In a poignant return to social media, Bethany Funke, a survivor of Bryan Kohberger’s brutal attack inside a student residence, has resurfaced online. This marks her first public appearance since the tragic events unfolded.

Funke, who is 23 years old, endured the horrific incident that claimed the lives of her friends Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in Moscow, Idaho, back in November 2022. Her strength and resilience are a testament to her character as she navigates life after the tragedy.

Recently, Funke shared a glimpse into her healing journey through a new TikTok post. Donning a teal dress and a cross necklace, she revealed that painting has become her newfound passion. The inspiration for her artistic endeavor comes from the renowned painter and instructor Bob Ross, whose calming presence continues to influence aspiring artists worldwide.

In the video, she showcased a serene sunset river landscape to her 17,000 followers, with the soothing tones of Olivia Dean’s music providing a fitting soundtrack. This creative expression serves as a therapeutic outlet for Funke, allowing her to process her experiences and perhaps find some solace.

This video holds special significance as it is the sole post on her TikTok account under her name. Notably, her late friends, Goncalves, Kernodle, and Mogen, remain connected through their following of her page, a silent tribute to the enduring bond they shared.

Funke has remained incognito since the killings, nominating a friend of hers to issue an impact statement at Kohberger’s sentencing last year. 

Only Funke and fellow roommate Dylan Mortensen survived the murders, with Mortensen waking up to see a man dressed in black stalking the halls of the home.

The two desperately tried to call and text their friends but got no response, Mortensen made her way to Funke’s room where they stayed until morning.

In a new post to her TikTok page Funke shared that she has taken up oil painting after the killings

Left to right: Dylan Mortensen, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (on Kaylee’s shoulders) Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Bethany Funke

Around eight hours later, after the terrified students still could not get in touch with their friends, they called friends over to the home and the bloodbath was discovered.

Kohberger was arrested around six weeks later during a raid on his parents’ home in the Poconos region of Pennsylvania, where he had returned for the holidays.

Autopsy findings recently released have since laid bare the full horror of the attack, revealing he stabbed his victims over 150 times within 15 minutes.

He stabbed Goncalves at least 38 times, including 24 stab and incised wounds to her scalp face and neck, as well as 11 to the chest and three to her upper extremities.   

She also suffered punctures to the skull, injuries to her teeth and tongue, perforations of the subclavian artery and vein, and internal bleeding into the chest cavities.

Mogen sustained 28 stab wounds, including 13 wounds to the scalp, face and neck, and 10 incised wounds to the upper extremities, and five stab wounds to the chest.

Kernodle was then stabbed 67 times inside her bedroom before Kohberger killed Chapin in his sleep, according to the autopsy report.

She had 25 wounds to the upper extremities, 23 stab to the scalp, face and neck, seven stab wounds to the chest and four to the abdomen, three to the back, and five to the lower extremities.

Pictured: (L-R) Dylan Mortenson, Xana Kernodle, Bethany Funke, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen

Kohberger is seen here at his sentencing hearing in July of last year

The student home at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho, where the murders were committed

She also suffered punctures to the skull, perforations of the jugular vein, heart, lung and pulmonary blood vessels, hemorrhage into the chest cavities, wounds extending into the bones of the right hand, and scrapes and bruises to the face, torso and extremities.

Despite Chapin likely being the last victim, he had the fewest stab wounds, sustaining 17 in all: six incised wounds to the upper extremities; six stab and incised wounds to the lower extremities; four stab and incised wounds to the scalp, face and neck; and one stab wound to the upper chest; along with perforations of the jugular vein, subclavian vein and subclavian artery.

For more than two years, Kohberger fought the charges. Then, weeks before his trial, he changed his plea, pleading guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary on July 2.

The bombshell plea hearing came after he struck a controversial deal with prosecutors to take the death penalty off the table.

He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in an emotional hearing in Boise, Idaho, on July 23. Kohberger also waived his right to appeal.

The killer refused to speak at his sentencing and has never revealed his motive. No connection has ever been found between him and any of his victims. 

Kohberger is now being held in solitary confinement inside the Idaho Maximum Security Institution where he will see out his dying days.

In Chicago, a shooting incident occurred on Monday night, resulting in injuries to three men during a large gathering near 57th Street Beach, according to local police reports.

The violent outbreak was reported around 10 p.m. on the 1600 block of East 55th Street.

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Chicago police stated that an 18-year-old and two 19-year-olds were among those gathered when gunfire rang out, leaving them injured.

The victims included an 18-year-old who suffered a hand injury, while one 19-year-old was shot in the leg and the other in the hip. Fortunately, all three victims were taken to the hospital and are reported to be in stable condition.

Authorities have released surveillance footage showing a suspect described as wearing a black sweater with white lettering on the sleeves, blue pants or jeans, black and white sneakers, a black ski mask, and carrying a dark-colored backpack.

The gunfire happened blocks from a teen takeover Monday night at 57th Street Beach.

Massive crowds prompting a large police response in Hyde Park and the partial shutdown of DuSable Lake Shore Drive

People were seen trying to climbing over a wall, trying to cross the street as police warned them to get back.

Several police cars lined the lakefront as police tried to reroute traffic with hundreds of people all around.

CHICAGO — I found myself drenched in sweat by the end of this unique fitness class.

Little did I know that my Friday evening would transition from perfecting pelvic tilts to mastering the art of pistol gripping, culminating with a session at the shooting range.

This was the experience offered by the innovative, women-exclusive “Pistols and Pilates” class, hosted in the Chicago suburb of Oak Forest, Illinois.

The intriguing fusion of core strengthening and firearms training has quickly gained traction in the Pilates community, following Eagle Sports Range’s promotion of these distinctive sessions.

Aseel Halloub, the mastermind behind this “guns-to-guns” initiative, explained that the class is designed to empower women.

“In the gun world, you do have a lot of women who just want to protect themselves,’’ she said.

It was also built around challenging stereotypes, according to Vivian Tadros, owner of Olive Pilates Studio and co-host of the event. 

“Pilates has been known just to be for women, but men do it now – and guns are known for being men-only, but it shouldn’t be just one gender for each,” Tadros said, hinting at how the unlikely pairing taps into two broader cultural shifts happening across the US. 

Women have become one of the fastest-growing groups of gun owners in the country, with around 20% packing heat since 2019 – up from the 16% who were strapped in between 2013-2018, according to a Gallup poll. 

Pilates – a domain long considered to include predominantly young, liberal, white women – has meanwhile exploded across demographics, with nationwide participation growing 40% since 2019 — as everyone from pro athletes to retirees and suburbanites join studios in nearly every corner of the country.

Curious about how the seemingly counter-intuitive collision of Pilates and gun training would actually play out, I joined 24 other ladies ranging in their 20s to middle-aged for the planks and plinking on Friday.

Many of the women did not neatly fit the stereotypes of individuals often associated with either community. 

Things kicked off with what I thought would be innocent enough: an hourlong mat Pilates class.

I quickly learned that it was not a cute little pregame stretch. 

It was the kind of workout class where the instructor cheerfully chirps, “Small movements!” and, “Just a few more reps!” while every muscle in your body feels personally attacked.  

We were encouraged to maintain the breathing and body control we’d just practiced while transitioning into a two-hour gun-safety course from tough-as-nails range trainer Nora Elkhatib.

“Our objective here isn’t to shoot anybody,” Elkhatib said. “It’s to protect ourselves. Us women are victims all the time.” 

About half the class raised their hands when Elkhatib asked who already held Illinois concealed-carry permits, but only a couple of the women said they owned their own firearms.

A few had never shot a gun before.

Though my outdoorsman father had taken me shooting back home in northern Idaho a handful of times growing up, I felt terrifyingly underqualified when Elkhatib soon instructed us to retrieve unloaded .22-caliber pistols from the front table. 

“Are these real?” I asked weakly, gripping the cold metal like it might detonate my hand. 

My confidence didn’t improve when Elkhatib corrected my thumb placement during a drill in which we practiced our grip, stance and aim. 

We were then marched to the nearby range, where bright pink silhouette targets awaited each of our 20 allotted rounds. 

When my turn finally came, my legs felt oddly numb as I shuffled into one of the seven booths. 

I leaned forward, frantically replaying Elkhatib’s aiming instructions in my head and pulled the trigger. 

The recoil was minimal. 

To my surprise, the shots hit the center of mass — not far from the flamingo-pink X.

The other shooters and I excitedly compared where our bullets had hit, while I asked what inspired them to attend the event in the first place. 

“It’s something different. It’s not doing the typical thing, [like] going to a bar,” said Sonia Mirnda, 40. 

“I’m like, OK, I got [a gun permit] two years ago, so I’m going to try it out,’’ the restaurant manager said.

Though Mirnda said she initially attended the event for the fitness portion, she soon realized it was “about so much more than wellness” – and left feeling “more comfortable” around firearms. 

“We’re here for the Pilates class, but honestly I think it’s also [about] self-awareness…as a woman, to protect yourself,” she said. 

Jazmyne Worthy, a 25-year-old healthcare worker, said she already carries a pistol and attended the class to “refresh” her gun knowledge and skills. 

“I live alone, so firearm safety is very important to me,” she said. 

Additionally, “I love Pilates,” she said with a laugh. “So this is the perfect mix.” 

Worthy – who saw no contradiction between the pairing and she blasted the online haters who found the event’s premise distasteful.

“I don’t think it’s extreme at all, especially because I feel that more women need to be informed and educated on firearms, how to utilize them … so that they don’t have to feel like they need to rely on someone else to feel safe,” she said.

Halloub added, “Everyone should just respect everybody else’s opinions.

“Some people are not into Pilates, and some people are not into guns – completely understand that. You don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.’’

As for me, I left “Pistols and Pilates” with sore glutes, decent aim and the refreshing realization that anyone can belong on a Pilates mat and at the firing range.

Representative Ilhan Omar had a succinct two-word retort to a Republican proposal aimed at excluding foreign-born Americans from serving in Congress. This GOP-led initiative, which specifically targets naturalized citizens, was introduced on Capitol Hill, sparking discussions among lawmakers.

Last week, Representative Nancy Mace presented this proposal, which seeks to amend the Constitution. The amendment would mandate that all members of Congress, federal judges, and officials requiring Senate confirmation be natural-born American citizens.

This proposal mirrors the existing constitutional requirements for the presidency and vice presidency, where only natural-born citizens can hold these offices.

In response to a question from Fox News regarding this proposed amendment, the Minnesota Democrat, Ilhan Omar, dismissed it with a simple reply: “Good luck to her,” showing her nonchalant stance on the matter.

When advocating for her legislation, Mace was explicit about the individuals she aimed to address with this constitutional change.

In a blistering post on X announcing the measure, the South Carolina Republican singled out Omar alongside Democratic lawmakers Shri Thanedar and Pramila Jayapal.

All are foreign-born members of Congress who became US citizens after immigrating to America.

‘Ilhan Omar. Shri Thanedar. Pramila Jayapal. All born in foreign countries, none were citizens by birth. All sitting in the United States Congress. All making clear every single day their loyalty is not to America,’ Mace tweeted.

Ilhan Omar brushed off the Republican proposal to bar foreign-born lawmakers from Congress with a shrugging response of ‘Good luck to her’

Nancy Mace wants to introduce a constitutional amendment requiring members of Congress to be natural-born US citizensm, accusing foreign-born lawmakers of lacking loyalty to the US

‘For too long we have allowed foreign born members to hold seats in this government while making clear they are America last, not America first. We see it every day. This constitutional amendment will put an end to it.’

The post immediately sent shockwaves through political circles and reignited long-running conservative attacks against Omar, one of the highest-profile progressive Democrats in Congress and one of the first Muslim women ever elected to the House.

Omar was born in Somalia and became a naturalized US citizen in 2000 after her family fled civil war and spent years in a refugee camp before arriving in the United States.

Despite the inflammatory rhetoric surrounding the proposal, Omar appeared entirely unfazed by the threat.

Asked whether she feared the measure could gain traction, the congresswoman indicated she was not worried the effort had any realistic chance of succeeding.

Changing the Constitution is among the most difficult processes in American politics, requiring approval from two-thirds of both the House and Senate before ratification by three-quarters of US states.

At present, there is no indication the proposal has broad support from Republican leadership or enough backing to seriously advance through Congress.

Still, Mace defended the proposal in comments to Fox News arguing that people serving in powerful federal positions should have been American citizens from birth.

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace appears to have been obsessed with the issue for weeks having tweeted obsessively over the issue of foreign-born politicians serving in congress

Rep. Nancy Mace singled out three foreign-born Democrats; Rep. Ilhan Omar who was born in Somalia, left, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Rep. Shri Thanedar who were both born in India

Rep. Randy Fine has also  Randy Fine proposed legistlation that would prohibit dual citizens from serving in Congress unless they formally renounce citizenship in any other country

‘If you hold power in the American government, you should be a natural-born American citizen,’ Mace said.

‘For too long we have allowed foreign-born members to hold seats in this government, while making clear their loyalty is not here. We see it every day.’

According to congressional data, there are currently 26 foreign-born lawmakers serving in Congress – including 19 Democrats and seven Republicans.

The controversy escalated further when Omar was also asked about separate legislation proposed by Randy Fine that would prohibit dual citizens from serving in Congress unless they formally renounce citizenship in any other country.

The measure, titled the ‘Disqualifying Dual Loyalty Act,’ was introduced last year and argues lawmakers should owe allegiance solely to the United States.

When asked about the bill, Omar appeared unfamiliar with it.

‘Who’s that?’ she responded when Fine’s name was mentioned.

Fine later defended his legislation in a statement, saying: ‘I think it’s a fair argument to say you can only swear allegiance to one country, and if you’re in Congress, that allegiance should be to America.’

‘This bill ensures that the people making laws for our citizens are themselves fully committed to our country, not divided between two.’