Month: October 2023

According to Pennsylvania State Police, one person is dead and at least eight others are hurt after a shooting early Sunday morning at Chevy Chase Community Center on North 5th Avenue in White Township. Pennsylvania State Police say the shooting happened around 12:35 a.m. on Sunday during a private party of about 100-150 college-aged students from inside the community center. The event was not sanctioned by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), which is hosting homecoming festivities this weekend. As of press time, nobody is in custody yet, and police are also still trying to determine how many shooters were involved.

When authorities arrived on the scene, people were running from the community center.  Victims were treated at four different hospitals in the region, with some of them are still receiving treatment, while others have since been released. The person who died as a 22-year-old male from Pittsburgh; the eight other victims are identified as: 5 males, 3 females between the ages of 18-23.  Two students from the university were injured.

In a letter sent to students, Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Tom Segar said he understands the violence is “frightening and may cause continued feelings of fear and worry. IUP is a community that cares about one another. Your safety and security is our priority, and we continue to look for ways to improve our processes. Because we are a community, we welcome — we need — your help… We continue to work with community law enforcement to find those responsible for this incident, and we will update you as information becomes confirmed.”

Authorities ask that anyone with information to immediately contact Troop A, Indiana at 724-357-1960. Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information that solves this case. Anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers can be made by calling 1-800-4PA-TIPS (8477) or by submitting information online.

Governor Josh Shapiro said he was briefed overnight about the shooting in a statement on X, formerly Twitter: “As [State Police] investigate, Lori and I are praying for the victims of this tragedy. We ask anyone with information to reach out to the State Police. Our hearts are with the White Township community.”

Editorial credit: George Sheldon / Shutterstock.com

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the United States will send multiple military ships and aircraft closer to Israel as a show of support, ordering the deployment of several warships to the Middle East on Sunday following the increase of conflict in Israel. Washington believing Hamas’ deadly attacks may have been motivated to disrupt a potential normalizing of Israel-Saudi Arabia ties.

In a statement, Austin said the United States was sending an armada to the region after the country suffered its bloodiest day in decades on Saturday when Hamas militants rampaged through Israeli towns and fired thousands of rockets at Israel in a surprise attack, killing 350 civilians and leading to retaliatory strikes from Israel that killed at least 313 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Thousands more have been injured or wounded. Austin said he received the go-ahead from President Joe Biden in an effort to deter further bloodshed in the region. Israel battered Palestinians with air strikes in Gaza on Sunday, with hundreds reportedly killed on both sides.

The fleet was being led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, and is being joined by the USS Normandy, a guided missile cruiser, and the guided missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and the USS Roosevelt. Austin said the U.S. military would also “provide the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions, with the first security assistance will begin moving today and arriving in the coming days. We have also taken steps to augment U.S. Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region. The U.S. maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required … My thoughts continue to be with the people of Israel and the many families who have lost loved ones,” he said, without commenting on the violence faced by Palestinian civilians.

The conflict in the Middle East comes after decades of enduring hostilities between Israel and Palestine, which is recognized as a sovereign nation by most countries worldwide and has observer status with the United Nations.

Tensions in the region have surged in recent months as the Israeli military conducted thousands of raids in the Palestinian territory, which led to numerous deadly reprisals against Jewish soldiers and settlers making homes on Palestinian lands.

Editorial credit: Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.com