Tag: accidental fatalities

Gold mine fire in Peru kills 27, country’s worst in two decades | CNN

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Reuters
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A fire in a small gold mine in southern Peru has left 27 people dead, authorities said on Sunday, in the country’s single deadliest mining accident in more than two decades.

In a statement, the local government said a short-circuit sparked the fire in the early morning hours of Saturday in the southern region of Arequipa. Images on local media and on social media showed dark plumes of smoke pouring out of the site.

The mine is operated by Yanaquihua, a small-scale firm. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“It’s been confirmed by the Yanaquihua police station, there are 27 dead,” local prosecutor Giovanni Matos told local television on Sunday.

Peru is the world’s top gold producer and second-largest copper producer. According to data from Peru’s ministry of energy and mines, the incident is the single deadliest mining accident since 2000.

In 2022, 38 people were killed in mining accidents around the country, highlighting safety concerns in Latin American mining. Peru had its deadliest year in 2002 when 73 people died in different mining accidents.

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May 7, 2023
Four killed as avalanche sweeps French Alps mountainside | CNN

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CNN
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At least four people were killed and several others injured in an avalanche that struck the French Alps over the weekend.

Emergency workers were deployed after the incident at the Armancette glacier near Mont Blanc in southeast France, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted on Sunday. Rescue work is ongoing.

Clouds of snow rolled down the mountainside, according to video footage shared by Reuters that was tweeted by a nearby ski station, Contamines-Montjoie.

The avalanche spread across an area of 1 kilometer by 500 meters, at an altitude of 3,500 meters (11,480 feet), according to a spokesperson for the local authorities of Haute-Savoie, Reuters reported.

The people swept away by the avalanche were backcountry skiing and the identities of the victims are being confirmed.

The mayor of the town of Contamines-Montjoie, Francois Barbier, told Agence France-Presse it was “the most deadly avalanche this season.”

French President Emmanuel Macron sent his condolences to the victims and their loved ones.

“At the Armancette glacier in the Alps, an avalanche has caused casualties. We are thinking of them and their families. Our rescue forces have been mobilized to find people still stuck in the snow. Our thoughts are with them too,” Macron tweeted on Sunday.

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April 10, 2023
Storm system that killed 5 people in Missouri threatens 50 million Americans with severe weather | CNN

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CNN
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A destructive storm system that spawned at least 11 tornado reports and killed five people in Missouri now threatens millions more from Texas to New York with damaging winds, large hail and more potential twisters.

At least five people were killed when a possible tornado struck Bollinger County, Missouri, Sheriff Casey Graham said Wednesday.

Another five people were reported injured, said Missouri State Highway Patrol Col. Eric Olson. At least 87 structures were damaged – 12 of which were totally destroyed, Olson said.

Authorities were still involved in search and rescue efforts, a highway patrol official said.

“When you look at the devastation of this, it’s going to be weeks among months to be able to recover,” Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said in a news conference Wednesday. “It’s a long journey ahead for the people that live here.”

The damage in Bollinger County appears to be from a high-end EF-2 tornado, the National Weather Service said, adding details may change as they receive more information.

The same storm system that battered parts of Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan continued to threaten more than 50 million people from Texas to New York Wednesday evening.

At least nine tornadoes were reported Tuesday, including two in Iowa and seven in Illinois – where several buildings were damaged in the town of Colona and multiple semi-trucks were toppled over along the I-88.

More than 170 hail reports also emerged from Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Michigan on Tuesday. Davenport, Iowa, was pummeled with 4-inch hail – larger than a softball – while in Oswego, Illinois, baseball-sized hail plummeted from the sky.

An enhanced risk – Level 3 out of 5 – of severe storms remained in place Wednesday evening from northwestern Tennessee to north Ohio, including Columbus, Nashville, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Louisville.

A Level 3 enhanced risk means multiple persistent and widespread severe storms are possible.

And while tornado watches were no longer active, at the peak of the storm earlier in the day, there were more than 20 million people under tornado watches that extended more than 800 miles, from eastern Arkansas to southeastern Michigan.

This latest round of severe weather comes just days after parts of the South and Midwestt were ravaged by violent storms and tornadoes that left 32 people dead.

Meanwhile, winter storms plagued the Northern Plains Wednesday, a day after “blizzard conditions” led to the shutdown of more than 100 miles of Interstate 90.

Widespread heavy snow has fallen across the Rockies and is expected to continue over the Northern Plains, which have been seeing snowfall for several hours.

“Blizzard warnings are in effect for parts of the Dakotas where snow showers and strong winds will cause blowing snow and reduced visibility, which will make travel dangerous,” the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said Wednesday afternoon.

Parts of eastern North Dakota and northern Minnesota will see several inches worth of snow Wednesday, the center added.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation urged drivers to stay off the roads, warning conditions are too dangerous even for emergency crews.

“If you don’t need to drive, stay off the roads. It’s dangerous for you and emergency crews. If you’re stranded, crews may not be able to reach you,” the transportation department tweeted.

Meanwhile, sleet and freezing rain will impact parts of the Upper Great Lakes and New England, the prediction center said.

“Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for parts of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont through early Thursday morning,” the center added, warning of possible power outages and difficult travel conditions.

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April 5, 2023
India avalanche kills seven, injures 13 | CNN

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New Delhi
CNN
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Seven tourists were killed and 13 others injured in a major avalanche in India’s northeastern state of Sikkim, local police said Tuesday.

Some of the survivors were in critical condition and rescue operations are ongoing, senior police official Tenzing Loden Lepcha told CNN.

The avalanche took place near the Nathu La mountain pass and struck a road connecting Nathu La and the state capital Gangtok.

Lepcha told CNN that avalanches were unusual at this time of year, and blamed unseasonal rain and snow in the area.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details.

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April 4, 2023
Several states ravaged by deadly tornadoes could see more twisters this week after violent storms kill 32 people | CNN

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CNN
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Parts of the Midwest and South devastated by catastrophic tornadoes will have almost no time to recover before another round of dangerous storms takes aim at hard-hit areas.

At least 32 people were killed after an onslaught of tornado-spawning storms Friday obliterated houses, ripped roofs off buildings, wiped out power and prompted governors to announce disaster declarations.

At least 50 confirmed tornadoes touched down in several states in the South and Midwest.

Now, some of those same areas ravaged by twisters – including central Arkansas, eastern Iowa and northern Illinois – will see another round of storms Tuesday threatening more tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds.

Some areas in the South already saw high winds Monday afternoon, with nearly 20 storm reports across southern Georgia, southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. There were two tornado reports in southeastern Alabama and two hail reports in southwestern Georgia, while high winds impacted regions in all three states – including Decatur, Georgia, which reported a powerful wind gust of 79 mph.

And while there will be a brief lull in the harsh weather Monday night and early Tuesday, a new storm system will bring fresh woes Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday, putting more than 45 million people from Dallas to Milwaukee under threats of some kind of severe storm.

More than 3 million people are under a moderate risk for severe storms on Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday, in areas including Springfield, Missouri, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Other cities that could see storms include St. Louis, Des Moines and Little Rock, Arkansas, which was ravaged by a violent tornado Friday.

The Storm Prediction Center has issued a moderate risk – a Level 4 out of 5 – for southern Missouri, northwestern Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma, saying the possibility was rising that those areas see “rare and dangerous overnight tornadoes and damaging winds” into Wednesday.

A Level 4 risk means long-lived, “widespread and intense” storms are likely.

The same risk also stands for parts of Iowa, Illinois and northern Missouri for Tuesday afternoon and into Wednesday.

“Both afternoon and overnight potential will exist across various regions, including the risk of dangerous nighttime tornadoes,” the prediction center warned about Tuesday’s storms.

The city of Wynne, Arkansas – population 8,300 – was virtually “cut in half” by a tornado that sliced the city from west to east, destroying homes and killing at least four people, Mayor Jennifer Hobbs said.

It’ll take “resources beyond our means” to recover, Hobbs told CNN.

The tornado was rated as a powerful EF-3 by the National Weather Service, with estimated wind gusts topping 136 mph.

“We have a lot of families that are completely devastated – have no home at all. No belongings survived,” the mayor said.

Tennessee reported the highest death toll with 15 weather-related fatalities confirmed over the weekend, including 9 deaths in McNairy County alone.

McNairy County Sheriff Guy Buck said the toll could have been much higher if residents had not heeded early warnings and sought out proper shelter.

“Had they not, looking at the devastation that we had, our death toll could have been in the hundreds,” Buck told CNN. “The power of Mother Nature is something not to be underestimated.”

About 30 miles north of Memphis, three Tipton County schools are closed Monday due to either “extensive damage” or a lack of power, school officials said.

In Illinois, four people were killed, including one person who died after the roof of the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere collapsed Friday with more than 200 people gathered inside.

More storm deaths were reported in Indiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Delaware.

President Joe Biden issued a major disaster declaration for Arkansas ahead of a trip Sunday by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to survey the damage and assess the needs on the ground.

Criswell toured Little Rock, where more than 2,900 structures were impacted when an EF-3 tornado roared through Pulaski and Lonoke counties, whipping estimated peak winds of 165 mph, authorities said.

Many residents were displaced from an apartment building in Little Rock that “literally looks like a war zone,” Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said Sunday.

“From the time our first responders rushed to help their friends and neighbors, to now with the help of volunteers, friends and family, we have rallied as a city to recover and begin to rebuild,” Scott tweeted.

In Covington, Tennessee, an EF-3 tornado tore a large swath of destruction and left roads impassable.

Teresa Blankenship’s property took a direct hit, with the tornado shredding her home and flipping over her brand-new car, CNN affiliate WHBQ reported.

“We’ve lived in this house 44 years. Everything we worked for and paid for is gone,” Blankenship told WHBQ.

She and her husband saw the tornado headed straight for their home and had just enough time to hop into their underground storm shelter.

“I believe it saved our lives,” Blankenship told the station as she stood near the mangled remains of her home.

More than 200 miles away, an EF-2 tornado tore through the area of Readyville, Tennessee, early Saturday morning, ripping the roof off the US Post Office building and destroying the historic Readyville Mill. Numerous homes were also destroyed.

“It looked like a bomb went off,” Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr said.

In Whiteland, Indiana, residents spent hours Sunday trying to salvage what they could from the wreckage of destroyed homes. They looked for wedding dresses, high school diplomas, keys, wallets and other items.

“We’re trying to go through what we can find, what we can actually pull out of the rooms where the walls have collapsed in,” one resident told CNN affiliate WTHR as he searched through the destroyed relative’s home. “By looking at it, they’re lucky they made it out alive.”

Another Indiana resident described the terrifying moment the storm beat against her home.

“We heard whistles like a train. It was just roaring. Our ears started having a bad pressure; we had to put our hands over our ears. Everybody was running to the basement and we got down there, I heard glass shattering,” one Sullivan resident told WTHR.

“When we came back up, everything was just gone.”

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April 3, 2023
The Southeast gets hammered by another round of dangerous weather after weekend storms killed dozens of people in the South | CNN

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CNN
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A fresh round of violent storms is battering the Southeast on Monday after a spate of tornadoes and treacherous weather over the weekend killed 26 people in the South.

From Houston to South Carolina, more than 20 million people are at risk of severe storms Monday.

“Large hail, damaging wind gusts, and frequent lightning will remain the primary risks throughout the day today but isolated tornadoes could still be possible,” CNN Meteorologist Haley Brink said.

Track the system here

A tornado watch is in effect for parts of central Georgia – including Macon and Warner Robins – until 11 a.m. ET Monday, the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center said. Hurricane-force wind gusts of 75 mph are also possible.

There’s also a threat of dangerous flooding throughout the region.

“Due to the repeated rounds of heavy rainfall over the weekend and today, bouts of heavy rainfall could lead to instances of flash flooding across the Southeast,” Brink said.

Parts of the South repeatedly walloped by recent storms have seen 4 to 6 inches of rain over the last few days – and could get deluged with another 1 to 3 inches Monday.

Atlanta – which had already been pummeled by hail and up to 2 inches of rain overnight – could get another 2 inches of rain – leading to a risk of flooding.

The South has suffered an onslaught of destructive weather since the weekend. At least 10 confirmed tornadoes struck Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee on Friday night, according to storm surveys by various National Weather Service offices.

At least 25 people were killed in Mississippi – prompting President Joe Biden to approve a disaster declaration for parts of the state. Another storm victim was killed in Alabama.

In Rolling Fork, Mississippi – home to about 2,000 people – an especially violent tornado obliterated houses, businesses and city buildings.

“Homes have been totally demolished,” Rolling Fork Vice Mayor LaDonna Sias told CNN on Monday. She said her own home was also destroyed.

Sias and her husband survived by hiding in a closet just before the EF-4 tornado shredded their house.

“He pushed me in … his closet, and he was able to close the door,” Sias said. “And the minute he closed the door, the force … he was just constantly trying to hold the door so it wouldn’t come open. And you could literally hear the house ripping apart.”

Despite the loss of her own home, Sias said she’s focused on helping other residents – including those who have lost loved ones.

“The hardest part is having to witness someone that has lost a loved one and then having to talk to people that were residents here but have been displaced due to this disaster,” Sias said. “It’s hard. It’s overwhelming. And it’s heart-wrenching.”

Search and recovery efforts were still underway in Mississippi on Sunday as emergency personnel also worked to distribute critical resources, including bottled water, portable restrooms, batteries and fuel, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said.

Some Rolling Fork neighborhoods and businesses were so badly hit there was “not any immediate shelter anywhere” on Sunday, Sharkey County District 1 Supervisor Bill Newsom told CNN.

“Everyone is affected. Entire subdivisions and neighborhoods … some are just wiped away, they’re just not even there,” Newsom said.

“It looks like a battle zone.”

Satellite images show Rolling Fork, Mississippi, before and after a powerful tornado hit the area.

The vice mayor said she is the most concerned about finding support for the families who have lost loved ones and are facing “total devastation.”

“We need to make sure that those people that are displaced, that no longer have any type of structure – they need immediate housing. They need some kind of assistance,” Sias said.

Teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been deployed to Mississippi, and the agency will work with state officials to find interim housing for those impacted, the Department of Homeland Security said.

Resident David Brown’s parents, Melissa and Lonnie Pierce, were both killed Friday when a tractor-trailer was picked up by the tornado and thrown on top of their home, CNN affiliate WAPT reported.

“Words can’t express how I’m feeling. I don’t know – broken,” Brown told WAPT.

Brown said his son could have been in the home if he had not picked him up before the storm.

His family spent the weekend sifting through the crushed home, searching for any salvageable reminder of his parents.

“Honestly, if I can find anything in the rubble,” he said, “it would mean more than anything.”

Another tornado destroyed dozens of homes Sunday in LaGrange, Georgia, Troup County Emergency Management Director Zachary Steele said.

And many as 100 homes were damaged in the western Georgia city.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency order to provide more state resources for affected communities’ recovery.

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March 27, 2023
5 children among 6 killed in a car crash on an interstate in Tennessee | CNN

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CNN
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Six people, including five children, were killed and one woman was injured in a car crash on Interstate 24 in Tennessee early Sunday morning.

Emergency medical services responded to a collision of two vehicles at the interstate’s westbound mile marker 23 in Robertson County, according to a news release from Robertson County Emergency Medical Services.

“A total of 4 Advanced Life Support ambulances responded to this scene and one helicopter/air ambulance,” the release said. “Initial arriving units worked quickly to search for, assess and triage the total 9 patients involved.”

The driver of one of the vehicles involved in the accident was not injured, according to the release.

“Only one other vehicle was involved. The vehicle was a car that was found upside down with very extensive damage,” the release read. “Another adult male was ambulatory on the scene and reported to responders that he had been in this car. This man was stable with what appeared to be minor injuries at that time.”

An adult female “believed to have been ejected from the car” was found in critical condition, according to the release. The woman was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Her current condition is unclear.

Six others, including five children, were pronounced deceased on the scene “with injuries that could not be resuscitated,” the release read. All six, whose ages range from 1 to 18 years old, are believed to have been ejected from the vehicle.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol told CNN in a statement they are investigating the crash and will release additional information when it becomes available.

“Our office recognizes the incredible difficulty of this scene. Further coordination to involve professional mental health and counseling services for responders has been established,” Robertson County Emergency Medical Services said in its release. “Please keep the families and persons involved in your thoughts and prayers.”

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March 26, 2023
Former UGA football star Jalen Carter sentenced to probation in crash that killed teammate and team staffer | CNN

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CNN
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Former University of Georgia football standout Jalen Carter was sentenced to probation on Thursday for his role in the January crash that killed his teammate and a team staffer.

The crash happened hours after the Bulldogs’ national championship victory parade.

Carter entered pleas of no contest Thursday to charges of racing and reckless driving, according to his attorney, Kim Stephens.

Carter was then sentenced to 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine and 50 hours of community service and completion of a state-approved defensive driving course, the attorney said.

“Mr. Carter is happy and relieved to get this matter behind him, so now he can do what he needs to do for the NFL draft,” the lawyer said.

“He continues to grieve for the loss of his friends,” Stephens added.

Athens-Clarke County Solicitor General Will Fleenor confirmed the sentence and said Carter’s privilege to drive in Georgia has been suspended for 120 days.

Fleenor, in a statement, acknowledged questions about the severity of the charges and “whether more serious offenses occurred.” He said law enforcement officers evaluated the appropriateness of more serious charges.

“However, after consultation with the District Attorney’s Office, the Solicitor’s Office, and the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council, based on the evidence and applicable laws in this case, it was determined that the appropriate charges were the two traffic offenses that were resolved in court this morning,” the statement said.

Carter has been projected as a top pick in the NFL draft next month.

CNN has reached out to Athens Solicitor’s Office for comment.

Carter’s teammate Devin Willock and football team staff member Chandler LeCroy were killed in the January 15 crash, which happened hours after the team participated in a parade through campus to celebrate its second consecutive national title.

Carter turned himself in at the Athens-Clarke County Jail earlier this month on charges of reckless driving and racing.

LeCroy was driving a Ford SUV near the campus with Willock and two other members of the football program also in the vehicle, police said. The SUV was traveling “about 104 miles per hour” before it veered off the road and slammed into two power poles and several trees, Athens-Clarke County police said.

Authorities said Carter was driving a separate vehicle and he and LeCroy appeared to be racing.

Police said “both vehicles switched between lanes, drove in the center turn lane, drove in opposite lanes of travel, overtook other motorists, and drove at high rates of speed, in an apparent attempt to outdistance each other.”

Toxicology results show LeCroy, who was driving a university vehicle not authorized for use at the time of the crash, had a blood alcohol concentration of .197 – more than twice the legal limit in Georgia, police said.

Willock was ejected and died at the scene and LeCroy died at a local hospital. The two other passengers in the vehicle were injured, officials said.

Carter was a key part of Georgia’s vaunted defense that allowed the fewest rushing yards per game (77.1) in 2022 and was named to several All-America teams.

More than four months before the fatal crash, Carter had been issued three traffic citations – including one for speeding at nearly twice the legal limit, according to documents and body camera video obtained by CNN from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.

On September 22, Carter was stopped for speeding. An officer is heard on body camera footage telling him that he was “reckless,” and issued three traffic tickets

One ticket showed Carter was driving at 89 mph in a 45 mph zone. A second ticket cited him for having “material affixed” to his car which “obstructs vision.” A third citation was for an illegal windshield tint.

Bodycam video from the stop showed Carter in the driver’s seat of a Black Jeep. The officer held up a radar gun showing a speed of 89 mph, according to the video.

Carter is seen on video, expressionless, as the officer named two other UGA athletes who he said he had recently stopped.

“Y’all need to slow down dude,” the officer is heard telling Carter, who didn’t respond.

“Look I don’t know if y’all need to send out a text or something to other teammates, but slow down,” the officer said, adding, “That was reckless.”

“When you’re around your teammates, tell them to slow down,” the officer said.

The officer then tested the tint on Carter’s vehicle – which he said is illegal in the state of Georgia. “The front windshield can’t have nothing on it. No material on it whatsoever, OK?”

“Your break is you’re not going to jail. That’s your break. Because that would make all kinds of news, alright?” the officer is heard telling Carter in the footage.

The player smiled nervously. “You’re getting a ticket for speeding,” the officer said.

The officer added, “Slow down OK. That’s all I ask.”

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March 16, 2023
Opinion: An often overlooked solution to prevent accidental gun deaths | CNN

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Editor’s Note: Jamie Gold is a wellness design consultant and author of “Wellness by Design: A Room-by-Room Guide to Optimizing Your Home for Health, Fitness and Happiness.” The opinions expressed in this article are her own. Read more opinion at CNN.

CNN
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President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Tuesday seeking to increase the number of background checks for gun purchasers. The measure does something else that doesn’t get nearly enough attention: It would promote the secure storage of firearms.

I’m a city girl whose family didn’t own guns but as a teenager, I got to see what secure gun storage looks like. I lived with my cousin’s family in Brooklyn during my senior year of high school. My uncle, a retired New York City police detective, enjoyed deer hunting upstate and would take his sons with him on many of those outings.

I remember seeing trophy photos in their house, but never the rifles. Those were secured out of sight and reach from young hands. Kids were only allowed to safely handle them while he was supervising. It’s the way many responsible parents teach their children to respect the power of firearms and protect their families from harm.

Many, but unfortunately, not all.

There were news reports this week of what has become a spate of incidents in which young children get their hands on unsecured firearms, with tragic consequences.

A 3-year-old girl fatally shot her 4-year-old sister in Houston, Texas over the weekend in an incident authorities called “tragic” but “very preventable.” Law enforcement officials said the child got hold of a loaded semi automatic pistol in the home.

And in January, a six-year-old Virginia boy allegedly shot a teacher with his mother’s handgun. While the state prohibits anyone from leaving a loaded gun in a place or manner to endanger a child younger than 14, or providing a firearm to a child younger than 12, it does not require that guns be locked away.

This meant that a schoolboy was able to swipe his parent’s firearm and smuggle it to school in his backpack, a teen could use it to commit suicide, a person with dementia or other mental illness could harm a loved one, or someone could just take your gun from your home and use it to commit other crimes.

Broadly speaking, gun owners are doing a better job of securing their weapons. According to a 2021 survey by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Network), the percent of firearm owners with children who were more likely to safely store their weapons increased to 44.1% from 29% six years earlier.

But that still leaves more than half of gun-owning parents ignoring this vitally important safety measure. In 2020, (the most recent year in which data was available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), firearms were the number one cause of death for children ages 1-19 in the United States, claiming the lives of 4,357 children, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. This drives home the importance of safely securing one’s guns in the home, especially for parents and guardians of the estimated 30 million children who lived in households with these weapons as of April 2021, according to JAMA.

A growing number of states have secure storage laws to keep guns away from minors. And while Americans are deeply divided on guns, one policy with broad bipartisan support, (87%, according to Pew Research), is keeping them away from people with mental issues. Secure storage is one of the ways to do that in shared households with people of all ages and household members whose diagnoses suggest that they shouldn’t have access to firearms.

Secure storage is also one of the few measures that’s accepted by both sides of the gun debate – from the firearm industry’s trade organization to gun safety advocates to a broad swath of the healthcare community.

Research has shown that personal protection tops the list of reasons why gun owners say they keep a firearm. It’s certainly understandable that people want to protect themselves and their families. I know that feeling as a survivor of violent crime myself.

Women often feel more vulnerable – with some justification. (The first fact on Harvard’s School of Public Health page about firearms research blares, “Across states, more guns = more female violent deaths.”)

So having a firearm close at hand adds a measure of security and comfort when something goes bump in the night. If she shares her home with others, though, that weapon can become a safety risk to her or her housemates.

How do you balance safety and risk with firearms at home? And how does this fit into my professional focus as a wellness design consultant? The answer to both is that secure gun storage contributes to safer home environments.

Safety and security is a key facet of wellness design, the practice of creating spaces that support the well-being of their occupants.

Since I concentrate on spaces where people live, and four in 10 American adults say they live in a home where someone owns a gun, that becomes a wellness design concern. What can be done to make their living spaces safer, respecting both well-being and rights?

For the person who wants a firearm within reach while sleeping, there are gun safes designed to fit inside nightstands, and even nightstands with built-in gun safes. The latter is a better option, as it doesn’t allow someone to easily walk off with a small, portable lockbox.

You also want your safe to have either biometric access, so you’re not fumbling for a key in the dark and only your fingerprint can open it, or a keypad if you have no problem remembering obscure numbers, even when your adrenaline is pumping.

If you own a shotgun or rifle, or a collection of firearms, they’re not going to fit into a bedside safe. Then you have other secure storage options and considerations, including the best (and worst) locations in your home, access, weight (vis-à-vis floor joists), flooring type, fire and theft. Gun safes are not simple purchases, and some larger solutions benefit from professional insight and installation.

You’ll quickly realize that the elegant closet system you chose probably isn’t going to suffice to secure your firearms either. As one luxury designer shared in a message, “Secure? I can put a lock on anything, but it’s not a safe. We can build around and hide safes or secret hiding places where you need a code to get in. But with TFL, [thermally-fused laminate, formerly called melamine], if you put enough force, it can be broken.” That set-up might keep your kids or their friends out of your closet-housed gun storage, but not necessarily an angry ex or serious thief.

You need a firearms storage expert to help secure your weapons, especially if you own more than one. (Since there are about 120 guns for every 100 Americans, according to one survey, it’s not a small number of owners who are in need of larger safe storage.)

There are numerous online guides to choosing and buying gun safes. Many are published by the safe companies themselves, sources that aren’t owned or tied to a manufacturer or seller are going to be your best bet for unbiased advice.

The 79-year-old publication Gun Digest published a buying guide on its site. The Gun Safe Reviews Guy posted a four-minute Gun Safe FAQ on his site, along with extensive buying and installation guides. His self-described background as an engineer with residential construction experience comes through in his site’s advice.

The dealer who sold you your guns can possibly recommend a secure storage dealer. Or once you’ve chosen a make and model after reviewing the advice sites, the company’s website can likely refer a local professional to sell and install it – an improperly-installed safe may not work as it should.

Will secure gun storage prevent every gun injury or death? No, but it can help reduce the number of accidents, suicides and access to firearms by those who shouldn’t have them – including under your roof.

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March 14, 2023
A man was crushed to death while allegedly attempting to steal a catalytic convertor, police say | CNN

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CNN
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A man was crushed to death while allegedly attempting to steal a catalytic convertor from vehicle at a Savannah, Georgia, car lot, police said.

Officers were called on March 7 after the man, Matthew Eric Smith, 32, was found dead under a car, the Chatham County Police Department said in a release.

“Evidence at the scene indicates that the man was killed while he was illegally removing a catalytic converter from the vehicle, and the vehicle fell on top of him,” the release read.

Catalytic converter theft has skyrocketed around the nation in recent years, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, surging more than 1,200% since 2019.

The converters, which reduce pollution and toxic gas from a vehicle’s emissions, are relatively easy to steal and contain valuable precious metals such as palladium, platinum and rhodium.

Last year, federal, state and local law enforcement carried out a “coordinated takedown” of a multimillion-dollar network of catalytic converter thieves, dealers and processors that led to 21 arrests in five states, the Justice Department said in a November release.

“Some of these precious metals are more valuable per ounce than gold and their value has been increasing in recent years,” the department said. “The black-market price for catalytic converters can be above $1,000 each, depending on the type of vehicle and what state it is from. They can be stolen in less than a minute.”

Last year, according to police, 39 catalytic convertors were stolen from vehicles in unincorporated Chatham County.

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March 12, 2023
Greek prime minister promises to fix chronic railway deficiencies as public anger grows | CNN

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CNN
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Greece’s prime minister has promised to improve the safety standards of the country’s railway system following its deadliest train crash on record which sparked mass protests.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis again apologized for last month’s incident, which saw a passenger train carrying mostly university students returning from a three-day public holiday collide with a freight train near the city of Larissa, leaving 57 people dead and dozens injured.

“I reiterate my public apology on behalf of all those who ruled the country for years, but mainly personally,” Mitsotakis said.

“I therefore assume responsibility. And we cannot, we do not want to, we must not hide behind a series of human errors,” he added.

The day after the deadly collision, Mitsotakis blamed “tragic human error,” sparking demonstrations against chronic faults in the railway system and demanding justice for the victims. In a change of tone, on Sunday he emphasized that Greece “cannot, will not, and must not hide behind human error.”

Speaking on Thursday, the Prime Minister promised “absolute transparency” and said that if the installation of digital control systems had been completed “this incident would have been practically impossible to have happened.”

The fact that this system “will be up and running in a few months from now is no excuse,” he added. “It makes my personal pain even greater as we didn’t get to install it before this tragic incident happened.”

Tens of thousands of people participated in protests organized by worker unions and student groups on Wednesday across major Greek cities, calling for government responsibility and better safety standards.

“This crime should not be covered up,” they chanted, holding signs with the names of those killed.

Further strikes are due in Greece to protest the fatal collision.

European Commission experts have met with the Greek government to discuss “the complete reorganization” of the Greek railway.

Mitsotakis said during the ministerial council that he has asked the commission for technical assistance and additional funding.

The Greek government was initially planning to hold elections in early April but is now widely expected to push it back until after Easter. Its term ends in July.

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March 9, 2023
NTSB investigating Norfolk Southern’s safety culture after conductor is killed in accident involving dump truck in Ohio | CNN

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A Norfolk Southern conductor was killed Tuesday after being struck by a dump truck at a facility in Ohio, prompting a National Transportation Safety Board investigation of the railway’s safety culture due to the “number and significance” of recent accidents.

The conductor, identified as 46-year-old Louis Shuster, was fatally injured early Tuesday morning at the Cleveland-Cliffs Cleveland Works property, the railroad said in a news release. It is the third incident involving the railroad in the state in just over a month.

Shuster was struck when a dump truck carrying limestone collided with the front left side of the first car of the train. He was outside the car when he was struck, a Cleveland police spokesperson told CNN.

Norfolk Southern is working with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, the Cleveland Police Department and Cleveland-Cliffs representatives to learn more, it said.

The National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter that it had sent crews to the scene.

The NTSB said in a statement later that its safety culture probe encompasses multiple incidents and three deaths since December 2021, including the toxic East Palestine derailment and the employee killed earlier Tuesday. It is already investigating a October 28 derailment in Sandusky, Ohio.

“The NTSB is concerned that several organizational factors may be involved in the accidents, including safety culture,” the board said in a statement. “The NTSB will conduct an in-depth investigation into the safety practices and culture of the company. At the same time, the company should not wait to improve safety and the NTSB urges it to do so immediately.”

Norfolk Southern’s CEO is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee Thursday.

“Norfolk Southern has been in touch with the conductor’s family and will do all it can to support them and his colleagues. We are grieving the loss of a colleague today. Our hearts go out to his loved ones during this extremely difficult time,” the railroad said.

Shuster was member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and employed as a Norfolk Southern conductor, according to the union.

“Lou was a passionate and dedicated union brother,” said Pat Redmond, Local Chairman of BLET Division 607. “He was always there for his coworkers. He was very active in helping veterans who worked on the railroad and veterans all across our community.”

Shuster, a resident of Broadview Heights, Ohio, was president of BLET Division 607 in Cleveland. Shuster has a 16-year-old son and cared for his elderly parents, and was an Army veteran, the union said.

“This was a tragic situation and it’s a devastating loss for the Shuster family as well as the members of this union,” said BLET National President Eddie Hall. “All railroad accidents are avoidable. This collision underscores the need for significant improvements in rail safety for both workers and the public.”

Cleveland-Cliffs is a flat-rolled steel company, according to its website, and its Cleveland Works facility sits on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland.

CNN has reached out to Cleveland-Cliffs, Cleveland police and the Ohio governor’s office for more information.

The conductor’s death comes as Norfolk Southern is facing criticism for two recent derailments in Ohio, including one in East Palestine last month that resulted in the release and burning of a toxic chemical that left nearby residents complaining of headaches, coughing and rashes they believe are tied to the fiery crash.

As the railroad works with the Environmental Protection Agency to remediate the site, it announced a new six-point safety plan Monday designed to help prevent similar derailments in the future.

And in Springfield, about 200 miles southwest of East Palestine, another Norfolk Southern freight train derailed Saturday.

The crash knocked out power and the area and resulted in a temporary shelter-in-place order for homes within 1,000 feet of the scene. Crews later determined nothing had spilled from the derailed cars and there was no environmental harm.

Casualties, including injuries and deaths, involving railroad employees are not uncommon, according to data from the Federal Railroad Administration, which shows there were more than 13,500 incidents involving on-duty employees across the industry in 2022, including 1,060 involving Norfolk Southern employees.

Forty-two rail employees died while on duty last year, the administration said. Five of those individuals were Norfolk Southern employees.

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March 7, 2023
Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes southern Turkey killing 3 and injuring hundreds, 2 weeks after massive quake killed thousands | CNN

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A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck southern Turkey on Monday killing at least three people and injuring hundreds more, according to Turkish and Syrian officials, two weeks after a massive earthquake killed tens of thousands of people in both countries.

The quake struck Turkey’s southern Hatay province, near the Syrian border, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) said Monday.

The quake’s epicenter was in the province’s Defne district, Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said Monday, adding that there have been 26 aftershocks since.

Three people had died and 213 were injured on Monday, Soylu said, and rescue services are still searching several buildings.

In northwest Syria, there have been more than 130 injuries, the White Helmets volunteer rescue group said Monday. The quake also led to the collapse of a number of buildings that were already hit by the previous earthquake.

“Our teams are working to take the injured to hospitals, inspect the affected villages and towns, and remove rubble to open the roads for the ambulances,” the White Helmets said.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) initially reported the quake as being of magnitude 6.4 at a depth of 10 kilometers before revising it down to 6.3 magnitude.

Officials have been urging the public to stay away from buildings. Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay earlier Monday asked the public “not to enter the damaged buildings, especially to take their belongings.”

The mayor of Samandag, near where the quake hit, said some buildings had collapsed and that the mood was one of panic following the AFAD warning.

CNN teams in Adana, Turkey felt the quake, as did eyewitnesses in Gaziantep and Mersin.

Monday’s earthquake follows a deadly magnitude 7.8 earthquake on February 6 that left more than 46,000 people dead in Turkey and Syria.

Families who were affected by the the earthquake two weeks ago told CNN of the terror caused by Monday’s tremors.

“We went back to our house and this shock happened again and we went out… may God help us,” said Zahir, who lives in a town between the cities of Iskenderun and Antakia, in Turkey’s Hatay province.

“We don’t know what to do today – today we will stay in the car and in the tent, we don’t know what will happen till tomorrow,” he told CNN.

On Sunday, Turkey’s disaster management authority said it had ended most search and rescue operations nearly two weeks after the earthquake struck as experts say the chances of survival for people trapped in the rubble this far into the disaster are unlikely.

Some efforts remain in the provinces of Kahramanmaraş and Hatay. On Saturday, a couple and their 12-year-old child were rescued in Hatay, 296 hours after the earthquake, state news agency Anadolu reported.

Efforts to retrieve survivors have been hampered by a cold winter spell across quake-stricken regions, while authorities grapple with the logistical challenges of transporting aid into northwestern Syria amid an acute humanitarian crisis compounded by years of political strife.

This story has been updated with new information from USGS.

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February 20, 2023
At least two killed as militants storm Karachi police headquarters | CNN

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CNN
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Two people were killed after militants stormed the police headquarters in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, according to ambulance officials.

A police officer and a janitor died in the attack while four police rangers were also injured, Edhi Ambulance Service said.

Up to 10 militants attacked the police station with hand grenades and shots were fired, an eyewitness told CNN. The Sindh provincial minister for labor, Saeed Ghani, confirmed the attack to CNN, adding the incident was ongoing.

Multiple shots could be heard ringing through the area where the headquarters is located, according to footage from the scene, and eyewitnesses described hearing multiple explosions.

The attack prompted the Sindh provincial government to declare a state of emergency in Karachi, according to its spokesperson, Sharjeel Memon.

Pakistan’s Taliban, known as Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack, according to spokesman Mohammad Khorasani.

Pakistan’s Taliban have been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the US State Department since September 2010.

Pakistani authorities have yet to confirm any group’s involvement.

Rescue teams have reached the site of the attack, according to video released by Chhipa Ambulance Service, in which gunfire could be heard.

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February 17, 2023
The deadly ice storm crippling much of the South leaves more than 300,000 Texans without power in the frigid cold | CNN

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Treacherous road conditions are now linked to three deaths in Texas as a wave of ice and sleet continues to hammer parts of the southern and central US into the overnight hours.

A 49-year-old woman was killed this week when she lost control of her truck on an icy road north of Eldorado, the Texas Department of Public Safety told CNN on Wednesday.

Two other deaths were previously linked to the storm that coated Texas cities with sleet or ice. In south Austin, one person died Tuesday morning in a 10-car pileup, the city’s fire department said. Another person died when their car rolled over in the Dallas-area city of Arlington, police said.

The dangerous conditions are not over. A nasty combination of freezing rain, sleet and accumulating ice are expected hit parts of Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee through at least Thursday morning, forecasters said.

“Road conditions will be AWFUL after sunset and overnight,” the National Weather Service in Fort Worth said. “DO NOT BE ON THE ROADS.”

More than an inch of sleet has already piled up in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Illinois since Monday.

In Texas alone, more than 350,000 homes, businesses and other power customers had no electricity in the frigid cold Wednesday night, according to PowerOutage.US.

Ice brought down multiple trees and large tree limbs Wednesday, causing power outages across the Austin metro area, the National Weather Service said.

Dangerous conditions prompted Parkland Health system in Dallas to extend the closure of its clinics on Thursday.

Here’s what’s on tap in the southern and central US:

• Texas: The state has seen heavy freezing rain throughout Wednesday, which will continue steadily into overnight across much of northern and central Texas as temperatures remain below freezing.

• Southern Oklahoma: Freezing rain continues to move across the region and will last through Thursday morning.

• South-central Arkansas and Tennessee’s Memphis area: An additional tenth- to quarter-inch of ice could pile up through Thursday morning.

• Across the region: Total ice accumulation of at least a quarter of an inch is likely from West Texas to western Tennessee through Thursday morning. Up to a half-inch could build up in parts of central and north-central Texas and southern Arkansas, the National Weather Service said.

• Widespread flight cancellations: More than 2,400 flights within, into or out of the US were canceled Wednesday, according to the tracking website FlightAware.

In a state not accustomed to heavy ice, a group of Jeep enthusiasts used their vehicles to help stranded drivers.

The Dallas-based “Carnales Off Road” group regularly supports those in need, founder Jorge Coronilla Muñiz told CNN.

“It’s not the first time we’ve done this during bad weather. We try to help as often as possible,” Muñiz said.

Several semi-trucks got stuck on Interstate 20 on Tuesday, and about 30 Jeeps helped tow them.

“Before we got to I-20, we also helped a few other cars who were stuck on the streets,” Muniz said. “We eventually came across the standstill on Interstate 20 and helped an additional 20 trucks.”

Muñiz said he and other group members helped stranded motorists from early Tuesday morning all the way until 10 p.m.

“Everyone was very grateful for our help, especially the truck drivers. Some even asked if we were going to charge them for the help, but we told them we were just there to help.”

The group is back out on the roads Wednesday and will help medical professionals having difficulty getting to and from work, Muñiz said.

More than 12 million people across parts of southeastern Oklahoma, southern Missouri, central and eastern Arkansas, western Tennessee, northwestern Mississippi and Texas are under ice storm warnings Wednesday.

The weather service issues ice storm warnings when ice accumulations of more than a quarter of an inch are possible.

Unsafe travel conditions Tuesday led to hundreds of car crashes across Texas, officials said. Emergency workers responded to people suffering from hypothermia or those injured after slipping on ice. The Texas National Guard is prepared to help stranded motorists, clear roadways and provide welfare checks, Gov. Greg Abbott said. And Texas Parks and Wildlife has at least 30 responders ready for search and rescue operations.

Meanwhile, a separate storm system will also send temperatures plunging across the Northeast.

The National Weather Service predicts “dangerously cold temperatures” in the region Friday and Saturday, with freezing cold wind chills that can cause frostbite in just 10 minutes, it said.

“Limit time outdoors and cover all skin if going out,” the service added.

The service forecasts wind chills of -20 to -35 degrees Fahrenheit early Friday affecting parts of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, while Saturday morning could bring wind chills of -60 degrees Fahrenheit across northern New England, the weather service said.

Leaders across states including Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maine were coordinating resources ahead of the extreme weather and setting up warming centers, according to messages from the governors.

“Temperatures this weekend will be extremely – and dangerously – cold across the state,” Maine Gov. Janet Mills said in a Tuesday news release. “Please take extra precautions, be careful if you go outside, and be sure to check on your family, friends, and neighbors to make sure they are okay.”

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February 1, 2023
6 dead, 3 injured in crash between bus and box truck in Upstate New York | CNN

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Six people died and three others were injured in a crash involving an express bus and a freight truck in Upstate New York Saturday morning, according to authorities.

New York State Police responded to a collision between the bus and the Freightliner box truck around 6 a.m. ET on State Highway 37 in Louisville, a town near the US-Canada border, according to a press release from the agency.

The crash left one person in critical condition and seriously injured two people who were on the express bus, state police said. Victims were transported to several hospitals, according to the release.

It is unclear how many people were on board the vehicles or where they were headed when the deadly crash happened.

“The facts about the cause of this accident are unknown at this time,” spokesperson Randolph P. Ryerson for Penske, the rental company for the truck involved, told CNN in a statement.

“We do not yet have specific information about the rental vehicle involved or information about who was driving the rental vehicle at the time of the incident,” Ryerson added.

The National Transportation Safety Board announced it is launching a six member team to conduct a safety investigation into the fatal collision.

Mayor Mike Zagrobelny of Waddington, a town near the scene of the accident, thanked first responders from around the county who assisted in a post on Facebook Saturday.

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January 28, 2023
Hundreds injured, 2 dead, as earthquake hits Iran | CNN

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At least two people were killed, and more than 500 injured when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck Iran on Saturday night local time.

Iran’s state news agency IRNA said the earthquake hit the city of Khoy, West Azerbaijan province, in northwest Iran, around 9:44 p.m. local time, citing the Iranian Seismological Center in Tehran.

At least 580 people were injured and 70 villages damaged, Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported. It said that relief and damage assessment operations are underway.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) also registered the quake as 5.9 magnitude.

“The tremor was so strong that it was felt in many regions of West Azerbaijan Province, causing concern among residents. It was also felt in several cities, including the provincial capital of Tabriz in the neighboring province of East Azerbaijan,” IRNA reported.

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January 28, 2023
UGA says use of vehicle in crash that killed football player, staffer was ‘unauthorized’ | CNN

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The use of a vehicle that wrecked while carrying four members of the University of Georgia football program – two of whom died in the crash – was “unauthorized,” according to a statement from the University of Georgia Athletic Association.

The Ford Expedition was one of several cars that were leased by the Athletic department for use during recruiting activities “only,” and personal use was “strictly prohibited,” according to the statement.

“Policies and expectations that were well understood by athletics staff dictated that such rental vehicles were to be turned in at the immediate conclusion of recruiting duties,” the statement read. “The continued use of the leased car by our staff members after their recruiting duties ended earlier that evening was unauthorized.”

Devin Willock and Chandler LeCroy died in the crash. Willock, a redshirt sophomore from New Milford, New Jersey, played on the offensive line in all 15 of the team’s games this past season. LeCroy was a football recruiting analyst for the team, according to her LinkedIn.

The crash occurred early January 15, just hours after the team celebrated its latest national championship victory.

CNN previously reported that shortly before 3 a.m., LeCroy, 24, was driving with Willock, 20, and two other passengers near the UGA campus in Athens when the vehicle went off the road and barreled into two power poles and several trees, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department said in a news release.

Willock was ejected from the vehicle and died on the scene, and LeCroy died after being taken to a hospital, police said.

“We are continuing to cooperate fully with investigators. Above all, our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and friends of those we lost and those who were injured in this tragic accident,” the statement read.

The vehicle was exceeding the speed limit of 40 mph before it hit a curb and left the roadway, according to the crash report from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department released Tuesday.

The two other people in the vehicle, a football player and a member of the football staff, were injured.

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January 28, 2023
A timeline of the investigations into Tyre Nichols’ death after a traffic stop and arrest by Memphis police | CNN

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Nearly three weeks after a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee, resulted in a violent arrest and subsequent death of a driver, police are expected to release footage of the incident to the public.

Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was hospitalized after the arrest on January 7 and died three days later from injuries sustained, according to police. Five officers from the Memphis Police Department, who are also Black, were fired and face criminal charges.

The family of Nichols and attorneys have met with police and city officials to view the traffic stop’s video recordings, which have been described as a vicious, prolonged beating that lasted for minutes after officers chased down a fleeing Nichols.

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis decried the officers’ conduct, adding additional officers continue to be investigated.

“This is not just a professional failing,” Davis said. “This is a failing of basic humanity toward another individual. This incident was heinous, reckless and inhumane. And in the vein of transparency, when the video is released in the coming days, you will see this for yourselves.”

After charges were announced Thursday, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said of the accelerated investigation, “We have worked to get a resolution to these matters in record time because we take them extremely seriously.”

Here’s what we know about the timeline of the incident, investigations from authorities and reaction from Nichols’ family:

On January 7 at approximately 8:30 p.m., officers pulled over a vehicle for suspected reckless driving, according to a statement from Memphis police.

“A confrontation occurred” between officers and the vehicle’s driver – later identified as Nichols – who then fled on foot, according to Memphis police. Officers apprehended him and “another confrontation occurred,” resulting in Nichols’ arrest, police said.

An ambulance was called to the scene of the arrest after Nichols complained of shortness of breath, police said, and he was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

On January 10, three days after the stop, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced Nichols had died due to injuries sustained in the “use-of-force incident with officers,” according to a statement.

Following the traffic stop, the officers involved were relieved of duty – a standard departmental procedure while an investigation into their use of force began, Memphis police said. The TBI and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office were also enlisted to investigate.

Preliminary findings indicated the serious nature of the officers’ conduct during the stop, police said.

“After reviewing various sources of information involving this incident, I have found that it is necessary to take immediate and appropriate action,” Chief Davis said in a statement released January 15. “Today, the department is serving notice to the officers involved of the impending administrative actions.”

The department needed to follow a required procedural process before disciplining or terminating government civil servant employees, the statement added.

In the days after Nichols’ death, his family’s attorney Ben Crump repeatedly voiced their desire for the release of body camera and surveillance footage of the traffic stop.

“This kind of in-custody death destroys community trust if agencies are not swiftly transparent,” Crump said in a statement.

On January 18, the Department of Justice said a civil rights investigation has been opened into the death of Nichols.

“Last week, Tyre Nichols tragically died, a few days after he was involved in an incident where Memphis Police Department officers used force during his arrest,” Kevin G. Ritz, US Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, said in a statement.

Acknowledging the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s ongoing efforts, the US Attorney’s office “in coordination with the FBI Memphis Field Office and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, has opened a civil rights investigation,” Ritz said, declining to provide further details.

After its internal investigation, Memphis police identified and fired five officers involved in the traffic stop due to their violation of multiple department policies.

Officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr., and Justin Smith were terminated for failing in their “excessive use of force, duty to intervene, and duty to render aid,” the department said in a statement.

“The egregious nature of this incident is not a reflection of the good work our officers perform, with integrity every day,” Davis said.

A statement from the Memphis Police Association, the union representing the officers, declined to comment on the terminations beyond saying that the city of Memphis and Nichols’ family “deserve to know the complete account of the events leading up to his death and what may have contributed to it.”

Nichols family attorneys Crump and Antonio Romanucci called the firing of the five officers “the first step towards achieving justice for Tyre and his family.”

Two Memphis Fire Department employees who were part of Nichols’ “initial patient care” were also fired, department Public Information Officer Qwanesha Ward told CNN’s Nadia Romero.

After meeting with officials to watch the unreleased police video of the arrest, Nichols’ family and their attorneys described their horror at what they saw.

“He was defenseless the entire time. He was a human piñata for those police officers. It was an unadulterated, unabashed, nonstop beating of this young boy for three minutes. That is what we saw in that video,” Romanucci said. “Not only was it violent, it was savage.”

“What I saw on the video today was horrific,” Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, said Monday. “No father, mother should have to witness what I saw today.”

Crump described the video as “appalling,” “deplorable” and “heinous.” He said RowVaughn Wells, Nichols’ mother, was unable to get through viewing the first minute of the footage after hearing Nichols ask, “What did I do?” At the end of the footage, Nichols can be heard calling for his mother three times, the attorney said.

According to preliminary results of an autopsy commissioned by attorneys for his family, Nichols suffered “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating.” CNN has requested a copy of the autopsy, which Crump said will be available when the full report is ready.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told CNN on Tuesday his office was ensuring all necessary interviews with those involved had been conducted before the footage’s release.

“A lot of the people’s questions about what exactly happened will, of course, be answered once people see the video,” Mulroy said, noting he believes the city will release enough footage to show the “entirety of the incident, from the very beginning to the very end.”

Tyre Nichols’ family speaks out after seeing police footage of police beating

A grand jury indicted the five officers fired by Memphis police on several charges, according to the county’s district attorney.

Martin III, Smith, Bean, Haley and Mills, Jr. were each charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, two charges of aggravated kidnapping, two charges of official misconduct and one charge of official oppression, according to both Shelby County criminal court and Shelby County jail records.

“While each of the five individuals played a different role in the incident in question, the actions of all of them resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols, and they are all responsible,” Mulroy said during a news conference.

All five former officers reported to Shelby County Jail on Thursday, with four bonding out by early Friday morning, jail records showed.

Crump: Nichols video will ‘remind you of Rodney King’

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled RowVaughn Wells’ first name.

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January 27, 2023
Helicopter crash near Kyiv kills 18, including Ukrainian interior minister | CNN

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A helicopter crash near a kindergarten in the Kyiv region has killed at least 18 people, including Ukraine’s entire interior ministry leadership team, according to officials.

At least 29 others were injured in the incident on Wednesday in the city of Brovary, on the outskirts of Ukraine’s capital, according to Oleksiy Kuleba, head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration.

Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky, First Deputy Minister Yevheniy Yenin and State Secretary Yuriy Lubkovychis died in the crash, Anton Geraschenko, a ministry adviser, confirmed on social media.

The nine people onboard the aircraft died, while the other casualties were locals “bringing their children to the kindergarten,” said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, head of the Ukrainian Presidential Administration.

Kuleba, speaking alongside Tymoshenko at the scene to reporters, added “there is currently no information on the number of missing children. Identification is ongoing. Parents are coming, lists are being compiled.”

A CNN team on the ground in the Kyiv region noted gray skies and very low visibility.

The helicopter that has crashed was a Eurocopter EC225 “Super Puma,” a CNN producer confirmed after seeing remnants of flight manuals among the debris.

It landed near a kindergarten and a residential building, Kuleba said earlier.

“At the time of the tragedy, there were children and the staff in the kindergarten. At the moment, everyone was evacuated,” he wrote on Telegram.

Paramedics, the police and firefighters are responding at the scene, Kuleba added.

In a written statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the crash “a terrible tragedy,” adding that he has ordered the Ukrainian Security Services to “to find out all the circumstances.”

Zelensky ended his statement by saying the officials were “true patriots of Ukraine. May they rest in peace! May all those whose lives were taken this black morning rest in peace!”

Charles Michel, president of the European Council, also paid tribute to Monastyrsky as “a great friend of the EU.” Michel tweeted that the European Union joins Ukraine “in grief following the tragic helicopter accident in Brovary.”

In April 2022, Monastyrsky took CNN’s Fred Pleitgen to Chernobyl to visit abandoned Russian military positions where radioactive contamination had been revealed.

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January 18, 2023