The cries of the people have been memorable, the laughter has been loud, the joy and pride that the United States shared have been groundbreaking. The year 2016 was a massive rollercoaster for people worldwide.
In January, after many broken deals and fights between the US and Iran, families were reunited when five Americans were released from the grasp of Iran. During the end of January is when ISIS did suicide bombings in Damascus killing more than 70 people. In Michigan, Gov. Rick Snyder is being targeted for not releasing all information about the Flint water crisis to the executive office.
In February, there were three girls who performed a suicide bombing in Nigerian refugee camp. Only two of the girls detonated the bombs; the other turned herself into the police when seeing family members in the campsite. These bombings killed over 58 people and more than 78 were injured.
In March, the US led airstrikes in Somalia that killed more than 100 militants. Secretary of State John Kerry announced to America that ISIS is committing genocide. Paris was attacked. Support and mourning were shown worldwide for the fallen in Paris. In Brussels airports, bombs went off killing many and the people of Belgium got together to mourn with a banner saying “I am Brussels.” The changing of the Holland Welkom sign is stalled. Some students in Saugatuck schools tried to raise awareness and help prevent human trafficking.
In April, President Obama announced that he was sending over 250 special forces troop to Syria to fight against ISIS. Ottawa County’s employment rate increased from 3.1 to 3.2 in one month.
In May, the leader of the Afghan Taliban is killed.
In June, Orlando and the rest of the US mourn over the injured and killed at one of Orlando’s gay nightclub. Another terrible incident happened at Orlando’s Disney World where a two-year-old boy was dragged off by an alligator. The Cleveland Cavaliers take home the prize as being 2016’s NBA finalist.
In July, Philando Castile was shot by a police officer in his car while his girlfriend was streaming the encounter live on Facebook. After so many African American and white cop encounters that have ended with a tragedy, Micah Johnson felt anger and killed five innocent white cops stating his end goal was to kill as many white cops as he could. Obama sends about 560 troops to Iraq to retake Mosul which has been taken over by ISIS. Another ex-Marine Gavin Long targeted white police and ended up killing three of the six he encountered. Another shooting occurred in Florida’s nightclub in Fort Myers killing a 14 and 18-year-old. People in Michigan assemble a “Black Lives Matter” protest march in order to recognize the recent police shootings. A full-sized Noah’s Ark is recreated and opens in Kentucky. This month the American flag has been flying half-staffed to show mourning and respects for all of the fallen lives.
In August, the Zika virus was starting to spread so the CDC issued a warning to the public. The US launched airstrikes in Libya directed towards ISIS. The first documented death related to the Zika virus is of a baby who was born with birth defects, one of them being a hallmark of the Zika virus. In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, another police officer shot a fleeing protester with an automatic gun and the people go into an outrage and damaged police equipment and cars while also injuring the police officers. $400 million is sent to Iran which releases four more American prisoners. Federal Judges rule against transgender bathrooms in school zones. Law centers are claiming “White Lives Matter” as being a hate group opposed to “Black Lives Matter”. FAFSA changes the application availability date to October 1.
In September, a 13-year-old boy is shot dead by a police in Ohio after being a robbery suspect who runs away into an alley and pulls a BB gun on a police who then proceeds to fire shots at Tyre King. Thousands of people are gathering to protest against the Dakota access pipeline. Another African American death involving a police officer in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Terence Crutcher was shot by police officer Betty Shelby who claims that Crutcher was grabbing a weapon from his vehicle but the video evidence leads to Shelby being guilty of the unnecessary death of Crutcher. Ahmad Khan Rahami a suspected criminal to be the reason behind the bombing in both New York and New Jersey was caught outside a bar. In St. Cloud, Minnesota nine people were stabbed at the local mall. ISIS spoke out saying they were the culprits behind the stabbings. Outrage broke out in Charlotte, North Carolina when African American Keith Lamont Scott was killed after being approached by two cops and according to police was armed and threatening the cops. Keith was shot dead. In Washington state, five people are killed at the local mall in Burlington by Arcan Cetin who was arrested that day by police. Hofstra University on Long Island in Hempstead, New York is where the first presidential debate took place between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Alfred Olango an African-American man was shot and killed by police in El Cajon, California. The death of Olango is suspected to be caused by Olango resisting arrest and reaching into his pocket as what was presumed to be a weapon but in a later investigation was a vape. President Obama’s veto was overridden by the Congress allowing families affected by 9/11 confront the Saudi Arabian government. In Townville, South Carolina a homeschooled teenager who shot and killed his father then proceeded to go to the local elementary school and shot two boys and a female teacher. The shooter was captured. Hoboken, New Jersey a commuter train crashed killing a woman named Fabiola Bittar de Kroon and injuring more than 100 other people.
In October, African American Carnell Snell Jr. was fatally shot by police officers after fleeing from a vehicle with a paper license plate. The Dakota access pipelines were purposefully set on fire costing more than $2 million dollars in repairs. Another school shooting occurred now in San Francisco, California as four males were waiting outside June Jordan School for Equity and City Arts and Technology High School. During the release bell, the males opened fire and injured four students. The Cubs won the 2016 World Series, their first since 1945 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After another protest at the Dakota, access pipelines 141 people are arrested for causing a violent riot some even shooting at police officers.
In November, in Iowa, two police officers Anthony Beminio and Justin Martin were ambushed and shot dead by Scott Michael Greene; who later surrendered himself and was taken into custody. Donald Trump won the position of the 45th president in the US. Four police were targeted and shot across the country. One of them occurred in Sanibel, Florida. Two occurred in Missouri one in Gladstone the other in St. Louis. The last shooting occurred in San Antonio, Texas. The protester’s versus the police at the Dakota access pipeline took a turn for the worst as protestors tried to get to the construction site but the police pushed them back by tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons which left at least 17 protesters getting rushed to the hospital with severe cases of hypothermia. At Ohio State University a man named Abdul Razak Ali Artan hit a pedestrian with his car and started stabbing bystanders with a butcher knife. Artan was fatally shot by police responders.
In December, in Oakland, California, at least 36 people died in a warehouse fire that at the time was hosting a concert that over 100 people attended during the fire. The Dakota access pipeline has come to a stop by the Department of the Army. Darnell Earley and Gerald Ambrose two former Michigan emergency managers were charged with not protecting the citizens of Flint from the contaminated water.
