Gunfire in nightclub injures 15, including teens, pre-teen

Flier, young passenger killed in midair collision identified

Authorities have identified the pilot and child who were killed in a collision involving two small planes at an event to introduce children to aviation in western New York.

Officials told The Buffalo News that Anthony Mercurio, 78, and James Metz, 14, died in the collision on Saturday morning about 6 miles from Buffalo-Lancaster Regional Airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the midair crash involved a Cessna 172 and a SeaRey amateur-built aircraft. The SeaRey was piloted by Kevin D’Angelo, 59, of Orchard Park, N.Y., and landed safely in a field in Alden. His 9-year-old passenger was not identified.

The Experimental Aircraft Association told the newspaper that both planes were flying as part of an event called the Young Eagles rally.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Police say they don’t know the motive for a shooting at a Miami nightclub that injured 15 people, including many teenagers and an 11-year-old girl.

One of the 15 was in critical condition but has been stabilized, Miami police said. The other victims were in stable condition, and some had been discharged from the hospital as of yesterday afternoon, police said.

Police did not know how many shooters were involved in the incident, which took place at a club called the Spot, said Frederica Burden, spokeswoman for the Miami police.

The injured ranged in age from 11 to 25, said police, who described the scene as “chaotic,” with people screaming as they fled the club.

Trucker in softball-team crash says he was distracted

The driver of a tractor-trailer that crashed into a bus, killing four members of a woman’s college softball team from Texas, told police he was distracted just before Friday’s accident on an Oklahoma highway, police said yesterday.

The truck was northbound late Friday on I-35 when driver Russell Staley, 53, veered across the median and struck a bus carrying the softball team from North Central Texas College.

Staley told investigators he was distracted just before the accident, but the validity of the statement was still being assessed along with other evidence from the scene, said Oklahoma Highway Patrol Capt. Ronnie Hampton.

Three members of the Lady

Signs of violence lacking on bodies of 5 family members

A preliminary autopsy has ruled out violent assault as a cause of the deaths of five Utah family members, including three children, police said yesterday.

There was no evidence of stabbing or gunshot wounds or other visible injuries to the five bodies found Saturday night in their home in Springville, about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City, authorities said.

The five were identified yesterday as Benjamin Strack, 37; his wife, Kristi Strack, 36; and three of their children, Benson, 14; Emery, 12; and Zion, 11.

Police Lt. Dave Caron said the cause of death will depend on testing of blood samples.