Children – Headline Smart

8-Year-Old Girl Forced to Live in Shed Before Tragic Death

Samantha Johnson received 15 years and eight months in prison after pleading no contest to voluntary manslaughter and child abuse counts in a case that also drew scrutiny of Alameda County’s child welfare system. MERCED, Calif. — The mother of 8-year-old Sophia Mason was sentenced Thursday to 15 years and eight months in state prison, ending the criminal case against Samantha Johnson in a child death investigation that began when Merced police found Sophia’s decomposing …

‘Babies Will Be Shot’, Man Threatened to Kill Black Preschool Children

Federal prosecutors said Zachary Charles Newell posted racist threats on YouTube, was quickly identified after a Google alert to the FBI and later pleaded guilty before sentencing in Raleigh. RALEIGH, N.C. — A federal judge has sentenced a Newport man to two years in prison after prosecutors said he used YouTube comments to threaten a mass shooting at a Black preschool, closing a case that moved from a tech-company alert to arrest in a matter …

Student Opens Fire on Teacher Before Dying in School Tragedy

Authorities said the 15-year-old opened fire before classes began at a small Comal ISD campus near Bulverde. BULVERDE, Texas — A 15-year-old student shot a teacher at Hill Country College Preparatory High School on Monday morning and then fatally shot himself, authorities said, sending the campus into lockdown and forcing students to reunite with parents at a nearby middle school. No other injuries were reported. The teacher was taken to a San Antonio hospital, and …

Allegiant Passenger Dies Following Wheelchair Fall

The complaint says a rushed boarding process left one assistant and an unsecured chair. LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The family of a 24-year-old West Virginia man who used a power wheelchair has sued Allegiant in Nevada, saying he died after falling while boarding a flight at Huntington Tri-State Airport and that the airline failed to provide safe assistance. The lawsuit grows out of a March 28, 2024, boarding incident involving Hunter Adkins, who had muscular …

5-Year-Old Found Dead as 11-Year-Old Brother Is Charged

Authorities said the case will stay in juvenile court as investigators withhold details because both children are minors. CENTENNIAL, Colo. — An 11-year-old boy has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his 5-year-old brother at a home in suburban Denver, a rare and closely held juvenile case that has left neighbors, classmates and local officials searching for answers. The case matters now because prosecutors have moved from an initial homicide investigation to …

3-Year-Old Drowns in Neighbor’s Koi Pond

Sheriff’s deputies and child welfare officials are investigating after a 3-year-old boy was found face down in a pond while playing outside with other children. PRAIRIE CITY, Ill. — A 3-year-old boy died after he was found face down in a neighbor’s koi pond in western Illinois, authorities said, turning an ordinary Friday afternoon in Prairie City into a death investigation involving sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, medics and state child welfare officials. The case matters now …

Young Boy Found Unconscious Inside Walmart

Police say witnesses saw the boy struck his head before medics rushed him to a Bucks County hospital. TULLYTOWN, Pa. — A Bucks County woman faces felony assault and child endangerment charges after police said her young son lost consciousness inside a Walmart on March 14, following a violent encounter that witnesses reported unfolding in front of shoppers. Authorities said the case turned quickly from a welfare check to a criminal prosecution because officers found …

Fentanyl Found in Barbies Sold at Discount Store

Police in Independence are investigating after fentanyl was found taped inside the packaging of five Barbie dolls sold at a discount store, prompting a same-day search that recovered all of the affected packages and left authorities trying to learn who altered them. The case drew sharp attention because it mixed two kinds of public fear that rarely meet in one police report: toys meant for children and one of the deadliest drugs in the country. …

Man Kills Mom in Front of Her Children, Then Gave Them Candy

A 39-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder after prosecutors said he shot his girlfriend in the back of the head inside her home while three of her children were there, then fled before police caught him nearby. The case moved quickly from a fatal shooting Tuesday evening to a Friday arraignment, but many of the facts that would explain why the woman was killed have not been released. Prosecutors identified the defendant as …

Mass Shooting at Toddler’s Party Leaves Four Dead, 13 Wounded

Four people, including three children, were killed and 13 others were wounded when gunfire erupted Nov. 29 at a 2-year-old’s birthday party in north Stockton, launching a large investigation that, months later, still had not produced arrests or a public account of who opened fire. The shooting tore through a crowded family gathering just before 6 p.m. at a hall on Lucile Avenue near Thornton Road, where officials said more than 100 people had gathered. …