school shooting

Luka Dončić To Cover Funeral Costs For School Shooting Victims

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On May 3, a 13-year-old boy killed nine people at a school in the Serbian capital of Belgrade. The tragedy took place in the affluent neighborhood of Vračar. The boy killed eight students and a security guard, methodically working his way through the school in search of victims. The boy is reportedly a student at the school and was detained in the possession of a 9mm pistol and several Molotov cocktails. Furthermore, the suspect’s parents were also taken in custody. The boy’s father had reportedly taken his son shooting in the past.

While Serbia has a high rate of firearms and firearm possession, mass shootings are rare. It was the first mass shooting since a man killed five and injured 25 at a cafe in Žitište in 2016. However, before the shock of the school shooting could even set in, eight people were killed in a drive-by shooting on Thursday.

Dončić To Cover Funeral Costs

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 02: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on April 02, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

While East Europeans have long had a place in the NBA, few have shone as brightly as Luka Dončić. Dončić was born in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana. However, his father, Saša, is of Serbian descent. Additionally, Dončić has family in the Belgrade area. That moved Dončić to announce on May 4 that he would pay the funeral costs of the individuals who lost their lives in the school shooting. He would also pay for survivors to receive grief counseling.

“I am heartbroken by the tragic school shooting in Serbia and the loss of lives, including those of innocent school children,” Dončić said in a statement. “My thoughts are with the families and the entire community affected by this tragedy. Through my foundation, I am exploring both immediate and long-term ways to support the students, faculty, and families affected by the shooting at the Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School. I am committed and I will continue to share updates and ways to support as details become available.”

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Nashville School Shooting: What We Know

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Another tragic school shooting occurred in the U.S., this time at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. Information has been pouring today (March 27) as the event unfolded in real-time, and now, the suspect has been named. According to several reports, a former art student named Audrey Hale is accused of killing three students and three staff members. It was further stated that Hale once attended The Covenant School, a private Christian institution. Hale, who was noted as being transgender in reports, was also killed in the chaos.

Police went on to identify the Nashville school shooting victims: three nine-year-olds, Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs; as well as staffers Cynthia Peak, 61; the head of the school, Katherine Konce, 60; and 61-year-old Mike Hill. Police were able to tie Hale to the crime after searching a vehicle at the scene. Surviving students were later reunited with their parents at the nearby Woodmont Baptist Church.

A City In Mourning

The shooting reportedly began at approximately 10:15 in the morning. Police later confiscated information from Hale’s residence, including a manifesto. “We have investigations ongoing now at the residence on Brightwood Avenue, and we have made contact with the father that lived at that residence and are putting together more information,” Nashville Police Chief John Drake said at a press conference. “We’ve also determined there were maps drawn of the school in detail, surveillance, entry points, etc. We know and believe that entry was gained through shooting through one of the doors is how they actually got into the school.”

“We have a manifesto, we have some writings that we are going over that pertain to this date of the actual incident. We have a map drawn out of how this was also going to take place. There is right now a theory that we may be able to talk about later, but it is not confirmed. We’ll put that out as soon as we can.” Drake added, “Our investigation tells us she was a former student at the school. I don’t know what grade she attended, or grades, but we do firmly believe she was a student there.”

School Shooting Suspect Taken Down

Reports further stated that once officers entered the school, they heard gunshots from the second floor. They quickly reacted and “engaged” the suspect, shooting and killing Hale. We will keep you updated as more from this tragedy unfolds. Vie more reports and commentary from the Nashville school shooting above and below.

More From The Nashville Tragedy

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Virginia School Downplayed Warnings From Teacher Before 6 Year Old Shot Her

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Richneck Elementary has been closed since the January 6 shooting of teacher Abby Zwerner by her six year old student. Recent updates report that the gun used by the first grader in Newport News Virginia, was stored on the top shelf of his mother’s bedroom closet, James Ellenson, the attorney representing the child’s family, shared earlier. While it is still unclear how the child obtained the weapon, the attorney said the gun was secured by a trigger lock. 

The gun was legally purchased by the mother of the child, who could now face charges at the end of the investigation. The child carried the weapon to school grounds in his backpack, said the  Newport News Chief of Police Steve Drew.

This week, Newport News Police and ATF officials conducted their second round of searches at two homes belonging to the child’s family, Ellenson said. No charges have been filed.

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 Zwerner was teaching the first-grade class when the boy pulled out a 9mm handgun and fired at her. 25-year-old Abby Zwerner, was cleared for a release from the hospital last week,  after suffering a bullet in the chest after the bullet passed through one of her hands, according to Drew. 

She is currently in stable condition and has been praised for escorting all of her students out of the classroom to safety even after she had been shot, as another school employee rushed in and physically restrained the boy. 

On Thursday, the family of the child released a statement announcing their child has an acute disability and they were praying for Zwerner, who “selflessly served our son and the children in the school.”

Officials at the elementary school in Newport News, Virginia, apparently downplayed previous complaints issued by the teacher regarding the boy’s behavior. Ms. Zwerner reportedly raised concerns and requested help from school officials relating to the boy, which apparently included a threat to light a teacher on fire and watch her die. The issue was dismissed, according to messages from fellow teachers obtained by The Post. 

Richneck Elementary School is currently facing criticism for its handling of the shooting that authorities have deemed “intentional.” Parent were outraged when Newport News Superintendent George Parker III said the school had received a tip that the boy had a gun that day, but then failed to uncover the weapon after searching his school bag. 

Though the school remains closed, students and parents have been invited back to the school Wednesday for a two-hour non-instructional activity period, according to a letter from a school administrator. The investigation is ongoing. 

The post Virginia School Downplayed Warnings From Teacher Before 6 Year Old Shot Her appeared first on The Source.

The Hip-Hop Community Reacts to the Deadly School Shooting in Texas

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Yesterday (May 24), a gunman walked into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas and went on a killing spree. The Texas shooter identified as 18-year-old Salvador Rolando Ramos opened fire killing 21 people, including 19 kids. The mass shooting left the Hip-Hop community devastated.

Artists of the genre took it to Twitter to share their reactions. Offset, the Atlanta rapper who is a father of five, said that the victims are in his prayers.

Fellow ATLien, super producer Metro Boomin’ also left the victims in his prayer.

The Buffalo rapper of the Griselda label, Westside Gunn, who is also a father chimed in.

Houston rapper Trae The Truth, who is accustomed to giving back, offered to cover some of the funeral cost for the victims.

The Virginia female rap legend Missy Elliot, said she is not only praying for the victims, but she also wants “peace restored.”

According to Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott, the shooter opened fire at Robb Elementary School at about 11:30 a.m. after abandoning his vehicle, and it is believed police killed him.

The shooting that left 19 students and two adults dead is the deadliest school shooting since the 2012 massacre in Newtown, Conn. In 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people. Twenty of the victims were children between six and seven years old, and six were adult staff members.

The post The Hip-Hop Community Reacts to the Deadly School Shooting in Texas appeared first on The Source.