Page 4 - AT

A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 8 January 2019

Man pleads guilty to killing 6 in between driving for Uber

Associated Press ple. Dalton, the father of recalled Dalton “laughing
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — two children, had worked and joking,” and giving a
A Michigan man charged as an insurance adjust- “one-armed hug” to the
with killing six strangers be- er and had no previous manager before making
tween picking up rides for criminal record before the the purchase.
Uber pleaded guilty to mur- shootings. Following the guilty pleas,
der on Monday, just before Prosecutor Jeff Getting Getting praised investiga-
attorneys were set to inter- said the motive behind the tors and others who helped
view jurors for his trial. shootings is a question that during the case, especially
Jason Dalton’s surprise “haunts us.” Alexis Cornish. She was dat-
move came more than “Everybody wants to ing Tyler Smith and was in a
three years after the shoot- know,” he said during a vehicle when he and his fa-
ings, which occurred over news conference after the ther were shot while looking
the course of a few hours court hearing. at pickup trucks.
in and around Kalama- Defense attorney Eusebio Cornish was “extraordinari-
zoo. Dalton pleaded guilty Solis said he advised Dalton ly brave” to immediately
to murder and attempted In this April 20, 2017 file photo, defendant Jason Dalton, left, who not to plead guilty. get a phone from her boy-
is charged with killing six people in-between picking up riders
murder over his attorney’s for Uber, stands with attorney Eusebio Solis during a hearing in “But in speaking to Mr. Dal- friend’s pocket and call
objections, triggering a Kalamazoo, Mich. ton, there are reasons” for 911, the prosecutor said.
mandatory sentence of life Associated Press the plea, Solis told Judge Dalton’s relatives and for-
in prison with no chance for on Uber’s app was control- dealer’s lot. Alexander Lipsey. “There mer wife released a state-
parole on Feb. 5. ling him on the day of the Abigail Kopf, who was 14 are personal reasons for ment, expressing condo-
“Yes, I’ve wanted this for shootings. at the time, was shot in the him. He does not want to lences to Kopf, Carruthers
quite a while,” Dalton re- Four women were killed in head during the restaurant put his family through that, and the victims’ families for
plied when a judge asked the parking lot of a Cracker shooting and survived. Tia- or the victims’ families, “this senseless tragedy.”
if the pleas were voluntary. Barrel restaurant: Barbara na Carruthers was injured in through the trial. It’s his de- “Nothing that we can say
The 48-year-old Dalton an- Hawthorne, Dorothy “Judy” a residential area. cision.” is adequate, but please
swered “yes” to a series of Brown, Mary Lou Nye and Dalton had been deemed A gun shop owner said know that our hearts are
questions, admitting that her sister-in-law, Mary Jo competent to stand trial Dalton bought a jacket broken by the suffering
he shot eight people at Nye. Rich Smith and his and last week dropped an with an inside pocket de- which has resulted from
three locations. After his ar- 17-year-old son, Tyler Smith, insanity defense. In court, signed to hold a gun just the actions of our son and
rest, police quoted Dalton were fatally shot while look- he didn’t explain why he hours before the rampage. former husband,” the state-
as saying a “devil figure” ing at a pickup truck in a randomly shot eight peo- Shop owner Jon Southwick ment said.q

California storm brings power outages, shuts down highway

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ, As- end visitors were leaving. Northern California coastal
sociated Press The National Weather Ser- and valley areas, while
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — vice on Monday issued a mountain communities got
Utility crews worked Mon- winter storm warning for heavy snow.
day to restore power to areas in the Sierra Nevada A new wet system is ex-
thousands of people af- above 4,000 feet (1,200 pected in the region on
ter a winter storm swept meters), saying snowy and Tuesday night, but it won’t
through Northern Califor- gusty conditions will limit vis- be as intense but two more
nia, toppling utility poles ibility. Over three days 4.5 powerful storms are ex-
and trees and prompting feet (1.37 meters) of snow pected over the weekend,
the temporary closure of a accumulated at the sum- National Weather Service
major highway. mit of Mammoth Mountain, forecaster Emily Heller said.
Strong winds and downed 150 miles (240 kilometers) In Southern California, light
trees knocked out electric- south of Tahoe, the resort to moderate rain fell early
ity for nearly 90,000 custom- said Monday. More than Monday as a second sys-
ers across the Sacramento In this Sunday, Jan. 6, 2018 photo, California Department of a foot (30 centimeters) fell tem followed heavy Satur-
Transportation (CalTrans) crews work to clear mud and rocks
region Sunday night. By that tumbled onto Pacific Cost Highway in Malibu, Calif. in the upper elevations day night downpours that
Monday morning, 13,000 Associated Press around Tahoe, including 19 unleashed massive mud
customers still had no pow- people remained without Officials shut down the inches (48 centimeters) at flows from the fire-scarred
er. power after windstorms highway Sunday after the Squaw Valley. Santa Monica Mountains
In Oregon and Washing- struck parts the northwest snowstorm reached the Up to 5 inches (13 centi- onto Pacific Coast High-
ton, tens of thousands of over the weekend. Lake Tahoe area as week- meters) of rain fell in some way. q