Jamaican News

The latest on surveillance shooting: Official says suspect spent a year in Saudi Arabia

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A school official says Boston terror suspect Usaama Rahim spent his freshman year of high school in Saudi Arabia.

Brookline, Massachusetts, school superintendent Bill Lupini says Rahim _ who was fatally shot Tuesday by an anti-terrorism task force _ graduated from Brookline High School in 2007 but spent his first year at the Academic International School in Saudi Arabia.

Lupini said in a statement issued Thursday that Rahim’s guidance counsellor and dean remember him as a “bright young man” who had no major disciplinary infractions.

He said after graduation, Rahim went to college in Florida.

Rahim was fatally shot after investigators who had him under 24-hour surveillance said they approached to question him about “terrorist-related information.”

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4:45 p.m.

The lawyer for the family of Boston terror suspect Usaama Rahim says the authorities who fatally shot him didn’t have a warrant, and he’s calling for a thorough and transparent investigation.

Attorney Ronald Sullivan is urging “a joint effort to search for the truth” into Rahim’s shooting by an anti-terrorism task force.

Sullivan says the family won’t speak at Thursday’s news conference. He says relatives are waiting for more evidence “in order to form a reasoned and informed opinion.”

Rahim’s elder brother, an imam, and his mother stood with the lawyer, and planned to view a video of the shooting later in the afternoon.

Sullivan says Imam Ibrahim Rahim was mistaken when he initially claimed that his younger brother had been shot in the back. He says Ibrahim Rahim was relying on third-hand information, and “We now know we simply did not have all the facts.”

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4:20 p.m.

A Boston Muslim leader is challenging the use of deadly force by an anti-terrorism task force.

Imam Abdullah Faaruuq calls the shooting of 26-year-old Usaama Rahim “reckless.”

Faaruuq says “you can capture elephants, lions and tigers without killing them,” and police should have been able to subdue Rahim without fatally shooting him.

He spoke Thursday as a news conference with members of Rahim’s family got under way.

Rahim was fatally shot Tuesday after investigators said they approached to question him about “terrorist-related information.”

Authorities say Rahim and his nephew had discussed beheading blogger Pamela Geller and later talked about killing police officers.

Rahim was being surveilled around the clock after buying three knives on Amazon.com, but authorities have yet to make public any evidence that he and his nephew actually used the word “beheading.”

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3 p.m.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker says showing Boston community leaders the video of a deadly police standoff with terror suspect Usaama Rahim was an effective way to ease tensions.

Baker says the use of deadly force is unfortunate both for the officers involved and everyone else connected to the case.

The governor praised the decision of Boston Police and the FBI to quickly invite leaders of the African-American and Muslim communities to see the police video for themselves. He said it’s “a very appropriate and I think sensible way to handle it.”

Baker noted Thursday that police took the same approach in March when a suspect shot a Boston officer during a traffic stop.

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1:15 p.m.

The family of a man killed by terror investigators in Boston after he lunged at them with a knife has hired two attorneys.

Usaama Rahim’s family said Thursday that it hired the lawyers “to ensure that a complete and transparent investigation into the circumstances” surrounding Rahim’s death occurs.

Rahim was fatally shot Tuesday after investigators approached him to question him about “terrorist-related information.” Authorities say Rahim and his nephew had discussed beheading conservative blogger Pamela Geller and later talked about killing police officers.

Attorney Ronald Sullivan says the family is grateful they’ll get the opportunity to view surveillance video of the shooting before it’s released publicly.

Rahim’s older brother is an imam and released a statement calling on Muslim communities to “remain calm” and to offer their prayers for Rahim.

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1 p.m.

A note of tribute to the man killed by terror investigators after he lunged at them with a knife has been left at the site of the fatal Boston shooting.

The note expressing solidarity with 26-year-old Usaama Rahim was left on a small blue pillow Thursday, two days after the killing. The FBI says it moved in on Rahim when it did out of concern he was planning an imminent attack.

The unsigned note says in part: “You were human. They never look at us like that though. … I pray you’re at peace. I’m sorry for what they did to you.”

Police say Rahim lunged at members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force on Tuesday after they approached him to question him about “terrorist-related information.”

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12:45 p.m.

Boston’s police commissioner says a man killed by terror investigators who had him under 24-hour surveillance initially talked about beheading conservative blogger Pamela Geller before deciding to target police officers.

Commissioner William Evans said Thursday on NBC’s “Today” show that “there was some mention” of Gellar’s name by Usaama Rahim. Evans says he considered the talk about killing Geller more along the lines of wishful thinking.

Rahim was killed Tuesday after investigators approached him to question him. Authorities say he lunged with a knife at members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Geller organized a cartoon contest last month about the Prophet Muhammad in Texas, where two men started shooting before they were killed by police. She leads an organization called American Freedom Defence Initiative.

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11:50 a.m.

Authorities plan to show the family of a man fatally shot by terror investigators a video they say shows him lunging at police and an FBI agent with a knife in Boston.

Usaama Rahim was killed Tuesday after investigators approached him to question him. Prosecutors say he and his nephew discussed beheading an unnamed victim and later talked about killing police officers.

Rahim’s brother is an imam who is well known among Muslims and African-Americans in Boston. He initially disputed the police account of the shooting.

Rahim’s family plans to hold a press conference Thursday afternoon at the shooting scene.

A spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Dan Conley says the office has had contact with Rahim’s family and will show them the video if they wish to see it.

www.a.abcnews.com

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