Good morning. Here are some of the stories we’re following today:
1. Arizona shooter ID'd as neo-Nazi with long rap sheet
The man accused of shooting six people, one of them fatally, in Mesa on Wednesday has been named as 41-year-old Ryan Elliot Giroux. Giroux is known for his involvement with a skinhead group, according to human rights activists. Giroux was shot with a Taser and taken into custody following the shootings. He was found during a search of a condominium complex in which police spotted him on a balcony of a vacant home. Read more in NEWS.
2. Gunman in Tunisia massacre known to intelligence
One of the two gunmen who killed 17 foreign tourists in the Bardo Museum was known to intelligence services, Tunisia's prime minister said Thursday, as leaders met to discuss a national response to the terror attack. Two Tunisians were also killed Wednesday when gunmen opened fire as tourists stepped off a bus outside the popular attraction in North African nation's capital of Tunis. In an interview with RTL radio Thursday, Tunisia's prime minister said he is working with other countries to learn more about the attackers, identified as Yassine Laabidi and Hatem Khachnaoui. Read more in NEWS.
3. Target expected to settle data breach lawsuit for $10 million
The big-box retailer and lawyers for customers whose personal information was stolen in a 2013 data breach have agreed on a $10 million settlement, according to court documents filed Wednesday. Lawyers for customers who filed the class-action suit in Minneapolis, where Target is headquartered, asked the court to approve Target's offer, which the two sides agreed to last week, according to the documents. Target said as many as 40 million credit and debit card accounts may have been affected by the breach, which occurred between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15, 2013, at the height of the holiday shopping season. Read more in BUSINESS.
4. UVA student's bloody arrest sparks police probe
State police have launched an investigation after footage showing the violent arrest of a 20-year-old University of Virginia student sparked protests and prompted concern among top officials. Images of bloodied Martese Johnson being held down by an officer were shared widely online on Wednesday, along with footage of the black student calling the cops cuffing him "racists." The hashtag #JusticeForMartese began trending on Twitter and hundreds of students gathered on UVA's campus Wednesday night to demand justice. Read more in NEWS.
5. Police find latex mask, fake ID, cash during Robert Durst arrest
The real estate heir's arrest on a murder charge over the weekend came after years of questions over whether Durst had anything to do with the disappearance of his first wife in 1982 and the death of his friend in 2000. Police in New Orleans found a latex mask, a fake ID and $42,000 cash — mostly in $100 bills packed in small envelopes — in his hotel room, it was revealed Wednesday. The disclosures came in an affidavit filed by Houston police on Tuesday as they sought a warrant to search Durst's home there for more evidence. Meanwhile, police departments handling unsolved murders with connections to 71-year-old Durst have been reaching out to other law enforcement agencies in cities and towns where the eccentric New York City millionaire lived or visited. Read more in NEWS.
6. NCAA's Round of 64 tips off with top teams Kentucky, Villanova
Is your bracket all set? The true March Madness begins Thursday with 16 games across the country starting after noon ET. Among the big-name schools to watch will be Kentucky (No. 1 seed in the Midwest), Villanova (No. 1 seed in the East) and Arizona (No. 1 seed in the West), as they are expected to move on to the Round of 30. According to his bracket, President Barack Obama's top pick is Kentucky. Follow all the coverage at NBC SPORTS.
