Probe into drug mafia will cover coastal districts: DGP Praveen Sood
Mangaluru: The ongoing investigation into the drug dealings by a mafia gang in the state will not be confined to Bengaluru and will be extended to coastal districts, Karnataka Director General of Police Praveen Sood said on Tuesday.
Addressing reporters at Udupi after a meeting on drug menace at the office of the police superintendent, he said the probe is also covering districts including Belagavi, Hubballi and Chitradurga.
Sood said the state will be adopting a zero tolerance in drug-related cases. The probe conducted in Bengaluru pointed to links of the mafia in other parts of the state. Police officials have been instructed to take stringent action against drug abuse cases, he said.
On the link between celebrities and the drug mafia, he said the Bengaluru police is handling the case well.
The probe is being conducted on the strict instructions of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and the government has given the police a free hand to the police to deal with the drug mafia, he said. He said besides Bengaluru, Mangaluru is also turning out to be a hub for drug peddling.
The toll number 112 will be introduced in district headquarters for people to provide information in case of any grievance relating to drugs, Sood said.
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8 children between ages of 1 and 14 dead after mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
Shreveport(US) (AP): A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in shootings at two different homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting in more than two years, police in Shreveport said.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were shot and some of the children were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.
The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.
Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male. The shootings were the result of a “domestic disturbance,” Bordelon said.
Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It's a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken. “We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” he added.
