By Wanja Waweru

Media celebrity Larry Madowo has disclosed that he had escaped a shooting while eating at a restaurant in Florida, the United States of America (USA).

The CNN correspondent, who also held the position of television host at NTV, claimed in a tweet that he might have become part of the US gun violence statistics.

“We were at a restaurant on the Hollywood Oceanfront Broadwalk in Florida when a shooting happened down the street. I took this picture while we were eating. We could have easily been part of the US gun violence statistics if we weren’t so hungry and took the first spot,” he tweeted.

He claimed to have been present when the bullets were fired and that nobody realized what had happened until they observed people fleeing the beach.

According to CNN, six of the nine persons shot are still in the hospital and are in stable condition, but one youngster died in the incident. The other three received treatment and were thereafter freed.

“Of the nine victims, four are minors between the ages of 1 and 17 and five are adults between the ages of 25 and 65, according to a police update,” the CNN reported.

According to international media, Hollywood police have also detained a number of individuals in the wake of the fatal occurrence.

At a press conference on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, Hollywood Police Department spokesman Deanna Bettineschi revealed that two males suspected of being involved were detained on firearms charges.

Police are requesting the public’s assistance in locating three additional individuals they suspect were involved in the shooting.

Two of the five handguns found, according to the police, were stolen.

Numerous officers from the Hollywood Police Department are stationed at the beach on popular holiday weekends, allowing for a quick response, according to Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy.

“That’s why we were able to apprehend two people so quickly. The police were there within seconds or minutes.”

Recently, US firemen recognized an adolescent Kenyan-American for saving his grandmother’s life during a near-death encounter.

The neighborhood fire department shocked Roy Ngunjiri, a student at a nearby school in Everett, Washington, by giving him a Life Saving Recognition Award.

The boy’s efforts were hailed by authorities, who also described how Ngunjiri’s quick thinking averted what may have been a fatal occurrence.

According to local news station KIRO7, Ngunjiri called 911 when he realised he could not help his grandmother, who was in a life-threatening situation.

“When he realised he couldn’t help his grandmother, he called 911. While waiting for the firefighters to arrive, he called his mother to alert her. He then tied up the dog to make sure it wouldn’t interfere with the paramedics.

“Roy cleared the way for the paramedics to enter. While they helped his grandmother, he packed a rucksack for her with all the things she would need for the hospital. I hadn’t even thought about it, and this is what I do for a living,” local media quoted Everett firefighter Bronson Pearce as saying.

His heroism was further highlighted when he agreed to accompany authorities to the hospital to help with translation.

Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS), Kimani Ngunjiri, took to social media to congratulate the boy on his remarkable act of bravery for “saving his grandmother from an asthma attack that would have left her in a life-threatening condition.”

He tweeted, “Roy Ngunjiri, we are proud of you and your future is bright. Jane Ngunjiri (Roy’s mother) bless you and your family.”

By Wanja Waweru

An American woman who was visiting the Maasai Mara in Narok County lost Sh1.7 million to a Kenyan woman who claimed to be able to assist her in making hotel reservations is the subject of an investigation by police in Nakuru County.

Currently, Nakuru County authorities are looking into thecase of an American citizen who was duped by a Kenyan woman’s deceptive ploy.

When Ms Linda Panda trusted Ms Lucy Njeri Njoroge of Nakuru, who claimed to be a travel agent working under the name “Splendor Holiday,” she was duped out of Sh1.7 million.

The suspect had agreed to arrange Ms. Panda’s hotel reservations for her impending trip to Narok County’s renowned Maasai Mara.

Travel vlogger Ms Panda, who spoke exclusively to Nairobi News, claimed that they had an arrangement with two of their friends to deliver Ms Njeri’s half of the money, but that as soon as she had it, she began taking them around in circles.

“We were supposed to come to Kenya in May but it never happened because the person who received the money went mute and we could not reach her. It is very absurd that she went mute as soon as she received the money,” said Ms Panda.

Despite not knowing Mrs. Lucy Njeri Njoroge directly, Mrs. Linda Panda provided insight into the events that motivated her to send money to her.

She added that a woman named Mrs. Glory Kimonge, who owns a travel agency in Tanzania, was connected to her by a mutual acquaintance named Gloria Yali, who resides in the United States.

Ms. Panda and Ms. Njeri initially met as a result of this association. Things started out well when Ms. Njeri told her that she had already made hotel reservations for her planned trip.

“Since Mrs Gloria is a close friend here in the US, we were sure that everything would go well because she has travelled to several countries with the help of the Tanzanian guide. We never doubted that something bad would happen,” she said.

Ms. Panda claimed that when Ms. Njeri vanished after receiving the money, they were left with no choice but to get in touch with Ms. Glory, who lives in Tanzania, to assist them in finding her.

After numerous attempts to reach the suspect had failed, Ms. Glory made the decision to travel to Kenya. There, she registered a report at the Nakuru Police Station, which was noted in the Occurrence Book (OB) with the number 79/23/5/2023.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nakuru were able to apprehend the suspect after receiving the information.

After being detained, Ms. Njeri admitted to receiving the funds but using them to cover her sister’s medical bills and funeral costs.

In a video , the suspect may be seen sobbing as she narrates how the family did not have the money at the time to deal with the situation, especially the hospital bill, and she became the family’s only salvation.

“Please forgive me, I used the money to pay my sister’s hospital bill and the rest I used as funeral expenses. It was a very difficult time for us as a family,” she said.

The transaction was meant for official purposes, thus Ms Panda expresses her confusion and disappointment at Ms Njeri’s suspected abuse of funds.

Ms. Panda, who is adamant about getting justice, said she will be in the nation this week to make sure the suspect is charged properly.

“All we want is justice, we had plans to cross the whole of East Africa, but now things are not moving as we thought. I don’t even know who to trust and who not to trust,” said Ms Panda.