Female student at Rice University killed in dorm room on first day of classes
(NEW YORK) — A female student at Texas’ Rice University was shot and killed on Monday by a man authorities said she had been in a “dating relationship” with.
University police responded to a request for a welfare check around 4:30 p.m. local time and found the student, who was identified as Andrea Rodriguez Avila, deceased in her room. Police also discovered an “unidentified male with a self-inflicted … gunshot wound, who was not a member of the Rice community,” school president Reginald DesRoches told the media.
Chief of Police for Rice, Clemente Rodriguez, confirmed police found a note “written by the suspect” at the scene, leading to their belief that the male shot Avila.
“In general terms, it was a lot about their relationship, and then obviously they were having a troubled relationship at this time,” he said of the note, adding that officials believe it was a “dating relationship.”
DesRoches said the “Rice campus is safe, and there is no immediate threat” to the community.
“And tonight, we will wrap our arms around our students,” he added.
(NEW YORK) — An Arizona man pleaded guilty to making threats against federal officials on Tuesday, having repeatedly urged fellow social media users to shoot FBI agents and attack politicians, authorities said.
Michael Lee Tomasi, 37, of Rio Verde, Arizona, leveled a series of threats against FBI agents, elected officials and the judge overseeing right-wing conspiracist Alex Jones’ defamation case, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Tomasi posted the graphic threats over a more than two-year period between May 2021 and November of 2023, primarily on the social media platform ‘www.patriots.win‘, which describes itself as the “community of choice for President Donald J. Trump.”
Tomasi — who was living in Colorado and Arizona at the time of the offenses — pleaded guilty to making threats against federal officials, per a Department of Justice press release. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 23, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Among the offenses detailed in the original indictment were a November 2021 threat to sexually assault a congresswoman.
Tomasi also called for the execution of another member of Congress in March 2022, declaring: “He’s one of them. Kill every corrupt politician.”
The defendant repeatedly threatened FBI agents, writing in November 2021: “FBI has no legal ability to enforce anything. Shoot on site.” In an August 2023 post, Tomasi called for “instant death” for FBI agents. “Shoot the FBI first ask questions later,” he wrote. “They are terrorists that deserve nothing but to be shot on site.”
Tomasi also posted a video of him dancing with two guns in a post titled, “My Let’s Go Brandon dance,” a reference to a derogatory meme about President Joe Biden.
In a Department of Justice press release, U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona said the “disgruntled defendant” was “prepared to carry out his threats: when arrested he had a loaded handgun in his vehicle, as well as other firearms and body armor in his home.”
(SPRINGFIELD, Ill.) — Former Illinois sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson said he feared for his life during his encounter with Sonya Massey, the mother of two who he fatally shot in her home after she called 911 to report a prowler, according to new documents released by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO).
The documents are a compilation of field case reports from various deputies who were called to the scene following the shooting of Massey, who was shot in the head during the July 6 incident. Included in the reports is an account from Grayson, who now faces three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in Massey’s death. The former deputy is being held without bond while awaiting trial.
“While on scene, I was in fear Dep. (redacted) and I were going to receive great bodily harm or death. Due to being in fear of our safety and life, I fired my duty weapon,” Grayson wrote in his field case report.
Grayson’s report detailed his account of what happened when Grayson and a fellow Sangamon County deputy were called to Massey’s home.
“I approached the house and knocked on the door multiple times. I could see someone moving around inside the residence, but no one would open the door,” Grayson wrote.
After Massey, 36, came to the door, Grayson asked her a few questions, according to bodycam video of the exchange reviewed by ABC News. The then-deputy wrote in his report that “it seemed as if Sonya’s mind was all over the place and not able to focus or have a conversation. Sonya stated she was doing OK and had taken her medicine.”
Once inside the home, the unnamed deputy who was with Grayson checked the home for a possible intruder while Grayson spoke with Massey. While talking to Massey, Grayson said he heard a crackling noise, then noticed a large metal pot of “unknown liquid” on the stove. He asked the other responding deputy to turn the stove off before a fire started in the residence, according to the report.
That is when Massey, who’d been sitting on the couch, went to the kitchen to turn off the stove, the video shows. She grabbed the large pot and walked toward the sink, acting as if she was going to pour out the water in the sink, according to Grayson.
“With both hands on the pot, Sonya turned to face me holding the pot,” the deputy wrote. “I feared Sonya was going to throw boiling liquid on to us, causing great bodily harm to or death.”
“I advised Sonya to put the boiling liquid down. Sonya stated she was going to rebuke me in the name of Jesus. She stated this twice,” Grayson wrote. “I interpreted this to mean she was going to kill me.”
At that point, Grayson said he drew his weapon and pointed it at Sonya, giving her verbal commands to drop the pot of boiling liquid. Upon seeing his weapon, Massey crouched down. Body camera video of the incident recorded Massey repeatedly apologizing to the deputies.
“Sonya stood up from a crouched position, grabbing the pot, raising it above her head and throwing the boiling substance at me. I was in imminent fear of getting boiling liquid to my face or chest, which would have caused great bodily harm or death,” Grayson wrote in his report.
“I fired my duty weapon in Sonya’s direction. I observed Sonya fall to the ground behind the counter,” Grayson said.
A review of Grayson’s body camera footage, case report, use of force report, as well as evidence from the unnamed attending deputy who was present during the incident, concluded that Grayson had violated SCSO policies and procedures.
The internal investigation, conducted by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department Division of Professional Standards, found Grayson had violated policy by immediately escalating to deadly force, citing that “body camera video shows that the inappropriate escalation of force set in motion a series of events that led to Deputy Grayson shooting the decedent in the head,” despite Massey’s “non-aggressive behavior.”
The department also found that Grayson did not abide by the Sheriff’s Office Standard of Conduct after his body camera recorded statements made by him that violated policy, including calling Massey by expletives, and saying, “I’m not even going to waste my med stuff then,” after bringing his medical kit and not providing aid to Massey.
Grayson also violated the department’s policy and procedures for providing medical aid and response when he discouraged his fellow attending deputy from providing aid to Massey, saying, “nah, headshot dude; she’s done,” “let her just, there is nothing we can do,” and letting approximately 3 minutes, 40 seconds go by between the time Massey was shot and when Grayson brought in his medical kit, according to the investigation.
Additionally, Grayson was found to be in violation of policy by not having activated his body camera until after shooting Massey, as well as insubordination after refusing to answer questions during his internal affairs interview.
Sean Grayson’s attorney declined ABC News’ request for comment.
(NEW YORK) — Ernesto has become a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday after hitting Puerto Rico overnight and leaving power outages and flooding in its wake.
The center of then-Tropical Storm Ernesto passed within 40 miles of San Juan, Puerto Rico, early Wednesday, producing strong winds and heavy rain.
More than 570,000 customers are without power in Puerto Rico, according to LUMA, a service provider. The island’s eastern and central regions are the most impacted.
The storm was moving away from Puerto Rico on Wednesday morning with hurricane strength winds of 75 mph.
The highest rainfall total recorded so far is 9.6 inches in Naguabo, Puerto Rico.
More rain is possible this morning and into early afternoon before the storm moves out of Puerto Rico.
On Culebra island, east of Puerto Rico, sustained winds of 68 mph were reported with a gust up to 86 mph. A METAR Observation Station at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico reported sustained winds of 48 mph and a gust of 74 mph.
Tropical storm warnings were issued for Puerto Rico and a hurricane watch was in effect for the British Virgin Islands.
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico on Tuesday night.
Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi had warned residents to stay home starting on Tuesday evening, when the tropical storm-force winds are forecast to reach the island. Total rainfall could reach up to 10 inches in some spots.
A flash flood warning was issued for parts of Puerto Rico early Wednesday morning, as several inches of rain already caused flooding. Heavy rain and gusty winds will continue in Puerto Rico into the afternoon as Ernesto moves away from the island.
ABC News’ Jessica Gorman contributed to this report.