Weapons & Guns

A woman who owns two clothing stores in California was shot and killed by a man who made derogatory comments about the pride flag hanging outside her business.

The fatal shooting happened Friday night in Lake Arrowhead, CA ... with law enforcement saying the suspect shot the shop owner, Lauri Carleton, because he didn't like the rainbow flag outside her clothing store.

Lauri owns the Mag.Pi store in Lake Arrowhead and another in Studio City ... and she's been a top fashion designer in Los Angeles for decades.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff says deputies arrived at the scene of Friday's shooting to find Lauri suffering from a gunshot wound ... and paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

The sheriff says the killer, armed with a handgun, fled on foot and he was tracked down about a mile away from the store ... with deputies shooting and killing him.

It's unclear if the fatal shooting will be investigated as a possible hate crime, though San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe called the incident a "senseless act of hate and violence."

Rowe said in a statement ... "Everyone deserves to live free of hate and discrimination and practice their constitutional right of freedom of speech. Lauri was a remarkable member of the community and I send my deepest condolences to her family in this time of grief."

Lauri is survived by her husband of 28 years and their 9 children.

She was 66.

Wrestling star Cash Wheeler -- one-half of the AEW World Tag Team Champions -- was arrested on Friday and charged with a felony, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to online records, the 36-year-old was booked into an Orange County, Fla. jail at around midnight ... on a charge of aggravated assault with a firearm.

Further details of the allegations against Wheeler were not made immediately available ... though court records indicate the arrest stemmed from a July incident.

Wheeler joined the AEW in 2020 after a notable WWE career ... and has since become a fan favorite in the org. -- wrestling alongside his tag team partner, Dax Harwood.

The two won the tag team title together in April ... and had been slated to co-main event at AEW: All In London at Wembley Stadium in two weeks.

It's unclear if Friday's arrest will alter those plans ... the AEW said in a statement that it "has been made aware of the charge, and we are closely monitoring the situation."

The org. added Wheeler "is fully cooperating with local authorities."

A United Airlines pilot must've been feeling a whole lotta cabin pressure ... because he was caught on camera chopping down a parking gate with a freaking ax.

63-year-old Kenneth Jones went full-on lumberjack earlier this month at the exit of an employee parking lot at Denver International Airport, according to CBS News Colorado -- whacking the thing nearly 2 dozen times before it finally falls off.

Not long after, Jones was confronted by other airport employees, and he put up a bit of a struggle over the ax before eventually giving up.

The pilot's reportedly been charged with a misdemeanor for his parking lot remodel, which allegedly caused $700 in damages, and he's been removed from United's work schedule as the company continues an internal investigation.

As far as a reason for the ax outburst, Jones reportedly told cops he just hit his breaking point -- the outlet says he's due to appear in court at the end of September.

The alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer, Rex Heuermann, could have been nabbed in 2010 -- 13 years before his arrest -- if only cops had taken a guy named Dave Schaller seriously.

Schaller, who appears in our latest documentary -- "TMZ Investigates: Gilgo Beach Serial Murders: Missed Warning Signs" -- was roommates with Amber Costello, one of the "Gilgo 4."

In 2010, Amber, a sex worker, had an encounter with a man at her home ... he was paying for a lap dance. Shortly after he arrived, Amber called Dave, telling him the man was trying to rape her.

Dave quickly returned home, walked in the door, and says he saw a giant of a man -- around 6'5" -- standing ominously in the living room. Dave told him to leave, and the guy refused. Dave ended up grabbing the guy, trying to get him out, and a fight ensued.

Eventually, the guy left in what Dave says was either a green or black Chevy Avalanche.

A month later, Amber had an appointment with a man and never returned home. The second she went missing, Dave knew it was the same man who was there a month earlier. Dave says Amber needed the money so she took a fatal chance.

After Amber's body was found, Dave was interviewed by police and told them the story, describing the man in great detail, "right down to his beady-ass eyes." He followed up 2 more times with cops, but they never chased down the lead.

Had cops run registrations for anyone in Long Island who had a green or black Avalanche, they could have then looked at the driver's licenses of the registered owners and they would have found a 6'5" man who fit Dave's description to a tee. That man was Rex Heuermann, and the Avalance was routinely parked in his driveway.

Authorities and others we spoke with say ... it's likely the serial killer killed other women after his encounter with Amber Costello.

Willie McGinest is fighting back in his restaurant attack case ... pleading not guilty to all charges, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office ... the New England Patriots legend entered the pleas at a hearing on Tuesday.

McGinest had been first hit with the charges -- one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon, and one felony count of assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury -- in March ... after he had been accused of beating the hell out of a man during a December 2022 attack at Delilah in West Hollywood.

A lawsuit filed by the alleged victim in the case claimed McGinest snapped on him after he had made a comment about USC -- Willie's alma mater -- and its Pac-12 title game loss to Utah.

Video of the alleged incident we obtained shows McGinest and several others punching the man repeatedly ... before the ex-NFL star grabs a nearby bottle and hits man in the head with it.

McGinest did publicly apologize over it all days after the allegations surfaced ... saying in a statement, "To my family, community, friends, and youth I mentor, please know I feel horrible for my actions and take full responsibility."

WWE legend Tammy Sytch just pleaded no contest to a felony charge of DUI causing death ... and she's now facing a prison sentence of up to a quarter of a century, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 50-year-old wrestling Hall of Famer was first hit with the count -- and seven others -- back in May 2022 ... after officials alleged she killed a 75-year-old man during a drunken car crash just two months prior.

Sytch had initially pleaded not guilty to all of the charges ... but changed her pleas in a Volusia County courtroom on Wednesday afternoon -- days before the case was slated to go to trial.

According to court documents, in addition to the plea to felony DUI causing death, she also pleaded no contest to one felony charge of driving with license suspended causing death, four misdemeanor counts of DUI with damage to a person, and two misdemeanor charges of DUI with damage to property.

A sentencing hearing for Sytch has not yet been put on the docket ... though, according to court docs, she's facing a maximum sentence of 25 years behind bars whenever it comes up.

Sytch has been in jail since May 2022 in the case ... after prosecutors claimed she crashed her car into the back of another vehicle on a Florida road in March 2022 while it was stopped at a traffic light. The officials alleged at the time of the accident she had a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher.

Sytch had at first received bond in the case, but days later, she was thrown back in jail after prosecutors called her a danger to the community.

The case was not the first time Sytch had been accused of drinking and driving -- she had also been arrested at least six times for impaired driving before, including back in 2019 in New Jersey.

Here's what life is like right now for Tory Lanez inside Los Angeles County Jail ... he's being held away from general population and only gets a few hours a day outside his cell.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... Tory is being held in what's called the administrative segregation unit, which is for inmates who cannot be safely housed with the rest of the folks behind bars.

With that, Tory is only allowed out of his cell for 2 hours a day ... and for those 120 minutes, he's by himself.

We're told he is allowed to get some fresh air during recreation time, but that's only for 3 hours each week.

This is the status quo for Tory as he waits to get shipped out of county jail for prison ... remember, the judge just sentenced him to a decade behind bars after being found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion.

We're told Tory will be on the move within the next month, when he will be transferred to an intake center ... and that's when California will reveal which prison he'll be calling home for the duration of his sentence.

In the meantime, we're told jail staff is checking on Tory every 30 minutes ... as they do with all the inmates in administrative segregation, and he's able to load up on goodies at the commissary.

We're told whatever Tory buys from the commissary -- snacks, soap, etc. -- goes with him to the big house, as well as any money he has on the books.

Tory's vowed to appeal, and said he won't apologize to Meg ... but this is his life for the time being.

Lil Durk did not finish his show Saturday night, because cops descended on the venue after receiving reports of an active shooter.

Durk was nearing the end of the concert at the United Center in Chicago Saturday night, when pandemonium erupted as the crowd ran for the exits.

Cops showed up with rifles, on the hunt for a shooter, but Chicago PD said it turned out to be a false alarm. Chicago is on high alert these days, where shootings have become tragically commonplace.

As the some of the concertgoers left the arena, they helped themselves to some merch ... whoever was working the merch stand apparently ran with the rest of the crowd.

Lil Durk posted about the show after and shouted out the fans who stole the merch.

There were no injuries reported and no arrests were made. We reached out to the United Center ... so far no word back.

A bodybuilder went on a killing rampage in Bosnia, fatally shooting 3 people, including his ex-wife ... even worse, he live streamed the entire violent escapade.

Nermin Sulejmanovic had his phone camera turned on as he streamed 3 separate videos to Instagram, capturing his demented murder spree Friday in the northeastern Bosnian city of Gradacac.

In his first video, Sulejmanovic boasted he was about to carry out a live execution before showing his badly beaten former wife on a porch.

He said, “Look, when you’re dealing with a whore who reports you to the police,” trailing off before using a gun to shoot her in the head.

He then told his IG followers he was the dad of the woman's kid, who was crying in the background, and she was preventing him from seeing the child for close to a week.

Sulejmanovic filmed two additional live feeds while he was being chased by the police and bragged that he killed two other people off camera. Prosecutors later confirmed Sulejmanovic shot a man and his son to death on the street.

In the end, Sulejmanovic also shot and wounded a police officer, another man and a woman before taking his own life.

Tory Lanez still insists the system screwed him with a 10-year sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion -- but, that's just the consequence of the crime if you ask Trinidad James.

We caught up with Trinidad at LAX and his stance is clear: jail time should always follow the act of shooting someone in a criminal fashion, and since Tory was convicted ... Trinidad has no issue with the sentence.

The "All Gold Everything" rapper used Kendrick Lamar's "Money Trees" lyrics ... "Everybody gon' respect the shooter/But the one in front of the gun lives forever" ... to summarize his POV.

Trinidad also tells us Iggy Azalea should've kept quiet, after her public support for Tory became a hot-button issue following the sentencing.

Iggy grew close to Tory while they worked on music prior to his trial, and wrote a letter to the judge asking for leniency -- a bad move according to Trinidad, but he still respects her right to have an opinion.

Jose Baez, Tory's lawyer, told us Tory's in the dumps after getting sentenced, and Tory himself remains defiant -- insisting he didn't shoot Meg.

The guy caught on video smashing people over the head with a folding chair in that riverfront brawl in Montgomery, Alabama has just been arrested.

The Montgomery Police Department announced Friday that Reggie Ray turned himself in ... and he's been charged with disorderly conduct and is being held in the Municipal Jail.

TMZ obtained the 42-year-old's mug shot ... and he doesn't look happy about the consequences of his actions in the epic melee.

Ray is the fifth person arrested for the brawl ... remember, Chief of Police Darryl Albert previously identified Reggie as the Black man who infamously wielded the chair on the dock, bonking several people on the head.

Ray got in on the action late, after men from a pontoon boat that was blocking a passenger ferry from docking ganged up on the ferry's co-captain ... sparking a huge brawl along racial lines.

The other 4 arrested include Allen Todd, 23, and Zachary Shipman, 25, who turned themselves in Wednesday and are each charged with one count of 3rd degree assault.

Richard Roberts, 48, was the first arrested ... he's accused of punching a 16-year-old dockhand.

Tory Lanez is speaking out against his 10-year prison bid ... but he's not going to apologize for the Megan Thee Stallion shooting, as he still insists he didn't do it.

The Canadian rapper broke his silence Thursday with a lengthy Instagram post, promising to bounce back after he completes his stretch in a California state prison, and maintaining his innocence.

Tory says he's not apologizing for being found guilty of shooting Meg ... he says he was wrongfully convicted. He adds, "I remain on the stance that I refuse to apologize for something that I did not do."

As you know ... the judge sentenced Tory Tuesday to 10 years in prison, though his high-powered attorney Jose Baez says the plan is to appeal that sentence.

Tory says the conviction is just another moment where he has his back against the wall, but he says he's always overcome adversity and is promising to do so here.

He declares, "I refuse to stop fighting till I come out victorious."

TMZ broke the story ... Tory's lawyer says he's leaning on his faith and his family and friends as he begins serving his sentence.

Tory says "tough times don't last, tough people do" ... and he's thanking his supporters and promising to see them soon.

Contrary to popular belief, Bun B isn't wishing eternal hell on Tory Lanez amid his 10-year sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion -- the UGK legend wants the rapper to become a better man in prison.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Bun Thursday in NYC, where he said Tory's case is a lesson for society, in general, and less about hip hop culture ... as he sees Tory's punishment as a wake-up call for domestic violence.

Following the shooting in the summer of 2020, Bun was one of the few prominent figures to publicly defend Megan while also calling out Tory, effectively making him a target for Tory's song, "Sorry I Had To" ... a record that later came back to haunt him in court.

Despite that past beef, Bun still offers up OG advice for Tory, telling him to keep his head up and he wants him to return from prison safely after the term is complete.

On a much lighter note, Bun also talked about successfully carving out a niche for his Trill Burgers franchise ... which may be adding Trill Tacos to the menu soon.

Tory Lanez is starting to feel the gravity of his 10-year prison sentence -- after believing the system would do right by him, he's now turning to God to for strength.

Tory's defense attorney, Jose Baez, tells TMZ his client is feeling pretty low right now after having the book thrown at him. We're told Tory is having a hard time processing the sentence, but Baez also says despite that ... Tory's made it clear to him he's going to remain strong and deal with his time behind bars as best as he can.

Jose says Tory is leaning on his faith in God, the support of his friends/family and the indignation his supporters around the world are expressing -- many of whom are loudly lamenting the stiff punishment.

Baez says Tory was hoping the judge would show mercy -- especially with the number of people who went to bat for him in court, including some celebs. We're told the reason there's so much outcry for Tory is because he was genuinely loved in the community ... as he'd done a lot to give back over the years.

In the meantime, Baez insists an appeal is coming.

Former NFL cornerback Bashaud Breeland -- a one-time Super Bowl champion -- was arrested this week ... after cops say he was in possession of drugs, a slew of guns and a stolen car.

According to police documents, Breeland was found with the vehicle, the firearms and the contraband at around 3:05 p.m. on Monday after he was pulled over in Charlotte, N.C.

Cops say during the traffic stop, they found the 2020 Mercedes-Benz he was driving had been reported stolen from Florida. They added that during an ensuing search of the car, they found a bevvy of weapons -- including two AR-15s and two AK-47s.

Police also said in the docs they discovered 5.45 pounds of suspected marijuana and 62 grams of suspected mushrooms in the ride ... plus a bunch of cash and drug paraphernalia.

They estimated the suspected drugs to be worth $7,000.

Records show the ex-cornerback was booked into Mecklenburg County Jail at 2:12 a.m. on Tuesday ... on eight total charges -- including possession of a stolen motor vehicle. The records show he was released from custody less than three hours later.

This is not the first time Breeland has been arrested in the past few years ... he was also jailed in South Carolina in 2020 following a scary encounter with cops at a gas station.

Breeland -- who played his college ball at Clemson -- has not logged a snap in the NFL since the 2021 season ... but he had been considered one of the league's better DBs throughout his career.

The Alabama riverfront brawl now includes allegations of white men dropping the n-word and threatening to use a gun.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a woman who says she was working on the riverboat told police one of the white men who attacked a Black deckhand yelled, "F*** that n*****" before coming down the dock to fight him.

The woman, Crystal Warren, claims the alleged n-bomb dropped after the Black deckhand moved a couple of smaller boats that were taking up space on the dock and preventing the riverboat from docking.

Warren told police the riverboat captain initially asked the boat owners to move their boat, which she said drew middle fingers and curses from the white men on the boat. She says the riverboat was stuck waiting for 17 minutes until a smaller commercial boat picked up a deckhand and her 16-year-old son from the riverboat and dropped them off on the dock.

From there, Warren claims the deckhand and her son Daniel moved the boats that were blocking the dock and tied them back up, and she says she heard at least one of the men yell the n-word.

Warren also claims one of the white men threatened to go and get a gun during the fight on the dock ... a brawl that was captured on video and has already led to at least one arrest.

The viral video appears to show Daniel trying to pull the white men off the Black deckhand, and his mother says he was punched in the chest while trying to break up the fight, suffering bruised ribs and going to a hospital for a diagnosis.

Richard Roberts is the man accused of punching Daniel ... and he's been arrested and charged with 3rd-degree assault