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La. wants part of Voting Rights Act overturned Attorney general argues race-based redistricting is unconstitutional
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP
ABOVE: Rubble is all that is left of the old Lafayette High School buildings as demolition work continues. The new school in the background opened for the first day of classes on Aug. 7. RIGHT: Demolition continues on the old Lafayette High buildings on Friday.
WASHINGTON — Louisiana is now urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule a key section of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional, which would throw out the state’s congressional map that has two minority-majority districts. “The “The Constitution forbids sorting voters by Constitution race. And telling leg- forbids sorting islators drawing maps voters by race. to think about race, And telling but not think too much legislators about race, is an untenable standard,” Louisi- drawing maps ana Attorney General to think about Liz Murrill said after race, but not releasing Wednesday think too much afternoon a 58-page about race, is brief filed with the Supreme Court. an untenable Louisiana had prestandard.” viously defended the LIZ MURRILL, maps, saying they had created them under Louisiana attorney protest when a federal general judge ruled a previous map with one minority district unconstitutional. But, after the Supreme Court asked for arguments on whether Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is constitutional, the state changed direction. “We have consistently argued that the U.S. Supreme Court’s redistricting jurisprudence needs to be drastically changed or overruled,” Murrill said. “By requiring state legislatures to draw maps that sort voters by race, it forces us to violate the
ä See VOTING, page 5A
Missing N.O. boy killed by alligator, coroner says
Two children killed in shooting at Minneapolis Catholic school PROVIDED PHOTO
Bryan Vasquez, 12, disappeared from his home in New Orleans on Aug. 14.
NOPD probes mother, of Sevres Street, where the child’s police response body was found, Kirkpatrick said
BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer
The day after a 12-day, multiagency search to find a missing autistic boy ended with the discovery of his body in a New Orleans East lagoon, another quest has launched to determine where the blame should lie in what NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick has deemed a “failure.” The New Orleans coroner determined Bryan Vasquez, 12, died from blunt force trauma and drowning sustained during an alligator attack. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries was asked to eradicate “nuisance alligators” in the waterway near the 13000 block
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at a Wednesday media briefing. New Orleans police confirmed that Bryan’s mother, Hilda Vasquez, has been served with a search warrant and had her phone confiscated as part of the unclassified death investigation. “We’re looking at all aspects,” NOPD Deputy Superintendent Nicholas Gernon said. “This is a fact-finding mission.” Hilda Vasquez’s criminal history is under review as part of the wider investigation by police and the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services, Kirkpatrick said. “I think that the death of Bryan
ä See MISSING, page 5A
Authorities say a shooter opened fire with a rifle through the windows of building
BY STEVE KARNOWSKI, MARK VANCLEAVE and GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — A shooter opened fire with a rifle Wednesday through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis and struck children celebrating Mass during the first week of school, killing two and wounding 17 people in an act of violence the police chief called “absolutely incomprehensible.” Armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, 23-yearold Robin Westman approached the side of the church and shot dozens of rounds through the windows toward the children sitting in the pews during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School just before 8:30 a.m., Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at news conferences. He said the shooter then died by suicide. The children who died were 8 and 10. Fourteen other kids and three octogenarian parishioners were wounded but expected to survive, the chief said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII
A parent hugs her son during an active shooter situation at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, Minn., on Wednesday.
Fifth grader Weston Halsne told reporters he ducked for the pews, covering his head, shielded by a friend who was lying on top of him. His friend was hit, he said. “I was super-scared for him, but I think now he’s OK,” the 10-year-old said, adding that he was praying for the other hospitalized children and adults.
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ä See SHOOTING, page 5A
101ST yEAR, NO. 59