Free Republic

CHICAGO — Prosecutors say two Chicago men robbed a construction crew, exchanged gunfire with an off-duty sheriff’s deputy at the scene, fled, then returned to fire another shot, only to have one of the victims pull out a gun and open fire on them, too. No injuries were reported. And, according to court records, one of the men was eyed as a suspect in a series of robberies last fall but ended up being charged only with a misdemeanor. He’s also on “first-time weapon offender probation” for a 2022 gun case. The robbery occurred on March 1 in the 11500...

Before there was Ferguson, there was Trayvon Martin. On February 26, 2012, Martin was shot and killed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman inside a Sanford, FL neighborhood, producing a ripple effect still being felt to this day. Zimmerman has been largely silent since his 2013 acquittal, but he is making up for lost time with a new video he recorded with his attorney, Howard Iken. Asked who he blamed for the “highest level of unfairness” he has experienced since the shooting, Zimmerman was quick with an answer. “By far, the president of the United States,” Zimmerman said. “Barack Hussein Obama....

Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday that “stand your ground” laws must be reviewed and amended. “It’s unfortunate what has happened with Trayvon, and that’s why I feel like it’s so important for me to be here so that you all can at least put a face with what has happened with this tragedy,” Fulton said at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing. “I just wanted to come here to talk to you for a moment to let you know how important it is that we amend this ‘stand your ground’ because it did not,...

A 24-year-old Danvers High School teacher has been found dead, and a 14-year-old boy is being held without bail on a charge of murdering her. Math teacher Colleen Ritzer’s body was found in the woods behind the school, said Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett. Philip D. Chism was ordered held without bail at his arraignment this afternoon in Salem District Court. Judge Matthew Nestor approved funds for a mental competency evaluation. Chism is to be tried as an adult; a probable cause hearing was slated for Nov. 22. Chism had been reported missing Tuesday after he did not return home...