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Verdict delivered over fatal Rust shooting

<p>The armourer on the set of the film <em>Rust</em> has been charged with involuntary manslaughter over the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. </p> <p>Halyna Hutchins, who was 42 and a mother to a young son, died after being fatally shot by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western movie in October 2021. </p> <p>Baldwin has repeatedly denied responsibility, insisting he did not pull the trigger.</p> <p>Now, armourer Hannah Gutierrez has been found guilty, with the jury hearing that Gutierrez, 26, had been ultimately responsible for the use of live rounds on set. </p> <p>Over a 10-day trial in New Mexico, the court heard how she had repeatedly failed to adhere to basic safety rules by leaving guns unattended on set, and allowing actors — including Baldwin — to wave the weapons around.</p> <p>“This is not a case where Hannah Gutierrez made one mistake and that one mistake was accidentally putting a live round into that gun,” prosecutor Kari Morrissey told the jury in her closing argument Wednesday.</p> <p>“This case is about constant, never-ending safety failures that resulted in the death of a human being and nearly killed another.” </p> <p>The judge remanded her in custody ahead of her sentencing, which is not expected before next month, as she faces up to 18 months’ prison.</p> <p>Despite Baldwin long claiming his innocence over the shooting, ballistics experts have dismissed the claim, saying the gun could not have discharged any other way.</p> <p>His own involuntary manslaughter trial is expected in July.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

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Alec Baldwin facing new charges over fatal Rust shooting

<p dir="ltr">Alec Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for a second time over the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie <em>Rust</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Hollywood legend has been indicted by a grand jury in New Mexico over the death of the 42-year-old cinematographer, who was hit with a live bullet that had been loaded into a prop gun for a scene. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The above named defendant did cause the death of Halyna Hutchins by an act committed with the total disregard of indifference for the safety of others,” the indictment obtained by <em><a href="https://nypost.com/2024/01/19/news/alec-baldwin-charged-with-involuntary-manslaughter-over-rust-shooting/">The Post</a> </em>read.</p> <p dir="ltr">Baldwin has long denied the charges, and has stood by his claim that he did not pull the trigger on the day of the accident. </p> <p dir="ltr">Baldwin had previously been charged with the same crime by the Santa Fe district attorney in January 2022.</p> <p dir="ltr">He pleaded not guilty at the time, but the case soon fell apart and the charges were dropped in April that year after it was determined that further forensic testing needed to be done on the weapon that fired the bullet.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the case being dismissed, the DA was clear that the door would be left open to refile the charges.</p> <p dir="ltr">Prosecutors have also charged <em>Rust</em> armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who oversaw the weapons on the movie set, with the same crime.</p> <p dir="ltr">She has also pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. </p> <p dir="ltr">If convicted, Baldwin could face up to 18 months in prison.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Hilary Swank shares stunning photos post-birth

<p>Hilary Swank gave birth to twins in April 2023, and despite <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/sour-note-spoils-hilary-swank-s-double-delight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nasty trolls taking aim </a>at her, she has shared a gorgeous series of photos reflecting on her pregnancy journey.</p> <p>The star and her husband Phillip Schneider welcomed a baby boy and girl, taking to Instagram to share the exciting news.</p> <p>The new mum is now celebrating her pregnancy body on Instagram by posting one of her “favourite” moments.</p> <p>"One of my favorite moments in time, being pregnant,” she wrote alongside the image, which was captured by celebrity photographer Brian Bowen Smith.</p> <p>"I was 27 1/2 weeks here," the actress revealed in her post, a snap of her cradling her bump.</p> <p>She said being pregnant has been one of her favourite experiences, alongside meeting and marrying her husband and meeting her twins for the first time.</p> <p>Bowen Smith later shared an image from the shoot, an artistic shot of Swank grasping her hair with closed eyes.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrLqsmmryrQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrLqsmmryrQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by 📷: BRIANBOWENSMITH (@brianbowensmith)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p> Her photographer applauded the actress for being such an incredible woman, writing, "Now you have two more awards to add to your collection. Thank you for choosing me to photograph what I'm sure will be an unforgettable moment in all of your lives.”</p> <p>Swank previously hinted that the birth of her twins was challenging, when she initially shared the news with her followers, she captioned her post, "It wasn't easy. But boy (and girl!) was it worth it.”</p> <p>The star shared several moments during her pregnancy with fans online after revealing she was expecting back in October 2022.</p> <p>She documented ultrasound scans, workout sessions and celebrating Halloween and Christmas while pregnant.</p> <p>In the midst of all her excitement, she took the time to mourn her late father on what would have been his 75th birthday.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrHNrLTPbFT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrHNrLTPbFT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Hilary Swank (@hilaryswank)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"You would be a Great Papa to two more extraordinary souls," she wrote, on Instagram alongside a series of photos with her father.</p> <p>"Thank you for being my guiding light. I love you, Dad. Always and forever through every lifetime."</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Ed Sheeran shoots for the stars with daughter’s name reveal

<p dir="ltr">When Ed Sheeran and his wife Cherry Seaborn announced the birth of their second child in May 2022, they kept things simple. </p> <p dir="ltr">In a post to social media, Sheeran shared a picture of socks on a crochet blanket, with a caption reading “Want to let you all know we’ve had another beautiful baby girl. We are both so in love with her, and over the moon to be a family of 4”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple shared no ‘face reveal’ - opting to keep their children far removed from the public eye - and did not share their youngest daughter’s name with Sheeran’s 42.8m followers. </p> <p dir="ltr">But in a March interview with <em>Rolling Stone</em>, the 32-year-old singer-songwriter took everyone by surprise, opening up about his family life, and revealing the out-of-this-world moniker bestowed upon their youngest, Jupiter. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Me and Cherry were talking earlier about how it’s so lovely,” he told the publication, opening up about the little things in life that he and his family cherish the most. “We had an entire day. We did nothing but this. It’s so nice and wholesome having family on tour. </p> <p dir="ltr">“On the last tour, I’d party till 7 am, sleep till 4 pm, get up, and do the gig. But I was like, 26. It’s very different.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Jupiter’s birth, and establishing their new “lovely” life, were no easy feats for the couple. In February 2022 - a month that was already proving determined to knock Sheeran down - when Cherry was six months along in her pregnancy, she was diagnosed with a tumour. Surgery was required, but couldn’t be performed until she had given birth. </p> <p dir="ltr">As Sheeran wrote in a post outlining plans for his album <em>Subtract</em>, “Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour, with no route to treatment until after the birth. My best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly, and I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety. I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s nothing you can do about it,” he confessed to <em>Rolling Stone</em>. “You feel so powerless.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Over the course of his interview, Sheeran toyed with a chain bracelet - one gifted to him by his wife, with their daughters’ name engraved. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It felt symbolic,” he said of the swap to the silver from the rubber bands that had previously adorned his wrist, “to take off those bracelets and put on one for my family.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After the slew of tragedies to hit Sheeran in such a short span of time, it was Cherry who realised that he was in need of professional help, leading to the singer seeking out a therapist. </p> <p dir="ltr">“No one really talks about their feelings where I come from,” he said. “People think it’s weird getting a therapist in England … I think it’s very helpful to be able to speak with someone and just vent and not feel guilty about venting. Obviously, like, I’ve lived a very privileged life. So my friends would always look at me like, ‘Oh, it’s not that bad.’ ”</p> <p dir="ltr">“The help isn’t a button that is pressed, where you’re automatically okay,” he added. “It is something that will always be there and just has to be managed.”</p> <p dir="ltr">And as Sheeran himself <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/writing-songs-is-my-therapy-ed-sheeran-reveals-further-heartbreak">wrote in his <em>Subtract</em> post</a>, “Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings … in just over a week I replaced a decade’s worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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Alec Baldwin charged with involuntary manslaughter over fatal Rust shooting

<p>Charges are to be made over an on-set tragedy that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. </p> <p>Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed will be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter over the tragic incident. </p> <p>In New Mexico, involuntary manslaughter carries a penalty of up to 18 months in prison, as well as a fine. The case requires prosecutors prove that Hutchins died as a result of underlying negligence, and “includes the misdemeanour charge of negligent use of a firearm.” </p> <p>Confirmation came from Mary Carmack-Altwies, Sante Fe’s district attorney, who said that the charges against Baldwin and Reed would be filed by the end of January. </p> <p>“After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico,” said Carmack-Altqies, “I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the <em>Rust</em> film crew. On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.” </p> <p>Baldwin’s attorney, however, believes the decision to be “a terrible miscarriage of justice.”</p> <p>The news comes after a year of investigation into the incident, in which a revolver Alec was using during a rehearsal for the film <em>Rust </em>fired a live round and caused a fatal wound to Hutchins. The film’s director, Joel Souza, was also hit but survived his injuries. </p> <p>The investigation into Halyna’s death sought to learn how live rounds made it onto the set at all, and from there into a functioning firearm. </p> <p>In 2022, New Mexico's Occupational Health and Safety Bureau found that the film production company behind <em>Rust</em> was aware that firearm safety procedures were not being followed, and the hazards on set were being met with indifference. </p> <p>While Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed are to each face the charges of involuntary manslaughter, the film’s assistant director, David Halls, has signed a plea agreement for the negligent use of a deadly weapon. </p> <p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F1stJDA%2Fposts%2Fpfbid026SV45YMwTanEhpdL3BpczGn4PiRbKirEyokhGSph8j6PrnS8XRhViE4EPWmKsiYzl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="199" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>As special prosecutor Andrea Weeb stated, “if any one of these three people — Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez Reed or David Halls — had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today.”</p> <p>Baldwin has maintained that he was unaware of the live rounds, and that he was informed the weapon was ‘cold’ - a term used in the industry to mean the gun is ‘safe’. In 2021, the actor said in an interview that he did not pull the trigger, and that the gun fired when cocked.  </p> <p>Luke Nikas, Baldwin’s attorney, supported these claims, stating that “Mr Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun … He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds.</p> <p>“We will fight these charges, and we will win.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>

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Shooting of Imran Khan takes Pakistan into dangerous political waters

<p>The attempted assassination of Imran Khan on November 3 has ushered Pakistan into another stage of political instability, with increased likelihood of further political violence.</p> <p>Imran <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63496202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has accused</a> Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Sanaullah Khan and Major General Faisal of masterminding the attack. He has demanded these three be removed from their positions immediately. Failure to act, he <a href="https://twitter.com/PTIofficial/status/1588188079277232128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1588188079277232128%7Ctwgr%5Ed5b3fd04e3131208521e14afe9946af45900de42%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenews.com.pk%2Flatest%2F1006350-asad-umar-blames" target="_blank" rel="noopener">communicated through Asad Umer</a>, a senior member of his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), would result in demonstrations across the whole country, and “things would not continue as they have been”.</p> <p>The PTI’s Asad Umer said that two days ago, he had contacted Imran regarding threats to his safety. But Imran had stated: “We are engaged in jihad and we only need to trust Allah at this stage.” Building on this equivalence of the so-called “long march” with “jihad”, the PTI issued a <a href="https://twitter.com/Asad_Umar/status/1588399510614839296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1588399510614839296%7Ctwgr%5E409bdb0bd9b63211810994ae51e1b298768da215%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenews.com.pk%2Flatest%2F1006554-live-updates-day-8-pti-long-march-imran-khan-firing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">call for demonstrations</a> to start after Friday prayers on November 4.</p> <p>The Pakistan government <a href="https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1006384-attack-on-imran-widely-condemned" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has responded</a> by condemning the assassination attempt. But <a href="https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1006384-attack-on-imran-widely-condemned" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minister Rana Sanaullah also told the PTI</a>: “It is [a] law of nature: those who ignite fire may also burn in it.” The national government has also demanded “the Punjab government constitute a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to investigate the attack”.</p> <p>Others have raised questions about the security extended to the former prime minister in the province of Punjab, where a PTI government is in power.</p> <p>Conspiracy theories about the shooting also abound, including claims on social media that the attack was <a href="https://twitter.com/younus_bhoon/status/1588399845307711488?s=20&amp;t=8c-lFy8oci8NGVAhcmNxxw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">orchestrated by PTI</a> to boost support for Imran. Only a few days ago, the former international cricketer turned politician had launched a second march within five months for haqiqi azadi (real freedom). Others accuse “external powers” of fomenting instability in the wake of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/2/xi-jinping-assures-pakistani-pm-of-china-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visit to China</a>, where he met President Xi Jinping and revived the momentum for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).</p> <p>Then there is the <a href="https://www.24newshd.tv/03-Nov-2022/attacker-says-was-angry-because-music-was-being-run-during-prayer-call" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported admission</a> by the alleged assassin that he was motivated by religious fervour, as Imran’s march would not cease playing music even during the calls to prayer. Reminiscent of the grounds on which Mumtaz Qadri <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35684452" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assassinated</a> the then governor of Punjab Salman Taseer, this explanation, with all its inconsistencies, locates the attempt outside the scope of political machinations.</p> <p>The reaction among Imran’s supporters has been swift. There have been demonstrations in all provinces of the country, with people <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFtMyPEJZYQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chanting the attack</a> had “crossed the red line” and they would lay their lives for Imran. This outpouring of support for Imran and anger towards the government has catapulted the country into increased instability, with the future now very uncertain.</p> <p>In the past, the instability might have been reined in by the Pakistan military, which has traditionally acted as custodian of law and order in the country. During the 75 years of Pakistan’s existence, the military has intervened directly or indirectly in politics when the country experienced instability. Even if its intervention was not approved of, politicians and society generally remained complacent and managed to work withing the framework outlined by the military.</p> <p>But in contemporary Pakistan, given the extent of political and social polarisation that has descended to a level not witnessed in the country’s history, the military may not be able to play this role. Already, Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa has claimed the <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/world/pakistan-army-chief-general-bajwa-to-retire-in-5-weeks-top-3-names-here-exclusive-6215221.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">military would remain neutral</a>.</p> <p>Even if instability persists and the military decided to intervene, the reaction of Imran’s supporters would be very different from how people reacted to previous military interventions. The assassination attempt on Imran has removed a lot of self-imposed censorship by people.</p> <p>While people demonstrated outside the office of the Corps Commander of Peshawar, others have been recorded chanting that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ga_22EwLXKg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the uniform is behind acts of terrorism and hooliganism</a>. In the past, such comments were only openly made by Pashtoon Tahhafuz Movement (movement for the protection of Pashtoons).</p> <p>But now, such comments also allude to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-63372440" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent killing</a> in Kenya of Pakistani journalist Ashraf Sharif, who had been a vocal critic of the military’s involvement in politics. It has been claimed the killing was orchestrated with the direct involvement of the military — a claim that prompted the director-general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to give a press conference refuting these claims.</p> <p>Such expressions of anger and open opposition to the military leadership would suggest the military would avoid direct interference. One possible avenue could be of imposing <a href="https://www.geo.tv/latest/430050-explainer-what-is-governors-rule-and-is-punjab-moving-towards-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">governor rule</a> in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but even that is unlikely to tamper the anger being felt by Imran’s supporters.</p> <p>Pakistan is fast moving into uncharted political terrain.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/shooting-of-imran-khan-takes-pakistan-into-dangerous-political-waters-193937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Legal

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"It's wrong!" Heidi Klum's lingerie shoot with daughter slammed

<p>Heidi Klum has come under fire for a controversial photoshoot with her 18-year-old daughter. </p> <p>The 49-year-old supermodel has teamed up with her daughter Leni for a collaboration with Italian lingerie company Intimissimi, with the campaign photoshoot drawing in a flood of criticism. </p> <p>The mother-daughter duo posed together in a series of stripped down poses, showing off the luxury lingerie products and frolicking around together. </p> <p>While some loved seeing them model together, others found the intimacy of the photoshoot disturbing. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjkB_DhDBiD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjkB_DhDBiD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Heidi Klum (@heidiklum)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>One person wrote on Twitter, “It’s wrong and makes me feel deeply uneasy!”</p> <p>Another wrote, “Ah yes, the classic mother-daughter pose: standing in your lingerie. A favourite for every family album.”</p> <p>Someone else chimed in, “Heidi Klum and her 18yo daughter Leni posing half naked in their underwear together. Holys**t!”</p> <p>Another commented on Instagram, “Trained by Mum. Can a therapist take a look at this, please!”, while another insta user, simply wrote, “Nope.”</p> <p>Heidi and Leni are starring in Intimissimi's new autumn/winter 2022 campaign “as icons of self-confidence, joy of life and love between a mother and daughter”, <a title="www.thesun.co.uk" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/20055687/heidi-klum-sexy-lingerie-teenage-daughter-leni/">The Sun</a> reported.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Daniel Johns discusses Silverchair shooting tragedy

<p dir="ltr">In 1995, a 16-year-old boy in the state of Washington, aided by his friend, opened fire and killed both his parents and brother. </p> <p dir="ltr">When the shooter was apprehended, they were allegedly playing Silverchair’s <em>Israel’s Son</em>, which was released the same year and boasts controversial and hateful lyrics. </p> <p dir="ltr">Now, 27 years on, Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns has opened up about the tragedy. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s pretty devastating to write a song when you’re a teenager and then have lives taken because apparently it influenced the people to murder someone — that’s too much,” Johns told American radio personality Megan Holiday on <em>In The Mind of Daniel Johns</em> docuseries. </p> <p dir="ltr">An in-depth report on the murders published by Spin magazine in their September 1996 issue cited evidence that the shooter pulled a blood-spattered cassette out of his father’s hand, shrieking “That’s my f***ing tape!” It was Silverchair’s debut album <em>Frogstomp</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The shooter’s friend alleged that he put the tape in the stereo and rewound it to the track <em>Israel’s Son</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">The witness’s version of events, which unfolded at his trial in January 1996, had his friend kicking the deceased bodies of his parents as the song played.</p> <p dir="ltr">The shooter’s lawyer Tom Copland would cite the lyrics of <em>Israel's Son</em> at an evidentiary hearing: “Hate is what I feel for you/I want you to know that I want you dead’. </p> <p dir="ltr">They petitioned the court to be allowed to play the song in his opening statement, as he claimed the song’s lyrics were “almost a script” for the killings.</p> <p dir="ltr">Johns, who was just 16 at the time, said he internalised his trauma after hearing the horrific news. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It affected me, but I had to act like it didn’t,” he said. “I couldn’t acknowledge it, I guess that was part of the patterns.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aussie rocker said he didn’t want fans to look to him for meanings or “guidance”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t like that people look to me for guidance in the songs. I don’t like it,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

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"Beauty from ashes": The unlikely love story to emerge from devastating US shooting

<p>It's one of the most unlikely places for romance to blossom. </p> <p>But for Lasamoa Lanier, what was the most traumatic and devastating night of her life also became the night she met her future husband. </p> <p>On July 20th 2012, Lasamoa and her then fiancé AJ Boik attended the midnight screening of Dark Knight Rises in Colorado. </p> <p>Just after the opening scenes, a gunman opened fire in the cinema which claimed the lives of 12 people and wounded 70. </p> <p>Among the deceased was Lasamoa's 18-year-old fiancé, who died at the scene after sustaining two fatal gun shot injuries. </p> <p>Officer Cody Lanier, a resource officer at Lasamoa's high school, was one of the officers who rushed to the scene to try and assist on that horrifying day.</p> <p>Lasamoa was trying to cope with the grief of losing her fiancé, while Officer Lanier was reeling from the pain of not being able to save all those who perished. </p> <p>He also was the officer who had to break the tragic news to Boik's mother telling her that her son probably did not survive calling "it the absolutely the worst singular event I could imagine as a cop."</p> <p>For Lasamoa, she spent years trying to heal from the tragedy and found various ways to cope. </p> <p>Part of her healing included  writing letters to the police officers, who were also traumatised by the massacre, thanking them for risking their own lives while trying to save others.</p> <p>She delivered the letter to Officer Cody, and the pair decided to go out for lunch. </p> <p>What was supposed to be an hour long lunch turned into an entire evening and the beginning of a special relationship. </p> <p>"In a way, La kind of filled this gap," Cody said. "Beyond that it was just this connection. Every day since she turned into my best friend."</p> <p>"I am pretty sure there is not a thing that I want to do where she is not involved," he said.</p> <p>On October 3rd 2021, the pair made it offical and tied the knot in a beautiful wedding ceremony which Lasamoa calls the "best day of her life".</p> <p>The couple are still swept up in their post wedding bliss, as they reflect on how they found love in the most unlikely circumstances. </p> <p>"It's like a sleepover with my best friend all the time. It's crazy. Beauty from ashes, man," Cody said. "I don't know what I would do without her."</p> <p>Lasamoa shares the same feelings, as she counts her blessings each day. </p> <p>"Sometimes I stop and think about it and I am like oh you are able to find love again," she said. </p> <p>"I have been through this and been through that but life is still happening."</p> <p>Lasamoa still journals to help her heal from the trauma, and shared a letter she wrote to her late fiancé AJ on Instagram. </p> <p>She wrote, "I don't know if you had any intentions of leading him [Cody] to me, but I really appreciate you sending him to me."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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Shinzo Abe dies after fatal shooting

<p>Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest running prime minister, has died in hospital after being shot in the neck. </p> <p>The 67-year-old was confirmed dead by Japan's public broadcaster, saying doctors art the Nara Medical University Hospital were unable to save him despite their best efforts. </p> <p>The former PM was rushed to hospital after being shot while giving a campaign speech, and was bleeding profusely when he arrived to the hospital. </p> <p>Shinzo sustained bullet wounds to the right side of his neck, with doctors saying he had no vital signs upon his arrival.</p> <p>Despite a blood transfusion, the doctors were unable to save Mr Abe as the injuries he sustained during the shooting where deep enough to reach his heart. </p> <p>One doctor said, "Because of the large amount of haemorrhage, it was not possible for us to stop the bleeding."</p> <p>Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a statement on Mr Abe's death, as he expressed his condolences for "one of Australia's closest friends".</p> <p>He said, "The tragic death of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is devastating news. On behalf of the Australian Government and people, we offer our deepest sympathies and condolences to Mrs Abe and to Mr Abe’s family and friends, and to the people of Japan."</p> <p>"He will be greatly missed."</p> <p>New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern shared a tribute to the leader, writing on Twitter, "So deeply shocked to hear about the past PM of Japan-Shinzo Abe. He was one of the first leaders I met when I became PM. He was deeply committed to his role but also generous &amp; kind. My thoughts are with his wife and the people of Japan."</p> <p>"Events like this shake us all to the core."</p> <p>Japan's leader Fumio Kishida said the attack on Abe during an election campaign was an attack on “the very foundation of democracy”.</p> <p>“This barbaric, malicious act in the middle of an election cannot be tolerated,” he said.</p> <p>A 41-year-old man has been arrested in relation to the shooting. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

News

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Behind the scenes photos of Camilla's cover shoot snapped by Duchess Kate

<p>An exclusive behind the scenes royal photo has showcased Kate Middleton flexing her photography skills as she snapped a portrait of Camilla for the Country Life magazine cover. </p> <p>The Duchess of Cambridge, 40, who was described as a "consummate professional" by the magazine, is a keen photographer, and has taken several official portraits of her three children.</p> <p>Kate can now add magazine photographer to the list of her achievements as she captured the snap that shows the Duchess of Cornwall, 74, relaxing at her at Ray Mill House country retreat in Lacock, Wiltshire. </p> <p>According to Country Life's official Instagram, the behind-the-scenes image was taken by The Duchess of Cornwall’s country dresser, Shona Williams.</p> <p>The photograph taken by Kate appears on the cover of the July edition of the publication, just ahead of Camilla’s landmark 75th birthday on July 17th. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfnxfUwAZhl/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfnxfUwAZhl/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Clarence House (@clarencehouse)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>According to a royal source, it was Camilla's idea to ask Kate to take the photograph, and Country Life's managing and features editor, Paula Lester has said the publication "could not be happier with the results" of the photoshoot.</p> <p>She added, "In fact, the set of images she took was so good that we struggled to choose only three, from which The Duchess of Cornwall made her final selection."</p> <p>According to Paula, Kate took the commission "very seriously" and was "incredibly professional" about the job.    </p> <p>"She phoned me to discuss our requirements for the cover and subsequently composed a range of beautifully shot images," Paula explained.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the Country Life editor Mark Hedges said everyone was thrilled by the photos which captured Camilla "magnificently", and added that the magazine would be "delighted" to offer Kate another commission.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram @countrylifemagazine</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Mass shooting in Copenhagen claims several lives, injures others

<p dir="ltr">Several people have been killed and others have been wounded after a gunman opened fire in a shopping centre in Copenhagen, Denmark.</p> <p dir="ltr">Terrified shoppers ran for safety as the gunman wielded a “hunting rifle” at Field’s Shopping Mall on Sunday afternoon local time, with images showing parents carrying their children as they fled.</p> <p dir="ltr">Danish police said the suspected gunman, a 22-year-old Danish man, was detained near the mall, adding that police have undertaken a massive search operation in the local Zealand region to determine whether he had accomplices.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There are several injured, and what we also know now is that there are several dead,” police inspector Soren Thomassen, head of the Copenhagen police operations unit, said at a press conference on Sunday evening.</p> <p dir="ltr">Thomassen added that a motive of “terrorism” couldn’t be ruled out as yet.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We investigate it as an act, where we can’t exclude, that it’s terror,” he said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-306b3d19-7fff-5833-1604-8f7a2f62975e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Witnesses told local media that they saw more than 100 people rush towards the exits when the first gunshots were heard.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/fields-shooting1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Shoppers were photographed fleeing the scene after the first shots were heard. Image: Getty Images</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Laurits Hermansen told Danish broadcaster DR that he was with his family in a clothing store when he heard “three-four bangs”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Really loud bangs. It sounded like shots were being fired just next to the store,” Hermansen said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Thera Scchmidt told broadcaster TV2 that they could see “many people” running towards the exit before hearing a bang, before they fled the mall themselves.</p> <p dir="ltr">20-year-old Emilie Jeppesen told Jyllands Posten: “You didn’t know what was happening. Suddenly there was just chaos everywhere.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We were sitting and going to eat and suddenly we could see people running.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Then we first thought, ‘why do people run?’ But then we could hear the shots.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Her friend, Astrid Kofoed Jørgensen, added: “Everyone in the restaurant was shown out into the kitchen, and then when we saw out there we could hear three or four shots.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Other witnesses who saw the gunman described him as a 1.8-metre-tall man with a hunting rifle.</p> <p dir="ltr">At around 5.30pm local time, roads around the shopping centre were blocked, the nearby subway was stopped and a helicopter was flying overhead, according to an AFP correspondent on the scene.</p> <p dir="ltr">Heavily armed police officers kept onlookers back from the area, preventing locals from returning to their homes.</p> <p dir="ltr">Singer Harry Styles, due to perform at a concert venue less than two kilometres from the shopping centre that evening, took to Snapchat to share his shock at the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My team and I pray for everyone involved in the Copenhagen shopping mall shooting. I am shocked,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">After announcing the show would “proceed as planned” shortly after the shooting, the organiser later announced the show’s cancellation.</p> <p dir="ltr">The shooting comes just two days after this year’s Tour de France began in Copenhagen, with the Tour organisers releasing a statement expressing their sympathy shortly after the attack.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0cc9b220-7fff-8450-4c04-fc94d9aff89a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“The entire caravan of the Tour de France sends its sincerest condolences to the victims and their families,” it said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

News

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“People are hurting”: Matthew McConaughey makes impassioned speech on shooting

<p dir="ltr">Star actor Matthew McConaughey has taken a stand at Wednesday’s White House briefing, calling on Congress to “reach a higher ground” and pass gun control legislation in the wake of last month’s shooting in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a 22-minute speech, McConaughey urged Congress to pass lifesaving gun reforms that didn’t infringe on Second Amendment rights, per the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/matthew-mcconaughey-calls-for-action-on-gun-control-with-moving-speech-to-congress/4SA3TEG6NHO6BIWNK44SXRXSZU/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Dallas Buyers Club</em> star spoke for 22 minutes, having spent several days in his hometown following the shooting, sharing the “stories, tears and memories” he and his wife witnessed there, all while urging a divided Congress to pass lifesaving gun reforms that didn’t infringe on Second Amendment rights.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The common thread, independent of the anger and the confusion and the sadness, was the same: How can these families continue to honour these deaths by keeping the dreams of these children and teachers alive?” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So while we honour and acknowledge the victims, we need to recognise that this time it seems that something is different.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There is a sense that perhaps there is a viable path forward. Responsible parties in this debate seem to at least be committed to sitting down and having a real conversation about a new and improved path forward - a path that can bring us closer together and make us a safer country. A path that can actually get something done this time.”</p> <p dir="ltr">While sharing the personal stories of a number of the 19 children who were victims of the shooting, he displayed the artwork of one girl and the trademark green tennis shoes that belonged to 10-year-old Maite Rodriguez.</p> <p dir="ltr">McConaughey spoke of Maite’s dream of becoming a marine biologist and her passion for nature, becoming emotional while recounting that the shoes he was holding, branded with a heart over the right toe, were the “only clear evidence that could identify her”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He explained that he met a cosmetologist in Uvalde who had experience in mortuary makeup for open-casket viewings.</p> <p dir="ltr">“These bodies were very different [from most],” he explained. “They needed extensive restoration. Why? Due to the extremely large exit wounds of an AR-15 rifle. Most of the bodies were so mutilated that only DNA tests or green Converse could identify them.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Many children were left not only dead - but hollow,” McConaughey added.</p> <p dir="ltr">McConaughey, who has previously identified as “aggressively centric” and has considered running for Texas governor, as reported by <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/06/matthew-mcconaughey-makes-impassioned-gun-reform-speech-from-white-house">Vanity Fair</a>, acknowledged that gun legislation wouldn’t end mass shootings, but suggested steps that could be taken to reduce the chances of others happening so often.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We need to invest in mental healthcare. We need safer schools. We need to restrain sensationalised media coverage. We need to restore family values. We need to restore our American values and we need responsible gun ownership,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Is this a cure all? Hell no, but people are hurting.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I promise you, America, you and me, we are not as divided as we are being told we are.”</p> <p dir="ltr">To watch his full speech, head <a href="https://youtu.be/cJOw0XUyTQs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9d785a57-7fff-b42b-af70-a56b3bfe10da"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Texas mum speaks out about police stopping her from saving sons from school shooting

<p dir="ltr">A mother from Uvalde, Texas, who said she was handcuffed by police while trying to rescue her sons from Robb Elementary School during last month’s shooting, has claimed she was warned by authorities not to speak to the media about her experience.</p> <p dir="ltr">Angeli Gómez spoke to <em><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/mother-who-ran-into-texas-school-during-shooting-discusses-moments-inside/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h#x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a></em> on Thursday, describing how she rushed into the elementary school and was able to save her children, despite law enforcement attempting to stop her.</p> <p dir="ltr">The mother of two had been at the school earlier that day celebrating her childrens’ graduation ceremonies and was already back at work when she received a call from her mother, who told her the shooting was happening.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Right away as soon as I parked my car, US marshals started coming towards my car saying I wasn’t allowed to be parked there and he said, ‘Well we’re going to have to arrest you because you’re being very uncooperative’,” she told the outlet.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And I said, ‘Well, you’re going to have to arrest me because I’m going in there and I tell you right now, I don’t see none of y’all in there, y’all are standing with snipers and y’all are far away. If y’all aren’t going in there, I’m going in there.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Gómez recalled that she was then handcuffed to stop her rushing towards the school.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I told one of the officers, ‘I don’t need you to protect me. Get away from me. I don’t need your protection. If anything, I need you to go in there with me to go protect my kids,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">The US Marshals Agency has previously denied handcuffing parents, telling the <em><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/uvalde-residents-voice-frustration-over-shooting-response-11653588161" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wall Street Journal</a></em> that deputy marshals “maintained order and peace in the midst of the grief-stricken community that was gathering around the school”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Gómez told <em>CBS News</em> she convinced local police to uncuff her and she immediately jumped the fence and rushed into the school building when she was freed.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to her account, she was chased by police officers towards the building and failed to see officers when she was inside, though she could hear gunshots from somewhere in the school.</p> <p dir="ltr">When she knocked on the door of one of her first son’s classroom she recalled finding teachers and students hiding inside and that the teacher asked if they had time to get out.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Yeah, you have time; I’m going to run and get my other son,” she replied.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Gómez said authorities tried to escort her outside as she tried to approach her other son’s classroom, but when she saw them open the door she ran back to get him.</p> <p dir="ltr">She was captured on camera running out of the school hand-in-hand with her two sons.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Nothing was being done,” she told <em>CBS News</em>. “If anything, [law enforcement] were being more aggressive on us parents that were willing to go in there.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Gómez, who is reportedly on probation for previous charges, also told <em>CBS News</em> she received a call from “someone in law enforcement” telling her she may face some kind of violation for obstruction of justice if she continued to talk to the media.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to CBS News, she said she spoke out after a judge called her “brave” and said her probation would be shortened.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stefficao/uvalde-mom-saved-sons-school-shooting-police" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buzzfeed News</a> reported that Ms Gómez’s account of the phone call and her probation couldn’t be independently verified.</p> <p dir="ltr">It comes after the mishandling of the shooting by law enforcement sparked outcry across the US, with footage showing authorities confronting parents asking why officers weren’t going into the school to save the kids and the Justice Department opening an investigation into the situation.</p> <p dir="ltr">As Ms Gómez recounted saving her children, she broke down in tears while considering how many other kids could have been saved if police had acted differently.</p> <p dir="ltr">"They could have saved many more lives," Gómez said. "They could have gone into the classroom, and maybe two or three would have been gone, but they could have saved the whole, more, the whole class. They could have done something — gone through the window, sniped him through the window. Something, but nothing was being done."</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0407e5c0-7fff-b8bc-3ae5-3474ee6703af"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: CBS News / YouTube</em></p>

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“How is that normal?”: Andy Murray speaks out on Texas school shooting

<p dir="ltr">Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has said he “can’t understand” how nothing has changed in the US following the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, with one survivor’s account being similar to his own experience 26 years ago.</p> <p dir="ltr">The shooting, which saw an 18-year-old gunman <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/victims-of-the-texas-primary-school-shooting-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">storm an elementary school and kill 19 children and two teachers</a>, came just 10 days after 10 people died in a shooting in Buffalo, New York and has reignited the national debate over US gun control.</p> <p dir="ltr">The British tennis star, who survived the 1996 Dunblane massacre in Scotland, said the recent shooting made him “angry”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c9af191b-7fff-159f-2c35-4403afa12e00">“It’s incredibly upsetting and it makes you angry. I think there’s been over 200 mass shootings in America this year and nothing changes. I can’t understand that,” Murray, per the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-31/murray-angry-over-texas-shooting/101115202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a>.</span></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/andy-murray-child.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Andy Murray, who grew up in the Scottish town of Dunblane, was at school when a gunman entered and killed 17 people in 1996. Image: @andymurray (Instagram)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">“My feeling is that surely at some stage you do something different. You can’t keep approaching the problem by buying more guns and having more guns in the country. I don’t see how that solves it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But I could be wrong. Let’s maybe try something different and see if you get a different outcome.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Murray grew up in Dunblane and was hiding down the hall when a gunman killed 16 pupils and a teacher before killing himself at Dunblane Primary School, in an incident which is the deadliest mass shooting in modern British history. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I heard something on the radio the other day and it was a child from that school,” he told the BBC.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I experienced a similar thing when I was at Dunblane, a teacher coming out and waving all of the children under tables and telling them to go and hide.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And it was a kid [in Uvalde] telling exactly the same story about how she survived it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They were saying that they go through these drills, as young children… How? How is that normal that children should be having to go through drills, in case someone comes into a school with a gun?”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-fec07e37-7fff-3e13-2aa9-b59b7bf3da31"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @andymurray (Instagram)</em></p>

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10-year-old arrested for threatening to carry out mass shooting

<p>A 10-year-old boy has been arrested for threatening to carry out a mass shooting via text message.</p> <p>The 5th grader from Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral, in the state of Florida, was pictured in handcuffs and being walked to a police car on Saturday evening.</p> <p>He was interviewed and charged with making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting, coming just days after 19 children and two of their teachers were killed in a mass shooting in Texas.</p> <p>“This student’s behaviour is sickening, especially after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a statement.</p> <p>“Right now is not the time to act like a little delinquent. It’s not funny. This child made a fake threat, and now he’s experiencing real consequences.”</p> <p>The sheriff’s office’s School Threat Enforcement Team was tipped off about the message and quick to act.</p> <p>“Making sure our children are safe is paramount,” Sheriff Macreno said.</p> <p>"My team didn’t hesitate one second, not one second, to investigate this threat.”</p> <p>While police in Texas were on the scene within minutes of the shooting at Robb Elementary School, officers have come under fire for waiting almost 80 minutes to enter the classroom and kill gunman Salvador Ramos.</p> <p>The Texas Department of Public Safety has since admitted that law enforcement’s response fell disastrously short.</p> <p>“From the benefit of hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course it was not the right decision,” Director Steve McCraw said on the delay.</p> <p><em>Image: Lee County Sheriff's office </em></p>

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Texas police admit wrongdoing following school shooting

<p dir="ltr">Texas police have admitted that key elements in their response to the shooting at the elementary school which saw 21 people die were wrong.</p> <p dir="ltr">Gunman Salvador Rolando Ramos, 18, was armed with a gun when he stormed Robb Elementary School on May 24 and shot dead 19 children and two teachers.</p> <p dir="ltr">Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw admitted on Friday that the tactical decisions made during the response to the events leading up to the shooting were wrong.</p> <p dir="ltr">“From the benefit of hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course it was not the right decision. It was the wrong decision. There’s no excuse for that,” he said. “A decision was made that this was a barricaded subject situation, there was time to retrieve the keys and wait for a tactical team with the equipment to go ahead and breach the door and take on the subject at that point.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That was the decision, that was the thought process at that particular point in time.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to audio evidence from the time of the shooting, Ramos fired almost 100 shots inside classrooms 111 and 112 about 11.30am.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two minutes later, three officers entered the school from the same back door Ramos came in from.</p> <p dir="ltr">About 12.03pm, there were at least 19 officers standing in the hallways but it was only at 12.50 pm that police used a key from the janitor to open the classroom doors.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was then they shot Ramos dead.</p> <p dir="ltr">Texas Governor Greg Abbott slammed the police for their response telling them to “get to the very seconds of exactly what happened with 100 per cent accuracy and explain it to the public and most importantly to the victims who have been devastated,”</p> <p dir="ltr">“There will be ongoing investigations that detail exactly who knew what when, who was in charge and what strategy (was used), why was it that particular strategy was employed, why were other strategies not employed?” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Bottom line would be, why did they not choose the strategy that would have been best to get in there to eliminate the killer and to rescue the children.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

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Meghan Markle visits memorial of school shooting victims

<p>Meghan Markle has visited a memorial dedicated to the 19 children and two teachers killed at school earlier this week. </p> <p>The victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas were between the ages of seven and 10, including teachers Irma Garcia and Eva Mireles.</p> <p>The Duchess of Sussex arrived at the memorial on Thursday and lay a bouquet of white roses among several others.</p> <p>She also walked past each of the white crossed which had the names of all the victims who lost their lives on Tuesday. </p> <p>Gunman Salvador Rolando Ramos, 18, was armed with a gun when he stormed the elementary school on Tuesday and killed the young victims and their teachers.</p> <p>He was then allegedly killed by the responding officers.</p> <p>The murdered children have since been identified as 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza, 10-year-old Alexandria Aniyah Rubio, 10-year-old Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, fourth grader Eliahana Cruz Torres, 9-year-old Eliana “Ellie” Garcia, 10-year-old Jackie Cazares, 10-year-old  Jailah Nicole Silguero, 10-year-old cousins Jayce Luevanos and Jailah Nicole Silguero, 10-year-old Jose Flores, 10-year-old Makenna Lee Elrod, Maite Rodriguez, Nevaeh Bravo, 10-year-old Rojelio Torres, Tess Marie Mata, 8-year-old Uziyah Garcia, and 10-year-old Xavier Lopez.</p> <p>Teachers Irma Garcia, 46, and Eva Mireles, 44, selflessly put themselves in front of the children in defence but were also killed.  </p> <p><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

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Husband of Texas school shooting victim dies “due to grief”

<p dir="ltr">The husband of one of the teachers killed in the <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/21-dead-at-primary-school-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mass shooting in Texas</a> has suffered a heart attack and died just two days later.</p> <p dir="ltr">Joe Garcia was married to Irma Garcia, <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/victims-of-the-texas-primary-school-shooting-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of two faculty members</a> who were fatally shot by 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two days after his wife passed away, Mr Garcia died of a heart attack.</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple had been together since high school and leave behind four children, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/joe-irma-garcia-texas-shooting-dead-b2088371.html?utm_content=Echobox&amp;utm_medium=Social&amp;utm_source=Facebook&amp;fbclid=IwAR3ME_I96lfeL_U8FWo-YXPmPGGy96juTVn8iUtWhTNN6bBS1C7T0tfLRvE#Echobox=1653590028" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dallas News</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">One family member confirmed his passing on Twitter, saying he “passed away due to grief”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ff721ede-7fff-5648-9873-718846ccbea2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">John Martinez, Ms Garcia’s nephew, also took to Twitter to share his grief, writing: “EXTREMELY heartbreaking and come with deep sorrow to say that my Tia (aunt) Irma’s husband Joe Garcia has passed away due to grief”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">EXTREMELY heartbreaking and come with deep sorrow to say that my Tia Irma’s husband Joe Garcia has passed away due to grief, i truly am at a loss for words for how we are all feeling, PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY, God have mercy on us, this isn’t easy <a href="https://t.co/GlUSOutRVV">pic.twitter.com/GlUSOutRVV</a></p> <p>— john martinez ❤️‍🔥 (@fuhknjo) <a href="https://twitter.com/fuhknjo/status/1529870121023557632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I am at a loss for words for how we are feeling,” Mr Martinez continued. “PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY, God have mercy on us, this isn’t easy.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/joe-irma-garcia?utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&amp;utm_medium=more&amp;utm_source=customer&amp;fs=e&amp;s=cl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page has been set up by Ms Garcia’s cousin to raise funds for the family and her funeral expenses, describing the 46-year-old teacher as “sweet, kind, [and] loving”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She sacrificed herself protecting the kids in her classroom,” the page says. “She was a hero. She was loved by many and will truly be missed.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In an update, her cousin shared the news of Mr Garcia’s death.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I truly believe Joe died of a broken heart and losing the love of his life of more than 25 years was too much to bear,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">As of publication, $USD 532,553 has been donated by more than 12,000 people, surpassing the $USD 10,000 goal at least 50 times over.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-26c63dc8-7fff-9540-0f5a-5d3bcfe17a59"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Garcia worked as a fourth grade teacher at Robb Elementary School for 23 years before she was killed and had been recognised for her excellence as an educator. In 2019, she was named as a finalist for the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching, which recognises exceptional teachers in the San Antonio area.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Eva Mireles and Irma Garcia were two of the greatest teachers Uvalde, TX has ever known. Their classroom was full of fun, growth, giggles, teamwork, and, most of all, love. Their legacy will live in the hearts of our community forever. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/uvaldestrong?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#uvaldestrong</a> <a href="https://t.co/Es95ZIURUi">pic.twitter.com/Es95ZIURUi</a></p> <p>— Natalie Arias, M.Ed. (@natariastx) <a href="https://twitter.com/natariastx/status/1529332348415795200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Eva Mireles, a second teacher killed in Tuesday’s attack, shared a classroom with Ms Garcia and worked with both English and Spanish speaking students.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her cousin and grandmother shared their grief on social media, with her cousin describing her as a “beautiful” person.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My beautiful cousin! Such a devastating day for us all! My heart is shattered into a million pieces,” Arizmendi Mireles wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">On the school’s website, Ms Mireles described herself as a mother of a college graduate and said she loved running and hiking with her “fun and loving” family.</p> <p dir="ltr">She leaves behind her husband, Robb Ruiz, a school police officer, and their daughter Adalynn Ruiz.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-502c34d9-7fff-ad56-f362-2376836dfc09"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: GoFundMe</em></p>

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Victims of the Texas primary school shooting identified

<p>The innocent faces of the Robb Elementary School <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/21-dead-at-primary-school-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shooting</a> in Uvalde, Texas, have been identified. </p> <p>Among the deceased were at least 19 school children and two teachers, who died at the hands of 18-year-old shooter Salvador Ramos. </p> <p>The children who died were between the ages of seven and 10, with some of them having just received awards for great school work.</p> <p>Amerie Jo Garza was one of the first children to be confirmed dead. She had celebrated her 10th birthday just two weeks ago, and was shot while trying to call emergency services.</p> <p>A member of Amerie's family wrote on Facebook, "Please don't take a second for granted. Hug your family. Tell them you love them." </p> <p>Among the other young victims were 10-year-old Alexandria Aniyah Rubio, 10-year-old Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, fourth grader Eliahana Cruz Torres, 9-year-old Eliana “Ellie” Garcia, 10-year-old Jackie Cazares, 10-year-old  Jailah Nicole Silguero, 10-year-old cousins Jayce Luevanos and Jailah Nicole Silguero, 10-year-old Jose Flores, 10-year-old Makenna Lee Elrod, Maite Rodriguez, Nevaeh Bravo, 10-year-old Rojelio Torres, Tess Marie Mata, 8-year-old Uziyah Garcia, and 10-year-old Xavier Lopez.</p> <p>At least two teachers also died during the tragedy, who have been identified as fourth grade teacher Irma Garcia and 44-year-old teacher Eva Mireles.</p> <p>While police continue to have the school locked down as a crime scene for their investigation, locals have begun laying flowers at the welcome sign of the school in remembrance of those who have died. </p> <p>In an emotional press conference about the shooting, Texas politician Beto O’Rourke erupted with anger as he called out state governor Greg Abbott for "doing nothing" to prevent the unimaginable tragedy. </p> <p>“The time to stop the next shooting is now and you’re doing nothing!” Mr O’Rourke shouted at Mr Abbott during the televised briefing with a slew of other Texas officials.</p> <p>Don McLaughlin, the mayor of Uvalde, Texas, where the shooting occurred, yelled back angrily at Mr O’Rourke.</p> <p>“I can’t believe that you’re a sick son of a b**ch that would come to a deal like this to make a political issue,” Mr McLaughlin said, according to the Texas Tribune.</p> <p>At one point, Mr O’Rourke, a Democrat who is running for governor of the state, also said that the shooting was “totally predictable”.</p> <p>Mr O’Rourke was then escorted out of the building, where he blasted his political rival to reporters outside.</p> <p>“The majority of Texas is not reflected by that Governor or those people around the table who talk about mental health care and say that this is pure evil but that it is completely unpredictable,” said Mr O’Rourke, a former congressman from El Paso, Texas, who has been vocal about gun control since a 2020 mass shooting there. </p> <p>“This is predictable. It will happen and it will continue to happen until we change course.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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