In brief: Man enters not-guilty plea in shooting of man and girl

A man accused of shooting a man and 6-year-old girl pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Spokane County Superior Court.

 Abubakar Samura, 21, remains in jail on $500,000 bond and an immigration hold after his arraignment Tuesday before Superior Court Judge Annette Plese.

Samura turned himself in on two counts of first-degree assault April 6 for the March 4 shooting near a home in the 1800 block of East Fourth Avenue.

Matthew W. Woods, 23, was shot in the legs and back, and the girl was shot in the foot while she was inside the home. Spokane police say Woods was at the home with a friend when he heard someone from a home nearby in the 300 block of South Pittsburg Street yell what he understood to be a derogatory statement about their gang.

A confrontation ensued, and Samura shot Woods in the leg, then fired several more times as Woods ran to a nearby home, police say. Three witnesses granted anonymity by police identified Samura as the gunman, according to authorities.

Samura is represented by Chris Phelps.

Police are seeking information about victim of violent attack

Deputies responding to a report of a possible trespasser found the victim of a violent assault, and they’re asking for help to figure out what happened.

 Warren J. Flinn was found in the 300 block of North Lake Road on Sunday, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

Medics and major crimes detectives were called to the scene. Detectives believe Flinn is a transient, and they are looking for information about his previous whereabouts, associates and this assault.

Anyone who’s had contact with Flinn in the last couple of months is asked to call Detective Kirk Keyser at (509) 477-6611.

NOAA report: Orca whale died of trauma, cause unknown

SEATTLE – It’s still unclear what killed an endangered orca that washed up dead on Long Beach, Wash., in February.

A report released Tuesday by NOAA Fisheries says the whale died of physical trauma but the cause of that injury is still unknown.

Scientists investigating the death did not find signs of serious disease-causing bacteria or viruses, and tissue samples were too poor to confirm hemorrhage. The whale washed ashore Feb. 11, and some believe military training exercises may be responsible. But the report says the U.S. Navy reported it didn’t use sonar off the coast around the time of the whale’s stranding. The Army also says it did not conduct exercises occurred at that time.

Scientists are continuing to investigate.