Beyond the Bricks: Week of 09/30

Paris Stabbings

On Oct. 3, 2019, four people were killed in a stabbing in Paris ; at least one of the deaths is confirmed to have been a police officer. The New York Times reported that the motive and identify of the attacker is unknown. The attacker was killed on the scene by police officials.

The assailant held an administrative role within the police department, and had been with the organization for over twenty years. The attack took place at the Prefecture de Police Paris, which is the Paris Police headquarters. The headquarters is located on an island within the city; police and firemen placed the island on lockdown.

This attack came mere days after thousands of police officers gathered in Paris to protest. The New York Times reported that nearly 27,000 people marched to bring light to the lack of public respect for the police force, as well as the increasing rates of suicides within the police organization.

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, is quoted as saying, “Paris is mourning its own.” She also took to social media where she expressed her condolences via Twitter.

Connecticut Airport Explosion

A World War II-era plane crashed at a Connecticut (Conn.) airport on Oct. 2, 2019. Seven people were killed in the crash, and at least seven others were wounded.

The plane went down around 10 a.m. attempting to land at the Bradley International Airport. According to the Washington Post, there were 13 people on board and all who were killed in the crash were adults. Six of the injured are being treated at Hartford Hospital; at least three of them are in critical condition according to Kenneth John Robinson, chief of emergency medicine to the Washington Post. After the incident, the airport closed for about three hours, leaving hundreds of travelers stranded.

Officials are beginning to sift through the wreckage to try and find a cause of the crash. Jennifer Homendy, a member of the NTSB, the National Transportation Safety Board, stated that the investigation will continue for the next seven to ten days as evidence and data about the crash are collected. A primary report on what happened in the crash will be released once this is compiled.

Vaping Related Illness Update

The national death toll from the vaping related lung illness has reached 17; health officials in New Jersey and Alabama have reported the first deaths in their states, according to CNN. The New Jersey death was that of an adult from the norther part of the state, where as the Alabama death was reported to be an adult from the eastern part of the state.

Virginia health officials also announced a death linking back to vaping related lung illness. Pennsylvania (Penn.) also announced the first vaping related death in their state. Penn. officials shared that there are nine confirmed cases of vaping-related illness within the state.

According to People, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that 805 cases of the vaping related illness have been confirmed.

The exact cause of the illness is unknown as officials are investigating regulated vaporizers and illegal devices and liquids. The New Jersey Health Department is quoted in saying, “to date, there have been no reports of serious lung illness associated with products sold in dispensaries permitted by the New Jersey Medical Marijuana Program.”

The CDC began to closely investigate the cases, and they determined that 67 percent of those affected by the lung illness are 18 to 34 years old. According to CNN, the specific causes of the outbreaks are still unknown, yet health officials are looking at potential clues such as THC-containing products.