In brief: Ambush suspect’s rifle found in woods
CANADENSIS, Pa. – Nine days after a gunman went on a deadly ambush at a state police barracks, authorities said Sunday they have recovered one of the weapons he was carrying and believe they are hot on his trail as he travels on foot through rugged forests in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Investigators said they believe the suspect they describe as a self-taught survivalist had been planning a confrontation with law enforcement for months, if not years.
State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens revealed a few more details about the manhunt for Eric Frein, saying trackers have discovered items he hid or abandoned in the woods – including an AK-47 assault rifle and ammunition they believe he had been carrying while on the run.
Authorities did not yet know if the weapon had been used in the ambush, he said. Still, police believe Frein remains dangerous and possibly armed with a .308 rifle with a scope that police say was missing from the family home along with the AK-47.
Since the Sept. 12 shooting, there have been no confirmed sightings of or contact with Frein, who was placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list after the ambush at the Blooming Grove police barracks that killed Cpl. Bryon Dickson, 38, and critically wounded Trooper Alex Douglass.
The search is focusing on a several-square-mile area on the border of Pike and Monroe counties around the nearby village where Frein grew up, Bivens said.
Wildfires destroy 32 buildings
SAN FRANCISCO – Light rain and cooler temperatures helped firefighters make advances Sunday against a huge Northern California wildfire that has destroyed nearly three dozen structures.
According to preliminary figures, 10 homes and 22 outbuildings were lost in the White Meadows area of Pollock Pines, said Capt. Tom Piranio, a state fire spokesman.
Smoky conditions from the fire also forced a last-minute cancellation of two popular Ironman events in nearby Lake Tahoe Sunday morning, Ironman operations manager Keats McGonigal said. About 3,000 athletes from around the world were expected to participate, but couldn’t due to poor air quality as the fire spread to the Tahoe National Forest northwest of Lake Tahoe over the weekend.
The fast-moving blaze located about 60 miles east of Sacramento started Sept. 13 and grew to more than 128 square miles despite periods of rain overnight. The fire’s size held on Sunday, and the weather helped crews increase containment from 10 to 17 percent, Piranio said.
Delaware bus crash leaves one dead
BEAR, Del. – A bus carrying dozens of people crashed and overturned in Delaware, leaving one woman dead and several other people injured, authorities said.
Officials said the accident did not involve other vehicles and happened around 4:20 p.m. Sunday in the community of Bear in the northern part of the state.
Delaware State Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Shavack said there were 50 passengers on the bus. One woman was killed at the scene, Shavack said, and the 49 others were taken to area hospitals for injuries varying in severity. Of those, three to five people were in critical condition, Shavack said.
3 Afghan soldiers missing from base
CAMP EDWARDS, Mass. – Police and military officials were searching Sunday for three soldiers from the Afghanistan National Army who went missing during a training exercise at a Cape Cod military base.
The Afghan soldiers had been participating in a U.S. Central Command Regional Cooperation training exercise at Joint Base Cape Cod, U.S. military officials said. They arrived at Camp Edwards on Sept. 11 and were last seen at the Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis.
The soldiers were reporting missing by base security personnel on Saturday night. They were identified as Maj. Jan Mohammad Arash, Capt. Mohammad Nasir Askarzada and Capt. Noorullah Aminyar.
Base and exercise officials were working with local and state authorities to locate them. There is no indication the soldiers pose any threat to the public, military officials said.