Today is Tuesday, Oct. 21, the 294th day of 2025. There are 71 days left in the year.
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Jury selection has begun in the first-degree murder trial of a former Illinois sheriff's deputy in the death of Sonya Massey. Sean Grayson faces a first-degree murder charge for fatally shooting Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who had mental health problems, in her Springfield home after she called 911 for help. Massey died July 6, 2024. She was unarmed but a confrontation with Grayson over her removing a pan of hot water from the stove prompted him to shoot her. The 31-year-old Grayson had problems in past law enforcement jobs and critics questioned why he was hired. The trial was moved to Peoria because of pretrial publicity.
AP Wire
A spokesperson for Oklahoma State University says a shooting at a residence hall has wounded at least three people. University police said there was “no ongoing threat to campus.” Police said the shooting happened Sunday at around 3:40 a.m. and at least one of the victims is known to be a student. Initial reports suggest the shooting occurred when people arrived at the residence hall after attending a large private party off-campus. All the injured were being treated at hospitals. Authorities became aware of the shooting after victims reported it from off-campus locations.
A sheriff says his deputies continue their methodical investigation into a shooting at a South Carolina bar that killed four people and injured 16 others. Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner says authorities are testing DNA, analyzing weapons, and enhancing video footage. He says testing physical evidence is important because none of the 700 people at the party has identified any shooter likely because they fear retribution if they talk. No arrests have been made. The sheriff says investigators believe the shooting at Willie's Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island began as a dispute between two or three people.
Missouri man executed for 2005 fatal shooting of state trooper who investigated him for deadly wreck
Missouri man executed for 2005 fatal shooting of state trooper who investigated him for deadly wreck.
AP Wire
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones says he knew the Supreme Court wouldn't take up his request for an appeal of a $1.4 billion defamation judgment, even though his lawyers believed the case was “cut and dry.” During his daily show on Tuesday, Jones said the high court rejected his appeal because of politics. Jones had called the Sandy Hook massacre a hoax. A lawyer representing families of Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting victims said the court was right to reject it. The justices issued their order without even asking the victims' families to respond to Jones’ appeal. Twenty first graders and six educators died in the 2012 shooting. Jones is separately appealing a $49 million judgment in Texas.
Supreme Court rejects Alex Jones' appeal of $1.4 billion judgment for calling Sandy Hook school shooting a hoax.
AP Wire
The FBI says four people have been arrested, three of them on murder charges, in a weekend shooting that left six people dead and more than a dozen injured in a small Mississippi town. The FBI on Monday announced the arrests of three men and one woman. The FBI says Teiyon L. Powell, William Bryant and Morgan Lattimore have been charged with capital murder, and Latoya A. Powell has been charged with attempted murder. It was not immediately clear of they had attorneys. Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive for Friday night’s shooting in Leland in northwest Mississippi, but the FBI said it apparently arose from a disagreement among several people.
4 arrests made in connection with mass shooting that left 6 dead in the Mississippi Delta, FBI says.
A mass shooting killed four and injured several others on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, home to the largest Gullah community. The Gullah, also known as Geechee, are descendants of enslaved Africans who preserved much of their African heritage because they were separated from the mainland of the United States. They have a distinct language, cuisine, and culture. The shooting happened at Willie’s Bar and Grill, known for its Gullah-inspired cuisine. Many were gathered for a high school reunion. The Gullah community faces ongoing challenges, including hurricanes and court battles, threatening their cultural preservation.