Male suspected of fatally shooting 2 just hours apart allegedly attempts to break into home — but homeowner has a gun

A male suspected of fatally shooting two men just hours and miles apart Sunday in Attala County, Mississippi, allegedly attempted to break into a home — but the armed homeowner was ready for him.

Authorities told WLBT-TV the first shooting occurred around 1 p.m. when deputies and EMS were dispatched to County Road 1107 after a man had been shot in the road.

'There is no way to explain that.'

Tim Lawrence, 67, was pronounced dead at the scene, the station said.

Chris Hughes, 41, was identified as a suspect, and authorities were told that Hughes had been picked up and was a passenger in a gray GM truck, WLBT reported.

Deputies at 3:20 p.m. were dispatched to yet another shooting on Country Road 1141, the station said.

A gray GM truck matching the description of the vehicle Hughes was believed to be in was found wrecked, and the driver — 46-year-old Jeffery Mallet Jr. — had been shot, WLBT reported. Mallet later was pronounced dead, the station said.

Authorities said Mallet and Hughes were cousins, WAPT-TV reported.

The two shooting scenes were approximately four miles apart, WLBT noted, adding that as a manhunt was underway, a perimeter was secured, checkpoints were set up throughout the area, and multiple drones and a state highway patrol helicopter were deployed.

A search warrant was executed on Hughes’ home, but the residence was found empty, WLBT said.

Soon after, gunshots were heard, and law enforcement went toward them to find Hughes tried to break into a homeowner’s back door, WLBT reported.

But WLBT said the homeowner fired a weapon, striking Hughes.

EMS was dispatched, and Hughes was taken to a hospital where he later was pronounced dead, WLBT noted.

"There is no way to explain that," Attala County Sheriff Curtis Pope told WAPT. "No matter how long you're in this business, every situation is different."

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15-month-old child died from ingesting meth through mother's breast milk, police say

A mother and father of a 15-month-old child who died have been arrested after an investigation determined the child died from ingesting methamphetamine.

Pennsylvania state police responded to a call on Feb. 12, 2025, at the Mt. Pleasant Township residence of 34-year-old Michael Thomas Blaesser and 31-year-old Ashley Amber Makarsky.

Another child at the home, who was 3 years old, tested positive for fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.

Police found the unresponsive boy and transported him to the Independence Health Frick Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The living conditions at the residence were described as "beyond deplorable" by officers.

"There was no food in the house that we saw that was edible," Trooper Steve Limani said. "The temperatures were below freezing within the home. The only heat source for the house was a kerosene heater that emitted fumes that you could strongly smell ... along with fecal matter and garbage."

There was no running water or electricity, the roof had holes in it, and the temperature inside was 28 degrees. A mattress appeared to have mold growing on it.

Limani says the boy was likely exposed to methamphetamine through drinking the mother's toxic breast milk.

An investigation discovered that the parents had a history of drug abuse and had been involved in two other cases where children where exposed to drug-laced breast milk, according to Limani.

The three alleged incidents provided enough evidence for the parents to be charged with third-degree murder. They may also be charged with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment.

Another child at the home, who was 3 years old, tested positive for fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, according to police.

"There is a pattern set forth about where a person should know and understand the consequences of taking illicit substances and then using your body to ... sustain life for your child — you're feeding it drugs and potentially going to kill your child," Limani said. "And that's what took place."

The pair were each given a $1 million bond. An attorney for Makarsky said the mother is "gutted" by the accusations and said it was the first time she'd gotten into trouble as far as the attorney knew.

A TribLIVE report said that court papers did not reference breast milk as the reason the child died.

"Those were the results of their horrific neglect and absolute disregard for trying to take care of a [child] that relied solely on these two individuals," Limani added.

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Manhunt under way for man seen dragging a body away before woman was found stabbed to death, police say

Wisconsin police released video of a suspect in the stabbing death of a woman at her Kenosha home on Wednesday.

Kenosha police said they were called to the home near 75th Street and 22nd Avenue for a welfare check on a woman. Her friend told police that her estranged husband had been getting physical with her.

'I never would have thought nothing of it. He seemed like a cool dude, held the door, he came in with his kids.'

The man identified as Marckus Plaza was seen by police dragging a body in the home.

When they spoke to Plaza, he gave them a fake name, and after they gained entry into the home, he was seen hopping a fence to escape.

The woman was found in the basement stabbed to death, according to police. They also found a phone that was bent in half.

Inside the home were her two children.

Police said Plaza escaped on foot and is looking to find transportation to flee from the area. They described him as a black man weighing about 190 pounds with a height of 5'6". When last seen, he was wearing dark-colored sweatpants and a white tank top.

They also released a video of the man hopping a fence into what appears to be a neighbor's yard to escape police.

WDJT-TV reported that court documents indicated the woman had obtained a restraining order against Plaza.

He is charged with first-degree intentional homicide using a dangerous weapon.

A resident of the area said he had encountered Plaza before the incident.

"I've seen him at the gas station before," Bobby Johnson said. "I never would have thought nothing of it. He seemed like a cool dude, held the door, he came in with his kids."

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Teacher of the year finalist who kept contacting boy she sexually abused even after arrest learns fate: 'Pretty stupid'

A finalist for Colorado's teacher of the year learned her fate after being found guilty of sexual misconduct with a 16-year-old student.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said in a March 19 statement that 45-year-old Tera Johnson-Swartz was sentenced to 14 years in state prison.

'She threw away her entire life for me.'

In addition to her prison sentence, Johnson-Swartz was ordered to complete six years of sex offender probation and register as a convicted sex offender upon her release.

Johnson-Swartz previously pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of cybercrime.

Johnson-Swartz previously had been a teacher at STEM School Highlands Ranch.

The 23rd Judicial District Attorney's Office said in a statement that Johnson-Swartz "initiated contact by sending music and text messages to her student."

The DA said the teacher communicated with the teen student for weeks until "she convinced the student to meet up with her outside of school, provided him with cigarettes, and sexually assaulted him" in January 2025.

The district attorney said there were "additional sexual assaults" in subsequent meetings with the boy.

According to KCNC-TV, the illicit teacher-student relationship was "discovered in January 2025 by therapists who reported it to Douglas County Human Services."

"Johnson-Swartz was suspended from teaching at STEM School Highlands Ranch after the allegations emerged," KCNC reported. "Shortly after, she was fired and banned from the campus."

However, school security cameras captured the teen leaving the school and getting into a vehicle resembling the one driven by Johnson-Swartz on Feb. 18, 2025, according to the affidavit.

The minor later admitted to investigators that his former teacher picked him up from school and drove him to a nearby neighborhood, court documents said.

On Feb. 20, 2025, detectives with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Special Victims Unit arrested Johnson-Swartz. She was initially charged with kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in connection with an inappropriate relationship involving an underage student, police said.

KCNC reported, "Because she was not permitted on school grounds and not authorized to take the student off school property, she was charged with felony kidnapping."

Johnson-Swartz posted a $100,000 bond and was released the day after her arrest, according to online court records obtained by KCNC.

KCNC said there were two cases filed against Johnson-Swartz — one after a grand jury investigation into the relationship and another after detectives learned she kept trying to maintain contact with the student.

The New York Post obtained the arrest affidavit, which said the teen said Johnson-Swartz walked up to him at a concert during the Fourth of July weekend last year and said, "Just say you don't love me."

KCNC cited the affidavit in which the boy told investigators, "Yeah ... it was really weird. I was going there expecting to have a really great time. And then I just see her in front of the line, like 30 feet up. Yeah, it was weird."

The affidavit claims the victim's parents alerted authorities, and police determined that the teen and Johnson-Swartz were still communicating after the meeting at the concert.

KCNC reported that the teen said he was not surprised that his former English teacher didn't stay away from him.

"No, she is an unstable woman," the student told investigators, according to the affidavit.

"She threw away her entire life for me," the student stated, according to the affidavit. "And I'm not entirely surprised by the fact that she then would have trouble letting go. ... But no, I never told her I loved her, and she never said that to me."

The teen noted, "She is pretty stupid, I'm not gonna lie. Already ruined her life, and she keeps just making it worse."

Deputies with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office arrested Johnson-Swartz a second time in July 2025 "outside a fast food restaurant where she was working as a cashier," KCNC reported.

Douglas County District Attorney George Brauchler warned that any teacher exploiting children for "their own lascivious desires" will face life-changing punishments.

"We will work to make them a convicted felon, and we will try to take away their freedom," Brauchler proclaimed.

Brauchler said the ex-teacher is a "predator" who is "now a convicted sex offender and will live with that label for decades."

Brauchler noted that Johnson-Swartz is the fourth teacher convicted of a felony sex offense by his office since last year.

Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonprofit news organization covering education, reported in September 2024 that Johnson-Swartz was one of seven finalists for Colorado's 2025 teacher of the year.

The Colorado Department of Education said of Johnson-Swartz at the time, "She specializes in building meaningful relationships with her students while also providing lessons remembered beyond her classroom."

The STEM School Highlands Ranch and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

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Armed male enters Florida home, won't leave — then threatens homeowner while advancing toward him. But victim also is armed.

An armed male recently entered a Florida home and refused to leave — and then threatened the homeowner while advancing toward him, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office said.

But the homeowner had a gun on hand — and used it.

'Stand your ground, baby!'

The sheriff's office in a Tuesday news release said deputies responded to reports of shots fired in the 5400 block of Touraine Drive around 9:40 p.m. Feb. 6 and discovered a male suffering from a gunshot wound at the scene. The incident occurred in Tallahassee.

Detectives determined the male in question entered the home uninvited and refused to leave after the homeowner's repeated requests, officials said.

What's more, the male then threatened the homeowner with a weapon while advancing toward him, officials said.

With that, the homeowner used a semiautomatic handgun to fire a single shot at the male, which struck him, officials said.

The male was taken to a hospital in critical condition, officials said.

After an investigation, deputies identified and arrested 42-year-old Scott Scruggs on charges of burglary of a structure while armed and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, officials said.

Scott Scruggs. Image source: Leon County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office

Scruggs remained hospitalized following the incident and was taken into custody upon his release from the hospital, officials said, adding that Scruggs is now behind bars in the Leon County Detention Facility.

Jail records indicate there is no release date assigned to Scruggs; there is no bond for his burglary charge; his bond for his aggravated assault charge is $2,500.

Jail records also note Scruggs has a long criminal history dating back to 2008 filled with charges that include battery, trespassing, criminal mischief, burglary, resisting arrest, theft, reckless driving, and drug possession.

Commenters under the sheriff's office Facebook post about the incident seemed to approve of the homeowner's actions:

"Stand your ground, baby!" one commenter declared.
"Good job homeowner!!" another user exclaimed.
"FAFO," another commenter stated.
"Sounds to me like he should have left," another user noted. "Good for the homeowner protecting their home."

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VIDEO: Woman twerks during arrest after she and 2 others allegedly stormed flight over baggage fee: 'Enjoy prison, baby'

Three woman were arrested for allegedly storming onto a plane flight after a disagreement about being made to pay baggage fees.

Social media video captured the chaos as the three women were led in handcuffs through the Miami International Airport on Sunday evening.

'Record! We have receipts that we paid! Record! Thank you, sir!'

The three women were identified as 30-year-old Nafisa Dockery, 21-year-old Dionjana Cochran, and 26-year-old Davana Cochran.

They were waiting to board a plane bound for Philadelphia when a Frontier Airlines worker noted that they were trying to sneak on with an additional carry-on bag. The employee asked them to step out of line and pay for the bag, to which they responded with a verbal confrontation.

The worker told them they may be removed from the flight, and they responded by rushing on the plane through a door marked as restricted.

After police arrived, the women refused to leave the plane, leading the police to deboard all of the passengers. At one point, Dockery allegedly spat on a person.

The trio continued to resist police orders despite being warned that they would be charged with trespassing, and they were eventually dragged off the plane.

All three were later charged with trespassing.

Video showed Davana Cochran twerking for a few moments and then slapping her own butt in the airport until an officer jerked her back up by the handcuffs.

At one point, an onlooker's voice can be heard saying to one of the women, "Enjoy prison, baby!"

"Record! We have receipts that we paid! Record! Thank you, sir!" Dockery yelled as she was led away.

In addition to trespassing after being given a warning, the trio were charged with resisting an officer without violence, according to arrest records.

Dockery was also charged with battery.

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Ex-student's shocking allegation: Former middle school teacher sexually assaulted him in her car — and in the classroom

A former middle school teacher in New Jersey was arrested after her ex-student claimed to have had a sexual relationship with her in a classroom and her car.

The Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement that 36-year-old Ashley A. Fisler, who formerly went by her maiden name of Ashley Sulla, was arrested Thursday.

'Scary to think that it could happen so close to home.'

Fisler was charged with six counts of first-degree sexual assault of a minor, one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and one count of second-degree official misconduct.

The prosecutor's office noted that Fisler faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in state prison for each of the first-degree charges and 10 years for each of the second-degree charges if convicted.

Fisler, of Washington Township, is being held at Salem County Jail.

According to Salem County Jail records, Fisler was denied bail.

On Jan. 23, the alleged victim — who is now an adult — told police he had a sexual relationship with Fisler in 2021 when he was a minor and she was his teacher at Orchard Valley Middle School in Washington Township, according to prosecutors.

"The victim described multiple sexual encounters occurring in 2021 in Fisler’s vehicle and in her classroom," the prosecutor's office stated.

The New York Post obtained court documents that said Fisler had sex with the underage student twice and performed a sex act on the boy four times.

Prosecutors said investigators discovered text messages between Fisler and the alleged victim "confirming the unlawful sexual nature of their relationship."

Court documents said that Fisler sent the boy "multiple nude photographs" of herself, according to the Post.

Citing an online resume, Fox News reported that Fisler taught social studies in the Washington Township school district starting in 2014.

The prosecutor's office noted that Fisler is "no longer employed as a teacher in Washington Township or anywhere else."

Eric M. Hibbs, superintendent of Washington Township Public Schools, released the following statement to Patch after Fisler's arrest:

The district is aware of the charges announced by the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office regarding a former middle school teacher. We take matters involving the safety and well-being of our students extremely seriously. The individual referenced is no longer employed by the district and separated from employment in April 2023. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement and will continue to do so. Because this is an active criminal matter, we are unable to comment further at this time.

The New York Post in a separate story reported that one of Fisler's students wrote an essay praising Fisler — then going by her maiden name, Ashley Sulla — as a "hero" who "can connect with the students on a personal level."

The Post noted that any connection between the student who wrote the essay and the alleged victim is unclear.

NJ.com released the text of the essay in July 2019: "Sometimes people’s heroes are an 'overlooked' hero, simply because what they do isn't 'significant.' But, my hero, Ms. Sulla, works at school."

"Ms. Sulla always makes sure that she can connect with the students on a personal level," the essay read.

The essay added that "Ms. Sulla is also a protector. Every day, Ms. Sulla not only wants to make sure we learn new facts about social studies, she also wants to make sure we feel secure and comfortable at school."

The essay, titled "My Hero Works at School," concluded, "She ensures students are comfortable in her classroom and that we have someone relatable. Ms. Sulla should no longer be an 'overlooked' hero."

District Social Studies Supervisor Jeff Snyder told NJ.com in 2019, "Ashley is a great teacher. Not only does she make her lessons interactive and engaging, but she also prides herself in making personal connections with all her students."

The Post noted that Fisler — who is married — had posted a since-deleted Facebook entry in 2018 "showing her then-boyfriend proposing to her in front of her class, as she reacts with elated shock."

The stepbrother of Fisler's husband told the Post on Friday, "He's a good, upstanding guy. He has morals and everything — he wouldn’t be the type to stay with her if he found out."

A booking photo shows that Fisler has a tattoo on her inner forearm that reads: "I love you a bushel and a peck." The saying became popular due to the musical "Guys and Dolls."

Emily Garber, an Orchard Valley Middle School graduate, said the child sex crime accusations are "scary."

"Scary to think that it could happen so close to home," Garber told WCAU-TV. "It made me uncomfortable knowing my brothers both had her as a teacher."

Rocco Cipparone, Fisler's attorney, told WCAU on Friday following her virtual court appearance that "she says she is not guilty of these charges. She denied the allegations. And we are going to go forward, wait for the state to present some evidence to me so I can evaluate it, and aggressively defend her."

Cipparone told the Post on Friday that he believes that Fisler should be granted bail.

"She has no prior criminal record, she has been a lifelong resident of New Jersey, she is a property owner, her entire family is here, she is not a risk of flight," Cipparone declared.

"These allegations go back five years. You have this five-year gap where now all of a sudden they are going to say she is a danger to the community," Cipparone argued. "I'm optimistic, and I think I have strong reasons to have her released."

Fisler is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for a bail hearing.

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Florida thug accused of fatally shooting 2-year-old in head as mother held him in her arms amid argument over a phone

A 21-year-old Florida male is accused of fatally shooting a 2-year-old boy in the head as his mother held him amid an argument with the suspect over a phone, according to an arrest report WJXT-TV obtained.

A witness told police that Steven Dodson Jr. and the mother were arguing “about a phone” outside at the Valencia Way Apartments in Jacksonville late Sunday night, the station said, citing the arrest report. Dodson is the mother's boyfriend, WJXT said.

'We is hurting, ‘cause that baby didn’t deserve none of that.'

The witness told police Dodson followed the mother back inside and “into the same room as the children," the station said, citing the arrest report.

The mother told police Dodson locked the bedroom door behind them, got a gun off a shelf in the bedroom closet, and then fired a shot at her as she held her son, 2-year-old A’hmari Robinson, WJXT said.

The bullet struck the toddler, who died after being rushed to Wolfson Children’s Hospital, the station said.

The arrest report indicates Dodson ran from the apartment and was captured on surveillance video throwing the gun into a dumpster, WJXT said.

Authorities including the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Marshals, and the SWAT Unit took Dodson into custody at the Vista Landing Apartments late Monday after a manhunt, the station said.

Police told WJXT that before officers arrived someone retrieved the gun from the dumpster and brought it back to the apartment where police took it into evidence.

Dodson has been charged with second-degree murder, attempted murder, child neglect, tampering with evidence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Dodson was denied bond Tuesday, the station said.

Court records show Dodson has had prior arrests over the last three years on charges including strong-arm robbery, domestic battery, and other offenses, WJXT said.

His next court date is set for April 15, the station said.

Robinson's family expressed their emotions outside the courtroom, the station said.

“Pain. Anger and pain. Pain, hurt,” one family member told WJXT. “And then we already getting fake pages just texting us and threatening. People want to fight my sister. Y’all don’t even know what she’s going through. Y’all don’t know what she went through.”

Another family member added to the station: “We is hurting, ‘cause that baby didn’t deserve none of that.”

Robinson's aunt started a GoFundMe account to help the family.

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Video: Check out what led to motorist taking down domestic violence strangulation suspect on the run from cops

Las Vegas police bodycam and helicopter video shows what led to a motorist taking down a domestic violence strangulation suspect earlier this month.

Police said officers on March 10 responded to a domestic violence incident involving a reported strangulation.

'This video highlights how coordination from the air, rapid response on the ground, and the courage of community members can make all the difference.'

As officers were working to locate the suspect, he fled — leading to a "dangerous series of events" near West Desert Inn Road and South Decatur Boulevard, police said.

Police said the department's Air Unit tracked the suspect as he drove erratically through the area — and then moments later the suspect crashed, which led to a foot chase.

Police said two citizens, witnessing the chaos unfold, took action and used their vehicles to help block in and stop the suspect.

Video shows one of the assisting motorists exiting his vehicle, grabbing the suspect from behind, and taking him down to the ground.

Image source: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department helicopter video screenshot

The motorist then sat on the suspect's back, restraining him, until an arresting officer arrived on the scene and placed the suspect in handcuffs.

Image source: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department bodycam video screenshot

Check out the video compilation below from police showing the suspect speeding through the area, crashing into traffic, running away, and then being taken to the ground by the assisting motorist.

Police said the suspect fled from a domestic dispute involving strangulation, and approximately five vehicles were involved in the crash.

Police said that "this video highlights how coordination from the air, rapid response on the ground, and the courage of community members can make all the difference."

"We are grateful for a community that steps up to help keep one another safe," police added.

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Male suspected of fatally shooting 2 just hours apart allegedly attempts to break into home — but homeowner has a gun

15-month-old child died from ingesting meth through mother's breast milk, police say

Manhunt under way for man seen dragging a body away before woman was found stabbed to death, police say

Teacher of the year finalist who kept contacting boy she sexually abused even after arrest learns fate: 'Pretty stupid'

Armed male enters Florida home, won't leave — then threatens homeowner while advancing toward him. But victim also is armed.

VIDEO: Woman twerks during arrest after she and 2 others allegedly stormed flight over baggage fee: 'Enjoy prison, baby'

Ex-student's shocking allegation: Former middle school teacher sexually assaulted him in her car — and in the classroom

Florida thug accused of fatally shooting 2-year-old in head as mother held him in her arms amid argument over a phone

Video: Check out what led to motorist taking down domestic violence strangulation suspect on the run from cops

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