Crime
Victim identified in deadly shooting and kidnapping in South Lubbock, suspect arrested
LUBBOCK, Texas — The Lubbock Police Department (LPD) is set to hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. to provide further details regarding a tragic incident involving a fatal shooting and kidnapping that occurred late Monday night in South Lubbock.
The incident prompted a multi-county pursuit that ended with the suspect’s arrest in Garza County.
According to LPD, officers were dispatched at approximately 10:43 p.m. on Monday, April 8, to the 3800 block of 130th Street following reports of gunfire.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a male victim, identified as Nathan Griggs, suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.
Authorities said that following the shooting, the suspect abducted a woman and a child from the apartment complex and fled the area.
In a statement released early Tuesday morning, LPD confirmed the suspect had been apprehended in Garza County and that the woman and child had been located and were safely in the custody of law enforcement.
LPD stated that shortly after the incident, the suspect led officers from multiple law enforcement agencies on a high-speed pursuit through several counties.
The Crosby County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) reported that it received notification that the suspect’s vehicle was traveling through the town of Ralls. Deputies quickly joined the chase, which ultimately spanned more than 119 miles across West Texas.
The pursuit came to an end in the city of Post when the suspect crashed his vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. He was quickly apprehended by deputies with the Garza County Sheriff’s Office.
The kidnapped woman and child were discovered in the vehicle and did not appear to be physically harmed.
“By God’s grace, no one was injured in this pursuit or the subsequent crash,” the Crosby County Sheriff’s Office stated in a social media post following the arrest.
As of Tuesday morning, the identities of the suspect, victim, and kidnapped individuals had not been released pending notification of family and further investigation.
Lubbock police officials say additional information, including potential charges, will be shared during the scheduled press conference.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Lubbock Police Department.
Crime
Mustapha Kharbouch Now-Deleted 2024 Manifesto Published in Institute for Palestine Studies Recovered
Brown University has removed multiple online references to student activist Mustapha Kharbouch in the days following a deadly campus shooting, a move that has drawn public attention amid heightened online speculation—despite law enforcement officials confirming that no suspects or persons of interest have been identified in the investigation.
Archived versions of Brown University webpages show that Kharbouch, a first-year student at the time, was previously listed in several university-affiliated roles, including as a student assistant and Cultural Programming Coordinator connected to the Global Brown Center.
His academic interests were described as focusing on International and Public Affairs and Anthropology, with involvement in Middle East–focused academic, cultural, and student programming.
Those pages are no longer accessible, and Kharbouch’s social media accounts have also been deactivated.
A verified buyer from the United States with the name “Mustapha K.” reviewed a 9MM muzzle brake through the Wing Tactical website on December 29th, 2024 — the same caliber used in the Brown shooting.
There are approximately a few hundred people in the entire United States with that first name + last initial combination.
University officials have not issued a public explanation for the removal of the online profiles.
The changes occurred as online speculation intensified in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, with social media users circulating screenshots of archived university pages and past writings associated with Kharbouch.
Among the materials resurfaced by online users was a 2024 essay authored by Kharbouch and published by the Institute for Palestine Studies as part of a special student essay series titled Genocide in Gaza: Student Essays — Brown University Encampment 2024.
The essay, titled “I Hear the Voice of My Ancestors Calling: From the Camps to the Campus,” was published on August 13, 2024, months before the shooting. The piece is a first-person reflective essay examining Palestinian identity, intergenerational memory, student activism, and questions of hope amid displacement, war, and protest.
The article includes poetic excerpts adapted from “Ancestors Song,” a chant popularized during student-led Palestine solidarity actions at Brown University, and documents Kharbouch’s participation in campus organizing efforts, including sit-ins, hunger strikes, rallies, and the Brown Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
The essay situates these experiences within a broader discussion of decolonial thought, feminist theory, and Palestinian history, including reflections on the 1948 Nakba and the author’s family history as a third-generation stateless Palestinian refugee raised in Lebanon.
The content of the essay is ideological, autobiographical, and academic in nature.
There is no reference to violence on campus, nor any indication of intent or planning related to criminal activity.
The Institute for Palestine Studies has not issued any statement suggesting the piece is under review or connected to the shooting.
Despite widespread online conjecture, law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Providence Police, have not named Mustapha Kharbouch as a suspect or person of interest, and have publicly stated that there is no evidence linking him to the shooting.
Investigators have emphasized that the case remains active and that conclusions are being guided strictly by verified evidence.
Authorities have cautioned against drawing inferences from online speculation, warning that unsubstantiated claims can compromise investigations and cause undue harm to individuals not implicated by facts.
Media analysts and campus observers have suggested that Brown University’s decision to remove online references may have been taken as a protective or precautionary measure, particularly as misinformation and harassment proliferated across social media platforms following the attack.
Similar actions have been taken by institutions in other high-profile incidents to limit doxxing, targeted harassment, or the misinterpretation of publicly available biographical information during periods of heightened tension.
Brown University has not confirmed whether the removals were temporary, administrative, or safety-related in nature.
Authorities continue to urge the public to rely on confirmed information released by law enforcement and to avoid amplifying unverified narratives.
As of the most recent update, no arrests have been announced, no individuals have been publicly identified as suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with credible information related to the shooting has been asked to contact investigators directly.