Home Blog Page 191

Houthis Become Global Threat Beyond Iran’s Control, Ex-Envoy Warns

0

The Houthis are becoming less dependent on Tehran and increasingly capable of acting on their own, creating what a former U.S. envoy described Thursday as a “clear and very present danger” internationally as the group rebuilds its weapons arsenal and improves its ability to launch precise strikes.

The assessment followed a series of deadly Houthi missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, along with mounting concerns about threats to commercial shipping and vital infrastructure across the Middle East.

Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, said Thursday that Houthi attacks targeting Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed 17 people and wounded 333 between Oct. 7 and Oct. 11.

During a news briefing in Riyadh, al-Maliki said the Oct. 10 assault included 10 drones, missiles and other airborne projectiles.

“King Khalid International Airport has been targeted 20 times since Oct. 1,” he said.

Tim Lenderking, who served as the U.S. special envoy for Yemen from 2021 through 2025 and was assigned to Saudi Arabia between 2013 and 2016, said Saudi officials had warned American leaders more than a decade ago that the Houthis could become a serious security threat. He believes that forecast has now come true.

Fighters of Yemen's Houthis

The Houthis are increasingly operating independently of Tehran, posing a “clear and very present danger” internationally as the group rebuilds its arsenal and advances its strike capabilities. (Handout from Houthi Media Center via Getty Images)

“The Saudis were very clear with our leaders that they saw the Houthis as a major threat,” Lenderking recalled of his time in the kingdom.

He said the movement was then “quietly building up its capability” while developing a broader ideological message to justify its push for power in Yemen as a northern Yemeni group with a distinct agenda and mission.

The Houthis began as a religious and political movement in Yemen during the 1990s. Their relationship with Iran evolved into a military partnership after 2014, when Tehran increased its support and training during Yemen’s civil war.

“The Houthis don’t really need the Iranians anymore,” said Lenderking, a former acting assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs. He stressed, however, that Iran’s support remained “a very important relationship” that helped transform the group into the formidable force it is today.

Lenderking, now a distinguished diplomatic fellow at the Middle East Institute, said the Houthis gradually built an indigenous weapons and operational infrastructure of their own while taking advantage of divisions among Gulf states.

The latest missile and drone barrage against King Khalid International Airport on Saturday also raised questions about whether President Donald Trump could be pulled into a wider Middle East conflict as Riyadh seeks additional U.S. support.

When asked whether the United States would protect Saudi Arabia from future Houthi attacks, Trump replied, “You’ll find out soon.”

Flames rise from Saudi Arabia airport following attack

Smoke and flames rise over King Khalid International Airport after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on the Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia on Oct. 8, 2026. (Reuters)

At an MEI briefing, Lenderking said the Houthis’ advanced weapons and increasingly accurate targeting have changed the group’s profile from a local insurgency into a threat with international consequences.

“They can strike across the region, including as far north as the upper Red Sea,” Lenderking said. “This is a regional problem, particularly because the Houthis control Yemen’s western coastline.”

“It is now an international problem.”

Lenderking pointed to the accuracy of the Riyadh airport assault as a sign of how much the Houthis’ capabilities have improved since earlier attacks carried out during the Gaza conflict.

“They are now able to hit targets more accurately. They struck Terminal Four at Riyadh Airport with remarkable specificity,” he said. “That represents a clear and very present danger.”

The Houthis reportedly launched multiple drones followed by cruise and ballistic missiles that traveled more than 620 miles to Riyadh, prompting an investigation into possible Saudi air defense failures, according to The Associated Press, citing regional officials.

Saudi forces intercepted two more ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh on Monday. On Tuesday, a Houthi strike caused damage to Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, sparking a fire that spread across several floors, Reuters reported.

Lenderking said the Houthis have built extensive weapons supply chains, smuggling networks and domestic financing operations that allow them to sustain attacks without relying solely on Tehran.

Houthi supporters demonstrate in solidarity with Iran

Houthi supporters demonstrate in solidarity with Iran, amid a two-week ceasefire between U.S. and Iran, in Sanaa, Yemen, April 10, 2026. (Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)

“They get a lot of supplies off the open market through the internet, through commercial exchanges. They have a very well entrenched smuggling network, from big boats onto small boats, onto tiny boats, on the pack animals, on people’s backs.

“They are able to move things undetected through government terrain, even through various borders and with a lot of wide open space there. They are constantly moving, building, resupplying, restocking, innovating.”

The group’s self-sufficiency also extends to financing. Lenderking said the Houthis generate revenue through black-market oil sales, taxation and extortion while also forcing families to provide recruits, allowing the group to continue fighting even if Iranian assistance is cut off.

“They have had support from Iran over the years, so they have money in the bank from that,” Lenderking said. 

“They relied on sales of black market oil in the past. They extort Yemeni transport companies, businesses. They tax people in areas that they control. They force many families to offer up a son to fight on the front lines.”

The Houthis’ expanding arsenal has raised concerns about potential Chinese involvement in their weapons supply networks.

Houthi fighter

Tim Lenderking, who served as U.S. special envoy for Yemen from 2021 to 2025 and was posted to Saudi Arabia from 2013 to 2016, said Saudi officials had warned more than a decade ago that the Houthis would become a major threat, a prediction he says has now materialized. (Houthi Media Center via Getty Images)

Yemen’s government has accused the rebels of seeking Chinese components for medium-range ballistic missiles, raising concerns about the group’s access to advanced military technology.

“There is a Chinese connection here that’s very detrimental,” Lenderking warned, adding that front companies have helped the group obtain weapons through commercial channels.

Lenderking warned that the Houthis could also target Saudi energy facilities, pipelines and desalination plants, infrastructure critical to the kingdom’s economy and water supply. 

“The Houthis have hit pipelines,” he said. “They have diesel plants and other energy infrastructure in their sights.”

Attacks on such facilities could disrupt global energy markets, maritime commerce and regional stability.

The Houthis also control Yemen’s western coastline along the Red Sea, a vital shipping corridor connecting Europe and Asia.

With the rebels now capable of striking targets hundreds of miles away, Lenderking warned that the threat extends far beyond Yemen’s borders.

“One blast at Riyadh Airport is a huge statement,” the expert said.

“That’s why I come back to the fact that this is an international conflict,” he said, adding that “immediate action is required.”

Rideshare Driver Arrested After Alleged Hit-and-Run at University

0

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Evelyn Carter Reynolds, 49, of Old Town, was arrested early Wednesday after police accused her of striking a pedestrian at West University Avenue and 13th Street and leaving without stopping to provide assistance. During her court appearance, Reynolds said she works as a driver for Uber and Lyft.

According to a Gainesville Police Department officer’s report, the incident occurred at approximately 1:49 a.m. on October 15. The victim was walking through the crosswalk on SW 13th Street at West University Avenue when she was struck by a red or burgundy SUV. The vehicle continued south on SW 13th Street without stopping.

A witness told police she saw the SUV drive over the lower portion of the victim’s body.

The officer reported that the victim suffered a chipped tooth, multiple cuts and abrasions across her body, and swelling in her legs and ankles. She was still undergoing evaluation for possible internal injuries when the arrest report was completed.

The victim told officers she had waited for the pedestrian signal before entering the crosswalk. She said she was struck from behind, fell to the ground and immediately began experiencing pain in the lower half of her body.

Police later located the SUV on SW 13th Street, roughly 19 blocks south of the crash scene.

A passenger in the SUV told officers that Reynolds said she had hit what she believed was trash in the roadway. When an officer contacted Reynolds, she reportedly volunteered that she had struck trash and looked in her rearview mirror for an ambulance.

After being read her Miranda rights, Reynolds reportedly said she hit something she thought was trash while turning right from West University Avenue onto SW 13th Street. She said she looked back and saw three people in the roadway who appeared to be gathering the debris. Reynolds told police the road had been clear when she turned and said she did not realize she had struck anyone; otherwise, she said, she would have stopped.

Reynolds faces a charge of leaving the scene of an accident involving serious injury. She has no prior criminal history. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set her bail at $50,000.

Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Defends Calling Herself a Lawyer

0

New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said she was too “distracted” by her marriage to pass the California bar exam and that a surprise pregnancy later kept her from taking it again.

On Thursday, Zacharia spoke with Real America’s Voice host Jack Posobiec in her first on-camera interview since her widely mocked debut at the White House podium on Tuesday.

In addition to questioning her halting delivery and abrupt departure from the briefing room, Posobiec asked President Donald Trump’s top spokesperson why she had been described as a “lawyer” despite failing the bar exam—an issue first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday night.

“I had already pre-registered to take the bar. And I didn’t want to withdraw from that. And we knew we would be moving out to China,” Zacharia said. “And I was obviously incredibly distracted and overwhelmed and excited for finally being married to someone who I’d been long distance from for at least a year.”

She said the exam results were “inconsequential” because she did not expect to need them after moving to China.

“There’s no Chinese bar,” Zacharia said. “I had enough credentials, which was my law degree to be able to do this practice.”

Posobiec then asked why she did not attempt the bar exam after returning to the United States.

“Well, when we moved back Jack, we got a surprise baby,” she replied. “We had four kids in six years.”

New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia (pictured) said her marriage and children got in the way of ever passing the bar exam during a sit-down with Jack Posobiec

New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia (pictured) said marriage and motherhood prevented her from ever passing the bar exam during her interview with Jack Posobiec

Jack Pobosiec (right) pushed Katie Zacharia (left) on her use of the term 'lawyer' despite never passing the bar exam

Jack Pobosiec (right) pressed Katie Zacharia (left) over her use of the term “lawyer” despite her never passing the bar exam

Zacharia acknowledged that the “miscommunication” about her professional credentials stemmed from her decision to call herself a “lawyer.”

“And I consulted for a very long time many people in the field: ‘Is it OK and acceptable if I label myself lawyer? Not attorney-at-law, not Katie Zacharia, esquire, but lawyer, and provide legal analysis, not advice?’” she said. “They said ‘absolutely’ across the board.”

Some legal scholars have challenged that reasoning. Stephen Gillers, a professor at New York University School of Law, told the Washington Post, “A J.D. degree does not make you a lawyer.”

Zacharia also pointed to her international legal background as support for her description of herself.

“The truth is, I was very careful how I executed this and I never came across as someone who was an attorney-at-law,” she said.

The replacement for Karoline Leavitt also described how quickly she was elevated to the White House briefing room. Zacharia said Trump called her last Wednesday, she flew to Washington, DC, on Thursday, and interviewed for—and accepted—the press secretary position on Friday.

“On Monday I showed up,” she said. “Wants a briefing Tuesday morning,” she recalled of Trump’s request.

“And typically Jack, briefs are in the afternoon, 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m., where the press secretary has ample amount of time to have discussed with all the necessary people, get all the right information, be briefed, and walk out,” she explained.

New press secretary Katie Zacharia spent just 14 minutes at the White House podium on Tuesday and was criticized for a rocky performance

New press secretary Katie Zacharia spent only 14 minutes at the White House podium on Tuesday, drawing criticism for her unsteady performance

Press secretary Katie Zacharia (left) stands behind President Donald Trump (right) Tuesday morning before the President departed for Alaska for a campaign rally

Press secretary Katie Zacharia (left) stands behind President Donald Trump (right) on Tuesday morning before he left for Alaska for a campaign rally

In Zacharia’s case, she received the briefing materials Monday night, but they weren’t fully baked until 8 a.m. Tuesday. 

‘I never had a full briefing beforehand. And I went out and I effectuated the …’ she said, trailing off. 

Posobiec asked Zacharia if the briefing had been kept intentionally short. 

Her whole appearance lasted just 14 minutes – with the press secretary calling on just three reporters, including the Daily Mail. 

‘Yeah, so knowing that White House protocol is pretty specific, it was absolutely my goal to keep it short,’ she answered. ‘Considering that he is his own best spokesperson.’

The President was expected to leave for Alaska shortly after she wrapped up. 

Zacharia also conceded that she believed an impression on Saturday Night Live was coming. 

Trump’s first press secretary, Sean Spicer, got lampooned by a water gun waving gender-bending Melissa McCarthy. 

‘I know it’s coming, yes. I think – who would I like to have play me? Maybe a Scarlett Johansson-type character,’ she floated. 

Johansson, who is married to SNL’s Colin Jost, has repeatedly been featured on the show, including a viral appearance as Republican Senator Katie Britt. 

San Jose Athletic Trainer Arrested Over Alleged Student Assault

0

A sports trainer at an elite private high school in San Jose is accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old student while treating her for an injury and recording the alleged attack, police said.

Kelvin Chiu, 31, who works at Archbishop Mitty High School, was arrested after the student reported the alleged abuse to the San Jose Police Department.

Police said a search of Chiu’s phone uncovered child sexual abuse material. Detectives are now investigating whether anyone else may have been victimized.

Chiu served on Archbishop Mitty’s athletic training staff, a connection identified through the address listed in police records. The private Catholic school charges about $34,000 in annual tuition and is known for its academic and athletic programs.

Although authorities have not identified the school by name in their investigation, the campus is located in the 5000 block of Mitty Way. Officers responded there at about 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 8.

The teenager told police that Chiu was treating her for a sports injury when the alleged sexual assault took place. She also said he used his phone to record the incident.

Detectives from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force obtained search warrants for Chiu, his home and his vehicles. Police said officers located him at his Fremont residence on Oct. 9 and searched the property.

Chiu was later arrested and booked into Santa Clara County Jail. The charges and allegations include annoying or molesting a minor, producing and possessing child sexual abuse material, and sexual battery.

Investigators said they have not identified any additional victims. However, police remain concerned that other students may have been affected because of Chiu’s position of trust at the school.

The Catholic Diocese of San Jose confirmed Chiu’s employment at Archbishop Mitty through Cynthia Shaw. Shaw said the student’s family contacted school officials on the night of the alleged incident.

Chiu has been placed on administrative leave, and the school is cooperating with law enforcement.

Shaw said counseling services would be available to students who need support as the school responds to the allegations.

“Our first concern is for the student and family, and for all of our students and families. We recognize the impact a situation of this nature may have on our students, and the school’s Counseling teams will be available to speak with students who may need additional support,” Shaw told CBS News Bay Area.

3 Children and Teacher Killed in Bend, Oregon Elementary School Shooting; Teen Shooter Also Dead, Police Say

0

Three children and a teacher were killed Thursday after a gunman entered an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, and opened fire, authorities said.

The suspected shooter, identified as a 16-year-old, was fatally shot by a community member who saw the teenager entering Silver Rail Elementary School and confronted him, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz told reporters Thursday evening.

The children who died were 5, 8 and 11 years old, police said.

A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were also transported to a hospital with critical injuries.

The first emergency call came shortly before 1 p.m. PT, after a shot was fired into a vehicle outside the school, according to Bend Police Department spokesperson Sheila Miller.

“Within about a minute, we were receiving multiple 911 calls from within the school,” Miller said during a press briefing.

Callers told dispatchers that someone had entered the building and begun shooting, police said.

Officers reached the school within minutes, and the suspect was down only seconds later, Miller said. She added that it remained unclear who fired the shot that killed him.

Law enforcement officers cleared the school room by room as families were directed to a reunification center at a nearby church.

The attack brought a major law enforcement response to the area.

Caleb Weis, who was riding his motorcycle near the school when the shooting occurred, said the response appeared coordinated and deliberate.

“Everything they were doing seemed highly trained and highly prepared for this,” Weis told ABC News. He said the scene was marked less by people recording on their phones than by shock and “an immense amount of respect” for police and first responders.

FBI Director Kash Patel said federal agents were at the scene helping with the investigation.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also headed to the school, according to a source.

Autistic Teen Reportedly Lured to Fake Snapchat Meetup, Beaten

0

Three teenage boys have been charged in connection with a violent train station attack in Australia that left a 15-year-old boy with autism injured and robbed while other teenagers watched. The assault was recorded on video.

The incident occurred on Oct. 5 in Stawell, Victoria. The victim was reportedly drawn to the location after a Snapchat meeting was arranged with two girls, Australian news outlet news.com.au reported.

Footage appears to show multiple teenagers punching and kicking the boy, forcing him to the ground and continuing the attack as he tried to escape. One alleged attacker is also heard demanding the boy’s shoes before he was allowed to leave.

Exterior of Stawell railway station in Victoria, Australia, showing the historic brick building

The Stawell railway station in Victoria, Australia, near where a 15-year-old boy was allegedly assaulted and robbed by teenagers on Oct. 5, 2026. (Google Maps)

Victoria Police said Tuesday that investigators had charged one 14-year-old and two 15-year-old boys following an inquiry into the alleged assault.

Officers from the Northern Grampians Crime Investigation Unit carried out four search warrants in the area before taking the teenagers into custody, police said.

The three boys are each facing charges including affray, robbery, recklessly causing injury and theft. They are due to appear before a children’s court at a later date.

Stock image of police emergency lights at night

Investigators conducted four search warrants across the region before arresting the teenagers. (iStock)

Police said a fourth boy was not at the property when the warrants were executed and will be interviewed as the investigation continues.

The victim, who also has epilepsy, sustained soft-tissue injuries and may have suffered head trauma, according to news.com.au. His mother said doctors were carrying out further scans to determine whether he had bleeding on the brain.

“I’m just lucky to have him alive. … He’s having nightmares,” his mother told the outlet.

Victoria Police officers stand near a marked police van on Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne, Australia, on Aug. 29, 2026

Victoria Police officers patrol Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne, Australia, on Aug. 29, 2026. Three teenagers were charged after an alleged assault in Stawell, Victoria, on Oct. 5. (Alexander Bogatyrev/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Although the boy has returned home, his mother said he remains frightened to go outside.

Superintendent Dan Davison said the attack had deeply unsettled the Stawell community and that police had been working to identify everyone involved.

“Since last Monday, local uniform police and detectives have been working tirelessly to identify those involved and hold them to account, and this important work will continue,” Davison said in a statement.

“There is never any excuse for violence in our community, and we will not accept it in any form.”

“Detectives are continuing to investigate the matter, and while we are treating it as an isolated incident, additional patrols will take place across Stawell to ensure our community not only is safe but feels safe.”

Additional police patrols will be conducted throughout Stawell as investigators continue examining the alleged attack, authorities said.

Joe Rogan Takes Fresh Aim at Australia in Latest Criticism

0

Joe Rogan has accused Australia of “f**king up” by surrendering its guns after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, while reiterating that he would never move to the country.

During a January conversation with comedian Kurt Metzger, the world’s biggest podcaster attacked the gun buyback program introduced under then-Prime Minister John Howard, claiming Australians had been misled about its purpose.

“They thought they were doing the right thing… and now their government is just locking them up for anything they want,” Rogan said on a podcast earlier this year.

Metzger went further, describing Australia as a “cage,” calling its citizens “a bunch of punks” and claiming he believed the massacre was a “government-run mass shooting.”

The sweeping gun reforms followed the Port Arthur massacre, in which 35 people were killed in an attack that shocked the nation.

The Howard government worked alongside state and territory leaders to prohibit a range of weapons and introduce a large-scale buyback scheme. More than 650,000 firearms were ultimately surrendered.

A new National Gun Buyback Scheme was announced after the 2025 Bondi massacre, which left 15 people dead.

Under the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025, owners of newly prohibited firearms will be paid to hand over their weapons from November 2.

Joe Rogan said Australians 'f**ked up' by handing over their weapons in the wake of the Port Arthur Massacre

Joe Rogan said Australians “f**ked up” by surrendering their weapons after the Port Arthur massacre

Kurt Metzger called Australia a 'cage' before claiming it was an arm of an Arthurian-style shadow government

Kurt Metzger described Australia as a “cage” and claimed it was controlled by an Arthurian-style shadow government

Rogan has repeatedly criticised Australia in recent years, targeting a range of government policies, including COVID-19 lockdown measures and censorship.

Some of his podcast guests, however, have challenged his condemnation of the Australian government.

Last year, Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe defended Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during an appearance on the podcast, describing the political environment surrounding him as a “conga line of stupidity.”

Crowe made the comments after Rogan asked bluntly: “What is wrong with the way Australia is run?”

In reply, Crowe praised Albanese’s leadership and accused political opponents and media figures of distracting attention from his achievements.

“We’re a little bit lucky at the moment, we have a Prime Minister who is very much motivated by trying to help everybody, which should be the job of a politician, right? To improve the lives of the people they represent,” he said.

“There’s haters on every corner, but he’s a good man.”

On an earlier podcast, Rogan offered a more positive assessment of Australia and its people, saying: “It’s a rugged place, and the kind of people that live there, they’re fun.”

He added: “They’ve kind of got a super f***** up oppressive government, unfortunately.”

Rogan also said in 2024 that he would never move Down Under.

The remarks came during a conversation with retired mixed martial arts fighter Royce Gracie as they discussed what they saw as diminishing personal freedoms in the US amid rising crime.

‘I keep telling people if America falls I think the whole world will fall, the rest of the world will fall,’ Gracie said.

‘Yeah, maybe that’s the plan,’ responded Rogan.

‘There’s no place that has this kind of freedom,’ he added.

Gracie then asked: ‘Where would you go?’

Rogan said he had once considered Australia a viable alternative to the US, but had since changed his mind.

‘I used to think Australia but then I saw how they handled the pandemic. I was like, “oh f***, that well that’s what happens when no one has guns”,’ he said.

‘Yep, the army just rolls in and tells you what to do and puts you in concentration camps because you have a cold, like it’s crazy.’

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia required people arriving in the country to quarantine before entering the community.

Most were housed in hotels, while some were placed in temporary isolation facilities.

Rogan repeatedly attacked Australia’s COVID-19 response during the pandemic, accusing the government of imposing heavy-handed restrictions.

‘There’s some crazy shit going on right now where the army is trying to keep people inside in Australia,’ he said in 2021.

‘They have full on government lockdowns where the government is flying helicopters over streets saying “go back indoors, you’re not allowed outside”.

‘Which is crazy – this disease does not even transmit well outside. Being outside and getting vitamin D is probably one of the best things you can do.’

Oregon School Shooting Sends Parents Rushing to Crisis Center

0

Frightened parents hurried to find their children at a family reunification center after a Thursday shooting at an Oregon elementary school left at least three children dead. Local officials described the attack as a “senseless tragedy.”

The shooting took place at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend after reports emerged at about 12:59 p.m. that shots had been fired into a vehicle near the campus.

Police reached the school by 1:02 p.m., and the lone shooter was killed moments later. Multiple reports identified the gunman as a 16-year-old boy.

“We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy,” Steven Cook, superintendent of Bend–La Pine Schools, said. Silver Rail Elementary is part of the district.

Cook continued: “We extend our deepest sympathy to the families and to everyone affected by this violence. No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing.”

Law enforcement officers were evacuating classrooms and directed parents to a reunification center established at Journey Church, located at 61303 S Highway 97.

Buses carrying students arrived at the church so children could be reunited with their families, the Bend Bulletin reported. Silver Rail Elementary has roughly 450 students.

Oregon Rep. Janelle Bynum said the shooting affected her “deep, deep, deep in my soul,” adding that “the whole nation should” feel the same impact.

At least three children were killed in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday

At least three children were killed in Thursday’s shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon

Emergency responders only took minutes to respond to the scene of the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend

Emergency responders reached Silver Rail Elementary School within minutes of the shooting

Local authorities said they were 'stunned and heartbroken' by the tragedy

Local officials said they were “stunned and heartbroken” by the tragedy

“Our babies are supposed to do arts and crafts at school, not use their desks as cover from gunfire,” Bynum said. “They’re supposed to make friends, not mourn them.”

Bynum called the shooting “every parent’s worst fear” and asked, “When will it end?”

Bend–La Pine school board member Marcus LeGrand said at Journey Church that the immediate priority was helping students reunite with their families.

The school district would then turn its attention to mental health support and counseling for affected families, LeGrand told the Bend Bulletin.

A large crowd of terrified parents gathered outside the school after learning about the shooting.

The school day and all activities scheduled for Friday were canceled.

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden also addressed the deadly attack, saying parents and loved ones were “now facing the awful consequences of yet another school shooting in America.”

He called for gun-control legislation following the latest school shooting in the United States.

“The best way to honor these victims is to at long last pass common-sense gun laws that reduce the risks of more children, parents, teachers and staff being forced to live in fear of similar nightmares at their schools,” Wyden said.

Rep. Maxine Dexter said that schools ‘should be places of learning, friendship and joy.’ 

‘It is incumbent on me, and every lawmaker, to do everything we can to ensure our kids are safe,’ she said on X. 

Frightened parents gathered outside of the Oregon elementary school after learning about the fatal shooting

Frightened parents gathered outside of the Oregon elementary school after learning about the fatal shooting

Local legislators have reacted in horror to the latest school tragedy, with some calling for gun control laws to be passed

Local legislators have reacted in horror to the latest school tragedy, with some calling for gun control laws to be passed

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek called on locals to ‘come together and support each other, neighbor to neighbor, Oregonian to Oregonian.’ 

‘No community should have to live through this day,’ Kotek wrote on X.

At least two people were transported to a local hospital in the aftermath, though their status is unclear. It is unclear who shot the suspect.  

Officers have since asked the public to avoid the area as the school remains under lockdown.  

‘This is the kind of thing we never want to see happen in Bend,’ police spokeswoman Sheila Miller said.

‘Our hearts go out to this community, and we ask our community to really work together and come together at this time,’ Miller said.

Agents from the FBI’s Portland bureau have arrived at the scene to assist local authorities in the investigation, Kash Patel said.

‘We will make every resource they need available,’ Patel said on X.

Prosecutor: FIT Student Dies After Being Drugged, Raped in NYC Dorm

0

A student at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology died after allegedly taking fentanyl that a man falsely presented as cocaine, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Prosecutors also accuse the man of sexually assaulting the unconscious student. Her friend took the drug as well and nearly died.

Moises Freire, 19, of the Bronx, faces charges of joining a fentanyl distribution conspiracy and supplying the lethal drug with the intent to commit rape. Brian Peralta Cabrera, 18, of Queens, was charged in the alleged drug conspiracy.

Prosecutors said Freire brought fentanyl to the students’ dorm room on March 18, falsely telling them it was cocaine. He had previously described the substance as “straight poison,” according to the government. After encouraging the women to take it, Freire watched as both rapidly lost consciousness. The student he is accused of raping fell into a coma and died three days later, on March 21. Freire was not enrolled at FIT.

Moises Freire, 19, was charged with federal crimes after allegedly giving fentanyl that killed an FIT student as he raped the woman in her dorm room after she fell unconscious. Sherry Young – stock.adobe.com

Freire and Peralta Cabrera were arrested in March and pleaded not guilty to earlier charges that did not include the sexual-assault allegation. Both remain in federal detention and have not yet been arraigned on the new indictment.

A third defendant, Harry Rosales Pino, pleaded guilty in September to conspiring to distribute narcotics that caused death and serious bodily injury. He is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

Attorneys for Freire and Peralta Cabrera did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. A conviction could bring both men a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Court documents have not identified either woman.

The Fashion Institute of Technology, a State University of New York campus, was also not named in the court filings, although a defense attorney referenced the school during an earlier hearing. FIT officials did not immediately provide a comment.

During an April hearing, Freire’s attorney, Mitchell Schwartz, described the student’s death as tragic but argued that Freire had not intended to drug the women.

Exterior view of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

The woman, whose name hasn’t been released, was not a student at FIT and died from a fentanyl-induced coma on March 21. GHI/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Schwartz told U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein that the events before the overdoses amounted to what he called “dumb teenager things.” He referred to the student’s suggestion that Freire wear a wig and “look like a girl” so he could enter her dorm room after she invited him over.

“It’s not dumb teenager things to give somebody fentanyl, sir,” Stein responded.

At that same hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariana Bloom outlined the rape allegation included in the superseding indictment unsealed Thursday.

Bloom said Freire acknowledged in a written statement to campus security that he had sex with the student and realized afterward that she was unconscious.

According to Bloom, Freire said he then looked to his left and saw the other student lying unconscious on the floor, her eyes “rolled back in her head.”

Rather than immediately call for help, Freire allegedly waited roughly 45 minutes and sent photographs of the unconscious women to other people, prosecutors said.

When he eventually went to campus security, prosecutors said, Freire claimed the women had simply consumed too much alcohol.

Christopher Roberts, who leads the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Task Force Division, called the allegations “beyond disturbing,” citing what he described as a cruel deception followed by an unimaginable assault.

“College should be a place where young people can learn, grow, and pursue their dreams, not a place where predators exploit their vulnerability,” Roberts said. “Every student deserves to feel safe, whether walking across campus, sitting in a classroom, or inside their own dorm room.”