TOP STORIES: ODU shooting update, free bookstore, Trump's Gaza plan
A shooting in an Old Dominion University parking lot last Wednesday left two people dead, and Norfolk police are still investigating the incident. ODU's president released another statement over the weekend to address questions and concerns of safety.
Delanio Vick Jr., 18, and Timothy Williams Jr., 20, died in Wednesday's shooting. This shooting led to an alert being issued to ODU students and staff. It referred to a "suspect at-large" before an all-clear alert was issued — no information was provided on the suspect, leading some to be frustrated.
ODU President Brian O. Hemphill reiterated that there is no "ongoing threat to the public," and to be mindful of "discussion and speculation" while the Norfolk police continue to investigate the incident. News 3 spoke with Vick Jr.'s family, and they believe he was let down by law enforcement and "ambushed" by another person.
"My son called me and told me the police were up there and hope that they would do their job and take the person away and they didn't," said Delanio Vick Sr. "They left the person there knowing it was a violent situation."
ODU shares statement to address concerns after deadly parking lot shootingLast year, The Big Free Bookstore gave out 151,000 books worth $1.7 million. This bookstore was initially intended to be open for just a month, but the positive response inspired leaders to invest in this initiative.
This store is located in Norfolk's JANAF Shopping Yard, and as their website states, "there is no catch." It functions as a food bank for books, providing children with free, new books without any strings attached.
Dr. Jennifer Goff is the executive director of Reach Inc., the nonprofit that runs the bookstore. Aside from the store, Reach also runs a warehouse that distributes books to other charities and community groups. Dr. Goff believes this kind of outreach is key to a child’s social and emotional development.
"I think one of the best things about a book is the ability to just travel when you might not have the ability to leave your neighborhood," Goff said.
President Donald Trump continues to push for U.S. ownership of the Gaza Strip as the ceasefire deal faces turbulence. Foreign ministers from Arab nations are meeting in Egypt on Monday to discuss Trump's proposal.
Many countries adjacent to Israel, such as Egypt, have rejected Trump's plan to convert the Gaza Strip into a tourist destination. They refer to this plan, which would displace millions of Palestinians already negatively impacted by Israel's bombing campaign, as ethnic cleansing. Trump argues that the displaced Palestinians would have a higher standard of living elsewhere.
This all happens as Israel issued a stoppage of the entry of all goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip on Sunday. Israeli officials warned of “additional consequences” if Hamas doesn’t accept a new proposal to extend a fragile ceasefire, while mediators from Egypt accused Israel of using “starvation as a weapon.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has facilitated the releases of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, said the ceasefire has saved countless lives, and “any unraveling of the forward momentum created over the last six weeks risks plunging people back into despair.”
This morning's weather: Chilly start, looking at possible midweek rain
Forecaster Derrah Getter says It will be another chilly start to your Monday with afternoon highs only reaching the mid 40s. We get warmer heading into the middle of the week. High temperatures will be back near 70 degrees by Wednesday.
Rain moves in Wednesday afternoon and exits by Thursday morning. Milder conditions return for the end of the work week with temperatures moderating closer to average.
For the latest weather updates, watch Derrah live on News 3 This Morning here.
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For the latest traffic updates, watch Conor live on News 3 This Morning here.
We Follow Through: 'Cash Now Act' inspired by News 3 investigation
A WTKR News 3 investigation into how the Virginia Department of Treasury handles unclaimed property prompted lawmakers to make change.
Unclaimed property is defined in Virginia as "money, stocks, bonds, dividends, utility deposits, insurance proceeds, tangible property and more."
The new bill, HB 1606, introduced by Del. Phil Hernandez, would allow the Department of Treasury to automatically send out checks to people who are owed $5,000 or less without them having to file a claim online.
Watch previous coverage: Potential changes to law coming to Virginia's unclaimed property
Potential changes to law coming to Virginia's unclaimed property process after News 3 investigationCurrently, if you have to search your name online, and file a claim with the Department of Treasury to get your money back. Over a year ago, News 3 started investigatinghow the State Treasurer’s office handles unclaimed property and compared it to how other states return it to the rightful owners.
A follow-up News 3 investigation revealed that the State Treasurer's office actually has $3.6 billion in public money – not the $2 billion that they had repeatedly told us. That total has now gone up to $3.8 billion dollars.
State Treasurer David Richardson previously told News 3 there was no way they could return the majority of the $3.8 billion because people are either dead or the state doesn’t have enough details about who they are.
House Bill 1606 will now be sent to the governor for his approval. If he signs it, the law would take effect immediately instead of in July.
We have a crew covering this today. Watch the story on News 3 starting at 6 p.m. here.
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