📖Today In History: Vaughan Condo Shooting, Christmas Bombing, Lyman Abbot, Sports Betting Bust

Hey gang! 🎒🔥 It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time to look back at all of the episodes we explored last week. From mystical teachings with Shaman Omar, mob tales with Tony Hernandez, and ancient parenting practices with Meredith Small, this was a week packed with crime and ancient history! Let’s take a look at what went down! 📖🔪👶

Crime: On the evening of December 18, 2022, a shooting occurred at a condo building in Vaughan, Ontario, resulting in the deaths of six people, including a 73-year-old suspect. York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween said that emergency crews responded to the shooting call at around 7:20 p.m. on Jane Street, north of Rutherford Road. When officers arrived, they found several victims dead. The suspected shooter lived in the building, and the victims were found in different units. The victims were identified as Rita Camilleri, 57, Vittorio Panza, 79, Russell Manock, 75, Helen Manock, 71, and Naveed Dada, 59. A 66-year-old woman was injured and taken to the hospital, where her husband said she was expected to survive after emergency surgery.

War: On December 18, 1972, President Nixon unleashed Operation Linebacker II after negotiations with North Vietnamese representatives hit a dead end. Dubbed the "Christmas Bombing," this intense campaign saw B-52s and fighter-bombers rain down over 20,000 tons of bombs on Hanoi and Haiphong! The skies were a battleground, with the U.S. losing 15 colossal B-52s and 11 other aircraft. North Vietnam reported over 1,600 civilian casualties. The relentless bombings roared on until December 29, when North Vietnam agreed to return to the negotiating table. Just weeks later, the historic Paris Peace Treaty was signed, bringing the Vietnam War to a dramatic close and marking the end of the U.S.'s controversial involvement in it.

Religion: On December 18, 1835, a prominent Congregational clergyman and social gospel advocate, Lyman Abbott was born in Massachusetts. He graduated from New York University in 1853, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1856. Abbott left law to study theology with his uncle, John Stevens Cabot Abbott. He became a Congregational minister in 1860. Inspired by Henry Ward Beecher, he later succeeded him as pastor at Brooklyn's Plymouth Congregational Church.

Mafia: On December 18, 2017, the Slovenian Police, with support from the Croatian Police and Europol, dismantled an international crime syndicate involved in sports corruption and illegal betting. The group created an illegal web platform for large bets on major Asian bookmakers, manipulating sports events across Europe. The investigation, which began in March 2017, led to 13 house and 15 vehicle searches in Slovenia and Croatia. The syndicate attempted to fix football matches in Serbia, Macedonia, and the Czech Republic, betting primarily on the Asian market for financial gains. They ensured transaction anonymity using virtual currency systems like Skrill and Paysafe, transferring illegal earnings to off-shore shell companies. The group also collaborated with other criminal organizations to invest proceeds from crimes like drug trafficking.

What did you think of last week’s episode? 💭Drop us a RELPY—we LOVE hearing from you! If you haven’t caught it yet, head over to the channel and check it out. Let’s GOOOOOO!!!! 🔥👊🚀

- Jaime