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North Carolina
AMBER Alert issued for missing child in North Carolina
An AMBER Alert has been issued for a missing child in Durham, North Carolina, who police said they believe has been abducted by his biological mother.
Nine-year-old Geon King-Parriett was last seen at approximately 6:03 p.m. on Thursday, Durham Police Department said in a statement shared with Newsweek. The DPD described the child as a Black male, approximately 4 feet, 10 inches tall and weighing 100 pounds.
King-Parriett has brown hair and brown eyes, the police said. He was last seen wearing an all black outfit which included a black hoodie and black sweatpants.
His mother, Mariah King, is described as a 33-year-old Black female. She is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. She also has brown hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing gray sweat pants and a black crop top, and was wearing her hair up.
Durham Police Department
According to a report from local news station WRAL, the pair walked away from 202 S Benjamine Street on Thursday.
Social media users have been commenting on the Durham Police Department’s Facebook post, expressing criticism over how the AMBER alert was issued.
One user wrote, “Whoever sent out the Amber alerts needs to be fired. Both of them contained ZERO useful information, and the second alert wasn’t even correct.”
Another user wrote, “Whoever did the amber alert needs to rethink how they send an amber alert it gave no description or anything at all.”
Newsweek emailed the Durham Police Department for comment on the criticism regarding the AMBER alert, and a representative advised Newsweek that The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons issues the Amber Alerts that are sent out to wireless phones.
Newsweek has reached out to The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons for comment.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Durham Police Department at 919-475-2511 or to call 911.
What is an AMBER Alert?
The term AMBER Alert refers to the emergency response system that shares information about child abduction in order to mobilize the public into locating the child.
The “AMBER” stands for “America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.”
The emergency message means that a child has been abducted and is in imminent danger.
It was named after Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered in Texas in 1996.
The alert system functions by using media broadcasts, highway signs and other communication channels to share descriptions of the child, suspect and any vehicles involved.
As of 2023, 1,200 children were found through the AMBER Alert system and 180 children were rescued because of the emergency alerts.
Recent AMBER Alerts
A Wisconsin toddler remains missing months after an AMBER Alert was issued. The child’s mother and her boyfriend are currently facing child neglect charges.
3-year-old Elijah Vue was last seen on February 20 in Two Rivers while he was staying with his mother’s boyfriend, Jesse Vang. Vang took a nap and woke up three hours later to find the child gone.
The AMBER Alert said that “He was last seen wearing gray sweat pants, long sleeve dark colored shirt and red and green dinosaur slip on shoes.”
In June, an AMBER Alert Review was requested following the murder of a child in Louisiana.
Rep. Dixon McMakin said that the AMBER Alert system was “not as efficient or effective as it should be,” after it took “hours to issue” in the wake of the disappearance of two girls, Erin and Jalie Brunett on June 13.
Four-year-old Erin Brunett was found dead hours later. Her mother was also killed.
Update, 7/26/24, 10:45 a.m. ET: This piece was updated with additional comment from the Durham Police Department.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
The North Carolina Tar Heels will be a young program across the board next season, with well over two dozen freshmen and numerous additions from the transfer portal this offseason. Expectations for the 2026 season are lowered dramatically after a disastrous first season for head coach Bill Belichick, though those expectations could help the Tar Heels fly under the radar.
As the Tar Heels approach the end of spring ball, it is time to look at the veterans of the team—the ones who have the experience to lead, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Let’s look at three underrated seniors for the 2026 football season.
Ade Willie, Cornerback
Willie joins the Tar Heels program after four years with Michigan State, as the former 4-star player in the 2022 recruiting class gets an opportunity to not only provide depth to the secondary, but potentially start Week 0 against TCU.
Willie played in over 30 games with the Spartans and brings experience in the secondary at cornerback and safety, along with quality length and closing speed to the football. For a defense that needs players to step up, the redshirt senior from IMG Academy will be asked to do so.
Isaiah Johnson, Defensive Lineman
The defensive line is beginning to look like one of the Tar Heels’ strengths for the 2026 season. Johnson, a former transfer from Arizona, enters his redshirt senior year looking to add another year of production after 40 tackles and two sacks this past season.
North Carolina has an impressive group of starters with Malkart Abou-Jaoude, Leroy Jackson, and incoming transfer Jaylen Harvey. Johnson adds value to the group as a run defender with the ability to penetrate the pocket. While not discussed as a key player, Johnson’s name will be used plenty during the regular season as a potential standout for the program’s defensive front.
Coleman Bryson, Safety
Bryson was a reserve player for the Tar Heels’ secondary last season as a big nickel defender in the rotation. Heading into his redshirt senior year, the former Minnesota Gopher is looking to become a full-time starter in the secondary.
It wasn’t long ago when Bryson was making plays as the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl Defensive MVP. His special teams abilities were valuable for North Carolina last season, and he flashed at times in coverage against tight ends, including a pass breakup in the season-opener against TCU. The Waynesville, North Carolina, native could be a key defender on the back-seven in 2026.
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Friends and family members gathered in Washington state on Saturday, remembering former Miss North Carolina Carrie Everett, who died on Easter Sunday. Another memorial service is planned in North Carolina next month.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
Posted
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | First Quarter
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | Q1 8:19
After a faceoff win by Henry Metz, Brendan Millon finds Truitt Sunderland to give the Hoos a 3-0 lead. Timeout North Carolina.
Virginia 2, North Carolina 0 | Q1 9:00
Brendan Millon gets the scoring started for the Cavaliers with a question mark style goal. On the defensive end, Jake Marek opens the game with three early saves with his third save setting up a transition goal by Tommy Snyder.
Virginia vs North Carolina pregame notes
UVA owns a 59-33 advantage since the series began in 1938.
The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke).
In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA’s six-game series win streak.
UVA has won nine of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Hoos have won the last two meetings with Carolina at Klöckner Stadium, 11-4 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2024.
The Tar Heels’ four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC’s head coach in 2006.
The last time the Tar Heels knocked off the Cavaliers at Klöckner was a 16-13 decision during the first of three games between the two teams in 2021.
Later that year, UVA claimed back-to-back meetings against the Heels, including in the NCAA semifinals on the way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland.
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