James Byrd Jr, a 49-year-old African-American man accepts a ride from three drunk men Shawn Allen Berry, Lawrence Russel Brewer, and John William King. Instead of taking him home, the three men beat up him behind a convenience store, tie him to their pickup truck with a chain and drag and kill him by dragging him for three miles.

Anthony Weiner, an US Congressman for the state of New York, admitted to sending inappropriate photos and communications with women online. Weiner admitted this after he had accidentally posted a close-up picture of his clothed genitals to Twitter, when he meant to send it as a private message to a woman. Weiner apologized and indicated regret and shame for his actions in a televised news conference. Weiner eventually stepped down from his post later in the month.