News in :90 – May 4, 2023

Federal authorities announced racketeering and other charges Wednesday against 45 members or associates of two major Minneapolis street gangs for crimes including seven homicides, plus numerous drug trafficking and firearms violations.

U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said at a news conference that the takedown targeted the Highs, who are based in north Minneapolis, and the Bloods, who operate primarily on the south side. As for a third gang, the Lows, from a different part of north Minneapolis, he said charges against them are coming.

“Today’s announcement marks a fundamental change in how we address gang violence. Starting with these charges, we are prosecuting street gangs as the criminal organizations they are,” Luger said. He contrasted that with what he called a traditional local approach to prosecuting gun violence of charging offenders “crime by crime, shooting by shooting, case by case.”

The suspect in a mass shooting in Atlanta that left one woman dead and four others wounded has been charged with one count of murder and four counts of aggravated assault, Fulton County Jail records show.

Deion Patterson was awaiting his first court appearance Thursday after police say he opened fire in the waiting room of an Atlanta medical practice Wednesday. Workers and others in a bustling commercial district took shelter for hours during the manhunt.

Two 10-year-olds are among 300 children who worked at McDonald’s restaurants illegally, a Labor Department investigation of franchisees in Kentucky found.

Louisville’s Bauer Food LLC, which operates 10 McDonald’s locations, employed 24 minors under the age of 16 to work more hours than legally permitted, the agency said. Among those were two 10-year-old children. The agency said the children sometimes worked as late as 2 a.m., but were not paid.