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President Trump has threatened to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, New York, Seattle, Baltimore, San Francisco and Portland, Ore., to fight what he says is runaway crime. Yet data show most violent crime in those places and around the country has declined in recent years.

Homicides through the first six months of 2025 were down significantly compared with the same period in 2024, continuing a post-pandemic trend across the U.S.

Trump, who has already taken federal control of police in Washington, D.C., has maligned the six Democratic-run cities that all are in states that opposed him in 2024. But he hasn’t threatened sending in the Guard to any major cities in Republican-leaning states.

John Roman, a data expert who directs the Center on Public Safety & Justice at the University of Chicago, acknowledged violence in some urban neighborhoods has persisted for generations. But he said there’s no U.S. city where there “is really a crisis.”

“We’re at a remarkable moment in crime in the United States,” he said.

Public sees things differently

Trump might be tapping somewhat into public perception when he describes cities such as Chicago as a “killing field.” The vast majority of Americans, 81%, see crime as a “major problem” in large cities, according to a survey released this week by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, though there is much less support, 32%, for federal control of police.

The public was reminded this week that shootings remain a frequent event in the U.S. In Minneapolis, which has seen homicides and most other crime fall, a shooter killed two children attending a Catholic school Mass on Wednesday and wounded 17 a day after three people died in separate shootings elsewhere in the city.

Still, over time, the picture is encouraging, according to numbers from AH Datalytics, which tracks crimes across the country using law enforcement data for its Real-Time Crime Index.

Aggravated assaults — which includes nonfatal shootings — through June were down in Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Baltimore and San Francisco and were virtually unchanged in New York. Reports of rape were up in New York and Chicago during the first half of the year, but down in the other cities, including a 51% drop in San Francisco.

The crime index also showed that property crimes, such as theft, burglary and motor vehicle theft, were mostly down in those six cities in the first six months of 2025. Theft crimes rose from 2020-24 in four of the six cities analyzed by AP.

Cities defend safety strategies

Trump exaggerated and misstated facts about crime in Washington when his administration took over the D.C. police department and flooded the capital with federal agents and the National Guard. He referred to Baltimore, 40 miles away, as a “hellhole” during a Cabinet meeting and has said he might “send in the ‘troops.’ ”

“I’m not walking in Baltimore right now,” Trump said.

Yet Baltimore has shown drops in major crime, according to the crime index. Homicides and rapes were down 25% or more in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. Homicides were down for three consecutive years through 2024 and were 35% lower when compared with 2018.

“Deploying the National Guard for municipal policing purposes is not sustainable, scalable, constitutional, or respectful,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, said on social media site X.

Baltimore has found ways to reduce violence by offering mentorship, social services and job opportunities to young people likely to commit crimes, said Michael Scott, director of the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing at Arizona State University and a former police chief in Florida.

“That approach has resulted in more significant reductions in shootings and homicides than any other strategy I’ve seen in the over 50 years I’ve been in the field,” Scott said.

Vice President JD Vance told a Wisconsin crowd on Thursday that governors and mayors should ask the Trump administration for help.

“The president of the United States is not going out there forcing this on anybody,” Vance said of using the National Guard, “though we do think that we have the legal right to clean up America’s streets if we want to.”

Tales of different cities

Trump doesn’t seem to disparage big cities in states that favor Republicans. Charlotte, N.C., had 105 homicides in 2024 compared with 88 in 2023. The rate of vehicle thefts per 100,000 people more than doubled there from 2020-24. Indianapolis had a homicide rate of 19 per 100,000 residents in 2024 — more than four times higher than New York’s.

Amy Holt, 48, who recently moved to Charlotte from a gated community in northern Virginia, said someone tried to steal her husband’s car in their new city. She also found bullets on the ground while walking with dogs.

There’s no discussion about sending the National Guard to Charlotte. Holt believes most cities should be trusted to be in charge of public safety, adding that troops in uniforms would be “alarming” and “scary.”

Democratic-elected officials in cities targeted by Trump have publicly rejected suggestions that their residents need the National Guard. “Crime is at its lowest point in decades, visitors are coming back, and San Francisco is on the rise,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said.

Experts question just how effective the National Guard would be and where troops would be deployed in cities.

“It’s going to make residents think: Things must be much worse than I realize to have the military in my neighborhood. What’s going on?” Scott said. “It’s more likely to generate undue fear and apprehension than it will lead to perceptions of reassurance and safety.”

White and Keller write for the Associated Press. White reported from Detroit and Keller reported from Albuquerque, N.M. AP video journalist Erik Verduzco in Charlotte, N.C., contributed to this report.

Aug. 29 (UPI) — The two children killed in Wednesday’s church shooting in Minneapolis have been identified by their families.

The two children were killed Wednesday when a gunman opened fire at the church of the Annunciation Catholic School where students and parishioners had been assembled for Mass.

Jesse Merkel identified one of the deceased as his 8-year-old son, Fletcher Merkel, during a press conference outside of the school on Thursday.

“Yesterday, a coward decided to take our 8-year-old son, Fletcher, away from us. Because of their actions, we will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming,” Jesse Merkel said.

“Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking and any sport that he was allowed to play.”

He added that they are not asking for sympathy, but empathy as his family and the community grieve.

“Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life,” he said.

The second deceased victim was identified as 10-year-old Harper Moyski, according to a statement from the family.

“Harper was a bright, joyful and deeply loved 10-year-old whose laughter, kindness and spirit touched everyone who knew her,” Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin said in the statement.

“Our hearts are broken not only as parents, but also for Harper’s sister, who adored her big sister and is grieving an unimaginable loss. As a family, we are shattered, and words cannot capture the depth of our pain.”

Eighteen others, including 15 children aged 6 and 15 and three adult parishioners in their 80s, were wounded in the shooting.

The Minneapolis Police Department earlier Thursday increased the casualty count from 17 after an identifying another injured child.

The suspect, 23-year-old Robin Westman, reportedly a former student and transgender woman, was found dead at the scene from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police said in a statement the shooter used three different firearms in the shooting, with officers recovering 116 rifle casings, three shotgun shells and one live pistol round from the scene.

Video surveillance of the shooting confirmed the gunman was unable to enter the church and fired into the church from outside.

“The practice of locking the doors once Mass began likely prevented a worse incident,” the Minneapolis Police Department said. “At the same time, the suspect attempted to barricade a door from the outside, preventing exit from the church.”

Mayor Jacob Frey said following the shooting that “it could have been far worse.”

A motive for the shooting was not clear.

On Thursday, police said four search warrants were executed at the church and three other locations in the Metro Minneapolis area, resulting in officers finding additional firearms.

Hundreds of pieces of evidence were also recovered, they said.

THE first child victim of the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting has been named as eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel.

Fletcher was one of two children killed during mass at Annunciation Catholic School on Wednesday as his father paid a heartbreaking tribute.

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In a heartbreaking statement dad Jessie said: “Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking, and any sports that he was allowed to play.

“While the hole in our hearts and lives will never be filled, I hope that in time, our family can find healing.”

The devastated father added that Fletcher was “on the path to becoming to a wonderful young man”.

Sick lone gunman Robin Westman, 23, fired over 100 bullets at defenseless kids and teachers in the horror attack.

He later turned the gun on himself before police could arrive.

Jessie didn’t say Robin’s name as spoke today but instead referred to him as a “coward”.

He blamed him for taking away Fletcher’s loved one’s ability to “hold him, talk to him, play with him, and watch him grow”.

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Aug. 28 (UPI) — In Minneapolis, people of all faiths have united in mourning after Wednesday’s church school shooting that killed two children.

Minneapolis officials have added another victim to the total from yesterday’s mass shooting at the Church of the Annunciation.

Current totals now are two children, ages 8 and 19, who were killed by shooter Robin Westman, who died by gun suicide at the scene, according to Minneapolis officials.

Another 15 children and minors between ages 6 and 15 were injured, along with three adult parishioners who were attending the morning school mass at the church in south Minneapolis.

Hundreds of people gathered at Lynnhurst Park in the city on Wednesday evening to mourn the two children who were killed. Many left flowers and candles.

A memorial prayer was held at the Academy of Holy Angels at 8:58 p.m. after starting late to accommodate hundreds of attendees, the Star Tribune reported.

“I was very moved to see how many churches were having prayer services this evening, how many of our Protestant brothers and sisters [attended],” Archbishop Bernard Hebda told those in attendance.

“I received messages today from the Jewish community, from the Muslim community,” Hebda added. “I know there are representatives from both of those groups who are here.”

Hebda read a message from Pope Leo, as written by Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

“He sends his heartfelt condolences and the assurance of spiritual closeness to all those affected by this terrible tragedy,” Hebda said.

The Minneapolis Police Department increased its patrols near the school, and city officials are coordinating with the St. Paul Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement to provide added security at all schools in the city’s metro area for the next couple of weeks.

A news conference was scheduled at 1 p.m. CDT at Minneapolis City Hall and was to include local officials, law enforcement and members of Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action.

Westman, 23, legally purchased the rifle, shotgun and pistol used to carry out the attack at the religious school for children in pre-K through eighth grade.

Westman once attended the Annunciation Catholic School, and Westman’s mother formerly was a teacher.

Westman was born Robert Westman but, according to Fox News, changed his name to Robin in 2019. CNN reported that Westman graduated from Annunciation’s grade school in 2017, based on a yearbook photo.

Local officials say Westman acted alone, and local police obtained four search warrants for the church and three other locations in Minneapolis, which led to the recovery of several more firearms.

A motive remains unknown, but Westman had posted a manifesto online, along with photos of firearms and ammunition magazines upon which he had written various statements.

The online content has been removed, and the FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime against Catholics, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post on X.

At least two children were killed and more than a dozen others injured in a mass shooting at a Catholic school in the US city of Minneapolis. A church service was underway when police say a shooter began firing through the windows.

A GUNMAN who allegedly killed two police officers could be hiding in a cave as his family handed themselves in.

A major manhunt is still underway for Dezi Bird Freeman, 56, who allegedly gunned down “execution style” three officers who were conducting a search warrant at a property in Porepunkah, Australia, on Tuesday morning.

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Police sources told the Herald Sun it was a “straight-out execution” when Freeman allegedly opened fire with a shotgun as officers entered a bus where he and his family live.

A 59-year-old detective, just days from retirement, and a 35-year-old senior constable were killed in the horror attack.

A third officer, meanwhile, was shot in the thigh and is undergoing surgery in a Melbourne hospital.

The remaining seven members of the 10-officer team were unharmed.

On Wednesday, the search for the alleged killer continued as his family, who were feared to have been kidnapped by Freeman handed themselves in to authorities late on Tuesday.

Freeman’s whereabouts, meanwhile, remain unknown with cops believing he may have fled into the nearby dense bush.

The 45-year-old is well known to police, having been in and out of court for driving and traffic offences, defying police orders, and verbally abusing a judge in a roadside drug-test case last year.

In 2021, he was arrested at an anti-government protest. He has also previously compared police to Nazis.

Australian outlets are reporting that Freeman is a self-declared “sovereign citizen” – part of a fringe movement that rejects the authorities of Australian laws and government.

Often called “SovCits”, adherents have been Australia for decades, with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) previously describing them as mostly harmless.

But the movement has gained traction in recent years, fuelled by pandemic-era mistrust, and a 2023 AFP briefing note warned it has “an underlying capacity to inspire violence”.

Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed that ten officers went to the Porepunkah property around 10.30am on Tuesday to execute a search warrant when shots were fired.

He said: “They were fired upon. The two deceased officers are still at the scene. A third officer was seriously injured and is currently in surgery in hospital.”

Bush said the other officers on scene were uninjured, but stressed the incident was “still active and ongoing”.

“We have deployed all specialist resources into the area to arrest the person responsible… [they] are currently there looking for this person.”

That includes homicide detectives, the Armed Crime Squad, the Fugitive Squad and specialist police units.

Ambulance Victoria confirmed one person with serious lower-body injuries was flown to hospital in a stable condition.

The attack unfolded in Porepunkah, a small Alpine town of about 1,000 residents, located 186 miles north-east of Melbourne.

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The local primary school was placed into lockdown and the Alpine shire council closed all public facilities “effective immediately”.

Alpine shire mayor Sarah Nicholas said it had been an “unsettling” and “emotional” afternoon for the small community.

“Today has been a day of deep sorrow and shock for our community… We are grieving together,” she said in a statement, paying tribute to the officers killed and offering “thoughts, love and unwavering” support to their families.

“We hold our police in the highest regard. They serve with courage, compassion, and dedication, and their loss is felt profoundly across our region,” she added.

Nicholas also thanked teachers at the nearby school for keeping children calm during the lockdown, and locals for heeding police instructions. She closed with a plea: “Please stay safe.”

Prime minister Anthony Albanese said: “Our thoughts are with the police for the work they do, each and every day.

“The men and women who wear the uniform of the police force, take risks each and every day.”

Premier Jacinta Allan told parliament: “Victoria police officers and all of our first responders show extraordinary bravery and courage every single day. They are the best of us.”

A large police operation remains underway in Porepunkah, with about 50 officers and a police dog reported at the scene.

The local airfield has been shut to the public to allow emergency access.

Meanwhile, locals are being warned to stay indoors, with PCC Bush saying: “I want to further assure the rural community around Bright that we will do everything to bring this person into custody so that your community is safe.

“Can I please ask you just to stay at home, not go out and about at the moment, until this operation is concluded?

“I’m leaving now to head to the area to support our officers and support the operation.”

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Aug. 17 (UPI) — A mass shooting at a Brooklyn, N.Y., nightclub left three people dead and nine others hospitalized, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Sunday.

The shooting happened at the Taste of the City lounge in the Crown Heights neighborhood around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday. Three men, ages 19, 27 and 35, died from gunshot wounds, the youngest at the scene. Those injured ranged in age from 19 to 61.

In a news conference about the shooting, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said nine people were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

She said the shooting appears to be gang related. There were up to four shooters involved, though no arrests were made as of midday Sunday.

Police recovered one firearm nearby and are investigating whether it was involved in the shooting. Tisch said 42 shell casings from 9 mm and 45-caliber firearms were recovered from the scene of the shooting.

Adams called on the public to come forward with information about the shooting.

“If you were inside the club, if you heard individuals talking about shooting, if you witnessed something fleeting the location, every piece of information would allow us to put the puzzle together to solve this crime,” he said.

Investigators believe up to four shooters opened fire with multiple weapons in the early hours of Sunday

At least three men have been killed and eight others wounded after a shooting in a crowded New York City club in Brooklyn.

Investigators believe up to four shooters opened fire with multiple weapons  early on Sunday just before 3:30am (07:30 GMT) at Taste of the City Lounge in the neighbourhood of Crown Heights after “a dispute”, New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters.

“It’s a terrible shooting that occurred in the city of New York,” Tisch said at a news briefing. She said officers are investigating at least 36 shell casings from the lounge, as well as a firearm that was discovered in a nearby street.

Those wounded in the shooting — eight men and three women — are being treated at hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries, she said.

The shooting comes amid a record low year for gun violence in New York City. “I mean, we have the lowest numbers of shooting incidents and shooting victims seven months into the year that we’ve seen on record in the city of New York,” Tisch said. “Something like this is, of course, thank God, an anomaly. And it’s a terrible thing that happened this morning, but we’re going to investigate and get to the bottom of what went down.”

A gunman who killed five people, including himself, in late July inside a midtown Manhattan office, was seeking out the headquarters of the National Football League (NFL), which he blamed for the brain injuries he suffered from, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

COPS are hunting a gunman on the loose after a dad, 50, was killed in a drive-by shooting.

Dale Stogden, known as Brett, was shot dead in Wakefield on Tuesday night.

He was gunned down outside a local pizza takeaway at around 9.43pm.

It is believed the fatal shots were fired from a Toyota RAV4 car, which was found abandoned on Wednesday. 

West Yorkshire Police said: “Three men have been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Brett Stogden in Wakefield.  

“All three men have been arrested this afternoon. They are aged 19, 20 and 27, and are all from the Wakefield area.

“They are currently in police custody.

“They were arrested from addresses in Ossett and the Lupset area of Wakefield.”

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A failed political candidate was sentenced to 80 years in federal prison Wednesday for his convictions in a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of state and local lawmakers in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

A jury convicted former Republican candidate Solomon Peña earlier this year of conspiracy, weapons and other charges in the shootings in December 2022 and January 2023 on the homes of four Democratic officials in Albuquerque, including the current state House speaker.

Prosecutors, who had sought a 90-year sentence, said Peña has shown no remorse and had hoped to cause political change by terrorizing people who held contrary views to him into being too afraid to take part in political life.

Peña’s lawyers had sought a 60-year sentence, saying their client maintains that he is innocent of the charges. They have said Peña was not involved in the shootings and that prosecutors were relying on the testimony of two men who bear responsibility and accepted plea agreements in exchange for leniency.

“Today was a necessary step toward Mr. Peña’s continued fight to prove his innocence,” said Nicholas Hart, one of Peña’s attorneys. “He looks forward to the opportunity to appeal, where serious issues about the propriety of this prosecution will be addressed.”

The attacks took place as threats and acts of intimidation against election workers and public officials surged across the country after President Donald Trump and his allies called into question the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

Prosecutors said Peña resorted to violence in the belief that a “rigged” election had robbed him of victory in his bid to serve in the state Legislature.

The shootings targeted the homes of officials including two county commissioners after their certification of the 2022 election, in which Peña lost by nearly 50 percentage points. No one was injured, but in one case bullets passed through the bedroom of a state senator’s 10-year-old daughter.

Two other men who had acknowledged helping Peña with the attacks had previously pleaded guilty to federal charges and received yearslong prison sentences.

Aug. 14 (UPI) — A failed GOP candidate in New Mexico has been sentenced to 80 years behind bars for orchestrating a shooting spree targeting his perceived political adversaries following his defeat in the 2022 midterm elections, which he believed was rigged against him.

Solomon Pena, 42, was sentenced Wednesday, to 960 months in prison, a fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release, the Justice Department said in a statement.

“Violence and intimidation have no place in our elections,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison said. “This sentence shows that through the tireless work of our agents and prosecutors, we will protect our democracy and bring offenders to justice.”

A federal jury convicted Pena in March of one count of conspiracy, four counts of intimidation and interference with federally protected activities and several firearms charges, as well as three counts of solicitation to commit a crime of violence.

Pena ran as a Republican for the District 14 seat in the New Mexico House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm elections, and was handily defeated by Democrat Miguel Garcia, who secured 74% of the vote.

“I never conceded my HD 14 race,” he said in a statement published to what was then called Twitter, now X, following the election, with a picture of himself wearing a red “Make America Great Again” sweatshirt and flags supporting Donald Trump‘s 2024 re-election campaign.

“Now researching my options,” he said.

Following the election, the failed political candidate cried foul and was accused of pressuring members of the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners not to certify the results.

Authorities said he had visited several of their homes to lodge complaints over voter fraud and election rigging. When they did not acquiesce to his demands, Pena turned violent.

Shortly after he visited the commissioners, several of their homes were shot at between Dec. 4, 2022, and Jan. 3, 2023 — specifically, the home of Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa on Dec. 4, New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martinez on Dec. 8, former Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley on Dec. 11 and State Sen. Linda Lopez on Jan. 3.

Pena was arrested mid-January 2023 amid a hunt for a suspect. Inside his vehicle, authorities found two guns, 800 fentanyl pills and cash.

Federal prosecutors said the shootings were the product of a conspiracy involving four men Pena paid to shoot up their houses. The prosecutors also said that while in jail, he tried to solicit inmates to murder witnesses to prevent their testimony during his trial.

Two co-conspirators — Jose Trujillo and Demetrio Trujillo — previously pleaded guilty to their involvement in the crime, with the former being sentenced to 37 months in prison and the latter, 180 months.

Tory Lanez’s attempt to submit new evidence and challenge his 2022 felony conviction has collapsed.

Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, brought forward two petitions in his case, which concerns the 2020 shooting of hip-hop artist Megan Thee Stallion. According to Complex, one involved Peterson’s driver not testifying and the other sought to bring forward a new statement from a security guard for Kelsey Harris, the victim’s former best friend. Both were subsequently denied Tuesday by the California Court of Appeals.

Peterson’s legal team alleged at a press conference in May that Bradley Jennings, who was working as a bodyguard and driver for Harris, approached them and said he had witnessed a conversation in which Harris said “she had the gun, she fired it three times, Mr. Peterson grabbed her arm and knocked it down, and the gun fired two more times.”

An attorney for Lanez added, “In essence, Mr. Peterson never shot anybody.”

Megan Thee Stallion’s team was quick to respond, issuing a statement the next day.

“Tory Lanez was tried and convicted by a jury of his peers and his case was properly adjudicated through the court system,” they wrote, per XXL Magazine. “This is not a political matter — this is a case of a violent assault that was resolved in the court of law.”

Peterson is serving a 10-year sentence after being convicted of assault with a firearm, possession of a concealed firearm and negligent discharge of a gun. He has an active main appeal set for oral argument Aug. 18.

This is not the first time the 30-year-old rapper has seen his efforts to revive the case shot down. In May 2023, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge denied his motion for a new trial.

Judge David Herriford rejected arguments from Peterson’s defense team, which claimed that evidence had been wrongly submitted in the December 2022 trial he presided over. “I could be your son. I could be your brother,” the rapper pleaded, but to no avail.

Three months later, in August 2023, he received his 10-year sentence.

Aug. 12 (UPI) — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has visited the CDC headquarters in Atlanta where a police officer was killed in a shooting that is believed to have targeted the national public health agency.

Kennedy was led by CDC security on a tour of the Roybal Campus on Monday, HHS said in a statement, with HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill and CDC Director Susan Monarez in attendance.

Little information about the tour was made public aside from shattered windows across multiple buildings on campus being pointed out to Kennedy.

Kennedy also visited the DeKalb County Police Department, which lost office David Rose in the shooting. The HHS secretary also visited with Rose’s widow, the statement said.

“He offered his deepest condolences and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to honoring officer Rose’s bravery, sacrifice and service to the nation,” HHS said.

Rose was fatally shot while responding to the shooting at the CDC headquarters on Friday.

The suspected gunman, 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White, was shot dead by police at the scene.

At least 180 shots were fired during the incident, hitting at least 150 windows and doors at the CDC headquarters, CBS News reported, citing two people with knowledge of the police investigation.

Authorities believe that White targeted the CDC over health problems he blamed on the COVID-19 vaccine.

The shooting came on the heels of Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, pulling $500 million in funding from developing vaccines using mRNA technology, which was used to develop the COVID-19 vaccine.

Despite support from the medical community for such research and medical therapies, Kennedy claimed “the technology poses more risks than benefits.”

Before his visit, the union representing thousands of workers at the CDC on Sunday called on Kennedy and CDC leadership to make “a clear and unequivocal stance in condemning vaccine disinformation.”

“The deliberate targeting of CDC through this violent act is deeply disturbing, completely unacceptable and an attack on every public servant,” the union said.

“Early reports indicate the gunman was motivated by vaccine disinformation, which continues to pose a dangerous threat to public health and safety.”

Aug. 10 (UPI) — One man was killed and 5 others injured in a shooting in Baltimore Saturday night, police said.

Victims ranged in age between 5 and 52 years, and a 5-year-old girl was shot in the hand. A 38-year-old man died from his injuries, police reported. The other victims received non life-threatening injuries.

Witnesses reported a block party taking place in the 5100 block of Queensbury Ave. blocks from Baltimore’s famous Pimlico horse racing track shortly before the shooting, which police said was reported about 8:45 p.m. EDT, according to local news reports.

“Once on scene, officers located six victims suffering from gunshot wounds, four males and two females,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said during a news conference. “One of the victims is a 5-year-old girl. All of the victims were transported to area hospitals for treatment.”

Aug. 9 (UPI) — Three people were injured and one person was arrested after an early-morning shooting in New York City’s Times Square Saturday.

An 18-year-old woman, 19-year-old man and 65-year-old man were all taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries, the New York Times reported.

Police arrested a 17-year-old youth following the shooting, which took place around 1:20 a.m. EDT near 7th Avenue and West 44th Street, the New York Post reported, citing sources within the New York Police Department.

Police have not publicly confirmed the identity of the suspect.

Gunshots reportedly broke out after a confrontation between two groups.

The incident happened near the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square. The iconic tourist area of Manhattan is visited by some 50 million people annually.

The incident took place less than a month after a shooting at a New York City high-rise on Park Avenue that left four people dead, including an NYPD officer.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams had not commented publicly on the latest violence, as of 1 p.m. EDT Saturday.

Adams, who is in the thick of a re-election campaign posted on X Friday about an NYPD public safety initiative.

“We can keep New Yorker[s] safe by having police officers and community members working together. I know it from walking the beat,” he wrote.

This week, New York City’s Campaign Finance Board rejected a request for more than $3 million in matching campaign funds from Adams. The board cited “incomplete and misleading information” as the reason for its decision.

Aug. 9 (UPI) — The suspected gunman in the attack that killed a police officer near the Emory University campus and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s headquarters was identified Saturday morning.

One day after the shooting on Friday night, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said that Patrick Joseph White, 30, of Kennesaw, Ga., was the killer.

WXIA-TV posted video from outside the home of the suspected shooter on Friday night where there was crime scene tape.

GBI is the lead investigator, and has been working with the Atlanta, DeKalb County and Emory police, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Emory, with an enrollment of 5,727, was on lockdown for a few hours, while the CDC had a shelter in place order at its Roybal Campus until the late evening. The school said Saturday there will be increased police presence throughout the weekend.

David Rose, a 33-year-old police officer for the DeKalb department, died while responding to the shooting. Rose, who joined the department in September and was a retired U.S. Marine, had two children with his wife, who is pregnant.

“This officer responded to the call as he did, as he was trained to do, and during that incident he received gunfire and he lost his life in this incident,” interim Police Chief Gregory Padrick said. “He was committed to serving the community. It’s a noble profession we all do. We answer the call to serve our community and he gave his life with a commitment to serve others.”

Rose was the only person shot during the attack, which started just before 5 p.m. at the Emory Point CVS drugstore on Clifton Road. White was found dead from a gunshot wound on the second floor. It wasn’t disclosed whether he was shot by law enforcement or whether it was self-inflicted.

The shooting occurred across the street from the CDC campus, where there were bullet holes in windows and shattered glass on the floor. Some rounds of ammunition also flew just above office cubicles.

CDC Director Susan Monerez told employees to work remotely while a “security assessment” is conducted at the campus.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Friday the suspect was “known to have some interest in certain things that I can’t reiterate right now with any confidence until the investigation is fully conducted.”

CNN reported the shooter was upset about health problems blamed on the Covid-19 vaccine recommended by the CDC and approved by the Federal Drug Administration in 2020 with Emergency Use Authorization and full approval for certain ages in 2021 for Pfizer-BioNTech and in 2022 for Moderna.

Aug. 8 (UPI) — Officials in Atlanta announced Friday that the man suspected to have shot two transit police officers in the city’s downtown area has been captured.

A Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, or MARTA, spokesperson has confirmed the alleged shooter was arrested in Guntersville, Ala.

The suspect, who has not yet been publicly named, allegedly shot two MARTA officers at the Five Points station Thursday evening.

The officers reportedly spotted the man urinating near a platform inside the station. Police said he pulled out a gun and fired several times when they tried to arrest him..

One of the arresting officers was shot in the arm, while the other was grazed in the knee and suffered to some hearing loss due to gunfire close to the ear, MARTA Police Chief M. Scott Kreher said.

Police were able to spot the suspect exiting at train at the West End MARTA station, and investigators have since recovered a gun believed to have been thrown by him onto the station’s roof.

It is unclear how the suspect traveled from Alabama.

Aug. 8 (UPI) — The suspected shooter on Emory University’s downtown Atlanta campus on Friday is dead and a DeKalb County officer responding to the incident was killed, authorities said.

The shooting occurred before 5 p.m. EDT at Emory Point CVS, which is part of a shopping center of restaurants, shops and apartments where some students live, CNN reported. No civilians were injured, police said.

Police believe the suspected shooter targeted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because he believes the Covid-19 vaccine made him sick, and it was approved by the agency, a law enforcement official told CNN.

The unnamed officer, married and father of three, died from his injuries, interim DeKalb County Police Department Chief Greg Padrick said.

“He was committed to serving the community. At this time we are asking for the community’s prayers,” Padrick said at a news conference. “It’s a noble profession we all do. We answer the call to serve our community and he gave his life to a commitment to serve others.”

“This evening there is a wife without a husband,” DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said. “There are three children, one unborn, without a father.

“There is a mother and a father, as well as siblings, who also share in this traumatic loss.”

The Atlanta Police Department can’t confirm why the police officer was present in its jurisdiction.

“It’s not uncommon for patrol patterns to cross multiple jurisdictions that may share the space,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters. “Was he going to work? Was he coming home from work? We don’t know if he was on patrol.”

Schierbaum said multiple rounds struck four nearby Centers for Disease Control and Prevention buildings.

The police chief said 911 calls about an active shooting were received around 4:50 p.m. in front of the CDC campus.

Responding officers found the critically injured DeKalb County officer.

The suspect died on the second floor of the CVS of gunshot wounds, police said.

“We do not know at this time if it was an officer’s or if it was self-inflicted,” Schierbaum said

A shelter-in-place remained in effect late Friday at the CDC, which is a mile from the Emory campus.

“We at CDC are heartbroken by today’s attack on our Roybal Campus, which remains on lockdown as authorities investigate the shooting,” CDC Director Susan Monarez said in a statement.

She said the CDC is cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation.

At 5:31 p.m., Emory’s Office of Critical Events Preparedness and Response instructed people to shelter in place on the private college’s campus.

About one hour later, a DeKalb County official said the situation was contained and there was no active threat, NBC News reported. But county residents should remain indoors as a precaution during the investigation.

Police said there was a single shooter.

The father of the alleged shooter’s father called law enforcement before the shooting to report that he believed his son was suicidal, a law enforcement official told CNN.

A CDC employee told CNN a man approached the steps of a building at the agency’s campus, put a backpack down, pulled out a rifle, and shot at the building.

Chris Weaver told WXIA that he believed he heard the shots.

“I was stunned at first,” he said, adding he thought he was safe.

The FBI sent agents to assist local law enforcement. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation.

This was the second shooting in Georgia in the past week.

On Wednesday, an active-duty soldier opened fire at Fort Stewart, injuring five service members. The suspected shooter was taken into custody.

Fort Stewart, which is part of the Savannah metropolitan area, is 243 miles southeast from Emory.

Gov. Brian Kemp posted on X: “Twice this week, deranged criminals have targeted innocent Georgians. Each time, brave first responders rushed toward the danger to subdue the shooter and save lives, reminding us of just how crucial they are.”

Emory is a liberal arts research university with enrollment of 5,727.

Aug. 8 (UPI) — The suspect in a shooting that killed four people at a bar in rural western Montana was arrested Friday, seven days after a multiagency manhunt.

Michael Paul Brown, a 45-year-old Army veteran, was arrested at 2 p.m. local time in the search area in Anaconda, the Montana Department of Justice said.

The shooting occurred on Aug.1 in Anaconda, which is 130 miles east of Idaho and 198 miles west of Bozeman, Mont.

He is in the custody of the Anaconda-Deer Lodge authorities.

“Incredible response from law enforcement officers across Montana,” Gov. Greg Gianforte posted on X. “May God continue to be with the families of the four victims still grieving their loss.”

During a news conference, he appeared with several involved in the search. “These brave men and women in uniform sacrificed their lives and time away from family to ensure this killer was brought to justice,” he said.

Gianfort said the search was lengthy because the search terrain was rugged as personnel spent hours climbing over these mountains looking for this criminal.”

Brown was on the run in what authorities describe as the “biggest shooting” in the state in a decade.

Surveillance video captured Brown fleeing Old Owl Bar where he lived next door. His white Ford F150 was found on the day of the shooting.

“We think that was directly correlated to flushing him out today — getting him down into an area that we know we had searched before,” Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said. “It was not someplace he’d been hiding. He was flushed out.”

He was armed.

Authorities with 38 agencies — local, state and federal — were searching for him, including in the western Montana wilderness.

“I am proud of the unrelenting law enforcement effort this week to find and arrest Michael Paul Brown,” Knudsen said at the news conference. “The support we’ve seen for the community of Anaconda from across the state and the nation has also been remarkable.”

Killed were bartender Nancy Kelley, 64; and three patrons: Daniel Baillie, 59; Nancy Kelley, 64; David Leach, 70, and Tony Palm, 74.

“It just isn’t real. It’s totally overwhelming,” said Cassandra Dutra, a bartender at the Owl Bar who wasn’t working at the time, said in a CNN report.

He was a known regular at the bar.

Brown served in the Iraq war and the Montana National Guard.