Philadelphia Shooting, Octopus Discovery, and a Rollercoaster Nightmare

Mass Shooting in South Philly

At least five people were killed and two others, reportedly two and 13 years old, were injured when a shooter opened fire in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Kingsessing late Monday. Officials say they believe the shooting was untargeted, with the suspect firing at random. 

The shooter, identified as 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker, was apprehended alive after firing at least 50 rounds. Early reports suggest the suspect carried both a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun, was equipped with a bulletproof vest, and carried a police scanner. The names of victims have not been released as of this writing, nor has a motive been publicly identified.

The attack was one of a number of shootings that marred preholiday festivities. Baltimore police are still searching for the suspects that killed two and injured 28 during a Sunday block party; three people were killed and eight injured in a shooting at a street festival in Fort Worth, Texas; and nine people were shot during a weekend argument at a Wichita, Kansas, nightclub.

A Rare Octopus Discovery

An area teeming with hundreds of octopuses actively hatching eggs has been observed roughly 2 miles under the ocean surface off the Costa Rican coast, a team of researchers revealed this week. The rare discovery marks just the third known octopus nursery and sheds light on the life-cycle and child-rearing behaviors of the animals.

Typically solitary creatures preferring near-freezing temperatures (cephalopod 101), the roughly football field-sized area was located near a hydrothermal vent, raising nearby temperatures by almost 20 degrees. Scientists initially believed the warmer waters would be inhospitable to octopus hatchlings, and it remains unknown whether the specific species has adapted to the environment. See video from the expedition here.

Among other peculiar octopus behaviors, new mothers undergo a hormonal shift that leads them into a spiral of self-destruction.

Israel Sweeps West Bank

Israel launched a sweeping offensive in the West Bank early Monday, its largest military operation in the area in more than a decade. At least 11 Palestinians were killed and 80 others injured in the raids, which Israeli officials described as a counterterrorism operation to weed out militants in the refugee camp adjacent to the city of Jenin.

The West Bank, home to almost 3 million Palestinians and more than 600,000 Jewish settlers, is one of the largest flashpoints in the Middle East. Captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War, international bodies consider the region to be occupied by Israel (which disputes the characterization). In practice, administrative status is split among three fractured areas, with Area C—which accounts for 60% of the land—controlled by Israel. The situation has led to decades of circular violence between Palestinian militants and the Israeli military. 

Israeli officials said the operation had been planned for more than a year and reported finding an explosives manufacturing operation in the camp. 

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