2 charged in slaying of Chicago teenager

2 charged in slaying of Chicago teenager

CHICAGO

Two gang members were charged with murder Monday in the death of a 15-year-old honor student who was shot near the Chicago home of President Barack Obama just days after she performed during his inauguration festivities in Washington, authorities said.

The two young men were described by police as “persons of interest” when they were taken into custody early Sunday, a day after first lady Michelle Obama and other dignitaries attended the funeral of Hadiya Pendleton.

Michael Ward, 18, and Kenneth Williams, 20, are charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm, Chicago police spokeswoman Melissa Stratton said. She said police believe both men are gang members.

Manhunt continues

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif.

Authorities in a Southern California ski resort town are searching more than 30 square miles day and night for a fugitive ex-Los Angeles police officer charged with murdering an officer and accused of killing two others last week.

Jodi Miller, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, said Monday that 30 deputies are canvassing the Big Bear area and checking on roughly 600 cabins in the manhunt for 33-year-old Christopher Dorner.

Prosecutors filed a murder charge against Dorner that could bring the death penalty in the killing of a Riverside police officer. He was charged with the attempted murder of three other officers.

Military weighs cuts in drone program

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va.

The Pentagon for the first time is considering scaling back the massive buildup of drones it has overseen in the past few years, both to save money and to adapt to changing security threats and an increased focus on Asia as the Afghanistan war winds down.

Air Force leaders are saying the military already may have enough unmanned aircraft systems to wage the wars of the future. And the Pentagon’s shift to Asia will require a new mix of drones and other aircraft because countries in that region are better able to detect unmanned versions and shoot them down.

If the Pentagon does slow the huge building and deployment program, which was ordered several years ago by then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates, it won’t affect the CIA drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere against terror suspects.

Mall evacuated for fear of roof collapse

LAKE GROVE, N.Y.

One of the biggest malls on Long Island was evacuated Monday because of major roof leaks after a rainstorm followed nearly 3 feet of snow, police said.

The Smith Haven Mall in Suffolk County was cleared by 4 p.m. Monday after significant leaks were detected in more than a dozen stores. Police worried the roof could collapse.

3 die in courthouse shooting in Del.

WILMINGTON, Del.

A gunman who spent years in court battles over custody disputes opened fire Monday in the lobby of a Delaware courthouse, leaving two women dead before being fatally shot, authorities said.

Delaware State Police Sgt. Paul Shavack said the suspect and the women are dead. Mayor Dennis Williams said in a phone interview that one of the women killed was the shooter’s estranged wife, but Shavack said police had not confirmed that.

Associated Press