Crime

The mother of the teen behind the deadly Oregon elementary school shooting has had her own run-ins with the law ... including an assault case and a DUI arrest, TMZ has learned.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ, Shauntai May Nickerson was charged with fourth-degree assault in March 2023 after prosecutors accused her of injuring another woman during an altercation.

Nickerson ultimately pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of harassment ... admitting in court documents she subjected the woman to unwanted physical contact.

New twist in the case of the slain New York Times trans executive ... his in-laws shot him to death in self-defense before his hired hitman could whack them ... at least according to their defense attorney.

Defense lawyer Curtis Briggs told reporters that his clients, Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, both 77, purchased firearms in March 2026 because they feared for their lives after learning that Jonathan McKinsey had once hired a hitman to kill Chen, his mother-in-law. Zhang, McKinsey's father-in-law, was apparently not the primary target.

Briggs said Chen and Zhang did not plot to murder McKinsey at the Dublin Sports Grounds park in Dublin, California, on September 26 ... and went to the park for a court-ordered visit with his kids.

Prosecutors claim the couple gunned down McKinsey at the park that day and charged the couple with first-degree murder.

A woman who claims Russell Brand sexually assaulted her took the stand on Tuesday in his rape trial ... describing the alleged incident as "frenzied" and even "violent" ... and she claims his entourage stood by and watched.

The woman testified in court that she was working at a radio station in London in the mid-2000s when he grabbed her suddenly and allegedly began kissing her.

Brand allegedly grabbed the woman's buttocks and breasts and pushed her against a wall ... and she says 4 members of his entourage -- 3 men and 1 woman -- watched the "violent," "sloppy" and "frenzied" alleged attack.

The lead detective in the O.J. Simpson murder case is throwing cold water on a new bombshell claim that O.J. had help covering his tracks ... and he's not mincing words.

Retired LAPD detective Tom Lange joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday, and we asked how much stock he puts in the theory that Joseph "Joey" Ippolito helped O.J. dispose of evidence after the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

His answer? "Pretty close to zero."

Tom admits the allegations make for an interesting story, but he says there's one glaring problem -- there's no actual evidence.

Nicole Brown Simpson's sister is having a change of heart about the infamous murders ... telling TMZ she now believes O.J. Simpson may have had help getting rid of the evidence.

Tanya Brown tells TMZ ... she's always believed O.J. killed Nicole and Ron Goldman on his own ... but a bombshell new report has her reconsidering whether someone helped cover his tracks and discard bloody clothes and the murder weapon.

She tells us ... "Someone had to have discarded that bag ... and I don't think it was O.J."

A mafioso/drug dealer/convicted criminal/prison escapee may have helped O.J. Simpson get rid of physical evidence linking him to the murders of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson, including the knife, but Harvey Levin says he was NOT an accomplice to the murders.

Harvey, who was the investigative reporter for the CBS affiliate in Los Angeles back in 1994, covered the O.J. saga from start to finish.

He says the New York Times report that Joey Ippolito is the guy who got rid of the evidence may well be true, but any involvement he may have had was after the fact. Harvey explains in detail in the YouTube video above.

The prison warden being sued by Tory Lanez is slamming his $100 million lawsuit ... blaming Tory and the prison guards for his stabbing at the hands of another inmate.

TMZ obtained court docs filed by the California Correctional Institution Warden Thomas Valdez. In his filing, Valdez denied Tory was harmed by anything he did … and scoffed at the claim that Tory's rights were violated.

The prison warden admits Tory was stabbed by an inmate named Santino Casio with an inmate-manufactured weapon while both were housed in the same facility. Tory argued they should not have been in the same unit due to Casio's "violent" past.

The woman who plowed her pickup truck into a youth soccer game in Kansas, killing 2 people and injuring 10 others, has been released from custody ... and she hasn't been charged with a crime.

Wichita police say the 34-year-old driver was released after investigators interviewed more than 30 witnesses and consulted with prosecutors ... though the investigation is far from over.

Cops are now awaiting toxicology results and a mechanical examination of the truck ... as they work to determine what caused Saturday's horrifying crash at the Stryker Sports Complex.

O.J. Simpson's associate may have played a role in the aftermath of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman ... according to a new investigation by The New York Times.

The report focuses on Joseph "Joey" Ippolito, a convicted drug trafficker who reportedly had ties to Simpson and served as a government informant.

Ippolito's brother, Sam, claimed to The Times Joey came home the night of the 1994 murders with blood on his hands and a heavy bag.

Selma Blair was all smiles at a Connecticut event on Friday after her disastrous plane trip to NYC that ended with her in handcuffs for allegedly assaulting 4 people, including a cop and a nurse.

The actress showed up for 90s Con at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, and Selma looked super happy to be there.

Just look at that big smile on her face as she wraps her arms around Brad Deiter, an actor who later posted the happy photo of the two at the event on his Instagram. You would never know from the picture that Selma was in huge trouble with the law last Sunday.

Two of the victims killed in the horrific Oregon elementary school shooting have been identified ... including a young teacher who was working her dream job.

Authorities identified 25-year-old Meghan Lambert and 5-year-old Rhoam Summer during a Friday press conference, one day after a teenage gunman opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon.

Meghan's family shared a heartbreaking statement ... revealing she grew up in Bend and always dreamed of teaching in the same school district she attended as a child.

Casey Anthony says America needs to do away with the death penalty ... 15 years after she narrowly avoided the punishment herself.

Casey -- who was found not guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter Caylee back in the summer of 2011 -- says state-sanctioned death as a punishment is inhumane ... claiming there's no evidence that the severe punishment stops people from committing crimes.

She mentions how 17 inmates have already been executed in Florida this year ... and 19 were killed in the Sunshine State in 2025.

The Oakland Police Department is looking into a viral video that allegedly shows the shooting that ended reality star Kash's life.

OPD confirmed they're looking into the clip, which is making the rounds online ... telling us it has been forwarded to the case investigator for review.

The video is graphic ... it shows a fight breaking out between two women -- with the pair trading blows and pulling hair -- when a third woman runs up and starts smacking down at one of them.

Startling discovery at a Philadelphia home that's been linked to 7 missing women ... bones were found on the property.

6abc Philadelphia -- a local outlet in the City of Brotherly Love -- reports that sources say the medical examiner's office was called Thursday to collect bones from the Olney neighborhood residence on the north side of the city.

It's still not clear if the bones are human or connected to any of the cases. Forensic examiners are still investigating.

The Oregon shooter who killed 3 students and one teacher at an elementary school was armed with a pump-action shotgun purchased by his mother, according to the Associated Press.

The AP reports the 16-year-old gunman, whose name has not been released, used the powerful weapon to go on his bloody rampage Thursday inside Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, OR.

Police say the teen fatally shot three kids, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a teacher before a good Samaritan killed the shooter with his own gun.

Citing a law enforcement source, Fox News said the Samaritan had a permit to carry a firearm.

Keegan Allen is back in public for the first time since he claims he was robbed at gunpoint and bloodied during a violent encounter in West Hollywood ... and he says things aren't great.

Photogs got the "Pretty Little Liars" star in Los Angeles on Thursday and asked how he was holding up.

Keegan's response ... "Not feeling great."