Nation and world news in brief for Friday, March 29, 2024
Suspect charged with murder, attempted murder in deadly Rockford rampage
CHICAGO (AP) — A 22-year-old man has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder in a frenzied deadly rampage that unfolded in a matter of minutes in a northern Illinois city. Christian Soto is also charged with seven counts of attempted murder and home invasion with a dangerous weapon following the attacks in Rockford Wednesday. Seven people were injured. Court and jail records show Soto appeared in court briefly Thursday afternoon and remains held without bond. He is next due in court Tuesday when a judge will determine if he stays in jail pending trial.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Authorities say a bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa, killing at least 45 people. The only survivor of Thursday’s crash was an 8-year-old child, who was receiving medical attention, according to authorities in the northern province of Limpopo. The Limpopo provincial government said the bus veered off the Mmamatlakala bridge and plunged 50 meters (164 feet) into a ravine before busting into flames.
