A chilling incident in Wisconsin has led to a woman being charged with several felonies, including first-degree intentional homicide, following the fatal shooting of a former colleague. Authorities allege that the tragic event was fueled by political discord.

The accused, 31-year-old Diamond Wallace, is facing serious charges, including the unlawful possession of a firearm due to her status as a felon. The victim, Christine Jones, aged 61, was fatally shot in a parking ramp while she was on her way to her job, according to police reports.

The incident occurred on March 22 in Madison, Wisconsin, and has left the community in shock as details continue to unfold.

Wallace’s arrest took place on March 23, 2026, and her mugshot was released by the Dune County Sheriff’s Office, further adding to the gravity of the situation.

Court documents reveal that Wallace and Jones were once colleagues at a local hotel. However, tensions arose when Wallace was dismissed from her position in April. Around the same time, she was allegedly involved in vandalizing Jones’ vehicle by slashing her tires, as reported in a criminal complaint obtained by CBS 19.

That complaint, which labels Jones as “CAJ,” also said Wallace had labeled Jones racist, and was upset that Jones supported President Donald Trump. Jones had complained that Wallace was lazy at work before Wallace was fired.

“Wallace had additionally previously accused CAJ of being racist and had expressed animosity towards CAJ for being a Trump supporter,” the complaint says. “Hotel staff further reported that Wallace blamed CAJ for her termination and had threatened her after she was terminated. In speaking with CAJ’s daughter, it was learned that CAJ had previously complained about Wallace for laziness at work prior to Wallace’s termination from the hotel.”

Commuters drive into downtown Madison, Wis., on East Washington Avenue as extreme temperatures hit the region. Jan. 29, 2019.  (Lauren Justice for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The Republican Party of Dane County, home to Madison, released a statement calling the alleged murder a “deliberate, targeted act of violence.”

“Violence of this kind does not emerge in a vacuum. It grows in a culture where dehumanization — political, personal, or otherwise — has become far too common,” the organization said. “When disagreements turn into resentments, and resentments turn into justification for violence, we lose the very thing that makes a community a community – our shared humanity.”

“RPDC condemns this killing in the strongest possible terms. No grievance, no workplace conflict, no personal resentment ever excuses violence. Ever,” the statement continued.

President Donald Trump addresses the nation to give an update on Iran.  (Alex Brandon/Pool via Reuters)

“Some will be tempted to turn this tragedy into a partisan argument or to deflect towards national political debates. We reject that impulse. It is about a woman in Dane County who lost her life. We urge every Dane County resident, regardless of background or belief, to recommit to the most basic civic shared responsibility: treating one another as human beings worthy of dignity, safety, and respect for one another.”

Court records show that Wallace is being held on a $2 million cash bond. A preliminary hearing is set for April 14.

OKLAHOMA CITY — In an announcement on Thursday, the NBA revealed that Luka Doncic has been honored as the Western Conference Player of the Month for his outstanding performance in March.

Throughout the month, Doncic led the league by averaging an impressive 37.5 points per game, shooting 49.2% overall and 39.2% from beyond the arc. He also contributed 8 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 2.3 steals per game.

The Lakers had an exceptional run last month, achieving a 15-2 record and winning nine consecutive games from March 6 to March 21, with Doncic playing a pivotal role in 14 of those victories.

Advertisement

The Lakers recorded a 15-2 record last month (14-2 in the 16 games Doncic played), including going on a nine-game winning streak from March 6-21. 

Doncic scored at least 30 points in a career-best 13 consecutive games in March, including seven 40-point games, two 50-point games and a Laker career-high 60 points in the March 19 road win over the Heat.

He was named the West’s player of the week back-to-back weeks in March.

Doncic’s 600 points scored in March made him one of 10 players in league history to score at least 600 points in a month.

The March Player of the Month honor was Doncic’s second of the season after being named the January Player of the Month.

Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic was the West’s Player of the Month for games played in October/November, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received the honor for games played in December and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was the Player of the Month in February.

Hawks wing Jalen Johnson was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for March.

The 27-year-old Doncic, who’s in the middle of an MVP race, entered Thursday averaging a league-high 33.8 points to go with 8.3 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals entering the Lakers’ matchup against the Thunder.

In a dramatic turn of events, federal prosecutors have brought serious charges against rapper Pooh Shiesty and eight others, accusing them of a brazen armed robbery and kidnapping incident in Texas earlier this year. The allegations revolve around a contract dispute linked to rapper Gucci Mane’s record label, 1017 Records.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Dallas has opted not to disclose the identities of the victims, referring to them only by their initials in the indictment. One of the victims, identified as R.D., is noted as the proprietor of 1017 Records, the label owned by Gucci Mane, whose real name is Radric Delantic Davis.

Efforts to obtain comments from Gucci Mane’s publicists have so far been unsuccessful, as they have yet to respond to inquiries.

This alleged incident took place on January 10, when the victims traveled to Dallas under the impression they were attending a business meeting. According to the indictment filed in the Northern District of Texas, it was Pooh Shiesty, legally known as Lontrell Williams Jr., who orchestrated the meeting. The supposed agenda was to negotiate terms of his contract with 1017 Records.

However, once inside the studio, the situation reportedly took a violent turn. Williams is accused of brandishing an AK-style weapon and coercing one of the victims to sign a release from the recording contract. Additionally, the other defendants allegedly wielded firearms to rob the victims of their valuables, including watches, jewelry, and cash. According to prosecutors, one victim endured a near-fatal chokehold during the ordeal.

Another defendant barricaded the door with his body to stop the victims from leaving.

Williams did not immediately return an emailed request for comment. He was on home confinement for a prior firearms conspiracy conviction out of Florida at the time of the alleged confrontation in Texas.

Bradford Cohen, an attorney for Williams during that firearms case, did not immediately reply to an email and phone call for comment from The Associated Press.

In Tennessee, the FBI in Memphis said Wednesday that it went to a home in the suburb of Cordova to serve court-ordered warrants. Property records show it is owned by Williams.

Gucci Mane is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta rappers T.I. and Jeezy. He emerged in the mid-2000s with his breakout single “Icy” and went on to build a vast catalog through a steady stream of mixtapes and albums. He has also helped launch or develop artists, including Young Thug, and earned a Grammy nomination for his appearance on Lizzo’s song “Exactly How I Feel.”

Gucci Mane has remained active with new music and business ventures, including his 2025 album “Episodes” and his 2017 memoir, “The Autobiography of Gucci Mane,” which reflects on his evolution as a music artist and personal struggles, such as being diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In recent years, he has also publicly emphasized sobriety and stability.

Associated Press reporters Adrian Sainz in Memphis and Jonathan Landrum Jr. in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Jay Rothman, who has been at the helm of a vast university system serving 165,000 students across multiple campuses since 2022, revealed in a letter dated March 26 that he is uncertain about the reasons behind the Board of Regents’ decision to seek his departure. The letter was addressed to the board’s head.

Rothman expressed that he was given two choices: either to resign or retire. He further noted that if he refused to take either of these paths, the board was ready to terminate his employment, despite the achievements under his leadership.

The Board of Regents convened an emergency closed-door meeting on Wednesday evening to deliberate on personnel issues.

Amy Bogost, the board’s president, issued a statement to the Associated Press, saying, “The Board is tasked with overseeing the leadership of the Universities of Wisconsin and is currently engaged in discussions regarding its future.” She added, “We do not comment on personnel matters.”

When contacted via email on Thursday, Rothman chose not to provide any further comments.

“I believe my letter speaks for itself,” he said.

In the letter addressed to Bogost, Rothman said he had not been “provided any substantive reason or reasons for the Board’s finding of no confidence in my leadership.”

Because of that, Rothman said, “I am not prepared, as a matter of principle, to submit my resignation.”

Rothman also refused to resign in a second letter sent to two other regents on Wednesday after he said they urged him to step down during a Tuesday meeting. Rothman said the regents told him if he didn’t resign, the board was prepared to meet this weekend to fire him.

Rothman said those regents also could not give a reason for them wanting him to resign or be fired.

“I find this process to be nearly (if not completely) indefensible,” Rothman wrote.

Rothman said he asked for an opportunity to discuss the situation with the board and was told that would not happen.

Rothman’s tenure has been marked by his efforts to increase state funding amid federal cuts, debates over free speech on campus amid pro-Palestinian protests, and declining enrollment leading to eight branch campus closures.

Rothman raised the possibility of resigning in 2023 when the Board of Regents rejected a deal reached with the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature over diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The board later reversed its vote and approved the deal.

Rothman noted in the March letter that “among so many other things,” the university will need to replace the chancellor of the flagship Madison campus this year. Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin is leaving to take the job as president of Columbia University.

“I do not believe my resignation at this time is in the best interests of either the Universities of Wisconsin or the state of Wisconsin,” Rothman said.

Rothman said in the letter that he has devoted his “heart and soul to the mission of the Universities of Wisconsin” and that he was surprised when told “an unidentified majority of the Board of Regents had lost confidence” in his leadership.

“When I asked you to articulate reasons for the Board’s conclusion and apparent lack of confidence in me, you merely noted that each Regent has his or her own perspective on the matter,” Rothman wrote. “You did not provide any tangible reasons for the Board’s determination.”

Rothman, the former chair and CEO of the Milwaukee-based Foley & Lardner law firm, was chosen as UW president in 2022. He had no prior experience administering higher education.

The Universities of Wisconsin consists of 13 universities and several other branch campuses.