Crime
Foley High School on lockdown after a fight broke out, No shots fired
UPDATE (11:50 a.m.): Foley High School will begin dismissing students at noon following the campus lockdown earlier today.
According to a press release from Baldwin County Public Schools, car drivers will be dismissed first, followed by students whose parents have come to pick them up. Students who wish to remain on campus will be supervised in the cafeteria and provided with study materials.
Bus riders will board their regular buses at the conclusion of the school day and depart for their home destinations.
Parents who need to pick up their children should drive down Cedar Street to the back of the school. They should then follow security personnel around the south side of the cafeteria to pick up their child and depart out the east front of the school towards Highway 59.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
Baldwin County, AL – A spokesperson for Baldwin County Public Schools has confirmed that all students are safe following a lockdown at Foley High School on Thursday morning.
The school was placed on lockdown after a report of a disturbance. The Foley Police Department and Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene and secured the campus.
The lockdown has been lifted, and all students are safe.
The Foley Police Department has issued a statement addressing the circulation of false information on social media regarding the incident at Foley High School.
The department has confirmed that many of the images being shared online are old photos that do not depict the events of today. Some of these photos were not even taken on the Foley High School campus.
The Foley Police Department and Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office are currently on the scene and have secured the high school. A reunification plan is being developed, and more information will be provided within the next 30 minutes.
The public is urged to refrain from spreading rumors and misinformation. Please rely on official communications from the Foley Police Department and Baldwin County Board of Education for accurate information.
The public is asked to avoid the area until the security perimeter is removed.
More information regarding the incident will be released before noon.
Crime
Security guard Yahaira Melendez charged with murder after shooting inside IHOP restaurant in Center City Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A security guard has been arrested and charged with murder following a fatal shooting at a Center City IHOP over the weekend that left a 43-year-old man dead.
The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday at the IHOP located in the 1300 block of Walnut Street, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
When officers arrived, they discovered a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The victim, who police say was unhoused, was transported to Jefferson Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Investigators report that the victim had been causing a disturbance inside the restaurant prior to the shooting. As security personnel escorted him outside, he allegedly turned and spat on one of the guards.
That guard, identified as 38-year-old Yahaira Melendez, allegedly responded by drawing her firearm and shooting the victim once in the head.
Police say preliminary findings indicate the victim was not armed at the time of the incident.
Melendez, a mother of three, was taken into custody and has been charged with murder and related offenses.
In a statement Melendez’s family expressed shock and disbelief over the situation, writing in part:
“We are shocked and devastated by the tragic events that occurred at the IHOP while she was working security. We know she would never harm anyone unless she felt she had no other choice to protect herself or others.”
The shooting has left nearby workers and residents shaken.
“Escalation — where was the escalation?” asked Karr Anderson, who works next door to the restaurant. “Security guards need to know how to withhold, how to show restraint.”
Philadelphia Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether proper security protocols were followed and what led to the use of deadly force.
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the deceased pending family notification.