Tag: stabbings

A timeline of the killings of four University of Idaho students | CNN

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The killings of four University of Idaho students Sunday in their off-campus home has brought in the investigative powers of the local Moscow Police, state police and the FBI.

Days after the deaths, there is no suspect or murder weapon, and police have been tight-lipped on what they know.

Still, they have provided some information on the killings, and a preliminary timeline reveals some of their final hours as well as the investigative response.

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were students at the University of Idaho who lived at a nearby off-campus residence in Moscow, a college town of about 25,000 people.

They had two other roommates at the residence, a three-floor, six-bedroom apartment.

Goncalves posted a series of photos on her Instagram at some point with the caption “one lucky girl to be surrounded by these ppl everyday.” One of the photos shows Mogen sitting on Goncalves’ shoulders, with Chapin and Kernodle standing next to them.

That night, Chapin and Kernodle went to a party on campus, and Mogen and Goncalves went to a downtown bar, police said.

Mogen and Goncalves ordered at a late-night food truck at about 1:41 a.m., the food truck’s live Twitch stream shows.

They ordered $10 worth of carbonara from the Grub Truckers and wait for about 10 minutes for their food. As they waited, they could be seen chatting with each other and with other people standing by the truck.

Joseph Woodall, 26, who manages the truck, said the two students did not seem to be in distress or in danger in any way.

Video shows two University of Idaho victims at food truck on night of killings

Mogen, Goncalves, Chapin and Kernodle returned to the home at some point in the early morning hours.

At about noon Sunday, a call came in to 911 about an unconscious person at an off-campus residence. Police did not say who called 911.

Arriving officers found the door to the residence open and discovered the bodies of four fatally stabbed students.

“It was a pretty traumatic scene to find four dead college students in a residence,” Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt later told CNN affiliate KXLY.

There was no sign of forced entry or damage, police said.

Moscow Police issued a statement saying four people were found dead in a home off campus. University of Idaho President Scott Green announced that the four victims were students and canceled classes on Monday.

Moscow Police issued a statement identifying the four homicide victims as Chapin, Goncalves, Kernodle and Mogen.

Police said details were limited and no one was in custody. They added that Moscow Police “does not believe there is an ongoing community risk based on information gathered during the preliminary investigation.”

Moscow Mayor Art Bettge released a statement calling the deaths “senseless acts of violence.” Bettge said only limited information can be shared without “jeopardizing the integrity of the investigation.”

Green issued a statement offering condolences to the victims’ families and the community.

“Moscow police do not believe there is an ongoing community risk based on information gathered during the preliminary investigation, however, we ask our employees to be empathetic, flexible and to work with our students who desire to return home to spend time with their families,” he said.

Moscow Police issued a statement saying that an “edged weapon such as a knife” was used in the killings. Police said no suspects were in custody and they had not found the murder weapon.

“Also, based on information from the preliminary investigation, investigators believe this was an isolated, targeted attack and there is no imminent threat to the community at large,” police said.

Later in the day, police released another statement that attempted to calm fears of a killer on the loose.

“We hear you, and we understand your fears,” police said. “We determined early in the investigation that we do not believe there is an ongoing threat for community members. Evidence indicates that this was a targeted attack.”

Police Chief James Fry held a press conference – the department’s first in the case – and reiterated there was no suspect. He also backtracked on the assurances that no one is at risk.

“We cannot say there’s no threat to the community,” Fry said. “And as we have stated, please stay vigilant, report any suspicious activity and be aware of your surroundings at all times.”

The two other roommates were home at the time of the attack and were not injured, Fry said.

“There was other people home at that time, but we’re not just focusing just on them, we’re focusing on everybody that may be coming and going from that residence,” he said.

The university’s often-packed parking lots had many empty spots after scores of students decided to return home or leave the area.

“Everybody kind of just went back home because they’re scared. … It’s definitely uneasy on campus right now,” student Nathan Tinno told CNN.

Tinno, who said the community is trying to approach the tragedy with sympathy, added the fact that no perpetrator has been caught in the case has elevated the sense of fear on campus.

Hoping for tips from the community, investigators release a map and timeline of the victims’ movements last weekend.

The map shows the four students spent most of the night separated in pairs.

“Most definitely someone somewhere has a tidbit of information that will help break this case open and we believe the public around here will have that information for us,” Idaho State Police Communications Director Aaron Snell said.

The victims were found on the second and third floors of their home, Snell told CNN.

Mabbutt, the coroner, told CNN she saw “lots of blood on the wall” when she arrived at the scene. She confirmed there were multiple stab wounds on each body – likely from the same weapon – but would not disclose how many wounds nor where most were located.

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November 20, 2022
‘We’re leaving as fast as we can’: University of Idaho reels with unease days after killing of 4 students and no suspect identified | CNN

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Five days after four University of Idaho students were found stabbed in their off-campus home, a deep sense of apprehension and grief shrouded the community as authorities released a map and timeline of the victims’ movements and worked to identify a suspect.

The university’s often-packed parking lots had many empty spots Thursday after scores of students decided to return home or leave the area after the quadruple homicide last weekend shocked the college town of Moscow, Idaho.

“Everybody kind of just went back home because they’re scared. … It’s definitely uneasy on campus right now,” student Nathan Tinno told CNN.

Tinno, who said the community is trying to approach the tragedy with sympathy, added the fact that no perpetuator has been caught in the case has elevated the sense of fear on campus.

Four college students – Ethan Chapin, 20; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Madison Mogen, 21 – were found stabbed to death Sunday in their shared off-campus home near the university.

The victims were found on the second and third floors of the home, Idaho State Police Communications Director Aaron Snell told CNN Friday.

Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt told CNN she saw “lots of blood on the wall” when she arrived at the scene. She confirmed there were multiple stab wounds on each body – likely from the same weapon – but would not disclose how many wounds nor where most were located.

Stab wounds on the hands of at least one victim appear to be defensive wounds, according to Mabbutt. She said there was no sign of sexual assault on the bodies during the autopsies.

Moscow Police Department

Hoping for tips from the community, investigators on Friday released a map and timeline of the victims’ movements last weekend. The map shows the four students spent most of the night separated in pairs.

Chapin and Kernodle attended a party at the young man’s Sigma Chi fraternity house from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time Saturday.

Goncalves and Mogen were at the Corner Club sports bar between 10 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. They picked up food at a food truck at 1:40 a.m. before heading home.

The four victims were back at the house by 1:45 a.m. Sunday.

Two other roommates were inside the home at the time of deaths – neither was injured nor held hostage, according to university president Scott Green.

Investigators are speaking with the two surviving roommates, Snell told ABC.

“Potentially they are witnesses, potentially they are victims,” Snell said in an interview with ABC’s Kayna Whitworth. “Potentially they’re the key to this whole thing.”

Police have said they don’t have a suspect. Snell said no one has been “included or excluded as a person of interest and/or a suspect.”

Investigators hope the roommates will help them “figure out what occurred and why.”

“That’s their story to tell,” he said.

The causes of death has been determined a homicide, according to a statement by Mabbutt. The autopsies are completed, and the findings will be released when available, an employee at the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office told CNN.

The killings, which happened little more than a week before Thanksgiving break, have instilled harrowing sentiments among students as authorities investigate leads to identify a suspect or locate a murder weapon.

“It’s so dark. It’s just like a dark cloud over everything,” Ava Driftmeyer said. “We’re leaving as fast as we can.”

Driftmeyer, who said she lives near where the four students were killed, described that it’s been a difficult situation to process, both mentally and emotionally.

“I just don’t even think it’s like set in yet. … You know how insane this is? And the fact that there’s no answers is like the worst feeling ever,” she said.

Police said Wednesday they could not definitively determine that the public was not a risk, backtracking an earlier statement that the attacks were targeted.

“We cannot say there’s no threat to the community,” Moscow Police Department Chief James Fry said Wednesday during a news conference. “And as we have stated, please stay vigilant, report any suspicious activity and be aware of your surroundings at all times.”

The university also reminded students that mental health support is available for them.

“We are all still working though our grief and a range of emotions. Compounding this is the frustration and concern that no one has been arrested for these crimes,” Green said in a statement.

“Students, you are encouraged to do what is right for you. Whether this is going home early or staying in class, you have our support,” Green added.

As many details remain unclear, one of the victim’s parents revealed his child’s struggle with the attacker.

The father of Xana Kernodle said he spoke with his daughter midnight Sunday, just hours before she was attacked and killed. Citing an autopsy, he said she fought off her attacker through the end.

“Bruises, torn by the knife. She’s a tough kid,” Jeffrey Kernodle told CNN affiliate KPHO/KTVK in Avondale, Arizona.

Kernodle said Xana stayed in regular communication with her family. “I think midnight was the last time we heard from her, and she was fine,” he told the station, adding that he doesn’t understand why his daughter and her roommates were killed in their own home.

“They were just hanging out at home. Xana was just hanging out at home with her boyfriend,” he said.

Just hours before the four students were killed, Goncalves had posted a photo of the group with the caption, “one lucky girl to be surrounded by these ppl everyday,” adding a heart emoji.

The scant information available regarding the case has been frustrating those closest to the victims as well as the campus community. Yet a video showing two of the victims has helped police get a clearer idea of the hours leading up to the homicides.

In a live Twitch stream from a food truck called Grub Truckers, Mogen and Goncalves were last seen alive while ordering $10 worth of carbonara around 1:40 a.m. local time Sunday in Moscow. As they waited for about 10 minutes for their food, they chatted with each other as well as other people standing by the truck.

Joseph Woodall, who manages the food truck, told CNN the two students did not seem to be in distress or in danger in any way.

Chapin and Kernodle were at a party on campus Saturday night, Fry said. All four students returned home early Sunday sometime after 1:45 a.m., Fry added.

Later Sunday morning, the four were killed inside their home, authorities said. Police responded to the residence after receiving a 911 call around noon reporting that someone was unconscious.

When police arrived at the home, they walked into a grisly, bloody crime scene.

“It was a pretty traumatic scene to find four dead college students in a residence,” coroner Mabbutt told CNN affiliate KXLY earlier this week.

All four were pronounced dead at noon, and police have not revealed who made the 911 call.

“They were smart, they were vigilant, they were careful and this all still happened,” Goncalves’ older sister, Alivea, said in a statement on behalf of the family to the Idaho Statesman.

“No one is in custody and that means no one is safe. Yes, we are all heartbroken. Yes, we are all grasping. But more strong than any of these feelings is anger. We are angry. You should be angry.”

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November 18, 2022
Idaho police say there were other people in the home at the time of quadruple homicide, but declined to say who called 911 | CNN
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More questions than answers continue to plague the Moscow, Idaho, community after the fatal stabbing of four University of Idaho students – and police said they cannot assure the community is safe.

Moscow Police Chief James Fry gave an update Wednesday, saying two additional roommates were in the home at the time of the killings who were neither injured nor held hostage. Fry also said two of the victims – Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle – were at a party on campus, while the other two victims – Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves – were at a downtown bar prior to their deaths.

All four arrived back home sometime after 1:45 a.m. local time, Fry said. They were killed “sometime in the early morning hours of Sunday, November 13,” Fry said.

But there were no calls to 911 until noon Sunday. Fry did not say who called 911, despite two people being at the home when the killing took place and when officers responded. Fry also declined to say if the two people spoke with police.

“We’re not going to go any further into what they know and what they don’t know,” he said.

He did say the call came in for an unconscious person, not a person with a stab wound.

There was also no evidence of forced entry, the chief said. Fry did admit all four victims were killed with a knife, though no weapon has been located at this time.

As of Wednesday evening, there is neither identity nor location of a suspect, Fry said.

“We cannot say there’s no threat to the community and as we have stated, please stay vigilant, report any suspicious activity and be aware of your surroundings at all times,” Fry said.

Fry’s comments come just one day after the Moscow Police Department said in a news release there was no threat to the public and evidence led investigators to believe this was a “targeted attack.”

The killings and lack of information have rankled Moscow, a 25,000-strong city nestled on the Idaho-Washington border. The college town has not recorded a murder since 2015, according to state police data. Residents there are anxious and are “getting out of Dodge,” Latah County Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Mikolajczyk told the Idaho Statesman.

The father of one of the victims issued a statement Wednesday calling on police to release further information about the killings.

“There is a lack of information from the University of Idaho and the local police, which only fuels false rumors and innuendo in the press and social media,” Jim Chapin, the father of Ethan Chapin, said in the statement. “The silence further compounds our family’s agony after our son’s murder. For Ethan and his three dear friends slain in Moscow, Idaho, and all of our families, I urge officials to speak the truth, share what they know, find the assailant, and protect the greater community.”

University of Idaho President Scott Green offered condolences in a statement Monday and deferred to the police’s belief that there was no threat to the public.

“Moscow police do not believe there is an ongoing community risk based on information gathered during the preliminary investigation, however, we ask our employees to be empathetic, flexible and to work with our students who desire to return home to spend time with their families,” he said. “We do not know the investigation timeline, but we will continue to communicate to campus as we learn more.”

Green said Wednesday the university is encouraging students and employees to take care of themselves as they head into Thanksgiving break.

Blaine Eckles, university dean of students, did say there would be a candlelight vigil on November 30. Details are still being finalized, he said.

CNN has reached out to the university for comment and information on the case.

What little the public does know is grisly. Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt told CNN affiliate KXLY what she saw at the gruesome crime scene.

“There’s quite a bit of blood in the apartment and, you know, it was a pretty traumatic scene to find four dead college students in a residence,” she said.

Mabbutt said the coming autopsies could provide further information about what happened.

“There could be some, you know, some evidence of the suspect that we get during the autopsies which would be helpful,” Mabbutt said.

The University of Idaho identified the victims as:
Ethan Chapin, 20, of Conway, Washington, a freshman majoring in recreation, sport and tourism management and a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Xana Kernodle, 20, of Avondale, Arizona, a junior majoring in marketing and a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority.

Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, a senior majoring in marketing and a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority.

Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho, a senior majoring in general studies and a member of the Alpha Phi sorority.
Just hours before their deaths, Goncalves posted a photo of the foursome with the caption, “one lucky girl to be surrounded by these ppl everyday,” adding a heart emoji.

Chapin was one of three triplets, all of whom are enrolled at the University of Idaho, the family said in a statement.

“Ethan lit up every room he walked into and was a kind, loyal, loving son, brother, cousin, and friend,” his mother Stacy Chapin said. “Words cannot express the heartache and devastation our family is experiencing. It breaks my heart to know we will never be able to hug or laugh with Ethan again, but it’s also excruciating to think about the horrific way he was taken from us.”

Alivea Goncalves, Kaylee’s sister, sent a statement to the Idaho Statesman on behalf of her family and Mogen’s.

“They were smart, they were vigilant, they were careful and this all still happened,” she said. “No one is in custody and that means no one is safe. Yes, we are all heartbroken. Yes, we are all grasping. But more strong than any of these feelings is anger. We are angry. You should be angry.”

Jazzmin Kernodle, Xana’s older sister, described her as “positive, funny and loved by everyone who met her.”

“Xana was one of the best people I have ever known. I am lucky to have had her as a sister. She was loved by so many and had the best friends surrounding her. You rarely get to meet someone like Xana,” she said.

“She was so lighthearted, and always lifted up a room. She made me such a proud big sister, and I wish I could have had more time with her. She had so much life left to live. My family and I are at a loss of words, confused, and anxiously waiting for updates on the investigation.”

She also offered condolences to the other victims and their families. “My sister was so lucky to have them in her life.”

Due to the killings, the city canceled its long-standing Artwalk festival “in respect for the victims of this week’s tragedy on the University of Idaho campus as well as those in the Vandal and Moscow community who are united in mourning.”
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November 16, 2022
Police officer killed in stabbing attack in Brussels, local police say | CNN

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A stabbing attack in Brussels which led to the death of least one police officer is “suspected to be terror-related,” authorities said on Thursday.

“It is suspected to be terror-related. It has naturally to be confirmed by the inquiry,” the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s spokesperson Eric Van Duyse told CNN.

The incident on Thursday night saw a police patrol attacked by a person with a knife. “Other policemen came as backup and use their guns to shoot the attacker as to control the person,” a spokesperson of the North Brussels police force told CNN by email.

“The injured were brought to the hospital. The first investigative duties are ongoing,” the spokesperson added.

The attacker was shot in the leg, said prosecutor’s spokesperson Eric Van Der Sypt.

The attack took place at around 7:30 p.m. local time at Rue d’Aerschot in the Brussels municipality of Schaerbeek, according to Van Duyse.

Lawmakers sent their condolences to the family of the slain police officer following news of the attack.

Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo expressed his condolences, saying his thoughts go out to the family and friends of the deceased officer.

“Our police officers risk life and limb every day to keep our society safe. Unfortunately, that is once again apparent today,” he said in a tweet.

Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden described the incident as “terrible drama and heartbreaking news.”

“My thoughts are first and foremost with the next of kin, the members of the police zone, and the entire police organization,” she tweeted.

Brussels Mayor Philippe Close called it “unbearable drama” in Brussels.

“We stand in solidarity with the police forces. The police protect us and must be protected,” he said.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said she was “shocked” at the murder of the police officer in the line of duty.

“The Belgian Police have worked so closely with (European Parliament) over the years that this feels personal for us. All our thoughts are with them, their loved ones and everyone in Belgium,” she wrote on Twitter.

Belgium has seen several terror attacks in the last decade.

In 2017, ISIS claimed responsibility for a knife attack on soldiers in Brussels. The soldiers were slightly wounded in the incident, but one managed to shoot the attacker, who later died in the hospital.

In June of that year, a suspect was fatally shot at a Brussels transit station after a failed bombing that authorities called a terrorist attack. In March 2016, coordinated attacks at the Brussels airport and a metro station left 31 people dead and more than 300 injured.

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November 10, 2022
Stabbing attack in Italy kills one, injures soccer player Pablo Mari | CNN

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Rome
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One person has died and four people, including Spanish soccer player Pablo Mari, were “seriously injured” after a stabbing attack on the outskirts of the Italian city of Milan on Thursday, according to Italian national police.

The suspected attacker has been arrested, police said.

“A mentally unstable man decided to stab people. One person has died and four are now seriously injured,” a police spokesman said.

Mari, who is an Arsenal center-back currently on loan at AC Monza, was not seriously hurt in the attack, Arsenal said in a statement Thursday.

“We are all shocked to hear the dreadful news about the stabbing in Italy, which has put a number of people in hospital including our on-loan center-back Pablo Mari,” Arsenal said.

“We have been in contact with Pablo’s agent who has told us he’s in hospital and is not seriously hurt.

“Our thoughts are with Pablo and the other victims of this dreadful incident,” the statement read

CNN has reached out to Monza club for an update.

This is a breaking story. More to come

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October 27, 2022
Author Salman Rushdie has lost sight in one eye and hand is “incapacitated” following August stabbing attack, agent says | CNN

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Author Salman Rushdie has lost his sight in one eye and one of his hands is “incapacitated” following a stabbing attack in August, according to an interview given by his agent to a Spanish newspaper.

Rushdie, 75, underwent emergency surgery after he was stabbed several times before his scheduled lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in New York on August 12.

Staff members and guests then rushed onto the stage and held down the suspect, identified as 24-year-old Hadi Matar, of Fairview, New Jersey, before a state trooper assigned to the event took him into custody, according to New York State Police.

Matar has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder in the second degree, and second-degree assault, over the attack.

Speaking to El País, literary agent Andrew Wylie said, “[His wounds] were profound, but he’s [also] lost the sight of one eye … He had three serious wounds in his neck. One hand is incapacitated because the nerves in his arm were cut. And he has about 15 more wounds in his chest and torso. So, it was a brutal attack.”

Wylie declined to tell the newspaper if Rushdie was still hospitalized and did not specify when he had last been updated on Rushdie’s condition, according to an English language write-up of the interview. He said the most important thing was the writer was going to live.

Wylie also told El País he and Rushdie had talked about the possibility of such an attack in the past. “The principal danger that he faced so many years after the fatwa was imposed is from a random person coming out of nowhere and attacking [him],” he said. “So, you can’t protect against that because it’s totally unexpected and illogical. It was like John Lennon’s murder.”

El Pais said the interview was conducted from a hotel suite Wednesday evening, during the Frankfurt book fair.

CNN has contacted Wylie but did not receive an immediate response.

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October 23, 2022
Brazilians vote in contentious election plagued by violence and fear | CNN

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São Paulo, Brazil
CNN
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Polls opened in Brazil on Sunday in a presidential election marred by an unprecedented climate of tension and violence.

While there are nearly a dozen candidates on the ballot, the race has been dominated by two frontrunners and polar opposites: right-wing incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro and leftist former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, leader of the Workers’ Party.

Both have been seen on the campaign trail flanked by security and police, even wearing bulletproof vests at times. Bolsonaro wore his as he kicked off his re-election bid last month in the city of Juiz de Fora, where he was stabbed in the stomach during his 2018 presidential campaign. Da Silva, who is commonly referred to as Lula, was seen also wearing a vest during an event in Rio de Janeiro, the same city where a homemade stink bomb was launched into a large crowd of his supporters back in July.

After voting alongside his wife Rosangela da Silva at a Sao Paulo school on Sunday, Lula told reporters: “We don’t want more discord, we want a country that lives in peace. This is the most important election. I am really happy.”

He also referenced the 2018 elections, where he had been unable to run – or vote – because of a corruption conviction, which was overturned last year.

“Four years ago I couldn’t vote because I had been the victim of a lie in this country. And four years later, I’m here, voting with the recognition of my total freedom and with the possibility of being president of the republic of this country again, to try to make this country return to normality,” Lula said.

Bolsonaro, who voted at a military facility in Rio de Janeiro told reporters that he had traveled to “practically every state in Brazil” over the 45 days of campaigning.

“The expectation is of victory today,” he said, later adding: “Clean elections, no problem at all.”

Voting began at 8 a.m. in Brasilia (7 a.m. ET) and concludes at 5 p.m. local (4 p.m. ET). More than 156 million Brazilians are eligible to vote.

In the Brazilian electoral system, a winning candidate must gain more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate crosses that threshold, a second round of voting between the two frontrunners will take place on October 30.

Voters are also electing new state governors, senators, federal and state deputies for the country’s 26 states and the federal district.

Bolsonaro, 67, is running for re-election under the conservative Liberal Party. He has campaigned to increase mining, privatize public companies and generate more sustainable energy to bring down energy prices. He has vowed to continue paying a R$ 600 (roughly US$110) monthly benefit known as Auxilio Brasil.

Often referred to as the “Trump of the Tropics,” Bolsonaro, who is supported by important evangelical leaders, is a highly polarizing figure. His government is known for its support for ruthless exploitation of land in the Amazon, leading to record deforestation figures. Environmentalists are warning that the future of the rainforest could be at stake in this election.

Bolsonaro has also been widely criticized for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 686,000 people in Brazil have died from the virus.

Lula, 76, who was president for two consecutive terms, from 2003 to 2011, has focused his campaign on getting Bolsonaro out of office and has highlighted his past achievements throughout his campaign.

He left office with a 90% approval rating in 2011, and is largely credited for lifting millions of Brazilians from extreme poverty through the “Bolsa Familia” welfare program.

His campaign has promised a new tax regime that will allow for higher public spending. He has vowed to end hunger in the country, which has returned during the Bolsonaro government. Lula also promises to work to reduce carbon emissions and deforestation in the Amazon.

Lula, however, is also no stranger to controversy. He was convicted for corruption and money laundering in 2017, on charges stemming from the wide-ranging “Operation Car Wash” investigation into the state-run oil company Petrobras. But after serving less than two years, a Supreme Court Justice annulled Lula’s conviction in March 2021, clearing the way for him to run for president for a sixth time.

Vote counting begins right after ballots, which are mostly electronic, close on Sunday.

Electoral authorities say they expect final results from the first round to be officially announced Sunday evening. In the last few elections, results were officially declared two to three hours after voting finished.

Observers will be watching closely to see if all candidates publicly accept the result.

Bolsonaro, who has been accused of firing up supporters with violent rhetoric, has sought to sow doubts about the result and said that the results should be considered suspicious if he doesn’t gain “at least 60%.”

On Saturday, he repeated claims that he will win in the first round of presidential elections “with a margin higher than 60%,” despite being 14 points behind in the most recent poll that day.

When asked on Sunday if he will accept the results of the election, Bolsonaro said, “If they are clean elections, no problem, may the best win.”

Both Bolsonaro and his conservative Liberal Party have claimed that Brazil’s electronic ballot system is susceptible to fraud – an entirely unfounded allegation that has drawn comparisons to the false election claims of former US President Donald Trump.

There have been no proven instances of voter fraud in the electronic ballot in Brazil.

The Supreme Electoral Court has also rejected claims of flaws in the system, as “false and untruthful, with no base in reality.”

Critics have warned that such talk could lead to outbreaks of violence or even refusal to accept the election result among some Brazilians – pointing to the January 6, 2021, riot incited by Trump after he lost the vote.

There have already been several reports of political discourse turning violent from supporters across the political spectrum.

Last weekend, police registered two fatal incidents in states on opposite ends of the country. In the northeastern state of Ceara, a man was stabbed to death in a bar after identifying himself as a Lula supporter, according to police. And authorities in southern Santa Catarina state say a man wearing a Bolsonaro T-shirt was also fatally stabbed during a violent discussion with a man whom witnesses identified as a Workers’ Party supporter.

Police say they are investigating both incidents, and that arrests have been made.

And in July, a member of Lula’s Worker’s Party, who was celebrating his 50th birthday with a politically-themed party was shot dead.

Just one day before, two explosives were thrown into a crowd at a Lula rally.

According to a Datafolha poll conducted in August, more than 67% of voters in Brazil are afraid of being “physically attacked” due to their political affiliations. And the country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal has issued a ban on firearms within 100 meters (330 feet) of any polling station on election day.

The fear factor among voters could lead to a number of abstentions on Sunday, however, recent polling shows that there are fewer undecided Brazilians this year than in previous elections.

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October 2, 2022
Cash App founder Bob Lee knew the suspect in his stabbing death, police say | CNN Business

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San Francisco Police have arrested Nima Momeni in connection to the murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said during a news conference on Thursday.

Scott described Momeni as a 38-year-old man from Emeryville, California. Scott said Momeni and Lee knew one another, but he didn’t provide further details about their connection.

California Secretary of State Records indicate that Momeni has been the owner of an IT business, which, according to its website, provides services like technical support.

Momeni was taken into custody without incident, according to Scott, and taken to the San Francisco County jail where he was booked on one charge of murder.

Lee was stabbed to death in the Rincon Hill neighborhood of San Francisco early in the morning of April 4th. The moments following the stabbing attack were captured on surveillance video and in a 911 call to authorities, according to a local Bay Area news portal.

The surveillance footage, reviewed by the online news site The San Francisco Standard, shows Lee walking alone on Main Street, “gripping his side with one hand and his cellphone in the other, leaving a trail of blood behind him.”

Many in the tech world and beyond responded to news of Lee’s death with an outpouring of shock and grief. Some, including Elon Musk, also said the incident highlighted the fact that “violent crime in SF is horrific.”

But on Thursday, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins criticized Musk’s statement as “reckless and irresponsible.” Jenkins said Musk’s remark “assumed incorrect circumstances” about the death and effectively “spreads misinformation” while police were actively working to solve the case.

Lee was the former chief technology officer of Square who helped launch Cash App. He later joined MobileCoin, a cryptocurrency and digital payments startup, in 2021 as its chief product officer.

Josh Goldbard, the CEO MobileCoin, previously told CNN: “Bob was a dynamo, a force of nature. Bob was the genuine article. He was made for the world that is being born right now, he was a child of dreams, and whatever he imagined, no matter how crazy, he made real.”

Earlier Thursday, San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Matt Dorsey expressed his gratitude to the police department’s homicide detail for “their tireless work to bring Bob Lee’s killer to justice and for their arrest of a suspect this morning.”

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April 12, 2021
Suspect in murder of Cash App founder appears in court | CNN Business

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Nima Momeni, the suspect in the stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee, appeared in a San Francisco court Friday morning for an arraignment, one day after police announced his arrest.

When Momeni entered the courtroom, members of his family sitting in the front row held up heart signs with their hands. Momeni, who was not cuffed, acknowledged them and smiled back.

Momeni’s arraignment is set to continue on April 25. He will be held without bail in the meantime.

Lee was stabbed to death in the Rincon Hill neighborhood of San Francisco early in the morning of April 4th. The moments following the stabbing attack were captured on surveillance video and in a 911 call to authorities, according to a local Bay Area news portal.

The surveillance footage, reviewed by the online news site The San Francisco Standard, shows Lee walking alone on Main Street, “gripping his side with one hand and his cellphone in the other, leaving a trail of blood behind him.”

In announcing his arrest Thursday, law enforcement described Momeni as a 38-year-old man from Emeryville, California and said Momeni and Lee knew one another, but didn’t provide further details about their connection.

California Secretary of State Records indicate that Momeni has been the owner of an IT business, which, according to its website, provides services like technical support.

Lee’s family issued a statement Thursday thanking the San Francisco Police Department “for bringing his killer to Justice” after Momeni’s arrest.

“Our next steps will be to work with the District Attorney’s office to ensure that this person is not allowed to hurt anyone else or walk free,” the statement said.

In the statement, the family described Lee’s upbringing, his career, and the impact of the technology he helped create.

“Every day around the world, people interact with technology that Bob helped create. Bob will live on through these interactions and his dreams of improving all of our lives,” the statement reads.

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April 12, 2021
Man accused of killing Cash App founder Bob Lee intends to plead not guilty next week, his attorney says | CNN Business

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Nima Momeni, the man accused of killing Cash App founder Bob Lee in San Francisco, intends to plead not guilty next week, his attorney said.

Momeni was to be arraigned on a murder charge Tuesday but that was put off until May 2 after defense attorney Paula Canny asked for more time to prepare.

Canny told reporters after the hearing that her client also will deny the special allegation of using a knife in the crime.

Lee, who cofounded the mobile payment service provider Cash App, was stabbed to death in the Rincon Hill neighborhood early on April 4.

Authorities have said Momeni, 38, of Emeryville, California, and Lee knew each other and they were in a vehicle shortly before the stabbing.

The district attorney’s office has indicated that the stabbing may have been premeditated.

“This is a person who was in his vehicle with a kitchen knife,” San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said earlier this month. “That’s not something most of us carry around at all times with us.”

Canny said she believes she has evidence to support Momeni’s innocence.

The attorney says she has seen surveillance videos in the case but is still awaiting police reports and the full autopsy report. “I don’t think you can see anything” in the video, Canny said.

Jenkins said Tuesday autopsy reports typically take about 60 days and, in this case, the report is not yet ready.

“We believe that we have sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Momeni murdered Bob Lee,” Jenkins said.

Canny told station KNTV nearly two weeks ago that there is a “much greater back story” than what has been disclosed.

California Secretary of State records indicate that Momeni has been the owner of an IT business. He has been held without bail since his arrest nearly two weeks ago.

Canny said she believes her client is not a danger to the community or a flight risk and will push for bail to be set. Jenkins disagreed. “Certainly somebody that we believe committed murder is an extreme threat to public safety.”

About 20 of Momeni’s family members, including his two teenage children, were in court for the hearing.

Documents from the district attorney’s office have laid out what authorities say preceded the stabbing.

A motion to detain document cites a witness interviewed by police and security camera footage, offering a detailed timeline of where Lee and Momeni were.

A witness, described as a close friend of Lee’s, said he went over to an apartment after being invited by Lee on April 3, where Lee was drinking with a woman later identified as Momeni’s sister, the document states.

The witness told police the woman was married but her “relationship was possibly in jeopardy,” and the witness was unsure whether the woman and Lee had an intimate relationship, according to the document. Lee later told the witness that they were going to go to his hotel room, where he invited the woman but she declined.

While at the hotel room, the witness said Lee was having a conversation with Momeni, which involved Momeni saying he was picking up his sister from the apartment Lee and the witness were previously at, according to the document. Momeni asked Lee “whether his sister was doing drugs or anything inappropriate,” the document states. Lee had told Momeni nothing inappropriate happened, according to the document.

After the conversation with Momeni, Lee and the witness went to Lee’s apartment until about 12:30 a.m. on April 4, when Lee left, the document says.

Surveillance footage shows Momeni arriving at his sister’s apartment building in a white BMW around 8:30 p.m. on April 3, and later shows Lee entering the building around 12:39 a.m. on April 4. A little after 2 a.m., security footage shows Lee and Momeni entering an elevator together and getting into Momeni’s BMW. Additional footage from the area shows the two driving in the car together.

Video then shows the BMW drive to a “dark and secluded area” on Main Street, just out of view for the video to see the interaction between the two men, per the document.

Eventually, the two subjects, who are unidentifiable by their faces but seem to be wearing the same clothing, appear back in frame. After about five minutes, the subject wearing a white-colored top, consistent with what Momeni appeared to be wearing, “suddenly move(s) toward the other subject,” the document says. The two subjects then separate.

The subject in dark-colored clothing, who authorities believe to be Lee, walks northbound, while the subject in the light-colored clothing walks south and stops along a fence, where a knife was ultimately recovered, the document says. The BMW then “leaves at a high rate of speed,” the document states.

An autopsy later found Lee was “stabbed three separate times, once in the hip and twice in the chest,” according to the documents. One of the stab wounds “directly penetrated” Lee’s heart, causing his death.

A kitchen knife was found near the scene, District Attorney Jenkins said in a news conference, adding the department had “proof beyond a reasonable doubt that (Momeni) committed murder.”

On April 11, investigators found a text message from Momeni’s sister to Lee that showed the sister checking in on Lee, according to the motion to detain document. The text message, per the document, stated: “Just wanted to make sure your doing ok Cause I know nima came wayyyyyy down hard on you And thank you for being such a classy man handling it with class.”

Meanwhile, additional details in an August 2022 incident involving a woman and Momeni were made available in a police report, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday.

Police in Emeryville cited and released Momeni on a misdemeanor battery charge after a woman reported he attacked her, the newspaper reported, citing documents obtained in a public records request. CNN has requested the documents and reached out to Emeryville police.

The woman, whose name was redacted from the report, and Momeni reportedly got into an argument the afternoon of August 1, 2022, according to the police report.

Momeni denied the allegation when questioned by responding officers.

The woman told police that Momeni was prone to behavior shifts, the Chronicle reported, telling them that “one minute he will be fine and the next he will go off for no reason.”

In a statement to CNN on Monday, Momeni’s attorney Canny said, “It is only a police report.”

“There was no arrest. There was no case filed – the Alameda County District Attorney refused to prosecute,” she said.

The Alameda County District Attorney’s office confirmed to CNN last week it did not file charges but declined to say why or give more detail.

In the police report, the woman said she met Momeni a week earlier and he allowed her to stay on his couch in exchange for cleaning the residence, the Chronicle says, adding she told officers that she and Momeni were not dating.

The woman told police that earlier in the day, she had been in the loft’s kitchen when Momeni came downstairs and yelled for her to collect her belongings and leave, the Chronicle reports.

“Momeni forcefully grabbed her right upper arm and her right side waist area,” Officer Johnson wrote in the report, according to the Chronicle. “He then pushed her against a counter.”

He denied the allegation to police, according to the newspaper, and a roommate told police that he didn’t see violence and that the woman appeared to be the aggressor.

Momeni told officers he wanted to pursue charges against the woman for pushing him the day before when they had also argued, the report says, according to the Chronicle.

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April 12, 2021