House votes to condemn QAnon theory
WASHINGTON -- The House voted overwhelmingly Friday to condemn the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory as the online movement identified as a potential domestic terrorist threat by the FBI has gained traction with some in the Republican Party.
The vote was 371-18 for the resolution sponsored by Reps. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., and Denver Riggleman, R-Va., and came days after Malinowski said he received death threats from QAnon supporters after a false GOP ad accused him of lobbying "to protect sexual predators."
Seventeen Republicans and one independent voted against the resolution condemning QAnon, a pro-Trump conspiracy theory that has been a central vector of misinformation about the coronavirus. Adherents of QAnon believe Trump is battling a cabal of "deep state" saboteurs who worship Satan and traffic children for sex.
In August, Trump gave a boost to the baseless theory, saying that he appreciated the support of its followers, calling them "people that love our country."
QAnon, which took root on anonymous message boards in 2017, has been identified by the FBI as among the extremist views "very likely" to motivate violence. Its adherents, according to law enforcement, have been arrested in numerous incidents, including two murders, a kidnapping, vandalism of a church and a heavily armed standoff near the Hoover Dam.
"Conspiracy theories, just like this one, have fueled prejudice, terrorism, even genocide and today, social media is fanning the flames," Malinowski warned Friday on the House floor.
The resolution "condemns QAnon and rejects the conspiracy theories it promotes," while encouraging the FBI and law enforcement to focus on preventing violence, threats and harassment by extremists motivated by fringe political conspiracy theories.
Police: Funeral home gunfire tied to feud
MILWAUKEE -- A drive-by shooting that left seven people wounded outside a Milwaukee funeral home was not a random attack, but the result of an ongoing feud between two separate parties, according to police.
Officials did not elaborate on the dispute or whether it was connected to the homicide victim that had brought mourners to Serenity Funeral Home on Wednesday.
Shots were fired from a passing vehicle into a crowd that had gathered for the funeral of Braxton Taylor, a 26-year-old whose slaying remains unsolved.
All of the injured, including men and women ranging from ages 20-48, were hospitalized in stable condition, said acting Milwaukee Police Chief Michael Brunson.
Police said they were working with other law enforcement agencies to arrest the person or people who fired the shots, and the FBI has offered a $10,000 reward for information.
Landfill scoured in missing-woman case
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Investigators are searching a Florida landfill for clues in the disappearance of a woman who has not been seen since her toddler was found wandering alone in an apartment complex parking lot in July, the FBI said.
The agency did not provide many details about the Leila Cavett investigation, including how they zeroed in on the Monarch Hill Landfill in Pompano Beach. Cavett is from Jasper, Ala., and had lived in Atlanta before she disappeared during a trip to Florida.
Cavett's mother, Tina Kirby, said the FBI informed her that her daughter is dead. Agents needed Kirby's DNA to analyze apparent blood found on shovels they found while investigating the case.
Shannon Ryan has been arrested and accused of kidnapping Cavett's son, Kamdyn, and lying to investigators. He has admitted to spending the day with her when she arrived in Florida, but denies having anything to do with her disappearance.
Ryan has been ordered kept in custody until his trial. Federal prosecutors have said his Lexus sedan with a missing front bumper was seen at the apartment complex in Miramar where Cavett's son was found.
Ryan's search history suggests that he may have been planning to dispose of human remains, court documents say.
Man held in Fort Worth string of fires
FORT WORTH -- A man was arrested in Fort Worth early Friday on suspicion that he set five overnight fires within a 1-mile radius, targeting everything from vehicles to a dumpster to a commercial structure, according to the Fire Department. The fires didn't result in any injuries.
The incident is a "rarity," with a round of apparently intentionally set fires within such a short distance, Fire Department spokesman Mike Drivdahl said. The suspect's name wasn't released and a motive was unclear. An investigation is underway.
Fort Worth firefighters and police officers detained the man about 3:30 a.m. at the scene of the last incident, a car fire, Drivdahl said.
"We're gonna dedicate all the resources necessary to make sure that, if this suspect did set these fires, that we work with the prosecutor's office and we do everything we can to help them convict them," Drivdahl said. "We have had a rash of arson fires lately."