Law enforcement in Lansing, Michigan, is concerned there may be a serial killer on the loose after five killings were committed in under one year on the same trail.

Earlier this month, police said they were investigating the possibility that a lone killer was targeting the Lansing River Trail, Fox News reported.

Karen Holt, a criminology professor at nearby Michigan State University, told the outlet, “I definitely think we need to be cautious, but we also need to be rational.”

“As someone who studies violence, the first thing that came to mind was the victims and the vulnerability of these victims and the method of the violence,” she added.

“One of the patterns with either single or serial homicide offenders or just violent offenders is that they tend to go after individuals who are particularly vulnerable,” Holt explained.

Authorities said all the victims were homeless men.

Holt said killers sometimes target homeless victims because they “lack credibility,” which possibly “decreases the likelihood that they’re going to be caught.”

The timeline of the killings spans from October 2025 to August 2026. The victims’ ages ranged from 22 to 70, with the cause of death in many cases being either blunt force trauma or stabbing.

Last month, Edward Joseph Smith, 23, was arrested in connection with the stabbing of Daniel Lusk, 22. No motive was released to the public, however, and it is still unclear if he is responsible for any of the other killings.

Holt told Fox News that Lusk’s murder “stands out” because he was the only who was stabbed.

Smith has been charged with murder in that case, but the other cases remain open, according to The New York Times.

Lusk’s father, Dean, said his son was struggling with addiction and had done stints in rehab, as well as prison, but that he visited his son frequently to bring food and clothing. 

“There were incidents that happened down there before my son got murdered,” Mr. Lusk said. “The cops were well aware of it, and they refused to do anything about it.”

Police Chief Robert Backus broached the subject of a possible serial killer during a news conference, saying, “We are looking at the idea — or the possibility — that these may be related cases… But we cannot move forward in an investigation thinking that these are all the same person. We have to look at these on a case-by-case scenario.”

Derick Byrd, 56, reportedly knew some of the victims and had previously stayed along the river trail.

“It’s scary knowing that even if you’re homeless, you can’t even lay out here and go to sleep without somebody beating you,” he said.

Backus announced that temporary cameras were placed along the trail, and the city is weighing whether to install better lighting.

He added that the trail is safe, except during the overnight hours.

The killings began with Gino Chouinard, 54, who was discovered dead on the trail, but his cause of death has yet to be determined.

The next victim, Dennis Dunnebacke, 70, was found under a bridge in July, and his cause of death is also undetermined.

The third victim, Robert Smith, 57, died of head trauma one day after Dunnebacke, and his case was declared a blunt force homicide.

The other two deaths occurred 10 days apart back in August, with both victims being found under bridges like Dunnebacke.

One of the victims was Lusk, and the other was Louis Woodruff, 57, who had severe facial trauma. He passed away on Sept. 1, and his death was ruled a blunt force homicide.

Chief Backus blamed the case delays on a lack of witnesses, limited surveillance footage, and inconclusive or pending reports from the medical examiner.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post ‘Serial Killer’ Concerns Grip Michigan’s Capital as Similarities Are Noted in 5 Recent Deaths appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Former New York Knicks star Amar’e Stoudemire has made a major career move and traded a basketball and the shining lights of stardom for a police badge.

Miami Dade College shared a photo of Stoudemire, 43, following his graduation from the Miami-Dade Police Academy on Wednesday.

“Amar’e Stoudemire, @amareisreal, made his mark on the basketball court. A six-time NBA All-Star, 2003 Rookie of the Year and newly inducted Basketball Hall of Famer, he played for some of the league’s biggest teams, including our very own @miamiheat,” the post on Instagram read.

“Today, he’s celebrating a very different milestone: graduating from the MDC School of Justice Basic Law Enforcement Academy after months of rigorous training. And he’s graduating with special recognition, receiving the Harry “Coach” Everett Award for his contributions to the success of the academy program throughout his training.”

“For Amar’e, this is more than a second career. Becoming a police officer was a childhood dream, inspired in part by family members who served in law enforcement. Now, he will begin a new chapter as a police officer with the Miami Dade Schools Police Department, @miamischoolspd, giving back to our community and serving as a positive influence for the next generation.”

“Congratulations, Amar’e, and to all of graduates from BLE 401! Wishing you continued success as you take on this important responsibility in our community.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Miami Dade College (@mdcollege)

Stoudemire told Sports Illustrated, “It’s something I always wanted to do since I was a kid.”

“I remember back when I was in grade school, elementary school. They asked you on career day, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ And my initial response was a police officer.”

Stoudemire noted that the nearly 11 months in the academy, including intense physical training drills, was very different than his experience in the NBA.

.“Yeah, it was a little bit [more] challenging actually because now I’m running a lot more than I had before,” Stoudemire told the outlet.

“Obviously, in the NBA you run short distances, right? And the police academy, you’re running more long-distance mileage.”

Stoudemire will serve and protect in the county’s school police department.

Miami Dade College shared photos from graduation and congratulated the newest class.

A special day celebrating the graduates of @MDCollege’s @SchoolofJustice Basic Law Enforcement Class 401 and their commitment to serving and protecting our community.

Completing this rigorous training requires discipline, sound judgment, and perseverance. As these graduates enter law enforcement, they take on a profound responsibility to uphold the law, earn the public’s trust, and serve with integrity. Their dedication and commitment will carry forward right here in our community, protecting lives and answering the call when others need them most.

Among today’s graduates was former NBA player Amar’e Stoudemire, now embarking on a new chapter of public service. It was extra special to talk hoops with @amareisreal.

Congratulations to BLE Class 401. May God bless and protect you always.

— Madeline Pumariega (@mdcpresident) October 15, 2026

The post Former Knicks Star Trades Basketball for Badge- Graduates from Florida Police Academy appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The main library in Santa Monica, California is a popular destination for the city’s homeless population.

An outside group was hired to come in and do some tests and found tabletops, computer keyboards and more, tested positive for human feces and even E Coli.

This is your regular reminder that allowing a large homeless population to thrive is a community health hazard.

FOX 11 in Los Angeles reports:

Santa Monica Library facing deep-cleaning demands after alleged discovery of E. coli, fecal matter

Calls are growing for a deep cleaning of Santa Monica’s main library after an outside organization allegedly found fecal matter and E. coli on tables, computer keyboards and other surfaces.

John Alle, with the Santa Monica Coalition, hired an outside organization to collect samples inside the library. He says the results raise concerns about sanitation and safety.

“And what we found is awful,” Alle said.

Dr. Houman Hemmati, a Santa Monica resident and physician, discussed the alleged findings, saying fecal coliforms and E. coli should not be present on those surfaces.

The coalition is also raising concerns about conditions inside the library, pointing to dozens of people lining up outside with blankets and suitcases when the facility opened Monday. The group alleges drug use, pornography and sexual activity inside the building.

“My colleague saw active sex in the restrooms, in the stalls,” Alle said.

Hemmati criticized the city’s handling of the situation, saying Santa Monica puts “the convenience of a handful of homeless people” ahead of residents’ interests, safety and health.

Watch the video report below:

NEW: E. coli and fecal matter allegedly found on tables and computer keyboards at Santa Monica’s Main Library.

The city says it has NOT verified the findings commissioned by @TheSMCoalition.

Now, some are calling for the library to SHUT DOWN for a deep cleaning. @houmanhemmati pic.twitter.com/PVrnNSOHLC

— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) October 13, 2026

Libraries are not supposed to double as housing for the homeless. They’re certainly not built for it.

In this case, the library has been turned into a health hazard. Not to mention that it’s just disgusting.

The post Santa Monica, California Library That’s Popular With Homeless Population Tests Positive for Human Feces and E Coli (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The National Border Patrol Union slammed Democrat-socialist James Talarico for lying about his support for border security.

The BP Union pointed out that James Talarico is lying about calling out the Biden regime for failing on the border.

This is the same far-left extremist James Talarico who said border security funding was “wasting money on dumb things.” Talarico instead supported diverting $800 million in funds away from protecting our US borders.

The Border Patrol Union added, “At least 25 million illegal aliens invaded the US during the 4 years of the disastrous Biden Administration and openly advocating for pathways to citizenship is NOT putting America First and will lead to the destruction of America as we know it. We CANNOT afford another disaster on our borders!”

JAMES TALARICO DOES NOT SUPPORT BORDER SECURITY: Talarico’s false claim that he called out the Biden Administration for failing on the border is nothing more than a #FakeNews political ad. His record shows that he labeled border security funding as “wasting money on dumb things,” and instead supported diverting $800 million in funds away from protecting our borders. He voted AGAINST creating a Border Protection Unit and he has called for “pathways” to citizenship, aka “AMNESTY” for illegal aliens. At least 25 million illegal aliens invaded the US during the 4 years of the disastrous Biden Administration and openly advocating for pathways to citizenship is NOT putting America First and will lead to the destruction of America as we know it. We CANNOT afford another disaster on our borders!
@realDonaldTrump @TrumpWarRoom @RapidResponse47
@RNCResearch

— Border Patrol Union – NBPC (@BPUnion) October 15, 2026

Rachel Ann Palmer Hooper posted Talarico’s voting record on border security. The guy is a liar.

FACT CHECK: James Talarico says, “I’m a border security democrat.”

Is it true? Look at how he voted in the Texas House.

2021: NO on HB 9, $1.8 billion for border security.
2023: NO on HB 7, which created the Texas Border Protection Unit and funded border infrastructure.
2023: NO on SB 4, tougher penalties for human smuggling and stash houses.
2023: NO on SB 3, funding for border barriers and border security operations.
2025: NO on SB 8, letting local law enforcement help with federal deportations.

In 2023, while Texas was putting up barriers to stop the Biden border crisis, Talarico said Greg Abbott was “hunting people” and committing “atrocities.”

And in the same Fox interview where he called himself a border security democrat, he called for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

Talarico found border security the year he needed statewide votes. His record was written before that.

Verdict: He said it. His votes say otherwise.

FACT CHECK: James Talarico says, “I’m a border security democrat.”

Is it true? Look at how he voted in the Texas House.

2021: NO on HB 9, $1.8 billion for border security.
2023: NO on HB 7, which created the Texas Border Protection Unit and funded border infrastructure.
2023: NO on SB 4, tougher penalties for human smuggling and stash houses.
2023: NO on SB 3, funding for border barriers and border security operations.
2025: NO on SB 8, letting local law enforcement help with federal deportations.

In 2023, while Texas was putting up barriers to stop the Biden border crisis, Talarico said Greg Abbott was “hunting people” and committing “atrocities.”

And in the same Fox interview where he called himself a border security democrat, he called for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

Talarico found border security the year he needed statewide votes. His record was written before that.

Verdict: He said it. His votes say otherwise.

— Rachel Ann Palmer Hooper (@RAPHOOPTX) October 15, 2026

The post National Border Patrol Union SLAMS Talarico for Lying About Supporting Border Security – “He Labeled Border Security Funding as Wasted Money” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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They Bought a Warehouse to Shelter the Homeless—Then Paid Security to Keep Them Out

By Christine Bish

Sacramento County’s $64.7 million project raises questions about pandemic spending, years of delay and the decisions that left people waiting.

In California’s capital county, taxpayers financed a troubling contradiction: Sacramento County purchased a warehouse to shelter homeless people, then paid private security while homeless people were kept outside.

I visited and photographed the Watt Avenue property in April 2023. What I witnessed was private security keeping homeless people out of the property the county had purchased to shelter them.

The county’s federal spending records identify Patrol Solutions providing security at the North Highlands Safe Stay site during 2023 and 2024. The county did not announce its groundbreaking until January 23, 2025, more than two years after purchasing the property. [1,2]

The county’s publicized acquisition and construction figure is now $64.7 million. Its website still describes active construction and anticipates residents moving in during late 2026. [3,4]

How did an emergency response become a project that took years to deliver shelter?

“We had to spend it or lose it.”

I questioned former Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost about the purchase. Frost had worked in real estate. I asked her why the county would buy a warehouse for human occupancy when, in my assessment, its ingress and egress would never be approved by the fire department for that use.

Ingress means the way into a building. Egress means the way out, including the escape routes people need during a fire or other emergency. A warehouse’s suitability for storage does not establish its suitability for sleeping accommodations.

Frost’s response was: “We had to spend it or lose it.”

That was the explanation I received for a decision involving millions of taxpayer dollars.

A spending deadline does not establish that a property is suitable, reasonably priced or capable of providing help when people need it. The county’s inspection and feasibility records should show what officials knew before committing public money.

A premium purchase, followed by a different plan

The property at 4837 Watt Avenue in North Highlands, an unincorporated Sacramento County community, sold for $12.45 million in September 2021. About fourteen months later, the county purchased it for $22.8 million. An independent appraisal reportedly valued it at $16.9 million. [5]

The county paid $5.9 million above that reported appraisal.

The public deserves to see the evidence supporting that premium: comparable properties, competing offers, alternative sites and the estimated cost of making the building usable.

The original 2022 environmental filing described sleeping cabins inside the warehouse, bathroom and sprinkler work, a kitchen and outdoor vehicle sheltering. It invoked a shelter emergency to support an environmental exemption. [6]

But the indoor plan changed after the purchase.

The Sacramento Bee’s investigation found that officials favored the property partly because it could accommodate indoor cabins. An architectural review subsequently determined that conversion would cost too much. The Board approved moving the cabins outdoors in August 2024. [5]

Why was the affordability of the intended use resolved after taxpayers bought the building?

The county’s early estimate included approximately $17 million in capital improvements. By October 2024, it described approximately $42 million for construction. Those estimates involved changing scopes, so the difference alone does not establish a contract overrun. It does demand an explanation of what changed, who approved it and which costs were foreseeable. [7,8]

What could have opened sooner?

At the time of the purchase, I recall a 112-bed motel being available. Its availability and suitability should be examined against the county’s acquisition records.

A motel begins with rooms, bathrooms and a building designed for overnight occupancy. Repairs, accessibility improvements and operating requirements still matter. But an existing lodging property deserved a documented comparison with a warehouse requiring extensive conversion.

An RV community with utility hookups, sanitation and managed services also deserved consideration. A campground-style approach would have required infrastructure and oversight, but the relevant questions were practical: How much would it cost? How quickly could it open? How many people could it serve?

Could an alternative have delivered shelter for a fraction of this project’s cost? Where is the analysis?

Sacramento County should disclose which properties and approaches it evaluated, why it rejected them and how speed of delivery factored into the decision.

People died while the project remained unfinished

The consequences of delay extend beyond construction bills.

A Sacramento Bee analysis reported 325 homeless deaths in 2023 and at least 162 in 2024 using coroner records. Its broader investigation placed the combined total at least 500 after including additional deaths it documented. These counts include deaths in hospitals and other locations, not solely outdoors. [9,10]

Those figures do not establish that the Watt Avenue delay caused particular deaths. They establish the urgency of the crisis this project was supposed to address.

People needed shelter during the years officials were planning, redesigning and preparing to build.

The county projects that the campus will serve 18,000 people over fifteen years, using that forecast to describe a capital cost of approximately $3,600 per person. That calculation depends on future use and does not include the complete cost of operating the campus. [3]

People waiting outside cannot take shelter in a fifteen-year projection.

Federal money, local decisions

Federal pandemic relief helped finance this project. Sacramento County’s first-quarter 2026 report lists $43.3 million in cumulative American Rescue Plan Act expenditures for North Highlands Safe Stay. [1]

The $64.7 million publicized campus figure combines acquisition and projected construction. It is not $64.7 million in retrofitting on top of the purchase price. A complete, current ledger is necessary to establish final spending.

One seat on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors has changed since the purchase. The spending and delays continued, and the Board’s responsibility did not disappear with the departing supervisor. In my view, the continuing waste and abuse—and the unanswered questions about possible fraud—demand an independent investigation of everyone responsible for approving and overseeing this project.

Who challenged the purchase premium? Who reviewed the building’s suitability? Who scrutinized the redesign? Who demanded a realistic opening date?

The financial commitment continues beyond construction. Staffing, security, maintenance and services will require ongoing funding. Sacramento County residents deserve to know the full obligation they are being asked to carry for years to come.

I have requested the acquisition, funding, construction, security and operating records. County release notices identify substantial documents, but those records must be reconciled to establish the full cost and responsibility for avoidable expenses.

Because federal funds were used, I am referring my findings for federal review through President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

An independent financial and performance audit should determine which costs were avoidable, whether federal requirements were met and who is accountable.

The county should publish the purchase justification, alternatives analysis, construction changes, security invoices and operator payments. It should disclose when each component first admitted participants and how many people have actually been served.

Sacramento County purchased a property to shelter homeless people, then paid to secure it while those people remained outside.

“We had to spend it or lose it” leaves taxpayers with a question that deserves a public answer:

What did we lose because you chose to spend it this way?

THE BISH REPORT

TRUTH. FACTS. ACCOUNTABILITY.

Sources

[1] County Q1 2026 ARPA report

[2] County groundbreaking announcement January 23 2025

[3] County Watt Safe Stay fact sheet

[4] County project status

[5] Sacramento Bee December 12 2025

[6] CEQAnet October 27 2022 filing

[7] County acquisition release November 2022

[8] County construction update October 23 2024

[9] Sacramento Bee homeless deaths database

[10] Sacramento Bee January 30 2025 investigation

The post They Bought a Warehouse to Shelter the Homeless—Then Paid Security to Keep Them Out appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.