FBI: Shooting at courthouse in Alabama

NEW: Court employee shot himself in the head, Marshals Service says NEW: The man was taken to a hospital, the agency says NEW: His condition is unknown (CNN) -- A worker at the federal courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama, shot himself in the head Thursday, the U.S. Marshals Service said. The man walked into the chief clerk's office at the Hugo Black U.S. Federal Courthouse "mumbling about a will. He then put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger," CNN affiliate WBMA reported, citing a source inside the courthouse. The FBI confirmed the source's report, WBMA said. The man, described only as a "middle-aged white male," was taken to a hospital. His condition was unknown, the agency said. There was no threat to the courthouse, the agency said. Birmingham police are investigating, the marshals service said.

Suicide triggers often a mystery

The family of Jacintha Saldanha -- daughter Lisha, husband Ben Barboza and son Junal -- in London on Monday. It is unlikely for someone to take her own life without previously considering suicide Mental illness, substance abuse and family history of suicide are risk factors Scientists are still looking into why people respond differently to stress (CNN) -- The reasons why people take their own lives aren't always clear, mental health experts say; a multitude of biological and psychological factors may be involved in how individuals respond to difficult circumstances in life. The world may never know everything that contributed to the apparent suicide of Jacintha Saldanha, a nurse who took a prank call from Australian radio DJs pretending to be Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles. Saldanha's name became public only after her death. She was found hanging from a wardrobe door at her hospital living quarters, a coroner's court in London heard Thursday. Saldanha left three notes; the contents were not made public. She worked as a nurse at King Edward VII's Hospital, where Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was being treated last week for acute morning sickness. Saldanha put the call through to the ward where Prince William's wife was staying. A different nurse gave out information about Catherine's condition. Autopsy results in prank nurse death Radio network: 'Witch hunt' against DJs Radio station faces criticism Australian DJs break silence over prank Who was nurse Jacintha Saldanha? Even before Saldanha's death, the chief executive of the hospital, John Lofthouse, condemned the prank as "pretty deplorable." Her apparent suicide has sparked an international outcry. "It's certainly possible, but it's not likely, that someone who never thought about suicide before, if there was something uniquely shaming or embarrassing or humiliating about this, that it just triggered them," said Nadine Kaslow, professor of psychology at the Emory University School of Medicine. "What's more likely is that they might have thought about suicide at other times in their life," she said. This wasn't just any prank. It was a public event, and a mistake that could have potentially gotten Saldanha in trouble, Kaslow said. "You feel ashamed; you feel frightened," Kaslow said. "To think that you got the chance to talk to one of the royals, and then it turns out you talked to people who are from the radio station, you feel like a fool." Intense emotions of guilt and shame are difficult for people to deal with, she said. A person in Saldanha's situation may have felt ashamed, thinking she had let her country down, or afraid of what the consequences would be. A palace spokesman told CNN previously: "At no point did the palace complain to the hospital about the incident. On the contrary, we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and hospital staff at all times." There's not always a clear cause of suicide, experts say. Some people are more vulnerable than others to anxiety and depression, said Alan Manevitz, a family psychiatrist in New York. "Some people have more natural resilience to stressors than others," Manevitz said. Having a mental illness is a risk factor for suicide, but not everyone who takes their own life is mentally ill, Kaslow said. Sometimes a person who is already feeling stressed or fragile can be pushed to the brink with an incident like this. "For other people, it's actually that they're doing OK, but a stressor has a unique power to them, and in that moment they just feel unable to cope or manage," Kaslow said. Other risk factors for suicide include alcohol and substance abuse, family conflict, major loss, family history of suicide, physical illness and feelings of hopelessness and isolation. But there's still a lot that scientists don't know about why some people turn to suicide and others do not, even when facing the same traumatic incident. No information has been released about whether Saldanha had any risk factors for suicide. A stressor such as getting fired or not having enough money to pay a bill can be devastating to some people and less so for to others. Similarly, when a group of people suffers a traumatic event, not everyone will react in the same way. Some may take their own lives. "Why some people get PTSD and some people don't and why some people become suicidal and some people don't may be based a combination of biological, psychological (factors) and ways that they react to stressors," Manevitz said. "It's not such a simple answer." Nurse death sparks outrage, casts glare on 'shock jocks' The unfortunate turn of events is an important reminder that pranks can be hurtful and result in tragic unintended consequences, Manevitz said. "I think this is a world lesson for everyone about treating everyone with more sincerity and genuineness and straightforwardness, and we don't have to do everything just to entertain ourselves," Manevitz said. Not everyone wants their 15 minutes of celebrity, especially when it's unexpected, Manevitz said. Media attention may create a lot of anxiety, as well. The hospital said Saldanha had worked there for more than four years as an "excellent nurse," and that she was well-respected by coworkers. Classmates and colleagues in India, where she was from, described her as deeply religious, studious and benevolent. "It's very sad that for whatever reason or reasons, this situation just felt so overwhelming to her that she felt there was no way to face the world," Kaslow said. CNN's Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report

Duct-tape bound rape victim uses tongue to dial 911

By Daniel Arkin, NBC News A woman raped in a Long Island, N.Y., home used her tongue to dial 911 while her hands were bound with duct tape, officials say. The woman was house-sitting last month for a friend when she was brutally attacked, said James Chalifoux, of the Suffolk County Major Crimes Bureau. Chalifoux said the woman managed to place the 911 call about 10 minutes after the hour-long assault ended. The woman and her alleged attacker did not know each other, according to Newsday, which first reported the assault. Patrick O'Sullivan, 20, pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the attack, including predatory sexual assault, rape, criminal sexual act, sexual abuse, burglary, and two counts of criminal use of firearm. O'Sullivan allegedly entered the home through an unlocked kitchen door at approximately 11 p.m. on Nov. 20, according to Chalifoux. When the woman discovered O'Sullivan, he pointed a loaded .22-caliber rifle at her, Chalifoux said. Chalifoux said police seized O'Sullivan's car and recovered a rifle, as well as items taken from the house where the alleged assault took place, including female undergarments. More content from NBCNews.com: Oregon shopping mall gunman identified; motive unclear Girl, 15, shot in Oregon mall cheats death twice 'Unique' smuggling attempt: $42,500 worth of marijuana shot into Ariz. by cannon Much-criticized 'drum major' quote on Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial to be removed Video: Driver ticketed for truck covered in Christmas lights Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Boy Scouts leader arrested on child porn charges

Nassau County Police Department Edward Orenchuk III, 23, was arrested Wednesday on accusations of possessing child pornography on his computer. By Andrew Mach, NBC News A New York Boy Scouts leader was arrested Wednesday after authorities found hundreds of images of pornography on his computer involving children as young as five years old, officials said. Edward Orenchuk III, of Garden City, N.Y., was charged with three counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child as a sexually motivated felony and three counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child, according to the Nassau County District Attorney's Office.  Investigators observed Orenchuk making multiple images of child pornography available for download online during August and September, and they tracked the source of those images to his home, said Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice. Orenchuk himself indicated that he had hundreds of images of child pornography on his computer while his home was being searched, the district attorney's office said.  Orenchuk was an Eagle Scout who served as an assistant scout master with Troop 243 in Garden City. He was employed as a page at the Garden City Public Library. The Boy Scouts said Orenchuk was dropped from the organization once they learned of the charges, the Associated Press reported, and a library spokeswoman said Orenchuk has been taken off the library's work schedule.. In mid-October, lawyers published more than 1,200 formerly secret Boy Scouts' files online detailing accusations of child sex abuse within the organization from 1965 to 1985. The documents, known as the "ineligible volunteer" files within the organization, were ordered released by the Oregon Supreme Court. Media organizations had sued for the release of the files, part of a 2010 case in which a Portland, Ore., jury decided that the Boy Scouts were negligent in allowing a former assistant Scoutmaster to associate with the organization's youth after he admitted to molesting 17 boys.  The files, which can be accessed on www.kellyclarkattorney.com, represent reports of Scouts allegedly abused by more than 1,200 different Scoutmasters and other adult volunteers across the country. Orenchuk faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. It wasn't immediately clear if Orenchuk, who is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday, had a lawyer. More content from NBCNews.com: Oregon shopping mall gunman identified; motive unclear Rock legends perform at Sandy benefit show Cops: Dad carves pentagram into son's back on 12-12-12 Girl, 15, shot in Oregon mall cheats death twice 'Unique' smuggling attempt: $42,500-worth of marijuana shot into Ariz. by cannon Much-criticized 'drum major' quote on Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial to be removed Video: Driver ticketed for truck covered in Christmas lights Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Nursing home patient 'manhandled' on camera

View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com. By Deanna Durante and David Chang, NBCPhiladelphia.com Two former workers at a Pennsylvania nursing home are in jail after police say they were caught on camera abusing an elderly patient. Investigators say the abuse happened at the Arbors at Buck Run, a nursing home in Bucks County, Pa. The daughter of a patient at Arbors became suspicious about how her mother was being treated and decided to take action, according to investigators. "The patient's daughter installed hidden cameras in her mother's room and captured the abuse that's alleged in this case, including one of the accused literally dancing in the face of a wheel-chair bound victim," said Detective Eric Landamia of the Lower Southampton Police Department. Police and the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare began to investigate. According to the DPW, the two workers were seen "dumping" a resident on a bed and "manhandling" the patient. Read more at NBCPhiladelphia.com The DPW also says one of the workers danced in front of the resident while holding a cell phone and then singing and yelling directly into the resident's face. The ongoing abuse happened repeatedly from October 16 to November 13, according to the DPW. Police identified the two workers as Regina Battles, 20, and Irene Rodriguez, 22. Both women turned themselves in Tuesday morning and were sent to the Bucks County Jail after failing to post $100,000 bail. They are charged with neglect of a care dependent person, reckless endangerment, simple assault and harassment. The lawyer for both women says his clients did nothing wrong. He also calls the surveillance video that captured the alleged abuse "a matter of interpretation." "I understand the victim's family seeing it in a way that they're perceiving it," said Defense Attorney Alan Zibelman.  "I completely understand that. But I also believe that if an objective person looked at it, it could be perceived in a different way." The two women aren't the only ones in hot water due to the alleged abuse. The DPW revoked the Arbors' license, citing "gross incompetence, negligence and misconduct." NBC10 Philadelphia talked to a spokeswoman from Arbors. "Do you have anything to say on behalf of the facility?" asked NBC10's Deanna Durante. "No," said the woman. "I just think it's a wonderful place to work." The woman eventually directed NBC10 to the nursing home's management company. The company told NBC10 the nursing home previously received a citation also related to patient care back in February which they were in full compliance with by May. The company also claimed they would appeal the DPW's order to close and will stay open for the next 30 days.

Shocked friends: Mall gunman was fun, sweet

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Adam Phillips answers questions at a press conference regarding the 22-year-old gunman who opened fire at an Oregon mall, killing two people before killing himself. By Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News The man who shot two people to death and wounded another at an Oregon shopping mall had suffered a series of setbacks in the past year, but those who knew him say they are mystified by his violent assault. Jacob Tyler Roberts, 22, had lost his driver's license after a couple of speeding tickets, broken up with his girlfriend, been evicted from his apartment, then quit his job and told friends he was going to Hawaii -- only to apparently miss his flight last weekend. Roberts was identified Wednesday as the man who opened fire in the food court of the crowded Clackamas Town Center southeast of Portland. Steven Mathew Forsyth, 45, of West Linn and Cindy Ann Yuille, 54, of Portland were killed. Kristina Shevchenko, 15, of Portland, was wounded and in serious condition. Police say Roberts did not have a criminal history, but that he stole the AR-15 rifle that he used in the shooting. Roberts killed himself at the mall. Before quitting his job, Roberts told co-workers at the sandwich shop where he worked that he had inherited money and planned to travel to Hawaii and perhaps move there. His ex-girlfriend, Hannah Sansburn, 20, told ABC News that he sold all of his belongings in preparation for moving . "He had his plane ticket and was ready to go," she said. "He was supposed to catch a flight Saturday and I texted him, and asked how his flight went, and he told me, 'Oh, I got drunk and didn't make the flight.'" She told ABC she wondered if Roberts was ever really planning on moving, and said she was shocked he could have committed such a terrible act. "The person I knew would have never ever done anything like done this. Not in a million years," she said. "He was just too sweet. Never mean to anybody." According to a profile in The Oregonian newspaper, a friend of Roberts' stepfather said Roberts had planned to enter the Navy after graduating from Oregon City High School in 2008 but couldn't because of an injury. "After that, everything kind of fell apart for him," Rosalie DeDore told the newspaper. Swarming police response in mall shooting highlights 'paradigm shift' Oregon mall gunman ID'd; motive unclear  A friend, Benjamin Eshbach, described Roberts as fun and light-hearted. "It's a very difficult thing to wrap my head around," Eshbach, who said he played chess with Roberts and went out with him, told the newspaper. "It's hard to imagine him being any other way. Something doesn't fit." In recent months, Roberts had moved into the basement of a small home in southeast Portland with two roommates, according to neighbors who told NBC station KGW that he seemed like a nice man. Roberts went to Clackamas Community College in 2009, but withdrew after his first year of classes, reported KGW. In high school, he had been an "average" student who didn't do extracurricular activities, and had no disciplinary actions on his record, district officials told KGW. On Wednesday, Roberts' aunt provided a hand-written note through a friend to reporters apologizing for his behavior. KATU of Portland reported that family friends said Tami Roberts is Roberts' aunt but raised him. She wrote that she had "no understanding or explanation for her son's behavior" and adding she was "very sad and wants everyone to know that she is so sorry what Jake did, it's so out of his character." More content from NBCNews.com: Oregon shopping mall gunman identified; motive unclear Girl, 15, shot in Oregon mall cheats death twice 'Unique' smuggling attempt: $42,500 worth of marijuana shot into Ariz. by cannon Much-criticized 'drum major' quote on Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial to be removed Video: Driver ticketed for truck covered in Christmas lights Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Justin Bieber murder plot uncovered, foiled

By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor A murder plot aimed at Justin Bieber has been uncovered in New Mexico, according to authorities. An inmate incarcerated there reportedly set his sights on the Canadian pop star from behind bars. A police affidavit indicated that inmate Dana Martin "had become infatuated" with Bieber, and wore a tattoo of the young man on his leg. Martin had been convicted of the 2000 murder of 15-year-old Deandra Fluorucci, but sent two individuals, Mark Staake and his nephew Tanner Ruane, to Vermont in the hopes of killing off witnesses to that murder. Additionally, the affidavit pointed out, Martin's "ultimate target was J.B." or, Justin Bieber.  The alleged plot would have involved Staake and Ruane reaching Bieber while he was recently in New York City for his Madison Square Garden shows, then killing and castrating Bieber and his bodyguard. The plot came undone when Martin confessed to police about his plans. The suspects now face two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, and two counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated battery.  On TODAY Thursday, NBC News's Andrea Canning reported that while they were unable to reach Bieber's representatives, his camp has been quoted in the press saying that they take every precaution to protect Justin's safety and the safety of his fans. Related content: Justin bieber tosses water bottle at paparazzi Obama, Olympics and Justin Bieber topped Twitter in 2012 Justin Bieber's manager slams Grammys for snubbing his client Justin Bieber goes shirtless on Twitter