In brief: Florida SUV driver kills three in parking lot
BRADENTON, Fla. – A 79-year-old woman attempting to maneuver in a Florida parking lot backed into a group of people Sunday, killing three people and injuring four others, officials said.
The accident happened at a mobile home community called the Sugar Creek Country Club at 11:20 a.m. Residents had gathered for church services, Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Gregory Bueno said.
A Florida Highway Patrol report said Doreen Landstra, of Palmetto, backed out of a parking spot, pulled her 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV forward and needed more room to clear another parked vehicle. At that point, she began backing up again and struck seven people.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene, and two others died after being transported to a nearby hospital. The police report identified those who died as Margaret Vanderlaan, 72; Wilhemina Paul, 70; and Johanna Djikhoff, 80. Neither Landstra nor her passenger were injured.
Suspect charged in shooting
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Michigan authorities announced Sunday they have charged a 20-year-old man with shooting a Ferris State University student at his off-campus apartment, while police continued searching for a man they say killed a Michigan State University student near that school.
DeCory D. Downing is charged with attempted murder and having a firearm in a felony, said Ferris State University Public Safety Director Bruce Borkovich.
Downing is from suburban Detroit, isn’t a student at Ferris State and has an “extensive criminal record,” Borkovich told MLive.com.
In East Lansing, police said Sunday that they were still seeking a man who fatally shot one 20-year-old Michigan State University student and wounded another 20-year-old Friday night.
Dominique Nolff, of Middleville, was pronounced dead Saturday morning, about 12 hours after he and his roommate were shot. The roommate, whose name wasn’t disclosed, was treated at a hospital and released.
Friends, fans sing at Seeger memorial
BEACON, N.Y. – Hundreds of friends and fans joined in song Sunday to honor Pete Seeger, doing what the folk singer loved best.
Seeger died Jan. 27 at age 94; no services were planned. But Libby Funeral Home in Beacon held a reception Sunday. By early afternoon, more than 1,000 people had visited the funeral home, where an urn containing Seeger’s ashes was displayed along with photos and Seeger’s wood-splitting maul.
At one point, a packed roomful of people sang “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” one of the early folk ballads penned by Seeger. Seeger and his wife, Toshi, who died in July, lived in Beacon for 40 years.