Two women shot on campus of small technical college near Los Angeles

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Updated 03 May 2025
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Two women shot on campus of small technical college near Los Angeles

  • The Los Angeles Police Department said officers detained a male subject from a car matching the description of a vehicle linked to the shooting
  • The school went on lockdown for at least an hour after the shooting

INGLEWOOD: Two female employees of a Southern California technical college were shot on campus Friday and taken to the hospital in an incident that authorities attributed to workplace violence.
The shooting occurred around 4 p.m. in an office at the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology campus in Inglewood, where Mayor James Butts said the suspect was believed to be a former employee.
Aerial TV video showed a heavy police presence outside the campus in the city, which abuts Los Angeles to the southwest.
One of the victims was in critical condition, Butts said. The Los Angeles County Fire Department confirmed on the social platform X that two people were taken to the hospital.
A person was taken into custody after initially leaving the scene, Butts said.
The Los Angeles Police Department said officers detained a male subject from a car matching the description of a vehicle linked to the shooting, which had been sent to local law enforcement agencies by the Inglewood Police Department. The Inglewood police did not immediately respond to a request for more information.
The school went on lockdown for at least an hour after the shooting.
Chris Becker, president and chief administrator of the campus, told KABC-TV that the campus is patrolled regularly and, as an aviation school, safety is one of its primary focuses.
“It’s a peaceful campus,” Becker said. “It’s a nice community of students and teachers and staff.”
The Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology has campuses across the country. The college’s Inglewood location, about a mile (about 1.5 kilometers) from the Los Angeles International Airport, accommodates 500 students and offers training programs focused on aviation maintenance technology, according to its website.


US moves to counter China in Bangladesh, plans to pitch defense alternatives

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US moves to counter China in Bangladesh, plans to pitch defense alternatives

DHAKA: The United States is concerned about China’s ​expanding presence in South Asia and is planning to offer Bangladesh’s next government US and allied defense systems as alternatives to Chinese hardware, Washington’s ambassador to Dhaka told Reuters. Bangladesh votes in a general election on Thursday after a Gen Z-led uprising toppled India-allied premier Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. She has since taken refuge in New Delhi, allowing China to deepen its influence in Bangladesh as India’s presence wanes. China recently signed a defense agreement with Bangladesh to build a drone factory near the India border, worrying foreign diplomats. Bangladesh is also in talks with Pakistan to buy JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, a multi-role combat ‌aircraft jointly developed with ‌China.
“The United States is concerned about growing Chinese influence in South ​Asia ‌and ⁠is committed ​to ⁠working closely with the Bangladeshi government to clearly communicate the risks of certain types of engagement with China,” US Ambassador Brent T. Christensen said in an interview on Tuesday.
“The US offers a range of options to help Bangladesh meet its military capability needs, including US systems and those from allied partners, to provide alternatives to Chinese systems,” he said without offering further details.
The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Christensen also said that President Donald Trump’s administration would “like to see a good relationship between Bangladesh and India ⁠to support stability in the region.” New Delhi-Dhaka relations have nosedived since ‌Hasina fled, badly affecting visa services and cricket ties between the ‌two neighbors.

COMMERCIAL DIPLOMACY IS PRIORITY
Christensen said many US businesses were looking ​at potentially investing in Bangladesh but would want ‌the next government to show early and clear signs that it is “open for business.”
“Commercial diplomacy is one ‌of our top priorities, and we look forward to working with the new government to build on progress made with the interim government, particularly in strengthening commercial, economic, and security ties,” he said.
Energy producer Chevron has been in Bangladesh for decades but not many other US companies are visible in the densely populated country of 175 million people, ‌as high taxes and difficulties repatriating profits have created some hurdles.
There are no Starbucks or McDonald’s outlets in Bangladesh.
The envoy said Washington would ⁠work with “whichever government is elected ⁠by the Bangladeshi people.” The race is between two coalitions led by former allies, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, with opinion polls suggesting the BNP holds an advantage.

AID FOR ROHINGYA REFUGEES
Regarding the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh, the ambassador said the United States remained the largest contributor to humanitarian operations.
“The US remains the largest contributor to the Rohingya refugee response and continues robust health programming in Bangladesh,” he said, noting a recent $2 billion worldwide funding framework signed with the United Nations to improve the effectiveness of such assistance, including in Bangladesh.
He urged other international donors to take on a greater share of the burden.
“The US cannot sustain the bulk of the effort alone. International partners need to increase their support for the Rohingya response,” he said. In recent years, the UN refugee agency has ​been struggling to raise sufficient funds to support ​the Rohingya community, leading to cuts in their rations and the closure of some schools for them.