Weapons & Guns

Rep. Elissa Slotkin says the latest mass shooting in Michigan has her full of rage -- and she's hoping this one is the tipping point for Congress to pass common sense gun laws.

We talked to the Congresswoman -- who represents Michigan's 7th district, encompassing Michigan State University, where 3 students were gunned down Monday -- and she said, sadly, it was like déjà vu. She cited the 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School, also in her district.

Rep. Slotkin told us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" ... although her community has experienced this in the recent past, the same gut-wrenching feelings were sparked anew as she and her team got reports of the gunman.

Obviously, she's working with her constituents as they process this tragedy -- but in terms of where to go from here ... Rep. Slotkin says she's still in favor of pushing through bills that'd hopefully help deter such shootings.

She says the fact this shooter -- Anthony McRae -- was a convicted felon who clearly had issues is a red flag that should've popped up in background checks, and he never should've had a gun. The congresswoman also says most Americans are on board with this idea -- realizing that enforcing these kinds of policies doesn't infringe on the 2nd amendment.

The congresswoman also fielded a truly hard question -- what to do about people who are out for vengeance and hell-bent on using a gun? In other words, if bad people are insistent on doing bad things -- legally or illegally -- can we really fight this phenomenon???

It's a tough situation, but Rep. Slotkin still believes this type of festering anger in people -- which leads them to such heinous acts -- can be weeded out from the ground up.

Families are left devastated after a mass shooting at Michigan State University ... and "Flavor of Love" star Deelishis says her niece was among the 3 students killed.

Deelishis first posted Monday night, asking her followers to help locate her niece in the chaos following initial reports of the shooting. She wrote, "My beautiful niece @ariellediamond_ is a student at MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY… she was in her classroom in the same building as the active shooter and we have not heard from her."

She continued, "If you know her whereabouts please dm me … in the meantime my family and I ask for your prayers 🙏🏼❤️‼️ #MichiganStateUniversity #ArielleDiamond"

Unfortunately, her niece Arielle never made it out ... the reality star later pinned a comment by another family member that said, "my sweet beautiful niece... RIP baby girl".

As we reported, a gunman -- identified by police by police as Anthony McRae -- went on a shooting rampage at MSU Monday night ... killing 3 students and critically injuring 5 others.

Hours later, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Right now, cops are investigating the incident and have not yet found a motive for the tragedy.

The Michigan State Spartans community is showing an outpour of support for the university as it deals with the aftermath of Monday's mass shooting ... with alums like Magic Johnson, Le'Veon Bell and more sharing their condolences.

"Cookie & I are devastated to hear about the news of a shooting on Michigan State’s campus," Magic tweeted shortly after news broke of the tragedy. "We are praying for the victims, their families, students, faculty, employees & administration."

"This is such a tragic situation & our hearts go out to the MSU community, all of Lansing and East Lansing! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾"

Mat Ishbia, a 2000 national champion with the Michigan State basketball team and owner of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, released a touching tribute ... saying, "Deeply saddened by the horrific tragedy that took place at Michigan State University last night. Sending my love, thoughts, and prayers to all MSU students, the university, and the entire Spartan family."

Bell -- who played at MSU from 2010-2012 -- said, "this is sad. condolences to the victims."

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. -- who played for Sparty from 2017-18 -- also called on his followers to send their prayers.

Pro football player BJ Cunningham was shocked by the report ... saying, "This world is wild," while also sending a positive message to the families and students at his former campus.

Ex-Duke star and current San Antonio Spurs player Tre Jones sent out a statement, saying he's keeping the victims in his thoughts ... while adding shootings of this nature will keep happening until the government does something about it.

Police identified Anthony McRae as the suspect, who opened fire after entering two different buildings on campus ... killing three people and critically injuring five others before taking his own life.

Cops are investigating the tragedy ... but a motive behind the incident has not been reported.

A gunman went on a shooting rampage at Michigan State University on Monday night, killing 3 students and critically injuring 5 others before taking his own life.

The suspect, identified by police as Anthony McRae, entered two buildings on campus, turning both into shooting galleries as students ran for cover and heavily armed police officers stormed the area looking for the assailant.

Hours later, law enforcement caught up with McRae, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, cops said. During the manhunt, police released surveillance images of McRae walking inside a building while gripping an unknown object in one hand. Police later recovered a weapon.

MSU Interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman discussed the attack at a news conference ... "I can’t even begin to imagine what that motive would be. That will obviously be part of our investigation."

Rozman added, "we are unsure of any affiliation that the suspect had to the University."

The deadly assault marked the 67th mass shooting in the country so far this year. A mass shooting is defined as 4 or more people killed or wounded in a single violent incident, not including the gunman.

Rozman said police first started receiving 911 calls of a shooting at Berkey Hall around 8:18 PM ET. When cops arrived at the building, they found two students dead.

Soon after, Rozman said, officers responded to another shooting at the nearby student union building, where they discovered the third student deceased.

Rozman confirmed that 5 other victims were listed in critical condition at a local hospital.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer described the MSU community as "reeling" from the shooting. She also said, "We mourn the loss of beautiful souls today, and pray for those who are continuing to fight for their lives."

Justin Bieber and Kodak Black are being dragged to court over a shooting that occurred following Justin's concert after-party during last year's Super Bowl weekend ... two men who claim they were struck by bullets are suing.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Mark Schaefer and Adam Rahman say they were shot and severely injured in the February 2022 shooting outside The Nice Guy in L.A. ... and they're blaming Justin, Kodak and the venue.

TMZ broke the story ... three people, including Kodak, were shot outside the party... and Kodak's camp says when he was leaving the venue someone in his crew got jumped by an unidentified assailant, with the rapper throwing himself into the mix to help his pal out before shots rang out.

In the docs, the alleged victims claim Kodak was a major catalyst in the shooting ... they say he was trying to cause harm and escalate the situation and they're laying the blame for the shooting squarely on his shoulders.

What's more, the alleged victims claim security at the venue was lax ... they say the security guards who were hired couldn't handle the job, and the venue, promoters and performers, therefore, bear some responsibility, too.

The alleged victims are going after Kodak, Justin, The Nice Guy, The Hwood Group and Revolve Group, plus the City of Los Angeles, the City of West Hollywood and Los Angeles County for damages ... and they're being repped by Gloria Allred.

Kodak's attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... "I have seen a lot of bad complaints in my day. This is the most poorly drafted complaint I have seen in 26 years. I expect Kodak to be dismissed from this suit fairly quickly."

Cohen continues ... "There is zero specificity in the complaint and Ms. Allred groups the defendants all together instead of making specific allegations against each. It's law school 101. I am embarrassed for Ms. Allred that she actually signed her name to that complaint."

Alec Baldwin is going after the "Rust" prosecutor ... claiming she is charging him with something that wasn't even a crime when Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed.

As we reported, Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter with a firearms enhancement. That firearms enhancement allows the judge to put Baldwin in prison for a MANDATORY 5 years.

Baldwin's lawyers filed legal docs Friday, arguing the firearms enhancement law was not passed by the New Mexico State Legislature until May, 2022 ... 7 months AFTER the incident.

Now, there's an old version of the enhancement law that was in effect at the time of the "Rust" shooting, but that law requires that a firearm be "brandished," and that term is defined as follows ... "displaying or making a firearm known to another person ... with intent to intimidate or injure a person." Under any scenario, Baldwin had no intent to injure.

If the judge throws out the firearms enhancement charge, it significantly changes the punishment. He would only face up to 18 months in prison, and the judge could grant probation.

Drake will have to answer questions about XXXTentacion's murder, and the judge is threatening severe consequences if he misses a deposition.

Mauricio Padilla, the defense attorney for Dedrick Williams -- one of the 3 men accused of killing XXXTentacion -- persuaded the judge it's necessary for Drake to answer questions about his 2017 beef with the late "Look At Me!" rapper.

Drake was originally scheduled to be deposed on January 27, but failed to appear and now must sit for the deposition on February 24, via Zoom. If he misses that date, the judge says he better be in court on Feb. 27 or possibly be charged with contempt.

X and Drake have been intertwined through conspiracy theories for years -- mostly based on claims Drake bit some of his musical style, and one of X's IG stories. Four months before his June 2018 murder, X posted ... "IF ANYONE TRIES TO KILL ME IT WAS @champagnepapi IM snitching RN."

XXXTENTACION deleted the post and said he'd been hacked, but still ... Padilla's doing all he can to create reasonable doubt, and for now, the judge is allowing the far-fetched Drake theory to play out.

The trial began earlier this week as defendants Williams, Michael Boatwright and Trayvon Newsome all face life sentences for their role in killing XXX outside a RIVA Motorsports in June 2018.

Alec Baldwin has yet another lawsuit to deal with regarding the fatal "Rust" shooting ... family members of the late Halyna Hutchins are taking the actor and several others to court.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Halyna's parents and sister have named Alec -- as well as a slew of companies and individuals -- as defendants in the suit. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is one of the many named.

The docs claim several safety protocols on set were ignored, including their insistence that Gutierrez-Reed should've been the only one handing Baldwin the gun -- NOT Assistant Director David Halls, who's also named as a defendant.

The family says Baldwin "cannot hide" behind Halls' alleged statement on set that the gun was "cold" ... adding a veteran actor like himself should've insisted that it was demonstrated to him or checked it himself.

What's more, the docs say the scene they were filming didn't call for Baldwin's gun to be cocked or fired at all -- and they say there was insufficient plexiglass in the building at the time of the incident, which could've ensured Hutchins' safety.

Hutchins' family is suing for loss of consortium, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and more ... and is seeking unspecified damages.

We've reached out to Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed -- Hannah's lawyer, Jason Bowles, had no comment ... no word from Baldwin's team.

NASCAR star Kyle Busch says he was detained by authorities in Mexico last month ... after he says they found a handgun in his bag at an airport.

Busch said it all happened following the conclusion of his vacation with his wife, Samantha, in late January.

According to the 37-year-old driver, he was going through airport security screening ... when he realized he accidentally brought his firearm in his luggage.

Busch claims he has a valid concealed carry permit for it -- but its discovery still alarmed authorities, who detained him over it all.

"I was not aware of Mexican law and had no intention of bringing a handgun into Mexico," he said in a statement on his social media page Monday.

"When it was discovered, I fully cooperated with the authorities, accepted the penalties, and returned to North Carolina."

Prosecutors in Quintana Roo appeared to address the incident in a statement released over the weekend. Officials said the defendant, ID'ed only as "Kyle Thomas 'B'" from the state of Nevada, was detained following the discovery of a firearm on Jan. 27. They noted that following an investigation, he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison as well as a fine.

Busch made no mention of a prison sentence in his statement Monday.

"I apologize for my mistake and appreciate the respect shown by all parties as we resolved the matter," Busch said. "My family and I consider this issue closed."

Joe Mixon allegedly threatened to a shoot woman in a "road rage" incident just one day before the Bengals' playoff game against the Bills ... this according to a police report, obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the Cincinnati Police Dept. documents, cops say the alleged incident happened at 12:49 PM on Jan. 21 -- less than 24 hours before Cincinnati played the Bills in the Divisional Round in Buffalo.

According to the docs, a 43-year-old woman told cops that an "unknown suspect" -- later believed to be Mixon -- "brandished a firearm and threatened to shoot her."

She added, per the report, that it was all "a result of a 'road rage' incident."

A warrant for Mixon's arrest was eventually filed last week for one count of misdemeanor aggravated menacing. In court documents, authorities said Mixon told the alleged victim at the time, "You should be popped in the face, I should shoot you, the police can't get me."

The case, however, was dismissed on Friday after prosecutors said they needed "additional investigation before we would move forward with this case." Officials said there was still a chance it could all be refiled in the future.

Louisiana rapper Rob49 is back on his feet after being shot last month … and is doubling down on his murder rap career with his new single.

The up-and-coming Louisiana rapper thanked fans for their well wishes before dropping off the video to “4God II” on Friday … and stepped into The Shade Room to assure fans he wasn’t hiding any injuries and urged them to check out the track.

Directed by music video vet Gerard Victor, the “4God II” video features the 24-year-old rapper spitting lyrics about being the #1 target for opps and riding around in bulletproof vehicles.

He also flashes his ice inside a Rolls-Royce … but also an arm sling, as a result of his injuries sustained on the night of January 5.

Rob49 and French Montana were filming a music video when gunmen arrived on the scene and opened fire, striking Rob49 and several others including French’s bodyguard.

No fatalities occurred but Miami police blamed French for the shooting ... citing his lack of permits to film the clip.

French barked back at the cops' accusations, claiming to have been celebrating a mixtape release as opposed to filming a music video but at any rate, Rob49 is back on the prowl.

There's been a lot of blame placed on the armorer on the set of "Rust" -- by both the public and law enforcement -- but her attorney says she did everything in her power to ensure everyone working on the project was safe.

We had Jason Bowles, the attorney for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on "TMZ Live" Friday who talked at length about his client's case ... and shared what he believes were some of the failures that led to the death of Halyna Hutchins.

Bowles says Hannah asked assistant director, Dave Halls, to let her know when Alec Baldwin was going to handle the gun that fired the fatal shot so she could inspect it and give Baldwin proper instruction on how to handle the weapon.

Bowles says Halls never gave Hannah a heads up, simply handing the gun over to Alec without following any sort of safety procedure.

What's more -- Bowles claims Hannah was stretched very thin on set -- taking up both the duties as armorer and handling props.

Bowles tells us at one point, Hannah sent an email to production letting them know she needed to focus more of her time on the armorer duties ... a request he says was denied.

Joe Mixon is in the clear in his aggravated menacing case -- at least, for now -- prosecutors dismissed the charge against the Cincinnati Bengals star on Friday ... though there is still a chance they could re-file it at a later date.

Officials from the Cincinnati City Prosecutor's Office asked a judge to sign off on the case's dismissal early Friday morning ... and just minutes ago in a Cincinnati courtroom, Hamilton County Judge Curt Kissinger did just that.

"I will sign the entry of dismissal," the judge said at the hearing. "And the warrant will be recalled subject to further filing by the City of Cincinnati."

Prosecutors said in the courtroom they were asking for dismissal because they needed "additional investigation before we would move forward with this case."

They noted the alleged victim would like to still go forward with the charge "if we do decide to refile it."

As we reported, an arrest warrant for a misdemeanor count of aggravated menacing was issued for Mixon on Thursday ... after officials alleged he pointed a firearm at a woman on Jan. 21 and told her, "You should be popped in the face, I should shoot you, the police can't get me."

Mixon's rep, Peter Schaffer, said in a statement following the court filing, "It was a rush to judgment."

"I really feel that police have an obligation before they file charges -- because of the damage that can be done to the person's reputation -- to do their work," Schaffer added.

Alec Baldwin has now officially been charged with a crime over the fatal shooting of cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins on his "Rust" movie set, and the D.A. listed a litany of safety lapses which she says sit squarely at Baldwin's feet.

According to the charging document, the D.A. says Baldwin knew the drill ... that the armorer should have been present, checking the gun to make sure it was safe, and Baldwin knew that ... yet he relied on the assistant director who had no authority to clear the weapon for use.

The D.A. says Baldwin was supposed to undergo firearms training but failed to do so. Adding Baldwin was then supposed to get minimal training for 30 minutes, but was on his cell phone for most of that time speaking with his family.

The D.A. honed in on TV interviews Baldwin did, where he claimed not to have fired the weapon ... something the FBI and prosecutors dispute. The D.A. states there are multiple photos and videos that clearly show Baldwin with his finger on the trigger.

The district attorney goes on to say, as the producer of the movie, Baldwin should never have allowed the production company to hire Hannah Gutierrez-Reed as she lacked the requisite certifications and experience for the job.

And, the D.A. lays the numerous safety lapses on the set at Baldwin's doorstep, saying he did not address those issues, which even resulted in crew members walking off the set in protest.

The D.A. says Baldwin violated the first rule of gun safety -- never point a firearm, loaded or not, at another person.

And, the D.A. says Baldwin was in 40 films in which guns were an integral part, so he should have known all the protocols.

Prosecutors in Santa Fe County, NM have formally filed involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film's head armorer, is also charged with involuntary manslaughter. They're both facing up to five years in prison if convicted.

As for assistant director Dave Halls, he's already agreed to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon -- a misdemeanor. Per the deal, Halls will receive a suspended sentence and six months probation.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, announced earlier this month Alec and Hannah would be prosecuted for the fatal shooting ... with special prosecutor, Andrea Reeb saying, "The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the 'Rust' film set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don't take our State's commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously."

Reeb added ... "If any one of these three people - Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls - had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It's that simple."

Alec denies any wrongdoing, insisting he was just following instructions during a rehearsal where he was practicing how to position the pistol for a "cross draw" scene in a chapel ... as director, Joel Souza and Halyna figured out camera angles.

Halls told Baldwin it was a "cold" gun ... meaning it was unloaded and safe, and Baldwin says he relied on that assurance.

Hannah was not in the chapel at the time of the shooting ... but Alec has said it was her job to prepare and check the prop guns.

The shooting occurred back in October 2021 and Alec was visibly torn up immediately after the incident. Alec repeatedly claimed he bore no responsibility for what he called a tragic accident, insisting he did NOT pull the trigger that fateful day.

The FBI disagreed with Alec ... the feds issued a report concluding the pistol would not fire without someone pulling the trigger ... and the D.A. has said she trusts the FBI's analysis.

Halyna's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Alec and others involved in the production, claiming Baldwin and others were responsible for the lapse in safety protocols that led to Halyna's death on the set.

Baldwin and the Hutchins settled the lawsuit, agreeing to finish filming "Rust" ... with Halyna's widower, Matthew Hutchins, becoming an executive producer on the film.

Rich Dollaz has his daughter Ashley Trowers' back after her arrest for allegedly shooting at her ex in Memphis ... insisting she's a domestic violence victim who acted in self-defense.

The "Love & Hip Hop" alum hopped on "TMZ Live" Monday and emphatically claimed Ashley only fired out of fear, and added she and her child's father have had multiple domestic disputes in the past.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... cops say Ashley was approached by the ex, Demiah Tatum, and his friend Mykel Yates during her first day working security at a Kroger's, and she ended up firing 2 shots at the vehicle.

Rich says Ashley already had a temporary restraining order requiring Demiah to stay away from her -- but he claims Demiah got out of his car to confront her.

Rich says people have told him Demiah's claiming he just happened to "pull up" at the Kroger's where Ashley worked ... but her dad isn't buying it was a total coincidence.

A top U.S. Air Force official sent a stunning confession to his subordinates this week that warns of a looming war with China that he believes will manifest in the next couple years.

General Mike Minihan -- a four-star officer -- fired off an internal memo Friday to the rank and file that reports to him within the Air Mobility Command ... a unit that encompasses roughly 50,000 service members and oversees 500 planes for transport/refueling purposes.

While AMC doesn't sound like a combat-ready entity, Minihan reportedly told his guys to prepare for battle ... this according to NBC News, which says it obtained a copy of his note.

According to the outlet, Gen. Minihan writes ... "I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me will fight in 2025," while going on to describe what he says he believes China will do during the 2024 general election cycle -- namely, use that volatility here in the States to move on Taiwan.

In the event this comes to pass, Minihan reportedly laid out a very detailed defense and attack plan ... which includes building up a "Joint Force Maneuver Team" that can mobilize quickly to "fight and win inside the first island chain." He's ordering all airwing commanders and AF operational commanders to report on their progress for this by the end of February.

There's more ... Minihan reportedly has goals in mind for February and March, which entail his boys firing clips at 7-meter targets -- while noting, "unrepentant lethality matters most. Aim for the head." In March, he wants the AMC team to "consider their personal affairs and whether a visit should be scheduled with their servicing base legal office to ensure they are legally ready and prepared." Also, he tells them to update their emergency contacts.

In addition to this, Minihan's memo talks of risk/reward in training ... reportedly saying, "Run deliberately, not recklessly," and later adding, "If you are comfortable in your approach to training, then you are not taking enough risk." NBC News also says he discusses the possible use of commercial drone swarms as a tactic the U.S. might use against China.

In other words, this guy is rounding up the cavalry in very real terms ... not hypotheticals. And yet, a DoD rep went on record to say Minihan's concerns don't reflect the department's view on China ... distancing themselves from what sounds like legit wartime preparations.