NC State student arrested for string of random highway shootings in Raleigh: Police

November 8, 2024

Police investigate a shooting spree near I-40 in Raleigh, North Carolina, Nov. 7, 2024. Via WTVD

(RALEIGH, N.C.) — A North Carolina State student has been arrested for a string of apparently random shootings at cars on multiple highways in Raleigh.

Since Monday, police have received 12 reports of shots being fired at vehicles and buildings in the vicinity of Interstates 40 and 440, according to Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson. Among the incidents, eight vehicles were fired into, resulting in one person being injured, she said.

Andrew Thomas Graney, 23, has been charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and 11 counts of firing a weapon into an occupied vehicle or dwelling, police said. Graney is a senior at NC State, majoring in anthropology and has been enrolled since fall 2019, the school confirmed to Raleigh ABC station WTVD.

A second person was taken into custody alongside Graney, but was released without charges, police said.

“At this time, we do believe that the 12 incidents are related,” Patterson said at a press briefing Thursday. “I can also confirm that we have identified a person of interest, and this person has been detained. However, we will continue to pursue all leads.”

The investigation led authorities to a residence in Raleigh on Thursday, where they detained the person of interest, police said. A second person who was also in the residence at the time was additionally detained, police said.

Police have urged drivers in the Raleigh area to remain vigilant following reports of vehicles being fired into during the early morning hours on I-40.

In one incident, on Monday, a woman was shot in the leg, suffering a non-life-threatening injury, police said.

Patterson said it is unclear at this time if shots were being fired from a vehicle or on foot.

Police previously said they believe a handgun was used in the shootings.

The shootings remain under investigation. Patterson urged anyone with surveillance or dashcam footage to come forward.

A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible, she said.

Jan. 6 hearing live updates: Trump set to plead not guilty

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(LOS ANGELES) — Former President Donald Trump’s election interference case resumes Thursday after months of delays, with a hearing in front of the federal judge overseeing the case.

The hearing comes a week after special counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment that revised the original Jan. 6 charges to reflect the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that Trump is entitled to immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts undertaken while in office.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Trump is set to plead not guilty

At his expected arraignment at today’s hearing, Donald Trump has directed his attorneys to plead not guilty on his behalf to charges in the superseding indictment brought by special counsel Jack Smith.

Trump is not expected to appear at the hearing in person, after waiving his right to be present in a filing earlier this week.

The hearing in the case was scheduled before Smith filed the superseding indictment.

Delphi murder suspect’s alleged jail confessions revealed in court

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(DELPHI, Ind) — Prison staffers are revealing the alleged confessions made by Delphi, Indiana, murder suspect Richard Allen while behind bars.

Allen is accused of killing Libby German, 14, and Abby Williams 13, on a hiking trail in rural Delphi on Feb. 13, 2017. He’s pleaded not guilty to murder.

John Galipeau, the former warden of the Westville Correctional Facility, where Allen was held for 13 months after his October 2022 arrest, took the stand on Tuesday.

Galipeau told jurors Allen wrote a note requesting an interview with him on March 5, 2023. He said Allen’s note said, “I am ready to officially for confess killing Abby and Libby. I hope I get the opportunity to tell the families I’m sorry.”

Galipeau said Allen admitted to throwing out a box cutter in the dumpster behind the CVS where he worked in Delphi.

An expert has testified a box cutter may have been used to slash the girls’ throats.

Asked about Allen’s mental state at Westville, Galipeau said Allen was quiet for the first month and then began acting “erratic” after he got mail from his attorneys.

Galipeau said Allen washed his face in the toilet, went to the bathroom in his cell, tore up mail and ate paper.

Allen’s attorneys have argued he was treated poorly at Westville and was called a “baby killer,” which led to a decline in his mental health.

Galipeau testified that Allen was allowed to shower three times a week, was provided three sets of clothing, had access to tablets and was allowed recreation time five days a week in an indoor room. Allen was on suicide watch and received a medical check daily, Galipeau said.

Another corrections officer, Brandon Fisher, testified that Allen confessed on April 29, 2023. According to Fisher, Allen said his plan was to rape Abby and Libby, but he panicked and ended up killing them.

Allen allegedly told Fisher he killed the girls with a box cutter and threw it into a dumpster behind CVS.

Westville corrections officer Michael Clemons also took the stand, telling jurors he was assigned to record everything Allen said and did while on suicide watch.

According to Clemons, Allen said, “I’m so glad no one gave up on me after I killed Abby and Libby,” and, “I, Richard Matthew Allen, killed Abby and Libby by myself. No one helped me.”

Clemons said Allen would shout to other inmates, “I’m not crazy, I’m only acting like I’m crazy.”

During cross-examination, Clemons testified that he never felt Allen’s behavior was genuine.

Defense attorney Brad Rozzi asked Clemons, “Can prison get to a man?” and the corrections officer admitted, “Yes it can.”

Corrections officer Michael Roberts testified that Allen was coherent and talkative, but a little scared when he arrived at Westville. After a few months, Roberts said Allen’s behavior changed and he started confessing.

Roberts had a detailed log of the four confessions he said he heard.

On April 7, 2023, Roberts wrote that Allen said, “Dear Lord, forgive me for molesting Abby, Libby, Kevin, and Chris. I want to confess. I know a lot more.” The identities of Kevin and Chris were not explained in the testimony.

On April 23, 2023, Roberts wrote that Allen said, “I killed Abby & Libby. My wife wasn’t involved. I want to confess.”

On April 26, 2023, he wrote that Allen said, “Can I talk? Can you listen I killed Abby & Libby? How do I prove I’m insane?”

On June 18, 2023, Roberts noted that Allen said, “Why are you doing this? Do you know God? Do you know why I’m here? I killed Abby and Libby.”

During cross-examination, Roberts admitted that Allen had smeared feces all over his cell and put feces on his face for two hours.

Roberts also said Allen refused food for long periods of time, and recalled one incident where Allen hit his head on the wall for so long that his face turned black and blue.

After 13 months at Westville, Allen was transferred to Wabash Valley Correctional Facility. Jason Bedwell, a corrections officer there, testified that on Feb. 4, 2024, Allen cried and talked to himself, saying, “I am sorry for what I did. Sorry for killing them.”

ABC News’ Janel Klein contributed to this report.

Man threw explosive device inside California courthouse on day of arraignment: Undersheriff

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(SANTA MARIA, Calif.) — A man allegedly threw an explosive device inside a California courthouse on Wednesday, injuring five people, the same day he was set to be arraigned on firearms violations, authorities said.

The explosion was reported around 8:48 a.m. PT Wednesday at the Santa Maria Courthouse in Santa Barbara County.

The suspect allegedly lunged through the courthouse doors and tossed a small bag past the weapons screening station, and the bag exploded as it hit the floor outside of the local arraignment room, Darrel Parker, the court executive officer, told ABC News.

Five people suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the explosion, including burns, according to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Craig Bonner.

The suspect, identified by the sheriff’s office as 20-year-old Nathaniel McGuire, will be booked on multiple local charges, including attempted murder, using an explosive device and attempting to kill someone, and possession of explosive devices, Bonner said. He will be held without bail, Bonner said.

Authorities believe the explosion was the result of an “intentionally set improvised explosive device,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff public information officer Raquel Zick wrote on social media.

The suspect was detained as he attempted to enter his car outside the courthouse, Bonner said. He was wearing body armor under his jacket, according to Bonner. He also allegedly had weapons and ammunition in his car, Parker said.

The suspect’s alleged motivation in the explosion “appeared to have stemmed from a recent arrest” by the sheriff’s office, Bonner said during a press briefing Wednesday evening.

In that case, McGuire was arrested for firearms violations on July 28, Bonner said. Deputies had seized a “loaded and concealed revolver that was in McGuire’s pants pocket and was not registered to him,” Bonner said.

He was set to be arraigned in that case Wednesday morning, Bonner said. Court records show his arraignment was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. PT at the Santa Maria Courthouse on a charge of carrying a loaded firearm. An attorney for McGuire was not listed in that case.

Detectives are working with Santa Barbara County Fire to see if the suspect is associated with several recent additional arson fires, Bonner said.

Authorities do not believe there are any additional safety concerns at this time, Bonner said.

The FBI is also investigating the incident. The suspect has no known ties to terrorism, authorities said.

Five people were injured in the explosion, Bonner said. They have all since been treated and released from a local hospital, he said. The victims were all civilians, with no court employees among those injured, Parker said.

The courthouse will remain closed on Thursday amid the investigation.

“We will thoroughly review this incident to make sure that we could take whatever steps are necessary to reduce the chance of this ever happening again in the court,” Parker said during the press briefing.