(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.) — Two people were shot at a student housing complex at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque early Friday and the suspect remains at large “and may still be on campus,” the university said.
One victim was killed and the other has non-life-threatening injuries, the university said.
The university has ordered students to shelter in place.
“Out of an abundance of caution, UNM has closed its Albuquerque central campus,” the university said on social media.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates
(LORAIN, Ohio) — An Ohio officer has died a day after a gunman opened fire on him and a fellow officer while they were eating lunch in their patrol vehicles, authorities said.
Lorain Police Department officer Phillip Wagner, 35, was critically wounded in what police described as an “ambush attack.” He died on Thursday in a hospital “despite the valiant efforts of fellow officers, first responders and medical professionals,” the Lorain Police Department said.
“Officer Wagner’s life and service to our city will never be forgotten,” acting Lorain Police Chief Michael Failing said in a statement. “Our department mourns the loss of a true hero and stands in unwavering support of Officer Wagner’s family, friends, and fellow officers during this heartbreaking time.”
Wagner joined the Lorain Police Department in February 2022 and had previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps, police said.
Two other Lorain Police Department officers were also injured in the shooting, which occurred at the dead end of an undeveloped industrial park in Lorain, located in northeast Ohio, police said.
The gunman was killed in an ensuing exchange of gunfire, with the motive for the shooting not yet known, the Elyria Police Department said Thursday.
The shooting unfolded around 1 p.m. Wednesday, after Wagner and fellow Lorain officer Peter Gale, 51, had picked up pizza for lunch and were parked side-by-side at the dead end, according to Failing.
The suspect had parked at the dead end and had an “arsenal of weapons with him,” Failing said at a press briefing Wednesday.
In and around his vehicle were “multiple high-powered rifles, handguns, and a substantial quantity of loaded magazines,” the Elyria Police Department, which is investigating the incident, said in a press release Thursday. A “significant quantity of improvised explosive materials” was also found in his vehicle and safely detonated away from the scene, police said.
“He was laying in wait and opened fire with multiple rounds at both of the officers who were sitting in their vehicles,” Failing said.
A third Lorain officer who responded to a call for additional officers, 47-year-old Brent Payne, was then shot by the suspect multiple times in his patrol vehicle, Failing said.
Additional officers who responded to the scene helped treat their wounded fellow officers and drove them to an area hospital, according to Failing.
Gale was shot in the hand and has since been treated and released, police said Thursday.
Wagner and Payne both suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were airlifted to another hospital for treatment, Failing said. Payne had surgery Thursday morning and is recovering, police said.
Officers returned fire on the suspect, who was armed with a “high-powered rifle,” according to Elyria Police Chief James Welsh, who spoke at a separate briefing earlier Wednesday.
The suspect was shot and pronounced dead at the scene, Failing said. The Elyria Police Department identified him Thursday as 28-year-old Michael Parker of Lorain.
Welsh said no other suspects have been located and they are “fairly confident” there was only one shooter. The area has been contained, he said.
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation, Elyria police said Thursday.
“This is a difficult day for the Lorain Police Department and the law enforcement community,” Welsh said.
“It will take time to determine exactly what transpired here today,” he said.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he has been briefed on the shooting, saying it “appears to have been a targeted attack on law enforcement.”
“This situation reminds us that those who work in law enforcement risk their lives every day for the safety of their communities,” he said in a statement on social media. “We are so very grateful for the men and women who willingly and bravely serve and protect.”
Ohio Sen. Jon Husted said his office has offered assistance to local officials.
“There is no place for this kind of violence in our state or country,” he said in a statement on social media.
(WASHINGTON) — The Federal Communications Commission announced on Thursday the approval of a massive, $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global by Skydance Media.
The deal includes the CBS broadcast network, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon.
Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said in a statement after the announcement that he welcomed “Skydance’s commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network.”
“Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately, and fairly,” Carr said, adding, “It is time for a change.”
Carr added that the merger was a “step forward” in eliminating what he called “invidious forms” of diversity, equity and inclusion measures.
The FCC said in a press release about the acquisition that Skydance had made written commitments to ensure future programming from the company would have a diversity of viewpoints across the political and ideological spectrum. Skydance also said it would hire an independent adviser to evaluate complaints of bias.
The FCC voted 2-1 to approve the acquisition, with Commissioner Anna Gomez casting the opposing vote.
Gomez released a dissent on the merger, saying it would “further erode press freedom.”
“After months of cowardly capitulation to this Administration, Paramount finally got what it wanted. Unfortunately, it is the American public who will ultimately pay the price for its actions,” she added.
(HERSHEY, Pa.) — A 9-year-old child has died after an incident at The Boardwalk inside Hersheypark in Pennsylvania, Hersheypark’s CEO has confirmed.
The incident occurred on Thursday evening at the amusement park in Hershey, Pennsylvania, when a 9-year-old child “was tragically lost at The Boardwalk at Hersheypark,” said John Lawn, Hersheypark’s CEO.
“From the moment that our lifeguard team recognized that a child was in distress, they performed an immediate rescue, followed by continuous, coordinated life-saving efforts by our lifeguards, on-site first responders and medical personnel,” Lawn said.
The child was immediately taken to Milton S. Hershey Medical Center where, in spite of the life-saving efforts, the child was pronounced dead.
“Our hearts break for this child and the child’s family,” Lawn said in a statement on social media. “We extend our deepest condolences for their loss. Out of respect for their privacy, we will not release any personal details at this time.”
Lawn did not reveal specific details regarding the incident or the circumstances that led up to it but, according to the company’s website, The Boardwalk features 16 different water attractions including the world’s longest mat racing slides, “Whitecap Racer,” and is home to a 378,000-gallon wave pool called “The Shore,” which goes to a depth of six feet.
“The safety of our guests has always been our highest priority,” Lawn said. “In the coming days, we will conduct a thorough internal review and cooperate fully with authorities.”
“As we grieve alongside our community, we ask for privacy for the family and for our team members who are deeply affected by this loss. We will provide updates as appropriate, and we will continue to work to support everyone involved,” Lawn continued.
The investigation into the child’s death is currently open and ongoing.
“To every family that visits Hersheypark, please know this: your safety and well-being drive every decision we make,” Lawn said. “We will thoroughly investigate this tragedy and honor the memory of this young guest by continuing our focus on ensuring the safety of our guests at Hersheypark.”
(NEW YORK) — A new species of ancient shark has been discovered at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, officials said.
Named Macadens olsoni, the fossils were found in the Ste. Genevieve Formation, dating back approximately 340 to 335 million years to when Mammoth Cave was submerged in a warm, shallow sea teeming with life including crinoids and corals, according to the National Park Service.
“This discovery is a remarkable addition to our understanding of ancient marine life and underscores the importance of preserving and studying our natural history,” said Superintendent Barclay Trimble.
Growing to less than a foot in length and most likely feasting on mollusks and worms, the new shark species is notable for its unique curved row of teeth designed for crushing small sea creatures.
“The name Macadens olsoni pays tribute to both Mammoth Cave and Rickard Olson, a retired park scientist who played a crucial role in documenting shark fossils in the park as part of a recent Paleontological Resource Inventory (PRI),” officials said. “The research was conducted by a team of scientists from the National Park Service Paleontology Program, Mammoth Cave National Park, and the Smithsonian Paleobiology Department. In addition to Macadens olsoni, researchers studied another ancient shark, Helodus coxanus, now renamed Rotuladens, meaning “Wheel Tooth.” This species shares similarities with Macadens olsoni and highlights the diversity of ancient marine life.”
More than 40 different species of fossil sharks and relatives have been identified from Mammoth Cave specimens in the past 10 months, officials said.
“This finding not only enhances our knowledge of ancient marine ecosystems but also emphasizes the critical role of paleontological research in our national parks,” Trimble added. “Every discovery connects the past with the present and offers invaluable educational opportunities for students and the public.”
(NEW YORK) — The Justice Department filed suit Thursday against New York City, Mayor Eric Adams and other city officials challenging the city’s sanctuary laws for undocumented immigrants.
The suit was filed in the Eastern District of New York.
The department argued the city’s sanctuary policies amount to an “intentional effort” to obstruct federal immigration enforcement and should be declared unlawful under the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.
“New York City has released thousands of criminals on the streets to commit violent crimes against law-abiding citizens due to sanctuary city policies,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement announcing the suit. “If New York City won’t stand up for the safety of its citizens, we will.”
In addition to the mayor, the suit names the speaker of the New York City Council and the heads of a host of city agencies, including the Department of Correction, the Department of Probation and the New York City Police Department.
The suit cites a number of provisions of New York City code and other policies, including a 2011 provision that bars the Department of Correction from honoring civil immigration detainers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and rules governing the NYPD that limit police officers’ ability to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
A spokesperson for Mayor Adams told ABC New York station WABC that the city is reviewing the lawsuit and said the the mayor believes the city council should “reexamine” its policies.
“Keeping New Yorkers safe also means making sure they feel safe, and Mayor Adams has been clear: no one should be afraid to dial 911, send their kids to school, or go to the hospital, and no New Yorker should feel forced to hide in the shadows,” the statement to WABC said. “That’s why the mayor supports the essence of the local laws put in place by the City Council – but he has also been clear they go too far when it comes to dealing with those violent criminals on our streets and has urged the Council to reexamine them to ensure we can effectively work with the federal government to make our city safer,” the statement went on to say. “So far, the Council has refused.”
DOJ has filed several other similar legal challenges in L.A., Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, as well as one targeting the state of New York, challenging state policies that that blocked immigration officials from arresting people at or near courthouses without a warrant signed by a judge.
(NEW YORK) — It may be the best time of year for stargazers to witness meteors blazing through the night sky.
Late July will offer the chance to witness three separate meteor shower events happening at the same time, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS).
Adding to the sky show, the moon will be in the evening sky and set before meteor activity is strongest, meaning its brightness won’t diminish the visibility of the meteors, according to AMS.
For best viewing, NASA advises spectators to lie flat on their backs in a region away from light pollution. Meteors should be visible after about 30 minutes, when eyes adjust to the darkness.
The Alpha Capricornids
The Alpha Capricornids are one of the two meteor showers peaking in late July.
The minor shower began on July 7 and will last through Aug. 13, but is expected to peak on July 30, according to AMS.
The Alpha Capricornids are known to produce fireballs — typically three to five an hour, at maximum, astronomers say. Most of the shower members are faint, but some can appear brighter than any of the surrounding stars, according to AMS. The meteors appear slow-moving.
In late July, the meteors radiate near the area of Alpha Capricorni, a double star visible to the naked eye. This area of the sky rises in the east at about 8 p.m. Local Daylight Time, but very little activity can be seen at this time because many of the meteors are blocked by the horizon.
Astronomers recommend waiting to view the Alpha Capricornids until later at night, when the radiant — where the meteor appears to originate from — has gained more altitude and the moon has set, according to AMS.
The radiant lies highest in the sky between midnight and 1 a.m. LDT. To find them at this time, look south.
The Southern Delta Aquariids
Night owls will benefit when searching for the Southern Delta Aquariids, according to AMS.
To see them, look toward the radiant near southwestern Aquarius, just west of the star known as Delta Aquarii, about 40 degrees east of the Alpha Capricornids.
They rise at about 10 p.m. LDT and are highest in the sky around 3 a.m. LDT.
They will reach maximum activity on July 30 — the same night as the Alpha Capricornids, according to AMS. But they are easier to differentiate from the Alpha Capricornids because they are much faster — typically less than a second.
Hourly rates around 3 a.m. on the morning of July 30 should be about five to 10 meteors, according to AMS. However, in the southern hemisphere, where the radiant lies overhead, rates can reach between 10 and 20 meteors per hour.
The Southern Delta Aquariids began on July 19 and will run through Aug. 13.
The Perseids
The Perseids, considered by astronomers to be the best meteor shower of the year, began on July 17 and are expected to last until Aug. 23, according to AMS. They typically peak in mid-August.
They are known for their fireballs — large explosions of light and color that persist longer than an average meteor streak, according to NASA. Fireballs are brighter and originate from larger particles of cometary material.
The Perseids’ “swift and bright” meteors often leave streaks of light and color behind as they track through the sky, according to AMS.
They originate from the debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle as it orbits the sun every 133 years.
The Perseids can be viewed all over the night sky but are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere during the pre-dawn hours, according to NASA.
To find them, look toward the constellation Perseus, where the radiant of the Perseids appears to originate.
This year, the Perseids are expected to peak around Aug. 12, according to EarthSky.org.
(NORTH PORT, Fla.) — Three men were arrested after posing as Amazon delivery drivers in order to gain entry and ransack a home in Florida, according to the North Port Police Department.
The three suspects — Robert St. Germain, Anton Bradley Brown and Adlet Javon Francis — are now in custody after being involved in a “targeted armed home invasion” that occurred in May, police announced on Wednesday.
Back on May 23 at approximately 1:30 p.m., officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at a residence in North Port, Florida, police said. The investigation revealed that three males “posed as Amazon delivery drivers to lure a young female resident to the door,” officials said.
When the female opened the door, the men — who were all armed — “forced their way inside,” stole cash and “ransacked the residence in search of additional valuables,” police said.
The suspects also “held the daughter and mother inside the home while waiting for the father to return,” police said.
Once the father returned home at approximately 5 p.m., he “noticed the front door was locked and attempted to enter through the back,” officials said.
The father was confronted by one of the suspects and a “brief struggle ensued,” police said.
The suspects eventually fled the scene, police said.
One of the suspects later found an unoccupied Ford F-150 with the keys inside, stole the truck and “fled the area,” police said. The vehicle was recovered later that weekend in a shopping center, police said.
After the robbery at the home, crime scene technicians “processed the primary scene and surrounding areas” and recovered evidence like items “believed to have been left by the suspects,” police said.
Officials believe the robbery was a targeted incident and not a “random act of violence,” since the suspects were known to one of the victims.
Francis was arrested on July 12 on “unrelated charges” and Germain and Brown were arrested on Tuesday, police told ABC News. Their charges include conspiracy to commit home invasion, home invasion, robbery, kidnapping and use of a two-way device to commit a felony, police said. Brown also faces a charge of grand theft auto, police said.
Germain is currently being held at the the Indian River County Jail, Brown is held at the Broward County Jail and Francis remains at the Orange County Jail, police told ABC News.
North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison said the case “demonstrates the relentless commitment of our detectives.”
“Their tireless work has been instrumental in advancing this investigation and brining those responsible to justice,” Garrison said in a statement.
It remains unclear whether the suspects have attorneys who can speak on their behalf.
(NEW YORK) — U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said at a hearing Thursday that he will follow up on a former DOJ official’s allegations that Trump administration officials suggested defying orders from courts in order to enforce the administration’s immigration policies.
The development came at the start of a hearing in which Boasberg was seeking to determine what due process rights were due to more than 250 Venezuelan nationals who were released to their home country from the CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador last week after they were removed from the U.S. under the Alien Enemies Act.
Judge Boasberg began the hearing by bringing up former Justice Department official Erez Reuveni’s whistleblower complaint, saying that Reuveni’s allegations “to the extent they prove accurate have only strengthened the case for contempt” against the administration.
The federal judge said the court will follow up on the allegations made by Reuveni “and how they affect the contempt proceedings” — and also said he will assess whether DOJ attorneys’ conduct might “warrant referral to state bars.”
Regarding the more than 250 Venezuelan nationals who were released to Venezuela last week in a prisoner swap, Boasberg ordered status reports on whether all the CECOT deportees have been released from detention in Venezuela, as well as their willingness to return to the U.S. and any challenges they may want to bring on their deportation to El Salvador.
The judge ordered both parties to submit a status report by Aug. 7 and every two weeks thereafter.
“My sense is that there may be some who will think it’s too dangerous to come back here and risk being sent to CECOT again,” Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the ACLU, told the judge. “But as Your Honor knows, the individuals that were removed under the [AEA] were taken out of immigration proceedings where they were applying for asylum.”
Gelernt said the ACLU has not been in contact with the deportees since their arrival in Venezuela, but said the organization intends to reach them all “immediately.”
In March the Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act — an 18th century wartime authority used to remove noncitizens with little-to-no due process — to deport two planeloads of alleged migrant gang members to the CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador by arguing that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is a “hybrid criminal state” that is invading the United States.
An official with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acknowledged shortly afterward that “many” of the men deported on March 15 lacked criminal records in the United States — but said that “the lack of specific information about each individual” actually “demonstrates that they are terrorists with regard to whom we lack a complete profile.”
Boasberg ruled in June that the men, who were then being held in El Salvador’s CECOT facility, were entitled to practice their due process rights to challenge their detentions.
At Thursday’s hearing, an attorney for the Justice Department said the government is prepared to comply with a court order to facilitate the return of the Venezuelans to the U.S.
When asked by Boasberg if the government would be willing to return the Venezuelans if the Supreme Court finds the Alien Enemies Act proclamation invalid, the DOJ attorney said the CECOT deportees would have to “bring different claims.”
“We’d have to see what those claims look like, and I don’t have an analysis on my fingertips of what that would look like absent the AEA,” the DOJ lawyer said.
In a filing last week, lawyers for the former detainees argued that they should still be able to practice the due process rights they were deprived of when they were removed from the country with little notice under an authority that multiple judges have ruled is unlawful.
“Plaintiffs respectfully request that this Court request an immediate status update from the government as to whether it is prepared to bring the members of the class back to the United States for habeas proceedings,” they argued.
As part of a series of lawsuits that began in March when Trump issued the proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act, Judge Boasberg has sharply criticized the conduct of the Trump administration and considered holding officials in contempt. In an order last month, Boasberg rebuked the Trump administration for detaining the men on “flimsy, even frivolous, accusations” and failing to provide them with a meaningful opportunity to exercise their rights.
“Defendants instead spirited away plane loads of people before any such challenge could be made. And now, significant evidence has come to light indicating that many of those currently entombed in CECOT have no connection to the gang and thus languish in a foreign prison on flimsy, even frivolous, accusations,” Judge Boasberg wrote.
(BOISE, Idaho) — Though the motive behind University of Idaho killer Bryan Kohberger’s violent attack remains unknown, the former police chief says “new information could come out still.”
“There’s always cases that, you know, 10 years later, somebody says something,” James Fry, who was the Moscow police chief at the time of the murders, told ABC News moments after Kohberger was sentenced to life behind bars on Wednesday.
After nearly three years and an exhaustive, expensive investigation, Fry admitted he wishes he knew more about the motive. Moscow police said they don’t know which victim was the specific target and have not found any link between Kohberger and the victims.
“You’re always wanting to get the families the why,” he said, but “sometimes they don’t get to have the why.”
Fry sat down with ABC News for his first network interview since the nondissemination order was lifted, allowing him to open up about the yearslong investigation that’s defined the department and the killer who terrorized his community.
The victims — roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin — were stabbed to death at the girls’ off-campus house on Nov. 13, 2022.
Police reports released for the first time on Wednesday reveal just how gruesome the crime scene was and noted that Goncalves and Kernodle suffered from defensive wounds.
Goncalves was stabbed 34 times and described as “unrecognizable as her facial structure was extremely damaged,” a report said. Kernodle was in an “intense struggle” and had over 50 stab wounds, a report said.
That’s done by someone who is “cold, filled with rage,” Fry said. “Angry, very angry.”
“I think it was a fight for their life,” Fry said, noting Kernodle may have encountered Kohberger when she went into the kitchen after getting her food delivery.
Two roommates survived, including Dylan Mortensen, who told police she saw a man in a mask with “bushy eyebrows” in the house on the night of the murders.
Asked why Mortensen may have been spared, Fry said there are a lot of theories, including that Kohberger may have been exhausted from the stabbings or he could’ve felt he’d been in the house too long.
“I don’t know — only he has that answer,” Fry said.
On July 2, weeks before the trial was set to start, Kohberger pleaded guilty to all counts. On Wednesday, Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences on the four first-degree murder counts and the maximum penalty of 10 years on the burglary count.
When Fry sat down in the jury box at sentencing, he was directly across from Kohberger, marking the first time he saw him face-to-face.
“He should be ashamed of what he did,” Fry said. “He destroyed lives, families, communities. Changed everybody that ever worked that case, changed my university.”
“It’s not human what happened,” he said.
In the end, Fry said he feels some vindication. He had promised his community and the victims’ families that this case would not go cold. During the nearly seven-week manhunt, in which the department divulged little-to-no information, that became a valid concern. Fry was receiving death threats, sleeping with a loaded shotgun near his bed and covering office windows with butcher paper to keep people from seeing inside. All while searching for, and eventually finding, the killer, who will now spend the rest of his life behind bars.
