Rex A. Heuermann pleads guilty in court to the murders of eight women during a 17-year killing spree on April 8, 2026 in Riverhead, New York. (James Carbone/Pool/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Gilgo Beach, New York, serial killer Rex Heuermann may address the court when he is sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday.
In April, Heuermann pleaded guilty to killing seven women: Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Lynn Costello, Jessica Taylor, Valerie Mack and Sandra Costilla. He also admitted to killing an eighth woman, Karen Vergata, though he was not formally charged in her death. Their families will have the opportunity to address Heuermann on Wednesday.
At the April hearing, Heuermann agreed to serve three consecutive life sentences followed by four consecutive sentences of 25 years-to-life, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said the New York City architect targeted sex workers, strangled them and dumped their bodies near Long Island’s Gilgo Beach over the course of 17 years.
Heuermann “walked among us, play acting as a normal, suburban dad, when in reality, all along, he was obsessively targeting innocent women for death,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in April.
The Gilgo Beach cases went unsolved for years, until Heuermann’s arrest in 2023.
Since then, Heuermann has been in custody at the Riverhead Correctional Facility. While in jail, Heuermann has been reading books about murder and serial killers, and he’s communicated with Keith Hunter Jesperson, a 1990s serial killer known as the Happy Face Killer, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon told ABC News.
Defense attorney Michael Brown said in April that the decision to plead guilty belonged solely to Heuermann.
“There came a point in this defense when Rex said, ‘I want to plead guilty,'” Brown said, adding that admitting his guilt brought Heuermann “a huge sense of relief.”
Brown said Heuermann would likely have more to say at sentencing.
Part of Heuermann’s plea agreement also requires him to be interviewed by the FBI’s behavioral analysis unit.
First responders at the scene of a reported acid attack in Jersey City, New Jersey, June 15, 2026. (WABC)
(NEW JERSEY) — Six people were injured, including three teenagers, in an apparently targeted acid attack in New Jersey, police said.
A juvenile has been arrested in connection with the incident, with charges pending, a police spokesperson said Tuesday.
The incident occurred Monday night in a residential area of Jersey City, officials said.
The victims were outside when “individuals riding in a vehicle drove up and threw what is believed to be sulfuric acid at them,” Kim Wallace Scalcione, a spokesperson for Jersey City’s Department of Public Safety, said in a statement.
“The incident appears to have been targeted and may have stemmed from a dispute between a large group of people earlier in the day,” she said.
The victims were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, including skin burns and peeling. One of the victims, a 21-year-old woman, was transferred to a burn unit on Tuesday to be treated for second-degree burns to her face and scalp, Wallace Scalcione said.
Jersey City Mayor James Solomon said he has directed police to “use its full resources” on the investigation, which remains ongoing.
“My thoughts are with those hurt in this horrific attack, and I want our communities to know that violence like this has absolutely no place on our streets,” Solomon said in a statement.
(NEW YORK) — Gulf Coast states already dealing with massive floods are bracing for even more extreme weather as the first tropical storm of the season could form as early as Tuesday night.
Tropical Storm watch issued for 2 states
The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm watch on Tuesday for the Gulf Coast from southeast Texas –including the cities of Brazosport, Galveston and Port Arthur– to parts of southwestern Louisiana.
Potential Tropical Cyclone One, the name of the low-pressure system developing, is forecast to become a tropical storm later Tuesday or early Wednesday along the Gulf Coast.
A hurricane is not expected to form, according to the latest forecast.
Very heavy rain is forecast for New Orleans as early as Wednesday evening or as late as Thursday morning, depending on how quickly the storm develops. New Orleans is under a flood watch.
Winds will gust over 40 mph at times along the coast and coastal flooding may also become an issue, according to the forecast.
Deadly flash flood threat continues in the South
A woman in Bandera County, northwest of San Antonio, Texas, called 911 on Monday morning, saying her car was being swept away into a creek by floodwaters, the county’s sheriff’s office said on social media.
Within moments, the call dropped, the office said, and hours later the woman was found dead in the vehicle “several miles downstream” of its initial entry point, the sheriff’s office said. The woman was not immediately identified.
In San Antonio, Houston and Waco there were stalled vehicles due to high waters on roads. In Shreveport, Louisiana, there were water rescues and water entering buildings.
In St. Martin, Mississippi, ramps to I-10 and I-110 were closed due to high waters. South of there, at Kessler Air Force Base, several roads became impassible.
More than 17 million Americans remain on Tuesday under a flood watch from Texas to Mississippi.
Heavy rainfall may lead to localized significant flash flooding from Corpus Christi to Houston to Lafayette and Alexandria, Louisiana, and McComb, Mississippi. A level 3 of 4 threat for flash flooding is in place there.
The greatest risk is likely along a frontal boundary laid over central Louisiana and into southeast Mississippi — rainfall may be heavy for a few hours in this area on Tuesday and could lead to significant flooding.
Rains closer to the coast are going to be more difficult to sustain but there is certainly enough ingredients there that if they get going, localized instances of significant flash flooding are possible.
Tomorrow, the level 3 of 4 flood threat is for Houston, Beaumont, Lake Charles, and Lafayette.
On Thursday, the level 3 of 4 flood threat moves to Baton Rouge through Jackson, MS, Montgomery, AL and Birmingham, AL.
This heavier rain for Wednesday and Thursday will come from a developing tropical low over the western Gulf.
The National Hurricane Center gives it a 60% chance of forming into a tropical storm later on Tuesday or on Wednesday. If it becomes a tropical storm, it will be named Arthur, the first of the season.
Severe weather outbreak in the Midwest on Wednesday
About 40 million Americans are in the storm zone where a severe weather outbreak is expected on Wednesday
The greatest likelihood for a destructive outbreak is in Illinois and Indiana, and possible for parts of Missouri, Iowa and Ohio, too.
A level 4 of 5 moderate risk for destructive storms is in place for central Illinois and northern Indiana on Wednesday. This includes Springfield, Peoria, Decatur, Champaign and Bloomington, Illinois, along with Rensselaer, Indiana.
Large and long-lived tornadoes are possible, along with destructive wind gusts up to 80 mph, and hail up to the size of baseballs.
The level 3 of 4 risk includes Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Fort Wayne.
-ABC News’ Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.
Row of horse carriages to wait for customer to ride on the carriage. – stock photo Row of horse carriages to wait for customer to ride on the carriage along the fresh green tree lined Park road at New York City on May 06 2019. (Toshi Sasaki/Getty Imagtes)
(NEW YORK) — The death of a Central Park carriage horse that collapsed last week while on a ride with two passengers was caused by a foreign toxic plant, according to a necropsy publicized on Tuesday by the union representing carriage drivers.
The Transport Workers Union of America said the horse, Deniz, was giving a ride near East 90th Street in Manhattan on June 9 when it paused to eat a shrub along the curb.
A short time later, the 16-year-old horse collapsed and died, according to the necropsy performed by Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the union said.
Two passengers were in the carriage when the incident happened, police said.
The plant was a Japanese yew, an ornamental that is toxic and deadly to horses, according to the report.
The union cited the necropsy report to counter growing calls from activists and the Central Park Conservancy to ban carriage horses due to how they’re treated.
“Deniz’s tragic death was not caused by neglect or abuse or the fact he was a carriage horse — as some animal rights activists and elected officials claimed,” Alexander Kemp, TWU’s administrative vice president, said in a statement.
“Poor Deniz died because the people running the Park Conservancy never warned anyone that there were deadly yew plants in the park. This is negligence at the highest level of the Conservancy,” he added.
The Central Park Conservancy didn’t immediately respond to ABC News for comment.
Some animal activist groups, like PETA, have long protested horse-drawn carriage rides in the park, arguing that the animals are put in danger because of nearby car traffic and forced to work in poor conditions, especially in extreme weather.
Deniz had passed a physical exam conducted by the NYPD’s Mounted Unit veterinarian in March, according to the TWU.
UFC Freedom 250 is seen on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The FBI disrupted an alleged plot targeting the “UFC Freedom 250” fights at the White House on Sunday that included explosive drones designed to target buildings in the area, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement to ABC News that law enforcement became aware of the plot on June 10, the Wednesday prior to the event. He praised the “rapid action” of the FBI and its partners, including a “a multi-state operation.”
Five people are in custody as of Tuesday morning, according to sources. The alleged suspects in custody include one individual from Cincinnati, Ohio, sources said.
Twenty-three people were allegedly in Signal chats discussing preoperational plans, according to sources. Some of those involved in the plot allegedly traveled to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on June 12 or 13 according to sources.
FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials warned in a bulletin earlier this month that the fights were “attractive symbolic targets.” There were no credible threats listed in the bulletin at the time.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship event was held in the evening on Sunday, June 14, on the grounds of the White House. Billed as a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, it also coincided with the 80th birthday of President Donald Trump, who was in attendance.
The alleged plot involved explosive-laden drones, according to sources, which were designed to hit buildings in the area to spur a mass evacuation.
A “second wave” targeting a security checkpoint was then planned, according to sources.
Patel said law enforcement response included a “multi-state operation.”
“While the result represented the best of investigative work, it was also nothing out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team — we are built to detect, respond to, and bring to justice those who threaten the lives of American citizens — particularly during large gatherings like the historic UFC 250 fight,” Patel said in his statement. “That’s exactly what we did here. I want to thank our great agents and partners, this work remains ongoing and we will continue to update the public as permitted.”
Federal law prohibits flying drones in the airspace over the National Capital Region, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Washington field office told ABC News last week.
“We will have law enforcement drones for overwatch, but just to make it simple for the public, if they see a drone, we want them to report that,” Tara McLeese, the special agent in charge, said at the time.
ABC News’ Josh Margolin contributed to this report.
An ABC News graphic shows the forecast on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (ABC News)
(NEW YORK) — As deadly flooding hits the South, the Midwest is bracing for a severe weather outbreak on Wednesday, which may include intense tornadoes, destructive winds and very large hail.
Deadly flash flood threat continues in the South A woman in Bandera County, northwest of San Antonio, Texas, called 911 on Monday morning, saying her car was being swept away into a creek by floodwaters, the county’s sheriff’s office said on social media.
Within moments, the call dropped, the office said, and hours later the woman was found dead in the vehicle “several miles downstream” of its initial entry point, the sheriff’s office said. The woman was not immediately identified.
In San Antonio, Houston and Waco there were stalled vehicles due to high waters on roads. In Shreveport, Louisiana, there were water rescues and water entering buildings.
In St. Martin, Mississippi, ramps to I-10 and I-110 were closed due to high waters. South of there, at Kessler Air Force Base, several roads became impassible.
More than 17 million Americans remain on Tuesday under a flood watch from Texas to Mississippi.
Heavy rainfall may lead to localized significant flash flooding from Corpus Christi to Houston to Lafayette and Alexandria, Louisiana, and McComb, Mississippi. A level 3 of 4 threat for flash flooding is in place there.
The greatest risk is likely along a frontal boundary laid over central Louisiana and into southeast Mississippi — rainfall may be heavy for a few hours in this area on Tuesday and could lead to significant flooding.
Rains closer to the coast are going to be more difficult to sustain but there is certainly enough ingredients there that if they get going, localized instances of significant flash flooding are possible.
Tomorrow, the level 3 of 4 flood threat is for Houston, Beaumont, Lake Charles, and Lafayette.
On Thursday, the level 3 of 4 flood threat moves to Baton Rouge through Jackson, MS, Montgomery, AL and Birmingham, AL.
This heavier rain for Wednesday and Thursday will come from a developing tropical low over the western Gulf.
The National Hurricane Center gives it a 60% chance of formation into a tropical storm later on Tuesday or on Wednesday. If it becomes a tropical storm, it will be named Arthur, the first of the season.
Severe weather outbreak in the Midwest on Wednesday
About 40 million Americans are in the storm zone where a severe weather outbreak is expected on Wednesday
The greatest likelihood for a destructive outbreak is in Illinois and Indiana, and possible for parts of Missouri, Iowa and Ohio, too.
A level 4 of 5 moderate risk for destructive storms is in place for central Illinois and northern Indiana on Wednesday. This includes Springfield, Peoria, Decatur, Champaign and Bloomington, Illinois, along with Rensselaer, Indiana.
Large and long-lived tornadoes are possible, along with destructive wind gusts up to 80 mph, and hail up to the size of baseballs.
The level 3 of 4 risk includes Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Fort Wayne.
An Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in California, June 15, 2026. (KABC)
(CALIFORNIA) — An Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday, the base said.
“Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene and the situation is ongoing,” the base said in a statement.
The crash was reported at about 11:20 a.m. local time.
The base has closed the airfield and said all inbound planes are being diverted.
The Air Force and NASA conduct test flights of new and developmental aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base.
The B-52 Stratofortress — which typically carries a crew of five — is a long-range bomber first introduced in the 1950s that remains a central part of the U.S. military’s air power. Built by Boeing, the aircraft is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons over long distances and has been used in conflicts ranging from Vietnam to operations in the Iran war.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Payton Gendron (C) is escorted back into the courtroom by deputies after a disruption during sentencing in Buffalo, New York, Feb. 15, 2023. (Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images)
(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — More than four years after he gunned down 10 Black people in a racially motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket, Payton Gendron’s federal trial reaches a crucial point on Monday in selecting a jury that will decide whether he lives or dies.
Gendron, who will turn 23 next week, has already pleaded guilty to state charges stemming from the May 14, 2022, attack at a Tops supermarket, including domestic terrorism motivated by hate. He is serving a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Gendron, according to his attorneys, has proposed pleading guilty to the 27-count federal indictment, including 10 counts of hate crimes resulting in death, but the Department of Justice has rejected his offer.
“The United States believes the circumstances in Counts 11-20 of the Indictment are such that, in the event of a conviction, a sentence of death is justified,” federal prosecutors said in January 2024, when they announced the decision to pursue the death penalty against Gendron.
On Monday, about 1,200 potential jurors who filled out an initial questionnaire were summoned to appear at the U.S. District Court in Buffalo to complete a more extensive inquiry to determine whether they can serve as fair and impartial jurors.
Based on their responses, Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo, who is overseeing the case, and the attorneys involved hope to whittle the potential jury pool down to several hundred.
Those who make the cut will be brought back in August to be questioned by the lawyers and judge, who are hoping to seat 12 jurors and at least six alternates for the trial scheduled to begin in October.
Gendron has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges.
Garnell Whitfield, the former Buffalo fire commissioner, whose 86-year-old mother, Ruth Whitfield, was killed in the supermarket attack, said he plans to attend Monday’s court proceedings.
Whitfield told ABC News that he’s hoping that the upcoming trial will expose those whom he says helped radicalize Gendron, including the social media companies that allegedly provided the addictive algorithms that fed Gendron’s hate of Black people.
“I’m more concerned with that than I am with him. He’s a dead man walking as far as I’m concerned,” Whitfield said.
Social media companies are not defendants in the trial, have not accused of any wrongdoing by prosecutors.
Whitfield and other relatives of those killed and wounded in the attack filed a lawsuit in May 2023 against several social media companies alleging they facilitated the teenage killer’s white supremacist radicalization by allowing racist propaganda to fester on their platforms. The outcome of the case is still pending in the state Supreme Court. The social media companies have denied all wrong doing.
During his sentencing in the state case in May 2023, Gendron apologized to the relatives of the victims, saying he was “very sorry for all the pain” he caused and “for stealing the lives of your loved ones.”
“I did a terrible thing that day,” Gendron said in court. “I shot and killed people because they were Black. Looking back now, I can’t believe I actually did it. I believed what I read online and acted out of hate. I know I can’t take it back, but I wish I could, and I don’t want anyone to be inspired by me and what I did.”
Gendron planned the massacre for months — including previously traveling twice to the Tops store he targeted, a more than three-hour drive from his home in Conklin, New York — to scout the layout and count the number of Black people present, according to state prosecutors. Wearing tactical gear, body armor and wielding an AR-15-style rifle he legally purchased and illegally modified, Gendron committed the rampage on a Saturday afternoon when prosecutors said he knew the store would be full of Black shoppers.
The attack was caught on a Tops supermarket surveillance camera and a helmet camera worn by Gendron that he used to livestream on Twitch. Before the attack, he also posted a racist screed online containing the names of past mass shooters he admired.
Brian Buckmire, an ABC News legal analyst, said Gendron’s attorneys are aiming at seating jurors who can set aside the defendant’s guilty plea and decide the case based on the facts presented at trial.
“This is not a case of guilt or innocence; this is a case … of attempting to save his life,” he said.
Buckmire said that in the current phase of jury selection, potential members of the panel will likely be asked about their personal beliefs about the death penalty.
He noted that the judge in the case has already denied a request from the defense to move the trial from Buffalo in Erie County to Rochester in Monroe County.
“So, it’s deep in the heart of where all of this harm happened,” Buckmire said.
Buckmire said the defense is facing an uphill battle and will likely focus on trying to persuade the jury that Gendron should not be put to death.
“From a fact-based standpoint, it’s hard to say he’s not guilty,” Buckmire said. “I think the only argument here and the only strength of anything they can make out here is he doesn’t deserve the death penalty because of his age [and] the influences he had.”
(SENATOBIA, Miss.) — A child was killed after an officer fired upon a vehicle following a reported shoplifting at a Walmart in Mississippi, authorities said.
An adult was also critically injured in the shooting, which occurred Sunday afternoon outside a Walmart in Senatobia, according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
Law enforcement officers who responded to a shoplifting call at the Walmart encountered two adults allegedly fleeing from the store with a child and going into a vehicle, the bureau said.
“Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one,” the bureau said in a statement, noting that the information is preliminary. “An officer then discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene.”
The individuals in the vehicle went to a local hospital, where the child was pronounced dead, according to the bureau. One of the adults also had critical injuries, it said.
Authorities did not provide further details on the shooting victims, including the age of the child killed.
The Senatobia Police Department and Tate County Sheriff’s Office were involved in the shooting incident, according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which did not provide details on the officer who discharged the weapon or how many times the gun was fired.
No officers were seriously injured, the bureau said.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting and will ultimately share its findings with the state’s attorney general’s office.
“This is an open and ongoing investigation. No further comment will be made at this time,” a spokesperson with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation told ABC News on Monday in response to multiple questions on the incident.
Senatobia is located in northwestern Mississippi, about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.
The Senatobia Police Department said the officer-involved shooting occurred just after 2 p.m. Sunday.
“We are committed to full transparency,” the Senatobia Police Department said in a statement. “As the investigation progresses and facts are verified, we will share as much information as possible.”
A Walmart spokesperson said they are working with law enforcement amid the investigation.
“We’re saddened by what took place at our Senatobia, MS, store,” the spokesperson said. “The safety of our associates and customers is a top priority.”
Senatobia Alderman Chris McConnell urged residents to “rely on official information and allow the investigative process to proceed.”
“Please join me in praying for everyone involved, their families, our law enforcement officers, first responders, and the entire Senatobia community,” he said in a statement.
Vice President JD Vance appears on ABC News’ “Good Morning America” on Monday, June 15, 2026. (ABC News)
(WASHINGTON) — Vice President JD Vance on Monday spoke about the settlement that would extend the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and pave the way for 60 days of technical negotiations to end the war, saying it has been signed “digitally.”
Vance said the agreement marked a moment in which Iran has a “two-path” option.
“On the one hand, if they continue to try to rebuild their nuclear program, this deal ensures they will never have the resources to do that,” Vance told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” in an interview on Monday. “On the other hand, if the Iranians are willing to give a long-term commitment — along with proper verification — to giving up that nuclear weapon, we’re willing to welcome them into the world economy, to lift some sanctions and to turn over a new leaf in that relationship.”
Iranian officials have long publicly maintained that the country’s nuclear program operates only for civilian purposes, although Western officials have said their uranium enrichment has gone beyond what would be needed for civilian use. Iran has also said it does not have ambitions to create nuclear weapons, a claim that American officials have disputed.
Vance’s interview followed a Sunday social media post from President Donald Trump, who said the United States and Iran reached an agreement for a 60-day ceasefire in the conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
Vance said that the deal had already been digitally signed by parties, but also maintained that there would be a signing ceremony on Friday — though it’s unclear exactly what the Friday signing will mean if the deal has already been signed digitally. The vice president did say that the full text of the agreement would be released at some point this week and that negotiations were expected to continue.
The exact contents of the agreement is still unclear, and he remained vague about what specifics were in the the text of the already-signed agreement.
When pressed by “Good Morning America” Anchor George Stephanopoulos about whether this deal was the president going back on promises that Iran would need to provide “unconditional surrender,” Vance responded that “what this deal fundamentally does is it reopens the Straits of Hormuz.”
“You see, oil prices have already come down substantially just in the last 24 hours,” Vance added.
Vance also said that the deal includes provisions that Iran will stop funding terror groups, though he did not expand on what exactly that means.
As a potential deal was reportedly coming together on Friday, Vance took to social media to push back on what he described as “fake information” about the potential terms, which he said were expected to include financial incentives for Iran. Vance said funds would not be released to Iran “for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting.”
Vance also said that since the deal was digitally signed on Sunday, no money for Iran has been released, “and that won’t change, George,” Vance said.
Vance on Monday said forward momentum for the deal would hinge on Iranian officials “doing the right thing,” including allowing for some form of verification to show that Iran is not working toward building a nuclear weapon.
“This is fundamentally a win-win for the American people,” Vance said. “What the president has said is he wants it to be a win for the Iranian people as well. But that requires some real trust building and some real positive conduct from the Iranian political system.”
“We’re going to see if that happens,” he added. “If it does, they’re absolutely going to find the president of United States and the entire team a willing partner, to make their country more prosperous.”
Stephanopoulos pressed Vance about whether Israel’s comments that they are not party to the agreement amid their continued hostilities in Lebanon, asking Vance whether that might complicate the peace settlement.
“Well, George, everything’s going to complicate the deal, as you know, in this region of the world, even a ceasefire, sometimes they’re a little bit dirty,” Vance said. “It goes from shooting a lot to shooting a little to shooting not at all. But what we fundamentally believe is that this is going to be a good deal for the people of Israel, for the people of the Gulf, the people of America, and again, potentially for the people of Iran as well.”
A landmark nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, followed two years of negotiations. It imposed restrictions on Iran’s civilian nuclear enrichment program in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran, in that 2015 deal, agreed to international monitoring and to keeping its nuclear program “solely for peaceful purposes,” according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
Trump withdrew the U.S. that deal in 2018, during his first term.
“There are all of these ways I could explain the ways this deal is fundamentally better for the American people than the JCPOA,” Vance said on Monday. “But the fundamental difference is that the Gulf Coast coalition, our Arab partners in the region, they hated the JCPOA, because they felt that it emboldened Iran to be a bad actor. They love this deal because they feel that it’s going to create a totally new dynamic in the Middle East.”
ABC News’ Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.
