Tuesday Morning Scoop: Looking for Motives

Welcome to the Morning Scoop for April 24, 2018. Today is about searching for motives in two attacks that have claimed the lives of 14 people. And the #MeToo founder spoke at Michigan State University recently. You’ll want to know what she said. 

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Looking for Motives in Toronto Van Attack 

A rented van was turned into a weapon in Toronto yesterday. (Image: Reuters/Twitter)

A 25-year-old man allegedly used a rented van to mow down pedestrians on a busy downtown sidewalk in Toronto yesterday afternoon, killing 10 and injuring 15, according to Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders.

Saunders told CNN the suspected driver — Alek Minassian of Richmond Hill, Ontario — was arrested a short time after the attack. A motive was unclear this morning. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told reporters that Minassian’s name did not trigger any red flags relating to terrorism.

Minassian is scheduled to appear in court at 10am this morning, at which time police will reveal the charges against him and perhaps shed light on what motivated his brutal killing spree. Erin Whitten covered the news for CMN yesterday. 

Focus Turns to Previous Bizarre Behavior After ‘Waffle House Killer’ Captured

Travis Reinking, accused of killing four people and wounding others in a shooting at a Waffle House over the weekend, was taken into custody without incident yesterday, Nashville police said. He was found in a wooded area with a backpack that contained a semi-automatic firearm and ammunition.

Authorities and the public are focusing on Reinking’s previous behavior. He was arrested outside the White House last year for trespassing, told authorities in 2016 that Taylor Swift was stalking him and hacking his phone, and once jumped into a public pool wearing women’s underwear.

The Chicago Tribune reports that,”on at least three occasions when Reinking’s father, Jeffrey Reinking, took possession of his son’s guns, only to return them to him.”

Penn State’s Outdoor Recreation Club Told Woods Are ‘Too Dangerous’ 

In a strange move, Penn State officials announced that the university’s century-old recreation club, The Penn State Outing Club, would be banned from activities such as hiking and camping, citing that the wilderness is too dangerous.

The decision was made on the behalf of the offices of Student Affairs and Risk Management. While safety is the primary focus for officials and staff, the club’s leaders claim they were never properly included in the conversation.

Evguenia Gololobova has the full story in her CMN report. 

Today in a Tweet 

French President Emmanuel Macron is in Washington for meetings and a lavish State dinner tonight. Twitter will be watching closely…

Last But Not Least: #MeToo founder Tarana Burke Discusses the Movement’s Monumental Impact

On April 19th, Tarana Burke held a press conference at Wharton Center’s Cobb Great Hall  at Michigan State University to discuss the #MeToo movement and its impact on survivors of sexual abuse.

As part of the “Transformative Justice Speaker Series”, Burke discussed the origins of the movement, which she originally found in 2006 and has since been working on to help sexual abuse victims heal and speak out.

Evguenia Gololobova rounded up the speech for CMN. 

The Tuesday Morning Scoop was compiled from contributions by Natalia Kolenko, Evguenia Gololobova, Erin Whitten and the CMN Staff.  Tuesday, why do always have SO MANY things for us to do?