, information about convictions of military personnel in crimes like assault should be submitted to the FBI's Criminal Justice Investigation Services Division.

Earlier in the day, authorities said they were trying to determine why a court-martial for assaulting his first wife and her child did not prevent Kelley from buying a Ruger AR-556 rifle used in the attack.

Federal gun regulations prohibit anyone with a domestic violence conviction, even at a misdemeanor level, from purchasing a gun, and Kelley was found guilty in 2012 of two charges of assault after an Air Force court-martial, according to officials. He was confined in a military prison for a year, given a bad conduct discharge and reduced in rank.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told "CBS This Morning" on Monday that the law should have blocked Kelley from obtaining the rifle. He tried to get a permit from the state of Texas to carry a concealed gun but was denied, Abbott said.

“And so under the current system of federal law he should have (been) prevented from being able to make this purchase,” Abbott said. ”How that got through the cracks, I don’t have that information.”

Authorities say Kelley bought four guns, two in Texas and two in Colorado, beginning in 2014. He purchased the Ruger AR-556, a variant of the popular AR-15 that was later found at the church, from an Academy Sports and Outdoors store in San Antonio. CNN reported that when he filled out the paperwork for a background check, he checked the box indicating that he did not have a disqualifying criminal history.

Academy Sports and Outdoors said in a statement that “based on information we received from law enforcement, we confirmed that the suspect purchased a firearm from one of our San Antonio locations in 2016.”

The company did not specify what kind of gun and said it was cooperating with the investigation.

In addition, two handguns, a Glock 9-mm handgun, and a Ruger .22 caliber handgun, were found in his car, according to Fred Milanowski the special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives field office in Houston.

Kelley sprayed the church in Sutherland Springs with gunfire around 11:20 a.m. on Sunday, then walked inside while he continued to shoot until a man grabbed the rifle. About half of his victims were children.

Kelley fled and was later found dead; investigators found evidence that seems to indicate he shot himself. Investigators say he might have been targeting his mother-in-law, who attended the church and who had received threatening texts from him. She was not in the church Sunday morning.

“Typically a domestic violence conviction does make somebody ineligible to buy a gun and we don’t know enough about why that didn’t stop this man from buying his gun from a licensed dealer,” said Avery Gardiner, the co-president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Kelley was convicted under Article 128 of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice, which refers only to assault, not domestic assault. He was not dishonorably discharged from the military, which also would have prevented him from buying a gun, but instead received a bad conduct discharge, Gardiner said.

In Texas, a convicted felon who is ineligible to buy a gun can still go to a gun show or online and buy a gun from a private seller without being subject to a background check, Gardiner said. Some states have tightened state requirements for background checks but Texas is not one of them, she said.

One in five guns is sold in the United States without a background check, she said.

“It’s still illegal for somebody to purchase if they’re a prohibited purchaser but since there is no background check that is done between a private seller and somebody it’s very hard for anybody to detect that,” she said.

Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization to prevent gun violence, said that the Department of Defense had sent many records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System of people who had received dishonorable discharges. The group does not know if the Texas shooter had a record showing he was disqualified from possessing a firearm, said spokeswoman Phoebe Kilgour.

After the shooting, President Donald Trump said from Tokyo that the mass shooting was not “a guns situation” but  “a mental health problem at the highest level.”

Asked about gun control measures, he said "mental health is your problem here" and he called Kelley a  “very deranged individual” with “a lot of problems over a long period of time.”

Gardiner responded that the shooting of 26 people was indeed a gun problem. Americans do not have higher rates of mental illness that other countries, she said. 

"The difference between America and other countries is easy access to guns for people we all agree shouldn’t have them," she said.

In February, Trump rolled back an Obama administration regulation that made it harder for some people with mental illnesses to buy a gun. Disability groups and the American Civil Liberties Union opposed the rule.



Photo Credit: Erich Schlegel/Getty Images
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