Crime
Chapmanville Regional High School Lockdown Lifted, 16-year-old Suspect Detained
No weapons were involved in the incident.
UPDATE: A 16-year-old has been taken into custody after making a threat towards Chapmanville Regional High School.
The threat prompted the school to be placed on lockdown. However, no weapons were involved in the incident.
The Logan County Sheriff’s Office has announced that all Chapmanville-area schools will be dismissed at 12:30 PM.
Further details regarding the nature of the threat and the ongoing investigation will be provided as they become available.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
Chapmanville, WV – Chapmanville Middle and High Schools have been placed on lockdown due to the false report of gun on the high school premises.
A significant police and firetruck presence has been reported in the area.
The school district has confirmed that all schools in Chapmanville are currently under lockdown.
A suspect has been taken into custody by law enforcement, and no shots were fired during the incident.
Further details regarding the incident, including the number of firearms found and the circumstances surrounding their discovery, are not available at this time.
We will provide updates as more information becomes available.
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.