Month: October 2023

Samantha Woll, a Detroit synagogue president who led the congregation of Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was found fatally stabbed outside her home Saturday morning. The Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue confirmed the 40-year-old Woll’s death in a statement, sharing: “We are shocked and saddened to learn of the unexpected death of Samantha Woll, our Board President. May her memory be a blessing.” Mourners attended a funeral service for Woll on Sunday.

Authorities said a 911 caller early Saturday reported a person lying on the ground unresponsive at Woll’s home. Police discovered multiple stab wounds on Woll’s body and found a trail of blood leading to her house, where they believe the crime occurred. Detroit Police Chief James E. White asked the public for patience regarding Woll’s death: “I am asking that everyone remain patient while investigators carefully examine every aspect of the available evidence. It is important that no conclusions be drawn until all of the available facts are reviewed.” White said on Sunday that investigators were working with the FBI to analyze forensic evidence to piece together a timeline leading to Woll’s death, and were interviewing “individuals with information that may further this investigation,” adding that “no evidence has surfaced suggesting that this crime was motivated by antisemitism.” He said more information would come Monday. The state chapter of the Anti-Defamation League, ADL Michigan, also asked the public to refrain from speculation on what led to Woll’s death: “As we mourn her tragic passing, we urge the community to refrain from speculation and allow law enforcement to gather facts.”

Woll had ties to state Democrats, having previously worked for Rep. Elissa Slotkin. She also served on state Attorney General Dana Nessel’s re-election campaign. Rep. Slotkin praised Woll’s dedication to serving Detroit communities: “She did for our team as Deputy District Director what came so naturally to her: helping others & serving constituents. Separately, in politics & in the Jewish community, she dedicated her short life to building understanding across faiths, bringing light in the face of darkness.”  Attorney General Nessel added: “Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known. She was driven by her sincere love of her community, state and country. Sam truly used her faith and activism to create a better place for everyone.”

Editorial credit: Jay Fog / Shutterstock.com

Police in Tennessee are searching for the estranged son of Nashville’s police chief as the suspect in the shooting of two suburban police officers outside a Dollar General store. Police say the shooting happened during an altercation Saturday night in La Vergne, a suburb of Nashville.

A statement issued by The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shared a statewide blue alert in an effort to locate the suspect, John Drake Jr.  They warned that the 38-year-old, who is now wanted on two counts of attempted first-degree murder, should be considered “armed and very dangerous.” The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which issues blue alerts when there’s “an imminent threat to public safety and law enforcement personnel,” described the suspect as 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighing 195 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. The agency said he was last seen in La Vergne around 2:30 p.m. Saturday “in the area of Stones River Road near Lake Forest Drive, wearing a black t-shirt with a hockey mask on it with red accents, and gray sweatpants.”

Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake confirmed that the suspect is his son: “I am shocked and deeply saddened to learn that my estranged son, with whom I have had very minimal contact over many years, is the suspect in this afternoon’s shooting of the two La Vergne police officers. Despite my efforts and guidance in the early and teenage years, my son, John Drake Jr., now 38-years-old, resorted to years of criminal activity and is a convicted felon. He has not been a part of my life for quite some time.” Chief Drake added that his thoughts are with the wounded officers.

La Vergne Police Chief Christopher Moews said at a press conference: “Our officers were investigating a stolen vehicle. During that investigation, they made contact with a subject. They struggled with that subject, and during that struggle, the suspect produced a handgun and fired shots.” Moews said that the officers, who have both been with the force for less than three years, were transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with one officer shot in the shoulder, and the other shot in the groin and forearm. One officer was released Saturday evening and the other remains in the hospital in stable condition.

Editorial credit: Carla Sloke / Shutterstock.com