NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
_1 White House shooting:
A man shot himself to death outside the White House on Saturday, authorities said. The District of Columbia Police Department said in a tweet that an “adult male has been declared deceased. We are working to notify next of kin.” The tweet came about two hours after the Secret Service first reported that it was responding to reports of a self-inflicted shooting along the White House’s north fence. The incident took place before President Trump returned to the White House on Saturday from Florida.
_2 Helicopter crash:
The parents of a British tourist who died when his Grand Canyon sightseeing helicopter crashed have filed the first wrongful death lawsuit in the incident. The complaint filed Friday in Las Vegas accused helicopter owner Papillon Airways and manufacturer Airbus of negligence in failing to equip the helicopter with a crash-resistant fuel system. Jonathan Udall, of Southampton, was burned on more than 95 percent of his body in the crash and died Feb. 22 in a Las Vegas trauma center — 10 days after the helicopter crashed. Papillon CEO Brenda Halvorson said it is “misguided” to make allegations about the accident before federal agents finish their investigation.
_3 Officer charged:
A police lieutenant in Pasadena used his job to get around California’s strict gun laws and resell dozens of guns without a license, federal prosecutors say. Lt. Vasken Gourdikian was arrested Friday and charged with illegally selling more than 100 firearms between March 2014 and February 2017. Gourdikian, 48, pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Mark Geragos, said the charges were “misguided and truly an abuse of the supposed discretion of the government.” Gourdikian used his status as a police officer to buy guns that weren’t available to the general public and then re-sold the weapons, prosecutors said.
_4 Ohio politics:
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has made good on a promise to raise a toast with Ohio politicians after the Legislature forged a bipartisan deal that could lead to reforms on how congressional districts are drawn in the state. Schwarzenegger joined Ohio Gov. John Kasich and state legislative leaders Friday for a toast with Austrian schnapps in Columbus. The “Terminator” star was in town for his annual Arnold Sports Festival. Schwarzenegger made a video last month praising Ohio’s political leaders for “terminating gerrymandering.” Ohio voters will decide May 8 on a plan that requires that maps be drawn with significant bipartisan support. Schwarzenegger led a similar redistricting reform effort in California.
5_ Moore fundraising:
Former U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore has issued a plea for money to pay legal bills, saying his “resources have been depleted.” Moore, a Republican, lost the 2017 Alabama election to Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat. Moore lost amid accusations that he pursued romantic and sexual relationships with teens as a man in his 30s. Moore denied accusations of misconduct and said he never dated “underage” girls.