Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
6 Dead Following All-Out Gun Battle Between Police, Shooters That Held Jersey City In Its Grips For Hours
The New York Times: 3 Crime Scenes And 6 Dead: Rampage Stuns Jersey City
The shooting began outside a cemetery in Jersey City, N.J., on Tuesday when a 40-year-old detective tried to intercept two people who were suspects in a homicide. They opened fire and fled, speeding off in a rented truck that had been reported stolen and leaving the detective dead on the ground. They drove about a mile, stopping in a Hasidic neighborhood where dozens of young ultra-Orthodox families have relocated to in recent years. With traffic at a standstill as the police rushed to answer 911 calls about the shooting at the cemetery, the pair invaded a kosher market. (Barron and Gold, 12/10)
The Washington Post: Jersey City Shooting: Six Dead, Including One Police Officer And Two Suspects
Authorities initially said there was “no indication” of terrorism and suggested that the shooters stormed the Jewish market at random. But hours after he addressed reporters on Tuesday, Fulop said on Twitter that an “initial investigation,” which remains ongoing, has led them to believe “the active shooters targeted the location they attacked.” He did not elaborate, but said police have no indication of additional threats. (Thebault, 12/10)
The Associated Press: 6 Killed In New Jersey Gunbattle, Including Police Officer
Video shot by residents recorded loud volleys of gunfire reverberating along one of the city’s main streets and showed a long line of law enforcement officers pointing guns as they advanced, yelling to bystanders, “Clear the street! Get out of the way!” “It’s like firecrackers going off,” said Andy Patel, who works at a liquor store about three blocks away. “They were shooting like crazy. ... The cops were clearing everyone off the streets.” (Porter, 12/10)
Politico: Murphy, Booker Go To Jersey City After Deadly Shootout; Trump Briefed On Incident
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Gov. Phil Murphy, who canceled a trip to a fundraiser in Washington, both arrived in Jersey City on Tuesday evening to speak to police and local officials. In brief remarks, the governor acknowledged “the selfless work of all members of law enforcement who responded to this incident not knowing what they were entering or even if they would make it out.” (Hutchins, 12/10)
In other gun violence news —
California Healthline: Books, Binders, Bleed-Control Kits: How School Shootings Are Changing Classroom Basics
When a student recently opened fire at a California high school, staff members did what they were trained to do. They shepherded students to safe spaces, barricaded doors, pulled shades — and, when gunfire struck, used techniques adapted from the battlefield to save lives. The staffers used two bleeding-control kits in the Nov. 14 shooting in Santa Clarita, in which two students were killed and three injured before the gunman fatally shot himself, said Dave Caldwell, spokesman for the William S. Hart Union High School District. The kits, a recent addition to the district northwest of Los Angeles, are equipped with tourniquets, compression bandages and blood-clotting hemostatic gauze to prevent excessive blood loss. (West, 12/10)
Texas Tribune: Houston Police Chief Calls Out Texas Republicans For Opposing "Boyfriend Loophole" Law After Officer Dies In Domestic Violence Call
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo called out prominent Texas Republicans on Monday for opposing gun restriction legislation to close the so-called "boyfriend loophole" after one of his officers was killed over the weekend responding to a domestic violence call. Arturo Solis, who according to The Houston Chronicle had a previous misdemeanor domestic violence charge against a former girlfriend, should have never had access to a gun in the first place, Acevedo said in a press conference video. (Fernandez, 12/10)
Health News Florida: Groups Seek Green Light For Assault Weapons Ban
Pushing back against arguments raised by Attorney General Ashley Moody and the National Rifle Association, gun-control supporters contend the Florida Supreme Court should sign off on a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at blocking possession of assault weapons. The political committee Ban Assault Weapons NOW, the gun-control group Brady and a coalition of 13 cities filed briefs Friday saying that the proposal meets legal tests to go before voters. (Saunders, 12/10)
