19 people wounded in a shooting at a Mother's Day parade in New Orleans

Bystanders rushed to help those injured in the shooting



BBC - Nineteen people have been wounded in a shooting at a Mother's Day parade in the US city of New Orleans, police say.

The victims included two children who were grazed by bullets. Police say most injuries are not life-threatening,


It is unclear what sparked the shooting in the city's 7th Ward on Sunday afternoon. Police say three suspects were seen fleeing the area.


The incident happened at about 14:00 (19:00 GMT) at the intersection of Frenchmen and Villere streets.


"Shots were fired with different guns," a police statement said.


"Immediately after the shooting our officers saw three suspects running from the scene."






The statement said 10 men, seven women, a 10-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl were wounded by gunfire.


The shooting happened at what is known as a second-line parade - an impromptu community procession in which people dance down the street behind the official parade.


About 200 people were in the area at the time.


"It appears that these two or three people, just for a reason unknown to us, started shooting at, towards, or in the crowd," Police Supt Ronal Serpas told reporters earlier.


"It was over in just a couple of seconds."


The BBC's Jane Little in Washington says New Orleans has a high rate of gun crime.


The area where the shooting happened is a poor neighbourhood that is still recovering from the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, she adds.

Man Goes Haywire In Lagos, Stabbing People At Sight

Hell was let loose recently in Lagos when a 30-year-old man identified as Kehinde Akinpelu ran amok, armed with a sharp knife, threatening to kill anybody at sight.  The incident which took place at Oloja area of Bariga in Lagos made people living in the street to scamper for safety in different directions.

Unfortunately, a 69-year-old woman, Titilayo Adekoya who lives at number 27 in that street could not escape before the man pounced on her and stabbed her severally.  It took the timely intervention of a team of policemen on patrol and agile neighbours to stop the man from severing her body into pieces.

The daughter of the victim, Adebimpe Adekoya, a nurse, told Crime Alert that her mother escaped being butchered by whiskers that fateful day.  According to her,  “I was seated with my mother at the corridor of our apartment around 12noon that fateful day, when all of a sudden, a man we later got to know as Kehinde Akinpelu, ran into the compound holding a sharp knife in one of his hands and shouting, ‘I will kill every body here today’.

In confusion, everyone around scampered for safety and I joined them. But it was rather late for my aged mother who was tired as a result of the fasting she was about concluding.  The man caught up with her and before anyone could come to her aid, he pushed her to the floor and stabbed her at the back of her left hand.
He was about stabbing her further but for the timely intervention of some men in the neighborhood who quickly organized themselves and came to her rescue.  Otherwise,  it would have been a different story because from the way he held her to the floor,  he was actually bent on stabbing her to death.

The men caught up with him, held him down, and disarmed him; it was a big struggle for them but they managed to overpower him. Luckily, for us, some police men were patrolling the area, so we called their attention to the situation on ground. They came and the man was handed over to them, while Mama was rushed to a nearby clinic.”

Wondering what could be the motive behind Kehinde’s action that very day, Bimpe stated,  “that day was the first time I set my eyes on him, no member of this family knew him before then, my brother was also around that very day, none of us knew him before that day, so his actions left every one wondering.
It was after he was arrested that some members of his family went to the police station where he is being detained to plead for leniency in handling the case, saying that he is a marijuana addict and mentally deranged.

But the police told them to produce a medical  prove to that effect before their plea can be considered. Since then, they have not provided any.

#vanguard

Pastor, others feared dead as church building collapses

A Pastor and an unknown number of construction others are feared dead after a Four Square Gospel Church building under construction suddenly came down in the Ojodu Berger area of Lagos, South-West Nigeria.

The storey building situated on No. 9, Bashiru Street, was being converted to a three-story before it collapsed around 3:30 p.m. yesterday.

A man was found dead but a survivor, Adewale Oduleye, who was working in the building before he went to get food and water for his fellow workers, said this morning that the Pastor of the church, whose name could not be immediately ascertained, and several workers were inside the building when it collapsed. He said that there were six people in the group he was working with before he went in search of food and water.

News Express was told that a survivor was taken from the collapsed building around 1 this morning by the rescue team comprising officials of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Police, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Fire Service and the Lagos State Ambulance Services (LASAMBUS).

Just as this report was being filed, a young man was rescued alive from the rubble. A large crowd is presently at the scene even as rescue workers intensify efforts to see if more persons could be brought out alive.

•Photo by Rukevwe Onoharigho shows the rescued man being carried away . . . this afternoon at Ojodu Berger, Lagos.

Source News Express

Hope for Roona Begum, 18-month-old girl with rare skull condition, after undergoing life-saving surgery

A toddler whose head is three times normal size has had the swelling reduced after life-saving surgery.

The head circumference of 18-month-old Roona Begum has fallen from 37ins to 29ins following a series of procedures at a private hospital near India's capital New Delhi.

Tragic Roona, who suffers from a severe case of hydrocephalus - water on the brain - is responding well, said her mother Fatima Khatoon, 24.




Treatment: Toddler Roona Begum has had a series of procedures at a private hospital near New Delhi to reduce the swelling of her head which has ballooned to three times normal size





Gentle: A doctor at the hospital near New Delhi tenderly treats Roona for her extreme case of hydrocephalus



Operation: So far doctors have reduced the swelling around 18-month-old Roona's head by nine inches

She added:' It's hard watching our daughter go through this but we know it will be worth it in the end. She's responding more and more after every procedure.'


After her daughter's plight appeared in a number of publications, including MailOnline, a charity came forward to offer help.

The Fortis Foundation flew the poverty-stricken family from their rural village to the hospital in Gurgaon two weeks ago where doctors hope the exploratory procedure will relieve the pressure and allow them to properly examine Roona before deciding how to treat her further.





Worried parents: Mother Fatima Khatoon, 24, and 19-year-old father Abdul Rehman



Waiting: Parents Fatima and Abdul at the private hospital near New Delhi where their daughter is being treatedia.




New hope: Roona begum will undergo surgery to drain fluid from her brain tomorrow after a charity stepped in to help her

Doctors have already said that the youngster is lucky to be alive, with most sufferers of the condition not surviving beyond a year old.

Dr Sandeep Vaishya, Director of Neurosurgery at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, who is treating Roona, said: 'I was surprised when I saw the baby for the first time. Even though I had seen her pictures, I wasn't expecting the head to be so big.

'Her head measures 94 cm, in similar cases the average measurement is around 50-60 cm.





Heartbreaking: 18-month-old Roona's head has swelled to more than three times its normal size due to a rare condition which has caused fluid to collect on her brain





Getting help: Dr Sandeep Vaishya, from the Fortis Memorial Research Institute, examines Roona Begum, who was born with hydrocephalus



Countdown: Abdul and Fatima sit by their daughter's bedside in hospital ahead of the life-saving surgery





Treatment: Roona is being treated at a private hospital after the Fortis Foundation offered to help

'It is swollen to an extent that she is not able to close her eyes completely. We have an opthamologist looking at her eyes, so that there are no complications there.

'We are hopeful that she will make a complete recovery. The challenge is to drain her brain fluid in a gradual manner, so as the brain gets used to it.'

Fatima said: 'When she was born, I wondered why do children of poor people like us suffer this fate?





Loving: Fatima Khatoon attempts to comfort her young daughter as she rests in her hospital bed


Poorly: Doctors say that Roona is lucky to be alive as sufferers of the condition normally do not live beyond a year

'Why is fate cruel to us? Why do rich people who can afford to cure their kids never get diseases like this?

'Before she was born, I went to a doctor twice. Once when I was one month pregnant and than when I was six months pregnant. We did not have money to go more often.

'She was born through a Caesarian operation and the doctor told us we had to take her out of Agartala to get her treated. But we did not have any money at all.'

But the devastated mother revealed some family members had been less than supportive.

Fatima added: 'When she is better, I hope my in-laws accept her. And she can have the love she deserves from her grandparents.'

Roona's father Abdul, 19, added: 'Even though our neighbours come and play with her, my parents have refused to acknowledge her existence, since she was born.'

Abdul, who earns the equivalent of just £1.82 a day as a labourer thanked those who had helped Roona.

He said: 'I cannot find work every day. Its hard enough to earn for food, so her treatment would have been impossible had it not been for the press and hospital people who have helped us.'

dailymail.co.uk

Kris Kross star Chris Kelly dies age 34, of a 'suspected overdose'

Rapper best known for 1992 hit Jump was found by his cousin at his Atlanta home

Police said Kelly's death appears to have been 'a drug overdose'

Rapper and long time collaborator Jermaine Dupri led the tributes on Twitter

Chris Kelly, of the 90s hip-hop group Kriss Kross, has died aged 34, of a suspected drug overdose.
Police were called to Kelly's home by the rapper's cousin at around 4.30pm on Wednesday. After which he was taken to Atlanta Medical Centre.

Kelly - half of the rap duo famous for the hit song Jump - was pronounced dead at 5pm.





Tragedy: Chris Kelly, half of the 1990s kid rap duo Kris Kross who made one of the decade's most memorable songs Jump, died Wednesday of a suspected drug overdose



The MacDaddy: Jermaine Dupri wrote an emotional letter to his fans about his relationship with Chris



Flashback: Kelly (C in yellow shoes) and Smith performed onstage at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia during the So So Def 20th Anniversary Concert in February

As yet there is no official confirmation of the cause of death but Cpl Kay Lester, a spokeswoman for the Fulton County police said: 'It appears it may have been a possible drug overdose.'

An autopsy is due to be held on Thursday.

Kelly, known as Mac Daddy, performed alongside Chris Smith, known as Daddy Mac, in the early and mid-90s.

The duo's hit song Jump, from their 1992 debut album, Totally Krossed Out, helped propel them to stardom and sales of four million copies in the US, topping the Billboard charts for eight weeks.



Tragic day: Chris Kelly, left, seen here with partner Chris Smith, right, was pronounced dead of a suspected overdose on Wednesday afternoon





Teenage superstars: Kelly, left, and partner Chris Smith, right, were propelled to global stardom by their catchy 1992 hit Jump

Kris Kross was also noted for their hip-hop style - and in particular wearing their clothes back to front.


Kelly seen here at So So Def's 20th Anniversary event in February this year

The teen rap duo were discovered at age 13 at an Atlanta mall in 1990 by then 18-year-old rising star Jermaine Dupri, who helped them to record the hit album.

On Thursday Dupri wrote an emotional letter to his fans detailing his close relationship with Chris.

The multi-platinum selling producer described Chris as the son he never had.

In 1992, the talented pair landed a spot on Michael Jackson's Dangerous world tour, as well as a cameo appearance in his popular Jam music video.

Their own music video for Jump shot to number one on MTV and sold over 100,000 copies as a VHS video single.

Their second and third albums also went platinum and gold respectively, but didn't achieve the success of their first album, due in part to the fact that the teenagers had hit puberty and were marketed with a tougher image.

A joint statement released on Wednesday by So So Def and Kelly's mother, Donna Kelly Pratte, paid tribute to the 'kind, generous and fun-loving' star.

'It is with deep sadness that we announce that our beloved Chris Kelly has passed away on May 1.

'To millions of fans worldwide, he was the trend-setting, backward pants-wearing one-half of Kris Kross, who loved making music. But to us, he was just Chris - the kind, generous and fun-loving life of the party.'

Though he was only with us a short time, we feel blessed to have been able to share some incredible moments with him. His legacy will live on through his music.'

Atlanta radio host DJ Greg Street shared the news with listeners after receiving the devastating news from Kelly's cousin.

'Around 7.45 I received a phone call from his cousin saying they had found Kelly at the house just 20 minutes earlier and he was unresponsive,' Street wrote.

'I just received confirmation that he has passed.'

Twitter erupted as condolences flooded in from celebrities and friends.

Rapper and actor LL Cool J dedicated a song to the departed rapper, tweeting 'R.I.P Chris Kelly. This song is now officially dedicated to you. May GOD embrace your soul & lift up your family.

#dailymail.co.uk