Texas driver charged with manslaughter after fatal bus stop crash
A Texas man accused of mowing down a group of pedestrians at a bus stop killing eight people near a shelter for migrants and the homeless has been charged with manslaughter, police said.
Authorities believe driver George Alvarez, 34, lost control after running a red light on Sunday morning and ploughed into a crowd of Venezuelans near the Ozanam Centre in Brownsville.
Authorities were still investigating whether the crash, which happened at around 8.30am local time, was intentional.
Brownsville police chief Felix Sauceda said six people died on the scene and 12 people were critically injured. Officials said the death toll later rose to eight.
At a news conference on Monday morning, he said the SUV jumped a red light, lost control, flipped on its side and struck 18 people.
Alvarez, of Brownsville, has been charged with eight counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Mr Sauceda said Alvarez allegedly tried to flee, but was held down by several people on the scene.
He added that officials are awaiting toxicology reports to determine whether Alvarez was intoxicated. He received bonds totalling $3.6m.
Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, said victims struck by the vehicle were waiting for the bus to return to downtown Brownsville after spending the night at the overnight shelter.
Most of the victims were Venezuelan men, Ozanam Center shelter director Victor Maldonado said.
Brownsville has seen a surge of Venezuelan migrants over the last two weeks for unclear reasons, authorities said.
The Ozanam shelter is the only overnight shelter in the city of Brownsville and manages the release of thousands of migrants from federal custody.
The shelter can hold 250, but many who arrive leave the same day. In the last several weeks, an uptick in border crossings prompted the city to declare an emergency as local, state and federal resources coordinated the enforcement and humanitarian response.
While the shelter offers migrants transportation during the week, they are also free to use the city’s public transportation.
The United States and European Union have agreed a trade deal, says Donald Trump.
The announcement was made as the US president met European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen at one of his golf resorts in Scotland.
Speaking after talks in Turnberry, Mr Trump said the EU deal was the “biggest deal ever made” and it will be “great for cars”.
The US will impose 15% tariffs on EU goods into America, after Mr Trump had threatened a 30% levy.
He said there will be an EU investment of $600bn in the US, the bloc will buy $750bn in US energy and will also purchase US military equipment.
Mr Trump had earlier said the main sticking point was “fairness”, citing barriers to US exports of cars and agriculture.
He went into the talks demanding fairer trade with the 27-member EU and threatening steep tariffs to achieve that, while insisting the US will not go below 15% import taxes.
For months, Mr Trump has threatened most of the world with large tariffs in the hope of shrinking major US trade deficits with many key trading partners, including the EU.
Ms von der Leyen said the agreement would include 15% tariffs across the board, saying it would help rebalance trade between the two large trading partners.
In case there was no deal and the US had imposed 30% tariffs from 1 August, the EU has prepared counter-tariffs on €93bn (£81bn) of US goods.
Ahead of their meeting on Sunday, Ms von der Leyen described Mr Trump as a “tough negotiator and dealmaker”.
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At least 11 people have been stabbed at a Walmart supermarket in Michigan, with six in a critical condition.
Officials say a suspect is in custody – and at this stage, it is believed the attack was a “random act” that involved a folding-style knife near the checkout area.
Sheriff Michael Shea told reporters: “Eleven is 11 too many, but thank God it wasn’t more.”
Pic: AP
The suspect, who is from Michigan, is not known to police – and was captured within three minutes thanks to “citizen involvement”.
The attack unfolded in Traverse City – and Tiffany DeFell, who was in the car park at the time, described scenes of chaos.
“It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out,” she said. “This is something you see out of the movies.”
Beyond the six people in a critical condition, it is believed the remaining five were seriously hurt. All 11 are still being treated in hospital.
Pic: AP
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said: “Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.”
A Walmart spokesperson added that the retailer is working closely with law enforcement.
“Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we’re thankful for the swift action of first responders,” a statement said.
Pic: AP
At this stage, the ages of the victims is unclear – but it is not thought any of the victims were Walmart employees.
Traverse City is about 255 miles northwest of Detroit.
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