A dog attack near a homeless camp led to the death of the dog owner, a dead dog, and the search for a suspect, according to Florida police.

Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the shooting near a homeless camp in Leesburg on Friday at about 7:20 a.m. and found a man with gunshot wounds.

The dog owner stepped in between the dog and Pasco and was struck by the gunfire instead.

The man was transported to a hospital, where he later died.

Police said they were searching for an armed person of interest identified as 43-year-old Matthew Lee Pasco, a homeless man believed to have shot the dog owner.

The dogs were attacking a woman outside the homeless camp when Pasco intervened and fired at a dog, according to police. The dog owner stepped in between the dog and Pasco and was struck by the gunfire instead.

The woman, who was bitten numerous times, was also transported to a hospital.

Two dogs were shot, and one was killed.

Police said Pasco fled the scene on foot, and they are searching the area to locate him. They said the homeless man has a distinctive scar on the right side of his face.

The investigation into the shooting led to a lockdown at Carver Middle School.

One person named Leilei told reporters that the shooting came about after her friend’s girlfriend kicked one of Leilei’s dogs. She said her boyfriend intervened and was shot.

RELATED: Homeless man found tied up in vacant home was brutally beaten with signs of torture, police say

Animal services took control of more than one dog, police said.

Police asked for help locating Pasco but warned the public not to approach him and instead contact them.

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​Homeless florida killing, Matthew lee pasco, Dog biting leads to shooting, Shooting death dog attack, Crime 

When it comes to the impending AI takeover, two main camps of belief get the most attention: those who welcome technological singularity, believing it will deliver humanity into a utopia of universal basic income, freedom, and prosperity, and those who deeply oppose it, fearing it will render humanity useless and usher in the apocalypse.

But is there a middle ground — a reasonable center that embraces the good AI offers but opposes the dystopia it threatens?

BlazeTV hosts Christopher Rufo and Jonathan Keeperman believe there is.

On a recent episode of “Rufo & Lomez,” the duo spoke with Samuel Hammond, an artificial intelligence researcher at the Foundation for American Innovation, about the “sweet middle ground” of artificial intelligence.

Hammond acknowledges the dual nature of artificial intelligence. “It’s the thing that’s going to build us all-new efficient defended software, but also in the meantime enable hackers to hack that software; it’s a thing that will discover new drugs but also create new viruses. And to be able to hold both those realities in your mind is incredibly taxing.”

In the same way that the Industrial Revolution created both wealth and the administrative and welfare states, so the AI takeover will have both benefits and drawbacks, he says.

Keeperman inquires about the regulatory measures being taken by AI developers to mitigate the potential damage.

Hammond admits that regulation is difficult because of the sheer scope of AI. Like electricity, “it’s this massive umbrella term,” he says.

“The areas where people have legitimate concerns are easier to gerrymander, right? It’s things like designing novel bioweapons or very powerful, autonomous malware that could hack into your program and go rogue. These things are difficult to keep in a box,” he explains.

On the upside, however, “getting to advanced AI first will have major national security implications.”

“The fact that we have a friendly U.S.-based company that built a system like Mythos first that could, in principle, hack into all these different critical pieces of infrastructure is an incredible fortune for us, right?” says Hammond, noting that this allows the U.S. to “patch up and harden [its] systems” before other countries reach the same capabilities.

On the other hand, the U.S. government currently has little control over the companies that are leading AI development.

As of now, these companies “are being benevolent with their use of this and certainly have the intentions to try to be sort of trustworthy and good stewards of this technology, but as a matter of state governance, do we actually have any greater control over this technology than, let’s say, China?” Keeperman asks.

Hammond admits that we’re on precarious terrain.

“I think of us as sort of on this knife edge between a Chinese-style panopticon or some kind of anarchy where things kind of fall apart,” he says, advocating for a “third way.”

“We need a strong state to enforce property and contract and our rights, but that state can’t be completely divorced from rule of law,” he says. At the same time, however, “democracies have committed genocide,” whereas “private corporations just want to maximize shareholder value.”

In the end, Hammond urges us to reject both utopian dreams and apocalyptic fears in favor of a pragmatic middle course: building institutions strong enough to govern AI’s immense power, yet constrained enough to prevent it from becoming a tool of tyranny or disorder.

Want more from Rufo & Lomez?

To enjoy more of the news through the anthropological lens of Christopher Rufo and Lomez, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Ai, Ai boom, Ai developers, Ai takeover, Artificial intelligence, Blaze media, Blazetv, China, Chris rufo, Foundation for american innovation, Jonathan keeperman, Lomez, Mythos system, National security, Rufo & lomez, Samuel hammond, Singularity, Technological singularity, Universal basic income 

On a recent episode of “The Drive with Lauren and Karl,” we had a conversation that was a little different — but just as telling about car culture today.

It started with something unexpected: Lego. Not just as a toy, but as a way to connect automotive history to a new generation.

For an industry that often focuses on what’s next — EVs, software, autonomy — it’s easy to overlook how important the past still is.

Our guest, Ford heritage brand manager and archivist Ted Ryan, shared the story behind a new Lego model of the Ford Model T — and what went into getting it right. And the level of detail may surprise you.

To a T

This wasn’t just a half-baked licensing exercise. According to Ryan, the designer behind the set spent months researching the Model T, even reaching out directly to Ford’s archives to verify historical details.

Where was the fuel tank located? How many lights did the car have? What year-specific features mattered?

Those details were checked, corrected, and refined — sometimes multiple times — before the final design was approved.

The whole process took a year of back-and-forth, with emails and revisions to make sure the finished product reflected the real car, not just a simplified version of it.

That’s a level of effort you don’t usually associate with something that ends up on a toy shelf.

Wheeling and dealing

There’s a bigger idea behind it.

As Ryan explained, Lego has shifted in recent years to focus on things that matter culturally — music, film, architecture, and increasingly, cars.

That last one makes a lot of sense.

From Formula 1 to classic American vehicles, automobiles are a huge part of global culture. They’re also a way to tell stories — about innovation, design, and how people lived at a particular moment in time.

And what better example than the iconic Model T.

This is the vehicle that put America on wheels, transforming transportation and making mobility accessible to millions. Bringing that story into a Lego set makes that history visible — and tangible — for people who might never read about it otherwise.

RELATED: The EPA just proved it can lower gas prices overnight — so why wait for a crisis?

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Pieces of history

What stood out in the conversation is how much these sets are now aimed at adults as well as kids.

Lego calls them “AFOLs” — adult fans of Lego — and it’s a growing category. They want builds that are more complex, more detailed, and more likely to be display pieces than playthings.

In this case, the Model T set also includes historical context, helping explain why the car mattered — not just what it looked like.

It’s all part of a broader trend. Car culture isn’t just happening at racetracks or car shows anymore. It’s happening in living rooms, offices, and hobby spaces — through collectibles, models, and even digital experiences.

A classic you can keep

For an industry that often focuses on what’s next — EVs, software, autonomy — it’s easy to overlook how important the past still is.

Projects like this show there’s still real demand for that connection.

Not everyone is going to restore a classic car or attend a concours event. But a lot of people will build a model, display it, and learn something along the way.

For younger enthusiasts, this may be their first introduction to a crucial moment in history; for longtime car fans, it’s a potent reminder of what cars mean to them.

Either way, it goes to show that car culture — despite the carping of the environmental doomsayers — isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

​Auto industry, Automotive history, Culture, Ford, Ford model t, Lego, Lifestyle, Ted ryan, Align cars 

A 34-year-old man is facing nearly 500 charges after police found a trove of human remains he allegedly stole from graves in Pennsylvania.

Investigators caught Jonathan Gerlach of Ephrata coming out of the historic Mount Moriah Cemetery and Arboretum in Yeadon with a burlap bag and a crowbar.

‘To be able to sell body parts on the internet just appalls me, and I just think it should be stopped.’

In his car they discovered “numerous bones and skulls in plain view in the back seat.”

Gerlach allegedly admitted to stealing remains from more than 30 grave sites. Investigators were shocked when they searched his home and storage unit.

“Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life in that home,” said Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse at a press conference. “It is truly, in the most literal sense of the word, horrific. I grieve for those who are upset by this, who are going through this, who are trying to figure out if it is in fact one of their loved ones.”

They found that Gerlach was a part of a Facebook group where people allegedly sold and purchased human remains.

On Friday, some of the burglary charges were dropped against Gerlach, but he faced additional charges from other counties.

Judy Prichard McCleary said her great-grandfather’s mausoleum from 1915 at Mount Moriah Cemetery was broken into, and many remains were stolen.

“It just made me sick to my stomach to think anyone would want to do that,” she added. “To be able to sell body parts on the internet just appalls me, and I just think it should be stopped.”

Law enforcement sources told KYW-TV that Gerlach had been caught with the remains of two children in the burlap bag. The sources indicate that a plea deal is being sought.

RELATED: 4 people arrested over numerous incidents of human remains found scattered across New York, bail reform lets them walk free

McCleary went on to say that sentencing for grave robbing should be stiffened to deter potential criminals.

“I think laws need to change,” she said. “And we can’t sweep it under the rug because it will just happen again in five years or six years or after I’m gone, and people will wonder, ‘Why didn’t you do anything?'”

Gerlach was given a bail of $1 million and is being held at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility.

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​Jonathan gerlach, Mount moriah cemetery, Human remains theft, Pa man robs graves, Crime