LAS VEGAS, NV – Three individuals arrested
for a wild and deadly series of shootings and a vehicle wreck will
face
terrorism and hate crimes charges. This is a follow up to the
Law Enforcement Today
article published at the time of the arrest.
https://t.co/TQqMWNDwdA
#deathpenalty
#capitalmurder
#murder
#kevinmendiolajr
#lasvegas
#henderson
#guam pic.twitter.com/5Yrlr01xiD— Kandit News Group (@KanditNews)
December 2, 2020
Shawn McDonnell, Christopher McDonnell, and Kayleigh Lewis were
involved in seemingly random shootings in the Las Vegas suburbs.
Their reign of terror came to an end in Bouse, Arizona, when they
crashed the vehicle during a pursuit.�
Their capture in the rural area west of Phoenix, between Lake
Havasu and Quartzite on November 28 ended a spree that started at a
7-Eleven in Nevada, where one person was killed and four were
wounded. Later, they were reportedly firing indiscriminately at
vehicles along US Highway 95 near Parker, Arizona.
When an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper spotted
their vehicle, he began pursuing them near Bouse, AZ. During the
pursuit, the vehicle occupied by the three suspects veered off the
highway and rolled over. A felony traffic stop was conducted, and
troopers removed the trio from the wrecked vehicle.
McDonnell, believed to be the ringleader, drew a firearm and was
shot by troopers as they returned fire.
McDonnell was treated for gunshot wounds, and the other two were
treated for injuries sustained in the incident.
The fact that the three crossed a state line from Nevada into
Arizona is having a large impact on how they are being charged.
Trio may face Hate Crime and
Terrorism Charges for 11-hour Thanksgiving Mass Shooting Spree in
Las Vegas and Arizona! Full story at https://t.co/pdk95ZZbU8.— 99.1 KGGI (@991KGGI)
December 3, 2020
Michael Schwartzer, a chief deputy Clark County (Nevada)
district attorney, explained that the group may face hate crime
charges, terrorism charges, and also the death penalty for their
crimes.
Schwartzer commented:
“Once we get our arms around this, it’s going to be
quite a case. We’re still trying to find out what
happened.â€
Schwartzer also went on to explain that the McDonnells are
brothers and Lewis is married to Christopher McDonnell. They all
originally hail from Tyler, Texas.
Christopher McDonnell faced a judge in Nevada on Tuesday on
charges of murder, attempted murder, battery and firearm charges.
Henderson Justice of the Peace Stephen George set a December 15
bail hearing.
Schwartzer said Christopher McDonnell told investigators his
brother told him to “shoot the black guy†and referenced an
“upcoming war,†and the multiple instances of shootings on
highways and roads could constitute one continued act of
terrorism.
Kayleigh Lewis, the wife of Christopher McDonnell, is being held
in the La Paz County jail in Arizona, while Shawn McDonnell is
still in the hospital recovering from gunshot wounds.
It should be noted that Kevin Mendiola, Jr. was killed in the
shooting at the 7-Eleven in Henderson, near Las Vegas, and his
brother was wounded. Mendiola was Guamanian, dark-skinned, and
built like a Samoan, which helped him in football with his
5’10â€, 270 lb size. It is believed that Mendiola was the
“black guy†McDonnell referred to when they commenced shooting
at the beginning of their terror spree.
Kevin Mendiola Jr (right of
me) was shot and killed last night in a random act of violence.
“Mendi†as we used to call him, was a tough, strong, good kid
who worked hard and did the right thing. Only 22 years old man.
Rest In Peace. Be grateful for every breath
#olinepride pic.twitter.com/5MvXRbcj4f— Coach AJ Lew (@coach_ajlew)
November 26, 2020
Mendiola’s father, Kevin Mendiola, Sr., posted on
Facebook:
“My boys were just cruising around and blasting their
favorite music … and enjoying the scenery in their trucks and
cars that they (built) and loved so much.
“They were about to hit the lake road and loop around
back home, and (that is) when the nightmare
started.â€
Coach John Isola, Mendiola Jr’s football coach at Legacy High
School, where he graduated in 2016, thought very highly of the
strong, talented football player:
“I was shocked and saddened when I learned about
Mendiola’s death early Thursday morning. You hope that it
isn’t true.
“Just a few days before, I went to the Legacy campus
to grab something from my office when I decided to stop by the
empty weight room on campus. There, I spotted Mendiola’s name on
a record board that still acknowledges him as the record holder for
his weight class for bench pressing.
‘Hey Mendi, Mendi’s got that record,’ I remembered
telling myself.â€
We at Law Enforcement Today will continue to keep you up to date
on this as we get more information.
Police arrest mall mass shooting suspect – and he’s only 15.
Mayor outraged it happened in ‘gun-free zone’.
November 23, 2020
WAUWATOSA, WI – Further developments are
being made in the investigation of a mall shooting in Wisconsin
that left eight people injured. A manhunt to find the gunman ensued
immediately following the shooting, now local police have made an
arrest in connection to the shooting spree.
The shooting occurred on Friday at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa,
Wisconsin. At approximately 2:50pm shots rang out near an entrance
to Macy’s, a department store. Witnesses reported that the mall
quickly descended to chaos with people fleeing the mall and
gunshots being fired rapidly. One shop owner
said that he heard up to 15 shots before the shooting
ended.
Another witness recounted the terror that mall goers
experienced:
“A guy walked in Macy’s and apparently just started
open firing on people. And as he walked out into the mall area, he
started shooting, people just starting running.â€
Live coverage: An active
shooter investigation is underway at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa,
Wisconsin.https://t.co/JA3El6Girh— PM Breaking News (@PMBreakingNews)
November 20, 2020
Eight mall shoppers were wounded during the shooting but,
miraculously, none sustained life threatening injuries. Police
arrived on scene almost immediately after calls came in reporting
an ‘active shooter’ at the mall.
Wauwatosa mayor Dennis McBride
spoke about the shooting and stated that local police are
investigating the crime:
“The Wauwatosa Police Department is currently involved
in an active shooter incident a Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa. Through
WPD’s Public Information Officer, more information will be
released as it becomes available and is confirmed.â€
The mayor also said that, while a large number of officers are
working at the crime scene, it will “take time†before
information is gathered and released:
“There are approximately 75 police officers on scene
at this time. It will take time to provide additional, and
perhaps, more accurate information, but information will be
provided as it becomes available.â€
Now, new information has been released regarding the manhunt for
the shooter. In a press conference on Sunday Wauwatosa police
announced the arrest of the suspect, but declined to release
further details due to the suspects shockingly young age.
Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber stated:
“The Wauwatosa Police Department is pleased to
announce the arrest of a 15 year old Hispanic male in connection
with the shooting at Mayfair Mall. The suspected firearm used in
this incident was recovered at the scene of the
arrest.â€
The chief
divulged that the boy was arrested during a traffic stop where
police “pulled over a car and scooped him upâ€.
Weber also spoke about the quick response by officers:
“Around 2:49pm, officers were notified of shots fired
inside the Mall, near lower level Macy’s. Officers were on scene,
providing medical aid to victims within 30 seconds of
notification.â€
Later his statement Weber explained part of the reasoning behind
withholding the suspect’s information:
“Photos of our suspect were not released to media for
fear of compromising the investigation and potential destruction of
evidence.â€
The 15 year old’s identity is also being kept from the public
due to privacy laws for minors.
Following the shooting officers secured the location and the
mall closed. Mall management then stated that the mall would remain
closed the day following the shooting.
The Mayfair Mall property has
been cleared and is secure. Mayfair Mall management has indicated
that the mall will be closed tomorrow, Saturday, November 21. Law
enforcement personnel will remain at the mall into the night
processing the scene.— Wauwatosa Police (WI) (@WauwatosaPD)
November 21, 2020
Despite the shooting taking place only two days prior, Chief
Weber maintained that the mall is a safe place to shop and
encouraged community members to provide support to Mayfair:
“Mayfair Mall is a wonderful place to shop and is a
safe place to be. Unfortunately, in our society, an incident of
this type can happen at any time in any place. I encourage people
to show their support for Mayfair, they have been wonderful
partners to us at the police department for many
years.â€
The chief’s reasoning is due primarily to preliminary findings
in the investigation. Local police claim that the shooting was not
a random act but the “result of an altercation†between two
parties:
“Preliminary investigation has led us to believe that
this shooting was not a random act, and was the result of an
altercation. We will continue to work diligently to interview the
many witnesses, as well as the victims who were injured, to
identify and apprehend the suspect.â€
Our thoughts go out to our
community, especially those who were injured and affected by the
incident today. Events like this shake a community, and we remain
committed to protecting those who live in and visit Wauwatosa.— Wauwatosa Police (WI) (@WauwatosaPD)
November 21, 2020
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The post
Terrorism and hate crimes charges possible for trio engaged in
Nevada and Arizona shooting spree appeared first on Law Enforcement
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