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Police: Gunfire at mall; no one shot, but 3 hurt fleeing
Gunfire rang out during a fight at a northern Virginia mall on Saturday, and police said three people were hurt while fleeing though no one was shot.
Officers were called to Tysons Corner Center on Saturday afternoon for a report of shots fired at the prominent mall near the nation's capital, Fairfax County police said, but there was no active shooter situation. A fight had broken out and one man took out a gun and fired it, police said.
Officials didn’t announce any immediate arrests, but Police Chief Kevin Davis said at a news conference that he expected to be sharing information with the public soon about those involved.
“Know this: We will find, we will capture and we will hold accountable the persons involved in this melee, ” Davis said.
Some officers were already at the mall when reports of gunfire started coming in and other officers who were on the road were dispatched to the mall, Police Col. Brian Reilly said.
READ: Police: Officer, 2 women shot by man who exchanged gunfire
The officers rushing in as people fled the mall tried to determine whether anyone was injured and if there were any suspects or victims.
Three people were taken to local hospitals with injuries received while fleeing, but no one was injured from gunfire, Reilly said.
The shooting happened on a second-floor walkway and investigators have found evidence consistent with gunfire and shell casings, he said.
Officers cleared the mall to make sure no suspects were present and helped those who had sheltered in place, Reilly said. The mall remained closed for the remainder of the day and won't reopen until Sunday, according to police.
Detectives are reviewing video from hundreds of cameras inside the mall to determine what happened, Reilly said. It appears that two groups of at least three people each were engaged in a fight when the shots were fired, he said.
News images showed police near the mall, some in helmets and camouflage gear with weapons raised as a precaution. Some people could be seen hugging each other after exiting the mall.
Bangladeshi businessman shot to death in US
A 47-year-old Bangladeshi businessman was gunned down by an unidentified assailant in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States on Wednesday.
Abu Saleh Mohammad Mahfuz Ahmed was from Noakhali and lived in Atlanta with his father Abu Taher, wife Mahmuda Begum, son Faruz Ahmed (4) and daughter Faiza Mahfuz (9), the deceased's younger brother Masum Ahmed told UNB.
Saleh went to America about 12 years ago in search of a living after winning the Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery or DV Lottery. He set up his own business in Georgia after working at a shop.
On Wednesday morning Bangladesh time, a man fired bullets at him inside his shop, killing Saleh on the spot, Tarek Hasan, a Bangladeshi who lives in Georgia, said.
Saleh's father said he will be buried at a local cemetery after funeral prayers in the small hours of Friday (Bangladesh time).
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Hindu banker and a worker from India fatally shot in Kashmir
Assailants fatally shot a Hindu bank manager and a worker in targeted shootings in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Thursday, according to police who blamed the attacks on militants fighting against Indian rule of the disputed region.
Militants shot and wounded two Hindu workers at a brick factory near Chadoora town on Thursday night, Jammu-Kashmir police said in a statement. They were taken to a hospital, where one of the workers from India’s Bihar state died.
Earlier Thursday, suspected militants shot and killed a bank manager, Vijay Kumar, in southern Kulgam district, a separate Jammu-Kashmir police statement said. Kumar, from India’s Rajasthan state, died at a hospital following the shooting.
CCTV footage circulating on social media shows a masked assailant walk into the bank and fire shots at Kumar with what appears to be a handgun.
Also read: India soldier killed, 4 workers injured in Kashmir attacks
Muslim-majority Kashmir has witnessed a spate of targeted killings in recent months. They come as Indian troops have continued their counterinsurgency operations across the region amid a clampdown on dissent and media freedom, which critics have likened to a militaristic policy.
On Tuesday, suspected militants, also in Kulgam, shot and killed a Hindu schoolteacher, Rajini Bala.
After that killing, Hindu government employees staged protests in several areas, demanding the government relocate them from Kashmir to safer areas in the Hindu-dominated Jammu region. They accused the government of making them “scapegoats” and “cannon fodder” to showcase normalcy in the region and chanted slogans like “The only solution is relocation.”
Hundreds of Hindus who had returned to the region after 2010 as part of a government resettlement plan that provided them with jobs and housing fled the Kashmir Valley after the killing of Bala, according to Kashmiri Hindu activists. Some 4,000 Kashmiri Hindus, who are locally known as Pandits, have been recruited for government jobs under the program.
Those employees have been on a strike since May 13 after a Hindu revenue clerk was killed inside an office complex in Chadoora town.
In the aftermath of the clerk’s killing, hundreds of Pandits — an estimated 200,000 of whom fled Kashmir after an anti-India rebellion erupted in 1989 — organized for the first time simultaneous street protests at several locations in the region demanding better security.
“We were tricked into thinking that the government is rehabilitating us under an employment package,” said Jyoti Bhat, a local Hindu teacher who joined the program seven years ago. “It’s turning out to be a death package.”
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Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan and both claim it in its entirety. Most Muslim Kashmiris in the Indian-controlled portion support the rebel goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.
When Kashmir turned into a battleground in the 1990s, attacks and threats by militants led to the departure of most Kashmiri Hindus, who supported India’s rule, with many believing that the rebellion was also aimed at wiping them out.
Most of the region’s Muslims, long resentful of Indian rule, deny that Hindus were systematically targeted, and say India helped them move out or allowed their flight in order to cast Kashmir’s struggle as Islamic extremism.
Those tensions were renewed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014 amid a sharp rise in communalism in India, and the Indian government pursued a plan to house returning migrant Kashmiri Hindus in new townships.
Muslim leaders described such plans as a conspiracy to create communal division by separating the population along religious lines, particularly after India stripped the region’s semi-autonomy in 2019 and removed inherited protections on land and jobs amid a monthslong lockdown and communication blockade.
Last year, suspected rebels killed a minority Sikh and several Hindus, including immigrant workers from Indian states, in a wave of targeted shootings in the region.
The killings came after India enacted a slew of changes in 2019, such as issuing “domicile certificates” to Indians and non-residents, entitling them to residency rights and government jobs. Many Kashmiris view such moves as aimed at engineering a demographic change in India’s only Muslim-majority region.
Many Muslim village councilors, police officers and civilians also have been killed in targeted shootings during the period.
“It’s a disastrous situation. It’s not just the (Hindu) employees who are in panic. We all are living in constant fear since 2019,” said Sanjay Tickoo, a local Kashmiri Pandit activist, who like some 800 other Pandit families did not migrate from Kashmir in the 1990s but chose to stay behind to live with their Muslim neighbors. He said that New Delhi’s 2019 changes in Kashmir brought “demons of hate and division” back to the fore.
“Killings in Kashmir happen as communalism is fast rising in India," he said. "If there is another large-scale migration (of minorities) from Kashmir to other parts of the country, it will create more difficulties for Muslim minorities in India. Minorities are vulnerable everywhere.”
2 shot in clash between BCL, LDP in Cumilla; LDP Secretary General held
Two people were shot during a clash between activists of ruling party student front Bangladesh Chhatra League and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Monday at Redwan Ahmed College premises in Chandina upazila of Cumilla.
After the clash, Dr Redwan Ahmed, LDP Secretary General and former Parliament member of Cumilla-7 constituency, was held as he was accused of firing from his gun, said Md Foyez Iqbal Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police (Daudkandi circle).
The two shot men were identified as Mahmudul Hasan Jony and Najmul Hasan, both BCL activists, he said.
Also read: Man killed in clash over delivering sermon after Jumma: 3 arrested
According to police, LDP activists arrived at the college premises on Monday noon for a pre scheduled Eid get together but BCL activists also were present there for a meeting.
Amid the tension, some BCL activists allegedly chased the personal vehicle of Dr Redwan Ahmed when he reached the spot. In reaction to this, he fired at them from his gun through the window of his vehicle.
“Immediately after the incident Dr Redwan was taken under custody with his gun and police troops were deployed at the spot. Further actions will be taken in this regard after investigation”, said ASP Md Foyez Iqbal.
Also read: LDP leader held with loaded magazine from Dhaka airport
Liton Sarkar, General Secretary of Cumilla North Awami Secha Sebok League said the shot BCL activists are currently admitted at hospital and demanded justice in this incident.
Man kills 3 children, 1 other, himself at California church
A man shot and killed his three children, one other person and himself at a church in Sacramento, California, on Monday, authorities said.
Deputies responding to reports of gunfire around 5 p.m. found five people dead, including the shooter, at the church in the Arden-Arcade neighborhood, said Sgt. Rod Grassmann with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
The victims included three juveniles under 15 years of age, Grassman said. He didn't know their genders.
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The identity of the other victim wasn't immediately known.
Grassman said he didn't know if the family members belonged to the the church, which sits on a mostly residential block near a commercial area east of downtown Sacramento.
It wasn't immediately known how many people were at the church or if there were any services or activities at the time of the shooting.
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Swecchasebok leader succumbs to injuries in Bagura
A Swecchasebok leader in Bagura who sustained bullet injuries in a clash between two factions of the outfit earlier this month, succumbed to his injuries on Monday night.
The deceased was Nazmul Hasan alias Orange, 28, the assistant secretary (cultural affairs) of the district Shecchasebok League, and son of Rezaul Karim of the city's Malgram Dabtala area.
He passed away at 11pm on Monday at the intensive care unit of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital (SZMCH), said Selim Reza, officer-in-charge of Bagura Sadar police station.
Meanwhile, another accused in the case, Khairul Islam, 48, was arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion from the Fapor area at 3am on Tuesday, RAB-12 said in a statement.
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So far, two people have been arrested in connection with the clash, said OC Selim. Earlier another person, named Tipu, was held.
On January 2, Orange was shot while another activist Minhaz Hossain Apel, 24, was attacked in the Malgram area of the city by members of the rival faction of the organization for gaining dominance in the area.
The day next, a case was filed at the Bagura Sadar police station, following a complaint from Orange’s wife against 12 people, including five unnamed.
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Meanwhile, more cops have been deployed in Malgram Dabtala and Dakkhinpara areas following Orange’s death to avoid any unwanted situation, said OC Selim.
His body will be handed over to the family after an autopsy, he added.
2 Kansas officers shot by suspect, expected to recover
Two police officers responding to a domestic violence call in Wichita, Kansas, were shot and wounded in the early hours of Christmas Day, authorities said.
A woman told police that her boyfriend, 24-year-old Malik Rogers, had threatened and attacked her. Early Saturday, officers went to Rogers' apartment to arrest him, but police say he resisted and got into a struggle with the officers.
READ: UP Polls: 3 shot dead during clash in Thakurgaon
Rogers barricaded himself in a bathroom, and when officers forced open the door, he pointed a gun and fired several shots, police said in a news release.
One officer was shot in the leg. The other was shot in the arm. Both were being treated at a hospital with injuries Police Chief Gordon Ramsay described as serious but not life-threatening. Both have been with the department for less than a year.
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After the shooting, a tactical team was called and the apartment was evacuated. The suspect was later found dead of what police called a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
No officers fired any shots, police said.
Jubo League leader shot dead in Bhola
A local leader of Jubo League was allegedly shot dead by assailants in the Meghna river off the coast of Nasirmajhi in Sadar upazila of Bhola district on Friday.
The deceased was identified as Khorshed Alam Titu, 35, son of Tasir Ahmed of Kanai Nagar village under Dhania union.
Enayet Hossain, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said Khorshed, along with his associates, had gone to the house of newly elected chairman of Madanpur union, Nasir Uddin Nannu, on an invitation.
READ: Awami League activist shot dead in Bandarban
Later, when Khorshed and his supporters were heading towards Nasirmajhai on a boat, the assailants came on a speedboat and fired at him.
A critically injured Khorshed was taken to Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Khorshed’s followers alleged that the supporters of Socket Jamal, a defeated chairman candidate, were behind the attack. "Efforts are on to identify and nab the attackers,' the OC said.
READ: Man shot dead ‘by brother-in-law’ in city
UP polls: Chairman candidate shot dead in Rangamati
An Awami League-backed chairman candidate of union parishad polls was shot dead by some miscreants at Agapara in Kaptai upazila early Sunday.
The deceased was identified as Nethoai Marma, 56, also president of Chitmaram union unit Awami League.
Mahmuda Begum, additional superintendent of Rangamati Police Station, said a group of miscreants numbering 10 to 12 attacked Nethoai and opened fire on him around 1 am, leaving him dead on the spot.
Read:Bandarban tragedy: Bodies of 2 children found, their mother still missing
Police suspected that he was killed centering the upcoming union parishad election.
Nethoai used to live at a government rest house along Chitmaram Bazar for security reason and the attack was carried when Nethoai returned to the rest house after submitting his nomination paper.
Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Chandraghona Police Station, said the body bore three bullets.
Police recovered the body and sent it to a local hospital morgue for autopsy.
A tense situation has been prevailing in the area following the incident.
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No complaint was lodged with Chandraghona Police till the filling of this report on Sunday afternoon.
Aung Suisan Chowdhury, president of Kaptai upazila unit Awami League, condemned the incident and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.
An on-duty Rab constable killed by bullet triggered from his own firearm
A Rab member died after being by a bullet reportedly from his own firearm at the main gate of Rapid Action Battalion headquarters in Uttara, Dhaka on Monday, an official said.
However, it was not immediately clear whether Constable Shovo Mallo, 26, died by suicide or accidental firing of the bullet.
Contacted, ASP Imran Khan, assistant director (legal and media wing) at the Rab told UNB that Shovo was on duty at the main gate of the Rab headquarters. Suddenly, he was hit by a bullet triggered from his own firearm at around 2:30 pm.
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He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where the duty doctor declared him dead at around 5:15 pm, said Imran.
Replying to a question, he said it was not immediately clear how the incident occurred. However, an investigation has been ordered to ascertain the actual reason, he added.
READ: ‘Rohingya robber’ killed in ‘gunfight’ with Rab in Cox's Bazar