An abrupt stop caused a snake-like pileup involving seven vehicles on the westbound Interstate 8 Saturday afternoon.

The crash started around 12:55 p.m. as traffic suddenly slowed on I-8 near the I-5 exits, just north of Old Town.

When the first driver slammed on the brakes, it created a domino effect that trapped six other vehicles, slammed bumper to bumper.

"Just car hitting one after another," said Zaineb Jafar, a victim. "I didn't know if we were gonna survive at that moment."

Six people were taken to the hospital for cuts and pains, but all had minor injuries.

Traffic signs on I-805 warned drivers headed that way to expect delays as crews reduced the freeway to one lane.

California Highway Patrol officers had all lanes cleared by 2:30 p.m.

Dozens of marchers took to the streets of North Park Friday to take back their neighborhood after a series of violent assaults in the area over the summer.

“Take back the night the time is near, we won’t be controlled by fear,” residents chanted as they marched along the streets of the busy Uptown community.

With signs reading “No Means No” and “Stop the Violence,” more than four dozen men and women walked down University Avenue with one thought in mind.

“Women shouldn’t be afraid to go outside in their own neighborhoods,” Cecille Estelle told NBC 7. “We want safe streets. We don’t want to be told we can’t go outside alone."

Since June, there have been five violent assaults on women from North Park to City Heights, most of them sexual attacks.

Several of those assaults happened on Lincoln Avenue, another on Meade Avenue and another on 33rd Street. In most instances, victims were walking alone late at night when the unknown assailants approached from behind, knocking the women down while trying to force themselves onto them.

Community members have posted flyers of a suspect’s image on poles in the community, putting him and others on notice.

Estelle, for one, is hoping to reshape people’s thinking and empower residents.

“Instead of telling women to be on guard, create a culture where it’s not acceptable to assault anyone – then it won’t happen,” she said.

To drive that point home marchers held signs and illuminated letters spelling out “No More Rape” as they walked by the five assault sites.

A tribute to the victims while showing a united front, letting criminals know citizens are taking back North Park's streets.

“We’re just tired of the sex assaults as a whole and society doesn’t treat women appropriately," said rally participant Jeremy Gorman.

This is the second rally against violence in the area in the past month and a half.

While San Diego police say they have stepped up patrols and “flooded” the area with more officers, no arrests have been made.
 

Cal Fire is unleashing air and ground crews to help battle a wildfire that has burned 20 acres in San Diego's East County.

The fire is spreading on Kuebler Ranch near Otay Mountain, east of Otay Mesa.

Cal Fire Capt. Kendal Bortisser says the blaze is moving at a slow rate, and there are no structures threatened.

A full wildland response is en route to the scene. The cause is still under investigation.

Officials amended their estimate of the fire's growth to 20 acres after they initially said it was 100 acres.

The fifth horse race on Saturday at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club held special significance for a San Diego family mourning the loss of a father and husband tragically killed by a suicidal driver.

The “Douglas Menegos Memorial Race” paid tribute to Alpine resident Doug Menegos, 49, an avid horse racing enthusiast who once worked at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

According to his wife, Lisa Menegos, the track holds a special place in her heart. It's filled with memories of life with her beloved husband, including the day he proposed to her.

“It was at Del Mar, while he was working, that we met and a few years later where he proposed to me in a hot air balloon,” Lisa told NBC 7.

“We made it a tradition to bring the kids here yearly so that they could enjoy the atmosphere that we all learned to love through him. Del Mar is a place where we have so many beautiful memories that we cherish so deeply,” she added.

Sitting in Stretch Run Level 4, Menegos’ family looked on at the touching turf tribute, celebrating his life in the place he loved.

His brother, Nick Menegos, said visiting the track in Menegos' honor brought back a lot of memories of their childhood visiting the track. Nick said his little brother loved the atmosphere there and, of course, betting on the horses.

“He wanted to always be a jockey – that was his dream – and as he grew up, he got a little too big, so he got into bodybuilding instead," said Nick, with a chuckle. "He loved the horses; he had a passion for this.”

On May 30, Trista Stier, 29, drove the wrong way on purpose up an off-ramp on State Route 67 in Lakeside just as Menegos approached the road in his utility truck.



Stier’s vehicle slammed head-on into Menegos’ truck. Both motorists were killed as a result of the crash. Menegos, a husband and father of two, had been on his way home from work at the time of the collision.

From the beginning, California Highway Patrol investigators said it appeared Stier had driven the wrong way intentionally and was likely suicidal. Officials called the tragic collision an “intentional act-turned-homicide.”

A report from the San Diego Medical Examiner’s office obtained by NBC 7 last week said Stier had long battled with depression and tested positive for drugs, including methamphetamine, at the time of the suicidal crash.

The report said Stier had attempted suicide before and had become increasingly depressed again in the weeks and days leading up to the collision. On the day before the crash, Stier got into an argument with her boyfriend.

Menegos, investigators said, was a bystander in the crash and was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.

In addition to Saturday’s track tribute, Menegos’ family continues to keep his memory alive through a Facebook memorial page. Loved ones have also established an online memorial fund for Menegos’ wife and two children. So far, more than 350 people have donated more than $54,000 to the family. The page is filled with heartfelt messages for the family.

Nick said his brother will forever be remembered as a fun-loving, giving, caring family man who loved people and loved life.

"He was bigger than life," Nick told NBC 7. "He kept a positive attitude. I'm sure he's here with us smiling."
 

Hammers knock, saws grind and volunteers grunt as a new home rises up smack dab in the middle of downtown San Diego’s Horton Square.

The 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom house is specially designated for a family in need, thanks to Habitat for Humanity.

But downtown will not be this home’s final … well… home. Once it’s framed and finished, crews will break it into manageable pieces to deliver it to Habitat’s new community in El Cajon, situated off Foundation Lane.

"We bring this build to downtown San Diego just so that the downtown community can see what we're doing,” explained Shandy Arwood with Habitat for Humanity.

It’s just one of the nonprofit’s many construction projects underway across the county. Nearly 7,000 volunteers, spread out over four days a week, are hard at work building another 11 homes in Escondido and six homes in Imperial Beach.

Many volunteers have never even held a hammer. Arwood said the organization teaches them everything they need to know.

The recipients will be families who earn up to 80 percent of the area’s median income. They also must show a need for improved housing, have at least one stable job and put their own “sweat equity” into the home, meaning they’re building alongside the volunteers.

"So, we're able to take hard working families and put them into a home where they're stable and they can then reach out to their community,” said Arwood. “And their kids do better in school. Parents do better in their jobs. It's really life changing. That's the best way I can describe it."

Since labor is free and the land is typically donated, Habitat just has to pay for building materials, Arwood said, so they’ll often partner with corporate groups to handle the cost. For the downtown project, companies like Union Bank and California Bank and Trust lent a hand -- and a buck or two (or $15,000).

As it enters its 26th year in San Diego, Habitat plans to continue developing its El Cajon location early next year.

Approximately $800,000 worth of marijuana was offloaded by the U.S. Coast Guard in Miami Beach Saturday morning.

"The wholesale value is about $800,000 and obviously depending on where you're buying it, the street value is a little different," said Lieutenant Lloyd Belcher, U.S. Coast Guard.

The suspected smugglers went on a five hour chase with the Coast Guard and threw some of the contraband into the ocean, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

"The vessel was traveling at a high rate of speed with no lights on. It had a profile of what we call a go-fast, that's our term for a smuggling vessel," said Belcher.

Officials were unable to catch the vessel but did recover roughly 900 pounds of marijuana from the water. 

"No we haven't apprehended the suspects yet, but we still prevented $800,000 worth of illegal narcotics from coming into the states and that's a big hit from a business standpoint for these organizations," he said.

The Coast Guard's investigation into the suspected smugglers and their vessel is still ongoing at this time.

A serial stowaway who was sentenced this week to nearly six months behind bars for violating her probation was released from jail Saturday.

Marilyn Jean Hartman, 62, was released just after 6 p.m. from Century Regional Detention Center in Lynwood because of jail overcrowding, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

Sheriff’s officials said the decision to release Hartman was based on a formula that includes severity of crime and length of sentence.

Sheriff’s officials planned to inform Los Angeles International Airport police about Hartman’s release.

On Wednesday, a judge ordered Hartman to serve 177 days in jail for wandering through LAX terminals on Aug. 7 after being told the previous day to "stay away from LAX" and placed on 24 months probation.

Hartman was first arrested Aug. 4 at Los Angeles International Airport after Los Angeles police say she got through security at Mineta San Jose International Airport and boarded an LA-bound flight.

Hartman has previously breached security at San Francisco International Airport and has a history of trying to get on flights without a ticket, officials said. She had at least seven encounters with police at SFO and was arrested four times, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.

UCLA says it will offer financial help to employees and students whose vehicles were damaged by a main break that sent about 20 million gallons of water onto campus last month.

The school is making interest-free loans of up to $5,000 available to about 100 employees who had parked into two campus lots inundated during the July 29 incident. The loans will be repaid over two years through payroll deduction, according to a news release.

In addition to the loans, school officials have emailed 260 vehicle owners, many of them students, to say that nearly $56,000 will be available from a UCLA Foundation emergency relief fund.

Parking structures 4 and 7 were drained and cleared of debris and nearly 1,000 vehicles that were stranded – some for nearly a week. Most of the vehicles were claimed and retrieved by owners, others were declared total losses.

The parking structures have been deemed safe by engineers, school officials said. Crews removed dirt and other debris that flowed into the parking areas that remain closed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A 22-year-old San Diego woman took a joy ride in a stolen police car Friday night, leading officers on a long, high-speed pursuit and ultimately crashing the vehicle.

According to the San Diego Police Department, the suspect – Felicitas Flores – stole an officer’s parked vehicle in the 300 block of 17th Street in downtown’s East Village area just before 11:30 p.m.

Flores took off in the patrol car, hopping onto northbound Interstate 5 and leading police on a pursuit all the way to the North County.

The tires of the vehicle were spiked in Carlsbad, but Flores continued driving through Oceanside until she pulled into a rest stop. As officers attempted to arrest her, she collided head-on into another police vehicle, the SDPD said.

The stolen police car stalled out and Flores was taken into custody.

“CHP did take over the negotiations to get her out of the car,” explained SDPD Lt. Steven Shaw. “She did not want to get out of the vehicle. Eventually, she opened up the driver side door. She started to get out of the car then she started to get back in. It afforded our officers the opportunity to go up to the car and physically take her out of the car.”

Flores was booked into Las Colinas Detention Facility on at least nine charges, including grand theft auto, driving under the influence of alcohol, being under the influence of a controlled substance and evading officers. She’s also facing counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

The incident is under investigation, with officers trying to determine how Flores was able to steal the police vehicle in the first place. It is unknown if the vehicle was left unlocked.
 

TV personality Dog the Bounty Hunter found a slithery surprise this week as he tracked mixed martial arts fighter Jonathan Koppenhaver – a.k.a. “War Machine.”

Joining a week-long manhunt, Duane “Dog” Chapman visited Koppenhaver’s home in Mission Valley to arrest the fugitive.

Koppenhaver, who legally changed his name to “War Machine,” was wanted on a Nevada warrant that accuses him of violently torturing his girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack.

But instead of finding his quarry, Chapman discovered two exotic snakes and another man at Koppenhaver’s home, according to county animal services.

But the bounty hunter’s trip was not in vain. The man there happened to be wanted on a felony arrest warrant, so Chapman helped take him into custody.

However, he could not leave the scaled creatures to fend for themselves. Chapman called animal control officers, who arrived and took the snakes to their facilities.

One snake was later identified as an Eastern Indigo, while the other species has not been determined.

Officials say when U.S. Marshals raided the home Monday to search for Koppenhaver, they found neither residents nor snakes, so both must have showed up later.

It’s still unclear if the unidentified man was Koppenhaver’s roommate or relation. Officials are also not sure who the snakes belong to. Regardless, Animal Services Lt. Kalani Hudson says they will keep the reptiles until an owner comes forward to claim them.

When he came up empty-handed on the War Machine search, Chapman was spotted at Undisputed Gym in downtown San Diego Thursday, where the suspect used to train and teach.

Koppenhaver was arrested the next day at a Simi Valley, Calif. hotel by police and U.S. Marshalls.

Chapman kept his fans abreast of his war path for War Machine through Twitter, from antagonist beginning to successful end.
 

.@WarMachine170 better 2Give All You Excuses To The Judge ..you got 24 hrs to turn your self in or I am Coming After YOU.!#CMTDogAndBeth

— Duane Dog Chapman (@DogBountyHunter) August 12, 2014

#CMTDogAndBeth @WarMachine170 Time is up ! BEWARE OF THE DOG...

— Duane Dog Chapman (@DogBountyHunter) August 13, 2014

#CMTDogAndBeth ok #war machine you want a real fight this time not a girl the biggest match of your career in the street

— Duane Dog Chapman (@DogBountyHunter) August 13, 2014

#CMTDogAndBeth #war machine in front if your house 1on1 let's do it !! ! Winner takes ALL !!

— Duane Dog Chapman (@DogBountyHunter) August 13, 2014

#itsabouttogetreal #cmtdogandbeth #warmachine pic.twitter.com/9C3Dz1gVtD

— Duane Dog Chapman (@DogBountyHunter) August 15, 2014

What I promised is what he got a jail cell #Justiceforchristymack can now be served tune in to #cmtdogandbeth for more coverage

— Duane Dog Chapman (@DogBountyHunter) August 16, 2014

Not to be outdone on social media, War Machine defended himself publicly.

I'm not a bad guy, I went to surprise my gf, help her set up her show and to give her an engagement ring and ended up fighting for my life.

— War Machine (@WarMachine170) August 11, 2014

The cops will never give me fair play, never believe me. Still deciding what to do but at the end of the day it's all just heart breaking.

— War Machine (@WarMachine170) August 11, 2014

I only wish that man hadn't been there and that Christy & I would behappily engaged.I don't know y I'm so cursed.One day truth will come out

— War Machine (@WarMachine170) August 11, 2014

Koppenhaver is accused of beating Mack on Aug. 8, breaking 18 bones in her face, fracturing her rib and rupturing her liver. He faces charges of battery, strangulation, gross lewdness and assault in the incident.

The fighter has been convicted of assaulting a female bartender and a bouncer at two bars in Pacific Beach. After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to three years of probation.

After much anticipation, a new, state-of-the-art school is opening its doors in San Diego’s North County, welcoming hundreds of students to the unique campus.

Design39Campus (D39C), located at 17050 Del Sur Ridge, is the newest school to open in the Poway Unified School District. Class officially begins Wednesday but on Saturday, parents and students got a chance to check out the campus, meet teachers and explore the learning space.

“I’m pretty impressed – super excited. It looks like they came up with some great ideas,” said parent Marcos Getchell.

His daughter will be attending D39C and he’s looking forward to seeing her progress at the school, which is all about breaking the mold of traditional education.

For instance, instead of teaching in regular classrooms, educators will teach in collaborative “pods” and strive to use modern methods to reach their students and make them passionate about learning.

Getchell said the environment will be great for his daughter, who’s a kinesthetic learner.

“Looks like she can study sitting down, standing up or on her head if she wants to, so we’re excited about that,” he said.

For now, D39C will teach students from preschool through 6th grade. In years to come, it will expand to teach students through 8th grade. The school will serve students living in the northern communities of 4S Ranch, Del Sur and The Lakes.

Sonya Wrisley, principal of D39C, said 860 students are enrolled in the school this year. At full capacity, in approximately three to four years, the campus will enroll 1,450 students.

Wrisley said the school’s tech-savvy layout will complement a more hands-on curriculum and aid in the school’s mission to individually tend to every student.

“We’re personalizing learning for our students. We’re going to meet each child exactly where they need to be. If they’re ready to fly and move on in the curriculum we’ll help them do that. If they need to go a little bit slower in some areas, we’ll slow down and help them with that,” said Wrisley. “We’ll do exactly what each child needs.”

Mother Gina Sciarrino hopes the school is a fit for her son, Franco.

“I feel like more hand on interaction is going to get my child focused and excited,” she said.

“Having a different style of education – this is a new opportunity,” added Franco.

A fight over money in North Park led to the beating of a man so brutal that he is not expected to survive his injuries, the San Diego Police Department confirmed.

According to SDPD homicide detectives, officers were called out to the 3800 block of Pershing Avenue at around 5:45 a.m. Saturday to investigate a reported disturbance.

There, officers found a 38-year-old man unconscious and not breathing. He had been violently beaten and had suffered significant blunt force trauma to his upper torso.

The victim was taken to a local hospital but, due to his severe injuries, was not expected to survive, police said.

Three men were taken into custody at the scene in connection with the beating.

Homicide detectives believe the trio and the victim were involved in some sort of dispute over money. Things escalated, leading to a physical fight.

The incident is under investigation. Detectives remained on scene Saturday collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses. Police said a portion of Pershing Avenue would remain closed for several hours amid their investigation.

Resident Allan Ramirez was sleeping Saturday morning when he heard yelling outside his home.

“It was just screams -- like a fight,” he recalled.

When he looked out of his window, Ramirez said he saw a man lying on a sidewalk surrounded by police and paramedics.

Ramirez said the violence in the neighborhood is disconcerting, especially since he has two kids. Fortunately, he said, his children are away on vacation and didn't hear or witness the beating.

“This neighborhood is pretty quiet. In the last year I’ve seen a little more things going on around here – I don’t know what the reason is. But it used to be really quiet, like a family neighborhood," he said. "It worries me.”

The victim’s name has not yet been released, as officials are still in the process of notifying the man’s family.

Anyone with information on this case should contact the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
 

Philadelphia Police are investigating a cell phone video showing a skateboarder kicking a city park ranger in his head and then spitting on the man in Philadelphia's LOVE Park Friday. The 35-year-old park ranger approached three teen skateboarders and advised them they could not skate in the park.

"I ain't (explective) leaving," said one skateboarder before punching the park ranger in the face and wrestling him to the ground.

The violent altercation occurred around 5 p.m. in the iconic Center City park, located at 15th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard, according to Mariano Verrico, of Essex Fells, N.J., who caught the fight on camera.

"He got kicked in the head repeatedly and spit on," Verrico said. "When he was down towards the end..., the one kid who did everything leaned down and spit on him. It was really disgraceful."

Verrico stopped at LOVE Park, where police began enforcing a skateboarding ban in 2002, with his friends and cousins, who he was visiting for the day in Philadelphia, he said.

Police provided descriptions of the three skateboarders that day. Offender number one is 19-years-old, 5 feet 10 inches with dred locks. He wore a gray t-shirt and dark pants with red lettering on the front. The second offender is described as 19 to 20-years-old with a black t-shirt and black pants. The third offender is 19-years-old, 5 feet nine inches, and he wore a black-tshirt with a white design on the front. 

Sitting near the fountain, Verrico said he heard the park ranger warn several young men that they had to stop skateboarding in the park because there were too many young children in the area.

"Basically he was just doing his job," Verrico said. "His voice wasn't raised. He wasn't cursing."

One skateboarder punched the ranger -- who was standing next to a staircase -- and he fell backwards onto the ground, said Verrico, who added he was nervous to intervene since he was outsized.

The video shows the park ranger's hands raised in the air, but Verrico said the victim never threw a punch and only kept his arms up to defend himself.

"He never once tried to fight with the kid," he said. "He never threw any type of punch at the kid or said anything negative."

The assailant continues to attack the park ranger, kicking the man in the head as onlookers stood by. The ranger suffered injuries to his head, but is expected to be okay. 

Verrico said he accompanied the park ranger, and the victim's supervisor, to a Philadelphia Police Station and turned his video over to investigators. On Saturday, NBC10 sent the video to Central Detectives who were unaware of the incident at the time. They are currently investigating and seeking the three skateboarders.

NBC10 also reached out to the city's Parks and Recreation Department for comment. We have not yet heard back from them.

The incident is one of many reported between skaterboarders and authorities in LOVE Park in recent years.

Two skateboarders attacked another city park ranger in May 2004 when the official attempted to cite the pair and confiscate their boards. Years later, the dynamic reportedly flipped as police officers allegedly chased skateboarders down, tackled them and deployed Tasers.

While the skateboarding ban at LOVE Park is still in place, authorities often tolerate the young men and woman speeding past tourists and grinding their boards along the planters.

Councilman Jim Kenney suggested Philadelphia City Council alter the regulations to include space for the skateboarders to legally pop ollies in the park earlier this year.

Members of Kenney's staff told Philly.com in June that they are working to include a legal skate spot   in an already-established master plan to redesign LOVE Park. But the recent addition of the skateboard-friendly Paine's Park along the Schuylkill River Trail could lead city officials to curb suggestions from Kenney's office.

Contact Alison Burdo at 610.668.5635, alison.burdo@nbcuni.com or follow @NewsBurd on Twitter.

At least 23 people were injured Saturday night when someone sprayed pepper spray during a family party on Chicago’s Southwest Side, according to authorities.

Police said the group was gathered outside at a backyard party around 11 p.m. in the 5000 block of South Rockwell Avenue in the city’s Gage Park neighborhood when someone sprayed pepper spray into the yard from a nearby alley.

Fire officials said it wasn’t immediately clear what the spray was, but that it was a “foreign substance.”

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said 23 people, many of them children, were injured in the attack and transported to area hospitals.

The victims were treated and released from various area hospitals, according to Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer.

Greer said no one at the scene was able to give a description of the suspect.

The Chicago Tribune reports the group was gathered for an anniversary party. A couple was celebrating 50 years of marriage with family and friends.

A 58-year-old man died after being hit by a stray bullet inside his New Haven home, and police are investigating the shooting as a homicide, authorities say.

Police received a 911 call at 1:50 a.m. Sunday about gunfire at Valley and Strong streets. Moments later, a woman called saying that her husband had been shot.

When police responded they found Darryl McNair shot inside his Strong Street home.

Police say the man was apparently struck by a stray bullet inside an office area in his basement. Investigators do not believe McNair was the intended target.

A friend of the family of McNair says that he was playing solitaire in his office when he was shot.

“He was on the computer playing solitaire," David Harrell, a family friend, said. "And then a whole bunch of gunshots went off and he said he was hit and called for family. When they got there, he was laying on the ground.”

Harrell said that McNair was a good, working, family man.

"It's senseless that someone had to lose his life over someone else's stupidity," Harrell said.

Hours before the shooting, friends and family were at McNair's home celebrating his birthday. He turned 58 on Sunday.

“Not even three hours ago he was dancing in the street," McNair's stepdaughter, Chandra Costin told NBC Connecticut. "I said, 'look at him.' He was enjoying himself. Now he's gone. What do we do? Where do we go?”

No arrests have been made.

Costin had a message for the shooter.

"I forgive them, but the problem is I need for the people to step up," Costin said. "I want whoever did this to turn themselves in."

Police ask anyone with information on the shooting to contact the New Haven Police Department's Major Crimes Unit at 203-946-6304. 

Seven people were been killed and at least 29 others wounded in weekend shootings across Chicago.

Two people were killed and another critically hurt in what police said was a domestic-related shooting in Roseland late Sunday.

The incident happened just before 10 p.m. on the 400 block of West 104th Street, police said. A 37-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman were dead at the scene, and a 26-year-old woman was shot in the shoulder and taken in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office confirmed the deaths, but did not provide additional details early Monday.

A man was shot and killed early Sunday in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side.

Police found 26-year-old Kardeon Glover, of the 4100 block of West Grenshaw, with a gunshot wound to the head on the sidewalk in the 900 block of North Karlov about 1:15 a.m., authorities said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A police source said the man had gang affiliations.

Two people were killed and a third was wounded in a shooting Saturday night in Logan Square.

The three people were in a vehicle in the 2300 block of North Springfield at 11:45 p.m. when someone walked up and opened fire, police said. The vehicle then struck several parked cars.

Jason Seballos, 16, was shot in the back and cheek and taken to Illinois Masonic, where he was pronounced dead. Damian Rodriguez, 21, was shot in the head and also taken to Masonic, where he was pronounced dead.

An 18-year-old man was shot in the finger and taken to Norwegian, where he was listed in good condition, police said.

A drive-by early Saturday claimed the life of 16-year-old girl who police said wasn't the gunman's intended target and who family members described as a straight-A student with dreams of becoming a forensic scientist.

On Friday, a 25-year-old man was shot to death a block from Chicago Police Department Headquarters in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood.

The man was found unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the abdomen in the 3500 block of South Indiana at around 11:35 p.m.

Authorities said someone walked up and fired shots at him before fleeing the scene.

Other weekend shootings:

• Authorities said a juvenile boy was shot in the chest just before 5 p.m. Sunday in the 700 block of East 50th Place. The boy was taken in serious condition to Stroger Hospital. Details surrounding the shooting were not immediately available.
• Just before 4:30 p.m., a 21-year-old man was shot in a park in the 10400 block of South Union, police said. The man was in a park when someone walked up and fired at him, shooting him in the abdomen, according to authorities. The man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition.
• Around 10:40 a.m., a 24-year-old man walked into Metro South Hospital with a gunshot wound to the foot. The man was listed in good condition. Police said the man was shot in the 12200 block of South Emerald Avenue but did not have any details on how he was shot.
• Around 4:35 a.m., police said a 23-year-old man was shot in the foot during a possible drive-by in the 2900 block of North Kimball Avenue. The man was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in good condition but was not cooperating with police.
• Four people were shot around 2 a.m. in the South Chicago neighborhood. Police said the group was standing on the sidewalk in the 7900 block of South Merrill Avenue when three men approached on foot and fired shots at them. A 15-year-old boy with a graze wound to the leg, a 20-year-old man who was shot in the side and a 27-year-old man who was shot in the hand took themselves to South Shore Hospital for treatment. Both the teen and the 20-year-old man were listed in stable condition and the 27-year-old man refused treatment after arriving at the hospital. A 30-year-old man was also shot in the arm and toe and was transported by ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in stable condition.
• A 24-year-old man was shot multiple times just before 2 a.m. in the 8700 block of South Union Avenue. The man suffered multiple wounds to both legs and his buttocks and was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in stable condition.
• Just before 1 a.m., police said a 20-year-old man was shot in the leg in the 6300 block of South Albany Avenue. The man told police he was walking when he “heard shots and felt pain.” He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in stable condition.
• Around 11:10 p.m. Saturday, a 16-year-old boy was shot in the leg in a possible drive-by shooting in the Washington Park neighborhood. The teen was walking near 51st Street and Wabash Avenue when shots were fired from an occupant in a passing light-colored vehicle, police said. The vehicle fled southbound and the teen was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in stable condition.
• A few minutes after 11 p.m. two women were shot in the 2400 block of West Adams Street. The women were at an outdoor party when they “heard shots and felt pain.” A 41-year-old woman was shot in the lower back and a 45-year-old woman was shot in the leg. Both women took themselves to Stroger Hospital in stable condition.
• About 15 minutes earlier, a 13-year-old boy was shot in the 1300 block of South Avers Avenue in the Lawndale neighborhood. The teen boy and his brother were involved in an argument with three other people when one of them pulled out a gun and opened fire. The boy was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital with a wound to the arm. He was listed in stable condition.
• Around 9 p.m. Saturday an 18-year-old man was shot in the 0-100 block of East 37th street. The teen was shot in the buttocks during a possible drive-by and was transported in stable condition to Stroger Hospital.
• Just after 5 p.m. Saturday, a 17-year-old boy was shot in the side while standing outside in the 500 block of North Hamlin Avenue in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital for treatment.
• Just before 11:30 a.m. Saturday, a 33-year-old man was shot in the 9800 block of Avenue L. The man was outside when a dark-colored vehicle drove past and someone inside the vehicle fired shots. The man was shot in the chest and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in stable condition.
• About 15 minutes earlier, a 15-year-old boy was shot in a possible drive-by shooting the 8500 block of South Exchange Avenue. The teen was taken to Trinity Hospital in good condition with gunshot wounds to the arm and back.

At least eight others were shot overnight Friday into Saturday.

Authorities on Sunday arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with threats posted to Instagram warning people living in the Santa Clarita Valley that there will be a “huge" shooting soon.

A search warrant was executed at a home less than 24 hours after the threats were made and investigators said no firearms were found there.

The teen, who is a student at a school in the Santa Clarita area, "acted alone and no actual plan to assault any students or school had been formulated," according to Lt. Brenda Cambra of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

"Based on statements made by the suspect, it appears he made these posts to get a reaction from friends on social media, realizing too late that the threats were being taken seriously," Cambra said.

The first of about 100 calls from concerned parents regarding the photos was reported to deputies around 10 p.m. Saturday. The posts included stock photos of guns, dead bodies and a school marquee.

“We are aiming our guns mostly at high school students,” read one caption. “Be ready because blood will be shed and families will suffer. No mercy will be shown. Slow and painful deaths will happen on a very dreadful day.”

“I must not tell you which day it will be, you will find out yourself,” the post continued.

Other threats contained within the posts were said to be sexist and racist, officials said. The Instagram account has since been deleted.

“I was kind of shocked, I was alarmed,” said student Antonio Curiel, a friend of the teen.

Investigators said there is no evidence that the person posting the photos has access to the guns. A photo bearing the school marquee for Valencia High School turned out to be of another school in another state, officials said.

The William S. Hart Union High School District -- which began classes on Thursday --  released a statement regarding the threats Sunday morning.

"This morning, we became aware of a threat that was posted on social media made against our high schools. We take threats of this nature very seriously and we are working closely with the LA County Sheriff’s Department," said Superintendent Rob Challinor. "Extra precautions will be taken to ensure the safety of our students and staff on all of our campuses, while this is being investigated. We are looking forward to a day of student learning tomorrow, as we begin the first full week of the new school year."

The case is currently under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at 661-255-1121.

The Instagram threat comes one month after social media accounts encouraged followers to send nude photos of teenagers in the Santa Clarita Valley. Officials could not say whether they were investigating the two incidents as being related.

"They should be safe and as parents we should be parenting our kids that if you're angry or kind of what are the boundaries of pranks," said parent Lori Scott.

A New York police officer who once saved the life of a baby girl more than two decades ago will attend her wedding Sunday in southwest suburban Palos Hills.

Joseph Barca, now a 45-year veteran and captain for the Yonkers Police Department, was on patrol more than 20 years ago when he received a call about a 2-month-old infant who had stopped breathing.

Less than a minute away, Barca raced to the scene where he began to perform CPR.

“I could tell the air was not reaching the baby’s lungs, I rolled her over, gave her four good back blows, I was able to get a lot of mucus out of her throat,” Barca said.

He then continued to perform CPR in the back seat of another squad car as they raced to the hospital.

“I could feel life coming back into the child,” he said.

Shammah Hamideh survived the incident and she and Barca have shared a special bond ever since.

“Her father told me that he’s her dad, he gave her life the first time, but I gave her life the second time,” Barca said, noting the family has since dubbed him Hamideh’s “American father.”

The two have stayed in contact over the years through phone calls and emails, and Barca’s family even sends her birthday and Christmas cards every year.

“They have never forgotten my birthday,” Hamideh said. “Every year they send me a birthday card and a check and a Christmas card and a check. I don’t even celebrate Christmas but it’s the thought that counts.”

Barca, who has three sons of his own, said he thinks of Hamideh as a daughter.

“It’s almost like one of my own getting married,” he said. “We have that special feeling, why it happened I don’t know... It’s just a strong bond.”

Hamideh agrees.

“He’s my hero,” she said. “There’s not much more I can say. He’s my hero and he means so much to me.”

Hamideh said Barca’s actions that day have inspired her to begin a career in the healthcare field.

“The way he saved my life, I would love to give back to people that way,” she said.

But Barca doesn’t see himself as the hero Hamideh says he is.

“I’m just somebody who had a lot of good training, fell back on my training and did it,” he said.

As for the Sunday ceremony, Barca said he anticipates being “misty-eyed,” but is excited and grateful to be a part of it.
 

Prince George’s County police said a man killed in a shootout with police stabbed and shot his own daughter after taking her from a home.

Police said Frederick Roy Miller, 38, of Landover, Maryland, died during a police-involved shooting in Temple Hills Saturday afternoon. His 3-year-old daughter suffering from trauma to the upper body was discovered in the car Miller was using to try to escape.

Initial reports from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner show it appears Miller stabbed and shot his daughter.

The child’s maternal grandfather and great grandmother remain in critical condition. Police said they were shot by Miller at a home in the 4200 block of Farmer Place. Officers were responding to that scene when they began their pursuit of Miller.

At the intersection of Beech Road and Branch Avenue, Miller’s car lost a wheel. Investigators said he began firing his weapon at officers.

The car continues down Branch Avenue for a short distance where police and Miller exchanged gunfire again. During that incident, Miller was fatally struck.

The young girl was found in the car with her injuries. She was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

Six officers involved in the shooting were not injured and are on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

The girl’s mother was not at the scene of the shootings and was found unharmed. Investigators still don’t have a motive for Miller’s actions

Among the seven people shot and killed over the last weekend was a 16-year-old girl described by family members as a straight-A student who dreamed of becoming a forensic scientist.

"She was a good baby," said Shaquise Buckner's mother, Katrina Goodwin. "I don't understand this."

Buckner was standing outside on the 7200 block of South Laflin Street, in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood, at about 12:45 a.m. Saturday when shots were fired from a passing car. Buckner took a bullet to the head. A 20-year-old man with her was hit in the back and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center where he was listed in stable condition.

Buckner was killed just days ahead of the start of her sophomore year of high school. She was on her way to also becoming the first member of her family to attend college.

"She was a good student, strong amongst her peers, outgoing, and she was on her way to AP classes to help her be successful," Julie Puzon, the principal at Perspectives IIT/Math & Science Academy, said Sunday night at a vigil outside the school.

No one was in custody in connection with the shooting as of early Monday. Police said the man wounded with Buckner may have gang affiliations and may have been the intended target.

Weekend shootings killed seven other people and wounded more than 25 others.