Monday, May 11, 2020

BLACK VIOLENCE IN AMERICA - A BLACK MAN IS 15xs to 30xs MORE LIKELY TO PERPETRATE VIOLENCE THAN A WHITE MALE

PICTURED: Gunman, 29, found dead after killing man, 86, and his wife, 85, at Delaware veterans cemetery

  • The couple were at Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear on Friday morning when they were shot; their names have not yet been released 
  • The wife was pronounced dead at the scene; her husband died in hospital 
  • Police later identified the shooter as Sheldon C. Francis, 29, of Middletown  
  • He was found dead from a gunshot wound a few hours later in the wooded area
  • It is not yet known if the gunman knew his victims 
An 85-year-old woman and her husband, 86, were both killed in a shooting at a veterans cemetery in Delaware on Friday morning.
Delaware State Police on Friday night identified the victims as a married couple from Elkton, Maryland. 
Police say they later discovered the 29-year-old suspect, named as Sheldon C. Francis, dead from a gunshot wound a few hours later in a wooded area. 
It is not known if the gunman knew his victims.  
Police say they later discovered the 29-year-old suspect, named as Sheldon C. Francis, pictured, dead from a gunshot wound a few hours later in a wooded area
Police say they later discovered the 29-year-old suspect, named as Sheldon C. Francis, pictured, dead from a gunshot wound a few hours later in a wooded area
aw enforcement set up a perimeter and search vehicles at an active shooter situation near the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear on Friday
aw enforcement set up a perimeter and search vehicles at an active shooter situation near the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear on Friday 
Vehicles are seen stopped at a roadblock, Friday, in Bear, Del. Delaware State Police were responding Friday to a report of shots being fired at Delaware's Veterans Memorial Cemetery, according to a police statement
Vehicles are seen stopped at a roadblock, Friday, in Bear, Del. Delaware State Police were responding Friday to a report of shots being fired at Delaware's Veterans Memorial Cemetery, according to a police statement
A police spokesman said Sunday: 'Francis was located deceased at approximately 4:00 p.m., on the date of the incident, in a wooded area located just off of Brennan Blvd., in the development of Brennan Estates, which is adjacent to the grounds of the cemetery. 
'This wooded area was where an exchange of gunfire between Francis and officers on scene had taken place at approximately 12:08 p.m. Upon being located Francis was confirmed to have sustained a gunshot wound. 
'It is undetermined at this time if the wound was self-inflicted or as a result of the exchange of gunfire.'    
The elderly couple were at Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear, pictured
The elderly couple were at Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear, pictured
Authorities had used a reverse 911 system to warn area residents that there was an active shooter and that they should shelter in place
Authorities had used a reverse 911 system to warn area residents that there was an active shooter and that they should shelter in place
The elderly couple were at Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear on Friday morning when they were shot. Their names have not yet been released. 
After a shootout with officers, the suspect fled into nearby woods, said Senior Corporal Heather Pepper, a state police spokeswoman. 
Authorities had used a reverse 911 system to warn area residents that there was an active shooter and that they should shelter in place. Some of the residents were evacuated as officers hunted for the suspect.  
The wife was pronounced dead at the scene. The husband was taken to the hospital in a critical condition.  
. Some of the residents were evacuated as officers hunted for the suspect
. Some of the residents were evacuated as officers hunted for the suspect
The suspect was found dead from a gunshot wound a few hours later in a wooded area
The suspect was found dead from a gunshot wound a few hours later in a wooded area
Gov. John Carney said: 'To think of a situation like that on that facility is just heartbreaking...the final resting place of the men and women who served our country.'
It was not immediately clear whether the suspect shot himself or was hit by police in the earlier exchange of gunfire, police said.
No officers were injured in the shooting.
The state-owned cemetery is overseen by the Office of Veterans Services, a division of the Delaware Department of State.


Man, 43, is charged with murdering his former neighbor after he allegedly terrorized the father-of-four for months and eventually forced the family to move

  • Jamal Thomas, 43, charged in the brutal murder of 44-year-old Miles Armstead in Oakland
  • Thomas, who was jailed for ‘terrorizing’ his neighbor Armstead, has now been accused of murdering him just weeks after being released from custody
  • Armstead was allegedly shot dead by his former neighbor Thomas outside of his home on the 7500 block of Ney Avenue on May 1
  • Hours later, Oakland police arrested Thomas, who is believed to be homeless having recently been evicted from the home next door to Armstead’s
  • Alameda County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said Thomas had previously been arrested for making ‘terrorist threats’ against Armstead
  • Authorities and neighbors say he repeatedly vandalized the victim’s home, including an incident as recently as April 6, where Thomas threw a brick at him
  • The victim has recently boarded up his windows, moved his family out of the home and listed it for sale over concerns for their safety 
California man who was jailed for ‘terrorizing’ his neighbor has been charged with killing him just two months after his release.
Miles Armstead, 44, had been doing yard work outside of his home on the 7500 block of Ney Avenue in Oakland on May 1, when his former neighbor, Jamal Thomas, 43, allegedly shot him in the back of the head.
‘He pulled a gun, Miles saw the gun, he turned around, got shot in the back of the head, hit the ground, he shot him a bunch of times,’ a witness, who did not wish to be identified, told KTVU
Hours later, Oakland police arrested Thomas, who is believed to be homeless having recently been evicted from the home next door to Armstead’s.
Thomas was charged on Friday with eight felonies, including murder and assault with a deadly weapon, according to The Mercury News
Miles Armstead, 44, had been doing yard work outside of his home on the 7500 block of Ney Avenue in Oakland on Friday, when his former neighbor, Jamal Thomas, 43, allegedly shot him in the back of the head
Jamal Thomas
Miles Armstead (left), 44, had been doing yard work outside of his home on the 7500 block of Ney Avenue in Oakland on Friday, when his former neighbor, Jamal Thomas (right), 43, allegedly shot him in the back of the head 
Armstead recently moved into the home on 76th and Ney with his pregnant second wife, Melina, and his three children, neighbor Louella Robinson said
Armstead recently moved into the home on 76th and Ney with his pregnant second wife, Melina, and his three children, neighbor Louella Robinson said
Alameda County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said Thomas had previously been arrested for making ‘terrorist threats’ against Armstead and threatening to burn down his home.
Thomas was released from police custody on February 28.
Authorities and neighbors say he repeatedly vandalized the victim’s home in the weeks after, including an incident as recently as April 6, where Thomas is said to have thrown a brick through Armstead's window, narrowly missing him.
Oakland police issued a warrant for Thomas' arrest in connection with the incident.
But he was not detained until after Armstead's murder.
‘He kept calling the police, calling the police, and then Jamal lays low, and then he comes back, soon as you let your guard down he attacks again,’ the anonymous witness told KTVU.
Armstead recently moved into the home on 76th and Ney with his pregnant second wife, Melina, and his three children, neighbor Louella Robinson told the San Francisco Chronicle
Thomas, meanwhile, had been living on Ney Avenue for over 20 years before he was reportedly evicted. The circumstances of his apparent eviction were not immediately clear.
‘They had a little thing going between them,’ she said about the two men. ‘We don’t know what it was. Some kind of way I guess they fell out.’
Alameda County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said Thomas had previously been arrested for making ‘terrorist threats’ against Armstead (above), threatening to burn down his home, however he was released on February 28
Alameda County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said Thomas had previously been arrested for making ‘terrorist threats’ against Armstead (above), threatening to burn down his home, however he was released on February 28
Armstead recently moved into the home on 76th and Ney with his pregnant second wife, Melina (left), and his three children
Armstead recently moved into the home on 76th and Ney with his pregnant second wife, Melina (left), and his three children
Cards, flowers and candles lay out front of the home where Miles was killed in tribute
Cards, flowers and candles lay out front of the home where Miles was killed in tribute
Robinson said she had witnessed Thomas throw rocks through the windows of Armstead’s house, shattering the glass.
The victim has recently boarded up his windows, listed the home for sale and moved his family out over concerns for their safety. He had been delivering materials to construction workers carrying out renovations when he was killed.
‘He and his wife, they had to get away from that house,’ Robinson told the Chronicle.
According to a GoFundMe page set up by his friend Jennifer Shallat, Armstead worked as a wealth manager at Fremont Bank. He was also a dedicated soccer coach for his three children and had been expecting a fourth child, a baby girl, with his Melina in August.
‘Miles has always wanted the best for his children as well and has worked hard to provide for them,’ Shallat wrote. ‘It was his dream that they would all have a good life, and he was integral in making that happen.’
Alameda County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said Thomas had previously been arrested for making ‘terrorist threats’ against Armstead, threatening to burn down his home, however he was released on February 28
Alameda County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said Thomas had previously been arrested for making ‘terrorist threats’ against Armstead, threatening to burn down his home, however he was released on February 28
Robinson, meanwhile, had been inside when she heard the unmistakable clapping of gunfire outside of her home on Friday. 
By the time she ran outside, the suspect had disappeared.
She said both she and her fellow neighbors were stunned to learn that it was reportedly Thomas who pulled the trigger.
‘Thomas was a good kid, coming up and everything — that’s why everybody’s kind of in a state of shock,’ Robinson said. ‘We [are] still kind of wondering what happened between them two.’
Tributes to doting father Miles Armstead have flooded onto social media since news of his death became public.
‘There are no words that can express the deep void in my soul. Never would I have imagined that I would be parted from you so soon,’ his wife Melina wrote on Facebook. ‘Your laughter brought me joy, your strength brought me comfort, your love for others made me love you more than I ever thought humanly possible.
‘You worked so hard always but especially in this last month to remove our family from our home which no longer was safe,’ she continued. ‘Relentless, day and night you worked; because of this we are safe, but now you are physically gone and the ache in my heart is unfathomable.’
Friend Lauren Deane wrote: 'The happiest guy in the room is no longer with us and I am deeply pained by the loss. Miles Armstead was the embodiment of love and light.
'Miles, I’ll miss your smiles. My heart breaks for his wife Melina, their children, and all of his family and friends.' 
Tributes to doting father Armstead have flooded onto social media since news of his death became public
Tributes to doting father Armstead have flooded onto social media since news of his death became public
Melina and Miles were expecting a baby girl together in August, family members revealed
Melina and Miles were expecting a baby girl together in August, family members revealed
Friend Lauren Deane wrote: ''The happiest guy in the room is no longer with us and I am deeply pained by the loss. Miles Armstead was the embodiment of love and light. 'Miles, I’ll miss your smiles. My heart breaks for his wife Melina, their children, and all of his family and friends'
Friend Lauren Deane wrote: ''The happiest guy in the room is no longer with us and I am deeply pained by the loss. Miles Armstead was the embodiment of love and light. 'Miles, I’ll miss your smiles. My heart breaks for his wife Melina, their children, and all of his family and friends'
Kelly said law enforcement did all they could in the long-running saga between Thomas and Armstead by making the first arrest and issuing a warrant for the second.
However, the sergeant said the judicial system missed an opportunity ‘to keep this gentleman in custody’, criticizing the state for putting too many criminals back on the street.
California’s Judicial Council enacted emergency powers in mid-April to set bail at zero in misdemeanor and low-level felony cases to prevent the spread of coronavirus in jails.
If Thomas had been arrested for the brick incident - which carried charges of misdemeanor vandalism and felony assault with the potential to cause great bodily injury — in early April, ‘he would’ve been out of jail in six or seven hours,’ Kelly told the Chronicle.
‘I think this victim would still be alive if Mr. Thomas was held on his previous charges,’ Kelly said. ‘It’s heartbreaking that this gentleman lost his life. I mean, how many more red flags do you need?’ 

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