Crime
Weapons found at Lamar High School in Houston, 2 students charged
Both students are facing serious charges related to the possession of weapons on school grounds.
Two students at Lamar High School in Houston were arrested on Tuesday morning after being found in possession of weapons on campus.
School administrators received a tip that a student may be attempting to bring a gun to school.
After a brief off-campus pursuit, the student was apprehended, and a weapon was recovered.
Shortly thereafter, another student was found to be in possession of a weapon. This student was also arrested and charged with a felony.
Both students are facing serious charges related to the possession of weapons on school grounds.
Here’s is the full message that was sent to parents:
All students and staff are safe, but I do need to make our school community aware of a serious safety incident that occurred this morning. Our campus administration was made aware that a student may attempt to bring a gun to school this morning. HISD PD responded immediately and, after a brief off-campus pursuit, police were able to locate the weapon and detain the student.
Administration suspected that another student may also be in possession of a weapon. The student was searched by HISD police on campus and a weapon was confiscated. Both students will be assigned disciplinary actions aligned with the Texas Education Code and have been charged with a felony criminal offense by the District Attorney (DA).
HISD takes every threat to campus safety seriously and works closely with local law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate and take necessary actions to ensure the safety of all students and staff. As an added precautionary measure, we will have increased on-campus patrols and will be wanding all students with hand-held metal detectors during morning arrival until we are confident this has been resolved.
Students may experience a short delay at entry. All students should enter at the Transit Center or on the 2nd level from the garage. The safety and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority.
Crime
4 Killed in Eden Crash at Carroll and Church Streets, Driver and Victims Identified
Michael Vernon, driver of dump truck involved charged.
A tragic crash in Eden, North Carolina, has left four people dead and several others injured following a multi-vehicle incident involving a dump truck and a utility work crew.
The Eden Police Department confirmed the incident occurred Thursday afternoon at approximately 1:30 p.m. at the intersection of Church Street, Carroll Street, and Park Road.
According to a news release from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP), 66-year-old Michael Ray Vernon of Eden was operating a 2016 Hino dump truck owned by the City of Eden.
While traveling northbound on Carroll Street, Vernon failed to stop at a posted stop sign at the intersection with Church Street.
The dump truck proceeded through the intersection, striking six pedestrians—utility workers contracted through Carolina Power and Signalization—who were performing powerline work in the area.
The dump truck continued traveling north after striking the pedestrians, colliding with an occupied bucket truck before veering off the road and crashing into a ditch.
Emergency responders from multiple agencies arrived at the scene within minutes. Four of the six pedestrians were pronounced dead at the scene.
The deceased have been identified as:
- Douglas Garland Sides, 72, of Summerfield
- Madison Carter, 42, of Sandy Ridge
- William Evans, 35, of Randleman
- Matthew Lockwood, 30, of Winston-Salem
The two surviving pedestrians sustained life-threatening injuries and were airlifted to medical facilities.
They have been identified as:
- Hunter Carter, 24, of Reidsville – transported to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital in critical condition
- Kevin Alexander, 34, of Eden – airlifted in stable condition
Cody Rich, 31, of Reidsville, who was inside the bucket truck at the time of the crash, was transported by ground to UNC Health Rockingham with non-life-threatening injuries.
Michael Vernon sustained minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
He has been charged with a stop sign violation and misdemeanor death by motor vehicle.
Investigators confirmed that impairment is not believed to have played a role in the crash.
Further charges may be considered as the investigation progresses.
The intersection remained closed for several hours as law enforcement officers and emergency crews conducted their investigation.
The area was reopened to traffic at approximately 10:30 p.m.
In a statement, Duke Energy, which works in coordination with Carolina Power and Signalization, expressed condolences:
“We are saddened about the tragic event that happened today, and our hearts go out to the families and teammates of those involved. The safety of our employees, contractors, and customers is the highest priority at Duke Energy. We are working closely with law enforcement officials.”
The NCSHP continues to lead the investigation, and anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact local authorities.