Four people were injured after a gas explosion sparked a fire in a home in Houston, Texas

HOUSTON, TEXAS - Four people were injured after a "possible" gas explosion sparked a fire in a home just east of downtown early Saturday morning, authorities say.

According to the Houston Fire Department, the incident happened around 2:30 a.m. on Walker at Milby.

HFD says the four individuals inside the home at the time suffered from "minor" burn injuries to the upper extremities and were transported to Memorial Hermann.

Images from the scene show a lot of debris as well as the side of the house and windows blown out.

Authorities say HFD Arson will be investigating to confirm the cause of the explosion.




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HOUSTON, TEXAS - 

A family of four survived a possible gas explosion in their east Houston home Saturday morning.

Firefighters were called to the home on Milby and Walker streets around 2:30 a.m.

Upon arrival, they found four adults outside the damaged home.

The residents, a 60-year-old man, a 57-year-old woman, a 22-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, all had minor burns, officials said.

Those injured were likely caused by a flash explosion, firefighters said.
 

It appears as though the explosion started at the gas meter.

Those residents were taken to the hospital to be treated.

The man who lives next door to the family said there was a gas issue in the home for some time so he turns his off.

“I sleep with the gas off,” Richard Reyna said. “These are old houses, you never know when it might explode or what.”

Reyna also said the family just moved into the home, so he didn’t believe they knew to be cautious.

Houston arson investigators are on the scene to officially rule on the cause of the explosion.

THE KILLERS AMONG US: Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, opened fire on a small Texas church on Sunday morning, killing 26 people, wounding at least 10 others; he was discharged from the Air Force for allegedly assaulting his spouse and child

OPINION

These unfortunate Texans were killed by the hands of a guy who also was supposed to protect our country.  Then of course these are trained killers, many of them coming from the bottom of the society, uneducated, violent, bullies, emotionally unstable, etc.  Thousands of people die each year at the hands of our "service" men, either current or former ones.

Church gunman was court-martialed, discharged from Air Force
  NOMAAN MERCHANT and PAUL J. WEBER, Associated Press 3 hours ago

 

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (AP) — The man officials have identified to The Associated Press as the gunman in a mass shooting at a Texas church was discharged from the Air Force for allegedly assaulting his spouse and child, according to an Air Force spokeswoman.

The spokeswoman, Ann Stefanek, said Sunday that Devin Kelley served 12 months' confinement after a 2012 court-martial. He ultimately received a bad conduct discharge and reduction in rank.

She said Kelley served in Logistics Readiness at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico from 2010 until his discharge in 2014. His job responsible for moving passengers, cargo and personal property in military transportation.

Authorities did not announce his name at a news conference on the shooting, saying only that the suspect was a white male in his 20s.

But a U.S. official and a law enforcement official identified Kelley as the person who opened fire Sunday at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 people and wounding about 20 others.

The U.S. official told the AP that Kelley lived in a San Antonio suburb and that he doesn't appear to be linked to organized terrorist groups. The official said investigators are looking at social media posts Kelley may have made in the days before Sunday's attack, including one that appeared to show an AR-15 style semi-automatic weapon. The official requested anonymity because the person did not have authorization to speak publicly.

An address listed in online records as belonging to Kelley is located in New Braunfels, Texas, just outside San Antonio and about 35 miles (56 kilometers) from Sutherland Springs.

Local records of an August traffic ticket issued in New Braunfels, Texas, for an expired registration and not having auto insurance give a birthdate that would make him 26 years old.

At the address listed for Kelley in New Braunfels, two sheriff's vans were parked outside and police officers stood at the gate of a cattle fence surrounding the property. Law enforcement officials gathered at the property declined to comment on why they were there. Several messages left for his relatives went unreturned.

Neighbors said that they heard intense gunfire coming from the direction of the address listed for Kelley in recent days.

"It's really loud. At first I thought someone was blasting," said Ryan Albers, 16, who lives across the road. "It had to be coming from somewhere pretty close. It was definitely not just a shotgun or someone hunting. It was someone using automatic weapon fire."

A person matching Kelley's name and date of birth also registered in 2014 to vote in Colorado, with an address listed in Colorado Springs, home of the U.S. Air Force Academy. The Colorado Secretary of State's office lists his registration now as inactive.

According to Texas Department of Public Safety regional director Freeman Martin, the gunman arrived at a Valero gas station near the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs at around 11:20 a.m. Sunday. He was dressed in black, wearing tactical gear and a ballistic vest.

He crossed the street to the church, left his vehicle and started firing a Ruger AR assault-type rifle at the church. Then he entered the church and fired.

As he left the church, the shooter met an unidentified area resident with his own rifle who pursued him. The suspect was found dead in his vehicle near the border between Wilson and Guadalupe counties.

Martin said it's unclear if he died of a self-inflected wound or was shot by the resident.


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Who Is Devin Kelley, the Texas Church Shooter?

by Tim Stelloh







He arrived at church ready for war, wearing black tactical gear and a ballistics vest and toting what authorities described as an "assault-type rifle."
Devin P. Kelley while a freshman at New Braunfels High School in New Braunfels, Texas, in 2006. Poppel Yearbook Library

Then Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, opened fire on a small Texas church on Sunday morning, killing 26 people, wounding at least 10 others and providing the two-gas station community of Sutherland Springs with a grim distinction, authorities said.

"We are dealing with the largest mass shooting in our state's history," Gov. Greg Abbott said at a news conference.

What was behind this act of carnage in a place of sanctuary?

Ann Stefanek, a spokeswoman for the Air Force, confirmed that Kelley was court-martialed in 2012 on two charges of assaulting his spouse and their child. He was confined for a year, given a bad conduct discharge and reduced in rank to E-1, or airman basic, Stefanek said.

A search of criminal records in Comal County, where Kelley lived, yielded only minor violations — driving with an expired registration, speeding, failure to stop at a stop sign, driving without insurance.

A New Braunfels Independent School District spokeswoman confirmed that Kelley graduated from New Braunfels High School in 2009, but declined to offer additional details about him.






  Texas church shooter had no apparent ties to terrorism 1:17

"This senseless act of violence is something that is hard to understand and has definitely shaken our community," the spokeswoman, Rebecca M. Villarreal, said in a statement.

Dave Ivey, Kelley's uncle, said in a Facebook message that he "never in a million years could of believed Devin could be capable of this kind of thing."

"I am numb," Ivey said. "My family will suffer because of his coward actions. ... I am so sorry for the victims in Texas."

Federal officials said they'd found no obvious link to an organized terrorist group. Abbott said it wasn't clear whether Kelley had relatives inside the church when he opened fire, and Freeman Martin regional director of the state Department of Public Safety, said authorities were investigating whether Kelley belonged to a militia. But Freeman added: "We can't say one way or another."

Martin told reporters that Kelley was wearing the tactical gear and the ballistics vest when he pulled into a gas station in Sutherland Springs at 11:20 a.m. (12:20 p.m. ET) Sunday. He had multiple weapons in his car, Martin said. Martin didn't provide additional details, but he said Texas Ranger bomb specialists were processing the car.







Texas Shooting Victims' Grandmother: 'My Whole Body's Just Numb 9:33

After leaving the gas station, the gunman crossed the street, got out of his car and sprayed First Baptist Church's right side with his rifle, Martin said. He then entered the church and continued to fire until a local resident grabbed Kelley's rifle, forcing him to drop it and flee. The resident pursued Kelley, who drove off the road and crashed, Martin said.

Kelley was later found dead, Martin said, although it was unclear how he died.

"We don't know if it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound or if he was shot by our local resident who engaged him in gunfire," he said.





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Monday, July 10, 2017

THE KILLERS AMONG US: 32-year-old infantryman Justin Walters killed his wife, 27-year-old Nichole Walters, then killed New York State Police Trooper Joel R. Davis, 36, who was responding to reports of shots fired at the couple's rural upstate property

Nichole Walters, 27, killed by her husband.  Goodbye beautiful girl, sorry that you picked a monster for your husband

32-year-old infantryman Justin Walters, killed wife Nichole and State
Trooper Joel Davis, 36

Trooper Joel Davis, 36, dead

Updated 1 hr 43 mins ago
THERESA, New York -- A U.S. Army soldier killed his wife then fatally shot a New York State Police trooper who was responding to reports of shots fired at the couple's rural upstate property, authorities said Monday.

The suspect, identified as 32-year-old infantryman Justin Walters, surrendered without incident after the Sunday night slayings, New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II said.

Trooper Joel Davis, 36, was responding to the report about 8 p.m. Sunday and was approaching the home in the town of Theresa, near the Canadian border, when he was shot, Beach said. Walters' wife, 27-year-old Nichole Walters, was found dead at the scene. Police haven't said how she was killed.


State police said Walters is stationed at nearby Fort Drum, home of the 10th Mountain Division. Information on Walters' military service was expected to be released later Monday.

WWNY-TV in Watertown reported Justin Walters was clad only in shorts when he was brought to a town court around 4 a.m. Monday to be charged with first-degree murder in Davis' slaying and second-degree murder in Nichole Walters' death.


He was ordered held in the Jefferson County Jail without bail. Walters didn't have a lawyer at the arraignment.

The station reported that when the judge asked Walters if he knew why he was in court, Walters responded that he didn't know.

Police said a second woman living on the couple's property was also shot, but her injuries were not life threatening.

State police said Davis, of Evans Mills, graduated from the Basic School of the New York State Police Academy on May 29, 2013. He originally was assigned to the Troop D Watertown barracks before receiving his current assignment at the state police barracks in Philadelphia, New York, just outside Fort Drum.

Davis previously worked for the county sheriff's office as a road patrol deputy. WWNY reported that his brother, Josh Davis, is a police officer in Watertown.

Joel Davis is survived by his wife and three children.

In a statement Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said "the entire New York family grieves" for Davis.

"Trooper Davis served as a member of the New York State Police for four years and his death is yet another sad reminder of the risks law enforcement officers face each day in order to protect our communities and serve the residents of this great state," the Democratic governor said while urging New Yorkers to keep Davis' family, friends and colleagues in their thoughts and prayers.

Cuomo later ordered that flags on all state government buildings be flown at half-staff in the slain trooper's honor.



New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II is saddened to announce the death of Trooper Joel R. Davis.

At approximately 8:09 p.m. on Sunday, July 9, Trooper Davis responded to a call of shots fired during a domestic dispute at 34371 County Route 46 in the town of Theresa, Jefferson County. While approaching the residence, Trooper Davis was shot once and killed.

The suspect, 32-year old Justin D. Walters, surrendered to other State Troopers without incident. Walters is an active duty Army infantryman who is stationed at Fort Drum.


Walters' wife, 27-year old Nichole V. Walters, was also found deceased at the scene.

Trooper Davis, of Evans Mills, NY, was 36 years old. He graduated from the 199th session of the Basic School on May 29, 2013, and was originally assigned to Troop D, SP Watertown, before receiving his current assignment at SP Philadelphia. He is survived by his wife and three children.


New York State has the best state troopers around.  Professional, vigilant, caring, protecting the public.  So sad to see Trooper Davis getting killed by the hands of a guy who also was supposed to protect our country.  Then of course these are trained killers, many of them coming from the bottom of the society, uneducated, violent, bullies, emotionally unstable, etc.  Thousands of people die each year at the hands of our "service" men.


We would not be surprised if this killer, Justin Walters, was jealous of his beautiful wife for going out with friends, cheating on him, etc.  Burdened by the army service and emotionally deficient, he eventually snapped and killed this beautiful woman and the NY State Trooper.



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Justin Walters: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know


By Jessica McBride


Updated Jul 10, 2017 at 11:36am


Facebook

Justin and Nichole Walters.

Justin Walters, an active duty Army infantryman, is accused of shooting his wife and a state trooper to death.

The double murder occurred on July 9, and Walters, 32, surrendered at the scene in Theresa, New York.

The slain trooper was identified as Joel R. Davis, a married father of three and youth baseball coach. Walters is also accused of killing his wife Nichole V. Walters, 27, the state police announced. Her Facebook page is filled with comments about loving her husband. The couple had a small child.


Nichole Walters.

Here’s what you need to know: 

1. Walters Was Stationed at Fort Drum & Served in Afghanistan


FacebookA photo from Justin Walters’ Facebook page.

In a news release, the state police revealed that Walters is an active duty soldier in the U.S. Army.

“Walters is an active duty Army infantryman who is stationed at Fort Drum,” the news release said.

Fort Drum is an Army base located in northern New York near the Canadian border.

Walters’ Facebook page contains only photos of him and other soldiers in Army uniforms overseas. In 2016, he wrote, next to a photo of himself in a military vehicle, “Can’t believe it’s been 7 years.” He also wrote that he had served in Kandahar in 2011.


Here’s one of the pictures on Walters’ page, which he wrote was in Kandahar:


A photo on Justin Walters’ Facebook page.

Nichole posted this photo and wrote that it was of Justin’s graduation.


Justin Walters.

In contrast, his wife’s page is filled with photos of family.
 
  2. The Trooper Died While Responding to a Domestic Call


Nichole and Justin Walters.


According to The Watertown Daily Times, Walters is accused of shooting his wife in the driveway of their home around 8:09 p.m. The couple lived at 34371 County Route 46.

That’s when Trooper Davis was called to the scene.

“We have numerous calls hearing gun shots prior to the trooper arriving,” a police spokesman told the newspaper. Davis was shot once and killed at the scene.


In a statement, the New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach III, said that Davis had “responded to a call of shots fired during a domestic dispute…while approaching the residence, Trooper Davis was shot once and killed.”


According to CBS News, “a second woman was shot, in the upper torso, police said. She was home alone but lives in a shed on the property with a man and child.”

“A woman whose family lived near the Walters’ white double-wide trailer went outside after the first shots, and suffered a gunshot wound in the upper torso,” The Watertown Daily Times reported. 

3. Nichole Wrote About Her Love for Justin On Facebook & the Couple Had a Young Child 



Nichole and Justin Walters.


Nichole Walters’ Facebook page is filled with photos of herself with Justin and their young child. “I love him so much!” Nichole wrote in 2010, with this photo:


Justin Walters with his wife, Nichole.

In 2014, she wrote, “My little monkey turned one month today along with justin and mines six year aniversery (sic) wow where does the time go very special day for my little family i love both of them so much.”

In 2015, Justin wrote under a photo of a small boy, “I miss my little dude!” He wrote alongside one photo of Nichole: “Sexy!!!!!!!!!!!!”


Justin Walters.


Online property records show the home where the murders occurred was purchased by Justin and Nichole Walters in 2015. 


4. The Trooper Left Behind a Wife & Children & New York’s Governor Said His Death Is a ‘Sad Reminder’ of the Risks Law Enforcement Officers Face


Trooper Davis was married and had three children, according to The Watertown Daily Times. He was only 36-years-old.


According to TWC News, Davis was “stationed at the Philadelphia barracks in Jefferson County.”

Davis graduated from the 199thsession of the Basic School on May 29, 2013 and was originally assigned to Troop D, SP Watertown, before receiving his current assignment at SP Philadelphia, said the police statement. According to posts from friends and family members on Facebook, Davis was a youth baseball coach who mentored children both on and off the field and was remembered as a “great father” with a sweet disposition.

“The Evans Mills Youth Baseball would not be where it is now without the push and support of Joel Davis. Both on the field as a coach to many kids and behind the scenes . Rip Joel,” wrote the team on Facebook.

“The state police [are] doing a phenomenal job of holding it together. They are really doing a great job of holding it together. This is really going to be tough for all involved in the coming weeks,” said Jefferson County District Attorney Kristyna Mills to TWC News.

5. Walters Surrendered at the Scene


Justin Walters in Afghanistan.

According to the police statement, authorities took Walters into custody without further incident. Walters appeared in court on July 10, where is was accused of first and second degree murder.


This post will be updated as more information is learned about Walters and Davis.

Three people are dead after a sport utility vehicle collided with a farming combine on County Road B in the town of Lake Mills, Wisconsin

TOWN OF LAKE MILLS, Wis. - Three people are dead after a sport utility vehicle collided with a farming combine on County Road B in the town of Lake Mills.

"I just heard a big boom," a neighbor said.

"I've been around long enough to know when you hear a big boom, it's a big boom," he continued.

The Jefferson County Sheriff said in a news release that they were called to the crash at 6:59 p.m. about a half mile west of Stoney Creek Road.




“It was really bad," Dave Schneider said. "I drove up and I drove right by and [I saw] that a combine has hit a car and it looked like a pretty bad accident."

Chopper four video captured the aftermath of the deadly collision between the farming combine and a sport utility vehicle. According to neighbors, they haven't seen a deadly crash this bad in the area in a very long time.

“When it happens that quickly that makes you scared," Jim Battist said.

Battist is a farmer and he’s lived in the area all his life. He said although this situation is a sad one, it’s also a reminder to maintain caution while operating farming equipment on the county road.

"You have to be careful," Battist said. “I try to watch for the cars coming and see what kind is coming and try to make sure that my lights are all working."

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s office is still investigating the crash. The office plans to release the names of those involved Monday.




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LAKE MILLS, Wis. - An accident involving a farming combine and an SUV Friday resulted in three fatalities, according to officials.

The call for the accident came into the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office around 7 p.m. stating that there was a crash on County Highway B, about a half mile west of Stony Creek Road in Lake Mills, according to a release from Jefferson County Sheriff Paul Milbrath.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Lake Mills Police Department, Lake Mills Fire Department and Lake MiIls EMS responded to the scene, according to the release.

The Jefferson County Major Accident Investigation Team is investigating the collision, Milbrath said.

Worker Clarence "Cory" Hale, 48, with Multi-Craft Contractors, Inc. died when a piece of a crane (25 ft. long) fell, pinning him to the ground in Washington County, Arkansas

NEWS RELEASE:

On Thursday, November 2, 2017 at approximately 3:45 p.m., the Sheriff's Office was notified by Central EMS that they were responding to an unresponsive male who had been struck with a large piece of equipment at 17614 Clearwater Road in the Wheeler community.

Upon deputies arrival, they discovered employees with Multi-Craft Contractors were working on a radio tower at this location and were in the process of setting up a large crane to work on the tower. The crane was set and leveled and they were in the process of putting the boom together. During this process, a piece of the crane (25 ft. long) fell, striking the victim and pinning him to the ground.

The victim, identified as Clarence "Cory" Hale, W/M, 48 of West Fork, was transported by Central EMS to Washington Regional Medical Center where he died from his injuries.

The body has been sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab to confirm cause of death.


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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA) - A West Fork man has died after being injured in an on-the-job crane accident.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) says Clarence "Cory" Hale, 48, was struck around 3:45 p.m. Thursday when a piece of the crane (25 ft. long) fell, pinning him to the ground. He was taken to Washington Regional Medical Center where he died from his injuries.

The scene of the accident was 17614 Clearwater Rd. in the Wheeler community.

The WCSO says Hale was part of a crew with Multi-Craft Contractors who were in the process of setting up a large crane to work on a tower.

The crane was set and leveled and they were in the process of putting the boom together when a part fell and struck Hale.

The company says Hale's coworkers are devastated by the loss.

Insurers are working with the employees to maintain their safety, according to the company.



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SPRINGDALE, Ark. —

A worker for Multi-Craft Contractors (MCC) in Springdale died on the job Thursday, company president Rick Barrows told 40/29.

Clarence "Cory" Hale was setting up a crane at a work site when an accident occurred.

The Washington County Sheriff's Department said a chunk of crane fell, pinning Hale to the ground. When Hale's family arrived at the hospital, he had already died.

Multi-Craft Contractors "spends a lot of time on safety, and is actively participating in the investigation to find out what happened," Barrows said.

Barrows sent 40/29 news the following statement:

“Multi-Craft Contractors lost a friend and co-worker yesterday in a tragic accident. He represented the best of us in his attitude, work ethic, and friendship. We are devastated by this tragedy and that it occurred in spite of our best efforts to train and work safely. We are working with authorities to determine the cause. We ask for your thoughts and prayers for his family at this time.”

Hale will be missed by family and friends, including next-door neighbor Philip Fredericks.

"He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Fredericks. "He is the kind of person who would give you the shirt off his back. He's like a brother to me."

"He was an amazingly hard-working man," Hale's wife told 40/29. "The love he had for our family was genuine and without fail. He will be missed by many people."



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WHEELER (KFSM) -- A Multi-Craft Contractors, Inc. employee died Thursday afternoon (Nov. 2) on a job site north of Wheeler, according to company president Rick Barrows.



Barrows said employee Cory Hale, 48, was setting up a crane when the accident took place.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office was notified by Central EMS that they were responding to an unresponsive male who had been hit by a large piece of equipment.

The employees were working on a radio tower and were in the process of setting up a large crane to work on the tower. The crane was set and leveled and they were putting the boom together. A piece of crane fell, hitting the victim and pinning him to the ground, the sheriff's office said.

Barrows said the company is devastated by the loss of one of their team members.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office is investigating.

Hales' wife, Gay Lynn Hale said her husband was an amazingly hard-working man. "The love he had for our family was genuine and without fail. He will be greatly missed by many people."