Suspect behind random shootings arrested • MSP stop marijuana blood tests • First day of school in Detroit
MONDAY NEWS HIT - Many questions remain after a day of terror in Detroit when a gunman allegedly killed three people and injured a fourth person before he was arrested by police Sunday.
The shootings, which happened within a few blocks of each other Sunday morning, were considered "random" and sparked an hours long manhunt in Detroit. The shootings unfolded over a roughly 2 ½ hour period.
The first shooting victim was found at 4:45 a.m. and the last was around 7:10 a.m. when a man was shot after noticing the suspect looking inside cars.
"It appears to be very random. One was waiting on a bus. One was walking his dog and one was just on the street," said Chief James White. "As you can imagine, they're getting treatment - the ones that survived and you know, we'll be talking to them when they're coherent enough to talk and piece things together."
Mayor Mike Duggan lauded the police department for the arrest in a tweet, saying they "showed again today why it's as fine as any in America."
In a statement to FOX 2, Duggan said "vital tips" lead to the suspect's arrest.
"With the help of critical information from the community and strong support from the FBI, ATF, and Michigan State Police, Detroit police officers took the suspect into custody today without incident. As we mourn our three neighbors who were killed, we should take the time to appreciate all the men and women in law enforcement whose work today made sure no other families will suffer at the hands of this shooter."
The first victim was found shot multiples times in the area of Wyoming and Margareta. She was 40 years old.
READ MORE: Detroit police take alleged gunman into custody after 3 people 'randomly' killed on Sunday
While officers investigated the scene, a witness walked up and told them about a second scene at 7 Mile and Wyoming. Police said a 28-year-old man was fatally shot at that location.
At 6:50 a.m., at 19700 Livernois, a woman in her 40s was found shot multiple times, police said.
Chief James White called the shootings "random."
At 7:10 a.m. in the area of 19200 Pennington, a man was shot after noticing the suspect looking inside cars. The victim confronted him and the suspect shot him once, according to investigators.
The suspect was only identified as a man in his mid-20s to early 30s. He's believed to be the only one involved in the shootings.
First day of school in Detroit, around Michigan
Detroit schools are fully staffed and ready for a new year of classes as students return to the district Aug. 29. As has been the norm these past few years, a different operation will greet students coming back for another year of school - but this one will look and feel more like pre-pandemic years.
"We've eliminated the social distancing in the hallways and lunchroom, we will reinstate the masks if the health department requires us, and you can test through a nurse through a rapid test, but we won't be doing weekly testing," said Dr. Nikolai Vitti, the school superintendent.
Vitti also said the district managed to fill its open staffing positions - which isn't easy these days. The district did it by boosting pay, allowing principals to recruit staff, and using other hiring means.
The district has a bigger focus on mental health this year as well with a 24-hour help line at (800) 241-4949.
Read more education stories here.
Nationwide SNAP, EBT outage left millions unable to make payments
A nationwide outage was reported on Sunday with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, leaving more than a million people without the ability to use their Electronic Benefits Transfer cards to make payments at retail stores.
Agencies in Massachusetts and South Carolina reported on Sunday that customers are unable to make purchases with their EBT cards. The South Carolina Department of Social Services tweeted Sunday that it is aware of processing issues of EBT cards due to "a third party processor outage impacting programs in multiple states."
The department later tweeted that all systems were restored, resolving the processing issues.
DownDetector reported a substantial increase in EBT card outages on Sunday morning and early afternoon, but they decreased throughout the afternoon.
EPA waives fuel rule in Michigan, 3 other states to ease prices after refinery fire
The Environmental Protection Agency temporarily lifted a federal rule for fuel sales in four states in response to a fire last week at an Indiana oil refinery that could affect prices and supply.
The emergency waiver was granted Saturday for Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said. In a letter to state officials, Regan said the agency determined the waiver is necessary "to minimize or prevent disruption of an adequate supply of gasoline to consumers."
The waiver lifts a Clear Air Act requirement that lower-volatility gasoline be sold in the states during summer months to limit ozone pollution. It is in effect until Sept. 15, the EPA said.
BP said its refinery in Whiting, Indiana, experienced an electrical fire Wednesday. No one was hurt, and the fire was put out, but it caused a loss of utilities in other parts of the refinery, forcing at least a partial shutdown. The refinery is located along Lake Michigan’s shoreline about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southeast of Chicago, according to the company.
– Courtesy of the Associated Press
State police stop marijuana blood testing due to CBD false positives
The Michigan State Police crime lab has stopped screening blood samples for THC, the compound that gives marijuana users a high, after finding that its test process may be flawed. MSP announced that it would halt testing on Friday because, according to a spokeswoman, "the presence of CBD in a blood sample may have led to a positive result for THC".
Attorney Barton Morris specializes in marijuana-related cases and was at a loss for why CBD would even be tested in the first place. "The first thing I hear and don’t understand is why they’re even testing for CBD because CBD is a non-active component of marijuana which has nothing to do with driving under the influence," Morris said.
It could lead to the reopening of cases. MSP said, out of an abundance of caution, it notified all 83 county prosecutors of its decision to stop processing THC blood samples. In turn, those prosecutors notified lawyers who say the implications of potentially faulty testing methods are many.
According to an article in Medium, MSP forensic manager Geoffrey French reportedly stated they’ve been using the testing process in question for more than two decades and it could have an impact on past and current cases.
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Daily Forecast
Monday will start out wet this morning, then dry up in the afternoon, before more rain is expected to fall tonight and Tuesday morning. It will make for an active start to weather this week. It's also expected to be the hottest day of the week before temperatures take a dive Tuesday.
What else we're watching
- Labor Day weekend is almost here and that means travel-accommodating practices by road crews will lift travel restrictions over the weekend. Work should resume Tuesday, Sept. 6.
- AAA is asking families to be extra careful as they send students back to school this week - which is the return of millions of cars and bikes to the road in the mornings. That can make things particularly dangerous during the early morning hours when things are still dark.
- Michigan's gas prices haven't stopped falling, which a gallon of gas down another 8 cents from a week ago. The fall in prices isn't as dramatic as previous weeks this year and costs still remain high at $3.83 a gallon.
- Nurses who work at the hospital at the University of Michigan are in the throes of voting on a strike this week and are expected to reach a result at the end of this week. They've been in contract negotiations since their last one ended July 1.
- A law firm will be donating hundreds of backpacks to students at an elementary school in Dearborn. It's one of many back-to-school narratives playing out Monday.
Artemis I countdown paused as NASA prepares moon rocket for first flight
Nearly 50 years after the last mission to the moon, NASA is once again counting down to a lunar launch. The Artemis I mission, an uncrewed test flight, is scheduled to blast off from Kennedy Space Center later this morning.
The two-hour launch window opens at 8:33 a.m., but delays are starting to pile up and a lot of things have to go right for the historic mission to get underway.
First, the weather has to cooperate. It’s been a stormy few days in Florida – a bolt of lightning even struck Launch Pad 39B’s lightning diversion system on Saturday, though the rocket was not damaged. Nearby lightning also delayed the start of fueling by an hour as showers swept onshore early this morning.
Forecasters expect an 80-percent chance of good weather when today’s launch window opens, but an increasing chance of rain lowers that chance to 60 percent by mid-morning.