Crime
Law enforcement responding to multiple bomb threats at Seven voting precincts in DeKalb County, Georgia
DeKalb County Voter Registration & Elections has reported bomb threats at seven locations, including five active voting precincts across the county.
To ensure the safety of voters and staff, the DeKalb County Police Department is conducting bomb sweeps at each of these sites.
The polling precincts affected are as follows:
- New Bethel AME Church at 8350 Rockbridge Rd., Lithonia
- New Life Community Center at 3592 Flat Shoals Rd., Decatur
- North DeKalb Senior Center at 3393 Malone Dr., Chamblee
- Reid H. Cofer Library at 5234 Lavista Rd., Tucker
- Wesley Chapel Library at 2861 Wesley Chapel Rd., Decatur
Additional locations, though not polling sites, have also received threats:
- Stonecrest (Old Sam’s Club), which is not an active polling location
- Salem Panola Library at 5137 Salem Rd., Lithonia
In response, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond has assured the public, stating, โEvery asset that we have will be deployed to ensure that every citizen who wants to vote will be given that opportunity and every vote cast will be counted.โ DeKalb VRE Executive Director Keisha Smith added, โRest assured that we are working quickly to ensure every voter will have an opportunity to cast their ballot despite these bomb threats.โ
Voting at these affected locations is temporarily suspended as a precaution, and voting will resume once the police confirm the sites are safe.
The DeKalb County Law Department is also working to obtain an emergency order to extend voting hours at these impacted locations, ensuring every voter has the opportunity to cast their ballot.
Crime
16-year-old Khyon Smith-Tate found shot to death inside Chipotle bathroom on edge of Temple University’s campus in North Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA โ A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot inside the bathroom of a Chipotle restaurant near Temple Universityโs campus in North Philadelphia on Monday afternoon, police said, as students and staff returned for the first day of the Spring 2026 semester.
The shooting occurred at approximately 5:00 p.m. inside the Chipotle located in the 1100 block of West Montgomery Avenue, on the ground floor of The View at Montgomery apartment complex. The building is situated near Temple Universityโs Student Center and TECH Center.
Police later identified the victim as Khyon Smith-Tate, a North Philadelphia resident. Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said Smith-Tate was found with a gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at 5:24 p.m.
Temple University President John Fry and Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police Jennifer Griffin issued a joint statement following the incident:
โThe loss of life to gun violence is a profound tragedy, and there are no words that can make sense of it. Our thoughts are with the victimโs family and loved ones.โ
According to investigators, Smith-Tate and another minor entered the restaurant and requested access to the restroom. Chief Inspector Small said the shooting is believed to have occurred inside the bathroom.
Moments later, employees discovered Smith-Tate suffering from a gunshot wound. Police recovered one spent shell casing from a semiautomatic weapon inside the restroom.
Although the victimโs last known address was approximately eight blocks from the scene, authorities have not indicated what brought him to the location or what led to the shooting.
At the time of the incident, the restaurant was crowded, and multiple individuals inside the business were detained briefly for questioning. However, police said they have not yet obtained any statements from witnesses who reported hearing a gunshot.
A person of interest was taken into custody several blocks from the scene shortly after the shooting, but Chief Inspector Small said that individualโs involvement remains unclear.
As of Tuesday, police confirmed that no arrests have been made and no motive has been established.
Investigators believe Smith-Tate entered the restroom with another minor, though the whereabouts of that individual remain unknown.
Police are also seeking information about three possible suspects, described as teenagers carrying backpacks.
Chief Inspector Small noted that the area is equipped with numerous surveillance cameras, which detectives are reviewing as part of the ongoing investigation.
Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the incident to contact the Philadelphia Police Department.