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(NEW ORLEANS, La) — The reward for the arrest of the two remaining inmates who broke out of a New Orleans jail this month has more than doubled to $50,000, authorities announced on Thursday, as police said they believe they are closing in on the “dangerous” fugitives.

Antoine Massey and Derrick Groves are among 10 inmates who escaped from the Orleans Justice Center on May 16, according to Louisiana State Police.

In the nearly two weeks since, eight of the inmates have been captured, but Massey and Groves remain on the run, police said.

There are now rewards totalling $50,000 per inmate for tips leading to their arrest, according to Louisiana State Police Superintendent Col Robert Hodges. That includes rewards being offered from the Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, he said.

Hodges said police have “some strong leads” about where the remaining two fugitives are, though they still need tips because of the men’s movement.

“We’re confident that we are closing in on the remaining two escapees, and that we should have them in custody soon,” he said during a press briefing on Thursday. “We’re resilient, and although they’re going to get tired and frustrated as they try to move around Louisiana or move around the metropolitan area, they know the walls are closing in.”

Authorities urged anyone with information on the whereabouts of the two fugitives to reach out while acknowledging that may be difficult.

“We understand, along with our law enforcement partners, that some of you might be reporting a friend, a loved one, a relative, and albeit not easy, it is critical to your safety and the safety of the public that you report that,” Walter Martin, chief deputy U.S. marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana, said during the briefing.

Martin vowed to recapture the “dangerous inmates.” One of them, Groves, was recently convicted of two counts of second-degree murder in a 2018 Mardi Gras Day shooting and faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said. Unrelated to that case, he also subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter, online court records show.

Hodges warned that anyone who helps the remaining fugitives will be arrested and prosecuted.

“Now is the time to make the right choice,” he said.

Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans President and CEO Darlene Cusanza said Thursday the organization has received nearly 700 tips related to the inmates’ escape, resulting in the arrest of three of them. One inmate was arrested within 30 minutes of receiving the tip, she said. Three tipsters will be paid $10,000, she said.

The 10 inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center in the early morning hours of May 16 after climbing through a hole behind a toilet. Their disappearance was not noticed for several hours and touched off a massive manhunt.

Over a dozen people have been arrested on suspicion of helping the escapees, including another inmate in the jail and a jail maintenance worker who is accused of shutting off water to the toilet allowing escapees to remove it.

Three of the 10 inmates who escaped were apprehended in New Orleans within the first 24 hours of the jailbreak. The others were captured in the following days, including in Baton Rouge and two in Texas.

The eight captured inmates have been transported to a secure state facility in Louisiana, Hodges said.

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(BOSTON) — A Harvard graduate student has described a “devastating” atmosphere of uncertainty on campus as the Trump administration appears to intensify its efforts to restrict international students at the prestigious university.

“It’s definitely been a roller-coaster ride,” said Fangzhou Jiang, who has one semester remaining in his master’s program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. “Over the last week, everybody was really panicking about whether they should stay in the United States or depart immediately.”

A federal judge in Boston announced Thursday she would issue a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s attempts to prevent Harvard from enrolling international students.

The ruling marks a temporary victory for the university in its ongoing confrontation with the White House, which has launched multiple actions against the institution.

The acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a letter Thursday giving the school 30 days to challenge the administration’s revocation of the certification to enroll international students.

The Trump administration has already frozen more than $3 billion in federal funding to Harvard and plans to cancel remaining federal contracts worth an estimated $100 million. President Donald Trump has also expressed interest in revoking the university’s tax-exempt status.

Tensions escalated further Wednesday when Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced officials would begin to “aggressively revoke” the visas of some Chinese students, sparking fresh concerns among the international student community.

“Everybody is wondering about the plan for next year—whether we should take a leave of absence, whether we should go back home and finish our semester online, or wait for more guidance,” Jiang said, who serves as vice president of student government on family affairs.

For Harvard, where international students comprise more than a quarter of the student body, according to the university, the impact could be significant. Jiang emphasized that international students play crucial roles on campus, from conducting academic research to facilitating cultural exchanges.

“Removing international students from Harvard will really not make Harvard the Harvard it has been for the last 400 years,” Jiang said. “It’s going to impact the amount of perspectives Harvard has. It will definitely weaken Harvard’s international influence and reputation. It is definitely not in the best interest of American higher education or the United States as a nation.”

Jiang said that while the university has committed to protecting international students through legal actions and other means, specific guidance for the upcoming academic year is unclear. Based on experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jiang remains optimistic that online learning options could provide a solution if necessary.

“The school has committed to protecting international students in whatever capacity,” Jiang said. “I remain confident that the university will be able to provide measures to help us finish our education at Harvard.”

Harvard University did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

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(WALKER, Iowa) — More than 40 years after a 24-year-old man was killed in rural Iowa, a suspect has now been arrested in connection to his murder through DNA research, according to the Linn County Sheriff’s Department.

Michael Schappert, 64, was arrested on Wednesday for the 1983 murder of Ronald Lee Novak, who was brutally killed on Dec. 23, 1983, in rural Walker, Iowa, officials announced on Wednesday.

At the time of the incident, a friend of Novak found him “deceased in an unheated room in his home” after “what appeared to be an apparent robbery and/or burglary,” officials said in a press release.

Novak had been beaten, shot in the chest and was found with his hands bound behind his back, officials said. At the time, the medical examiner ruled that Novak “died from a combination of those injuries, shock and hypothermia,” officials said.

Over the course of the last 10 to 12 years, investigators have tested DNA on Novak’s clothing and a hammer believed to have been used in the attack. The testing eventually led to the identification of Schappert as the suspect, Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks said during a press conference on Wednesday.

Officials said genetic genealogy — the process of taking unknown DNA and identifying it by comparing it to family members who voluntarily submitted their DNA samples to a database — “assisted in Schappert’s identification.” Through testing, investigators were able to narrow the DNA down to three brothers, and did further testing to allow them to determine it was Schappert.

The investigation revealed that Schappert, who now lives in Fairview, Oregon, and others “likely went to Novak’s home with the intent to rob him of money and marijuana,” officials said. The investigation still remains open as officials said they believe at least one more suspect was involved in Novak’s murder.

“By naming a suspect, it may cause other people to now come forward that maybe weren’t willing to do so previously, or maybe this has jogged their memory some 41 years later,” Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner said during the press conference.

Patti Wilson, Novak’s sister, told reporters on Wednesday that the investigation has been “a long ride” for the family and she “didn’t know if I would ever see this day come.”

“You start to give up hope that there will be an answer. I wanted it so bad. We look forward to the trial,” Wilson said.

Wilson said her brother was “a little elusive” and they are not sure who he was spending time with when he died, but she said the family did not recognize Schappert.

“We recognize the pain and trauma that Mr. Novak’s loved ones have endured for more than 40 years while his murder went unsolved. It takes strength to endure such hardship and to remain hopeful that someday the person or persons responsible would be caught and brought to justice,” Gardner said in a statement.

Schappert has been charged with first-degree murder and is currently being held in the Multnomah County Detention Center in Portland, Oregon, “pending an extradition hearing to be returned to Linn County, Iowa,” officials said.

It was not immediately clear whether Schappert has retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.

Officials said anyone with more information related to the investigation or additional potential suspects related to this case should contact the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

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(CAMBRIDGE, Mass.) — Ahead of a federal hearing over Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students, the acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a letter Thursday giving the school 30 days to challenge the administration’s revocation of that certification.

The letter formally notifies the school that its Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification would be withdrawn — but backtracks from the administration’s earlier stance by giving Harvard 30 days to achieve compliance.

“Your school has 30 calendar days from the date of service of this Notice to submit written representations under oath and supported by documentary evidence, setting forth the reasons why SEVP should not withdraw your school’s certification,” the notice said. “If SEVP certification is withdrawn, your school will then no longer be approved to enroll or continue to educate nonimmigrant students.”

The notice comes one week after Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced she had ordered the termination of the school’s SEVP certification.

“As a result of your refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information while perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies, you have lost this privilege,” Noem wrote last week in a letter to the university.

As thousands of Harvard University students and their families gather this morning for commencement, a federal judge is set to hear arguments over whether to extend an order blocking the Trump administration from stripping Harvard of its SEVP certification.

In an escalation of Trump’s recent attacks on Harvard, the Department of Homeland Security last week revoked the school’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, throwing the status of the school’s nearly 7,000 international students into immediate uncertainty.

Harvard quickly sued to block the policy, arguing the students have become “pawns in the government’s escalating campaign of retaliation” — and a federal judge on Friday granted a temporary order that barred the Trump administration from revoking the school’s SEVP certification.

U.S. District Allison Burroughs, an Obama appointee, granted the temporary order within hours of Harvard filing its lawsuit, writing that the school was likely to suffer “immediate and irreparable injury” if the policy was enacted. Harvard’s lawyers have argued that nearly every one of its international students would have to transfer or drop out if the Trump administration carries out the revocation.

“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,” their lawsuit said.

Arguing that the Trump administration actions are part of a “campaign to coerce Harvard into surrendering its First Amendment rights,” Harvard has alleged that the SEVP revocation is unlawful because it violates the school’s free speech rights; that the policy is arbitrary and therefore violates the Administrative Procedure Act; and that the policy runs roughshod over the school’s due process protections because it was not given the opportunity to respond to the revocation.

“The surrounding events, and Defendants’ express statements, make clear that the Department of Homeland Security took these actions not for any valid reason, but purely as punishment for Harvard’s speech, its perceived viewpoint, and its refusal to surrender its academic independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” the lawsuit argued.

“It is the latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government’s demands to control Harvard’s governance, curriculum, and the ‘ideology’ of its faculty and students,” said the suit.

DHS officials have said that the revocation was necessary because Harvard failed to turn over information about international students — including disciplinary records — as requested by the Trump administration.

“It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused.’ DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement last week.

Harvard is also fighting the Trump administration’s attempt to freeze more $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to the school. Harvard filed a separate lawsuit to challenge the funding freeze in April, and the next hearing in that case is set for July.

Trump has continued to ratchet up the pressure on the school over the last two months, threatening to revoke the school’s tax-exempt status, directing his administration to cancel contracts with the school, and continuing to demand information on international students. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump suggested that Harvard should cap the number of international students to 15% of the school’s total student body.

“We have people who want to go to Harvard and other schools, they can’t get in because we have foreign students there. But I want to make sure that the foreign students are people that can love our country,” Trump said.

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(NEW YORK) — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is leading a U.S. delegation to Singapore this week to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier security summit, another signal of the Trump administration’s intensified focus on the Indo-Pacific region.

The summit will convene more than 550 delegates from 40 nations, including military, intelligence, business and security leaders, from across the Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America, a source familiar with plans told ABC News.

Gabbard will be joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the 22nd annual summit, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which runs from May 30 to June 2 in Singapore.

Gabbard is expected to “discuss major security challenges” with leaders, a source familiar with Gabbard’s plans told ABC News. This year’s U.S. delegation includes higher-level representation than in previous years, the source added.

The Shangri-La Dialogue is considered Asia’s top defense summit, comparable to the Raisina Dialogue and the Munich Security Conference, both of which Gabbard attended earlier this year.

This trip marks Gabbard’s second trip to Asia in recent weeks, seemingly reinforcing the Trump administration’s renewed focus on the region. ​​

Shortly after her confirmation, Gabbard traveled to India and met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of President Donald Trump’s bilateral meeting with Modi in February.

Her relationship with Modi spans more than a decade, dating back to 2013 when she became the first Hindu member of Congress. They met again during her 2014 visit to India at Modi’s invitation.

Earlier this year, Gabbard accepted an invitation from Modi to speak at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, a multilateral conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, but, before returning to Washington, D.C., Gabbard made stops in Japan, Thailand and France. Her diplomatic tour began in Honolulu, Hawaii — her hometown — where she represented the state in Congress for eight years.

While in Hawaii, Gabbard met with intelligence community partners and visited United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) headquarters in Honolulu.

In Singapore this week, she will hold bilateral meetings with regional leaders to “explore opportunities to chart a path that advances mutual interests of security, peace, and prosperity in the region,” according to a source familiar with the agenda.

Long before taking the helm of the intelligence community, Gabbard was already on the ground in Southeast Asia and, in 2019 while she was running for president, she paused her campaign for two weeks to serve on active duty with the U.S. Army National Guard in Jakarta, Indonesia, becoming the first candidate in modern history to do so.

Now, as director of national intelligence, her return to the region marks a shift from military service to high-stakes diplomacy, an evolution that underscores not only her long-standing personal and strategic ties to the Indo-Pacific, but also hints the administration’s broader efforts to elevate U.S. engagement in the region.

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Tourists at a beach property in South Carolina who initially thought they found fossils have accidentally discovered they found human remains at a forgotten burial site dating back 200 years, authorities said.

The incident occurred last Friday when the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina received a call regarding human remains being discovered on Edisto Island, according to a statement from Colleton County Sheriff’s Office.

“Deputies were dispatched to the Jeremy Cay community near Legare Road, a beachfront property, after tourists exploring the area uncovered what they initially believed to be fossils,” police said. “Upon closer examination, they realized the remains appeared to be human and promptly contacted the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office and the Edisto Beach Police Department.”

Police responded to the call and secured the scene before conducting an initial investigation.

“The location of the discovery is historically significant, once home to the 19th-century settlement known as Edingsville Beach,” authorities confirmed. “Early indications suggest the remains may originate from a long forgotten burial site.”

The Colleton County Coroner’s Office responded to assist in the recovery of the human remains, which have since been taken to the Medical University of South Carolina for forensic analysis and identification.

The identity of the individual and circumstances surrounding their death remain unknown, police said.

The investigation is currently active, and Colleton County authorities are working with the coroner’s office and other partner agencies to determine more about the remains and their origins.

Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available, police said.

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(GRAPEVINE, Texas) — The alleged driver of a jet ski that fatally collided with a U.S. Air Force Academy cadet candidate while she was kayaking has been booked for manslaughter in the “tragic, unnecessary death,” authorities said Wednesday.

Ava Moore, 18, was killed in a jet ski hit-and-run while kayaking on Grapevine Lake in north Texas on Sunday evening, authorities said. The jet ski was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time, according to Texas Game Warden Capt. Joseph Quintero.

The suspected operator of the jet ski — 21-year-old Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez — fled the scene in a vehicle with Maikel Coello Perozo, also 21, authorities said. As they left, the vehicle collided with two other vehicles, Quintero said.

Following a search for the suspects, both Gonzalez and Perozo were arrested on Tuesday, Quintero said, crediting “good hard detective work” and tips from the public with leading investigators to a home in Dallas where the two were located.

Gonzalez has been booked on felony manslaughter charges in Moore’s death, which is being investigated by the Texas Game Wardens, Quintero said. Perozo was charged with collision involving damage to a vehicle and hindering apprehension, both misdemeanors, Quintero said. The automotive hit-and-run is being investigated by the Grapevine Police Department.

More charges could be filed amid the ongoing investigation, Quintero said.

“The tragic, unnecessary death of anybody on the public waters of the state of Texas is something that we’re always fighting to try to deter and stop from happening, and this is a great example of that,” Quintero said during a press briefing on Wednesday.

“It is a tragic, tragic situation, and I hope that people will take this and use this opportunity to not only remember Miss Moore, but also to remember to be safe on the public waters,” he added.

Quintero said investigators are looking into whether there was proper permitting to operate the jet ski and if alcohol was a factor. They are also reviewing footage from the scene.

A female passenger on the jet ski who remained on shore after the collision has not been charged at this time, Quintero said.

The nature of the relationship between Gonzalez and Perozo is unclear at this time, Quintero said. Both are undocumented Venezuelan nationals, according to Joshua Johnson, the acting field office director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Dallas.

“It’s my understanding both individuals crossed the southern border in 2023 or 2024,” Johnson said at the press briefing. “They were arrested at the time of entry, processed for a notice to appear, and then released on their own recognizance.”

ICE has lodged immigration detainers for both and once the state case is complete, they will take custody of them and proceed with the immigration process, Johnson said.

Moore had just graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School on May 19 and had accepted an appointment to join the academy as a member of the class of 2029, according to the school.

Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind remembered her as an “exemplary teammate.”

“We lost an exemplary teammate this weekend — Cadet Candidate Ava Moore, whose passion for leadership and service left an impact on everyone she met,” Bauernfeind said in a statement. “Ava’s constant happiness and attitude helped her squadron get through the challenges of the Prep School, and her drive to excel was on display as she sought out leadership positions to improve herself and her team.”

Moore’s family expressed thanks for the messages of love, support and prayers they’ve received in a statement read on their behalf during Wednesday’s briefing.

“This is a difficult time for all involved, but also an opportunity for our beautiful girl to continue to impact our community,” her family said. “Out of this tragedy, God will make good, and that only can be accomplished through forgiveness.”

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(STONE COUNTY, Ark.) — The manhunt continues for Grant Hardin, the escaped former Arkansas police chief serving a 30-year sentence for murder and rape, as officials enter their fourth day of search efforts.

Grant Hardin, 56, who has been in prison since 2017 for first-degree murder and rape, escaped the Calico Rock North Central Unit on Sunday at approximately 2:50 p.m., the Stone County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Hardin escaped custody through a sally port by impersonating a corrections officer “in dress and manner,” which caused another corrections officer “operating a secure gate to open the gate and allow Hardin to walk away from the North Central Unit,” according to an affidavit obtained by ABC News.

Surveillance footage shows Hardin pulling a cart, which was found abandoned outside the gates of the prison.

Hardin remains at large on Wednesday.

Officials said citizens in Izard County and surrounding counties should “stay vigilant, lock your house and vehicle doors and report any suspicious activity by calling 911 immediately,” according to the Izard County Sheriff’s Office.

The U.S. Marshals and Eastern Arkansas Fugitive Task Force are also assisting in the search efforts, a spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals said on Tuesday.

“I am very scared that this guy is going to hurt or kill somebody before this is over with,” Stone County Sheriff Brandon Long told ABC News.

Hardin, who was the former police chief of Gateway, Arkansas, worked in the prison kitchen, according to a spokesperson from the department of corrections, but it is unclear whether this job involved any access to the sally port he used to escape. He has had no significant disciplinary issues during his time at the prison, and there is no reason to believe anyone aided him in this escape, officials said.

Nathan Smith, the former Benton County prosecutor who helped put Hardin behind bars, told Arkansas ABC affiliate KHBS the escaped inmate is “a sociopath.”

“He has no moral core or center that would prevent him from doing anything,” Smith told KHBS.

Hardin is “considered to be extremely dangerous and should not be approached,” officials said.

Authorities are using helicopters, drones, K9 officers and ATVs in their search for Hardin. Rugged terrain, densely wooded areas, hills and days of rain have been “hindering the ongoing search,” a spokesperson with the department of corrections said. Deputies are continuing to monitor the roadways near the prison and are conducting security checkpoints in the area, officials said.

Hardin pleaded guilty in October 2017 to first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of 59-year-old James Appleton, according to The Associated Press.

He was also convicted of the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers, Arkansas, a crime highlighted in the 2023 television documentary “Devil in the Ozarks.”

Cheryl Tillman, the mayor of Gateway, Arkansas, and Appleton’s sister, told KHBS that Hardin is “an evil man” and said his escape is “almost like déjà vu all over again.”

Hardin is described as 6 feet tall and weighing 259 pounds.

Authorities said anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should contact local law enforcement immediately.

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(WATERBURY, Conn.) — A 19-year-old man has been arrested and identified as the alleged gunman who shot five people at a Connecticut shopping center on Tuesday, police said.

During a news conference Wednesday morning outside the Brass Mill Center mall in Waterbury, where the shooting erupted, Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo announced the arrest of Tajuan Washington.

Spagnolo said Washington of Waterbury was captured on security video running out of an exit at the shopping center following the shooting. He has been charged with five counts of first-degree assault and a number of weapons violations, Spagnolo said.

Washington, 19, is being held on $2 million bond and is expected to make his first court appearance sometime Wednesday, Spagnolo said.

“We’re confident that we have the person responsible for this,” Spagnolo said.

Officers responded to the Brass Mill Center around 4:40 p.m. following reports of a “disturbance” and found what Spagnolo described as “a chaotic scene.”

“First responding officers found five people that were wounded by gunfire. They weren’t quite sure if there was an active shooter still on scene,” Spagnolo said.

He said that after reviewing security video from the mall, police were able to identify the suspect fleeing out an exit of a JCPenney store.

Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski said at Wednesday’s news conference that three of the five shooting victims were treated and released from hospitals. He said two victims remain hospitalized in stable condition.

“The most seriously injured was a young lady who was hit in the spine, but she does not have some feeling in her extremities and will be doing some rehab,” Pernerewski said. “Hopefully, she will not find herself paralyzed.”

Spagnolo said Washington was initially identified as a person of interest in the shooting by detectives and taken into police custody Tuesday evening.

The shooting was not a random act of violence, Spagnolo said during a press briefing Tuesday night, adding, “We believe this started as a conflict and it escalated.”

Police believe the suspect and victims knew each other. A semi-automatic pistol was used in the shooting, the chief said.

On Wednesday morning, Spagnolo said detectives are still searching for the weapon.

State police and federal agencies assisted in the investigation, including clearing the mall and collecting digital evidence, the chief said.

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(WASHINGTON) — A team from the Department of Government Efficiency can now access a sensitive Treasury Department system that controls trillions of dollars in federal payments, a judge ruled late Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas gave permission for four DOGE employees to access the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which essentially serves as the checkbook for the federal government. Vargas said she would no longer require the Trump administration to get permission from the court before expanding access to other DOGE representatives.

The ruling marks a win for the Trump administration and DOGE, which caused a legal firestorm in February when it tried to get access to the Treasury Department’s payment systems. A group of Democratic attorneys general sued to block their access, and Vargas temporarily blocked their access in February but permitted DOGE to build a system to access the data with appropriate training and restrictions.

In April, Vargas allowed one DOGE employee to begin accessing the system. In yesterday’s ruling, she said the Trump administration had established a system to train employees to prevent improper disclosures. The attorneys general did not object to allowing DOGE’s access if the employees were properly trained.

“There is little utility in having this Court function as Treasury’s de facto human resources officer each time a new team member is onboarded,” Vargas said.

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