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Tragic News: Former Virginia Lt. Governor Involved in Apparent Murder-Suicide

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Tragic News: Former Virginia Lt. Governor Involved in Apparent Murder-Suicide


A tragic incident unfolded Thursday morning in Virginia, involving a murder-suicide at the residence of former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax. Authorities have not yet disclosed the identities of the victims; however, it has been confirmed that a man and a woman were found dead from gunshot wounds inside the home. It appears that the couple’s son was the one who alerted law enforcement to the scene.

While details remain sparse, various media outlets are suggesting that Fairfax allegedly shot his wife before fatally turning the weapon on himself at their Annandale, Virginia home.

News of this devastating event first surfaced on social media early Thursday, with reports indicating that Fairfax and his wife, Cerina, were in the midst of divorce proceedings. According to the police chief, the shootings arose from a domestic dispute linked to the couple’s ongoing separation.

Though the couple’s two children were present at the time of the shootings, they were unharmed in the incident.

Initial accounts from local media suggest that it was Fairfax’s son who contacted the police, initially suspecting that his mother might have been stabbed.

News of the incident broke early Thursday on social media, with accounts reporting that Fairfax and his wife, Cerina, were in the process of divorcing. The police chief said the shootings were related to a domestic dispute connected to the couple’s ongoing divorce. 

The couple’s two children were home at the time of the shootings, but were not harmed during the rampage.





BREAKING: Murder suicide – former VA Dem Lt Gov @LGJustinFairfax kills wife then himself in Annandale, VA. Police are zip lipped. 

Just after midnight Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife and then shot himself in the head. They were going through divorce. 

Police dispatched shortly after midnight to the home of former VA Lt. Gov Justin Fairfax at 8106 Guinevere Drive Annandale VA. Both he and his wife declared dead at the scene from GSWs.

Early reports from local media indicate that it was the Fairfax’s son who called police believing his mother had possibly been stabbed. 

Fairfax County police responded to the home in Annandale, Virginia, shortly after midnight, where they found a man and woman dead inside, Capt. Chris Cosgriff said earlier. There is no threat to the community, and detectives are investigating, according to police.

The police chief revealed that Fairfax shot his wife several times, then moved to another part of the house and killed himself with the same gun.

The name Justin Fairfax is likely familiar to longtime readers of RedState. Fairfax served as lieutenant governor during the Ralph Northam administration, and he was planning on his own run for governor when a woman stepped forward with accusations of sexual assault. Here’s some of streiff’s reporting at the time:





Last Friday, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam was on the verge of being forced from office over a 35-year-old photo that surfaced of him in either blackface or a KKK robe and Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax looked to be in the catbird’s seat to succeed Northam. On Sunday, Dr. Vanessa Tyson let it be known that Fairfax had engaged in forcible sodomy with her at the DNC convention in 2004 (there was a lot of that going around there). 

Fairfax never did resign despite losing support from many in his party, but his dreams of occupying the governor’s mansion did not come to be.





Exposing the Unfiltered Reality: Why a Trump-Opposing Family Chose Canada Over the U.S.

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Exposing the Unfiltered Reality: Why a Trump-Opposing Family Chose Canada Over the U.S.

When River and Theo Berg loaded their five children into a car and set out for the US-Canada border, they were in search of a sanctuary from the America shaped by Donald Trump’s presidency, hoping to carve out a better future.

Fast forward a year, and the couple finds themselves without employment and reliant on charity alongside River’s Veterans Affairs disability payments. They share a cramped two-bedroom apartment, burdened by a $10,000 debt.

Nonetheless, they insist they have no regrets. Despite the challenges, they feel a greater sense of security away from the US and have no intention of returning.

On March 3 of the previous year, the family of seven departed the US. As they approached the border, the agents were puzzled by the couple’s extensive list of reasons for seeking asylum in Canada, notably the safety concerns for their gender-fluid and transgender children, Wren, aged 13, and Milo, aged 14.

Though the agents allowed them to cross without passports, they cautioned that it was uncommon for Americans to gain asylum status successfully.

If you had asked River, who now identifies as nonbinary, a few years ago if they’d be sleeping on used furniture in the living room of a two-bedroom apartment instead of their gorgeous three-bedroom Illinois home, they probably would have told you no. 

But that’s the reality for the mother, who is currently suffering their eighth miscarriage on top of it all, just a year into their asylum claim.  

‘We’re not living the life of luxury,’ they told the Daily Mail. ‘We knew this was going to be hard.’ 

River and Theo Berg packed their five kids into the car and drove to the US-Canadian border to claim asylum on March 3, 2025

River and Theo Berg packed their five kids into the car and drove to the US-Canadian border to claim asylum on March 3, 2025 

One of the reasons they left the US was to protect their transgender son, Milo, (pictured) and their gender-fluid child Wren

One of the reasons they left the US was to protect their transgender son, Milo, (pictured) and their gender-fluid child Wren 

Both parents are currently jobless and relying on the generosity of their new community to get by

Both parents are currently jobless and relying on the generosity of their new community to get by

The family has settled in London, Ontario, and is now navigating a whole new governmental system, including Ontario Works, a welfare program for those living in the province. 

‘Does it help? Yes. Is it sustainable and livable? No, it’s not,’ the mother candidly said. 

Currently, neither parent is working as River navigates their health problems. Theo found a part-time job at FedEx, but that has since fallen through. He is now trying to pick up handyman jobs to help the family stay afloat. 

The only income the couple currently has is River’s VA disability checks. The family has not received Ontario Works checks since November, and are waiting to get back on it.

Both River and Theo are military veterans and proudly served their country, which they said made their decision to leave the US even harder.

They went from paying $800 a month for a rent-to-own house that had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large backyard and a basement to paying $1,640 CAD (roughly $1,200 USD) for a two-bedroom that doesn’t quite feel like home yet. 

‘I miss home,’ River admitted. ‘And not even just – there’s no home in particular, but just the familiarity. I grew up in the US, it’s what I grew up with. 

‘But at the same time, I would gladly do it again. I would go back a year and do the same thing, I would not change it.’ 

The family has found themselves accumulating around $10,000 worth of debt since their move, mainly due to people reporting the family after seeing River’s TikTok videos about their journey. 

They also decided to leave the US due to River's health problems

They also decided to leave the US due to River’s health problems  

After moving to Canada, River also discovered they were nonbinary

After moving to Canada, River also discovered they were nonbinary

They falsely claimed the parents were abusing their children, making loads of money off TikTok, and driving while intoxicated. 

‘It’s totally false,’ River told the Daily Mail. 

Their social worker was able to quickly dismiss the claims. However, that didn’t stop the temporary pause on benefits each time, forcing the family to pile their debt on credit cards to survive. 

‘I’m tired of people scaring me from telling my story,’ River said. They have largely stopped posting on TikTok about their journey.

And despite receiving some welfare to help pay for groceries, the Berg family is not eligible to receive child benefits like others normally would through Ontario Works or refugee benefits. 

In the US, they would have been eligible for SNAP or WIC, but they cannot in Canada, making the country’s high-priced groceries an even bigger burden. 

They have resorted to neighborhood apps, like Facebook groups and Nextdoor, to ask locals for help and to take any grocery items their neighbors may not need. 

Their Easter dinner was funded by their kind-hearted neighbors, who brought them a ham and cupcakes. 

The family now lives in a two-bedroom apartment (pictured) in London, Ontario. The parents sleep in the living room

The family now lives in a two-bedroom apartment (pictured) in London, Ontario. The parents sleep in the living room 

The children share the two rooms, which are filled to the brim with their favorite things, like stuffed animals and posters. Milo and Wren are pictured inside their room

The children share the two rooms, which are filled to the brim with their favorite things, like stuffed animals and posters. Milo and Wren are pictured inside their room 

There's a bed on the floor of the living room. 'We're not living the life of luxury,' the mother told the Daily Mail

There’s a bed on the floor of the living room. ‘We’re not living the life of luxury,’ the mother told the Daily Mail

The hallways of their Canadian home are filled with art the children made

Their youngest, Gwen, two, has a pile of stuffed animals in her tiny sleeping space

The hallways of their Canadian home are filled with art the children made 

River and Theo are pictured with their family, including two of Theo's children from a previous relationship

River and Theo are pictured with their family, including two of Theo’s children from a previous relationship

‘We didn’t have anything,’ the mother told the Daily Mail. ‘We’re very thankful.’ 

They’ve gone to food banks and churches for help. All the furniture in their home is used and was largely acquired through Facebook Marketplace.

It’s a far cry from their life in the US, but none of that would change the parents’ decision to leave America behind – they believe their life in Canada is still safer than living under Trump’s ‘corrupt’ thumb. 

River said the US political scene has ‘gotten worse.’ 

During a previous interview in March 2025, River told the Daily Mail that those who are ‘not white, not male,’ will ‘be a target,’ adding that they believed the country was ‘literally going to be Nazi Germany.’

They still stand by that statement, but believe things have deteriorated even further. 

‘I don’t even think it’s male and white [anymore]. I think it’s more of the upper class and the government – the corrupt government,’ they said. 

‘Would white males be more protected in the long run? Yes, but also, I feel like just because they’re not coming for you now doesn’t mean they won’t come for you [later].’ 

They left behind their 'forever' home in Illinois, which had three bedrooms and a large backyard

They left behind their ‘forever’ home in Illinois, which had three bedrooms and a large backyard

Much like their apartment, their home was full of little trinkets that represent the family

Much like their apartment, their home was full of little trinkets that represent the family 

Their transgender son, Milo, is talking about potentially going on hormone replacement therapy as part of his transition. It’s something that he might not have had access to in America. 

‘In the US, he wouldn’t even be able to think about it until 18,’ the veteran said. ‘And even then, who knows what the laws will be.’

Twenty-seven states across the US have enacted laws that have limited youth access to transgender healthcare. The majority are located in the South and Great Plains, including Florida and Texas, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

River’s home state of Illinois has not enacted any policies that would limit children from accessing transgender-specific healthcare – although surrounding states have – which could hinder their asylum claim.

Despite the detractors calling River a ‘pedophile’ for supporting their son’s transition, they continue to support his decision. 

River reiterated that they are not pushing their son to fully physically transition as a minor. That conversation will wait until he’s an adult. But since he came out as transgender at the age of 12, they have made an effort to have informative conversations with him.

Since moving to Canada, the mother has also come to terms with their own nonbinary identity. 

Now, River also exists in a gray area within the US, and so does their healthcare. River said their seventh miscarriage, which took place in the US, left them rattled and fearing what was to come for women’s and LGBTQ+ healthcare. 

River said their new life is a far cry from their life in the US, but none of that would change the parents' decision to leave America behind, as they believe it is still safer than living under Donald Trump's 'corrupt' thumb

River said their new life is a far cry from their life in the US, but none of that would change the parents’ decision to leave America behind, as they believe it is still safer than living under Donald Trump’s ‘corrupt’ thumb

Border agents were confused at their asylum request, but let them through, warning them that Americans rarely made successful claims

Border agents were confused at their asylum request, but let them through, warning them that Americans rarely made successful claims

They went to three hospitals after having more than 40 blood clots, only to be told that their Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG), the pregnancy hormone, was at zero. They claim they were dismissed by doctors and told they were crazy. 

‘The thing is, I had progesterone issues, so as soon as I start bleeding, it leaves my body pretty quickly,’ they told the Daily Mail. ‘I was sick, I was throwing up, and they were not helping me at all, and it was just really horrible.

‘So, I’m afraid for my life if I were to go back to the US.’ 

The family wants to have another child. River is documenting new US laws and bills that could potentially harm them reproductively if they were to return to America to help build their case before Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB). 

Ohio recently proposed a state house bill that would force women to get a fetal life certificate once a heartbeat is detected. If the mother were to miscarry, have a stillbirth or get an abortion, they would have to get a fetal death certificate. 

In December, Texas signed into law a policy that restricts access to abortion-producing drugs, no longer allowing it to be mailed to patients in the already very restrictive state. 

River said their friends in Canada don’t understand why Americans don’t stand up against the Trump Administration, but the mother-of-seven argued it’s not that easy. 

‘I know there’s protests and things like that, but also at the same time, I can’t stay there and fight,’ they said. ‘And I already did my dues being in the Army. 

‘I have my children, and if anything were to happen to me there, they won’t have me.’ 

The family has started a GoFundMe page and an Amazon Wishlist to help with their children and expenses as they await an IRB hearing to see if their petition for asylum is successful. 

The Berg family’s wait time has dropped considerably after Canada passed the Strong Borders Act (SBA) late last month. 

At its peak, they were estimated to wait 60 months – five years – before going before the IRB. Now, it’s under 12 months.  

The SBA essentially bars Americans from making a claim at the border, and any non-American will be turned away until they can prove the US denied their claim there due to the Safe Third Country Act (STCA). 

The law states that an asylum seeker must claim refuge in the first safe country they come upon. So a Mexican native traveling through land borders would have to claim in the US and be denied before being able to make a claim in Canada. 

In tandem with the STCA, the Strong Borders Act essentially forbids asylum claims from people entering through the US-Canada border, as they will ‘continue to be returned to the US,’ the Canadian government said. It backdates to June 3.

The STCA doesn’t affect Americans, as they already live in a country Canada designates as safe. However, it thwarts most of their asylum claims anywhere because of that.

Berg told the Daily Mail there was no way the family would return to the US and they don’t regret their decision. ‘I would gladly do it again. I would go back a year and do the same thing, I would not change it,’ they said 

If their claim is denied, they don't know what they'll do, but they do know one thing for certain: 'We're not going to go back to the US'

If their claim is denied, they don’t know what they’ll do, but they do know one thing for certain: ‘We’re not going to go back to the US’

‘Canada’s asylum system is not a shortcut to immigrate to Canada,’ Jeffrey MacDonald, an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) spokesperson, told the Daily Mail. 

‘Claim referral to the IRB doesn’t guarantee that a person will be granted protection and allowed to stay in Canada long-term. Asylum claimants must prove that they have a well-founded fear of persecution or face a risk of serious harm in their home country or where they usually live.’ 

The IRB does, however, take into account ‘well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, political opinion, nationality or membership in a particular social group,’ as well as those who ‘are at risk of torture, or cruel or unusual punishment,’ MacDonald said. 

An increasing number of American citizens are claiming asylum in Canada since Trump retook office. More than 1,800 did in 2025, the Daily Mail exclusively revealed.  

The Berg family’s case will be a landmark case if approved, as only four Americans have ever been granted refuge in Canada outside of war times. Three were minors, while the fourth was a gay activist who left the country before his claim was fully processed.

If their claim is denied, the Berg family does not know what they’ll do, but they do know one thing for certain: ‘We’re not going to go back to the US.’ 

‘Honestly, we knew the risk that [a denial] could happen, and we decided to go with the risk anyway, because it’s better to try and to keep my kids safe than to not try and be stuck.’

The couple will find out six weeks beforehand when they are due to go before the IRB. In the meantime, the family is prepping their statements and collecting community statements from American and Canadian friends to vouch for their case.

More than 1,800 Americans fled the US for Canada in 2025, the first year of Trump's second term

More than 1,800 Americans fled the US for Canada in 2025, the first year of Trump’s second term

‘I have to prepare my 14-year-old, who has autism and ADHD. [He’s] very high functioning, but he hates talking in front of people,’ River told the Daily Mail. 

‘I have expressed to him how important it is for him to talk and to tell a story, and to tell how it would affect him if he could not be who he wanted to be, and get the help he would need.’

River pointed to the statistics about declining mental health among LGBTQ+ youths in the US, especially those who do not have access to gender affirming healthcare. 

With laws becoming more restrictive, the Trevor Project found there was a 72 percent spike in suicide attempts among transgender and nonbinary youths.  

‘I don’t want to ever lose a kid over that,’ River said. 

In fact, they’re so serious about keeping their children out of the US, the parents have made a backup plan they hope to never use: to turn their children over to child services in Canada if they are forced to return home. 

‘There’s no way they’re going back,’ the mother said.  

Lena Dunham Reflects on Challenging Relationship with Jack Antonoff: A Journey of Understanding and Growth

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Lena Dunham Reflects on Challenging Relationship with Jack Antonoff: A Journey of Understanding and Growth

Lena Dunham and Jack Antonoff’s relationship spanned five years, from 2012 to 2017, a period marked by Dunham’s struggle with health issues. Despite Dunham openly acknowledging that their relationship should have ended earlier, they remained together, a decision she believes was puzzling to outsiders.

Lena Dunham admitted her relationship with Jack Antonoff wasn’t easy to understand

Dunham, who was diagnosed with endometriosis at 26, found her relationship with Antonoff deteriorating as she grappled with her health challenges. This personal battle seemed to coincide with the unraveling of their once-strong bond.

Reflecting on this time in her new memoir, Famesick, Dunham writes, “Looking back, it’s hard to understand why two people with seemingly endless options, financial freedom, and almost nothing that they still enjoyed doing together besides talking s*** about the occasional third party would not simply break up” (as reported by People).

She candidly reveals that their desire to maintain the relationship was greater than their actual desire to be together. In her words, they were “acting like we had six school-aged children we were in danger of losing custody of should we end the relationship.”

Ultimately, one of the few things they shared was a belief that their ability to keep the relationship intact was somehow tied to their moral worth. This shared perception, Dunham admits, was one of the last threads holding them together in a relationship that had long run its course.

“We were acting like we had six school-aged children we were in danger of losing custody of should we end the relationship,” she wrote. “But one of the last things we still shared was the sense that our ability to keep the relationship going was directly proportional to our inherent goodness.”

They ultimately ended things shortly after she had a hysterectomy in 2017. 

Lena Dunham admitted to cheating on Jack Antonoff

After her hysterectomy, Dunham reached out to a former middle school boyfriend “with impunity, saying l’d just had major surgery and I needed to be cheered up. ‘Meet me by the bridge? Bring me a stuffed animal?’ I got an answer back in less than a minute: ‘I’m already running.’”

She said they had an affair that lasted several days. Once Antonoff got home from tour, she thought she could slip back into life together.

“I tried to calm my sheer terror by telling myself I was finally home from a bad dream,” she wrote, adding, “I had fixed myself, proved I could be the freaky sexy lively young woman he fell in love with. I had exorcised the demon. In a way, I had f***ed Nick for both our sakes, to make our house a home again. It would all be better now. I fell asleep to the rhythm of Jack’s breathing, like I had been doing for almost six years.”

The following morning, however, they broke up.

She said he was possibly also overstepping boundaries

While Dunham was reconnecting with her former boyfriend, she had suspicions that Antonoff was crossing the line with an unnamed teenage pop star. Many people believe that she is referring to Lorde.

“I had never stopped flirting — I mean, I wasn’t dead yet — but I had observed careful boundaries, never taking it far enough that I could be declared out of bounds,” she wrote. “If I’d wanted to look, perhaps I may have seen that Jack was not observing them as closely as I was.”

Dunham said that she realized Antonoff spoke to the pop star with more “expansive generosity” than he’d used with her in a long time.

Unveiling the Top 1,000 Most Popular First Names in America: Is Your Name on the List?

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Unveiling the Top 1,000 Most Popular First Names in America: Is Your Name on the List?

If you know someone named Michael, you’re not alone. In fact, Michael holds the title of the most prevalent first name in the United States. According to recent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately one out of every 100 individuals shares this name.

The Census Bureau has unveiled a comprehensive list of the 1,000 most common first names in the country, drawn from data collected during the 2020 Census.

Tragic Incident: Former Democrat Justin Fairfax Found Dead Alongside Wife

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Tragic Incident: Former Democrat Justin Fairfax Found Dead Alongside Wife

Tragedy struck early Thursday when Justin Fairfax, the former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, took the life of his estranged wife, Cerina, before ending his own at their Annandale residence, valued at $1 million.

According to the Fairfax County Police, Justin Fairfax, a member of the Democratic Party, fatally shot his wife, who worked as a dentist, in the unfinished basement of their home. The incident occurred in the quiet hours of the morning.

At the time of the tragic event, the couple’s children, Cameron, 16, and Carys, 14, were present in the home but fortunately remained unharmed. They are currently being cared for by family members and victim support services.

It has come to light that Cerina, aged 49, had filed for divorce from Fairfax the previous year. The divorce proceedings were still ongoing, with court dates scheduled for the following week.

Investigators suggest that the recent receipt of court documents, detailing Fairfax’s upcoming appearance dates, might have been a catalyst for this devastating act of violence.

The couple had been living together despite being separated and were understood to have separate bedrooms, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said. 

Davis said his officers responded to the home in January this year after Fairfax alleged that Cerina assaulted him inside the home.

Investigators determined that the alleged assault never occurred and no arrests were made, police said.

Former Virginia Lt Gov Justin Fairfax murdered his wife Cerina in their $1 million Annandale early Thursday morning before turning the gun on himself, police said

Justin Fairfax and his wife Cerina, seen with their daughter Carys and son Cameron

Justin Fairfax and his wife Cerina, seen with their daughter Carys and son Cameron

Fairfax, a former federal prosecutor and civil litigator, served as Virginia’s lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 under then-governor Ralph Northam. 

He was the state’s second most powerful lawmaker during that period.  

Fairfax launched his own bid for governor in 2021, but finished fourth in the Democratic primary after his campaign was heavily overshadowed by sexual assault allegations from two women.

Fairfax adamantly denied the women’s allegations and said both encounters were entirely consensual. Cerina stood by his side throughout the scandal.

Police descended on the residence just after midnight after Cameron called 911 to say that he thought his father stabbed his mother.

When officers arrived on scene, they discovered Cerina unconscious and bleeding inside the home. Police determined she had been shot.

Cameron told responding officers he did not know where his father was.

Investigators later found Fairfax in a separate area of the home with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

Justin Fairfax launched a failed bid for Virginia governor in 2021. He is seen during the last Democratic primary debate in June that year

Justin Fairfax launched a failed bid for Virginia governor in 2021. He is seen during the last Democratic primary debate in June that year

Cerina and Justin Fairfax with Carys and Camerson in an undated photo. The children were home at the time of the deadly shooting

Cerina and Justin Fairfax with Carys and Camerson in an undated photo. The children were home at the time of the deadly shooting

Fairfax at the Steelers Training Camp in July 2022. He was born in Pittsburgh but raised in DC

Fairfax at the Steelers Training Camp in July 2022. He was born in Pittsburgh but raised in DC

The circumstances leading up to the deadly shooting remain under investigation. Police say there is no ongoing threat to the community. 

‘It is high profile in nature, it’s tragic in nature. Certainly a fall from grace for a relatively high profile family that seemingly had had a lot of things going in their favor,’ Davis said during a press briefing Thursday. 

‘So tragic for the children to lose both parents, extra tragic for them to actually be in the home when it occurred.’ 

The couple had been married for 20 years but were in the midst of what Davis called a seemingly ‘complicated or messy divorce.’

Cerina formally filed for divorce in July last year, but the couple had reportedly been separated since June 2024. The reason for their split was not immediately clear.

Teen Allegedly Planned School Attack Inspired by Sandy Hook and Columbine: Report

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Teen Allegedly Planned School Attack Inspired by Sandy Hook and Columbine: Report

Three students from upstate New York have been taken into custody over a suspected plot to carry out a school shooting. One of the students allegedly detailed plans in writing, stating that “no one would be spared,” drawing parallels to the tragic events at Columbine and Sandy Hook, according to police reports.

As reported by Syracuse.com, which references a newly available police affidavit, one of the students documented how the intended attack would serve as retribution against bullies at their middle school.

The student allegedly wrote, “Everyone and their pathetic little lifes [sic] will be gone. I want to be remembered in the worst, most disturbing possible way.”

The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office reported that the three teenagers—a 13-year-old boy, a 13-year-old girl, and a 14-year-old girl—were apprehended after a swift investigation conducted over the weekend.

Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol speaking during a press conference

During a press conference at the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office in Oriskany on April 13, 2026, Sheriff Robert Maciol, accompanied by Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr., Clinton Superintendent Christopher Clancy, and other law enforcement officials, discussed the prevention of the planned attack on Clinton Middle School. (Photo credit: AMY NEFF ROTH / OBSERVER-DISPATCH / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The department said in a release that authorities were called to Clinton Middle School on April 11 after discovering that the three students planned to carry out the copycat shooting on Friday, April 17 in the school’s cafeteria.

The two girls were both charged with aggravated threat of mass harm, a misdemeanor, Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol said. They were referred to the county probation department.

Deputies went to another home and secured multiple firearms, Maciol said. A 13-year-old boy there was charged with second-degree conspiracy, a felony, he said. He was released to a guardian with an appearance ticket to return to the county probation department.

The local outlet reported, citing the affidavit, that 11 rifles and ammunition were seized from a safe at the boy’s mother’s home in Kirkland, New York.

Deputies also interviewed a fourth teenager, who was determined not to be a suspect, Maciol said.

Exterior of Clinton Middle School

The exterior of Clinton Middle School in New York. According to police, three middle school students were planning on conducting a school shooting on April 17 in the school’s cafeteria. (Google Maps)

One of the girls who was arrested had recently become obsessed with the 1999 school shooting in Columbine, Colorado, her mother and another student told police, according to Syracuse.com.

The Columbine High School massacre, on April 20, 1999, claimed the lives of 13 students and one teacher.

The girl had also reportedly written messages and notes about Adam Lanza, the man who killed 20 children and six staff members in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012.

Another student, the outlet said, showed police a SnapChat group chat formed by the suspects titled, “The Cal Gabriel Fan Club,” named after the fictional main character in the 2002 movie “Zero Day” about planning a school shooting.

Her recent web searches also included guns and infamous school shooters, the documents showed, according to Syracuse.com.

A split image of Columbine and Sandy Hook survivors.

Columbine High School survivors hug; a man walks out a young boy following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. (H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY NETWORK | AP Photo)

Police asked anyone who has additional information regarding this investigation to contact the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Unit at 315-765-2226.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Clinton Central School District for comment.

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Ken Jennings Debunks Myth: Reveals Truth Behind Ending His Historic 74-Game ‘Jeopardy’ Streak

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Ken Jennings Debunks Myth: Reveals Truth Behind Ending His Historic 74-Game ‘Jeopardy’ Streak

In the game of life, sometimes you win, and other times you face defeat. Ken Jennings, the renowned “Jeopardy” champion, recently addressed a long-standing rumor about his legendary 74-game winning streak.

During a Q&A session on a recent episode of “Inside Jeopardy,” Jennings was confronted by an audience member who had been pondering a particular question for two decades. The fan, clearly eager for an answer, asked Jennings if he truly didn’t know the answer to the final “Jeopardy” question that ended his streak.

Jennings responded with his signature wit, putting the audience at ease. “For 20 years, this gentleman has been thinking I took a dive,” he joked. “Have you ever willingly quit a job where you were making $70,000 an hour?”

“Did you really not know the answers to the last ‘Final Jeopardy’ question?” the man asked.

Jennings quipped, “For 20 years, this gentleman has been thinking I took a dive. … Have you ever willingly quit a job where you were making $70,000 an hour?”

The fan shouted that he thought Jennings was “getting bored” by winning so many rounds.

“Getting bored? Getting bored, no,” the game show host, 51, replied.

“I think people who ask me this question usually just wanna say one thing, which is, ‘Ken, I knew it was H&R Block. That’s what this question means,” Jennings added.

The software engineer said that if we were given all day to answer that “Jeopardy” question, he “would not have figured [it] out.”

“That’s kind of how these long runs go — they always seem inevitable until a few things happen, and then suddenly, they’re not so inevitable anymore,” he shared.

Jennings garnered $2.5 million during his 74-game winning streak, which spanned from June 2, 2004, to November 30, 2004.

The dad of two ended his streak by answering this final clue incorrectly: “Most of this firm’s 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only four months a year.”

Jennings guessed, “What is FedEx?” when the correct response was, “What is H&R Block?”

When longtime “Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek died in 2020 following his battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, Jennings took over the beloved game show as the host.

Tragic Murder-Suicide Claims Lives of Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Wife

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Tragic Murder-Suicide Claims Lives of Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Wife

ANNANDALE, Va. — Tragedy struck in Virginia as authorities report that former state lieutenant governor Justin Fairfax has been involved in a murder-suicide, taking the life of his wife before turning the gun on himself.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis revealed on Thursday that the couple was discovered dead in their northern Virginia residence. This discovery came after a distressing 911 call was made by their teenage son shortly after midnight.

In this Thursday Oct. 5, 2017 photo Democrat candidate for Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, left, speaks during a debate against Republican Virginia State Sen. Jill Vogel, right.
In this Thursday Oct. 5, 2017 photo Democrat candidate for Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, left, speaks during a debate against Republican Virginia State Sen. Jill Vogel, right.AP Photo/Steve Helber

According to Chief Davis, the couple was amidst divorce proceedings at the time of the incident.

Earlier this year, officers had responded to the Fairfax home following Justin Fairfax’s allegations that his wife had assaulted him, Davis mentioned.

“The home was equipped with numerous cameras, reportedly installed by Mrs. Fairfax during the divorce process,” Davis explained. “Upon reviewing the footage, we found no evidence to support the assault allegations, and consequently, no arrests were made.”

This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.

Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Road Rage Tragedy: Woman Pleads Guilty in Shooting Incident Injuring Young Girl

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Road Rage Tragedy: Woman Pleads Guilty in Shooting Incident Injuring Young Girl

Inset: Onyx Sands (WAVE). Left: Edward Sark. Right: Shelby Bisconer (Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections).

In a tragic road rage incident, a woman from Kentucky has confessed to her involvement in a shooting that left a young girl paralyzed. Shelby Bisconer, who was scheduled for trial this week, has instead admitted guilt to wanton endangerment charges for her part in injuring 6-year-old Onyx Sands, as reported by local Fox affiliate WDRB. Her sentencing is set for November 3.

The unfortunate event took place on July 10, 2023, in Louisville.

Authorities have identified Edward M. Sark, who was 22 at the time, as the individual who allegedly fired the shot that struck the child. Sark faces an upcoming trial in November, where he will be charged with first-degree assault and four counts of first-degree wanton endangerment.

According to court documents cited by WAVE, the incident involved motorcyclists aggressively weaving and speeding through traffic on the day of the shooting.

Motorcyclists were weaving and speeding through traffic on the day in question, according to court documents obtained by WAVE.

One of the bikers, Sark, allegedly shot out the back window of the SUV where the young girl was riding. He struck Onyx in the back, severing her spine, according to the GoFundMe started for her family.

Bisconer rode on Sark’s bike. Authorities said she also fired several shots at the SUV.

AJ Gibbs, assistant special agent in charge of ATF’s Louisville Field Division, told reporters in a press conference that the shooting was a “selfish act of others.”

Bisconer was released on house arrest.

A third man, Jonathan Rivera, was indicted federally for being a convicted felon with a gun, but not for shooting the child. He has since pleaded guilty and is required to testify against Sark.

“I feel a lot better,” Onyx told WAVE of the arrests.

“Despite the obstacles that Onyx now faces, this little girl has shown tremendous spirit and bravery,” Gibbs said. “Onyx’s mother put it best that Onyx is a perfect little girl.”

The GoFundMe says that her mother, nurse Chyna Sands, must now work “around the clock” to care for her daughter.

From the campaign:

She should not be “glued down” to the hospital bed as she describes it. She should be “flipping and flopping” like the energetic 6 year old that she is. With this new information Onyx’s mom, a registered nurse who has committed to taking care of others cannot work as she now has to provide around the clock care for her baby girl. We want to ensure that her mother is able to be with her as much as possible and being that she is a single mother who works very hard saving lives as a nurse, this will be a tough task for her to take on because she will not be able to be away from Onyx for 12 hours at a time. We want to help support her through this new transition.

The life-changing injury affected how she eats dinner or brushes her teeth, according to WDRB.

“I don’t think I’ll ever have peace of mind,” Chyna Sands told the outlet. “Nothing that we can do to these people will ever change what my baby has had to go through.”

Arsonist’s Secret Recordings Unveiled in Connection to Blazing Incident

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Arsonist’s Secret Recordings Unveiled in Connection to Blazing Incident

The tragic tale of a factory fire in Sunshine North took a grim turn as Phoenix Darren John Tims, who had been promised $6,000 to set the blaze, expressed a disturbing wish regarding the victims. In a chilling admission captured secretly, Tims hoped that the two men who perished in the fire were rapists, a sentiment he believed would help ease his conscience.

On Thursday, the Victorian County Court listened to these unsettling remarks as Tims faced the music, pleading guilty to two serious charges of arson resulting in death. The 20-year-old, alongside his accomplice Atem Akoi Thon, also 20, confessed to their roles in the tragic incident that unfolded in the early morning hours of February 23, 2024.

The reckless duo drove to the factory in a stolen ute, where Tims took the lead by dousing the entrance with petrol before igniting the flames. Their actions set off a chain reaction, leading to the loss of two innocent lives.

Phoenix Darren John Tims leaving the County Court of Victoria in Melbourne. (AAP)

Victims Hai Minh Nguyen, 41, and Phuc Tran, 48, were tragically caught in the inferno. They were asleep in a nearby property when the fire spread beyond control, claiming their lives.

Hai Minh Nguyen, 41, and Phuc Tran, 48, were both sleeping in a neighbouring property when the blaze spread and killed them.

The partners of the two men provided statements to the court on Thursday, describing their grief and hardship in the years that have followed.

“There are no words that can truly capture the devastation, the emptiness and sheer agony I have endured,” Nguyen’s partner Thanh said.

“The image of him being trapped in that blaze is a nightmare.”

Tims and Thon did not intend to set fire to the other property and they did not know there were people inside, prosecutor Jordan Johnston accepted.

Atem Akoi Thon. (AAP)

The two men had been promised $6000 by an unknown person if they firebombed the factory but they never received the money, the court was told.

The day after the blaze, Tims, Thon and co-offender Semaj Cigobia, 20, set the stolen ute on fire about 50 kilometres away in Coimadai, near Bacchus Marsh.

Police began covertly monitoring the offenders in July 2024 and recorded Tims saying he “burned the place down” and discussing the fact two men had died.

“Hopefully they raped kids or some shit like that so I can feel better about myself,” he said in the recordings detailed in court.

Tims’ barrister Sam Norton told the court his client had been using cocaine at the time of the offending but he had since developed an understanding of his actions.

Semaj Cigobia. (AAP)

The 20-year-old was truly remorseful and had taken steps to better himself, including gaining meaningful employment and spending time with his son, Norton said.

Thon also pleaded guilty to two counts of arson causing death, with his barrister Gordon Chisholm emphasising his client never intended for the two men to die.

Both Thon and Tims accepted they would be jailed, while Cigobia’s barrister Jennifer Clark submitted a community corrections order would be appropriate for her client.

She told the court Cigobia, who pleaded guilty to assisting an offender, became involved because of loyalty to his friends.

All three will be sentenced on May 18, with their bail extended to their next court date.

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