Uber will now officially look into the account that led driver Loletha Hall killed after she was directed to an Ohio home where 81-year-old Wiliam J. Brock shot the woman to death, erroneously thinking she was part of an online scam.
According to an Uber representative, Loletha Hall's shooting murder on March 25 is "a horrific tragedy," and that account has now been banned. Concerning Hall's death, Brock was charged on Monday with murder, felonious assault, and kidnapping.
According to the two felony murder counts, Brock killed Hall by conducting or attempting to commit felonious assault or kidnapping, respectively, as an underlying crime.
He was accused not only with three charges of murder but also of kidnapping and felonious assault. He is charged with five counts total.
(Photo: Tom Def from Unsplash) An interconnected chain of false shooter reports is disrupting US schools and law enforcers.
On March 25, Brock allegedly shot Hall many times outside his South Charleston residence, as per the criminal complaint. Hall passed away after being brought to a nearby hospital.
Before the incident, Brock informed the police that he had received threatening calls from a male caller who claimed to be a relative of his and tried to extract money from him.
The caller also threatened Brock and his family. Sources indicate that Brock shot 61-year-old Hall many times when she arrived at his home in her Uber.
As per an earlier report, Hall had no idea Brock had received scam calls. When she got to the house and got out of her car, Brock pointed a gun at her and demanded to know who was making the threats. He also took Hall's cell phone away and stopped her from leaving the area.
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Tragic Shooting Incident
After Hall attempted to run, Brock shot her once, then twice more while they were conversing. Brock fired the third shot during the altercation, but not before suffering a minor head injury, which prompted him to call 911.
According to the Clark County Sheriff's Office, police saw no actual threat from Hall throughout the interaction; hence, Brock was taken into custody and prosecuted.
Uber has previously offered its condolences for the unfortunate event and emphasized that Loletha's family will always have its support during this trying period. Uber also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the investigation and confirmed its cooperation with law enforcement in the statement.
Scams Targeting Older People
The scam calls concerning Brock are another incident based on a study conducted last November. According to a survey by the nonprofit organization Re-engage and the University of Portsmouth, two out of three older people have fallen victim to scams in the previous year. This has led to increased anxiety, sadness, and, in some severe cases, suicidal ideation.
The study, which includes 1,177 participants, is among the largest of its type and provides insight into the widespread problem of con artists preying on the elderly.
About 20% of individuals polled said they were the target of weekly scam attempts, and 40% said they were approached illegally monthly. These scams primarily use telephone techniques, such as text-based, landline, and mobile approaches.
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(Photo: Tech Times)
