Category: CNN Regional

By Carrie Hodgin

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    WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WXII) — The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and the Forsyth District Attorney released new details Thursday after the deadly fight that occurred Tuesday at North Forsyth High School involving two students.

Forsyth District Attorney Jim O’Neill said there’s “No probable cause” to charge the student who survived the fight. “No probable cause whatsoever to charge the student with assault, homicide, or manslaughter,” O’Neill said. “At the end of the day, this is a terrible accident.”

Lt. JD Sloan with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said an SRO responded to the stabbing on Dec. 9 at the high school. He said first responders attempted lifesaving measures, but 16-year-old Cameron Graham died at the school. The other student was sent to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Sloan said detectives interviewed dozens of witnesses and reviewed surveillance footage and cell phone videos. He said the fight started in a bathroom in the school over a vape pen. He said Graham took out a knife, resulting in the other student sustaining injuries to his hands. He said Graham suffered a fatal stab wound to his chest.

O’Neill said both students knew each other very well.

“They rode the school bus together and had a conversation that morning; they were friends,” he said. “Which makes this even more of a tragedy.”

O’Neill said the “video only represents a snippet.” He also spoke more about the moments after Graham was stabbed as the other student tried to help his friend. “The 18-year-old, seeing that his friend was lying on the ground stabbed, tried to render aid and pack the wound, and put pressure on it.”

He also said the student who survived was interviewed during his recovery.

“I can tell you that he cried and cried after he learned his friend was dead,” O’Neill said.

“Our 18-year-old also under law had the right to use self-defense,” O’Neill said. “When the knife was produced, he tried to wrestle it away.”

O’Neill said the surviving student is now being “subjected to threats, which, based on this investigation and the truth, it is totally inappropriate what happened at North Forsyth this week was an accident, unintentional,” he said. “I promise you now we will not tolerate any acts of retaliation or revenge.” He said that comes with the backing of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and the Winston-Salem Police Department.

“You take that step and threaten this man or his family, there will be consequences. We will protect the school, students, and in this case, the 18-year-old after the loss of his friend. No revenge. No retaliation. There’s no probable cause in this case,” O’Neill said.

“If the thought process is to retaliate, pick another,” Winston-Salem Police Department Chief William Penn Jr. said.

“There are some things that need to be fixed,” Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough Jr. said as the school’s metal detectors weren’t used that day. “We want administrators to be administrators, not security experts.”

“Regardless of how we got there, all of those things are contributing factors,” Kimbrough said. “At some point, as adults, we share the blame in this. We do. But as a community, it starts with safe community.”

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools’ new superintendent, Dr. Don Phipps, said he wants to look at the protocol and procedure of what needs to be done. “Do we have the resources we need to have?”

While reflecting on the tragedy, he said, “We feel the pain. This is an educator’s nightmare. Things that keep me up at night – it’s about safety,” Phipps said. “The metal detectors are important, but it’s one layer of protection.”

He referenced the need for more community involvement to help stop more violence.

“There needs to be outreach. Church and city groups to break the cycle of violence. Weapons came from somewhere,” he said.

Phipps said North Forsyth High students and staff will return to class on Friday, and there will be resources for those who need them.

“Let’s not let this be lost. All of us need to wrap our arms around North Forsyth, every teacher, student and staff,” Penn said. “We need to be better than this. We need to take back control. Take back our community.”

CAMERON GRAHAM’S FAMILY RELEASES STATEMENT Cameron Graham’s family has released the following statement in response the decision not to charge the other student.

“We have been made aware of Sheriff Kimbrough and the police department’s decision. We the family of Cameron Graham, will be seeking legal counsel to assist with this investigation. We have lost two family members tragically, one shot ten times in the back, and now a fatal stabbing, and have received no justice. We are asking that any legal entities that are willing to help look further into these investigations will come forward to help the family at this time,” Graham’s aunt, Charlita Summers said.

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By Jon Schoenheider

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    New Hampshire (WMUR) — A man found guilty of murdering the mother of his children and setting off an Amber Alert when he drove off with the children was sentenced Thursday to 45 years to life in prison.

Duren was convicted in October in the shooting death of 31-year-old Caitlyn Naffziger. It took the jury about three hours to find him guilty of second-degree murder, reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, and child endangerment.

Prosecutors said in February of 2024, Duren killed Naffziger at his apartment in Berlin when she refused to leave. They said Duren shot the victim in the head while she was sitting on his couch. Duren then took off with their two children, prompting the Amber Alert. The kids, who were ages 1 and 4 at the time, were later found safe in Keene.

During his trial, Duren claimed Naffziger was demanding money that he did not have and threatened to report him for kidnapping if he did not pay. The defense said Duren believed he was protecting his children from their mother when he pulled the trigger.

Prosecutors argued that the case was about anger and control.

The sentencing hearing lasted hours as the judge heard impact statements from several witnesses on both sides of the case.

“Because of one person’s choice, her daughters must grow up without their mother,” said Shannon Spurgeon, Naffziger’s aunt.

Duren also addressed the courtroom, apologizing to Naffziger’s family and his own, including his children.

“There is no greater pain in this world than that of losing a child,” Duren said. “I grieve for you. I grieve with you. I’m sorry.”

Close to a dozen members of Nafziger’s family and friends shared how much her loss has changed their lives. Her mother, Lori Smith, described the days and weeks after the shooting, as well as her daughter’s funeral.

“I stood near here, looked at her face, crying and shaking, and I told her, ‘Goodbye my girl,'” Smith said. “My heart was breaking again, and I could barely breathe. Then, I left her behind.”

In sentencing Duren to 45 years to life in prison, the judge said he was agreeing with the prosecution’s sentencing request. Duren was also ordered to pay more than $12,000 in restitution.

Naffziger’s sister-in-law said she is raising the two girls, something that friends and relatives said Naffziger had requested.

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By Jonah Gilmore

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    KENNER, La. (WDSU) — A viral video showing two young males being detained by federal agents in Kenner is sending shockwaves through Jefferson Parish and intensifying fears already gripping immigrant families as school attendance plummets across the district.

The witness who recorded the encounter, Mimi Spiehler, said the individuals looked like teenagers and appeared to be wearing Bonnabel High School uniforms.

While WDSU has not confirmed whether they were students, the timing has deepened concerns. Absences among Hispanic students in some Jefferson Parish schools have surged to as high as 40% in recent weeks.

Community members say this video explains exactly why.

“I cannot imagine how these people feel and how scared they are, ” Spiehler said.

She described the moment federal agents detained the pair as terrifying, not just for those taken into custody, but for anyone watching.

“I was shaking. I couldn’t stop shaking for hours. You hear about it, but when you actually see it,” Spiehler said.

Immigration attorney Paula Ferreira said that federal agents can detain minors, a fact many families are only now learning.

“Technically, a minor child can be detained. There are safeguards, but it does happen,” Ferreira said.

Those safeguards, however, may do little to reassure undocumented parents who face a painful dilemma: come forward for a detained child and risk being detained themselves.

“If the parents are undocumented and appear for their child, they could likely be detained and possibly removed,” Ferreira said.

Advocates say the current climate is pushing families into hiding and keeping students out of classrooms, a ripple effect that, they warn, will have long-term consequences for the parish.

“It’s a travesty,” Spiehler said.

Kenner police confirmed they assisted federal agents with transport during the incident, but said they could not verify whether the individuals detained were students.

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By Kelby Wingert

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — A Des Moines man accused of hiding cameras in porta-potties now faces federal charges after a grand jury returned a 19-count indictment against him, according to court documents.

Tyler Pavlick, 32, was already facing 88 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and invasion of privacy in state court.

Now, he faces charges of sexual exploitation of a child and child pornography in federal court.

Law enforcement said Pavlick placed cameras in porta-potties at a public event in Des Moines and a high school track meet in State Center.

Police said there could be dozens of victims in the case.

Pavlick still faces multiple charges in state court.

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By Chris Oswalt

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    JACKSON, Miss. (WAPT) — A Jackson woman is gaining attention online after helping a group of peace advocates traveling on foot across the country.

TikTok user Ray Ray shared that she met members of the Walk for Peace pilgrimage as they passed through the metro this week. She says she handed out bags filled with water, bananas, crackers and other snacks to help keep the monks energized on their long journey from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C.

The group stopped at the Mississippi State Capitol on Thursday, where they continued their message of unity and resilience. They are resting Thursday night in Pelahatchie before continuing east across Mississippi.

According to Walk for Peace organizers, Day 48 of their journey includes travel toward Morton and Forest along U.S. 80. Supporters can meet them during two scheduled public visiting windows: the lunch stop from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at coordinates 32°21’12.0”N 89°38’41.6”W, and the overnight rest from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at coordinates 32°21’38.8”N 89°26’33.5”W.

Organizers say they are grateful for the warm welcome in Mississippi and encourage anyone interested to check their live map in the pinned post on their social media page for updated stop locations.

“May you and all beings be happy and at peace,” the group wrote in Thursday’s update.

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By Jon Chrisos

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    WELLS, Maine (WMTW) — Maine health officials were able to locate a person who touched a rabid raccoon in Wells after the animal tested positive for the virus this week.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the animal was reported acting strangely near Sanford Road and Evergreen Drive on Monday, Dec. 8.

Someone reportedly tried to move the raccoon out of the road before police collected it. Tests later confirmed the raccoon was infected with rabies.

The Wells Police Department told Maine’s Total Coverage the person who moved the raccoon has been found and is receiving treatment.

Rabies is rare but almost always deadly once symptoms appear, making quick medical evaluation essential for anyone who may have had direct contact with the animal, officials said.

The virus spreads through bites or scratches from infected animals, and it can also be transmitted if infected saliva comes into contact with an open wound.

Health officials continue to remind people not to approach or feed wildlife and to keep garbage and pet food secured.

Pet owners are encouraged to maintain current rabies vaccinations, and anyone who suffers an animal bite or scratch should wash the wound thoroughly and seek medical advice.

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By Justin Schecker, LeeAnn Huntoon

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    PALM BAY, Fla. (WESH) — Robin Pisciotta was driving through the 1400 block of Norbert Road in Palm Bay when she noticed a child near a police officer searching through a suspicious bag on Thursday.

“That’s when the kid explained to me that a bag of rifles had been thrown out of a vehicle, so I pulled out my phone and started recording,” Pisciotta said.

She said the bag was black and orange and it was very large. By the time she had gotten there, it looked like the cop was sifting through ammo boxes.

Palm Bay police confirmed they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the bag of guns left on the side of the road.

Pisciotta expressed her concern, saying, “When they told me it was a bag of rifles, guns, and ammo at first I was like, ‘Woah, woah, woah — that is so dangerous there’s tons of kids that play around here all day long and my next thought was that there’s probably a lot more to it because people wouldn’t just throw out a bag of rifles on the side of the road those are very valuable.”

Pisciotta mentioned that her son was in the car with her as she recorded the video.

“Him and the other kid were like they could have been loaded, any kid could have picked those up, like how dangerous that was,” she said.

Now that police have secured the guns and ammo, Pisciotta hopes detectives can piece together how this happened and find out who did it.

“I thought that was so crazy. This is a regular, nice neighborhood. You don’t see any crime or any weird things happening around here; it was just very shocking, especially with so many kids around,” she said.

Crimeline Crimeline’s mission is to increase the safety of the Central Florida community by assisting law enforcement agencies in removing undesirable individuals from the community, according to its mission statement.

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