Possible shooting motive

Possible shooting motive

CRANDON, Wis. — A young deputy sheriff who opened fire on a pizza party and killed six people reportedly flew into a rage when he was rebuffed by his old girlfriend and others at the gathering called him a “worthless pig.” A longtime friend told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Monday that 20-year-old Tyler Peterson came to his door in the hours after the rampage and calmly explained what he had done. “He wasn’t running around crazy or anything. He was very, very sorry for what he did,” Mike Kegley told the newspaper, adding that he gave Peterson coffee and food and later called 911. Peterson, a deputy and part-time police officer, later died after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement officers. Whether Peterson was shot by police or took his own life was unclear. The six young people killed in the rampage were either students or graduates of Crandon High School.

Japan extends sanctions

TOKYO — Japan’s Cabinet approved plans Tuesday to extend economic sanctions on North Korea, despite the communist state’s agreement to disable its main nuclear complex by year’s end, the Foreign Ministry said. The sanctions — first imposed in October 2006 after North Korea’s nuclear test and extended in April — include closing Japanese ports to North Korean ships and banning the import of North Korean goods. The Cabinet decided on another six-month extension despite the North’s agreement last week because Pyongyang has yet to take concrete steps to end its nuclear programs, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on customary condition of anonymity.

Abductor sentenced to life

UNION, Mo. — A former pizzeria manager who snatched 13-year-old William “Ben” Ownby off a rural road — a crime that led to the discovery of another missing boy — was sentenced to life in prison Monday as the sprawling case neared an end. Michael Devlin, 41, said little at the brief hearing, the first of several this week in which he is expected to plead guilty to abducting and sexually abusing the boys, one of whom was held captive for four days, the other, Shawn Hornbeck, 15, for four years. Washington County prosecutor John Rupp said Devlin will plead guilty today to kidnapping, abusing and attempting to murder Hornbeck in 2002. Rupp said Devlin kidnapped Hornbeck at gunpoint when the boy, then 11, was riding his bike in the remote town of Richwoods. Devlin also is due in court today in St. Louis County and in federal court in St. Louis by Wednesday. Prosecutors say they expect Devlin will receive multiple, consecutive life sentences.

Ex-leader criticizes U.S.

NEW YORK — Former Mexican President Vicente Fox said Monday that the United States is letting racism dictate its policies, especially when it comes to immigration. “The xenophobics, the racists, those who feel they are a superior race ... they are deciding the future of this nation,” he said, without naming names, in an interview with The Associated Press. In his first interview to promote his new book, “Revolution of Hope,” Fox applauded President Bush’s desire to pass an immigration accord that would allow more Mexicans to work legally in the U.S. But he criticized Bush for failing to pass the promised reform.

No SEIU endorsement

WASHINGTON — None of the Democratic presidential primary contenders will get the endorsement they’ve been fervently seeking from the Service Employees International Union, an especially painful blow to John Edwards. The union said Monday it won’t choose a national candidate for the primary elections, underscoring divisions that had been apparent among SEIU supporters of Edwards and the Democrats he trails in national polls: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Deer gores man to death

BALL GROUND, Ga. — A man who kept exotic animals on his property was killed when a red deer gored him with its antlers, authorities said. The body of John Henry Frix, 66, was found Sunday night inside the deer’s pen on his property. Frix had been gored several times in the upper body by a deer’s antlers, Cherokee County sheriff’s Sgt. Jay Baker said.

Dividing Jerusalem?

JERUSALEM — Two senior Israeli politicians, including the prime minister’s closest ally, talked openly Monday about dividing Jerusalem, signaling a possible shift in Israeli opinion about one of the Mideast’s most contentious issues. The dispute over Jerusalem has derailed negotiations in the past, and the latest comments come at a time when Israeli and Palestinian teams are trying to agree on principles guiding future peace talks.

Associated Press