The nation in brief

Monday, December 10, 2012

— QUOTE OF THE DAY “It’s really wonderful.A new civil right is going to be recognized in this great civil institution.” Mayor Mike McGinn of Seattle, where more than 100 weddings were performed at City Hall on the first day same-sex couples could

wed after Washington’s gay-marriage law took effect Article, this page

Gunman kills 3 on Indian reservation

PORTERVILLE, Calif. - A man shot three people to death and wounded another on a California Indian reservation, and was wounded himself several hours later in an exchange of gunfire with sheriff’s deputies as he tried to flee in a vehicle, authorities said Sunday.

The suspect, 31-year-old Hector Celaya, also is accused of wounding his two daughters, ages 5 and 8, who were with him in the vehicle when he was apprehended about 2 a.m., officials said. It was unclear exactly when the girls were shot. One girl suffered life-threatening injuries while the other girl was less seriously hurt.

Ceyala later died from his injuries, officials said.

A motive for the attacks also wasn’t immediately known.

Authorities apprehended Ceyala about six hours after Tulare County sheriff’s deputies were called, at about 8 p.m. Saturday, to a trailer on the Tule Indian Reservation. Inside, they found the body of a man and a woman; the body of another man was nearby.

Deputies also discovered a wounded young boy, whose condition and age were not known.

The boy, believed to be about 7, was taken to a hospital in Visalia, then on to a second hospital in Fresno.

Deputies found Celaya by tracking his cell phone, and pulled him over in a rural area outside the tiny community of Lindsay around 2 a.m., about 20 miles from the reservation. Celaya fired his weapon, prompting deputies to return fire, sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Douglass said.

Handling of terror suspect questioned

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The attorney for a Southern California terrorism suspect is questioning authorities’ handling of his client, who had injuries to his face and head when he was turned over to the FBI by U.S. military officials in Afghanistan.

When Sohiel Omar Kabir arrived in California last week, he had a broken facial bone, lacerations and memory loss, according to Deputy Federal Public Defender Jeffrey Aaron.

“We think a lot of the injuries occurred during his arrest,” Aaron told the Long Beach Press Telegram. “We’re investigating what happened and why he wasn’t hospitalized.”

Kabir, 34, was captured Nov. 17 by U.S. special forces in Kabul, where he was staying with family members, and held for two weeks by the military before being turned over to the FBI.

FBI spokesman Laura Eimiller said Kabir suffered “combat-related injuries” during his capture. The injuries were treated by American medical personnel and he was cleared to be taken back to the U.S.

Kabir, a naturalized U.S. citizen, is the suspected ringleader of a plot to kill Americans and bomb military bases overseas.

Computer delays flights 2 hours

ST. GEORGE, Utah - SkyWest Airlines says a disruption in its computer network kept its flights throughout the country from taking off for about two hours.

Spokesman Marissa Snow said the system went down about 6 a.m. Central time Sunday and was restored by about 8 a.m. She said that service from the airline’s network provider was disrupted. That kept pilots from getting information about planes, including fuel amounts, weight and balance.

Snow said delays of 90 minutes to two hours were expected on flights throughout the day.

Police review video after boy killed

MERCER, Pa. - A 7-year-old boy had been buckling himself into his safety seat in the back of his father’s truck when he was shot to death after a handgun accidentally went off as his father got in the front seat, police said Sunday.

Joseph V. Loughrey, 44, told police he had been trying to sell the guns Saturday in East Lackawannock Township, 60 miles north of Pittsburgh. He unloaded the magazine at home, but didn’t realize a bullet was still in the chamber, state police Lt. Eric Hermick said. His son, Craig Allen Loughrey, was shot in the chest and died at the scene.

Hermick said Sunday that Loughrey had placed his pistol on the console when the handgun went off. Hermick said police are reviewing surveillance video from the store.

An autopsy was scheduled for Sunday. A message left with Mercer County District Attorney Robert Kochems was not immediately returned Sunday.

Hermick said he doubts there will be charges but that it’s up to the district attorney.

A message left at a telephone listing in the father’s name was not returned.

Front Section, Pages 3 on 12/10/2012