Crime
Ontario police officers did not draw firearms before they were fatally shot: watchdog

By Holly McKenzie-Sutter
Two police officers who died responding to a call at an Innisfil, Ont., home did not draw their firearms before they were shot, Ontario’s police watchdog said Thursday, as grieving friends and colleagues remembered the two men as kind and dedicated.
The Special Investigations Unit had said a day earlier that there was an “exchange of gunfire” Tuesday night between the two officers and a 23-year-old man, who also died in the shooting.
New details emerged from the agency on Thursday, including that a third officer had been at the home.
“Based on preliminary information, the two officers did not draw their firearms when they were fatally shot,” Special Investigations Unit spokeswoman Kristy Denette said in a written statement.
“A third officer who was also at the house exchanged gunfire with the man.”
The South Simcoe Police Service has identified the officers who died as Const. Devon Northrup, 33, and Const. Morgan Russell, 54. The third officer, who hasn’t been named, was not injured, Denette said.
The SIU, which is still investigating, said the three officers were responding to a call from a family member about a disturbance at a home.
The 23-year-old man, who lived at the home, had a gun that the SIU said was a SKS semi-automatic rifle. An autopsy on the man is set for Friday, the SIU said.
The SIU did not name the young man but a source close to the investigation identified him as Chris Doncaster.
Court records show that a Chris Doncaster was charged with mischief under $5,000 in October 2018 and two failures to appear in court. All three charges were withdrawn in June of the following year.
The Department of National Defence confirmed Thursday that a man named Christopher Joseph Doncaster was a Canadian Armed Forces member from May to December 2020.
“He was a private with no deployment history and who did not complete basic training,” the department said.
An Instagram account that uses the name Chris Doncaster featured a photo posted over a year ago that appeared to depict a young man posing on a South Simcoe Police Service jet ski.
Residents who live in the area have expressed shock at what happened. Some said an elderly couple who had an adult grandson lived in the house where the shooting took place.
South Simcoe police said words cannot describe the grief the force is experiencing.
Northrup, a six-year member of the South Simcoe Police Service, worked with the community mobilization and engagement unit, and also served as a member of the mental health crisis outreach team and the emergency response unit. He is survived by his partner and parents, police said.
In 2020, Northrup was given an Excellence in Emergency award by the force for his role in helping a person in crisis.
“The officers can take comfort in knowing they saved this man’s life that day,” an annual report by the police force read.
Russell, a father of two, was a 33-year veteran of the force. He was a trained crisis negotiator and was assigned to uniform patrol, the police service said.
Condolences and memories of the two officers continued to pour in on Thursday.
Flowers were seen placed outside South Simcoe Police’s Innisfil detachment, and a community vigil drew mourners together Wednesday night as the officers were remembered.
“From the flowers and food being dropped off at our stations, to last night’s packed candlelight vigil, to Innisfil Beach Park lit up in blue, to the book of condolence in Bradford, for all the posts and notes of condolence – thank you,” South Simcoe Police tweeted on Thursday afternoon.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving expressed sadness over Northrup’s passing, saying he was “played a pivotal role” at the organization’s York Region Chapter, where he worked as a former treasurer and director at large.
“Devon was a gentle giant with a smile that would light up a room; he will be truly missed,” MADD York Region said in a Facebook post.
Georgian College said in a statement that the school community was “saddened” about the loss of Russell, who graduated from the Law and Security program in 1988.
College president Kevin Weaver shared condolences for Northrup and said flags would be lowered at Barrie and Orillia campuses in their memory.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2022.
Crime
UK finally admits clear evidence linking Pakistanis and child grooming gangs

Quick Hit:
After years of denial and political cover-ups, the UK government has formally acknowledged a disturbing link between Pakistani-heritage men and child grooming gangs. A scathing new review has prompted Prime Minister Keir Starmer to reverse course and launch a full national inquiry into the widespread abuse.
Key Details:
- The Casey Review found “clear evidence” of Pakistani men’s overrepresentation in grooming gangs and accused authorities of ignoring the abuse to avoid accusations of racism.
- Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed over 800 historic child sex abuse cases will be reopened and prosecuted where possible.
- The Labour Party and Prime Minister Starmer were previously opposed to a national inquiry, with critics calling this reversal a politically motivated “smokescreen.”
Diving Deeper:
The British government has finally acknowledged a link between Pakistani-heritage men and the grooming gang epidemic that has plagued communities across England for decades. The admission comes following the release of a damning public review led by Baroness Louise Casey, which uncovered years of institutional failure, racial sensitivity, and political cowardice.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper presented the findings in Parliament, confirming that the Casey Review had “identified clear evidence of over-representation among suspects of Asian and Pakistani-heritage men.” She condemned the systematic rape of vulnerable girls—some as young as 10—and the authorities’ “unforgivable” failure to act.
“The sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes,” Cooper said, noting that too many warnings had been ignored over the last 15 years. She announced that the government would adopt all of Baroness Casey’s recommendations and reopen more than 800 historic cases.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who previously dismissed calls for a national inquiry as “far-right misinformation,” abruptly changed course over the weekend and agreed to a full inquiry with legal authority to compel testimony. This reversal followed mounting pressure from campaigners like Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, Elon Musk, and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage.
Labour MP Sarah Champion, once ousted for raising alarms about Pakistani grooming gangs in her Rotherham constituency, welcomed the inquiry. “There’s a real sense justice has not been handed out fairly,” she said, accusing officials of failing victims for fear of “causing offense.”
The Casey review also pointed to illegal immigration as a contributing factor and called for mandatory ethnicity data collection in child exploitation cases. Critics argue that authorities in Labour-run areas turned a blind eye to the abuse—some allegedly in exchange for votes—treating white working-class girls as expendable while shielding perpetrators.
Former detective and grooming whistleblower Maggie Oliver expressed skepticism, warning that unless the inquiry is led by Baroness Casey, it risks becoming another whitewash. “This is about gross criminal neglect at the top of policing, at the top of government, at the top of social services,” Oliver said.
While the inquiry marks a long-overdue step toward accountability, some warn it may be politically perilous for Starmer. As former head of the Crown Prosecution Service, he held a central role when many of these abuses first surfaced. And with many of the cover-ups tied to Labour councils, the fallout could deepen public distrust in the party.
Crime
Minnesota shooter arrested after 48-hour manhunt

MxM News
Quick Hit:
Vance Luther Boelter, accused of killing former Minnesota State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, was captured Sunday after leading law enforcement on a 48-hour manhunt.
Key Details:
-
Boelter allegedly began his rampage around 2 a.m. Saturday at Sen. Hoffman’s Champlin home, shooting both the senator and his wife, Yvette. The couple survived after emergency surgery.
-
He then traveled to Rep. Melissa Hortman’s Brooklyn Park home, where she was pronounced dead at the scene and her husband died shortly afterward at a hospital.
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The suspect reportedly sent a farewell message to friends before fleeing and was later arrested in a Sibley County field Sunday night.
Sources provided this photo of Boelter from the scene after his arrest. pic.twitter.com/q4F9uPkm53
— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) June 16, 2025
Diving Deeper:
Vance Luther Boelter, the man accused of carrying out a targeted shooting of Democrat lawmakers in Minnesota, was taken into custody Sunday night following a 48-hour manhunt that spanned multiple counties. According to a report from Alpha News, Boelter was arrested in a field in rural Sibley County after evading police for more than a day following the deadly shootings.
Boelter, 57, previously served as an appointee under Gov. Tim Walz and is accused of murdering former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and injuring State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Authorities say Boelter disguised himself as a police officer—complete with a uniform, ballistic vest, and Halloween mask—before launching the coordinated attacks early Saturday morning.
The violence began just after 2 a.m. when Boelter allegedly entered the Hoffman residence in Champlin and opened fire. Both the senator and his wife were struck multiple times. Their daughter, Hope, was reportedly shielded from the gunfire by her mother. The couple’s nephew confirmed that both John and Yvette Hoffman underwent surgery and were listed in stable condition by Sunday.
From there, Boelter allegedly drove to Brooklyn Park and carried out a second attack at the home of Speaker Emerita Hortman. The 55-year-old lawmaker was found dead inside the home, while her husband was transported to a hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Brooklyn Park police officers, alerted by the earlier incident, arrived as Boelter was leaving the Hortman residence. A standoff ensued, with officers briefly cornering the suspect inside the house and opening fire, though Boelter managed to flee.
Boelter reportedly sent a chilling text message to close friends. “David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while,” he wrote. “May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way.”
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