Files: Mall gunman tried suicide before

Omaha, Neb.

The gunman who fatally shot eight people in a mall this month tried to kill himself by swallowing about 30 Tylenol pills nearly two years earlier, according to court records released Wednesday.

Months later, Robert Hawkins left state care, with his father saying the boy "will have to stand or fall on his own."

A judge on Wednesday released caseworker reports, a psychological evaluation and a letter to the court from Hawkins' father, Ron Hawkins. The judge also released 11 transcripts of Hawkins' earlier court proceedings.

In one report, Hawkins, told a social worker that he wanted to die when he swallowed about 30 Tylenol pills in January 2006, she wrote in a report to Sarpy County Juvenile Court.

Nearly two years later, on Dec. 5, Hawkins, 19, walked into a department store in Omaha's Westroads Mall and fatally shot eight people and himself with an AK-47 rifle.

Barstow, Calif.

Pit bulls attack; woman dies

A pack of pit bulls surrounded a woman and mauled her to death, authorities said Wednesday.

Police found Kelly Caldwell, 45, lying in the street about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and took her to a hospital, where she died, the San Bernardino County sheriff's department said.

After the mauling, the dogs ran to a nearby house. Deputies shot one dog to death when it returned to the scene and acted aggressively as paramedics were trying to save Caldwell's life, authorities said.

A second dog was shot to death Wednesday morning when deputies said it became aggressive as an animal-control officer tried to capture it.

No arrests were made.

New York

Judge's conduct in trial questioned

A judge's decision to keep a stymied jury deliberating for 12 hours just days before Christmas could be grounds to overturn a manslaughter verdict against a black man convicted of shooting a white teen, criminal-defense lawyers said Wednesday.

The lawyers, who are not involved in the case, criticized Suffolk County Judge Barbara Kahn's unusual Saturday night session for the Long Island jury that convicted John White, 54, in the racially charged encounter outside White's home.

Two jurors have said they had been leaning toward acquitting White, but changed their votes after Kahn ordered jurors to keep deliberating Saturday night and indicated they would return Sunday if they didn't reach a verdict.

"They probably felt the judge was saying, go along with the other jurors or you're not going to get out of here," attorney Ed Hayes said.

He and defense attorneys Gerald Shargel and Gerald Lefcourt said it appeared undue pressure was put on jurors.

A telephone message left at Kahn's chambers was not returned Wednesday.

White was convicted of shooting Daniel Cicciaro Jr., 17, to death on Aug. 9, 2006.

Also

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