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Virginia Beach reaches $3 million settlement over fatal police shooting of Donovon Lynch | CNN

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Virginia Beach reaches  million settlement over fatal police shooting of Donovon Lynch | CNN




CNN
 — 

Town of Virginia Seaside has reached a $3 million settlement with the household of Donovon Lynch – a 25-year-old man who was fatally shot by a police officer final 12 months – town and the household mentioned in a joint assertion.

Lynch died after he was shot within the torso and thigh by a Virginia Seaside police officer in March 2021. Officers had been responding to a collection of shootings on the evening Lynch was shot.

Virginia Seaside police mentioned each the officer who shot Lynch and one other officer informed murder detectives on the time that Lynch – who was a cousin of singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams – had a handgun when he was shot.

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Lynch’s father, Wayne, filed the federal lawsuit in opposition to town of Virginia Seaside and certainly one of its cops in the summertime of 2021, simply months after the lethal encounter.

When the lawsuit was filed, it didn’t say whether or not Lynch was in possession of a handgun, however Lynch household lawyer Jeff Reichert in April mentioned Lynch was legally allowed to hold a firearm.

A grand jury decided there was no proof to assist legal expenses in opposition to the officer who shot Lynch. He was not disciplined by the police division and was returned to full responsibility, Tiffany M. Russell, a spokesperson for town in Virginia, informed CNN through e-mail Thursday.

“As we have now discovered extra over time concerning the info of that fateful evening and encounter, we have now come to grasp {that a} collection of unlucky occurrences led to Donovon’s demise that evening – which in hindsight ought to by no means have occurred because it was later decided that neither Donovon nor the officer set in movement the occasions that transpired,” the joint assertion mentioned.

“We perceive that the settlement will under no circumstances reduce the grief and loss for the Lynch household,” Tuesday’s joint assertion mentioned. “Town’s ongoing assist for its public security personnel and its funding in officer training and technological developments underscores the Metropolis’s dedication to offering higher transparency.”

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Virginia

2 Virginia Deputies Hospitalized After Truck Stop Shoot-Out with Man Wanted in 2 States

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2 Virginia Deputies Hospitalized After Truck Stop Shoot-Out with Man Wanted in 2 States


Two sheriff’s deputies were struck by gunfire during a fatal shoot-out with a wanted man at a Virginia truck stop.

On Friday, March 28, police in Greensboro, N.C., informed the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) in Virginia of a potential location of Edmond Johnson, who was reportedly involved in a shooting in the area, according to the CCSO and Virginia State Police.

The CCSO soon located the 29-year-old Louisiana native — who also was wanted in Washington County, Md. — at Love’s Truck Stop in Lambsburg, Va., thanks to his tractor-trailer, which was parked at the truck stop off of Interstate 77, officials said.

After deputies with the CCSO responded to the scene, they found Johnson in his vehicle, and when Johnson “eventually exited the tractor-trailer, he exchanged gunfire with the deputies,” according to Virginia State Police.

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Love’s Travel Stop in Lambsburg, Va.

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During the altercation, two deputies were shot, and Johnson was fatally struck, officials said.

The deputies who were struck by gunfire were taken to nearby hospitals. As of Saturday, March 29, both deputies are now in stable condition, Carroll County Sheriff Kevin Kemp told PEOPLE in a statement.

The identities of the injured officers have not been publicized, and “the investigation of the incident has been turned over to the Virginia State Police,” according to Kemp, who added that he has “no further comment at this time.”

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As news of the March 28 shoot-out and the CCSO deputies’ hospitalization spread, law enforcement officials in neighboring areas shared messages of support.

The Henry County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) extended “thoughts and prayers” to the deputies in a post on Facebook.

“We ask our community to join us in lifting them up in prayer — for a swift and full recovery, and for strength and comfort for their families and colleagues during this difficult time,” the HCSO wrote, in part. “When one agency hurts, we all feel it. We stand with Carroll County — today and always.”

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) also offered its “thoughts and prayers” in a Facebook post, writing, “We are deeply saddened to hear about the officer-involved shooting that resulted in two of their deputies being shot.”

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“The bravery and dedication of law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day for our safety cannot be overstated,” the BCSO wrote. “We stand in solidarity with our fellow deputies as they navigate through this challenging situation. Please join us in sending prayers and positive thoughts for a swift recovery for the injured deputies, strength to their families and colleagues as well as strength and support to all those affected by this incident.”



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2026 LB Williams talks West Virginia offer

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2026 LB Williams talks West Virginia offer


Massillon (Oh.) Washington 2026 linebacker Ja’Dyn Williams had West Virginia as a school on his radar. Now, he holds an offer from the program.

Williams, 6-foot-2, 205-pounds, has previously competed in 7-on-7 tournaments with the Mountaineers and had kept an eye on the school over the years. So, it was an exciting development to add West Virginia to his list of scholarship offers.

“West Virginia is definitely a blessing of an offer,” he said.

The Rivals.com three-star prospect has not only had people from his high school but past family members go to school in Morgantown so he was excited for things to become official.

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“It’s definitely a school I had eyes on,” he said.

Defensive coordinator Zac Alley is the lead recruiter for Williams and expressed that he was impressed with his abilities at the linebacker position.

“We’ve discussed my linebacker abilities or attacking and working on how he can further my skills for the future,” he said.

Williams visited Morgantown for a game-day visit last season and plans to make it back in order to spend more time with the new coaching staff. He also plans to make it to Cincinnati, Indiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Virginia and Boston College.

For now, he has one official visit scheduled to Indiana.

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The majority of programs are targeting Williams as an inside linebacker after he recorded 81 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in only 10 games.

Williams wants to eventually find a place where he believes he will be best developed as a linebacker and it will set him up for life after football.



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US arrests leader of MS-13 gang in Virginia, known as worst of worst

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US arrests leader of MS-13 gang in Virginia, known as worst of worst


The leader of the El Salvadorian MS-13 gang was arrested by federal law enforcement officers on Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform.

“Just captured a major leader of MS13,” Trump wrote.

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The 24-year-old suspect, Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, was arrested in Woodbridge, Virginia, just south of Washington DC, local news reported. Officials have confirmed that he is one of the top three leaders of the gang within the United States.

The operation was a joint effort by the FBI, ATF, ICE, Virginia State Police, and the Prince William County Police Department, according to US Attorney-General Pam Bondi. Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel were present for the raid.

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A prisoner with a MS-13 gang tattoo stands in a cell as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tours the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Wednesday, March 26, 2025 (credit: ALEX BRANDON/POOL VIA REUTERS)

Santos was the leader of the gang for the US East Coast, Bondi announced.

“He is an illegal alien from El Salvador, and he will not be living in our country much longer,” Bondi said in a press conference.

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Santos, originally from El Salvador, was taken into custody Thursday on what CNN described as an “outstanding administrative immigration warrant.”

During the raid, federal agents found numerous firearms within the place where Santos was residing. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm.

“It’s time for us to recognize that Virginia is not a sanctuary state,” Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement.

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Youngkin had recently threatened to withhold state funding for local government if they did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

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Recruited in middle school?

During an interview on “The Ingraham Angle” on Fox News, Bondi explained who Santos is and how he became the leader of MS-13 on the East Coast.

“We believe he was recruited in middle school – in middle school!” she said.

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“He’s been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn’t need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this.”

A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham.

“He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we’re sitting right now, living among us,” Bondi said. “We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump.”

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Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador.

“Let’s send him home. That’s where he belongs,” she said. “You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that’s where he should go, but we’re going to – you’re going to see a lot more charges on him.”

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What is MS-13?

Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.

Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.

MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.

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They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.





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