Fox Wilmington WSFX-TV

Wilmington, NC

fox-news/us/us-regions/southeast/virginia

Virginia shop owner calls arrest of employee who shot would-be robber ‘very sad,’ ‘mind-boggling’

By

The owner of a Virginia smoke shop told “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Tuesday night that he is outraged that one of his employees has been charged after fending off a trio of would-be robbers over the weekend.

“They had broken into the store [early Sunday], three men with masks on,” Jowan Zuber told host Tucker Carlson. “The neighbor upstairs said when they broke the window it sounded like a car smashing into the store. The employee said it sounded like a shotgun.”

The employee, identified by WJLA as 33-year-old Hamzeh Abushariah, was sleeping in the store in order to practice social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to Zuber, Abushariah woke up, reached for a pistol and shot at the intruders to “scare them,” hitting one of the three young men.

TRUMP SAYS PREPARE FOR ‘PAINFUL 2 WEEKS’ OF CORONAVIRUS CONTAGION

Zuber told Carlson that when police arrived, he assumed that Abushariah was “in the right” and practicing self-defense, but “the cops [were] treating us like we were the ones that caused the harm.”

Abushariah was charged with malicious wounding, reckless handling of a firearm and violating a protective order, according to a police statement obtained by local blog ARLNow. Arlington Police also told WJLA that the charge of violation of a protective order related to Abushariah reportedly being ordered not to have a firearm.

“It’s very sad for America today as American citizens practice their Second Amendment to protect the store and their lives,” Zuber said. “Do you know what the [responding] police officer told him [Abushariah]? ‘Why didn’t you run out the back door?'”

Zuber added that when he went to the jail to bond out Abushariah, the $25,000 bond was appealed by the prosecutor.

“This is very sad,” he said. “I was born in Arlington, I pay taxes. The gun is registered and everything is perfect. But I can’t believe as American citizens, we are being treated like this. And this gets the criminals out there [thinking] ‘We can go rob stuff, kill people and hurt people and guess what, people have to run out the back door’. This is mind-boggling.”

CLICK HERE FOR CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Zuber went on to say that he was fearing for Abushariah’s health after hearing him coughing heavily after only a short time behind bars.

In a statement Monday, Arlington/Falls Church Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti said that she could not “ethically discuss an ongoing investigation,” but “suffice it to say, there is evidence we are not at liberty to share that support the charges, the decision was not made lightly, and we ask the public not to rush to judgment on what is very much a live investigation.”

Police said in their statement the burglary suspect who was shot by Abushariah suffered injuries that were “serious but not life-threatening.”

“The other two subjects fled the scene on foot prior to police arrival,” the statement said, adding that additional charges related to the breaking and entering are anticipated at a later date.”

Liberty University students ‘want to be here’ despite coronavirus pandemic, Falwell says

By

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox.  Sign up here.

Liberty University this week is preparing to welcome students back to campus as other schools across the country are telling them to stay home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think we have a responsibility to our students — who paid to be here, who want to be here, who love it here — to give them the ability to be with their friends, to continue their studies, enjoy the room and board they’ve already paid for and to not interrupt their college life,” President Jerry Falwell Jr. said, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The school is transitioning to online classes in accordance with Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam banning gatherings of more than 10 people but will allow students back into the dorms and professors will keep on-campus office hours.

Falwell said accommodations were being made for older staff members and those with underlying conditions.

Some lab classes with fewer than 10 students are still being held on campus.

“I think we, in a way, are protecting the students by having them on campus together,” Falwell added, according to the Dispatch. “Ninety-nine percent of them are not at the age to be at risk and they don’t have conditions that put them at risk.”

“I think we, in a way, are protecting the students by having them on campus together. Ninety-nine percent of them are not at the age to be at risk.”

— Jerry Falwell Jr., Liberty University president

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. is seen Nov. 16, 2016. (Associated Press)

Lynchburg city manager Bonnie Svrcek said she was happy the school was moving to online classes but felt “misled” about the dorms reopening after spring break.

Senate poised to pass $2 trillion stimulus/bailout

She said Falwell said on-campus dining services would stay open for international students still in the dorms and some small lab classes would continue.

“The mayor and I thanked him for this shift that we believed meant that students would be told to not come back to campus with a few exceptions,” she told The Daily Beast. “We could not be more disappointed in the action that Jerry took in telling students they could come back and take their online classes on campus.”

Lynchburg Mayor Treney Tweedy called the decision “reckless” and both officials said they were unaware Falwell had planned to reopen the dorms.

“I was very surprised and disappointed to later learn of President Falwell’s most recent decision to allow students back on campus,” Tweedy said. “We are in the midst of a public health crisis. I am concerned for the students, faculty and employees at Liberty University, and I am also very concerned for the residents of the Lynchburg community.”

She said Falwell hadn’t “kept his word.”

Falwell called the mayor’s statement a “cheap shot.”

“She knows better than that,” he said. He said all universities in the area have students on campus but Liberty has more because it’s larger.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

“We think Liberty’s practices will become the model for all colleges to follow in the fall, if Coronavirus is still an issue,” he said added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Virginia teens allegedly recorded themselves coughing on produce in grocery store: police

By

Two Virginia teens allegedly recorded themselves coughing on produce in a local grocery store last week and uploaded the video on social media, police said on Friday.

The incident, which occurred amid heightened panic over the outbreak of COVID-19, took place last Wednesday in Purcellville, about an hour’s drive northwest of Washington, D.C.

Two teens allegedly filmed themselves coughing on produce at a local grocery store last week. 
(usda.gov)

After an investigation, the Purcellville Police Department said they identified the teens involved, notified their parents, and interviewed the subjects.

Police said the teens admitted to their involvement and determined there was no “criminal intent.”

“The investigation concluded the teenagers were getting close to other patrons and coughing into their own sleeves while filming it on their phones,” police wrote in a Facebook post.

The department praised the store’s “swift action” in reporting the incident to police and removing the produce “to ensure the health of store patrons and employees.”

The teens’ identities weren’t released because of their age.

Police used the incident as a precaution for parents to keep a close watch on their kids, who are more susceptible to such behavior during school closures.

FEMA DIRECTOR PROMISES MASKS ARE COMING, BUT IS LIGHT ON DETAILS

“However, we still ask that parents continue to monitor their children’s activities, including social media viewing and posting, and to discourage the promotion of any such fear-inducing behavior,” police said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

More than 30,000 schools in the U.S. have closed in response to the COVID-19 virus. Schools officials have been scrambling to move to online instructions.

Fox News’ Angela Bertorelli contributed to this report.

US Marine tests positive for coronavirus in Virginia, Pentagon says

By

A U.S. Marine assigned to Fort Belvoir, Va., tested positive for the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, on Saturday, making him the first Marine to contract the disease and the third American service member to become infected.

The Pentagon confirmed on Wednesday that a member of the U.S. military tested positive on Wednesday in South Korea, and a U.S. Navy sailor tested positive in Naples, Italy on Saturday. A U.S. Army soldier deployed to Kuwait was also being monitored for coronavirus.

CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS’ COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

The first infected soldier, who is a member of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), is stationed in Daegu. His wife and a small child are among those who were also infected.

Top Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman said the Marine is being treated at a nearby hospital.

US ARMY SOLDIER DEPLOYED TO KUWAIT BEING MONITORED FOR CORONAVIRUS AFTER ITALIAN VACATION, AWAITING TEST RESULTS: MILITARY

“A U.S Marine assigned to Fort Belvoir, VA tested positive today for COVID-19 and is currently being treated at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital,” he wrote. “The Marine recently returned from overseas where he was on official business. Secretary Esper and the White House have been briefed.”

This news comes after a U.S. Army solider deployed to Kuwait was put under observation for fear that he, too, may have contracted the virus.

The soldier was tested and placed in isolation as a precautionary measure while officials wait for the results, said Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Those with whom the soldier has had recent contact have also been screened in accordance with the current guidance from the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” Urban said.

Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Virginia bans conversion therapy for minors

By

Virginia is outlawing the discredited practice of conversion therapy for LGBTQ children.

Conversion therapy is a practice used to try to change sexual orientation or gender identity. Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday he had signed into law that bans licensed therapists and counselors from subjecting minors to the practice. The legislation passed the Virginia General Assembly earlier this year.

Northam, a pediatric neurologist, said he was proud to sign the bill into law.

“No one should be made to feel they are not OK the way they are — especially not a child,” Northam said.

The American Psychological Association has said conversion therapy is not based in science and is harmful to mental health. Many people who have been through it say it deepened feelings of depression and increased thoughts of suicide.

The Virginia law will go into effect July 1.

Super Tuesday cheat sheet: Virginia race at a glance

By

On Super Tuesday, the biggest day of the 2020 election cycle so far, Democrats in 14 states, American Samoa and abroad will cast their ballots for who they want to represent their party in the general election against President Trump. In just one day, 34 percent (1,357) of the pledged delegates for the Democratic National Convention will be assigned in what will likely be a make-or-break day for several presidential campaigns.

Here is a look at the state of the race in Virginia.

Delegates at stake

There are 99 delegates at stake in Virginia’s open primary. Of those, 65 will be divvied up proportionally according to the results in each congressional district, while the other 34 will be assigned based on the statewide total.

2020 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY RESULT

When do polls close? 

Polls close at 7 p.m. EST.

Who won in 2016?

Hillary Clinton beat Bernie Sanders 64 percent to 35 percent in 2016.

Who’s spent the most time there?

Billionaire Mike Bloomberg had spent six days campaigning in Virginia as of Feb. 29.

There are 99 pledged delegates available in Virginia’s Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday.

Who’s ahead in the polls?

The Real Clear Politics average shows Sanders in the lead with 25 percent, several points ahead of Bloomberg and former Vice President Joe Biden. But fresh polling has not been conducted in the last week, which saw Biden decisively win the South Carolina primary.

Key endorsements

Biden secured one of the biggest possible endorsements in Virginia on the Friday before Super Tuesday when Sen. Tim Kaine backed his campaign. Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe has also backed Biden’s campaign.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Key issues

Gun control has been the most divisive issue in Virginia in recent months after Democrats took over the state legislature on promises of gun control. Gun rights supporters, however, have vehemently protested — with over 100 counties and municipalities declaring that they would not enforce new gun laws coming out of Richmond.

Democrats, hoping for a president who will back up their gun control efforts, may place a premium on a candidate’s gun control plans.

Otto Warmbier honored by rock band Bennett Wales & The Relief with new song, plea for justice

By

The song starts fast but leaves a lasting impression and forceful message.

It is called, “Hey Otto,” a rock ‘n’ roll tune honoring Otto Warmbier and serving as a musical reminder of his cruel fate and the unforgiving brutality of North Korea’s Kim Jong Un regime.

“He was only a few years younger than myself,” said songwriter Bennett Wales, the frontman of the group who recorded the song, Bennett Wales & The Relief. “When he was released in a vegetative state it was heartbreaking, and watching a doctored confession on behalf of the North Korean regime that had him read it, tore me up a little bit.”

Wales and his bandmates, a group based out of Virginia Beach, Va., decided they had to get the message about him out in a creative way, using music to touch the nation.

“Music is a very communicative platform, and especially rock ‘n’ roll. Rock ‘n’ roll has a really proud history of standing up for the injustices of the word and especially in individual cases, like Otto’s,” Wales explained. “A lot of people are totally unaware of his story.”

The rock band Bennett Wales and The Relief wrote the song “Hey Otto” to honor Warmbier and call attention to North Korea’s brutality.
(@thereliefva)

Otto Warmbier was a 22-year-old University of Virginia student from Ohio, who was arrested and falsely accused of tearing down a propaganda poster when he was on a student tour of North Korea in 2015. U.S. officials said the regime tortured him and sent him home to Cincinnati in 2017 unable to speak or hear, and in a vegetative state. He died days after his return.

The music video interposed footage of Warmbier, Kim Jong Un, President Trump and North Korean scenes, ending with a smiling photo of Otto showing the dates of his birth and death.

“They broke your body and they sent you home, too little too late you were already gone,” part of the lyrics read. “Nobody seen and nobody heard, and out of sight, out of mind, no justice served.”

The refrain includes the phrase, “I remember and I know who you are, I’ll write your name in the stripes and the stars,” and, “Hey Otto, they got to know.”

JAMES CARAFANO: NORTH KOREA’S CORONAVIRUS PROBLEM AND HOW SECRECY WILL MAKE IT WORSE

“Probably the most rewarding thing was getting a phone call from [Otto’s mother] Cindy Warmbier. She was so gracious and thankful. It was an affirmation that this is why we do it, this is the power that music can have,” Wales said. “The main message is that they are not alone in their grief, not alone in their frustration, not alone in seeking answers and figuring out what happened to Otto, when it happened, and who is responsible and finding those responsible and holding them criminally accountable.”

In a statement to Fox News, Cindy Warmbier said she’s thankful that the band recorded the song. She also said this about “Hey Otto”:

“I interpret the song as a call for accountability on what North Korea did to our son, Otto. Why the Obama administration chose to do nothing, never demanding Otto’s release or ever reach out to help our family. And finally, a call to our current government to fully exonerate Otto and expose the truth about North Korea.”

“My hope is that more people will hear the story and demand answers,” Wales added. “I would like to see some answers and justice for the Warmbiers, for his family and friends who have been trying to find the answers.”

He continued, “This is a young man who had his whole life ahead of him. He was loved dearly by all of his friends and family. He was very successful at school, an awesome guy, and I hope we can find the answers and have some accountability for the people who were responsible.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The song has had more than 100,000 downloads and can be heard on the group’s website, TheReliefmusic.com, YouTube or here.

Besides Wales, The Relief also includes Mike Fischetti on bass, Drew Orton on drums, Brock Bittner on lead guitar and Caleb Little on the organ.

Supreme Court hears Atlantic Coast Pipeline case, Roberts warns of ‘impermeable barrier’ along Appalachian Trail

By

The Supreme Court began hearing arguments Monday on the case that will determine the fate of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline – a 600-mile natural gas project would begin in West Virginia and stretch through Virginia and North Carolina.

A December ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the U.S. Forest Service was not authorized to grant an $8 billion pipeline permit to Dominion Energy Inc., allowing for the natural gas project to cross the Appalachian Trail, West Virginia Public Radio reported.

TRUDEAU CALLS EMERGENCY MEETING AFTER CANADA PIPELINE PROTEST SHUTS DOWN RAILWAY SERVICE FOR THOUSANDS

Chief Justice John Roberts appeared to back the permit in oral arguments in Washington Monday, claiming a ruling in favor of environmental groups would create an “impermeable barrier” along the 2,200-mile-long historic hiking route, Bloomberg reported. The Appalachian Trail, which extends down the East Coast from Maine to Georgia, is on federal land and is a unit of the National Park Service.

Construction on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, developed by Dominion with Duke Energy Corp., was scheduled to begin in mid-2020 and finish by the end of 2021. It was to transport 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day from the Marcellus shale basin in West Virginia to customers in North Carolina and Virginia.

Backed by the Trump administration,  Dominion Energy and Duke Energy asked the high court to overturn a lower court that threw out a permit for the pipeline to cross two national forests, including parts of the Appalachian Trail. Lawyers for Dominion and U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco argued in legal briefs that the U.S. Forest Service has jurisdiction over land in the George Washington National Forest, where a 0.1-mile segment of the pipeline would cross about 700 feet beneath the Appalachian Trail.

Signs that mark the route of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in Deerfield, Va. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to wade into a long-running battle between developers of the 605-mile natural gas pipeline and environmental groups who oppose the pipeline crossing the storied Appalachian Trail. On Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, the high court will hear arguments on a critical permit needed by developers of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

But the Sierra Club and other environmental groups claim that because the Appalachian Trail is considered a unit of the National Park System, no federal agency can grant a right-of-way for the pipeline. Only Congress can approve such a crossing, they argue.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey spearheaded a group of 18 state attorney generals who appealed the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in U.S. Forest Service v. Cowpasture River Preservation Association, urging the Supreme Court to hear the case, West Virginia Public Radio reported.

“We think that the 4th Circuit clearly erred,” Morrisey, said in a recent press conference. “You cannot set up literally an impenetrable federal barrier to economic development, not only under our constitution or a law, but under the statutes, the Mineral Leasing Act.”

Jan. 8, 2019: Protesters hold signs as they turn their backs on a meeting of the Virginia State Air Quality Control Board in Richmond, Va. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to wade into a long-running battle between developers of a 605-mile natural gas pipeline and environmental groups who oppose the pipeline crossing the storied Appalachian Trail. On Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, the high court will hear arguments on a critical permit needed by developers of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

Under the 1920 U.S. Mineral Leasing Act, the Forest Service has no jurisdiction over “lands in the National Park System.”

On Monday, U.S. government lawyers argued the Appalachian Trail route is separate from the land it crosses, warning a ruling in favor of the environmental groups could bear “unintended consequences.” The environmental groups countered, saying the pipeline project could be authorized on private of state land – but not on federal parkland, KYTX reported.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Supreme Court is expected to hand down a decision on the case in upcoming months, KYTX reported. If the decision sides with environmental groups, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline may be rerouted not to cross over the Appalachian Trail.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Virginia Democrats say they have reached a deal on ‘red flag’ gun law

By

Virginia gun control debate could push some counties to join West Virginia

As the debate over stricter gun laws rages on in the state capitol of Richmond, Virginia, West Virginia lawmakers have signed on to new legislation that would accept revolting Virginia counties and towns who want to join the Mountain State. West Virginia Delegate Gary Howell discusses this new legislation and if he agrees with some critics who claim a second Civil War is brewing.

Virginia Democratic lawmakers said Friday they had reached a deal on a controversial “red flag” bill that would allow authorities to temporarily take away firearms from people deemed a threat to themselves or others, a measure that has been strongly opposed by gun rights advocates.

The bill, which has been heavily debated in both the state Senate and House of Delegates, is part of Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam’s gun control package.

STATE SENATOR ON VIRGINIA HOUSE ADVANCING GUN CONTROL BILLS AFTER PROTEST

Democratic Sen. George Baker of Fairfax County said at a House Public Safety Committee meeting Friday that he and his House counterpart, Del. Rip Sullivan, have come to an agreement on their respective bills, The Virginian-Pilot reported.

If the measures pass, a person would not need to be charged with a crime or even accused of one for their gun to be taken away. They would then be granted a hearing within 14 days of having their firearm seized to determine whether they will get it back or lose it for a longer period of time.

Republicans opposed the bill, voicing concerns about people not being able to protect themselves or their homes during the 14-day period while they are waiting for their hearing.

Other bills that passed out of committee Friday include one that would expand background checks and one that would allow Virginians to voluntarily put themselves on a list that would prohibit them from purchasing firearms.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

Virginia has been ground zero for the country’s heated debate over gun control. In November, Democrats flipped the state Senate and the House of Delegates, giving them control of both the governor’s office and the legislature for the first time in a generation.

Following his reelection, Northam vowed to push through new gun control measures, saying it was a top priority for Virginia Democrats. In doing so, he angered gun rights advocates who believe he is trying to take away their rights.

Ex-DIA employee pleads guilty to leaking top-secret info to reporters

By

A former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) employee pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday to leaking classified intelligence information to two reporters.

Henry Kyle Frese, 31, of Alexandria, Va., was a counterterrorism analyst from February 2018 to October 2019 and held top-secret security clearance.

Between the spring and summer of 2018, a reporter published eight articles containing classified information related to the capabilities of certain foreign countries’ weapons systems, according to court documents cited in a press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Henry Kyle Frese has pleaded guilty to the willful transmission of top-secret national defense information.
(Alexandria Sheriff’s Office via AP)

These articles contained information from five classified intelligence reports made available to appropriately cleared recipients in the first half of 2018.

The topic of all of the reports was outside the scope of Frese’s job duties as an analyst covering counterterrorism, the DOJ said. The reporter’s articles contained information derived from the classified intelligence reports, indicating that it had been illegally disclosed and risked damaging national security.

According to court documents, Frese and the reporter lived together from January 2018 to November 2018. Around April 2018, the reporter introduced Frese to another reporter, whom he began texting and speaking with by telephone, according to the DOJ.

NSA LEAKER REALITY WINNER SEEKS CLEMENCY, TURNS IN THOUSANDS OF LETTERS OF SUPPORT

Between mid-2018 and late September 2019, Frese orally transmitted classified information to the first reporter on at least 16 separate occasions, the Justice Department said.

Frese reportedly knew the information was classified at top-secret levels because the intelligence documents from which he had learned the information had visible markings indicating their classified level. The documents he accessed were also stored on secure, classified government information systems, according to the DOJ.

On at least 30 separate occasions in 2018, Frese conducted searches on classified government systems for information regarding the classified topics he had discussed with both reporters. On multiple occasions in 2018 and 2019, Frese conducted searches on classified government systems because of specific requests for information.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Frese violated the trust placed in him by the American people when he disclosed sensitive national security information for personal gain,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers. “He alerted our country’s adversaries to sensitive national defense information, putting the nation’s security at risk.”

Frese pleaded guilty to the willful transmission of top-secret national defense information. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced in June.