A 2-year-old child was shot in the head on Christmas morning at a home in Walker County, Georgia, and is currently in surgery; authorities are investigating the incident with assistance from the GBI and family services.
Severe storms in Walker County, Texas, caused a tornado and significant damage, including a structure's roof falling near a feeder road and a power pole collapsing on the Interstate 45 Frontage Road South, leading to road closures as authorities assess the situation.
Two individuals have been indicted and arrested in connection with the 2015 slaying of Eric Cates and his dog in Walker County, Alabama. Joshua Franklin Hill, 33, and Cyerena Cheyenne Styles, 28, are facing murder charges after Cates and his dog were found dead inside a burned pickup truck near the old Empire School building. The case was presented to a grand jury following an investigation by the Alabama Attorney General's Office at the request of the Walker County Sheriff's Office. Cates' family expressed gratitude for the progress in the case but acknowledged that it marks the beginning of another chapter in their pursuit of justice.
A husband and wife have been arrested in Walker County, Georgia, in a hoarding and cruelty case involving nearly 100 animals. The couple was taken into custody after authorities discovered the animals living in deplorable conditions, with many suffering from neglect and malnutrition. The animals have been removed from the property and are receiving medical care. The couple now faces charges of animal cruelty and hoarding.
Three people were killed and one was injured in two separate shootings on I-45 in Texas, which occurred about 40 miles apart. Authorities suspect that the incidents are connected to biker gangs. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office is investigating the first shooting, which resulted in the death of a 32-year-old male. The second shooting, which occurred in Huntsville, resulted in the deaths of two male victims, ages 43 and 69, who were part of an outlaw motorcycle gang. The third victim, age 61, was flown to a hospital in Houston.
Two crew members were taken to the hospital after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Walker County. The cause of the derailment is currently unknown.