Todd Blanche Criticizes Illinois Governor Over Federal Aid for Chicago
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has expressed concern over the disturbing violence levels in Chicago after a weekend that resulted in eight fatalities and numerous injuries. He has called out Illinois Governor JB Pritzker for supposedly turning down federal assistance. Blanche compared Chicago’s violence issues to more successful crime-reduction initiatives in cities like Washington, D.C., and Memphis, stressing the importance of collaboration between local authorities and federal resources to effectively combat crime.
Tragic Shooting at Northern California Library
A shooting incident at a library in Northern California on Monday left two individuals dead. Officials report the suspect, 18-year-old Bradley Scott Thayer, drew inspiration from past mass shootings, specifically the 1999 Columbine High School attack.
According to the Chico Police Department, Thayer had no prior ties to the library or its victims. Before the shooting, he allegedly scoped out the building and then retrieved a shotgun from his car. He arrived at the Chico Branch of the Butte County Library and opened fire, killing one person at the entrance and another inside.
After receiving multiple 911 calls, police arrived and quickly established a perimeter. Thayer surrendered shortly thereafter.
“From the time of the first 911 call to Thayer’s arrest was under four minutes,” remarked Chico Police Chief Billy Aldridge, adding that the swift police response likely prevented further casualties.
The victims of this tragic event have been identified as 46-year-old Jacob Hull and 74-year-old Robert Johnson. A minor girl was also hurt and taken to a hospital, while authorities reported that a total of eight shots were fired during the incident.
Thayer had recently graduated from Chico High School on June 5, according to Sid Patel, the FBI’s Sacramento office special agent in charge. A search of his car in the library parking lot uncovered two more firearms, and investigators are looking into how he obtained the shotgun.
During the shooting, Thayer wore a white T-shirt that read “Natural Selection,” mirroring a shirt worn by one of the Columbine shooters, Eric Harris. Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey mentioned on social media that Thayer had expressed admiration for the Columbine shooting for quite some time.
Thayer is set to be arraigned on Thursday.
