RantCrush Top 5: May 19, 2017

Yesterday, tragedy struck New York City, when a man named Richard Rojas made an abrupt U-turn up onto the sidewalk and plowed through three blocks of pedestrians. One woman, 18-year-old Alyssa Elsman, was killed. Twenty-two others were injured.

Map showing the locations where a vehicle struck pedestrians in Times Square. More informations here > https://t.co/yLiHgL8OnW via @nytimes pic.twitter.com/oIGX5aBzob

— Visualeyed (@Visual_eyed) May 19, 2017

Details about the attacker, Rojas, have started to come to light. A New York native, Rojas was in the Navy for three years until he was dishonorably discharged. In the weeks leading up to yesterday’s attack, according to reports from friends and family, Rojas appeared to be suffering from paranoia and delusions. One of the officials investigating Rojas has said that he admitted to hearing voices and seeing hallucinations. Rojas has been charged with murder, attempted murder, and aggravated vehicular homicide.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.