U.S. Distinguished Sen. George J. Mitchell (Maine 1980-95) wowed a packed house in Waco Hall on Tuesday night with the discussion of his involvement and insights on conflicts in Northern Ireland and throughout the Middle East.

President Ken Starr and Mitchell began the conversation by remembering Monday’s atrocities in Boston, and the lives of those whom were lost, including the young Martin Richard. During the Boston Marathon on Monday, two bombs exploded close to the finish line, injuring more than 100 people and killing three.

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to halt the scheduled execution of a Texas man, clearing the way for his punishment Tuesday evening for the carjack-slaying of a teenager 12 years ago.

Attorneys for Ronnie Threadgill, 40, argued his case deserved review because he had deficient legal help during his 2002 capital murder trial when he was sentenced to die for the killing of 17-year-old Dexter McDonald. The appeal argued he would not have received a death sentence if he had better legal representation, and asked his case be returned to a lower court.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says a letter containing ricin or another poision was sent to the office of Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi.

In brief remarks to reporters in the Capitol, Reid did not say when the letter was sent. It’s customary for mail addressed to congressional offices to be screened at an off-site facility.

At 8:29 a.m., Temple High School officials called in a shooting which took place on the exterior of the campus building, according to Brad Sheffield, the school’s director of communications.

The shooting, according to Sheffield, was isolated to one self-inflicted shot. The school immediately went into lockdown to check for any other threats inside the school that has 2,000 students.