At least three people were shot and wounded when gunfire erupted at a business complex in Phoenix on Wednesday, and authorities were combing the area for the suspected gunman, police said on Wednesday.
Phoenix Police spokesman James Holmes said the people who were shot were taken from the scene to a local hospital, and there was no immediate word on their condition.
While police continue to look for the suspect, law enforcement officials have confirmed that there were no deaths as a result of today’s shooting. The timing of today’s attack will likely be dissected at great length in the days ahead, with the shooting occurring at roughly the same time that former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords testified before the Senate on gun violence.
Update: There are now 5 confirmed injuries from the attack, three of which were life-threatening for the victims, though none of the victims have died at this time.
Callin’ it early: Phoenix’s CBS News affiliate KPHO accidentally called the 2012 Presidential Election in-favor of President Barack Obama for approximately seventeen seconds during a broadcast of ‘The People’s Court’ last Friday. Coincidentally, they gave the President the exact same lead that Mitt Romney is currently enjoying in the polls. What you may not have noticed, at first, is that they only alocated 83 percent of the vote between the two candidates. Does handing 17 percent of the electorate to third party candidates seem a bit ambitious to anybody else? source
We are [a] state and city that embraces diversity. Just because a few people passed a bill that is not reflective of the state, don’t stop doing business with us.Phoenix mayor Greg Stanton • Making a plea to the American consumer to not cut Arizona products out of their purchasing plans, in the aftermath of the Supreme Court upholding a central provision of the state’s controversial immigration law, SB 1070. (The court struck down most of the law, however.) Yesterday the court ruled that while warrantless searches are illegal, and undocumented immigrants are allowed to pursue work, Arizona police will indeed be permitted to check the citizenship status of anybody they stop. This has been an argument at the core of the SB 1070 controversy — converse to the bill’s supporters, who are vociferous in its defense, its critics maintain that it endorses and practically demands acts of racial profiling. Mayor Stanton is thus fearful about boycotts springing up that could hurt his city’s economy, much as those same boycotts and threats came pouring in when the controversial law was passed back in 2010. source (via • follow)
They were spending Thanksgiving with their father. Last night’s deadly plane crash in Superstition Mountains, a rugged patch of mountains east of Phoenix, was especially sad because of the time of year. Six people died, including three children and three adult men. The mother of the children, who was not on the plane, was notified by authorities late Wednesday. “The mother is a pilot herself,” noted Elias Johnson of the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department. ”She understands when a plane crashes at 230 miles an hour … directly into the face of the mountain … and when it’s a fiery crash,” the odds of survival are low. source
More details on Arizona plane crash: These come from Weather Channel executive producer Jesse Hamilton, who managed to get an official on air that said it was a small plane with six people on board. Rescue will be difficult as it happened over tough terrain. Details still coming out. (ht Matt)
The crash happened on rough terrain, making rescue tough. A plane crash in the Superstition Mountains, east of Phoenix, appears to have left a large explosion, based on the webcam video above (key moment 53 seconds in). Details are hard to come by right now. “We don’t know yet if it’s a passenger plane or a crop duster,” said Angelique Graham, the Pinal County (Ariz.) sheriff’s spokeswoman. “We can’t tell the size of the aircraft involved from the air and we can’t tell how many people may have been aboard.” Details are coming in as we speak. (Edit: Just got an update; the plane had three adults and three children on board.) source
Remember that massive dust storm that hit Phoenix a few weeks back? It’s happening again. This is not a repeat. (photo via @abc15)
Adventures in time-lapse: Here we have some videos (credit to Mike Olbinski and Blaine Coury) of the colossal dust storms that touched down in Phoenix, Arizona on July 5th. As always, safety is crucial during extreme natural events. We’ll admit, though, it’s hard to watch this footage without feeling wonderment and stark awe towards the natural world. source
Passenger Shawna Malvini-Redden describes the scene on-board Southwest Airlines flight 812. When a hole opened up in the roof of the plane, Shawna used her camera phone to post photos to Twitter. The damaged plane landed in Yuma, Arizona en route to Sacramento.
New video: A passenger on-board Southwest Airlines flight 812 filmed what appeared to be a three-foot hole in the roof of the Boeing 737. The plane, en route to Sacramento from Phoenix, landed safely in Yuma, Arizona. A new plane is expected to take the 112 passengers to Sacramento later tonight.
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Tumblr this morning. [h/t anne]
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What Americans should fear is the possibility of an increasingly illegitimate regime continuing to control one of the most strategically important countries in the Mideast.Phoenix resident Max Mattern • In an article talking about his time in Egypt in the wake of the recent protests. Mattern was there studying as a Fulbright scholar, but the situation in the country has complicated those plans and put him in the middle of a major crisis zone. Mattern, writing in a piece for the Arizona Republic, says that the people of Egypt want change, but the protests are taking a lot out of them. “Although a sizable majority dislikes Mubarak and his policies,” he writes. “after a week of fear and violence they have had enough.” Mattern says that the protesters are sincere and have no evil plots to bring theocracy to the society. The current regime, however, troubles them. (thanks missmaestra, who has been covering her friend’s situation on Tumblr) source (via • follow)
Well, there’s the tease. Olbermann’s coming to Current TV, meaning that now Keith has an outlet that’s going to basically let him do what he wants. He also becomes the network’s “Chief News Officer,” meaning that rather than fighting with Phil Griffin, he effectively is Phil Griffin. source
Well, I’d like to say thank you to my family for being here and all my friends, and Boomer Sooner.Arizona death row inmate Jeffrey Landrigan • Making his famous last words before his death by lethal injection. “Boomer Sooner”? Apparently this guy lived in Oklahoma and was a big college football fan before being convicted in the murder of Chester Dean Dyer way back in 1989. source (via)
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