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Four Dead, Including Two Military Personnel, in Possible Murder-Suicide in Coronado CA

January 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment

More New Year’s Day violence as four people were found dead in a possible murder-suicide in Coronado early Sunday morning. Two of the victims appear to be military personnel, according to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which is assisting in the investigation.

The Sheriff’s Department SWAT team found one body in the doorway of the condo in Park Place when they arrived and a robotic device was used to search the apartment, where three more bodies were found. The victims include three men and a woman.

Naval Base Coronado included a training site for Navy SEALs and there are also aircraft carriers and helicopter squadrons housed in the area, Reuters reports. Don Hubbard told the San Diego Union-Tribune that his neighbors,  three young naval personnel receiving training at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station and he saw one of the roommates dead outside the condo Sunday morning.

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Benjamin Colton Barnes Named as “Strong Person of Interest” in Death of Ranger Margaret Anderson

January 1, 2012 by 9 Comments

Iraq war veteran Benjamin Colton Barnes named as a “strong person of interest” in the shooting death of Mt. Rainier National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson, said to have military experience and survivalist skills.

benjamin barnes colton Benjamin Colton Barnes Named as Strong Person of Interest in Death of Ranger Margaret Anderson

Benjamin Colton Barnes Named as "Strong Person of Interest" in Death of Ranger Margaret Anderson (KOMO-TV)

Iraq war veteran Benjamin Colton Barnes has been named as a “strong person of interest” in the shooting death of Mt. Rainier National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson on New Year’s Day. Benjamin Colton Barnes is said to have military experience and possesses skills to stay out in the wild. Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer says the man’s vehicle was recovered, which had weapons and body armor, The News Tribune reports. Police are still searching the park for a gunman.

KOMO-TV is reporting that Benjamin Colton Barnes is also a suspect in a shooting this morning in Skyway that injured four people,with three reportedly dead. The gunfire erupted after he returned to the home in the 6200 block of S. 117th Place shortly after he was asked to leave after a dispute.

Barnes was involved in a custody dispute in Tacoma in July 2011, during which the toddler’s mother sought a temporary restraining order against him, according to court documents. In an affidavit, the woman wrote that Barnes was suicidal and possibly suffered from PTSD after deploying to Iraq in 2007-2008. She said he gets easily irritated, angry and depressed and keeps an arsenal of weapons in his home. Source

If Benjamin Colton Barnes is found alive and arrested, the defense lawyer will use the insanity angle because of the PTSD. There is no justification for this gun violence, PTSD or not.

UPDATE (01/02/12):  Body Found in Hunt for Benjamin Colton Barnes Who Shot Park Ranger Margaret Anderson in Mt. Rainier National Park.

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Gun Sales Surge in US to Record Numbers for Christmas, Tops 1.5 Million Background Checks in December

January 1, 2012 by 1 Comment

Gun sales surge in U.S. for Christmas to highest levels on fears stalled economy will lead to crime waves and tighter firearms laws in the future.

Gun sales surge in U.S. for Christmas.  According to the FBI, over 1.5 million background checks on customers were requested by gun dealers to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System in December, the UK Telegraph reports. That was the highest number ever in a single month, even surpassing the record set in November. The Telegraph reports on December 23rd alone there were 102,222 background checks, making it the second busiest single day for buying guns in history. Why the surge? One reason is a knee-jerk reaction to the possibility the stalled economy will give rise to crime waves. Another reason is that people rushed to purchase guns because they believe tougher firearms laws will be introduced in the future.

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Mt. Rainier National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson Fatally Shot, Gunman Still at Large

January 1, 2012 by 2 Comments

Mt. Rainier National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson shot to death New Year’s Day while conducting felony stop, gunman still at large. Benjamin Colton Barnes identified as “strong person of interest.”

park ranger margaret anderson 300x208 Mt. Rainier National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson Fatally Shot, Gunman Still at Large

Mt. Rainier National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson Fatally Shot, Benjamin Colton Barnes, "strong person of interest" still at large

Mt. Rainier National Park ranger Margaret Anderson, 34, was shot to death Sunday while conducting a felony stop. When officers attempted to collect the wounded officer, more shots were fired by the gunman.

A ranger at Mount Rainier National Park was shot and killed this morning. The shooting occurred at just before 11 a.m. in the Barns Flat area, about 1 mile below Paradise.The 34-year-old ranger died from her injuries.

According to Park spokesman Kevin Bacher, the suspect was stopped around 10:11 a.m. by another ranger. The suspect took off in his vehicle and was stopped by Anderson, who was monitoring a road block. Anderson was shot, and the suspect fled on foot, Bacher said. Mount Rainier National Park has been closed until further notice, and the public is being urged to stay out of the area. News helicopters have been asked to not fly overhead. Source

Ranger Margaret Anderson is survived by a husband and two children, ages two and four. Becoming a park ranger is a rewarding career that many people don’t consider. It’s a sad commentary that this woman lost her life and her children are now left without a mother. What a way to start the new year.

300px Mount Rainier National Park Mt. Rainier National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson Fatally Shot, Gunman Still at Large

Mt. Rainier National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson Fatally Shot, Gunman Still at Large. Benjamin Colton Barnes "strong person of interest" (Wikipedia)

UPDATE#1 (01/01/12): Police have identified Benjamin Colton Barnes, 24, as a “strong person of interest” in the shooting death of Ranger Margaret Anderson. Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said Barnes is believed to have military experience and has skills to survive in the wild, the Oregonian reports.

UPDATE (01/02/12):  Body Found in Hunt for Benjamin Colton Barnes Who Shot Park Ranger Margaret Anderson in Mt. Rainier National Park.

Mt. Rainier National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson Fatally Shot, Gunman Still at Large
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BREAKING NEWS: Mt. Rainier National Park Officials Say Ranger Dies after Shooting

January 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment

BREAKING NEWS (AP):  Mt. Rainier National Park officials say Ranger Margaret Anderson dies after shooting; gunman at large

BREAKING NEWS: Mt. Rainier National Park Officials Say Ranger Dies after Shooting
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Cee Lo Green Under Fire for Changing “Imagine” Lyrics to ‘All Religions True’ During NYE Performance

January 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment

R&B singer Cee Lo Green under fire for changing John Lennon’s “Imagine” lyrics from “no religion too” to “all religions true” during NBC New Year’s Eve celebration.

ceelogreen Twitter row 300x162 Cee Lo Green Under Fire for Changing Imagine Lyrics to All Religions True During NYE Performance

Cee Lo Green Under Fire for Changing "Imagine" Lyrics to 'All Religions True' During NYE Performance (Twitter)

R&B singer Cee Lo Green is under fire for swapping lyrics to John Lennon’s “Imagine” — “no religion too” to “all religions true.” He performed the ballad shortly before the ball dropped at the NBC New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square. The full line Cee Lo Green changed was: “Nothing to kill or die for, And all religions true,” and that prompted a flurry of angry reactions from atheists and Lennon fans alike on Twitter.

Cee Lo Green disrespected R&B legend Patti LaBelle last year when he sang her hit-song “Somebody Loves You Baby” during a tribute to her on BET. He addressed the audience as “motherf***ers before the censors blocked the expletive. That was an ultimate diss to Patti LaBelle, who has never used profanity in any of her songs, much less to speak to the audience in such a manner.

So, I guess Kathy Griffin stripping down to her bra during CNN’s New Year’s Eve special with a visibly shocked co-host Anderson Cooper and Jenny McCarthy kissing a NYPD officer in uniform, who she didn’t know, as the clock struck 12, aren’t the only ones who made the New Year’s Eve celebrations somewhat controversial.

Watch Cee Lo Green make a mockery out of John Lennon’s song at the 5:00 mark. 

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Des Moines Register Believes Longshot Rick Santorum Could Win Iowa Caucuses

January 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Des Moines Register believes GOP presidential hopeful and longshot Rick Santorum could still win Iowa caucus even though he hasn’t led one poll there.

300px Rick Santorum official photo Des Moines Register Believes Longshot Rick Santorum Could Win Iowa Caucuses

Des Moines Register Believes Longshot Rick Santorum Could Win Iowa Caucuses (Wikipedia)

Could GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum eke out a win in the Iowa caucases, even though he hasn’t led a single poll?  First Read breaks down Saturday night’s Des Moines Register poll and suggests he could still win.

“You can see how Santorum might be able to win this thing, especially if Perry and Gingrich supporters decide to go with the former Pennsylvania senator. What’s more, Santorum appears to have crossed a viability threshold, with just 6% of likely caucus-goers in the poll finding him the least electable in a general election. Indeed, Santorum’s closing TV ad in Iowa plays up his electability, calling him the ‘trusted conservative who gives us the best chance to take back America.’ On the other hand, you once again see how Romney can win the Iowa caucuses — with 25% or less — because the conservative vote gets divided up.”

Public Policy Polling is a great source for the latest polling information. They will release a new survey in Iowa late tonight. The social evangelicals are flocking towards Rick Santorum, who I find to be one scary candidate. He has some radical views and would turn back the clock on same sex marriages and gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, among other issues.

Des Moines Register Believes Longshot Rick Santorum Could Win Iowa Caucuses
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Dead Blackbirds Fall from Sky for Second New Year’s Eve in a Row in Beebe Ark.

January 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Twenty dead blackbirds fall from the sky in Beebe, Ark., for the second New Year’s Eve in a row. Police are blaming the fireworks for the deaths and have instituted an emergency ban on fireworks, KATV reports.  Scientists said the loud cracks and booms from celebratory fireworks sent the birds crashing into buildings, cars, and each other before falling to the ground December 31, 2010, KATV said.

 

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Rayshawn Laster Arrested for Fatally Shooting His Mother, Posted Farewell Messages on Facebook

January 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Rayshawn Laster arrested for fatally shooting his mother, Brenda Laster (Brenda Taylor), takes to Facebook to post farewell messages to friends before being taken into police custody.

rayshawn laster Rayshawn Laster Arrested for Fatally Shooting His Mother, Posted Farewell Messages on Facebook

Rayshawn Laster Arrested for Fatally Shooting His Mother, Posted Farewell Messages on Facebook (El Paso County Sheriff's Office)

Rayshawn Laster, 26, of Colorado Springs, who was suspected of fatally shooting his mother, took to Facebook to say goodbye to his friends. Rayshawn Laster was taken into custody early Saturday morning as a suspect for shooting his mother, Brenda Laster, in the head Friday night and an attempted car jacking. Brenda Laster, 49, was found suffering from a gunshot wound in her Security-Widefield home at about 7:55 p.m. and was pronounced dead at a local hospital at 9:30 p.m.

The strange Facebook messages appeared about an hour after his mother’s shooting. The posts appear to suggest he was going to commit suicide or try to flee the area to avoid arrest. Rayshawn Laster is no stranger to a prison cell. He has a long history of criminal activity and is thought to be affiliated with gangs, The Gazette reports.

He was most recently arrested in September, when Colorado Springs police said they found him and two other “confirmed gang members” asleep in a vehicle near Cottonwood Creek Park on the city’s northeast side. Three underage girls, who appeared to have been drinking alcohol, were also asleep in the car with the three men, police said.

Officers found 265 grams of marijuana and a stolen gun in the trunk of the vehicle, police said. Rayshawn Laster was arrested in 2002 and pleaded guilty to felony menacing with a real or simulated weapon, court records show. He was sentenced in December 2003 to three years in prison.

In the months before his sentencing, he was arrested and pleaded guilty to theft of $500 to $15,000, according to court records. He was later sentenced to four years in prison. He pleaded guilty to harassment stemming from an incident in September 2003. Source: The Gazette

Brenda Laster (Brenda Taylor) did not deserve to be shot to death by her son Rayshawn Laster. There is no justification for his actions. From all reports, she seems to have been a decent mother to her son. The company he kept and the lifestyle he chose could have never been pleasing to any parent. He did himself in and I hope they throw the book at him.

Rayshawn Laster Facebook messages Rayshawn Laster Arrested for Fatally Shooting His Mother, Posted Farewell Messages on Facebook

Rayshawn Laster Arrested for Fatally Shooting His Mother, Posted Farewell Messages on Facebook

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Actress Jenny McCarthy Makes Out with NYPD Officer to Welcome the New Year

January 1, 2012 by 1 Comment

Actress Jenny McCarthy makes out with NYPD officer to welcome the New Year, what will Police Commissioner Ray Kelly say about a uniformed officer engaged in such behavior?

300px Jenny McCarthy at E3 2006 Actress Jenny McCarthy Makes Out with NYPD Officer to Welcome the New Year

Actress Jenny McCarthy Makes Out with NYPD Officer to Welcome the New Year (Wikipedia)

Comedienne Kathy Griffin wasn’t the only one to shock viewers watching CNN’s New Year’s Eve telecast with Anderson Cooper, by stripping down to her bra for a few minutes. It seems that actress Jenny McCarthy may have taken it a step further — kissing a NYPD officer at the stroke of midnight. Um, one problem, she didn’t know the officer. Gee, I wonder what Police Commissioner Ray Kelly will say to one of his officers kissing a woman while on duty? In any case, let’s not chock that up to spontaneity. What if either one had halitosis? Yuck.

pixel Actress Jenny McCarthy Makes Out with NYPD Officer to Welcome the New Year
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