Oxford High School shooting ruling • How ex-Lions player was linked to Capitol Riot • Detroit Giving Machine

FRIDAY NEWS HIT - Three years after a student killed four classmates and wounded others at Oxford High School, a judge has ruled that the school's insurance company must pay out money for each victim.

Attorney Ven Johnson, who represents victims killed and hurt in the shooting, said the insurance company for the school district said that its insurance policy was only $5 million. However, he argued that the victims were all separate occurrences.

"There were 11 different people, of course, that were shot at and hit, and some sadly were killed, others were badly injured," he said. "Instead of $5 million for the whole thing, $5 million times 11 is $55 million worth of coverage policy limits."

Johnson says it's likely the insurance company will appeal. The gunman did plead guilty and both of his parents were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for their role in purchasing the gun for their son.

"Luckily, this has gone a positive way. Again, it's a long way to go, but it feels - it's a substantial win," he said.

While all three were convicted in the high-profile case, other court battles, like the one with the insurance company remain.

"I'm in front of the supreme court now on governmental immunity here in Michigan," Johnson said. "In the federal case, we're in Cincinnati in the sixth circuit court of appeals - that's one level below the United States Supreme Court."

Former Lions player charged in connection with Capitol Riot

A former Detroit Lions player is now facing charges stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol Riot.

Among the charges filed against Leander Antwione Williams include assaulting an officer, disorderly conduct, entering and remaining in a restricted building, and more.

A judge said Williams was identified after the FBI began posting pictures of him on July 2021 at the U.S. Capitol that day in an attempt to figure out who he was. In September 2022, authorities say the FBI was given a tip regarding Williams' identity, pointing to his Instagram account where he is seen wearing a New Era Golf Hat, the same hat the man in the photo was wearing on Jan. 6.

In other photos, Williams is seen wearing a set of keys on his right hip, a red key fob used for Chevrolet model cars, including Camaros from 2016 and later. According to authorities, footage from the Capitol grounds that day showed the man they were trying to ID wearing the same red key fob on his hip.

Officials say FBI agents reviewed Williams' credit card records in August. In doing so, they spotted a purchase on Jan. 6, 2021 in a parking lot at the Rosslyn Metro Center across the Potomac River from Washington DC. 

Man says racial slur at Michigan Senate meeting

A man who testified during a committee meeting in the Michigan Senate used a racial slur to describe residents in Detroit during a contentious hearing on carrying a concealed gun at the capitol building.

While speaking against the legislation, Avi Rachlin claimed the bill "targets white people" and that those who have Concealed Pistol Licenses are "primarily white."

He then continued that the legislation that addresses gun violence should instead be focused on "the people who bring guns into communities and shoot people like where I live in Detroit and where you represent Stephanie Chang which are overwhelmingly 13-44 year old Sub-Saharan African n******."

Chang, who is chair of the Michigan Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety, gaveled Rachlin down after he used the epithet. 

Senator Ruth Johnson, a Holly Republican told Rachlin "the term that you used is inappropriate, and it will not get you anywhere with this legislature."

The legislation in question is SB 857 and 858, which seeks to amend rules around carrying a firearm in the Michigan State Capitol Building, as well as other governmental buildings in Lansing.

Giving Machine comes to Downtown Detroit

A reverse vending machine allows people in Downtown Detroit to give to others this holiday season.

The Giving Machine, sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which has partnered with five local charities, will be in Cadillac Square.

"You can buy a holiday meal for somebody through Focus: HOPE. You can buy a goat for somebody in some part of the world, which is a way for them to make an income," spokesperson Chad Lyons said.

The Giving Machine has been in 100 cities across the world, and raised $32 million since 2017. It's the first day it's been in Michigan.

"We just opened today, and you see how many people have come and made donations," Lyons said. "People have that charity and spirit of giving during the holidays. We want to make it as easy as possible for them. And there’s a lot of good people in Detroit that want to help their brothers and sisters."

The machine will be in Detroit through Dec. 8. 

Ozempic theft in Metro Detroit

Thieves looking to sell Ozempic on the streets have been targeting Metro Detroit pharmacies.

"This is the first time I've seen weight-loss drugs actually targeted for theft," said Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shain. 

Security video showed thieves filling the trunk of a car with boxes of stolen Ozempic outside Telegraph Pharmacy recently. About $15,000 worth of the drugs were stolen in that heist.

"It's unsettling, and I'd like to take them all into custody as soon as possible," said Shain.

The thieves then sell the drugs on the black market because there is a big demand for it.

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Daily Forecast

A nice end to the week leads to a pleasant weekend.

What else we're watching

1. On Thursday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pardoned turkey Aidan Cluckinson, named after Detroit Lions Defensive End Aidan Hutchinson. Each year a turkey is pardoned as Thanksgiving approaches.
2. A 15-year-old is facing charges for a Detroit shooting last week that left another teen dead and wounded his mother. The teen, who is not being named because of his age, is charged with second-degree murder and felony firearm in connection with the Nov. 7 shooting.
3. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill into law Wednesday, allowing living organ donors to claim a one-time tax credit of up to $10,000 for nonmedical expenses.
4. A Detroit father whose young son shot himself with an unsecured gun earlier this year will be sentenced Friday under Michigan's safe storage law. Morris Stephen Brown pleaded guilty to violating the law that requires a firearm to be locked up when children are present.
5. Firearm hunting season kicks off today. Here's what to know before heading out.

Bluesky users grow by 1 million since US election

Social media site Bluesky has gained 1 million new users in the week since the U.S. election, as some X users look for an alternative platform to post their thoughts and engage with others online.

Bluesky said Wednesday that its total users surged to 15 million, up from roughly 13 million at the end of October.

Championed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky was an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February. That invite-only period gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other features. The platform resembles Elon Musk’s X, with a "discover" feed as well a chronological feed for accounts that users follow. Users can send direct messages and pin posts, as well as find "starter packs" that provide a curated list of people and custom feeds to follow.

The post-election uptick in users isn’t the first time that Bluesky has benefited from people leaving X. Bluesky gained 2.6 million users in the week after X was banned in Brazil in August — 85% of them from Brazil, the company said. About 500,000 new users signed up in the span of one day last month, when X signaled that blocked accounts would be able to see a user’s public posts.

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