Police investigate racially-charged comments in Oklahoma shootings
Alvin Lee Watts and Jacob Carl
England are seen in a combination of undated pictures released by Tulsa County Sheriff's Office
Authorities were investigating
racially charged comments on the Facebook page of a suspect in the shootings of
five black people in Tulsa.Police arrested two white men on Sunday morning, two
days after the shootings killed three people in a mostly black Tulsa
neighborhood.There was no connection between the victims and the suspects and
without a motive, talk of hate crime charges was premature, authorities
said."You could look at the facts of the case and come up with would
appear to be a logical theory, but we're going to let the evidence take us where
we want to go," Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan to old reporters on
Sunday."I certainly couldn't make that determination right
now."Roommates Jake England, 19, and Alvin Watts, 32, were arrested in the
early Friday shootings.Authorities say they don't know which one pulled the
trigger, but are charging both.Shortly before the killings, England had
lamented on his Facebook page that two years had passed since his father was
killed by a black man, whom he referred to with a racial slur."I'm gone in
the head," England wrote.Watts, England's roommate, offered words of
support to his friend in response to the posting.Investigators are unsure to
what extent the killing of England's father played a role in the shootings,
said Tulsa Police Major Walter Evans.Among the dead was one woman, identified
as Dannaer Fields, 49, and two men, Bobby Clark, 54, and William Allen, 31.The
two wounded men, who were not identified, were expected to survive.Oklahoma
authorities have said the suspects will likely face state murder charges.A
handgun was recovered when the pair was arrested at a home in Turley, a small
town north of Tulsa about four miles from the home they shared.A white pickup
truck, similar to that described by a witness, was recovered about 10 miles
from the suspects' house, police said.The vehicle had been burned, they
said.Sometime after the shootings, England posted another Facebook comment
complaining: "people talking (expletive) on me for some (expletive) I
didn't do it just mite be the time to call it quits ... I hate to
say it like that but I'm done if something does happen tonight be ready for
another funeral later."Tulsa City Councilman Jack Henderson said he
believed the two suspects simply had a grudge against black people.If that
proves to be true, he said, he hopes prosecutors pursue twin charges of murder
and committing a hate crime."I think that's probably what will
happen," said Henderson, the only black member of the Tulsa City Council
and whose northside district is where the shootings took place.Before the
arrests, some residents worried about whether it was safe to attend church on
Easter Sunday, Henderson said.Police had few clues in the shootings and pleaded
for help from the public on Saturday afternoon."We were desperate for leads,"
Jordan said.About 10 of the 40 telephone tips received proved helpful, Jordan said.
Renegade North Korean rocket is ready to go
North Korean space
officials have moved all three stages of a long-range rocket into position for
a controversial launch. The country has vowed to go ahead
with the launch in defiance of international warnings against violating a ban
on missile activity.Yesterday foreign news agencies were allowed a look at
preparations under way at the coastal Sohae Satellite Station in the northwest
of the country.North Korea announced plans last month to launch a
communications satellite using a three-stage rocket during mid-April
celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the birth of North Korean founder Kim
Il-sung.Engineers said the satellite would orbit Earth and send back data for
weather forecasts and crop surveys.The US, Japan, Britain and other nations
have urged North Korea to cancel the launch, warning that firing the rocket
would violate UN resolutions and North Korea's promise to refrain from engaging
in nuclear and missile activity.North Korea maintains the launch is meant to
display its scientific achievement.Experts say the Unha-3 rocket scheduled for
liftoff between April 12 and 16 could test long-range missile technology that
might be used to strike the US and other targets.
North Korea has tested two
atomic devices, but is not believed to have mastered the technology needed to
mount a warhead on a long-range missile.Yesterday, reporters were taken by
train to North Korea's new launch pad in the hamlet of Tongchang-ri in North
Pyongan province, about 50km south of the border town of Sinuiju along North
Korea's west coast.All three stages of the rocket were seen in position at the
launch pad, with fuelling due to begin soon, satellite station general manager
Jang Myong Jin said during a tour of the Tongchang-ri facilities.He said preparations
were on track for liftoff and that international space, aviation and maritime
authorities had been advised.Japan and South Korea said they were prepared to
shoot down any parts of the rocket that threatened to fall in their territory -
a move North Korea's Foreign Ministry warned would be considered a declaration
of war.
