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Indiana mourning, Minnesota protests, Prince Philip funeral: 5 things to know this weekend

Editors
·4 min read

Another community mourns as the US deals with another mass shooting

Several vigils are scheduled this weekend to honor and remember the eight people who died in a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis late Thursday. At least four of the victims, whose ages ranged from 19 to 74, were members of the local Sikh community. Authorities have identified the gunman as a 19-year-old former employee at the facility, who took his own life after the killings. The motive remains unclear. The massacre is one of 28 mass shootings in the U.S. in the month of April alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive. This is also the sixth consecutive week America has had to suffer through a mass killing.

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Police tactics in Minnesota questioned as protests show no sign of letting up

Elected leaders in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, where ex-officer Kim Potter fatally shot Daunte Wright last weekend, want officers to scale back their tactics amid nightly protests that show no sign of stopping as the weekend arrives. Brooklyn Center officials passed a resolution Monday banning the city's officers from using tear gas and other chemicals, chokeholds, and police lines to arrest demonstrators. But other agencies, including those from the state and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department, have provided support and aren't bound to the resolution. Law enforcement's treatment of the media also has faced scrutiny as late Friday, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order that bars Minnesota officers from arresting or using force against the press. This stems, in part, from multiple journalists telling the court ahead of the ruling they were targeted this week. Also on Friday night, USA TODAY's Jasper Colt detailed Minnesota State Patrol troopers corralling media members and photographing their faces and identification.

Prince Philip will be laid to rest

Queen Elizabeth II's husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, died on April 9 at age 99. His funeral will take place Saturday at Windsor Castle in a family service that will be closed to the public, Buckingham Palace said in a statement to USA TODAY. It will begin with a nationwide moment of silence at 10 a.m. ET/7a.m. PT (3 p.m. in England). The service will combine tradition, pandemic restraints and the "no fuss" personality of the man himself. Prince Harry will attend the service at Windsor Castle along with family members, though Duchess Meghan, who is pregnant with the couple's second child, has been advised by her doctor not to make the long journey.

ACM Awards will celebrate the year's best country music

For the second year in row, Nashville, Tennessee, will host the Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday. The show will return to three celebrated Music City venues: the Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry House and Bluebird Café. The 56th annual ACM Awards airs at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Last year, because of the pandemic, the ceremony was relocated from Las Vegas to Nashville for the first time in its 50-plus-year history. Keith Urban will return as host, and he'll be joined by Grammy-nominated "Black Like Me" singer Mickey Guyton.

National parks are free on Saturday, but bring your mask

In honor of National Park Week, the National Park Service will waive entrance fees Saturday. Visitors will still have to pay fees for camping, transportation, activities and tours. The weeklong celebration will run through Sunday, April 25 with a variety of programs, events and digital experiences. For those taking advantage, please note The National Park Service requires all visitors and employees to don masks inside buildings and facilities and on NPS-managed lands "when physical distancing cannot be maintained," according to the Interior Department.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Prince Philip funeral, ACM awards 2021: 5 things to know this weekend