A gunman carrying a rifle and a handgun killed four people Wednesday at a Tulsa medical building on a hospital campus, police said, the latest in a series of deadly mass shootings across the country in recent weeks.
Tulsa Police Department Deputy Chief Eric Dalgleish confirmed the number of dead and said the shooter also was dead, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Tag: Tulsa
Black Wall Street Legacy Festival Held This Weekend To Celebrate Tulsa, Inspire Hope
KRMG:
The Black Wall Street Legacy Fest is happening this weekend. As we approach the 101st remembrance of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, fest organizers said it’s important to keep building and learning about legacy and generational wealth.
On Greenwood and in north Tulsa, after 101 years, residents continue to try and rebuild. Not just physically, but within their families’ legacies.
The two-day event is filled with summits, luncheons, and other education and entertainment based events.
Chief Egunwale Amusan, who is one of the organizers said with the festival and the lawsuit against the city regarding reparations which recently got the green light to move forward will be a part of the reconciliation conversation.
“[It will] help provide momentum. It’s hard to get people to appreciate or empathize with people who lost this generational wealth. It’s hard to have empathy when you don’t know what was lost, what was taken, what was stolen, what was burned if you don’t know,” he said.
It would be great if these events were all about positivity and looking toward a bright future, but that talk of “legacy and generational wealth” presents a whole bag of problems, which are perfectly summed up by the last sentence.
Manufacturer At Tulsa Port Of Catoosa To Increase Job Count To More Than 200
An automotive supplier that last year moved into the Tulsa Port of Catoosa has bumped from 80 to 206 its jobs projection over three years.
Lyseon North America, Inc. was awarded up to $7,049,713 over 10 years through the Oklahoma Quality Jobs incentive program, according to a May 3 letter to the company from Brent Kisling, executive director from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.
This program provides quarterly cash payments up to 5% of new payrolls for up to 10 years. Companies must achieve an average wage threshold and $2.5 million in new annual payrolls within three years and maintain those jobs over a decade to qualify.
Thousand Of Motorcyclists In Tulsa For Black Wall Street Rally
KTUL:
Thousands of motorcyclists are in Tulsa for the Black Wall Street Rally.
The organizers say it’s an effort to show the world the resilience of the Greenwood District nearly 101 years later.
“We’re honoring our past, but we’re also looking at the present of what Greenwood looks like today. For us to be able to put on an event here to bring black entrepreneurs from all over have them selling their wares and showing their services here it speaks to the spirt of Greenwood,” said Carmela Hill with the Black Wall Street Rally.
They are estimating more than 5,000 motorcyclists riding into Tulsa.
There’s no doubt this event is bringing a major economic boost to Greenwood, as well as Tulsa, with thousands of bikers staying in hotels across the city.
Woman Suing City, Police After Bodycam Video Capturing Mental Health Crisis Goes Viral
KTUL:
Ladonna Paris said she is filing a lawsuit against the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Tulsa Police Department and responding officers for her treatment by police officers during a mental health episode.
Lawyers for Paris announced a civil suit Tuesday in response to the Tulsa Police Department’s handling of her arrest in October, most notably the conduct of responding Ofc. Ronni Carroccia.
The video of Paris’ arrest has gone viral on social media.
“This video is one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Paris’ attorney, Damario Solomon-Simmons, during a press conference.
In a press release, the lawyers say officers taunted, mocked, harassed, attacked and jailed her for manifestations of a bipolar manic episode.
The City of Tulsa claims their officers acted by the book, but police departments in cities all across the US will eventually be using the video to teach their officers what not to do.
Early May Showers Officially End Drought In Tulsa
KOKI:
The drought is officially over for Tulsans. The beginning of May brought 4″ to 6″ of rain to the area, according to the Latest Drought Monitor released Thursday morning.
Drought is also over in southeast Oklahoma, according to the monitor.
The drought is over for now for most of Green Country. FOX23′s northwestern viewing area in Pawnee County is an exception to the drought ending. This exception continues northward into southeast Kansas. The lone holdout for the drought in our region with severe drought over western Osage County.
Drought is firmly entrenched in western Oklahoma with over 10 percent of the state in the worst drought category.
Black Tulsa Woman Sues Police For Civil Rights Violations
A civil rights lawsuit was filed Tuesday against Tulsa, Oklahoma, police officers, the city and Mayor G.T. Bynum by a Black woman who alleges she was attacked and arrested while she was having a mental health crisis.
Ladonna Paris, a 70-year-old great-grandmother said she was terrified at the time of the October incident.
“I was mocked, taunted and brutalized,” Paris said during a Tuesday news conference and that the video gave her a surreal feeling.
“It was like watching somebody else and I would say to myself when they were doing these things, ‘Oh poor Ladonna,’” Paris said.
The incident began at Phillips Theological Seminary where Paris was attending graduate school when witnesses called 911 to report concerns over her mental state.
After an ambulance arrived, Paris drove to a nearby store where she locked herself into a bathroom and refused to leave after police arrived, according to the lawsuit.
“In the midst of a bipolar manic episode, which included paranoia and delusions, Ms. Paris was afraid the officers were going to kill her, so she locked herself in the bathroom and would not come out,” the lawsuit states.
Officer Ronni Carrocci, who is white, is seen on police video banging on the door to the bathroom where Paris was inside, according to attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons.
“You want to get tased … I love my job,” Carroci said as she turns toward the camera.
“She’s so 85,” Carrioca later, and still on video, said using the police code for a person needing mental health treatment, according to Solomon-Simmons.
“She (Carrioca) did all of this on video, knowing she was on video,” Solomon-Simmons said. “She was so giddy about it, it was disgusting.”
A city spokesperson said the city is aware of the lawsuit, but declined comment on pending litigation.
The lawsuit filed in Tulsa County District Court alleges 14 civil rights violations, including excessive use of force, ignoring Paris’ medical needs, ignoring training and assault.
The legal action seeks more than $75,000 in actual damages and unspecified compensation for punitive damages and legal fees.
Paris seeks justice and accountability by the city and police for the officers’ actions, according to Solomon-Simmons.
“We want a judge to say this is not constitutional policing, this is unacceptable,” Solomon-Simmons said.
LaDonna is going to get her justice. Tulsa city administration should have gotten ahead of this one while they had the chance.
Bob Dylan Center Opens To Public In Tulsa Near OKPOP Museum, Woody Guthrie Center
The center’s capacity has been capped at 500 visitors for opening day, which is sold out. After Tuesday, downtown Tulsa’s newest cultural attraction will settle into its normal hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday.
The public opening day follows the VIP Grand Opening Weekend festivities that attracted hundreds of guests from around the world, from scholars and journalists to local musicians and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers (although the enigmatic Dylan himself apparently wasn’t one of them).
Tulsa Race Massacre Reparations Lawsuit Survives Motion To Deny And Will Move Forward, Judge Rules
CNN:
The plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking reparations for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre celebrated a judge’s ruling on Monday when she allowed their case to move forward after defendants sought a motion to dismiss the case.
Judge Caroline Wall said the motion to dismiss was “granted in part” and “denied in part,” which essentially allows the case to proceed but it’s unclear what will happen next, including details on a potential trial, according to Michael Swartz, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys pleaded Monday afternoon for the judge to allow the case to move forward so the survivors and descendants of victims from the massacre could have their day in court, potentially their last chance to get some semblance of justice.
USS Tulsa Crew Visiting Tulsa To Strengthen Bonds With Community
KTUL:
For the first time since its commissioning in 2019, the crew of the USS Tulsa is in town this week to visit its namesake city.
The goal is to help strengthen the bond of the crew with the Tulsa community.
“It will enable the crew to bring the sailors to visit the city firsthand and interact with her citizens. They, in turn, will take back what they have learned to the ship’s crew to cultivate a sense of belonging to Tulsa,” Joey Wignarajah with USS Tulsa said in a press release.
The crew is making several stops around town Monday through Wednesday.
There will be a community reception at the Mother Road Market Patio where Tulsans can meet the crew on Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The reception is open to the public.
‘Justice For Greenwood’ Juice Hopes To Raise Awareness, Inspire Tulsa Community
KRMG:
Tulsa’s Inheritance Juicery has created a new beverage to benefit the Justice for Greenwood Foundation.
“Justice for Greenwood” is a blend of cucumber, pineapple, spinach, mint, and lime. Lukas Vodicka is the General Manager of Inheritance Juicery, and he was inspired to create the juice to benefit our community.
“Once we learned about what Justice for Greenwood Foundation stands for, and the centennial was over, we were very passionate about trying to find a way to keep the message going, so it doesn’t just die without all the attention that Tulsa received during that time,” said Vodicka.
50 percent of the juice’s sales from May 1 to Jun. 1 will benefit the Justice for Greenwood Foundation.
“We have about 50 to 60 people every single day in our store say I’d like Justice for Greenwood, which I think is important and very relevant to what we’re trying to achieve and what so many people are trying to achieve in Tulsa.”
Vodicka says Justice for Greenwood has been a top seller, and they plan to keep offering the juice until justice has been served for Greenwood.
Tulsa Greek Festival Drive-Thru Underway
KJRH:
The Tulsa Greek Street Festival Drive-Thru started Friday, giving Tulsans a chance to get a taste of Greece.
They say it takes a village, but for Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, it’s taken faithful parishioners coming together to share their time, gifts, and authentic Greek recipes with Tulsa. When you step foot in their kitchen, you feel like you’re in Greece.
“It’s really a celebration of just the Greek heritage,” Denis Boone, Chairman of the Greek Festival Steering Committee said.
For nearly 60 years, his congregation has been celebrating their Greek heritage through their annual festival.
“We’re one of the oldest festivals in Tulsa,” Boone said.
Tulsa’s 2022 Oktoberfest Announced
Labeled as one of the top Oktoberfests in the country, Tulsa’s 2022 Oktoberfest is set to return to River West Festival Park.
The dates were just announced today with five days of fun spanning October 19-23.
Tulsa Mayor Proposes Major Increase In Funding For 1921 Graves Investigation
Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum plans to set aside $1 million of the city’s budget for the 1921 Race Massacre Graves Investigation. The City Council would still have to approve that funding.
The 1921 Race Massacre Graves Investigation has big plans going forward. Public Oversight Committee Chair Kavin Ross said he is excited to say, pending city council approval, they will have money to pay for those plans. “This is assuredness from the city; and it’s been a long time coming,” Ross said.
Archeologists plan to go back to Oaklawn Cemetery to do more excavation work, but there is no timeline yet on when that will happen. They also want to excavate at Newblock Park and the Canes area, which is a homeless encampment just west of downtown along the Arkansas River.
Then, there is the cost of DNA analysis for remains already found. The mayor announced the million dollar decision at last week’s city council meeting.
“The City of Tulsa is contributing to this important work in a way it never has before. It is important that we not just plan, but act,” Bynum said in his speech.
Chick-Fil-A Oklahoma Giving Away Free 8-Count Nuggets
KTUL:
Starting this week, Chick-fil-A is offering a free 8-count nugget to thank the community for its continued support.
Restaurants both in Tulsa and Oklahoma City are participating.
An Exclusive First Peek At The Bob Dylan Museum
When news broke in 2016 that Bob Dylan had given his vast archive of recordings and artifacts to the George Kaiser Family Foundation of Tulsa, people were taken aback. Why was this cultural trove going there, of all places?
Now we know the answer. That initial cache of Dylanalia has become the cornerstone of an entire museum: the Bob Dylan Center. Recently I asked the singer-songwriter, who is 80, why he’d chosen Tulsa. “There’s more vibrations on the coasts, for sure,” he explained. “But I’m from Minnesota and I like the casual hum of the heartland.”
Hearing Set For Tulsa Race Massacre Reparations Case
KRMG:
After nearly eight months of waiting, a court date is now set for a hearing in the case for 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre survivors and descendants. The lawsuit seeks reparations against the City of Tulsa.
Cleo Harris is the owner of Black Wall Street Tees and Souvenirs on Greenwood. Besides selling shirts and other trinkets of Greenwood, he offers his customers a history lesson – for free. He’s a descendant of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and only recently became comfortable to tell his family’s story. He said he feels his family’s pain from more than 100 years ago.
Harris said his family is why he’s an advocate for reparations not just in Tulsa, but across the country.
He has followed the Justice for Greenwood lawsuit for descendants and survivors since it was just chatter a year ago. When he heard there was a hearing set for it, he called it a start.
“I think that’s a step in the right direction. Is it the end all be all? No, we have a long ways to go,” Harris said.
He shares what reparations mean to him and how it could help build generational wealth.
“Give us the keys back, give us the land back. That’s reparations because you can’t put money on massacre, torture and rape,” Harris said.
“Reparations” actually should take the form of monetary compensation for anyone with an actual connection to the event, rather than an ethnic cleansing of downtown Tulsa.
Professional Bull Riding Shows To Return To Tulsa For 5 More Years
PBR is staying in Tulsa for a few more years at the BOK center. Professional Bull Riding is back in Tulsa this weekend. A new agreement means the world’s best cowboys and bulls will keep coming to Tulsa for five more years.
“The way that is has elevated our national profile with a national audience it’s been tremendous, and it’s been a real point of honor for us to get to host the best athletes in the world when it comes to professional bull riding right here in Tulsa,” said GT Bynum, City of Tulsa.
The competition brings in thousands of people from all over the country to watch. Mayor GT Bynum said the event has brought in $50 million to the city and gives visitors a glimpse of Tulsa.
Survey: Tulsa Continues To Have Lowest Gas Prices In U.S.
The average U.S. price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline dropped 10 cents over the past two weeks to $4.27 per gallon as oil prices continue to “yo-yo,” industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday.
The price at the pump was $1.32 above what it was one year ago, according to the Lundberg Survey taken Friday.
Nationwide, the highest average price for regular-grade gas was in Los Angeles, at $5.85 per gallon. The lowest average was in Tulsa, at $3.52 per gallon.
The price was $3.39 per gallon at Tulsa-area QuikTrips on Monday, according to gasbuddy.com, a fuel price-tracking service.
Tulsa also had the lowest average price in mid-March and in early April, according to the survey.
ArklahomBoy 