WDBD FOX 40 Jackson MS Local News, Weather and Sports

WDBD Television for Jackson, MS

fox-news/us/dallas-fort-worth

3 wounded, gunman dead in shooting outside Texas strip club

A man wounded three people when he opened fire in the parking lot of a Texas strip club early Sunday before being fatally shot by the club’s armed security, authorities said.

The man opened fire in the direction of people in the parking lot after being asked to leave following a fight inside Temptations Cabaret, located just west of Fort Worth, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office said.

DALLAS APOLOGIZES AFTER SENDING KIDS HOME WITH WINNIE THE POOH-THEMED SCHOOL SHOOTING BOOK

A shooting in a strip club parking lot just outside Fort Worth has reportedly left three people wounded before its perpetrator was neutralized by club security.

The three people who were shot by the suspect were hospitalized and were expected to survive, authorities said. The suspect died at a hospital.

Earlier this month, two people were wounded after being stabbed at the club.

DOWNTOWN LA APARTMENT SHOOTING LEAVES 4 VICTIMS HOSPITALIZED

Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez said he has requested that county officials “take all necessary and legal steps” to close the club.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A message could not be left at the phone number listed for the club.

Dallas apologizes after sending kids home with Winnie the Pooh-themed school shooting book

  • The Dallas Independent School District has apologized for sending grade schoolers home with Winnie the Pooh-themed books on proper conduct during active shooter situations and failing to issue any guidance or warning to parents beforehand.
  • The book, “Stay Safe,” outlines the “run, hide, fight” safety plan in a manner its publisher deems appropriate for young children.
  • “Recently a booklet was sent home so parents could discuss with their children how to stay safe in such cases,” the school district said of the controversy. “Unfortunately, we did not provide parents any guide or context. We apologize for the confusion and are thankful to parents who reached out to assist us in being better partners.”

Cindy Campos’ 5-year-old son was so excited about the Winnie the Pooh book he got at school that he asked her to read it with him as soon as he got home. But her heart sank when she realized it was a tutorial about what to do when “danger is near,” advising kids to lock the doors, turn off the lights and quietly hide.

As they read the “Stay Safe” book the school sent home without explanation or a warning to parents, she began crying, leaving her son confused.

“It’s hard because you’re reading them a bedtime story and basically now you have to explain in this cute way what the book is about, when it’s not exactly cute,” Campos said.

TAIWAN AIR FORCE MOCKS CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING WITH PATCH OF WINNIE THE POOH BEING PUNCHED

She said her first-grader, who goes to the same elementary school as her pre-K son, also got a copy of the book last week. After posting about it in an online neighborhood group, she found other concerned parents whose kids had also brought the book home.

The district’s decision to send kids home with the book has made waves. California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, tweeted: “Winnie the Pooh is now teaching Texas kids about active shooters because the elected officials do not have the courage to keep our kids safe and pass common sense gun safety laws.”

It sparked enough of a reaction to warrant an explanation from the Dallas Independent School District, which said in a statement Friday that it works “hard every day to prevent school shootings” by dealing with online threats and improving security measures. It also conducts active shooter drills.

“Recently a booklet was sent home so parents could discuss with their children how to stay safe in such cases,” the district said. “Unfortunately, we did not provide parents any guide or context. We apologize for the confusion and are thankful to parents who reached out to assist us in being better partners.”

The Dallas Independent School District has apologized for sending elementary-aged students home with “Stay Safe,” a Winnie the Pooh-themed book on active shooter lockdown practices, without parental warning or consent. (Cindy Campos via AP)

The district did not say how many schools and grades in the district received the books.

Campos said the book was “haunting” her and that it seemed especially “tone deaf” to send it home with kids without explanation around the time the state was marking the anniversary of last year’s mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, when a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers. It also comes as Texas’ Republican-controlled Legislature wraps up a session in which it rejected virtually all proposals to tighten gun laws but did pass legislation banning school libraries from having books that contain descriptions, illustrations or audio depicting sexual conduct not relevant to the required school curriculum.

Active shooter drills have become common in American schools, though there’s disagreement over whether they do more harm than good.

TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICT BANS BACKPACKS FROM MIDDLE, HIGH SCHOOLS AS SAFETY MEASURE

Campos said that although she doesn’t disagree with the book’s intent, she wished it would have come with a warning to parents so that she could introduce it to her kids at the right time and in the right way. She said she has discussed school shootings with her kids, and that she might have chosen to wait to read them the book until there was another attack.

“I would have done it on my own time,” said Campos, who first spoke to the Oak Cliff Advocate.

The book’s cover says: “If there is danger, let Winnie the Pooh and his crew show you what to do.” Inside, it includes passages such as “If danger is near, do not fear. Hide like Pooh does until the police appear. Doors should be locked and the passage blocked. Turn off the light to stay out of sight.”

The book was published by Praetorian Consulting, a Houston-based firm that provides safety, security and crisis management training and services. The company, which didn’t respond to messages seeking comment, says on its website that it uses age-appropriate material to teach the concepts of “run, hide, fight” — the approach authorities say civilians should take in active shooter situations.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The company also says on its website that its K-6 curriculum features the characters of Winnie the Pooh, which are now in the public domain and even featured in a recent horror movie.

Fort Worth police release bodycam footage of moment kidnapped infant is located

Police in Fort Worth, Texas released dramatic bodycam footage Thursday showing the moment a kidnapped infant was located after being inside a car when it was stolen out of a driveway.

The department said officers responded to a kidnapping call at around 7 p.m. Monday in the 3300 block of N. Pecan Street. The caller told officers an unknown male jumped into her car while her six-month-old son was inside it and drove off.

A man, who did not want to be publicly identified, told FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth that the boy was his nephew and the car was at his home when it was stolen. He said his sister-in-law stopped by to drop something off, leaving the baby in the car for a few minutes.

Fort Worth police said during those few minutes, the suspect, who has been identified as 25-year-old Elliott Reyes, took off with the car.

INDIANA POLICE OFFICERS RESCUE BABY, FIVE ADULTS FROM BLAZING FIRE

Elliott Reyes, 25, is facing multiple charges after he allegedly stole a car with a six-month-old baby inside in Fort Worth, Texas. (Tarrant County Corrections Center)

Multiple units began the search for car and the baby boy. About an hour after the kidnapping call was made, officers found Reyes and the stolen car on Deen Street, and he was taken into custody. The baby, however, was nowhere to be found.

“We were freaking out at that moment. We had no baby,” Fort Worth Police Sgt. Ronnie Chau told FOX 4. “We put [Reyes] in a vehicle and had him direct us to where the baby was.” 

Approximately five minutes later, officers found the baby in his car seat near a ravine on a dead end road in a residential area. The bodycam footage shows that he was surrounded by garbage and discarded furniture.

A Fort Worth, Texas police officer is seen shining a flashlight on the car seat that was holding a missing six-month-old boy. (Fort Worth Police Department/Bodycam Footage)

FLORIDA OFFICER WHO CAN’T SWIM RESCUES DROWNING INFANT FROM RETENTION POND, BODYCAM VIDEO SHOWS

Chau, who is the officer seen in the video picking up the baby, said the car seat was on its side and the months-old boy was hanging by its straps when they got over to him. As a father himself, he said parental instinct combined with his decades of training immediately kicked in to console the infant.

Paramedics evaluated the little boy, determined he was unharmed and returned him to his mother.

Fort Worth police Sgt. Ronnie Chau picks up the six-month-old boy who was discarded after he was inside a car that was stolen. (Fort Worth Police Department/Bodycam Footage)

“She was very happy,” Chau said of the reunion. “She was just crying the whole time.”

Fort Worth police said Reyes is charged with kidnapping, abandoning/endangering a child and auto theft. He is booked into the Tarrant County Corrections Center with bonds totaling $668,000.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Jail records show he is facing three additional charges, including attempted capital murder of a person under ten years old. 

Texas man accused of shooting at cops surrendered on Jan. 6 charges earlier in day

A Texas man who agreed to surrender on charges for taking part in the U.S. Capitol riot fired a gun toward sheriff’s deputies who went to his house later that day in response to a welfare call, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

Nathan Donald Pelham, 40, allegedly fired the shots from his rural home on April 12, the same day he was told he was charged with four misdemeanors for allegedly participating in the Jan. 6 attack. Officers heard bullets “whiz” past them and hit objects nearby, according to an affidavit from an FBI agent. The deputies left without making an arrest, according to court records.

The Justice Department said no law enforcement officers were injured. An attorney for Pelham, who was arrested Tuesday, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

TENNESSEE MOTHER, SON WHO BROUGHT ZIP-TIES INTO SENATE GALLERY ON JAN. 6 CONVICTED

The episode is an outlier in the more than 1,000 federal arrests that have been made in the Jan. 6 riot. Practically all of the arrests have been made without incident, including those of members of far-right extremist groups facing serious felony charges such as seditious conspiracy.

A Texas man who reportedly fired a gun at police had just hours earlier surrendered on charges that he participated in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Investigators say Pelham entered the Capitol wearing goggles and a hat with the logo of the Proud Boys extremist group, but later denied affiliation with them. He allegedly stayed inside the Capitol for about seven minutes. About two months later, Pelham was stopped while attempting to enter Canada and told Border Patrol agents that he was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, court records show.

ROMANCE NOVEL COVER MODEL GETS 3 YEARS FOR ROLE IN JAN. 6 RIOT

Prosecutors say Pelham had agreed to surrender on the Capitol riot charges when he was contacted last week by an FBI agent. Later that day though, a deputy from the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office was sent to the house in response to a welfare call made by a relative. A child was sent out of the house and deputies began to hear gun shots, according to court records.

Pelham lives about 50 miles northeast of Dallas.

Pelham was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, prosecutors said.

In the case of another Jan. 6 defendant, a Tennessee man charged with assaulting an officer in the riot was later accused of conspiring with another person on a failed attempt to kill dozens of federal agents involved in the investigation.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Authorities have alleged Edward Kelley discussed plans with another man to kill law enforcement personnel who had worked in his criminal investigation, and made a list of targets.

Texas concert shooting leaves one dead, 11 others wounded

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Gunfire erupted at a Dallas, Texas, rap concert Sunday, leaving one dead and at least 11 others wounded.

Dallas police responded at approximately 12:13 a.m. to a call about shots fired at an event billed as a trail ride and concert located at 5050 Cleveland Road. Officers located Kealon Dejuane Gilmore, 26, lying near the stage with a gunshot wound to the head, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said 11 other individuals were transported by either private vehicles or ambulances to different hospitals. One of the victims was in critical condition, while the other victims were in stable condition as of 11:50 a.m. Sunday morning, when police provided their most recent update. 

SACRAMENTO SHOOTING: MULTIPLE SHOOTERS, 6 DEAD; STOLEN GUN RECOVERED AT SCENE 

“A preliminary investigation determined that at the event, one individual fired a gun into the air, then another unknown individual fired a gun in the crowd’s direction,” the Dallas Police Department said. 

In its initial update, the police department said at least three of the shooting victims were juveniles. 

The investigation into the possible motive and circumstances of the shooting is ongoing, police said. Anyone with information is urged to contact Homicide Unit Det. Christopher Anderson at 214-671-3616 or c.anderson@dallascityhall.com and refer to the case number, 057740-2022.

No arrests were immediately announced in connection to the shooting. 

  • One person was killed and at least 11 others were injured when a shooting broke out at a concert on a rural lot in Dallas, Texas early Sunday.  (Fox 4/KDFW)

  • The shooting broke out during a concert on a rural lot in Dallas, Texas early Sunday. No arrests were immediately announced in connection to the shooting.   (Fox 4/KDFW)

“Last night’s violence was horrific and unacceptable. I am praying for the victims, and I look forward to our police department bringing those responsible to justice,” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a statement to WFAA. “Public safety remains our top priority, and I will be conferring with Police Chief Eddie Garcia to see what more can be done to stop this kind of violence in our city.”

Witnesses described to Fox 4 how the sound of gunfire prompted panic and large crowds of people ran from the rural lot. At the time of the shooting, Dallas Fire-Rescue had one engine company already at the scene responding to a separate incident, and fire personnel were forced to use ATVs to move the shooting victims because traffic blocked the ambulance’s access to the scene, police told the outlet. 

The concert was expected to be headlined by Memphis-based rapper Big Boogie, but WFAA reported that, according to a post on his Instagram account, the shooting happened before he arrived. 

Fliers for the event said that gates opened at the rural lot at noon, horses and ATVs were welcome and children under age 10 would be admitted for free. WFAA reported that fliers advertised that Dallas police officers would be at the concert working alongside 60 security personnel, but the department is looking into whether those claims are accurate, as off-duty cops must receive approval to work security. 

  • Dallas police responded at approximately 12:13 a.m. to a call about shots fired at an event billed as a trail ride and concert located at 5050 Cleveland Road.  (Fox 4/ KDFW)

  • One person was killed and at least 11 others were injured when a shooting broke out at a concert on a rural lot in Dallas, Texas early Sunday.  (Fox 4/KDFW)

After the shooting, the organizer of the event released a statement on behalf of Epic Easter officials reiterating that they took safety precautions by having Dallas police and security personnel on scene.

“Our goal was to organize a positive event for and by our people. We took the necessary steps to offer safety by having Dallas Police officers and security personnel on scene. Additionally, emergency officers and vehicles were on standby,” the statement shared to Instagram Sunday read. “However, some things were still out of our control. Our team did not expect a turn out of that capacity, but we truly appreciate the support of all that came & those who traveled to attend. Our prayers and deepest condolences go out to the individuals and families involved.”

The fliers also advertised precautions taken “due to the rise in senseless violence,” including screening guests through metal detectors and said promoters would “not responsible for accidents or theft.” 

The incident in Texas came hours before the country witnessed a separate mass shooting in Sacramento, California, early Sunday, which prompted a response from the White House and President Biden calling on Congress to act on gun control, including passing his budget proposal to “give cities more of the funding they need to fund the police and fund the crime prevention and intervention.” 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Six people were fatally shot and another dozen were injured when multiple shooters opened fire in downtown Sacramento as people flooded out of bars and restaurants around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday. 

Sunday’s concert incident was the second mass shooting seen in Dallas in recent weeks. WFAA reported that 10 people were wounded on March 19 when a shooting broke out at a spring break party at the venue The Space and one of the victims, an 18-year-old man, later died of his injuries. No suspects have been identified in that shooting, according to the outlet. 

Texas helicopter crashes and bursts into flames, pilot confirmed dead

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

A helicopter crashed in a Dallas suburb on Friday morning and resulted in the pilot’s death, according to police.

The crash occurred in Rowlett, Texas just before noon, according to Fox 4 Dallas.

The Rowlett Police Department tweeted after the crash that the helicopter was on fire, adding that the pilot did not survive the crash. 

LA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE HELICOPTER CRASH LEAVES 6 INJURED

A helicopter crashed in a Dallas suburb on Friday morning and resulted in the pilot’s death, according to police. (Fox 4)

After impact, the helicopter burst into flames, but firefighters were able to extinguish the fire, according to the report.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A helicopter crashed in a Dallas suburb on Friday morning and resulted in the pilot’s death, according to police. (Fox 4)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The cause of the aircraft’s crash is currently unknown.

Texas SWAT team responds to hostage situation at synagogue: ‘I’m going to die’

A Texas SWAT team responded Saturday afternoon to a hostage situation at a synagogue near Dallas.

The Colleyville Police Department said on Twitter that they are conducting SWAT operations “around the 6100 block of Pleasant Run Rd.”

All residents in the immediate area of the incident are being evacuated, according to the tweet.

The Congregation Beth Israel’s address is 6100 Pleasant Run Rd.

Congregation Beth Israel. (Credit: Google Maps) ((Credit: Google Maps))

The police department posted an additional update at 1:20 p.m. stating that the situation is ongoing and advised individuals to avoid the area.

(KDFW)

(KDFW)

The congregation had a Facebook livestream on its Facebook page for a service that had started three hours prior. The livestream has since been disabled.

Before the live stream was disabled, a man could be heard repeatedly saying “I will die.”

“I’m going to die at the end of this, alright?. Are you listening? I am going to die. Okay? So don’t cry for me.”

Earlier, in the live stream, the man, who was not visible, could be heard in what appeared to be a discussion with negotiators about “releasing” the people inside. 

Charlie Cytron-Walker is the rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel, and has been in his position since 2006, according to the congregation’s website.

The synagogue describes itself as an “intimate, vibrant, growing Reform Jewish congregation that has a lot to offer in terms of religious, social, and educational opportunities for the youngest to our oldest members.”

A White House official told Fox News that they are “closely monitoring” the situation.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides tweeted about the incident, writing, “I am closely monitoring reports of the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Texas, where the community is gathered for Shabbat services. Praying for an immediate and safe end.”

Fox News’ Pat Ward contributed to this report

Man charged with capital murder, teen released in Texas gas station triple murder case

A 33-year-old man was arrested in connection to a triple murder at a gas station in Texas, and a suspected 14-year-old shooter was released from police custody.

Richard Acosta Jr. turned himself in Monday night at the Garland Police Department, according to a news release. He was charged with “capital murder – multiple persons” and his bond was set at $1 million.

33-year-old Richard Acosta Jr. is currently in the Garland Detention Center charged with Capital Murder – Multiple Persons. His bond is set at $1,000,000. (Garland Police Department)

FOUR MARYLAND OFFICERS ON LEAVE AFTER TRAFFIC STOP RESULTS IN OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING, FATALITY

The video also shows someone else get out of the truck before creeping up to the front door of the convenience store and opening fire, FOX 4 News reports. Three teenagers were killed and a fourth was wounded in the shooting.

A 14-year-old was previously arrested because police initially believed he was the gunman. Detectives recently learned that he has intimate knowledge of the shooting, and he has been cooperating with the investigation. Based on the new information, the teen is not being charged at this time and has been released to his family.

The shooting appears to be a retaliation from a previous disturbance and law enforcement officials believe the incident to be a targeted attack on one or more of the persons inside the store.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

While Garland police say, at this point in the investigation, certain information cannot be released, detectives are asking the public for any further information they may have about the shooting.

Two men charged in Missouri after authorities receive photo of missing woman in cage

Dallas deputies have arrested two men after receiving a photo of a missing woman in a cage. 

Cassidy Rainwater, 33, went missing in late July. The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office charged James Phelps, 58, and Timothy Norton, 56, with her kidnapping after the FBI office in Kansas City anonymously received a photo of a partially nude Rainwater in a cage. 

Timothy Norton 56 years old from Lebanon, Mo was arrested on 09/21/2021 and charged with 1st degree kidnapping in connection with the missing person case of Cassidy Rainwater. the investigation lead to the arrest of  James Phelps, a 58 year old white male. (Dallas County Missouri Sherriff’s Office)

“Due to the extreme nature of the crime and the continuation of the investigation, additional details cannot be released at this time,” the sheriff’s office said in a post announcing Phelps’ arrest.

Investigators had questioned Phelps after a missing person’s report was filed in August, as they determined he was the last known person to have contact with her. Phelps acknowledged that Rainwater had been staying with him while she got back on her feet, but that he hadn’t seen her since she left his property a month prior, FOX 4 KC reported. 

REPORT: 9 NYC FIREFIGHTERS SUSPENDED OVER RACIST MESSAGES

An examination of the loft area Rainwater had stayed in found it “stripped” and devoid of any personal belongings. 

The case remained at a standstill until the FBI received the anonymous photo. Norton came forward several days later, admitting that he helped Phelps “restrain” Rainwater and confirming that she was held in a cage. 

MIAMI BEACH EFFORTS TO TONE DOWN SOUTH BEACH PARTY SCENE ARE RACIST, CRITICS SAY

Investigators returned to Phelps’ home with a search warrant for his phone, on which they discovered seven photos of Rainwater locked in a cage in his home while partially nude, The Kansas City Star reported. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

Deputies took Phelps and Norton into custody on Sept. 16. The pair have been charged with kidnapping, along with charges of facilitating a felony, inflicting injury and terrorizing. 

The pair remain in jail while awaiting a second court appearance scheduled for Oct. 5.   

Dallas-area critical race theory opponents win big in school board election

Two school board candidates in Texas have been elected amid a raging battle over critical race theory (CRT), prompting speculation about the issue’s political saliency nationwide.

Southlake Style reported on Sunday that Hannah Smith and Cameron “Cam” Bryan, both of whom vocally opposed CRT, received nearly 70% of the vote in their respective races in the Dallas-area Carroll Independent School District. 

According to NBC News, the issue flared after a video surfaced in 2018 showing two students chanting the N-word. When the district responded with a “Cultural Competency Action Plan,” parents revolted and the diversity issue reportedly became the focal point of typically low-key elections.

The plan controversially called for mandatory diversity trainings for teachers, something that has also sparked backlash in places like Loudoun County, Virginia. 

VIRGINIA TEACHER SAYS CRITICAL RACE THEORY HAS DAMAGED COMMUNITY AS FRUSTRATED PARENTS DEMAND CHANGE

Like Loudoun, Southlake, Texas, saw a new political action committee emerge to support candidates opposed to CRT. NBC News reported that candidates backed by the Southlake Families PAC won every race with three times as many voters casting ballots as in previous races.

“The voters have come together in record-breaking numbers to restore unity,” said Smith, a Southlake attorney and former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.

“By a landslide vote, they don’t want racially divisive critical race theory taught to their children or forced on their teachers. Voters agreed with my positive vision of our community and its future.”

Meanwhile, her opponent, Erik Hernandez, worried about the impact on students. 

“I don’t want to think about all these kids that shared their stories, their testimonies,” Hernandez reportedly said on Saturday.

VIRGINIA PARENTS GROUP LAUNCHES PAC TO UNSEAT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS OVER REOPENING, RACE CONTROVERSIES

“I don’t want to think about that right now, because it’s really, really hard for me. I feel really bad for all those kids, every single one of them that shared a story. I don’t have any words for them.”

CRT started gaining significant national attention last year as diversity trainings started popping up after George Floyd’s death. 

The issue eventually caught former President Trump’s attention after researcher Chris Rufo revealed leaked documents from controversial diversity trainings at federal entities. Opponents like Rufo argue that CRT is, in itself, a form of racism as it often stereotypes based on race and generally targets “Whiteness” or White people for criticism.

Rufo, on Monday, heralded the Southlake victories as a bellwether for future races. “In 2020, Joe Biden narrowly won this district. Today, anti-woke candidates won by 40 points. Plan accordingly,” he tweeted.

He also retweeted satirist Andrew Doyle arguing that CRT was “electoral hemlock.”

“It is always worth reminding our politicians that this obsession with identity is electoral hemlock,” he said. “Critical Social Justice activists never win by force of numbers. They win by coercion and bullying. If more people in power stood up to them, the insanity would stop.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Critics of CRT opponents generally argue that they’re reinforcing White supremacist systems that benefit them.

“Critical Race Theory is basically an analysis of systematic white supremacy and how it dominates ALL areas of people activity,” tweeted commentator Tariq Nasheed. “The people who want to maintain this system of white supremacy by pretending it doesn’t exist, are the mains ones who oppose critical Race Theory.”