Suicidal Alabama Dad Kills 4 in Family

(AP) - Authorities say the Alabama gunman who killed 10 people and himself in a rampage yesterday had once trained as a police officer. Michael McLendon, 28, briefly went through officer training in 2003, but didn't complete the requirements to join the force. Investigators still aren't sure what led McLendon to go on the shooting spree in south Alabama. "He cleaned his family out," said one official. More»

Some offer prayers for alleged shooter's family

(NEWSER) - Church attendance was up today in the area around Fort Hood, Texas, where at least one congregation heard a somewhat unexpected appeal. "Lord, we pray for Major Hasan‘s family, who find themselves in a position no one wants to be in—to try and explain the unexplainable," said the chaplain leading the service. The nearest town to the base, Killeen, has one house of worship for every 245 residents, according to the Austin American-Statesman , and attendance at many appeared to be up. More»

(NEWSER) - Robert Gaddy, the longtime friend who called 911 after McNair’s body was discovered, lashed out today at speculation that the late quarterback was getting a divorce. “People need to quit talking about what they don’t know,” Gaddy said. “Mac never said anything to me about he was getting a divorce.” He says McNair and his wife sold their home to buy a new one, not because they were splitting up. More»

Quarterback lied to 20-year-old lover about getting a divorce

(NEWSER) - Sahel Kazemi was a gentle young woman who couldn’t have murdered boyfriend Steve McNair, Kazemi’s sister Sepideh Salmani tells the Tennessean. "She was one young girl who had so many dreams that they never came true," Salmani said. "She would never kill anyone, ever. Or anything. Not even a little bug. I want people to know that." Police believe Kazemi may have shot McNair, 36, before killing herself last week in the apartment they shared. More»

Family was in Baltimore visiting college daughter

(NEWSER) - A troubled Long Island attorney killed his wife, two children and himself in a Baltimore hotel, police said yesterday. "The why and the motive in this is just a big blank right now," said a police official of attorney William Parente, 59, who had an estate and tax planning practice in Manhattan. The parents "loved each other, and they loved those girls," said a Garden City neighbor. More»