Illinois
Shot fired during dueling Israel-Palestine protests in Illinois
A man shot off his gun at dueling Israel-Palestine protests in Illinois Sunday, the same day a driver drove into a crowd of Palestine supporters in Minnesota as tense demonstrations over the Israel-Palestine conflict gripped parts of the country Sunday.
While nearly 20 New York City demonstrators were arrested during an anti-Israel protest Saturday in Brooklyn, rallies in Illinois, Minnesota and Oregon were marred with violent outbursts over the weekend, according to authorities in those states.
During a pro-Israel event in Skokie, Illinois, about 200 pro-Palestinian protesters showed up to demonstrate, Lincolnwood police said. Outside the event across the street, a man was confronted by a number of people in a town center mall when he pulled out a firearm and shot it into the air Sunday afternoon, Lincolnwood police said in a press release.
The man was quickly arrested and no one was injured.
At the same protest, a person was hit by a vehicle in a hit-and-run in a separate incident, though the victim only required treatment at the scene, according to Lincolnwood police.
Authorities did not make clear in the press release which protesters were involved in the incidents.
Additional officers were called in during the event because of “several disturbances escalating outside” of it, police added.
At least 15 pro-Palestinian protesters were also pepper sprayed, including a police officer, a spokesperson for the US Palestine Community Network Chicago chapter told Fox 32.
In Minneapolis, a driver allegedly drove through pro-Palestinian protesters who were blocking traffic Sunday, according to reports.
Though the rally was on a pedestrian bridge in the city, some protesters spilled onto nearby streets and blocked cars from passing through, Fox 9 reported.
A vehicle drove through the crowd around 3:20 p.m., police said, according to the station.
The car was stopped after a crowd of demonstrators surrounded it before it drove off, Minnesota Public Radio reported, citing footage. When the car was stopped again, the driver appeared to lunge at them with a knife or box cutter, the news outlet reported.
No injuries were reported and police said no arrests have been made.
A day earlier, on the west coast, a man was arrested after police said he fired a splatter ball gun at protesters during a pro-Palestinian rally, KEZI reported.
During the march in Eugene, Jonathan Wisbey stopped a pickup truck, blocking the crowd before an argument began, police reportedly said.
As police approached the situation, a protester slashed one of Wisbey’s tires. He then got out of his car and allegedly shot a splatter ball gun – which fires water gel beads – into the crowd, police said, according to the news outlet.
A couple protesters pulled handguns in response, but officers confronted those who were armed and took them into custody without further incident, police reportedly said.
Wisbey is facing charges of menacing, second-degree disorderly conduct and first-degree bias.
Hostility between Israel and Palestine supporters has skyrocketed since the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion that killed 1,400 people in the Jewish nation and ongoing Israeli airstrikes that have claimed the lives of 4,651 people in Gaza, according to its health ministry.
The escalating tensions have spilled into the US through dueling protests, violent hate crimes and debates on college campuses — with one of the ugliest illustrations of the hate occurring in Chicago. A Windy City landlord was charged with hate crimes after he allegedly stabbed a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy 26 times, killing him.
Illinois
'Our world has been shattered': Family of fallen Illinois trooper speaks out after fatal I-55 crash
WILL COUNTY, Ill. – The family of Illinois State Trooper Clay Carns, who was struck and killed on I-55 near Channahon just before Christmas, has expressed gratitude for the support they’ve received during this tragic time.
Carns died Monday night after being hit by a vehicle while removing debris from the expressway.
On Saturday, his family issued the following statement:
Pictured is Trooper Carns with his two children, Ally and Gray, and wife Meghan. (Illinois State Police)
“The Family of Trooper Clay Carns mourn the loss of their treasured husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend. We could never begin to thank law enforcement nor the thousands from our community who have reached out to us to express their love and support.
“To the public, Clay became a hero on December 23, 2024, when he was killed in the line of duty. To his family, he has always been a hero.
“Our world has been shattered, and we will never be the same. But we take comfort in knowing that he lived his life with such purpose, he loved his family and friends fiercely, and he took great pride in his work.”
What happened
The crash occurred on Monday, Dec. 23 – the very same day that was designated as “Scott’s Law Day” in Illinois, which reminds driver’s to move over and slow down when approaching emergency vehicles.
At around 10 p.m., Carns was clearing debris from the southbound lanes of I-55 near Channahon when he was struck by a vehicle.
He was transported to Ascension Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, where he later died.
The driver, identified as 69-year-old John Fleet of Wilmington, was arrested and charged with a felony violation of Scott’s Law.
ISP arrested John Fleet, 69, of Wilmington, after the crash.
Trooper Carns served with the Illinois State Police for 11 years. He was a married father of two young children.
Funeral services announced
Services for Trooper Carns will be held at Parkview Christian Church, located at 11100 Orland Parkway in Orland Park.
- Visitation: Thursday, Jan. 2, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a first responder walkthrough at 6 p.m.
- Funeral Service: Friday, Jan. 3, at 10 a.m., followed by a private interment.
How to support the family
A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $195,000 as of Saturday for Trooper Carns’ family.
The fund has a goal of raising $250,000 and has received 2,000 donations so far.
To learn more about the campaign, click here.
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Illinois
With so many moving parts, the Illinois basketball team hires a general manager
The Illinois basketball team is in the middle of a huge season for the program, as this squad is poised for great heights.
Despite dropping two out of the last four contests, the Illini find themselves back in the AP Top 25 at No. 24 in the nation. This ranking is impressive considering we are only 8-3 overall. The three losses aren’t bad, and Illinois has also beaten a good Missouri program and ranked Arkansas and Wisconsin squads.
While Brad Underwood is trying to develop talent and lead this team to the promised land, there is clearly a need for continuous program development on and off the court. On Friday night, the Illini “front office” got a little stronger.
According to NBA reporter Jake Fischer, Illinois is hiring Neel Ganta as the new general manager for the program. The Illini managed to snag him away from the Denver Nuggets front office.
Neel Ganta should have an expansive role as the general manager of the Illinois basketball team
Ganta’s roots are actually with the Illini. He was a basketball analyst for the Illini from May 2019 to August 2020. After that, he moved into a graduate assistant role with the program from August 2020 to August 2021.
After his time with the Orange and Blue, Ganta then took a player development coordinator role with the Grand Rapids Gold, the G-League team of the Denver Nuggets. He then parlayed that position into multiple roles with the Nuggets, which ended with him being a pro scout.
Illinois is now bringing back Ganta, but what does the general manager title do for a college basketball team?
Well, this is the same situation that ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski took with St. Bonaventure just months ago.
In the description of what Wojnarowski does for the Bonnies, it includes name, image, and likeness opportunities. This is huge in the college game today. It also sounds like Wojnarowski is the front face for the program when it comes to collectives.
This is what I imagine Ganta will do for the Orange and Blue. He will be out there wheeling and dealing. Ganta will likely be the one who brings in the money to help pay for the athletes to come to Illinois.
I like this addition to the Illinois basketball program. We needed someone out there bringing in the money so the coaching staff can focus on recruiting and on court issues.
Illinois
Police identify 2 men killed in Springfield Township crash
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WXIX) – Two men died in a Springfield Township crash Thursday afternoon, according to police.
On Dec 26 at 4:30 p.m., Springfield Police and Fire responded to the 9600 block of Daly Road for an auto crash, police say.
According to police, witnesses at the scene said they saw a head-on collision between a gray Toyota Sienna and a black Mercedes SUV.
Police say when they arrived on scene, the Toyota Sienna was on fire and both drivers had to be pulled from their vehicles.
The driver of the Mercedes SUV was identified as 55-year-old Jim Schneider from Cincinnati, who was pronounced dead at the scene according to a press release.
The driver of the Toyota Sienna was identified as 41-year-old Christopher Larkins from Springfield Township, the release says.
Police say Larkins was transported to UC Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.
According to the Springfield Township Traffic Safety Investigators, it is believed that Larkins lost control of his vehicle going around a curve and drove left of center, hitting Schneider’s vehicle head-on.
Neither of the drivers is believed to have worn a seatbelt.
Officials believe speed was a factor and are working with the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office to determine impairment with a toxicology report.
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