Police: 1-year-old shot, killed by 5-year-old sibling who found gun in Lafayette apt.
Police: 1-year-old shot, killed by 5-year-old sibling who found gun in Lafayette apt.
Plus, Main Street Books finalist for Publishers Weekly’s Bookstore of the Year. Purdue yanks TikTok from university network. Player of the Year Zach Edey’s sources say he’s not in the transfer portal
Thanks to Brokerage Brewing Co. in West Lafayette for its ongoing support for the Based in Lafayette reporting project.
LAFAYETTE POLICE: 1-YEAR-OLD KILLED BY SIBLING WITH A GUN
A 1-year-old boy was shot and killed Tuesday afternoon in Lafayette by a 5-year-old sibling who found the weapon in their Lafayette apartment, police said Tuesday night.
According to Lafayette police, the child was unresponsive, dead from a gunshot wound, when they arrived just after 3 p.m. Tuesday at the apartment in the 500 block of Westchester Lane, in the Romney Meadows apartment complex.
Police said Tuesday night that the sibling was able to access the gun in the apartment.
According to reports by the J&C and WLFI, Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello identified the victim as Isiah Johnson, who was 16 months old. An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.
Police on Tuesday night called it an ongoing investigation.
MAIN STREET BOOKS A ‘PUBLISHERS WEEKLY’ BOOKSTORE OF THE YEAR FINALIST
Main Street Books in downtown Lafayette got a cool nod Tuesday when Publishers Weekly announced it was among five finalists for 2023 PW Bookstore of the Year.
According to Publishers Weekly, the finalists for the 31st annual award were nominated “because of the positive roles they continue to play in their communities by bringing writers and readers together.” A deeper explanation could be coming May 15, when Publishers Weekly plans to run features on Main Street Books and the four other finalists, including:
The Edmonds Bookshop, Edmonds, Washington
Harvey's Tales, Geneva, Illinois
Interabang Books, Dallas, Texas
Midtown Scholar, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Laura and Justin Kendall, who also own Second Flight Books at 2122 Scott St. across from Lafayette’s Columbian Park, bought Main Street books in 2022. (Story from then: “Turn the page: Second Flight picks up Main Street Books.”) That came a year after Tamzin Malone, who opened Main Street Books at 426 Main St. in 2015, died of cancer. (Malone was a real force at that storefront. For evidence, see: “Memories of a ‘badass’ who ran Main Street Books.”)
This was from Laura Kendall, circa August 2022:
“We've put so much work into making Main Street Books our own since we took over the reins seven months ago, and we're just really happy to see folks seem to like what we're doing,” Laura Kendall said Tuesday.
Winners are expected to be announced May 22, as part of the Publishers Weekly-sponsored U.S. Book Show, according to Publishers Weekly.
PURDUE PULLS PLUG ON TIKTOK FEEDS ON UNIVERSITY NETWORKS
Months after Purdue deleted its TikTok accounts, barring official university use of the social media platform that has raised concerns about cybersecurity, the university on Monday shut off access via the campus network.
Those with official Purdue accounts were told in December to quit posting to TikTok and delete their accounts, in a move that covered all Purdue campuses and Purdue Global, including the university central, college and department accounts. In February, Purdue barred TikTok app on university-issued/subsidized devices.
But, at each of those turns, Purdue did not block TikTok access through university accounts, the way it did for various streaming media platforms in academic buildings several years ago.
That changed this week, as reports started filtering out about TikTok service on campus.
Trevor Peters, a Purdue spokesman, said Tuesday:
“As a next step to address concerns about cybersecurity risks to user data privacy, algorithmic censorship of free speech, and threats to national security — all as recognized by the U.S. federal government — Purdue has begun blocking access to TikTok.com and the usage of the TikTok mobile app across Purdue networks. This step is based on TikTok’s overly invasive privacy and use agreements that allow for significant access to phone data – such as keystrokes, geolocation and contacts – and the need, based on a Purdue IT security audit, to provide further protection for Purdue University systems.”
TikTok is still available on campus on non-Purdue cellular plans or via home or public WiFi, Peters said.
According to a New York Times story this week, more than two dozen states have banned TikTok from government-issued devices and that Purdue joins other universities, including Texas, Auburn and Boise State, among others, to restrict access to the social media platform.
A week ago, TikTok CEO Shou Chew was pressed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the app’s relationship to its parent, Chinese company ByteDance, and China’s potential influence over the platform.
According to a New York Times piece from December, TikTok has an estimated 100 million U.S. users, with the Pew Research Center estimating that two-thirds of U.S. teenagers use TikTok, making it prime social media real estate for university marketing efforts.
ZACH EDEY NAMED NABC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Big day Tuesday for Purdue big man Zach Edey, who was named National Association of Basketball Coaches’ player of the year. He was first at Purdue to get that honor since Glenn Robinson earned in 1994.
Here’s an account from Journal & Courier reporter Sam King. Edey remains on the list of finalists for the Wooden Award, given to the top player of the year. That announcement is expected Thursday, March 30.
The day also featured Dan Dakich, former ESPN broadcaster and Indy-based radio host, tweeting that Edey was prepping for the transfer portal to get out of Purdue. Edey responded in short order to swat that away.
On3.com reporter Alex Weber laid out the hoax account set up by a Kentucky fan that duped Dakich: “Purdue center Zach Edey responds to fake reports that he's entering the Transfer Portal.”
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING BASED IN LAFAYETTE, AN INDEPENDENT, LOCAL REPORTING PROJECT. FREE AND FULL-RIDE SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS ARE READY FOR YOU HERE.
Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.
Like and follow Based in Lafayette on Facebook: Based in Lafayette
Thanks for book store coverage! I love Second Flight Books. So glad they have expanded to new book store. Wishing them success.
Dan likes to get drunk and tweet sometimes, I woke up to a whole night's worth of nastiness aimed at me a decade ago which he quickly deleted upon sobering up.