Oregon mall gunman kills 2, then himself

Onlookers gather outside the Clackamas Town Center mall, near Portland, Ore., where the shooting occurred. (Bruce Ely / Oregonian / December 12, 2012)

A masked gunman stormed into a crowded Portland, Ore.-area mall Tuesday, shouting, "I am the shooter!" and opened fire, killing two people and seriously injuring a third before killing himself, authorities and a witness said.

Christmas music was playing in the Clackamas Town Center when gunfire erupted, one witness told local media. Another said the mall Santa had to drop to the floor to take cover. More than 10,000 shoppers were in the 185-store mall at the time, officials said.

Some witnesses said the gunman used a rifle, but authorities did not confirm what kind of firearm was used or whether the assailant had more than one. Responding officers fired no shots, authorities said.

At a Tuesday night news conference, Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts described the injured victim as "a young lady at the hospital fighting for her life right now."

"The mall's supposed to be a place where we can all take our families.… These things aren't supposed to happen," Roberts said.

Austin Patty, 20, a Macy's employee at the mall, said the gunman wore a white mask and body armor as he ran through the store and into the mall's central court carrying a rifle.

"He was trying get to the mall to do a mall massacre," Patty said. "It didn't seem like he wanted anything to do with" the department store.

Before the gunman finished saying, "I am the shooter," Patty said, "the shots took over."

Officials believe the gunman acted alone. A sheriff's spokesman said Tuesday night that authorities were still trying to confirm his identity. No victims' names were released.

Alina Pavlenko, 16, was working at Fabulicious Cupcakes on the mall's second floor when she heard shots. At first, she said, she thought it might be firecrackers. Then she saw a man in a mask, walking slowly and firing a rifle at random.

"And he looked my way and he shot toward me, and then I realized it wasn't a joke," she said, her voice still shaky hours later.

She ducked behind a chair, the teenager said, then bolted out of the mall.

"I kept running out and I kept hearing gunshots over and again," she said. As she fled, she saw a woman lying on the ground.

More than three hours after the 3:30 shooting, authorities were still clearing the mall, which encompasses more than a million square feet and includes Nordstrom, JCPenney, Sears and 20 theaters.

Customers and employees who couldn't get out took shelter throughout the mall, which police were evacuating room by room.

Nicole Mason, 18, of Vancouver, Wash., said she was in the Things Remembered store next to Macy's on the lower level of the two-story mall when she heard a loud shot outside the store.

"We heard a really loud bang, and at first it sounded like something had dropped or something had shattered," Mason said. "About 15 seconds after that first shot, it was bang, bang, bang. At least 20 shots were fired."

Seth Benson, 20, of Camas, Wash., was with her. When Mason dropped to the floor, he jumped on top of her.

"All I'm thinking is, 'Comfort her,' so I laid on top of her and told her it was all going to be OK,"

The Things Remembered manager told shoppers to head for a back door behind the register, shouting, "Go!" the witnesses said.

Benson said he helped a man with a prosthetic leg get up off the floor as he was being trampled. They reached the chaotic parking lot within 45 seconds, Benson and Mason said.

Shaun Wik, 20, said he and his girlfriend were taking a break from Christmas shopping in the food court. He had just opened a fortune cookie that said, "Live for today, remember yesterday, think of tomorrow."

As he read it, he told the Associated Press, he heard three shots. Wik and his girlfriend fled as seven or eight more shots rang out.

"If I had looked back, I might not be standing here," he said.

Youssef Ibrahim, 26, of Milwaukie, Ore., said he heard the shots as he was about to take an escalator down toward Macy's from the second level.

"As soon as I heard the gunfire, I turned around and started running," Ibrahim said. "Some people saw me running and just started running. ... Panic, pandemonium, people running; I ran for my life. Literally, my wallet fell out. Thank God I have my phone on me."

No one was safe — not even Santa.

Bob Schwab, a World War II veteran, told the Oregonian that he was "by Santa Claus in front of Macy's and we heard, 'pow, pow, pow.' People screamed and ran. I saw Santa drop to the floor" to take cover, he said.

The mall Santa, Brance Wilson, confirmed that but offered a comforting note to his young fans.

"Santa will be back," he said. "It's not going to keep Santa away from the mall."

What's so special about Iyanya?

Iyanya has been in the news lately with controversial actress Tonto Dikeh and Ghanaian Actress Yvonne Nelson.....I don't see anything special about this young man and even his abs I don't see anything special about that too....so why are girls dying/tripping for this dude? I am trying to understand it because if it's the money I don't think he's the richest artist in Nigeria so please can someone tell me why girls are killing themselves over this dude maybe I can start tripping too....lol 

Jenni Rivera Killed in Plane Crash

Singer Jenni Rivera was killed in a plane crash shortly after takeoff early Sunday.

Mexican authorities confirmed Sunday evening that the wreckage of the small plane had been found in Nuevo Leon state, and there were no survivors among the seven people believed to be on board.

The Learjet carrying the 43-year-old performer lost contact with air traffic controllers after it took off from Monterrey, Mexico, at 3:15 a.m. following Rivera's concert there. Contact was lost about 60 miles away, Mexico's transportation ministry said in a statement. It was scheduled to arrive in Toluca, outside Mexico City, before sunrise.

Rivera, a native of Long Beach, Calif., was known as the Diva of Banda with over 20 million albums sold worldwide and recently named one of People En Español's 25 most powerful women.

She was also the star of I Love Jenni, a reality show that aired on Telemundo's mun2 documenting the singer's jet-set life as an entertainer and mother of five children. It also featured her publicist, lawyer and makeup artist, who were all on the plane with her.

Earlier this month, ABC tapped Rivera to star in her own show. The self-titled comedy, Jenni, would feature her as a strong, middle-class, single Latina woman working to raise a family using unique parenting skills, reported Deadline.

Bishop Oyedepo Reacts “We Did Not Build Covenant University From Tithes And Offerings”

He said,”the last time Church paid my salary was December 1987, nobody heard it, not even the Ministers in the church until 1997 and church members didn’t hear this until 2007″.

Again he said: “In January of 1988, my wife asked me of money for feeding and I told her I had give my salary to God, and that was the last time she ever had to ask for feeding til date” He again queried whether anybody has ever been approached by him for any form of financial assistance?

He also shocked the people accusing him and church of using poor people’s money to build universities that themselves can’t afford to send their kid when he said; “Covenant university was built within 7 months without any collection of any one naira tithes and offerings or donation of any kind from anywhere”

My question to you then is where did the money come from to build the University?  because I know God did not miraculously send money down from Heaven for you to build the University.

Jacintha Saldanha, Nurse duped by prank phone call about Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

British nurse Jacintha Saldanha found dead in suspected suicide two days after she was tricked into revealing condition information about pregnant Kate Middleton to Australian shock jocks.

Police officers walked outside King Edward VII Hospital on Friday, a day after Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, was discharged

Saldanha's lifeless body was found the same week she accidentally put prank callers Mel Greig and Michael Christian through to another nurse, who divulged private information about the Duchess of Cambridge. The prank call to the King Edward VII’s Hospital employee infuriated Buckingham Palace and led to taunting tweets from DJs that brag about the trick.

One of the hospital nurses punked by two prank-calling shock jocks into divulging details about Kate Middleton’s pregnancy — igniting fury in the Buckingham Palace — is dead after a suspected suicide. 


Jacintha Saldanha's body was found Friday morning just yards away from King Edward VII Hospital, where the Duchess of Cambridge was recently treated for extreme morning sickness, British media reported.


The married mother of two was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities are investigating how Saldanha died, but at least one source suggested suicide. 

 Her death comes two days after a hoax in which she was duped into revealing personal details about Kate’s hospital stay by Australian radio hosts Mel Greig and Michael Christian. Greig, pretending to be Prince Charles, and Christian, posing as Queen Elizabeth, called the private London hospital inquiring about Kate. Fooled by their accents, the receptionist transferred the tricksters to another nurse, who divulged that the mom-to-be was “stable at the moment” after “retching” from a nasty case of hyperemesis gravidarum.

Mel Greig and Michael Christian, right, from Sydney's 2Day FM duped staffers at Kate Middleton's hospital using hackneyed impressions of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles.

The stunt was heard worldwide and Kate’s family was reportedly infuriated by the “shocking breach of security.”

Before news of Saldanha’s death, at least one royal saw humor in the prank — Prince Charles.

“How do you know I’m not a radio station?” he joked to reporters who asked him about the Duchess’ pregnancy.

The prince went on to say he’s “thrilled” to be expecting a grandchild. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are "deeply saddened" by Saldanha's death, they said in a statement to BBC News. After boasting about the prank on Twitter, accounts for Greig and Christian, hosts of the 2 Day FM show in Sydney, have since been deleted.

The radio station has not yet returned the Daily News’ request for comment.

The hospital said its “telephone protocols are now being reviewed.” On Friday, hospital officials held a press conference, where the chief executive John Lofthouse described Saldanha as a "first-class nurse" and a "much-loved and valued colleague." “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies at this time are with her family and friends," Lofthouse said. "Everyone is shocked by the loss of a much loved and valued colleague.”

Kate Middleton was released from the hospital Thursday. A day later a nurse who was duped into helping to reveal information about the Duchess' condition was found dead in a suspected suicide

The hospital also released a statement.

"It is with very deep sadness that we confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, Jacintha Saldanha," the statement read. "Jacintha has worked at the King Edward VII’s Hospital for more than four years. She was an excellent nurse and well-respected and popular with all of her colleagues.

"We can confirm that Jacintha was recently the victim of a hoax call to the hospital. The hospital had been supporting her throughout this difficult time."

Rapper Rick Ross Cancels North Carolina Concert Dates Following Death Threats

Rick Ross' album may be titled God Forgives, I Don't, but it looks like he's found another group of guys that aren't quick to forgive, either. After an ongoing beef with a group that call themselves the Gangster Disciples and a recent death threat video from the North Carolina chapter, Ricky Rozay and the Maybach Music Group have reportedly pulled their concerts that were scheduled in the Tar Heel State this weekend.The MMG concert tour, headlining Ross and featuring Wale and Meek Mill, was supposed to make a stop in Greensboro on Friday, and the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte on Saturday. Tickets will be refunded starting Friday, the Live Nation Entertainment group said in a statement. The rapper started having problems with GD after he mentioned their imprisoned leader, Larry Hoover, on his track "BMF." Additionally, Ross put his face on the 6 point star for his Bar Mitzvah mixtape, which is a symbol the Gangster Disciples use."We pressing up on you, the whole Maybach," the Georgia chapter said in a video from October. "We ain't going to release this pressure on you until you release this check, Maybach, Meek Mill, everybody G. Nothing personal, but tell your boss man he got to get that check 'cause y'all in trouble."


Rick Ross' camp was not immediately available for comment.

Did Iyanya agreed to dumping Yvonne Nelson?

A fan tweeted "you must be a fool for dumping Yvonne for Tonto...Omugbo yo nii?? Yh. It's that painful!" The singer replied "thanks"

Does it mean he's accepting that he dumped Yvonne?