Mall Bomb Plot Found Unrelated to Columbine

There was an attempted bombing in Littleton, Colorado at a shopping mall located only two miles away from Columbine High School, the infamous site of the shootings back in 1999. The bombs were found after there was a fire in the mall and everyone was evacuated. Luckily, no one was hurt. After the fire, authorities found a pipe bomb and two propane tanks in a hallway of the food court. They were worried that the attempted bombing was intended to coincide with the anniversary of the shooting at Columbine 12 years earlier. The FBI discovered the motive but won't release any more information. However, Moore has an extensive criminal history and is still on the run. He was also recently released from prison.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42745214/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

I think that it seems a little ridiculous for officials to make the connection between this bombing and Columbine and then realize how the dates correlate and then assume that the bomb plot was on that day for a reason. I think this suspect is really dumb to have been released early out of prison and then hardly a week later, go and cause more chaos that will surely put him in prison for a much longer period of time. If he's that dumb to do something like this, he probably won't be able to hide from the FBI for very long. We've just gotta hope that he's caught before he does anything or anyone else any harm!




Earl Albert Moore, the suspect in the attempted bombing



Dying for the Sake of Information

Two well-known and prestigious photo-journalists were killed Wednesday morning while covering fighting taking place in Misrata, a city in Libya. The circumstances surrounding the incident were unclear, but it is believed that one was killed by a rocket- propelled grenade. Tim Hetherington was nominated for an Oscar and has won the Sundance Festival's top documentary award for his work "Restrepo." His current project focused on humanitarian efforts during times of such conflict and war. Chris Hondros, the other award-winning photojournalist died covering the wars in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Mohamed Abdel Dayem,  program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists in the Middle East and North Africa, said a total of 14 journalists have been killed worldwide this year. Ten of those deaths have been in North Africa and the Middle East. In regards to the deaths, the White House said, "Journalists across the globe risk their lives each day to keep us informed, demand accountability from world leaders, and give a voice to those who would not otherwise be heard, the Libyan government and all governments across the world must take steps to protect journalists doing this vital work." 
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42682853/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/



Chris Hondros (left) and Tim Hetherington (right)

Sadly, these two men are not the only innocent people who have been killed over in the war- torn areas of the Middle East and North Africa. My very first skeptical thoughts were that these two were maybe getting more hype since they're famous and well- known. However, these are the type of people who really deserve to be recognized because they are the one working hard and risking their lives to inform us as realistically and accurately as they can. I was impressed at their accomplishments while I was reading the article, and then I remembered again that these two are gone now, and a whole new sense of sadness hit me. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I'm so sick of violence and war!! How much more can we take??

Mom Dies with her Three Children After Driving into a River



A teddy bear with a cross on it lies on the ramp where the woman drove into the river





LaShanda Armstrong, a 25 year old woman, drove her minivan with her four children in it into New York's Hudson River, killing herself and three of her children. LaShaun Armstrong, a 10-year-old and the eldest managed to escape through the window and then hitched a ride to the Newburgh Fire Department. The deceases children were of the ages 5, 2, and 11 months. The firefighters and police officers responded and divers searched the murky water for about an hour. They found in 25 yards from shore in 8 feet of water. LaShanda was described as a very good mom and the kids all seemed to have gotten along. Newburgh, a town about 60 miles north of New York City, takes pride in its strength as a group. They know that they can pull together during this tragedy and help each other heal the empty space.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42564046/ns/us_news-life/



Rescue workers search for the minivan in the Hudson River

Any story that involves the early death of people is deeply saddening and disturbing. LaShanda Armstrong was only 25, her life had barely gotten started! This was even more so the case for her four children! They were all so young, it's so tragic that only one survived. I can't even begin to imagine what Lashaun must be feeling right now! Maybe it will hit him even more as he grows and matures, that his mother tried to kill him, and succeeded in killing herself and his three half-siblings. He's probably still in shock, as everyone else seems to be too. Thank goodness this story wasn't complicated by the passer-by who brought Lashaun to the fire department. If they had been untrustworthy and ended up kidnapping him, this case would still be unsolved and the young family would be reported as missing for who knows how long.