Sandy Hook families’ lawyer levels accusations against gun-maker
A lawyer for some of the Sandy Hook school shooting victims’ families accused Remington Arms on Tuesday of using its new bankruptcy case to try to wipe out their lawsuit over how the company marketed the rifle used in the massacre.
An attorney for Remington denied the allegation during a phone conference call presided over by a federal bankruptcy court judge in Decatur, Ala.
David Elsberg, a lawyer for the families, said Remington is trying to rush an auction of its holdings, leave the families out of the process and has not included their lawsuit or other lawsuits over its products in the bankruptcy case filed late last month.
A gunman using a Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle made by Remington killed 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, 2012.
Belarus strikes grow amid election chasm
More workers in Belarus joined a strike Tuesday to press for the resignation of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has extended his 26year rule in an election the opposition says was rigged.
Mr. Lukashenko has refused to step down following a harsh police crackdown on peaceful protesters in the days after the Aug. 9 vote. In a move intended to secure the loyalty of law enforcement agencies, he signed a decree honoring over 300 officers for their service.
The opposition denounced the awards following the suppression of protests with rubber bullets, stun grenades and clubs. Nearly 7,000 people were detained, hundreds were injured and at least two people died.
Mr. Lukashenko’s actions prompted thousands to walk off the job.
The prospect of a nationwide shutdown was an unprecedented challenge to Mr. Lukashenko, who has relied on blue-collar workers as his base of support.
Mali’s president resigns post
Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced his resignation late Tuesday on state television, hours after mutinous soldiers detained him and the prime minister.
The dramatic development comes after several months of regular demonstrations calling for Mr. Keita to step down three years before his final term was due to end.
He also announced that his government and the National Assembly would be dissolved, certain to further the country’s turmoil amid an eight-year Islamic insurgency.
Victims call Golden State Killer ‘subhuman’
Victim after victim lined up on Tuesday to describe Joseph DeAngelo as a “sick monster,” “horrible man” and “subhuman” who stole their innocence and changed their lives during a yearslong reign of rape and murder that earned him the nickname Golden State Killer.
Some read statements on behalf of their loved ones, while others proudly gave their names now that Mr. DeAngelo, 74, is heading to prison.
Mr. DeAngelo is a former police officer in California who eluded capture for four decades. He was identified and arrested in 2018 by using DNA tracing.