At least 8 people have died hours after the driver of an SUV plowed into a crowd of migrants in Brownsville, Texas.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is ready to deploy as many as 10,000 National Guard members to deal with an influx of migrants after Title 42 ends.
The FBI is searching for a motive as to why someone opened fire on shoppers at the Allen Outlet Mall on Saturday.
By Kate Scanlon
(OSV News) — Dallas Bishop Edward J. Burns addressed the faithful of the diocese “with a heavy heart” late May 6 after at least eight people, including a child, were killed during a mass shooting that afternoon at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas.
“Like all of you, I am deeply troubled by the shooting in the community of Allen and the senseless disregard for life that has occurred in our community,” Bishop Burns said in a statement. “The Catholic community is in unity and solidarity with the families who have lost loved ones in this tragedy. May God, our Heavenly Father, bring comfort and strength to all affected by this tragic event. We ask God to comfort our community, the victims and their families.”
Authorities said a gunman opened fire at the Allen Premium Outlets, a Dallas-area outlet mall, killing eight and wounding at least another seven people before being killed by a police officer who happened to be at the mall.
The Allen Police Department said one of its officers had already responded to the outlet mall on an unrelated call, when the officer heard gunshots shortly after 3:30 p.m. The department said this officer “engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat.”
Victims range in age from 5 to 61 years old, authorities said. By midday May 7, authorities said they still had no information as to the shooter’s motives.
“We must work for an end to the violence,” Bishop Burns said in his statement. “We must pray for peace within our communities. And, we must have the courage to stand up to the forces of evil and the culture of death.”
President Joe Biden said in a May 7 statement that “eight Americans — including children — were killed yesterday in the latest act of gun violence to devastate our nation.”
“Jill and I are praying for their families and for others critically injured, and we are grateful to the first responders who acted quickly and courageously to save lives,” Biden said, adding he has “directed federal agencies to provide all needed support” to federal, state, and local law enforcement involved in the response.”
“Yesterday, an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in a shopping mall, and not for the first time,” Biden said. “Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts. More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, credible estimates show. The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence.”
Biden touted the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, legislation he signed into law last year passed by Congress in the wake of a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. That legislation expanded the background check system for prospective gun buyers under 21 years old, closed a provision known as the “boyfriend loophole,” banning domestic abusers from purchasing firearms regardless of their marital status, and funded new investments in mental health resources.
But, Biden said, “we need more action, faster to save lives.”
“Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines,” he said, adding, “Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe.”
Biden ordered flags flown at half-staff as “a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence,” according to a proclamation issued by the White House.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, wrote on Twitter that he is “grieving with the Allen community,” and thanked local police and first responders “and all of those involved in responding to this afternoon’s horrific incident.”
St. Jude Catholic Church in Allen, Texas, posted on its Facebook page, “Let us pray together for the tragic events that occurred earlier today and all those affected by the devastating loss of life.”
“Lord God, Father in heaven, our hearts are broken, and we pray for all impacted by the horrible events that unfolded today in our community,” the posted prayer said. “We ask that You comfort all the families dealing with suffering and loss and pray that You give consolation as only You can give. We ask this in the name of Jesus Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, the Lord.”
That prayer was followed by a request for the intercession of Mary and all the saints and the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, which says in part: “Defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.”
In a statement posted on its website, Allen Premium Outlets said, “We are horrified by today’s senseless tragedy and outraged by the violence that continues to plague our country.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and others affected by this heinous act,” the statement said. “We are thankful for the police officer’s heroic actions and for the support of all the first responders.”
Elsewhere in Texas, another tragedy struck the following day. Authorities said a driver plowed into a group outside a shelter that had been housing migrants in Brownsville near the Texas border May 7, leaving seven people dead as well as others injured. The bus stop is across the street from the Ozanam Center, a shelter that houses migrants.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and others affected by this heinous act,” the statement said. “We are thankful for the police officer’s heroic actions and for the support of all the first responders.”
Elsewhere in Texas, another tragedy struck the following day. Authorities said a driver plowed into a group at a bus stop near a shelter that had been housing migrants in Brownsville near the Texas border May 7, leaving seven people dead as well as others injured. The bus stop is across the street from the Ozanam Center, a shelter that houses migrants.
By Carol Zimmermann
WASHINGTON — The driver of an SUV, which slammed into a crowd of migrants on May 7 at a bus stop in Brownsville, Texas, killing 8 people and injuring several others has been charged with manslaughter.
Before the upgrade in charges, Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville said: “We mourn and are shocked by the horrific loss.
“The safety, protection, and assistance of the immigrant men, women, and children who have been given permission to stay in the United States remains a priority for the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville and for our generous staff and volunteers at Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley,” he added in a May 7 statement.
Victims, most of whom were Venezuelan men, had been standing or sitting on the curb at the unmarked city bus stop across the street from a homeless shelter around 8:30 a.m. when an SUV drove up onto the curb and continued moving.
Witnesses detained the driver as he tried to run away and held him until police arrived, Martin Sandoval, an investigator with the Brownsville Police, told reporters on May 7. He said the police had not determined if the collision was intentional but said the driver had been arrested and initially charged with reckless driving, however Monday morning police authorities upgraded the charges to eight counts of manslaughter.
Seven victims died at the scene, and another 10 victims were taken to area hospitals; the eighth victim died that evening.
Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez similarly said in a May 7 statement that his office had yet to receive evidence that what happened was intentional.
Victor Maldonado, director of the Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center, the homeless shelter by the crash location, said the center had not received any threats before the crash but that it did after it happened.
“I’ve had a couple of people come by the gate and tell the security guard that the reason this happened was because of us,” he told The Associated Press.
In recent weeks, Brownsville has seen a large increase in the number of Venezuelan migrants, prompting city leaders on May 4 to indefinitely extend a declaration of emergency. The area has been of particular interest with the upcoming end to border restrictions known as Title 42.
The Ozanam shelter, the only overnight shelter in Brownsville, manages the release of thousands of migrants from federal custody.
The crash victims had been waiting for a bus to downtown Brownsville after spending the night at the shelter, Sister Norma Pimentel, a Missionary of Jesus and executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, told a reporter.
“As we await a fuller report from law enforcement authorities, let us stop for a moment to mourn these losses of life and to pray,” said Bishop Flores. “Pray for the victims, pray for their families and loved ones, and pray for our community. And after we pray, let us continue our common efforts to serve those most in need.”
Bishop Flores also implored people to “resist the corrosive tendency to devalue the lives of immigrants, the poor, and the vulnerable. Let us take extra steps as a local community to care for and protect one another, especially the most vulnerable.”
He described the center as a place that has served the homeless and immigrants for decades, noting that during the past several months, Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley has worked closely with the Ozanam Center “to help provide humanitarian aid to the immigrant population as they seek shelter while making arrangements to meet with their families further north. This is done as an assistance to, and with the cooperation of government authorities,” he said.
The Ozanam Center was originally established by the Diocese of Brownsville to house Central American political refugees. In 1995, it became an independent nonprofit agency providing emergency shelter, assistance with clothing, food pantry services, and rental housing assistance for the homeless. The shelter has room for 250 people and, in recent months, has been getting up to 380 people a day — some who leave the same day.
On the evening of May 7, Bishop Flores celebrated Mass outside the center, joined by Auxiliary Bishop Mario Avilés and Oblate Father Kevin Collins, pastor of St. Eugene de Mazenod Catholic Church in Brownsville.
In a tweet after the Mass, Bishop Flores said he and other church leaders were there “to offer consolation to the immigrants and staff.
“Pray for those who saw it happen; they are devastated,” he said, of the day’s crash, adding: “Many first responders attended the Mass; pray for them also, for the burden they carry is great.”
Sister Norma similarly took to social media to comment on this tragedy, saying: “We can all join [to] accompany those hurting in this time of sorrow.”
She also urged those who want to help to contact the Ozaman Center at: www.ozanambrownsvillecenter.org/contact.html.
By Jessica Easthope
The book isn’t on seventh grader Ciara Amare’s school reading list, but it might one day be on someone else’s – these words are her own. They’re from her published teen and young adult historical fiction novel “Army of Africa.”
“I had to research the rainforest, the animals in the rainforest, I had to research military ranks and the fort,” she said.
Ciara, a student at St. Sebastian Catholic Academy in Woodside wrote the book last year when she was 12 and it was published just a few weeks ago. It’s the story of four army soldiers whose plane crash lands in Ethiopia during World War II. It’s a battle against adversity, a battle Ciara hopes anyone can relate to.
“I hope that with the stories I’m gonna write I hope people are changed by them and I hope that they’re thinking about the messages my stories send, there are problems in life that you have to face, you have to get through them and not just back away,” she said.
It took Ciara four months to write Army of Africa, an undertaking she kept secret from her parents.
“I knew she loved to read she always has a book in her hand but the fact that she wrote a book from start to finish I told my wife, your daughter wrote a book you need to read this,” said her dad, Yeg Amare.
Her dad was in part her muse. Born in Ethiopia, Yeg moved to the states when he was nine. He doesn’t have many memories of his east African home country, but he says the storytelling that’s part of the foundation of Ethiopian culture is in Ciara’s DNA.
“It’s what she attached herself to and what she has a connection to, even the day to day experiences when we talk to our family that’s what she holds on to, she’s always had a love and appreciation for Ethiopian culture,” he said.
When she’s in class Ciara’s schoolwork comes first but it’s there she found the support of her teachers who helped harness her creativity.
“During recess she’d rather read rather than hang out and play so she loves stories so to hear that she was writing her own was very exciting, especially that it was historical fiction so she was doing research, I already had her sign my book so hopefully when she’s famous one day I’ll be able to say she was one of my students,” said St. Sebastian principal Michelle Picarello.
Even through moments of doubt over how her book would be received, Ciara had family and faith to guide her.
“I thank God for giving me the talent of writing, faith has always steered me in the right direction,” she said.
Ciara’s not stopping at “Army of Africa’s” 116 pages, she’s already working on a sequel and looking at a late 2023 release date.
Hundreds of people spent Saturday evening on May 6 in St. Peter’s Square honoring Mary in a candlelight rosary procession.
The event was an initiative of St. Peter’s Basilica to celebrate the Church’s special Marian devotion during the month of May. Rosary processions will be held every Saturday of the month.
The first procession was led by Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, Secretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
Next week, the procession will be presided over by Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, President of the Governorate of the Vatican City State.
On this special edition of Currents News, a focus on the people who are the pulse of their parishes:
In Bayside, Queens, Bishop Robert Brennan placed healing hands at a Mass for those battling cancer.
Bishop Brennan’s anointing of the sick was held on May 3rd at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church at a Mass in honor of St. Peregrine, the patron saint for those afflicted by cancer.
A relic of St. Peregrine, which consists of a piece of his bone, was available for veneration at the church.
Attendees were also encouraged to bring a picture of a loved one who died from cancer or is presently suffering from cancer who could not attend.
Those photos were placed on a remembrance board near the altar.
Disaster was averted in Los Angeles on Monday, after a good samaritan jumped into action to save a baby’s life.
Gusty high desert winds pushed a stroller with a baby inside outside a car wash, causing it to roll toward the street.
Ron Nessman was waiting on a bench outside the car wash when he saw a woman in her 60s fall down on the asphalt while trying to catch the runaway stroller.
“She sees the child going into the street,” Nessman said. “And that’s all she sees, she can’t do nothing.”
Nessman immediately came to the child’s rescue without a second thought, running over to intercept the stroller, to save the baby boy inside before he made it down the driveway and into the roadway filled with passing cars.
“I said, I got it. I saw her and I felt so bad for the lady you know,” Nessman said. “I couldn’t imagine. I have nephews and nieces and I couldn’t imagine something like that.”
Protesters hit the streets and subways of Manhattan on Wednesday after the death of a man in a subway car who was put in a choke hold by another rider.
A new experimental drug has shown promising results in a large clinical trial to help those with early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
The Swiss Guard will swear in 23 new recruits on Saturday at the Vatican.
The Swiss Guard is getting almost two dozen new members on Saturday.
The ceremony will kickoff with the brand new 23 new recruits of the Swiss Guard swearing allegiance to Pope Francis and his successors in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican.
They will officially become members of the world’s smallest army.
“Living service in a communal sense is also a challenge because it involves loving individuals with different personalities, temperaments and sensibilities, but find themselves walking a stretch of road together,” Pope Francis said.
The Swiss Guards’ daily tasks consist of protecting the Pope, securing access to the Vatican and the Apostolic Palace, as well as maintaining order during papal ceremonies.
These are duties they already perform before the swearing in ceremony.
It’s a long check list in order to join the swiss guard.
For Starters, a candidate has to be a single Swiss male, between 19-31 years old.
They must also be at least 5’ 7 inches tall, in good health and a practicing catholic.
Candidates should be able to complete basic training.
The new recruits are joining an army that goes back centuries.
The Swiss Guards were founded by Pope Julius II in 1506. The swearing in ceremony remembers the 147 Swiss Guards who died defending Pope Clement VII against an invading French army.
For the ceremony, the Guards will wear the Grand Gala, a uniform normally reserved for the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing, Christmas and Easter.