Addurl.nu Onblogspot News: December 2012

Monday, December 31, 2012

Here comes 2013! Sydney is first major world city to celebrate as New Year

Here comes 2013! Sydney is first major world city to celebrate as New Year spreads across the globe

The first major celebration of 2013 has taken place with an extravagant and expensive firework display lighting up the skyline over the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.

An incredible 7 tons of fireworks were fired into the night-sky as Australia's capital welcomed in the New Year with style.

Elsewhere, extravagant displays lit up Hong Kong and Beijing while the increasingly democratic Myanmar - also known as Burma - joined the party for the first time in almost five decades.

Scroll down for video

Central Pacific Ocean island of Kiritimati (Christmas Island) first to usher in the New Year
Sydney saw 2013 at 1pm GMT, with some 1.5 million people attending the city's events
American Samoa will be the last place on Earth to herald in the New Year on Tuesday at 11am GMT
The increasingly democratic Myanmar - also known as Burma - celebrated with its first ever public countdown 




Fireworks explode over and around the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House during New Year celebrations on January 1 

Bright: The Sydney Harbour Bridge looks impressive surrounded by colourful fireworks

 Colourful: Spectator boats in Sydney Harbour look on as the New Year's Eve fireworks erupt over the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Colourful: Spectator boats in Sydney Harbour look on as the New Year's Eve fireworks erupt over the Sydney Harbour Bridge

 Extravagant: Sydney's balmy summer night was lit up by 7 tons of fireworks which were fired from roof tops and barges, many cascading from the Sydney Harbour Bridge
 
 Expensive: The firework display in Sydney cost 6.6 million Australian dollars



V

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Mila Kunis Gets Her Own Naked Photo Scandal



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Hot on the heels of Scarlett Johansson’s leaked nude pics that the FBI is helping her out with, which is ridiculous by the way, Mila Kunis had her own cell phone/email hacked.



Four pictures have been leaked including two of Justin Timberlake. One shows Justin laying shirtless in a bed, another shows Timberlake wearing pink panties over his head, a third photo shows Mila in a bathtub but you can only see her head and the fourth photo is an explicit photo of a mystery man. Hackers have also included text purportedly between Justin and Mila.

One thing you can always count on in this world are celebrities who can’t secure a cell phone. God bless these technological retards. Without their blissful ignorance, we’d never get to see them naked.







Tags:  News, Entertaintment, Hollywood, Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake


Via: from Spnanish Version Noticias 24

Monday, December 24, 2012

Happy holidays for Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi as they enjoy a romantic stroll on the beach in St Barts


Happy holidays for Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi 
as they enjoy a romantic stroll on the beach in St Barts

She's a friend to the stars thanks to her chatshow Ellen - with Jennifer Aniston and Justin Bieber on her Christmas card list.

But when it comes to the holiday season there is just one person Ellen DeGeneres wants to be with - her wife of four years, Portia de Rossi.

The happy couple enjoyed a romantic stroll along the beach together as they soaked up the sun together in St Barts on Monday.

Happy holidays! Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi walk hand in hand down St Jean's Beach in St. Bart's, after having lunch at the Eden Rock Restaurant on Sunday
Happy holidays! Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi walk hand in hand down St Jean's Beach in St. Bart's, after having lunch at the Eden Rock Restaurant on Sunday


All smiles: The talks show host and actress are obviously having a wonderful day
All smiles: The talks show host and actress are obviously having a wonderful day


Dressed in complimentary pale outfits - a cream dress for Portia and a white shirt and trousers for Ellen - the smiling  pair were arm in arm as they chatted and strolled.

They had earlier enjoyed a Christmas Eve lunch at the exclusive Eden Rock Restaurant on the island.

Ellen enjoyed a beer while Portia sipped a glass of wine over their meal.

Splashing good time! The couple enjoy themselves in the surf
Splashing good time! The couple enjoy themselves in the surf



Arm in arm: Ellen and Portia wore matching pale outfits - white for Ellen and cream for Portia
Arm in arm: Ellen and Portia wore matching pale outfits - white for Ellen and cream for Portia




Then Ellen rolled up her trousers as they paddled in the surf.

She didn't quite manage to stay dry, however, getting caught out by a wave.

The mishap amused Ellen, who looked younger than her 54 years as she laughed with Portia, 39.

The previous night Ellen, showed off her showbiz connections as the couple bumped into supermodel Kimora Lee Simmons, 37, and her children Ming Lee, 12, Aoki Lee, 10, and three-year-old Kenzo Lee. 


Tucking in: The couple had earlier enjoyed lunch at the Eden Rock Restaurant
Tucking in: The couple had earlier enjoyed lunch at the Eden Rock Restaurant


Posing for photos they laughed and joked together.

Ellen and former Portia then continued their evening together, popping into Hermes to pick up some last minute stocking fillers.

The couple wed in 2008 and still seem as happy as ever.

They celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary earlier this year, with Ellen hiring a sky writer to mark the event by writing 'four in the sky'.


Idyllic: After their stroll on the beach the pair jumped onboard a private boat
Idyllic: After their stroll on the beach the pair jumped onboard a boat



Hope your comments: ??

Label: Happy holidays

Via: DailyMail

Bruno Mars stays on top of Billboard's "Hot 100"


Bruno Mars stays on top of Billboard's "Hot 100" with 'Locked Out of Heaven'


Bruno Mars appears in a photo posted on his Facebook page on January 25, 2012.
Bruno Mars appears in a photo posted on his Facebook page on January 25, 2012. (Andreas Laszlo Konrath)


December 23, 2012 ( NEW YORK CITY) -- Atlantic recording artist Bruno Mars is standing tall atop Billboard's "Hot 100" for the second consecutive week as "Locked Out Of Heaven" continues its reign at No. 1.


The single -- which marks the Grammy Award-winner's fourth chart-topper -- is featured on Mars' just-released sophomore album, "UNORTHODOX JUKEBOX," which has made its SoundScan/Billboard 200 debut at No. 2 with sales in excess of 192,000 -- marking the singer/songwriter/producer/musician's highest first week sales debut.

"UNORTHODOX JUKEBOX" has exploded to the top spot on the British album charts, making history as the United Kingdom's fastest selling solo album of 2012. The album's phenomenal success follows the equivalent popularity of Mars' now classic 2010 debut, "DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS," which proved the U.K.'s third best-selling album of 2011 and also entered the charts at No. 1.

"Locked Out Of Heaven" is currently sitting at No. 1 on the European Airplay Chart -- making it the most played song on the European continent. The single is also sitting atop Canada's Hot 100 chart. Stateside, "Heaven" marks Mars' fifth single to hit No. 1 on the BDS Pop Songs chart, tying him with Nelly and Justin Timberlake for the most leaders among solo males. "Heaven" is also the 10th single Mars has written, produced, or performed to hit the top 5 on the overall "Hot 100." In addition, the single is Mars' ninth consecutive top 10 hit on the Billboard "Hot 100 Airplay" chart, sealing his already-established status as the male artist with the longest streak of top 10 hits as a performer since his debut.

Along with its overall chart success, "Locked Out Of Heaven" is an undeniable online sensation, spending multiple days at No. 1 on the iTunes Store's "Top Songs" tally. As if that weren't enough, the "Locked Out Of Heaven" companion video clip is also lighting it up at YouTube, drawing more than 43 million streams thus far at Bruno's official channel, www.youtube.com/brunomars.

This Tuesday saw Mars unveiling the next single from "UNORTHODOX JUKEBOX" with a stunning debut performance of "When I Was Your Man" on the season finale of NBC's smash singing competition series, The Voice (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v-8sYPCAf_1o). The track shot to the top 10 on the iTunes Singles Chart within 48 hours of its release, and did so again following Mars' performance on The Voice. "When I Was Your Man" is currently sitting at No. 8 on the iTunes Singles Chart, and an official companion video is currently in production.


Mars' performance on The Voice follows a string of high profile appearances heralding "UNORTHODOX JUKEBOX," including visits to NBC's TODAY, Fox's The X-Factor, CBS' Sunday Morning and their annual The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, and the nationally syndicated The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Additionally, Mars' critically acclaimed turn as host and musical guest on NBC's Saturday Night Live -- the episode that marked this season's highest ratings -- will be rebroadcast on Saturday, December 22nd.

As its title suggests, "UNORTHODOX JUKEBOX" once again sees Mars melding a multitude of musical approaches to create his own distinctive sound. Executive produced by The Smeezingtons, the hit-making production team comprised of Mars, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine, the collection also features contributions from such top producers as Jeff Bhasker (fun., Kanye West, Jay-Z), Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Lil Wayne, Black Lips) and Diplo (M.I.A, Usher).

"UNORTHODOX JUKEBOX" has quickly earned massive critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone hailing the collection as "a record that makes the competition sound sad and idea-starved by comparison." Entertainment Weekly placed the album atop a recent "Must List," claiming Mars "aims his croon at a range of targets -- reggae, soul, Prince-inspired pop -- and hits the mark every time." Billboard summed it up, declaring that the "boldly ambitious and gloriously irreverent 'UNORTHODOX JUKEBOX' is made for -- and gets better with -- as many repeat plays as you can manage."

Bruno Mars is undoubtedly among contemporary pop's most gifted and compelling artists. And with global sales currently certified at 40x-platinum and over 50 million singles sold worldwide, the 14-time Grammy Award nominee has fully proven himself as a true superstar.

Released in October 2010, "DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS" was greeted with both popular success and critical acclaim from all corners of the globe. "The year's finest pop debut," raved Rolling Stone. "Near-flawless...(the album) delivers pleasure without pretension." Fueled by a remarkable string of hit singles, including the multi-platinum ?1 smashes, "Just The Way You Are" and "Grenade," the album instantly confirmed Mars as a major force in modern pop music.

Mars soon racked up a remarkable record of prestigious international awards and nominations, with victories including a "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance" Grammy Award (for "Just The Way You Are"), an American Music Award for "Pop or Rock Music/Favorite Male Artist," a 2012 Brit Award (for "International Male Solo Artist"), two Teen Choice Awards, a 2012 People's Choice Award (for "Favorite Male Artist"), a Soul Train Music Award, two MTV Europe Music Awards, two MTV Music Awards Japan, a BT Digital Music Award, an ECHO Award, and multiple 2011 Billboard Awards including "Top Male Hot 100 Artist of the Year."

As if that weren't enough, Mars received a truly stunning assortment of 2011 and 2012 honors from ASCAP, including the ASCAP Pop Award for "Song of the Year" (for "Just The Way You Are"). In 2011, he was named to the prestigious Time 100, confirming the superstar as one of the most influential people in the world.
 


Nothing ‘Unorthodox’ Here, but Bruno Mars 
Shows His Pop Chops

Bruno Mars shows flashes of great pop music artistry on his sophomore album but borrows heavily from the past. (EPA Photo/Andrew Gombert) 
Bruno Mars shows flashes of great pop music artistry on his sophomore album but borrows heavily from the past. (EPA Photo/Andrew Gombert)    



It is somewhat ironic that the first time I really paid attention to Bruno Mars as a singer-songwriter was when he was performing someone else’s song.

At the MTV Video Music Awards ceremony in 2011, Mars performed the song “Valerie” as a tribute to the recently deceased Amy Winehouse, who made the song written by the Zutons one of her biggest hits.

Backed by a big band, Mars gave an impressive rendition in a throwback style to the early rock ’n’ rollers of the 1950s, showing off his talent and popular music savvy.

Listeners are treated to a similarly impressive performance in his second studio album, “Unorthodox Jukebox,” released earlier this month.

A follow-up to the massively successful 2010 debut “Doo-Wops & Hooligans,” the latest offering from Mars is sure to maintain his place in the popular music stratosphere.

Mars has talent and he is looking after it. Apart from penning his own songs, he also writes for others, produces as part of the production team known as the Smeezingtons, and — as the VMA performance showed — is a genuine and natural entertainer, in contrast to the packaged and produced “stars” that emerge from too many TV talent shows.

“Unorthodox Jukebox” shows Mars as an artist with the ability to span genres and produce memorable, if somewhat formulaic, pop songs.

The title of the album appears to be half true and half false. It’s true that Mars has the ability to be something of a one-man “jukebox” with the variety of songs that he can deliver, but “unorthodox” is really a false description.

Listening to the album, you may find yourself thinking, “This is a time warp and I have been transported back to the early 1980s,” or “This sounds a bit like ...” followed by any number of band names.

A clear case in point is the track “Locked Out of Heaven,” which will surely have Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland thinking that a long-lost Police song had been uncovered and recorded by Mars.

Similarly, the reggae beat and styling of the song “Show Me” would have those who can recall it thinking of the British band Musical Youth — all of this is circa 1982, not 2012.

A sorrowful ballad brings back memories of George Michael, again a recording artist of ’80s vintage. And then Mars takes us further back through the decades — “Treasure” has something of a ’70s Motown feel, while “If I Knew” brings back pop stylings of the ’50s and ’60s.

Mars shows considerable acumen in trawling through the history of late 20th century pop music styles and developments. And is there anything wrong with that? Well, no. The songs sound good, the musicianship is sound and Mars’s vocals are consistently solid. But there’s nothing here that could be called “unorthodox,” as the album title would have us believe.

Perhaps the most unorthodox feature of the album is its lyrical content. Mars uses distinctly adult language in expressing himself. Expletives crop up in unexpected, odd and wholly unnecessary places. Perhaps this alone marks the album as a product of the 2010s.

Another odd feature is the return of Mars’s apparent interest in apes. In “The Lazy Song” video hit from the previous album, Mars is accompanied by dancers wearing chimpanzee masks. The cover of “Jukebox” also features an ape, and one track, “Gorilla” has a lyrical reference to the love life of these primates. All a bit odd — or is that “unorthodox”?

Setting minor quibbles aside, Mars has produced a very commercial, but thoroughly enjoyable, second album that shows his pop sense.


Tags: latest new music, hot new music, Bruno Mars new song

Via: thejakartaglobe
Via: abclocal

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Miss USA Olivia Culpo won the Miss Universe 2012


LAS VEGAS : Miss USA Olivia Culpo, from Rhode Island, won the Miss Universe 2012 title Thursday morning. Janine Tugonon from the Philippines was second, while Irene Esser of Venezuela came third.



Miss USA Olivia Culpo, 20, is from Cranston, Rhode Island, and plays cello. Her parents are musicians and she and her siblings all learned to play various instruments. She has performed with Yo-Yo Ma. She wants a career in film and television.


First runner up is Miss Philippines Janine Tugonon; second runner is Miss Venezuela Irene Sofia Esser Quintero; third runner up is Miss Australia Renae Ayris and the fourth runner up is Miss Brazil Gabriele Markus.

Before the announcement is made, Rancic thanks the judges for making a life-changing decision for the winner. She also thanks Donald Trump, who owns the pageant.

The national costume contest winner is Miss China. In order are Miss Mexico, Miss Netherlands, Miss Sri Lanka, Miss Brazil, Miss Nicaragua, Miss British Virgin Islands, Miss Panama, Miss Peru and Miss Indonesia.

Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes talks about her year and thanks everyone, including her mother.

9:42 p.m.: Timomatic is performing as the Top 5 finalists parade around.

Miss Universe will be announced next.

9:30 p.m.: All eyes are on Miss Universe, says the announcer. OK.

The most difficult part of the competition.

Each one picks a card with the name of a judge. The judge will ask a question.



 

Miss Venezuela's question is from Diego Boneta. She chooses to answer in English, even though there's an interpreter. Unfortunately, I didn't hear the question.

Miss Philippines choses Nigel Barker, who asks since Miss Universe is an international representative, should English be a prerequisite. Again, I didn't hear the answer.

Miss Australia chose Lisa Vanderpump, who asked to what she would say if she were told to lose weight. She said she feels good about herself and if she's asked to lose weight, she wouldn't because she's OK with how she looks. Good for her.

Miss USA chose Ximena Navarette, who asked if she's done anything she'd never do again. She said every experience is something she's learned from, but the thing she did was pick on her siblings while they were growing up. But she doesn't regret it.

Miss Brazil chose Kerri Walsh who said she wears a swimsuit when she competes. She asked if she feels if she's reduced to being a sexual object because of that. Miss Brazil chooses to use the interpreter and says the way they dress should not matter because it's what inside that shows their true self and character.

Ends with a moment of silence for the tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

9:22 p.m.: Another commercial, but this one is for Las Vegas. This one's longer than the others.

The top 5 are Miss Venezuela, Miss Philippines, Miss Australia, Miss USA and Miss Brazil.

9:10 p.m.: Another sponsor commercial within the show.

Rancic has changed into a poofy, glittery ballgown.

Train is performing while all of the contestants parade around in their evening gowns.

Whoops, one of the women nearly ended up in the audience as she stumbled.

Miss Australia, Miss Russia, Miss Brazil, Miss France, Miss Venezuela, Miss USA, Miss Hungary, Miss South Africa, Miss Mexico and Miss Philippines come out in their evening gowns as Jeannie Mai makes comments about the dresses. "Oooh, I love that color."

Another dress, she says she loves the neckline.

"Now this is quite an exotic dress," about Miss Venezuela's dress.

Train lead singer Pat Monahan looks kind of sheepish.

How do you have fun with a dress? Mai says Miss Philippines is having fun with her dress.

OK. Monahan looks a little happier.

Miss Congeniality is Miss Guatemala. Yes, there is a Miss Congeniality in this pageant.

8:55 p.m.: Miss Photogenic Universe is Miss Kosovo.

The Top 10 contestants are Miss Australia, Miss Russia, Miss Brazil, Miss France, Miss Venezuela, Miss USA, Miss Hungary, Miss South Africa, Miss Mexico and Miss Philippines.

Next is the evening gown competition.

Before that competition, each talks a little bit about themselves.

8:40 p.m.: Another sponsor commercial.

OK, so that's how all of the women's hair look so similar -- use Chi products.

Miss Venezuela, Miss Turkey, Miss France, Miss Peru, Miss Russia, Miss Mexico, Miss Poland, Miss Hungary, Miss South Africa, Miss Philippines, Miss Croatia, Miss Brazil, Miss Kosovo, Miss Australia, Miss India and Miss USA compete in swimsuit.

Before they come on stage, all of the contestants in their swimsuits, are in a production number. They're all wearing the same bikinis but in different colors.

The top 16 women wear the same swimsuits as the rest of the contestants, but each wear them in different colors. They start off with a coverup that quickly comes off as they make their way down the runway.

Rancic rattles off trivia about each of the 16 women. Like one of wants to work with poor people, another does charitable work and Miss USA talks about breast cancer awareness.

Next, the Top 10 will be announced.

8:30 p.m.: The judges are announced.

They are Mexican soap opera actor and singer Diego Boneta, Olympian Kerri Walsh, reality "star" Scott Disick, photographer Nigel Barker, stylist Brad Goreski, model Claudia Jordan, baseball player Pablo Sandoval, realtiy star Lisa Vanderpump and Giggy, celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto and model and Miss Universe 2010 Ximena Navarrete.

Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes is announced. She's the first woman from Africa to win the pageant. She's from Angola. Lopes introduced the "costumes" but it was a very short film clip. She said the winner will be announced later.

You can see the "National Costume Show" at http://www.missuniverse.com/

8:16 p.m.: It's product placement time as the sponsors are seen.

The top 16 women are Miss Venezuela, Miss Turkey, Miss France, Miss Peru, Miss Russia, Miss Mexico, Miss Poland, Miss Hungary, Miss South Africa, Miss Philippines, Miss Croatia, Miss Brazil, Miss Kosovo, Miss Australia, Miss India and Miss USA.

Swimsuit is next.

8 p.m.: Live from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, the 2012 Miss Universe Pageant just started.

The women aren't in their fancy costumes from their native countries. Instead, they're in impossibly high heels and very, very short dresses. The dresses all have the same silhouettes, but are in different colors and either have tiny sleeves or spaghetti straps. There's some glitter on every dress.

Whoops, Miss Guam almost fell, but caught herself.

All of the women somehow look alike with the same type of hairstyles. Their hair is either loose and long or in updos.

Hosts Andy Cohen and Guiliana Rancic are announced and we'll see how many times Rancic changes dresses.

Jeannie Mai, someone I've never heard of, is going to be the roving reporter.

Train is the musical guest.


 

Via: Bangkokpost

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Adam Lanza - Video

Connecticut massacre suspect Adam Lanza 
was a 'nice kid,' some say



(CNN) -- He was a 20-year-old man who, by multiple accounts, was incredibly smart and quiet. He didn't appear to have any run-ins with the law.

But Adam Lanza's seemingly innocuous life was thrust into the spotlight when authorities said he perpetrated the second deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.

On Friday morning, Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, dressed in black battle fatigues and a military vest" and began firing, according to a law enforcement source. By the time he was done, 26 were dead -- 20 of them young students.

The bloodshed ended when Lanza's own life did. He was found dead in a classroom with three firearms: a .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle and two pistols, a Glock and a Sig Sauer.

Before Friday's rampage, authorities said, Lanza killed his mother in their home in Newtown's Sandy Hook community.

A yearbook photo of Adam Lanza, taken during his sophomore year in 2008. 
A yearbook photo of Adam Lanza, taken during his sophomore year in 2008.


Comforting survivors: 'Hug them' and 'cry with them'

The mass tragedy left people in the Connecticut town, around the country, around the world asking questions. Who was this man, and why did he do this?

Lanza moved to Connecticut from Kingston, New Hampshire, with his parents and older brother Ryan, according to a booklet for the town's Newtown's Bennetts Farm neighborhood. He enjoyed soccer, skateboarding and video games, the publication said.

In September 2009 -- when Lanza was 17 -- his mother and father divorced, court documents show. What happened after that for him isn't clear, except that he lived in the picturesque, 300-year-old Connecticut town.

His father, Peter, remarried and lived not far from Newtown, an official said. He was questioned by authorities after the shooting. So, too, was his 24-year-old brother Ryan.

Authorities have offered few details about Lanza. He had no known criminal record, a law enforcement official said.

Slain Connecticut principal just implemented new security system

One of Lanza's aunts, Marsha, described him as a "quiet, nice kid," but he had issues with learning, she said. Her husband is Lanza's paternal uncle.

"He was definitely the challenge of the family in that house. Every family has one," she told CNN affiliate WLS. "They have one. I have one. But never in trouble with the law, never in trouble with anything."

She said Lanza's mother "battled" with the school board and ended up having her son home-schooled.

"She had issues with school," the aunt, who lives in Crystal Lake, Illinois, said. "I'm not 100% certain if it was behavior or learning disabilities, but he was a very, very bright boy. He was smart."

Alex Israel was in the same class at Newtown High School with Lanza, and lived a few houses down from him.

"You could definitely tell he was a genius," Israel told CNN, adding she hadn't talked with him since middle school. "He was really quiet, he kept to himself."

Others in Newtown who knew Lanza said they had no idea he'd ever be responsible for such horror.

His former bus driver, Marsha Moskowitz, told CNN affiliate WABC that he was "a nice kid, very polite" like his brother.

"It's a shock to even know (the family)," she said. "You can't understand what happened."

A relative told investigators that Lanza had a form of autism, according to a law enforcement official, who spoke under condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the investigation.

But a national autism committee cautioned against speculating about any link between autism and violence.

"Some public comments have drawn potentially inaccurate and stigmatizing conclusions about a link between the diagnosis and a propensity for violence and lack of empathy," according to a statement from the Autism Research Institute's Autistic Global Initiative Project.

"Autism is not a mental health disorder - it is a neurodevelopmental disorder. ... The eyes of the world are on this wrenching tragedy -- with 1 in 88 now diagnosed, misinformation could easily trigger increased prejudice and misunderstanding."

A former classmate told CNN affiliate WCBS that Lanza "was just a kid" -- not a troublemaker, not anti-social, not suggesting in any way that he could erupt like this.

"I don't know who would do anything like this," the classmate said, before walking away distraught. "This is unspeakable."

How do we stop the violence?

The suspect's father was also at a loss for explanation. He sent his condolences to the families of victims in a statement released Saturday.

"Our family is grieving along with all those who have been affected by this enormous tragedy," he said. "No words can truly express how heartbroken we are. We are in a state of disbelief and trying to find whatever answers we can."



Connecticut school shooting: 
troubled life of Adam Lanza, a fiercely intelligent killer

Adam Lanza was reclusive, painfully shy and intensely bright. He also lived in a house full of guns.

Connecticut school shooting: Troubled life of fiercely intelligent killer
When the news broke that Ryan Lanza, right, was hastily identified as the killer, people who knew the family knew they had named the wrong brother Photo: ENP/AP


Harriet Alexander, David Barrett, Laura Donnelly and Jon Swaine in Newtown

7:36PM GMT 15 Dec 2012

Set on the brow of a gently sloping hill, surrounded by two acres of woodland and well-tended lawns, the spacious property looked like any American family's dream home.

A wide veranda had views across the gardens. A swimming pool, flanked by a white pool house, was round the back of the two-storey building.

Yet behind the front door in the affluent Connecticut community of Newtown, all was not well at 36 Yogananda Street.

Three years previously, in 2009, Nancy and Peter Lanza had divorced after 28 years of marriage. The break up was traumatic, leaving the couple's sons devastated. Ryan Lanza was living away at university, meaning that his brother Adam, four years younger, was left at home alone with their mother at their £350,000 house.

Yogananda Street in Newtown, Connecticut (Rex Features)

He was not well known to neighbours, who describe him as being reclusive and troubled.

And when the news broke on Friday of the murder of 26 people at a primary school in the town, and Ryan Lanza was hastily identified as the killer, people who knew the family knew they had named the wrong brother.

"Adam Lanza has been a weird kid since we were five years old," said Tim Dalton, a neighbour and former classmate, on Twitter. "As horrible as this was, I can't say I am surprised."

"This was a deeply disturbed kid," a family insider said. "He certainly had major issues. He was subject to outbursts from what I recall."

A further family friend said he had acted as though he was immune to pain.

"A few years ago when he was on the baseball team, everyone had to be careful that he didn't fall because he could get hurt and not feel it," said the friend. "Adam had a lot of mental problems."

Lanza's brother Ryan reportedly told police that his sibling had autism or Asperger's syndrome, and a personality disorder.

He gave no details, but anti-social disorder - also known as sociopathy - is the type most closely linked with violence and criminal behaviour.

Studies have suggested that 50 per cent of the prison population meet the criteria for the diagnosis.

Those with such disorders are more likely to embark on impulsive, risk-seeking behaviour, in an attempt to escape feeling empty or emotionally void.

In such cases, they are likely to have little regard for the consequences of their actions, and are unlikely to experience fear.


 Ryan also said that he had not seen him since 2010.

As the news was breaking, Ryan was at work in accountancy firm Ernst and Young, sitting at his desk in Times Square.

To his horror, the 24-year-old found that his name was flashing up on the television news networks, wrongly accused of the massacre. He fled the office, jumping on a bus to return home to the house he shared in New Jersey. Shaken, he told his neighbour in an online message that he thought his mother was dead and he knew who was responsible for the multiple murder.

"It was my brother," he said.

Those on the autistic spectrum have a more limited emotional range and can miss social cues, making it more difficult for them to communicate and feel empathy with others. Difficulties communicating can cause frustration, which can spill over into aggression.

Several studies have found that violence and criminal behaviour are no more common in those diagnosed with autism than they are in the general population.

Asperger's syndrome is a type of autism which is more commonly diagnosed in those with higher than average intelligence.

And Lanza was said by classmates to be fiercely intelligent.

"You could tell he was, I would say, a genius," said Miss Israel. "There was something that was above the rest of us."

He'd correct people's Latin homework, when they were aged around 14, and at 16 was among the list of top students in his English class, studying "Of Mice and Men" and "Catcher In The Rye" - the classic tale of troubled youth.

"It was almost painful to have a conversation with him, because he felt so uncomfortable," said Olivia DeVivo, who sat behind him in English. "I spent so much time in my English class wondering what he was thinking."

"He didn't have any friends, but he was a nice kid if you got to know him," said Kyle Kromberg, now studying business administration at Endicott College in Massachusetts. He studied Latin with Lanza.

"He didn't fit in with the other kids," he said. "He was very, very shy. He wouldn't look you in the eyes when he talked. He didn't really want to lock eyes with you for very long."

He was also a technical whizz kid, keen on computers and video games, and part of a group who would meet up for computer programming get-togethers.

"My brother has always been a nerd," Ryan said, according to Gloria Milas, whose son was a club member along with Adam Lanza.

Catherine Urso, who was attending a vigil on Friday evening in Newtown, said her college-age son knew the killer and remembered him for his alternative style.

"He just said he was very thin, very remote and was one of the goths," she said.

The siblings certainly carved out different paths in life.

Ryan went to university; followed his father into finance; was living with friends in an attractive red-brick property in New Jersey. Indeed, when the tragedy of Friday was unfolding, one of his housemates, Jessica O'Brien, wrote on Facebook: "Do you need anything ready for when you get home? Can I set anything out for you to grab and go? Anything else I can do?"

By contrast, Adam Lanza had few friends and, as a child, went to great trouble not to mix with his fellow students at his state school. A Newtown resident also suggested he was home-schooled for some time.

"I always saw him walking alone, sitting on his own at a table or on the bus. Most of the time I saw him he was alone," said Alex Israel, who was at school with him as a young girl.

"He was really quiet. A little fidgety, uneasy. I think socially he was just going out (into the world) and not making friends with everyone."

Her mother Beth Israel, who lived nearby, said: "I know he had issues. He was a really troubled kid ... a very quiet kid, a shy kid, maybe socially awkward." He was not on Facebook, unusually for any Westerner of his generation, and did not appear in his 2010 High School Yearbook. Instead were written the words: "Camera shy".

Forty miles away from Newtown, in the well-heeled Connecticut city of Stamford, Lanza's father Peter – who was divorced from the boys' mother Nancy – was returning home on Friday afternoon. A highly-qualified academic who a year ago was appointed vice president of taxes for energy investment firm GE Energy Financial Services, Mr Lanza wound down the window on his blue Mini Cooper and asked the person outside his home how he could help her.

"I explained that I'd been told someone at his address had been linked to the shootings in Newtown," said Maggie Gordon, a reporter from the local newspaper.

"His expression twisted from patient, to surprise, to horror."

Mr Lanza had moved out in 2009, remarrying a University of Connecticut librarian in January 2011. He was said to have last seen his son Adam in June. But the painfully shy young man had taken the divorce badly.

"The kids seemed really depressed" by the break-up, said Ryan Kraft, 25, who stayed with Adam when Mrs Lanza went out.

"He would have tantrums," Mr Kraft said. "They were much more than the average kid [had]."

Mr Lanza's lawyer Gary Oberst said: "He was very upset that he was getting divorced, but he didn't want to take it out on anybody.

"He did more than he had to with the divorce. When he came in to consult with me, I said 'This is what your obligation is.' And he said: 'That's not enough. I want to do more.'"

Mr Lanza agreed to pay $240,000 (£148,400) annually to his ex-wife, and Mrs Lanza appeared to live in comfort with Adam. There was also suggestions that she was unable to work.

"She needed to be home with Adam," one family insider said.

Marsha Lanza, aunt to the boys, described Mrs Lanza as a good mother and kind-hearted. Mrs Lanza would host games of dice, or else venture out to visit her neighbours for a glass of wine. The home was immaculate; the swimming pool behind the house well maintained.

But Mrs Lanza was also, according to friends, an avid gun collector.

Dan Holmes, owner of a Connecticut landscaping firm, said Mrs Lanza once showed him a "high-end rifle" that she had purchased, adding, "She said she would often go target shooting with her kids".

The gun used to shoot Mrs Lanza was her own.

Yet, perhaps predictably, the owner of the local rifle range was defiant.

Richard Dravis, who gives shooting training at Wooster Mountain rifle range, 15 miles away from the school, said: "We don't train crazy people. I think that if we would address the mental health issue here we could possibly do something in the future. But we can't count the number of rounds in the magazine of a nut head."

His grandmother was too distraught to speak when reached by phone at her home in Florida, Associated Press reported.

"I just don't know, and I can't make a comment right now," Dorothy Hanson, 78, said in a shaky voice as she started to cry.





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Friday, December 14, 2012

EVIL VISITED THIS COMMUNITY TODAY

Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting: 
Newtown, Connecticut Administrators,  
Students Among Victims, Reports Say





Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting
Two unidentified nuns on December 14, 2012 leave the scene at the aftermath of a school shooting at a Connecticut elementary school that brought police swarming into the leafy neighborhood, while other area schools were put under lock-down, police and local media said. Local media quoted that the gunman had died at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, northeast of New York City. At least 27 people, including 18 children, were killed on Friday when at least one shooter opened fire at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, CBS News reported, citing unnamed officials. AFP PHOTO/DON EMMERT


Authorities in Connecticut responded to a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Friday morning, the local NBC station reports.

Police reported 27 deaths, including 20 children, six adults and the shooter, according to the Associated Press.


Following hours of uncertainty during which many media outlets reported the shooter's identity as Ryan Lanza, an official identified the suspected gunman as Adam Lanza, Ryan's 20 year old brother, according to the Associated Press. Ryan Lanza, 24, is being questioned by police in New Jersey.

Reports say that the gunman carried four weapons, and wore black clothing as well as a bullet proof vest. He died on the scene.
Unconfirmed reports say that principal Dawn Hochsprung and a school psychologist were killed, according to a parent who claimed to witness part of the attack, CNN reported.

Danbury Hospital's emergency room staff has readied its wing for the arrival of an unknown number of victims, a spokeswoman for Western Connecticut Health Network told News Times.

Do you have information on this developing story? Let us know: openreporting@huffingtonpost.com

Reports say that the alleged shooter appeared in the building's main office at about 9:40 a.m., approximately 30 minutes after the school day began.

The initial 911 call said that students were trapped in a classroom with the adult shooter who had two guns, according to WABC.

Students were led single file from the schoolhouse to a nearby fire station. Parents alerted to the catastrophe by text messages and emails sent by the school district arrived hoping to find their children safe.

There are approximately 626 students enrolled in kindergarten through 4th grade classes at Sandy Hook Elementary, with another 46 faculty members, Newtown Patch reported.







By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN, The Associated Press

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — A man opened fire Friday inside two classrooms at the Connecticut elementary school where his mother was a teacher, killing 26 people, including 20 children, as youngsters cowered in corners and closets and trembled helplessly to gunshots reverberating through the building.

The 20-year-old killer, carrying two handguns, committed suicide at the school, and another person was found dead at a second scene, bringing the toll to 28, authorities said.

Police shed no light on the motive for the attack. The gunman was believed to suffer from a personality disorder and lived with his mother in Connecticut, said a law enforcement official who was briefed on the investigation but was not authorized to publicly discuss it.

The rampage, coming less than two weeks before Christmas, was the nation's second-deadliest school shooting, exceeded only by the Virginia Tech massacre that left 33 people dead in 2007.

Panicked parents looking for their children raced to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, a prosperous community of about 27,000 people 60 miles northeast of New York City. Youngsters at the kindergarten-through-fourth-grade school were told to close their eyes by police as they were led from the building.


Schoolchildren — some crying, others looking frightened — were escorted through a parking lot in a line, hands on each other's shoulders.

"Our hearts are broken today," a tearful President Barack Obama, struggling to maintain composure, said at the White House. He called for "meaningful action" to prevent such shootings.

Youngsters and their parents described teachers locking doors and ordering the children to huddle in the corner or hide in closets when shots echoed through the building. Authorities didn't say exactly how the shootings unfolded.

They also gave no details on the victim discovered at another scene, except to say that the person was an adult found dead by police while they were investigating the gunman.

A law enforcement official identified the gunman as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, the son of a teacher. A second law enforcement official said his mother, Nancy Lanza, was presumed dead.

Adam Lanza's older brother, 24-year-old Ryan, of Hoboken, N.J., was being questioned.

The law enforcement official who said Adam Lanza had a possible personality disorder said Ryan Lanza had been extremely cooperative, was not believed to have any involvement in the rampage and was not under arrest or in custody, but investigators were still searching his computers and phone records. Ryan Lanza told law enforcement he had not been in touch with his brother since about 2010.

All three law enforcement officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record about the unfolding investigation.

The gunman drove to the school in his mother's car, the second official said. Three guns were found — a Glock and a Sig Sauer, both pistols, inside the school, and a .223-caliber rifle in the back of a car.

State police Lt. Paul Vance said 28 people in all were killed, including the gunman, and one person was injured.

Robert Licata said his 6-year-old son was in class when the gunman burst in and shot the teacher.

"That's when my son grabbed a bunch of his friends and ran out the door," he said. "He was very brave. He waited for his friends."

He said the shooter didn't utter a word.

Stephen Delgiadice said his 8-year-old daughter was in the school and heard two big bangs. Teachers told her to get in a corner, he said.

"It's alarming, especially in Newtown, Connecticut, which we always thought was the safest place in America," he said. His daughter was fine.

Mergim Bajraliu, 17, heard the gunshots echo from his home and ran to check on his 9-year-old sister at the school. He said his sister, who was fine, heard a scream come over the intercom at one point. He said teachers were shaking and crying as they came out of the building.

"Everyone was just traumatized," he said.

Mary Pendergast, who lives close to the school, said her 9-year-old nephew was in the school at the time of the shooting, but wasn't hurt after his music teacher helped him take cover in a closet.

Richard Wilford's 7-year-old son, Richie, is in the second grade at the school. His son told him that he heard a noise that "sounded like what he described as cans falling."

The boy told him a teacher went out to check on the noise, came back in, locked the door and had the kids huddle up in the corner until police arrived.

"There's no words," Wilford said. "It's sheer terror, a sense of imminent danger, to get to your child and be there to protect him."

On Friday afternoon, family members were led away from a firehouse that was being used as a staging area, some of them weeping. One man, wearing only a T-shirt without a jacket, put his arms around a woman as they walked down the middle of the street, oblivious to everything around them.

Another woman with tears rolling down her face walked by carrying a car seat with a young infant inside and a bag that appeared to have toys and stuffed animals.

"Evil visited this community today and it's too early to speak of recovery, but each parent, each sibling, each member of the family has to understand that Connecticut — we're all in this together. We'll do whatever we can to overcome this event," Gov. Dannel Malloy said.

Adam Lanza and his mother lived in a well-to-do part of Newtown where neighbors are doctors or hold white-collar positions at companies such as General Electric, Pepsi and IBM.

The shootings instantly brought to mind episodes such as the Columbine High School massacre that killed 15 in 1999 and the July shootings at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., that left 12 dead.

"You go to a movie theater in Aurora and all of a sudden your life is taken," Columbine principal Frank DeAngelis said. "You're at a shopping mall in Portland, Ore., and your life is taken. This morning, when parents kissed their kids goodbye knowing that they are going to be home to celebrate the holiday season coming up, you don't expect this to happen. I think as a society, we need to come together. It has to stop, these senseless deaths."


Obama's comments on the tragedy amounted to one of the most outwardly emotional moments of his presidency.

"The majority of those who died were children — beautiful, little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old," Obama said.

He paused for several seconds to keep his composure as he teared up and wiped an eye. Nearby, two aides cried and held hands as they listened to Obama.

"They had their entire lives ahead of them — birthdays, graduations, wedding, kids of their own," Obama continued about the victims. "Among the fallen were also teachers, men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children."

___

Associated Press writers Jim Fitzgerald and Pat Eaton-Robb in Newtown, Samantha Henry in Newark, N.J., Pete Yost in Washington and Michael Melia in Hartford contributed to this report.


Adam Lanza Identified As Suspected Shooter At Sandy Hook Elementary School In Newtown, Connecticut

Adam Lanza has been identified as the suspected shooter in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Conn., the Associated Press reports.

Police initially identified the shooter as Ryan Lanza, the 24-year-old elder brother of Adam Lanza. According to the AP, the error occurred when a law enforcement official transposed the names of the two men.

State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance would not confirm the identity of the suspect in a 5 p.m. news conference, though he said that officials have "tentatively" identified the suspect.

The New York Post also reports that Adam Lanza was the suspected gunman.

At least 27 people -- including 20 children -- are dead following the shooting.



WASHINGTON — The suspect in the Connecticut school shootings is Adam Lanza, 20, the son of a teacher at the school where the shootings occurred, a law enforcement official said Friday. A second law enforcement official says the boy's mother, Nancy Lanza, is presumed dead.

Adam Lanza's older brother, Ryan, 24, of Hoboken, N.J., is being questioned by police, said the first official. Earlier, a law enforcement official mistakenly transposed the brothers' first names.

Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record about the developing criminal investigation.

The first official said Adam Lanza is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

According to the second official, the suspect drove to the scene of the shootings in his mother's car. Three guns were found at the scene – a Glock and a Sig Sauer, both pistols – and a .223-caliber rifle. The rifle was recovered from the back of a car at the school. The two pistols were recovered from inside the school.

The official also said Lanza's girlfriend and another friend are missing in New Jersey.

Meanwhile, former Jersey Journal staff writer Brett Wilshe said he has spoken with Ryan Lanza of Hoboken, who told Wilshe the shooter may have had Ryan Lanza's identification.

Ryan Lanza has a Facebook page that posted updates Friday afternoon that read that "it wasn't me" and "I was at work."


___

Associated Press writers Adam Goldman in Washington and Samantha Henry in Newark, N.J., contributed to this report.


 

Obama: 'Heal broken hearted and bind up their wounds'

US President Barack Obama wipes a tear from his eye 14 December 2012






Labels : Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting: Newtown, Connecticut Administrators, Students Among Victims, Reports Say 

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

WATCH: HORRIBLE Prank Nearly Causes Shark Attack


Shark Attack Prank Video Shows Friends Push Man Into Water, Then Laugh 

 There are some things that friends do: pick you up when you're down, lend an ear and a shoulder when you need it, you know -- friend stuff. Then there are things friends don't do.

Friend Pushed Into Shark

And on the top of the "don't" list? Friends don't push friends into shark-infested oceans, then laugh when the pushed friend narrowly escapes getting eaten.

Enter exhibit "A," prime video evidence one man needs to seek out a new group of friends. In the video, a group of youngsters are skimming along the ocean in a boat when one gets pushed into the water. The shark-infested water. Those in the boat all laugh uproariously as a gigantic creature appears to almost eat their friend.

According to the description provided on YouTube, the video features a Basking shark, a species that's generally considered harmless. Safe or no, there's nothing harmless about the heart attack our young protagonist must have suffered as a result of this cruel prank. 

Via: HuffingTonPost

Friday, December 7, 2012

HORRIBLE ad featuring Ellen DeGeneres and some of Santa’s helpers


One Million Moms attack Ellen DeGeneres new JCP ad





These annoying One Million Moms are at it again….

The conservative group, who is part of the American Family Association, is apparently offended by this HORRIBLE ad featuring Ellen and some of Santa’s helpers. Oh yes…this ad is SO offensive that there’s no way I would let my daughters watch it, or my nieces and nephews….how could some Elf jokes not be offensive?

The group issued a statement saying, “Since April, J.C. Penney’s has not aired Ellen DeGeneres in one of their commercials until now. A new JCP ad features Ellen and three elves. JCP has made their choice to offend a huge majority of their customers again. Christians must now vote with their wallets.”

As a mom….I’d rather have my television filled with more Ellen commercials than the crap that I have to fast-forward through.




Via: Popcrunch

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Jovan Belcher Murder-Suicide Stuns Kansas City Chiefs - Videos

Jovan Belcher's conflicting potrait 
reveals an earnest, hard-working young man

Jovan Belcher will be remembered for one of the most egregious acts ever committed by an NFL player: the fatal shooting of a young mother in front of her own mother, followed by his own suicide in front of a head coach and GM who tried to stop him from further violence. By bringing a loaded weapon to his workplace, Belcher risked several more lives than he took.

Jovan Belcher Commits Suicide At Chiefs' Facility
After Fatally Shooting Girlfriend: REPORTS


 

Jovan Belcher joined the Chiefs in 2009 as an undrafted player from the University of Maine. (AP)

And yet the portrait of him emerging in the aftermath of his inexplicable behavior is one of a 25-year-old man who had a history of making mature choices. That included joining a campus group called Male Athletes Against Violence. As part of the organization, according to USA Today, Belcher would have had to sign a pledge promising to "look honestly at my actions in regards to violence and make changes, if necessary." Even beyond that, Belcher majored in child development and family relations at the University of Maine, where he starred on the football field before jumping to the NFL.

"He's very much in control of himself and comes across very soft-spoken, an absolute gentleman," Maine coach Jack Cosgrove told the Bangor Daily News in 2008. "He's able to blend this quiet confidence, this demeanor, with his passion for learning, becoming a better person, a better student, a better football player."

The NFL is a league filled with celebrities, players who come to prominence as college athletes in the public eye and then become household names across the country. Belcher's story, however, is one of relative anonymity. He got one scholarship offer, to Maine, and he made the most of it, becoming a star and a leader. He went undrafted in 2009, yet still latched on with the Chiefs and became a starter. "I think he's a guy that's impressed us all from early on," then-head coach Todd Haley told the Kansas City Star, "and I think we've got a potential player there. That's a guy that needs to be on the field." He stayed on the field, starting in 10 of 11 games this season. He recently signed a contract worth nearly $2 million.
[Related: Police: Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher kills girlfriend, takes own life]

Belcher's story, up until this weekend, was the stuff of inspiration for boys who choose a big dream and cling to it no matter what. "He was the standard," former Maine defensive coordinator Robb Smith told Sports Illustrated. "He was never a guy in trouble on campus." Belcher's focus seemed unwavering, not only on the field where he became a starting NFL linebacker despite being decidedly undersized at 228 pounds, but also off of it, as he honed his athletic skills in high school wrestling. Anyone who chooses that sport knows it is among the most mentally challenging of all athletic pursuits. Belcher's love of wrestling is another indication of the dedication it took to reach the top of the sporting world. He found time to star on the mat and play four different positions at West Babylon High on Long Island.

"My mother is a hardworking woman," he told the Bangor Daily News. "To see her overcome some things and succeed, it makes me look at things and say, 'This isn't even hard.' "

Police say Belcher killed himself at the Chiefs training facility after killing his girlfriend. (Reuters)

Belcher's high school position coach told the paper how much his former player wanted to impress his mom, both on and off the field. He certainly did that at Maine, winning first-team All-American honors in the Football Championship Subdivision. He also graduated in less than four years. Last year, Belcher became a regional winner of the National Consortium for Academics and Sports' Scholar-Baller Program Academic Momentum Award. He also spent time doing charitable work while with the Chiefs. Former Maine teammate Mike Brusko told the Morning Call his old friend "was like a brother to me."
 Police say Belcher killed himself at the Chiefs training facility after killing his girlfriend. (Reuters)

"He accomplished so many things individually, but he never once talked about himself," Brusko said. "He was always more happy and excited for his friends. It feels strange to talk [about] him in the past tense. It's very difficult."

[Related: Former Belcher teammate writes about Chiefs tragedy]

And yet just as many good things can be said about Belcher's girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, who is now dead at 22. She moved to Kansas City from Texas, and planned to become a schoolteacher before giving birth to a baby girl in September. The argument which led to her death began, according to the Kansas City Star, when Perkins returned late from a concert with friends.

"She was a very good person," a friend told the Star. "I don't know why he'd want to hurt her like that."

They were two passionate people with promising futures. But because of what Belcher has done, their stories are now over. Only troubling questions, fond memories and poignant photos of a beautiful young family are left behind.


 Jovan Belcher Murder-Suicide Stuns Kansas City Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It began like any other Saturday for the Kansas City Chiefs during the NFL season, their general manager and coach at work early to put final touches on this weekend's gameplan. Then they got a call to hurry to the parking lot.

 KANSAS CITY, MO - 2009: Jovan Belcher of the Kansas 
City Chiefs poses for his 2009 NFL headshot at photo day in Kansas City, Missouri. 
(Photo by NFL Photos)

The two men rushed through the glass doors of Chiefs headquarters and came face-to-face with linebacker Jovan Belcher, holding a handgun to his head.

Belcher had already killed his girlfriend and sped the short distance to Arrowhead Stadium, right past a security checkpoint guarding the entrance. Upon finding his bosses, Belcher thanked general manager Scott Pioli and head coach Romeo Crennel for giving him a chance in the NFL. Then he turned away and pulled the trigger.




The murder-suicide shocked a franchise that has been dealing with controversies now made trivial by comparison: eight consecutive losses, injuries too numerous to count, discontent among fans and the prospect that Pioli and Crennel could be fired at season's end.

Authorities did not release a possible motive while piecing together the case, other than to note that Belcher and his girlfriend, 22-year-old Kasandra M. Perkins, had been arguing frequently.

The two of them left behind a 3-month-old girl. She was being cared for by family.

The Chiefs issued a statement that said their game Sunday afternoon against the Carolina Panthers would go on as scheduled, even as the franchise tried to come to grips with the awfulness of Belcher's death.

"The entire Chiefs family is deeply saddened by today's events, and our collective hearts are heavy with sympathy, thoughts and prayers for the families and friends affected by this unthinkable tragedy," Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said in brief a statement.

A spokesman for the team told The Associated Press that Crennel plans to coach on Sunday.

"I can tell you that you have absolutely no idea what it's like to see someone kill themselves," said Kansas City Mayor Sly James, who spoke to Pioli shortly after the shootings.

"You can take your worst nightmare and put someone you know and love in that situation, and give them a gun and stand three feet away and watch them kill themselves. That's what it's like," James said. "It's unfathomable."

Chiefs quarterback Brady Quinn told The Kansas City Star that when the team met later Saturday morning, Crennel broke the news to them.

"It was obviously tough for coach to have to tell us that," Quinn said. "He really wasn't able to finish talking to us. We got together and prayed and then we moved on."

But Quinn said the team was so stunned, it was hard to digest what had happened.

"It's hard mostly because I keep thinking about what I could have done to stop this," he said. "I think everyone is wondering whether we would have done something to prevent this from happening."

The 25-year-old Belcher was from West Babylon, N.Y., and played college football at Maine. He signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent, made the team and hung around the past four years, eventually moving into the starting lineup. He played in all 11 games this season.

The NFL released a statement expressing sympathy and pledging "to provide assistance in any way that we can." The players' association has also been in touch with members of the Chiefs.

"We sincerely appreciate the expressions of sympathy and support we have received from so many in the Kansas City and NFL communities, and ask for continued prayers for the loved ones of those impacted," Hunt said. "We will continue to fully cooperate with the authorities and work to ensure that the appropriate counseling resources are available to all members of the organization."

The drama unfolded early Saturday when authorities received a call from a woman who said her daughter had been shot multiple times at a residence about five miles from the Arrowhead complex. The call came from Belcher's mother, who referred to the victim as her daughter.

"She treated Kasandra like a daughter," Kansas City police spokesman Darin Snapp said, adding that the woman had recently moved in with the couple, "probably to help out with the baby."

Police then got a phone call from the Chiefs' training facility, and Belcher's description matched the suspect description from the initial address. Snapp said officers pulled into the practice facility parking lot in a matter of minutes, in time to witness the suicide.

"Pioli and Crennel and another coach or employee was standing outside and appeared to be talking to him," Snapp said. "The suspect began to walk in the opposite direction of the coaches and the officers and that's when they heard the gunshot. It appears he took his own life."

The coaches told police they never felt in any danger.

"They said the player was actually thanking them for everything they'd done for him," Snapp said. "He was thanking them and everything. That's when he walked away and shot himself."

Members of the Chiefs mostly laid low Saturday, but a few reacted on Twitter.

"I am devastated by this mornings events," Pro Bowl linebacker Tamba Hali wrote. "I want to send my thoughts and prayers out to everyone effected by this tragedy."

A large group of Belcher's friends and relatives gathered Saturday at his boyhood home on Long Island.

His family turned the front yard into a shrine, with a large poster of Belcher, an array of his trophies, and jerseys and jackets from Kansas City, Maine and West Babylon High.

"He was a good, good person ... a family man. A loving guy," said family friend Ruben Marshall, who said he coached Belcher in youth football. "You couldn't be around a better person."

At least 20 people gathered for a large group hug in the driveway.

"He was a tremendous player and all those things, and his accolades speak for themselves, but he lit up when he spoke about his mom, or when he hugged his family after games," said Dwayne Wilmot, who was Belcher's position coach at Maine and is now an assistant coach at Yale.

"It's difficult to talk about Jovan in the past tense," he told the AP. "There's going to be unanswered questions, the why's of this tragedy. It'll never be truly known to us."

Wilmot said he'd stayed in touch with Belcher the past few years through social media.

"He was someone who took genuine pleasure in bringing happiness to others," Wilmot said. "I was so excited when he became a father, because I knew he'd be a great father."

His girlfriend's Facebook page shows the couple smiling and holding the baby.

Belcher is the latest among several players and NFL retirees to die from self-inflicted gunshot wounds during the past few years. The death of star linebacker Junior Seau, who shot himself in the chest in at his California home last May, sent shockwaves around the league.

Seau's family, like those of other suicide victims, donated his brain tissue to medical authorities to determine if head injuries he sustained playing football might be linked to his death. That report has not been released, although an autopsy showed no underlying hemorrhaging or bruises on Seau's brain.

Belcher did not have an extensive injury history, though he was listed as having a head injury on a report from Nov. 11, 2009. Belcher played four days later against the Oakland Raiders.

Earlier this year, the NFL provided a grant to help establish an independently operated phone service that connects players, coaches, team officials and other staff with counselors trained to work through personal and emotional crises. The NFL Life Line is available 24 hours a day.

The season has been a massive disappointment for the Chiefs, who were expected to contend for the AFC West title. They're 1-10 and mired in an eight-game skid marked by injuries, poor play and fan upheaval. During the past few weeks there have been constant calls for Pioli and Crennel to be fired.

It's unknown how the Chiefs plan to pay tribute to Belcher during Sunday's game.

"His move to the NFL was in keeping with his dreams," said Jack Cosgrove, who coached Belcher at Maine. "This is an indescribably horrible tragedy."


God is a DJ T-Shirt