Florida saw more mass shootings in 2024 than previous year. What about national numbers? (C.A. Bridges, USA Today Network)

Lest we forget.  From St. Augustine Record/USA Today Network: 

Florida saw more mass shootings in 2024 than previous year. What about national numbers?

C. A. Bridges

USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

On Christmas Day, four people in Homestead were injured in a mass shooting when Miami-Dade police said Dacia Allie Tisdale, 31, left a fight at one of the victim's homes, came back with a gun, and started shooting into the front yard.

That marked the 32nd mass shooting in Florida this year as of the morning of Dec. 31, an increase over the 30 reported in 2023 by the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.

Before that, three people were killed and one injured in a shooting at an Irish pubin Lake Worth Beach on Dec. 10. On Dec. 1, Octavious Jackson, formerly a defensive tackle on the 1999 Florida State national championship football team, and his friend Taron Nicks, both 44, were killed and two others were injured when Jackson was trying to break up a fight, Hollywood police said.

Florida led the nation in mass shootings for most of this year but as of the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 31, according to GVA statistics, Illinois has now had 35, with 34 in California. Texas and Pennsylvania were just behind Florida, with 31 each.

Despite this, the total number of mass shootings in the U.S. is down considerably from 2023, with the GVA listing 501 as of Tuesday morning, compared to 659 last year. Gun violence spiked during the COVID pandemic with 644 in 2022, 689 in 2021, and 611 in 2020.

Before the pandemic, there were 414 mass shootings in 2019. In 2014, there were 272.

How many people have been shot in the US in 2024?

According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of the morning of Dec. 31, 2024:

• 16,620 people have died so far this year in the U.S., including 248 children and 1,158 teens
• 31,417 people have been injured, including 538 children and 3,219 teens.
• 397 law enforcement officers have been killed or injured
• Law enforcement officers have killed 1,437 people and injured 805 in officer-involved incidents
• 1,211 people were killed in self-defense
• 1,422 people died from unintentional shootings
• 662 people died in murder/suicide incidents

• According to its website, the Gun Violence Archive is not currently tracking suicides by gun "until we can get a more accurate, timely number to properly reflect the serious suicide problem in this country." The gun safety organization EveryTown says that nearly six out of every gun 10 deaths in the country are suicides.

  In 2023, firearms were the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in the U.S. for the third consecutive year, according to a report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

  What is a mass shooting?

  The GVA (and the Congressional Research Service) defines a mass shooting based on the number of people shot in an incident: four or more, not including the shooter. The GVA numbers — which have been disputed by pro-firearm organizations — may differ from the FBI or CDC as they collect data from 7,500 law enforcement, government and media sources, the site explains.

  USA TODAY defines a mass shooting as an incident where at least four people are hit with gunfire. Mass killing refers to an incident in which at least four people are killed.

  The FBI does not define "mass shooting" at all. The agency defines "mass killing" or "mass murder" as an incident in which four or more victims are killed by any intentional means, which may include gun violence.

  Mass killing database:Revealing trends, details and anguish of every US event since 2006

  How many mass shootings in 2024 happened in Florida?

  By Tuesday morning, Dec. 31, there had been 32 mass shootings in Florida this year, by the GVA definition:

  • Jan. 20, Plantation: Four people were injured in a shooting in front of a Best Buy. One person later died.
  • Jan. 20, Palm Bay: A man shot and killed his mother, grandfather and sister and injured his 15-year-old nephew and one other person.
  • Jan. 28, Palm Bay: A man shot and killed a priest, the priest's sister, and his own grandfather and injured two police officers.
  • Feb. 28: Orlando: An argument over when a vehicle was to be returnedresulted in one person killed and six injured.
  • March 12, Lawty: Man with knife wound accused of shooting and killing three women.
  • March 25, Pompano Beach: A 16-year-old boy and three men were shot by multiple suspects who approached them, deputies said.
  • March 31, St. Petersburg: Men arguing outside a restaurant opened fire, injuring three men in their 20s and a 17-year-old girl, police said.
  • April 5, Riviera Beach: Four injured in shooting, including a minor.
  • April 6, Doral: Man in bar disturbance shoots and kills security officer, six people injured in resulting firefight.
  • April 11, Orlando: Deputies responded to a call and found four men shot. One died later.
  • April 27, Daytona Beach: A man shot and injured four people during a "physical altercation."
  • April 28, Sanford: A 16-year-old shot and injured 10 people at a bar, including Florida native and Houston Texans football player Tank Dell.
  • April 29, Miami Gardens: Argument about teen fight leaves five people injured, including two teens.
  • May 12, Tallahassee: Four people shot in shopping center parking lot, two died.
  • May 18, Sarasota: One person killed, four people (including Auburn RB Brian Battie) were injured.
  • May 25, Fort Pierce:Five people aged 15-20 shot at gathering.
  • June 2, Pensacola: One person was shot in the foot and three others hit with shrapnel from gunire, police said.
  • June 12, Hudson: Man admits to shooting two adults and killing two children, burning all four bodies in fire pit
  • June 14, Fort Lauderdale: An apparent drive-by shooting left one person dead and four injured.
  • June 23, Tampa: Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio shot and killed, three others injured outside Holiday Inn.
  • July 5, Tampa: Security guard, three bystanders injured in altercation.
  • July 8, Fort Lauderdale: A driveby shooting left a man and woman deadand three other people, including a 2-year-old, injured.
  • July 28, Pensacola: Three killed, five injured when three men opened fire on a group of people playing dice.
  • Aug. 10, Jacksonville:Two females and four males in their teens to early 20s were shot and injured outside a pop-up club.
  • Sept. 7, Opa Locka: An argument turned violent resulted in five people getting shot and injured.
  • Oct. 30, Dade City: Four people were shot during an argument between neighbors, police said.
  • Nov. 1, Orlando: A man opened fire in a Halloween crowd, killing two people and injuring seven more, police said.
  • Nov. 25, Miami: Four family members, all between 17 and 20, were injured when someone opened fire on their vehicle, police said.
  • Nov. 29, Bradenton: A man who opened fire outside a sports bar on Black Friday injured five people, police said.
  • Dec. 1, Hollywood: Two people, including former FSU playerOctavious Jackson, and two people were injured in a shooting while Jackson was trying to break up a fight.
  • Dec. 10, Lake Worth Beach: Three people were killed, one injured in a shooting at an Irish pub
  • Dec. 25, Homestead (Naranha): Four people were shot during an argument, police said.
  • 
    

ANNALS OF DeSANTISTAN: Florida for sale? Environmentalists worry that state’s conservation lands face uncertain future. (POLITICO, December 27, 2024)

From Politico: 

Florida for sale? Environmentalists worry that state’s conservation lands face uncertain future.

Some environmentalists fear that the long-term trajectory in the state could risk the major progress the state has made in protecting its lands and wildlife.

Some environmentalists fear that the state is relying too much on easements, which pay farmers to continue to use their land while not developing it. | John Raoux/AP Photo

By BRUCE RITCHIE

12/27/2024 02:00 PM EST

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Some environmentalists are worried that Florida’s long-running support for conservation is under threat, despite new infusions of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Florida’s natural habitats and wildlife are considered crown jewels of the state that are important to Floridians’ way of life and the state’s economy. But some environmentalists are increasingly concerned about the direction the state is heading, including talk by some state leaders of selling or trading land, and a recent failed push by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration to build golf courses and lodging at state parks.

And the state’s recent focus on easements paying farmers not to develop their land within the Florida Wildlife Corridor — a state-designated network of over 18 million acres — has split environmentalists, with some praising the program and others saying it comes at the expense of buying more land for parks, wildlife and and public access.

“I think we’ve had great bipartisan support for our public lands,” Sarah Gledhill, Florida Wildlife Federation president, told POLITICO. “And we want to see those elected officials continue on that path and remain committed to the lands that all Floridians and visitors can enjoy.”

The state since 1990 has appropriated billions of dollars and preserved more than 2.6 million acres for conservation.

Florida is still heavily invested in buying land and has allocated $2.3 billion for acquisition since 2018, including $1.5 billion for the corridor, state Rep. Lawrence McClure, a Republican from Dover and chair of the budget committee, recently told state House members.

But despite the heavy spending, some environmentalists say there are warning signs that the state’s commitment may not be long-lasting. 

A firefly is seen near an alligator in the water on Earth Day at Everglades National Park, Florida. | Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, a potential 2026 gubernatorial candidate, supports selling some conservation land within the corridor. In 2023, Simpson proposed the idea to help the state buy more land for conservation, and the chair of the state House agriculture committee introduced a bill earlier this year — which did not pass — that would have made it easier to do that. Some environmentalists see the proposal as a slippery slope toward selling off vital natural areas. 

Then in August, DeSantis’ administration proposed building golf courses, lodges and pickleball courts on state parks. After a firestorm of controversy and criticism even from other Republican elected officials, DeSantis said he had not seen the full extent of the proposal and it was withdrawn, adding that a decision would not be made this year. The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Amid that controversy, the Tampa Bay Times revealed that the Cabinet in June had given an initial approval for trading 324 acres of Withlacoochee State Forest to a Hernando County golf course company for 861 acres of pine plantation. And earlier this year, state wildlife officials approved putting a Central Florida expressway through a 1,600-acre state wildlife management area despite opposition from environmentalists.

Under Simpson, the state has also increasingly turned toward easements as a cornerstone of its conservation efforts.

Easements pay landowners not to develop their property. Supporters say they provide for conservation without the state having to pay for maintaining the property all while landowners continue to pay the taxes. But some conservationists say protecting farmland misses the point of conversation.

“It’s not conservation land that will be restored,” The Sierra Club’s Cris Costello said of the easements. “It’s working lands that have fertilizer put on it, or manure or row crops — it’s fertilizer and pesticides. It’s not conservation land.”

Some environmentalists also think the state is going in the wrong direction by focusing so much on agricultural land protections — including within the Florida Wildlife Corridor — at the expense of Florida Forever, another state program that evaluates and ranks conservation land for purchase.

The state is spending $100 million this year through Simpson’s department to pay farmers not to develop land they already own. And the program has powerful supporters: McClure told House members Dec. 4 that state leaders need to start asking themselves about the mission of the state’s land conservation programs.

“Is the mission to own a bunch of land? Or is the mission to protect the land?” he said during a legislative gathering. “I don’t mind sharing that I think the mission is to protect as much of Florida’s rural lands for a variety of purposes.”

“I would submit to you that there are lands in Florida Forever that were bought [by the state that] really should be in ag production,” he said.

Javier Fernandez, of Hollywood, rides on a mountain bike trail Aug. 22 at Oleta River State Park in North Miami Beach, Florida. | Marta Lavandier/AP

Ryan Smart, executive director of the Florida Springs Council, said easements are replacing Florida Forever, which he said is a transparent, science-based system for buying land.

He said agricultural conservation easements can lock in farming practices that now are contributing to groundwater pollution that is counterproductive to Florida’s conservation efforts.

Nitrogen and phosphorus from farm fertilizer and animal waste are harming the state’s springs, which are the centerpieces of at least a dozen state parks. Smart said programs in western states focus on reducing the intensity of agricultural programs to protect water and the environment.

“We need to figure out what is next,” Smart said. “How are we going to de-intensify agriculture? I don’t think it is going to be purely through regulation. It’s going to have to be through some sort of economic land conservation program.

Simpson did not respond to repeated requests for an interview or for a statement. But he said in 2023 that the state should sell land it currently holds — while restricting its future use to agriculture — to buy more land for conservation.

“Tougher times will come,” Simpson told a Florida Wildlife Corridor conference last year. “When those dollars start drying up, we will have to be creative about how we sustain that momentum. I believe you sustain it by surplusing those lands that can be surplused and be left in agriculture. And allowing farmers, the first environmentalists, to take care of that land.”

Other environmental groups fully back conservation easements.

Joshua Daskin, a research biologist and director of conservation at Archbold Biological Station, said easements “are one of the biggest tools in the toolbox” right alongside buying land. He said the state should be proud of the number of acres it has protected.

“Large parts of the Florida Wildlife Corridor are working lands,” Daskin said. “So of the portion that remains to be conserved, 88 percent is working timber or working ranches. The people that own those by and large want to continue the activities. They have made a living throughout their career. Easements allow them to continue to do that.”

“Easements allow us to maintain our rural and agricultural communities and prevent development where it doesn’t make sense,” he said.

Audubon Florida also opposed the legislation to make selling state lands easier but otherwise believes the state conservation programs — including the easement purchases — are working fine.

“The programs as they stand — as they appear right now — we don’t have concerns about them,” Beth Alvi, senior director of policy for Audubon Florida, told POLITICO. “If surplusing is done, we need to make sure we have transparency and accountability.”

Jim Strickland, owner of Strickland Ranch and a former president of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association and vice chair of Florida Conservation Group, said Florida needs both its Florida Forever land acquisition program and the easements program at Simpson’s department.

Strickland and others involved in land conservation say landowners — not the state — choose whether to sell their property or conserve it through an easement. And often the choice is between whether to keep the land in the family or sell it to a developer — not the state.

“It comes down to where the money is and what do the actual landowners want to put on their property,” Strickland said. “They still own it. They will have to pass it down or sell it. That’s why I believe in both programs.”

 

Justice Department suspends DEA's controversial asset-forfeiture program targeting airline travelers (Tim Kephart & Kylie McGivern, Scripps Tampa, December 27, 2024)

Good career move for whoever halted this unethical practice and procedure.  Thanks to Scripps Tampa and the Institute for Justice.  From Scripps Tampa:

Justice Department suspends DEA's controversial asset-forfeiture program targeting airline travelers

The practice of "consensual encounters" includes DEA special agents or task force officers approaching individuals at airports and then asking for consent to search the individual’s belongings.

The practice includes DEA special agents or task force officers approaching individuals at airports and then asking for consent to search the individual’s belongings. (Scripps News Tampa)

By: Scripps News Tampa

Posted 11:30 AM, Dec 27, 2024

The Department of Justice is cracking down on the Drug Enforcement Administration's controversial practice of "consensual encounters" at airports after multiple complaints. 

The practice includes DEA special agents or task force officers approaching individuals at airports and then asking for consent to search the individual’s belongings.

The DOJ's move comes four years after Scripps News Tampa Investigative Reporter Kylie McGivern highlighted the practice of civil asset forfeiture at airports by the DEA.

Civil asset forfeiture allows federal agencies to seize cash and other property suspected of being involved in a crime, even if charges are never filed against the owner.

The Institute for Justice called the move a "pretty significant change."

"It means that air travelers across the United States, at all domestic airports, will not be subjected to these 'consensual encounter' interrogations by DEA," said Dan Alban, senior attorney for the Institute for Justice.

"It's a predatory practice by DEA, and the reason DEA engages in this airport interdiction behavior is because the proceeds from everything they seize go into the DOJ asset forfeiture fund," Alban said. "A fund that can only be spent on federal law enforcement like DEA."

Multiple lawsuits have been filed against the government over civil asset forfeiture and the taking of large amounts of cash from people who were not committing a crime.

One of those lawsuits was filed by Stacy Jones of Tampa. Jones told her story in 2020 of having $40,000+ in cash seized by federal agents. Jones and her husband were questioned, their money seized and then released to fly home without it.

“No charges, no evidence, no nothing. It was just seized," Jones said. “I knew that I hadn’t done anything, but it was like — guilty until proven innocent.”

There is no limit to the amount of cash a passenger can carry on a flight within the U.S.