Kenneth Wayne Cherry Jr., A Victim of Vegas Lights?

All of the Vegas lights aren't so bright nor are they inviting.  Much goes on behind the scene of rising stars and games of chance that the public never sees.  Ammar Harris (a.k.a. Ammar Asim Faruq Harris), a 26-year-old man is sought in connection with the pre-dawn shooting of an aspiring rapper on the Las Vegas Strip last week.  The shooting appeared to stem from an argument that started at the valet area of the upscale Aria resort-casino. The shooting caused a fiery crash that left three people dead.  Harris allegedly used a black Range Rover SUV as a getaway car. The shooting caused a six-vehicle chain-reaction on the neon-lit boulevard near the Bally's, Bellagio, Caesars Palace, and Flamingo resorts.

Kenneth Wayne Cherry Jr., the shooting victim, was driving a gray Maserati when he was shot to death.  Two occupants of a taxi (driver Michael Boldon and passenger Sandra Sutton-Wasmund, of Maple Valley, Wash.,) died in the ensuing six vehicle crash. A passenger in the Maserati was wounded in the arm and four people from four other vehicles had minor injuries. A passenger in Cherry's Maserati is cooperating with investigators. Cherry's Las Vegas lawyers Vicki Greco and Robert Beckett.  Cherry had no criminal cases or convictions or record of arrests in Las Vegas.

Whether Cherry would have become a star will never be known. The reason for the argument for Harris may also never be known.  But such is the way of the mystic shroud that seems to mask the reality of the Vegas night life.

Update 2-28-13:  One suspect but no arrests in the Las Vegas Strip led to the death of three people. Police continue to search for Ammar Harris, the man accused of shooting Cherry and causing a deadly chain reaction. Despite seeing mugshots of Harris on billboards, neither Harris or the black Range Rover Harris was in have been found. Yenesis Alfonso aka Teenisha Howard of Miami is not a person of interest. Howard who apparently was in the Range Rover has cooperated with authorities. Is Harris hiding with friends?  Is he in Mexico?  No matter, authorities will find him and give him a fair trial. If you have information, contact Las Vegas Police.
(All suspects are presumed innocent unless otherwise proven in a court of law. Harris is considered armed and dangerous.  Do not attempt to apprehend him yourself.)

Russia Claims the Sky is Falling?

The sky is falling.  Or at least that is what citizens of Chelyabinsk, Russia, must have thought when a metorite plunged into a nearby lake. (See photo courtesy of Mosco Times.)The meteor entered Earth’s atmosphere Friday morning over north Kazakhstan. It traveled over the vast territory of Russia before exploding over the Ural Mountains. It was about 55 feet wide with a weight of about 10,000 tons,  Scientists have established the composition of pieces of the meteor that exploded over the Chelyabinsk as "dark porous material."  The samples were without doubt meteorites, Viktor Grokhovsky, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences commented.

"We ...can now say that the object was a regular chondrite, which contained at least 10% metallic iron and nickel alloy as well as shrysolite and sulfite,” said Grokhovsky.   There is a 24-foot-long hole in the thick ice on the lake where the meteor apparently fell into the lake. Divers have yet to find anything they thought might be a piece of the meteor.

Scientists are planning on naming the meteorite Chebarkul.  The blast was estimated at 500 kilotons, the equivalent of several nuclear bombs. Shock waves damaged thousands of homes and buildings. Hundreds were injured. A 150-foot-wide asteroid named 2012 DA 14 came within 17,200 miles from Earth within hours of the meteor event. However, the asteroid had a trajectory different from the Chelyabinsk meteor, and thus scientists believe the two meteors are unrelated.
Scientists believe that if the meteor had fallen or exploded at a lower altitude above one of the numerous military or nuclear facilities near Chelyabinsk, the consequences would have been catastrophic.  In light of this incident, does the world need a global warning and protection system or would that just be labelled as a "Chicken Little idea?"

Before we jump to conclusions, check out this video of two folks from Utah who claim to have seen this object in the sky over the U.S. at the same time: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/23/ufo-captured-on-video-ove_n_2744031.html.



Life of a Star is not Much Better Than that of a Meteor!
Country music star Mindy McCready, apparently took her own life.  The 37-year-old was found dead in Heber Springs, Ark. Neighbors heard gunshots at her home.  Mindy apparently shot her dog and then herself. Yet another fallen star who hopefully can find peace.

Ex Hero Blade Runner Falling Faster Than A Meteor...

  Oscar Pistorius' beautiful girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, is dead.  The family of the slain model and reality The family of the slain model and reality  actress appear to be pointing fingers. Pistorius remains in custody after formally being charged with one count of murder.  According to The Times in South Africa, June Steenkamp, the victim's mother, questioned, "why did he do this?"  Did steroids and alcohol allegedly found at Pistorius’s home play any role in the model's death?  Pistorius is unlikely to answer this question any time soon as he is appearing today for a hearing on bail.  
Blaming this death on "roid rage" would appear all to convenient. Steenkamp was shot four times and a 9 mm pistol.  The City Press also reported that a bloody cricket bat was found at the home of the double-amputee Olympic runner.  Of course, all reports are unconfirmed and all persons of interest are to be presumed innocent. 

Christopher Dorner Needed A Good Lawyer, Not a Gun

Profile of a cop killer? Christopher Dorner, a former Los Angeles police officer pictured here courtesy of A.P., is suspected in three killings.  At first glance, Dorner does not seem to fit the profile of a mass murderer. Dorner served in the Navy where he earned distinction as a rifle marksman ribbon and a pistol medalist. In the navy, he was assigned to a naval undersea warfare unit and received aviation training.  Dorner took leave from the LAPD for a six-month navy deployment to Bahrain in 2006 and 2007.  Dorner claimed he was a dedicated law enforcement officer who loved his job.   Yet Dorner was terminated from the force after a bitter hearing. 

Post termination Dorner allegedly vowed revenge against several former LAPD colleagues whom he blames unfairly ended his career. Dorner allegedly posted on the internet that he would use "every bit of small arms training, demolition, ordnance and survival training I've been given" to bring "warfare" to the LAPD and its families.February 1st was Dorner's last day with the Navy.  CNN's Anderson Cooper received a package that same day with a note allegedly written by Dorner.  The note read, "I never lied." A bullet hole ridden coin that former Chief William Bratton had given out was included with the note.

On Feb. 3, Dorner allegedly shot and killed a couple in a parking garage in Irvine. The woman was the daughter of a retired police captain who had represented Dorner in the disciplinary proceedings that
ended in his termination. (Dorner allegedly wrote that he believed William Bratton, the retired captain, had represented the interests of the department instead of Dorner's interests during the hearing.)  Hours after authorities identified Dorner as a suspect, police accused Dorner of also wounding an LAPD officer in Corona and subsequently ambushing two Riverside police officers.  One Riverside officer died and the other was seriously wounded. (The slain officer, Michael Crain, was an 11-year department veteran of the Riverside Police Department. He was a father and a former Marine who under no circumstances deserved to die.) 


So after three deaths and two injuries, authorities on Sunday announced a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest.  LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said, "This search is not a matter of if, but a matter of when.  I want Chris Dorner to know that.”

The possible sighting of Dorner in Northridge, California apparently was a mistaken identity.  However, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck continued to urge the public to submit any leads to authorities.   to decrease the chances of Dorner making another possible attack. Meanwhile, authorities appear to be narrowing in on Dorner.  Camping gear was found along with weapons inside Dorner's burned-out pickup truck. The vehicle found near Big Bear Lake was so charred that investigators couldn't be any more specific about its contents. Dorner may have also called the father of the woman believed to have been killed by Dorner last week. It is still unclear whether the call was made by the 33-year-old Dorner or by someone posing as him. Furthermore, Dorner claims his lawenforcement career was sabotaged by racist fellow officers. Consequently, every lead and every allegation needs to be examined independently.

Chief Beck said officials would re-examine the allegations by Dorner that his law enforcement career was undone by racist colleagues. Beck promised to listen to Dorner if he surrenders; however, Beck promised an independent review of Dorner's 2007 case because he takes "the allegation of racism" seriously. Beck said, "I do this not to appease a murderer. I do it to reassure the public that their police department is transparent and fair in all the things we do." In the mean time, the three killings and threats have led to 24 hour protection for 50 families.  Capt. Phil Tingirides chaired the board that terminated Dorne's law enforcement career. He publicly criticized Dorner's actions and stated, "From what I've seen of (Dorner's) actions, he feels he can make allegations for injustice and justify killing people and that's not reasonable... The end never justifies the means."

A recent surveillance video showed Dorner tossing items into a Dumpster behind an auto parts store in National City. A store employee allegedly found a magazine full of bullets, a military belt and a military helmet. Majid Yahyai and his employee turned the items over to the police. On Friday, a warrant was served at a house belonging to Dorner's mother. Officers collected 10 bags of evidence.

The eventual capture of Dorner is inevitable.  Unfortunately, even if he was wrongfully discharged, the remedy was an appeal or a civil lawsuit.  The remedy was never violence.

Update 2-14-13:  By now the news is out that Dorner is believed to be dead. Apparently Karen and James Reynolds were the two people held hostage Tuesday by former Los Angles police officer Christopher Jordan Dorner.  According to Southern Califronia Public Radio, the Reynolds own the vacation property near the Big Bear mountain resort where they were detained by Dorner. Dorner had apparently been hiding in the unit for several days.  When they discovered Dorner, they were calmly bound and gagged. According to NBC4 Los Angeles, "Karen said she tried to run away when she recognized the man matching Dorner's description. With his gun drawn, the man yelled at the pair to stay calm... Karen said the man was 'very, very calm' as he 'very methodically' bound her and her husband's hands and legs, pulled pillowcases over their heads and stuffed towels in their mouths."

Dorner apparently left in the couple's car. When the couple were able to free themselves, Karen called police. Later that night a shootout in a different mountain home resulted in the death of a sheriff's deputy and the death of Dorner.  (Dorner's charred corpse will need to be conclusively identified by DNA.) Dorner is suspected of killing four people, two of them police officers.  The fire at the home where Dorner was holed up was not set on purpose. "We did not intentionally burn down that cabin to get Mr. Dorner out... deputies lobbed pyrotechnic tear gas into the cabin, and it erupted in flames," reported the AP.
 
All suspects are presumed innocent until otherwise proven in a court of law!

Open Letter to Jim Dykes!

End it now or we're coming after you our self.  That's the message we want 65 year-old Jim Dykes to hear and understand.  Six days of this bull crap is too much.  In Midland City, Alabama, they have a problem and unfortunately, it is rapidly becoming all our problem.  For six days a gunman has held a five year-old boy hostage after he killed Charles Albert Poland Jr., a 66 year-old school bus driver.  He is holding the child in an underground bunker and for most of us, our patience is running out.

The kindergartner has Asperger's syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and when Dykes chose to keep him as hostage, he enraged a whole lot of folks.  Folks he ought not want to cross.  Officers have sent food, medicine and other items into the bunker and apparently the boy is doing OK.  But enough is enough. Charles Poland was a hero.  He died saving the life of the other children on the bus.  Dykes, he is no hero.  He is a chicken who hides in an underground bunker with a sick child.  Come out Dykes and face your problems like a man.

The candlelight vigils and the media frenzy only feed the minds of sick criminals like Dykes and those similarly in need of attention.  End it now.  Put a media blackout on Midland City and all of these crazy attention seeking lunatics. We have swat teams, we have gas, we have drones and we even have special forces.  Bin Ladin didn't get away, and there is no way in God's green earth that Dykes should have been allowed to carry on this masquerade for six days. At some point, the message needs to be sent that these attention seekers will be met with overwhelming force. That time is now.  Dykes,  are you listening?