Here are things to know for Thursday, April 22:
1. 16-year-old accidentally shot to death by another teen playing with gun in east Harris County, deputies say
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A 16-year-old boy is dead following a shooting that occurred inside of a vacant house Wednesday, Harris County Sherriff’s Office confirmed.
Deputies said four teenagers were inside of the home playing with a gun when it went off, accidentally shooting the teen.
The 16-year-old boy was transported to the hospital where he later died, deputies said.
2. Biden to America after Floyd verdict: ‘We can’t stop here’
President Joe Biden said the conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd “can be a giant step forward” for the nation in the fight against systemic racism. But he declared that “it’s not enough.”
Biden spoke Tuesday from the White House hours after the verdict alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, with the pair saying the country’s work is far from finished with the verdict.
“We can’t stop here,” Biden declared.
Biden and Harris called on Congress to act swiftly to address policing reform, including by approving a bill named for Floyd, who died with his neck under Chauvin’s knee last May. Beyond that, the president said, the entire country must confront hatred to “change hearts and minds as well as laws and policies.”
3. Lawyer shifts legal fight from George Floyd to Pamela Turner
The conviction Tuesday of former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin on murder and manslaughter charges for pinning George Floyd’s neck with his knee was already drawing renewed attention to the legal fight in the death of another Black American, Pamela Turner.
Floyd family attorney Ben Crump said after the jury announced it had found Chauvin guilty on all counts that he would be putting on a march for justice for Black women, including Turner, who was fatally shot in 2019 by a police officer in the Houston suburb of Baytown, Texas, after a struggle over his stun gun.
“If you was outraged when you saw the video of George Floyd got killed by the police, then you should be equally outraged when you see the video of how they killed Pam Turner, an unarmed Black woman laying down on her back that he shot in the face, in the chest and in the stomach,” Crump said, adding that the demonstration would take place in a few weeks.
4. 12-foot alligator found in creek near Clear Lake elementary school
A 12-foot alligator was found in a creek near a Clear Lake elementary school.
The gator was spotted on the creek’s bank near North Pointe Elementary School. Officials said the gator was not afraid of people and posed a danger to children who usually walk home from school near the creek.
Parks and Wildlife officials said they are going to release the gator in a preserve in Brazoria County.
5. Crosby woman finds mystery ashes near front yard, working to reunite with family
When one Crosby woman set out to do yard work one day, she never imagined finding someone’s ashes. Now, the woman said she’s determined to solve the mystery and return the remains to their rightful family.
Crosby homeowner Mandy Patrick set out last week to get her yard tidied up. She said she started out by picking up debris from a waterway ditch outside of her home.
She found a wooden heart with an intricate carving of a man’s face. The wooden heart had an opening in the back.
Patrick let people around town know and the mystery grew. No one knew who the man on the heart was. Patrick shared a picture on social media, which she said was shared hundreds of times, but no one recognized who the man was.
She hopes anyone who recognizes this man or his family will contact her on Facebook.
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