(CHESTERFIELD, Va.) — Family, friends, and civil rights leaders are expected to gather in Chesterfield, Virginia, for the funeral of Irvo Otieno, a 28-year-old Black man who died in custody after authorities say deputies and hospital staff piled on top of him for more than 10 minutes.
The funeral at the First Baptist Church in Chesterfield will feature calls for justice by civil rights attorney and Otieno’s family legal representative Ben Crump and a eulogy reading from Reverend Al Sharpton, the founder and president of the civil rights group the National Action Network (NAN).
Otieno died in police custody on March 6 after a neighbor called the police on him during what his mother Caroline Ouko said was a mental health crisis.
“To see nine men and a woman, squeeze– literally squeeze the breath out of my child was heartbreaking. I could not believe that human beings can be desensitized to do that to another human being,” Ouko said in an interview with ABC News about surveillance footage that captured the moments surrounding Otieno’s death.
After the initial call to police, Otieno was taken to a hospital on March 3, where he was arrested later that day and taken to Henrico County Jail. Three days later, Otieno died at Virginia’s Central State Hospital.
In footage obtained by ABC News, Otieno can be seen being pulled from his jail cell partially naked and pushed into the back of a police vehicle to transport him to the psychiatric hospital. At the hospital, footage shows Henrico deputies and medical staff holding Otieno down for nearly 11 minutes until he stops moving, according to the video.
Seven Henrico County Sheriff’s deputies and three Central State Hospital employees have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with Otieno’s death, according to Dinwiddie County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill. They have all been indicted by a grand jury. Currently, no pleas have been entered.
In a court appearance, Cary Bowen, a lawyer representing deputy Jermaine Lavar Branch, stated that the officer “did not administer any blows to the deceased, or violence towards him, other than simply trying to restrain him.”
Bowen told ABC News by phone that Cabell Baskervill is trying to fashion the case as something that is “malicious.”
“There was no weapon used. There was no pummeling or anything like that. I think everybody agrees,” Bowen said. “And the way she was casting it was that they ended up suffocating. He couldn’t breathe. And she’s acting like the guy didn’t resist and he wasn’t manic or bipolar or whatever. Just a nice guy who they’re picking on.”
The Henrico County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an independent review of the incident alongside an investigation by Virginia State Police.
“What they did to my son was awful,” Ouko told ABC News. “This heinous murder of my son was not necessary. And I want them to know that justice will be served. And if there is anyone out there who played a part along the line in my son’s murder, let them not think that this indictment absolves them.”
(HUNTSVILLE, Ala.) — A police officer in Huntsville, Alabama, has died, and another remains hospitalized in critical condition, after being shot while responding to a shooting call Tuesday, police said.
“This is a devastating loss for the our department, the Huntsville community and the State of Alabama,” Huntsville Police Chief Kirk Giles said in a statement. “We send our heartfelt condolences to the officer’s family as they mourn their loved one who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
The Huntsville Police Department responded to a call at 4:45 p.m. on Governors House Drive, where the two officers were shot “by an offender at the scene,” the department had said, who initially “barricaded himself inside an apartment.”
“The offender was apprehended about 6:20 p.m. and transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” the department said.
The officers were taken to Huntsville Hospital, according to the HPD. The second officer has undergone emergency surgery and remains in critical condition, the department said.
“As we grieve with our fallen officer’s family, we have another officer fighting for his life,” the chief added. “Please keep all our officers and the entire department in your prayers.”
A female shooting victim was at the scene when officers arrived, according to police.
Both the offender and female victim “are at the hospital receiving treatment,” police later said.
The HPD asked residents to avoid the area and closed the area to traffic amid a “heavy police presence.”
The roads have since reopened.
“This is a painful night for the City of Huntsville and for our police family,” Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said. “We are heartbroken. Words cannot express our loss. We have been overwhelmed by the show of love and support from our community, and we stand united with our police officers and their families in this tragic moment.”
(NEW YORK) — A grand jury is continuing to weigh charges against former President Donald Trump in connection with the Manhattan district attorney’s probe into the 2016 hush payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
No current or former president has ever been indicted for criminal conduct.
Here is how the news is developing. All times Eastern. Check back for updates:
Mar 28, 9:29 PM EDT
Grand jury expected to meet Thursday on other matters: Sources
The Manhattan grand jury weighing charges against former President Donald Trump will not convene on Wednesday and is expected to meet Thursday on other matters, sources familiar with the situation told ABC News.
The proceeding is conducted in secret and the grand jury could be presented with evidence or vote at any time.
Mar 27, 4:30 PM EDT
Former publisher of the National Enquirer seen leaving DA’s office
David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, was seen leaving the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office with his lawyer on Monday.
Pecker testified before the grand jury for about an hour, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Pecker, who allegedly helped arrange the payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, previously spoke to the grand jury in January.
The district attorney’s office may have called Pecker to bolster Michael Cohen’s earlier testimony about the purpose of the payment.
Mar 27, 7:29 AM EDT
Manhattan grand jury expected to reconvene Monday
The Manhattan grand jury weighing charges against former President Donald Trump is expected to reconvene on Monday, sources tell ABC News.
-ABC News’ Aaron Katersky
Mar 26, 4:48 PM EDT
GOP oversight chair defends getting involved in NY Trump probe
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer on Sunday defended taking the escalatory step of getting Congress involved in the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation of Donald Trump by using his position to request answers from the prosecutor, Alvin Bragg.
“If Mr. Bragg wants to come in and explain to us what he what he’s doing, and he makes a good explanation, he makes a good argument and we see that we’re in an area where we shouldn’t belong, such as the Republicans — some of the Republican senators — say, then we will back off,” Comer, R-Ky., said on CNN. But, he added, “I don’t believe that Bragg would be doing this if Donald Trump were not running for president, and that’s something that we would like to ask Mr. Bragg as well.”
Pushed by CNN anchor Jake Tapper, who said Bragg is investigating potential violations of state and not federal crimes, Comer said, “This is about politics. This is a presidential candidate.”
Comer insisted that he would be more accepting of the investigation if it was being brought by the Department of Justice rather than a local district attorney, though he later said he wanted all “meddling” to end.
Bragg’s office has signaled that they may be moving closer to a charging decision — such as for falsifying business records, sources have said — in relation to $130,000 that Trump paid the adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election in order to prevent her from going public with an affair claim.
Trump denies all wrongdoing, including a relationship with Daniels.
He falsely said that he would be arrested last week and has urged protests.
-ABC News’ Adam Carlson and Cheyenne Haslett
Mar 25, 7:46 PM EDT
Republicans urge Alvin Bragg to comply with their request for documents, testimony
In a new letter Saturday, the Republican leaders of three powerful House committees responded to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s rebuff of their request for documents and testimony related to the Trump probe.
Reps. Jim Jordan, James Comer and Brian Steil argued in the 8-page letter they have legislative purpose for demanding such material.
Bragg’s office pushed back against the chairmen’s original request on March 20, stating it would “not be intimidated by attempts to undermine the justice process.”
Leslie Dubeck, Bragg’s general counsel, responded that it was “an unlawful incursion into New York’s sovereignty.”
In a new statement Saturday, Bragg’s office said it is “not appropriate for Congress to interfere with pending local investigations.”
“This unprecedented inquiry by federal elected officials into an ongoing matter serves only to hinder, disrupt and undermine the legitimate work of our dedicated prosecutors,” his office said.
Read more about the GOP request for information on the Trump case here.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Mar 24, 10:30 PM EDT
Mayor Adams’ office condemns threat to DA Bragg
A spokesman for New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a statement Friday evening condemning the threatening letter sent to District Attorney Alvin Bragg that included powder later deemed non-hazardous.
“While we cannot comment on the specifics of any ongoing investigation, no public official should ever be subject to threats for doing his or her job,” the statement read.
The spokesman added, “I’m confident that every elected official in the City, including Manhattan DA Bragg, will continue to do their work undeterred, and anyone found to be engaging in illegal conduct will be brought to justice.”
Mar 24, 5:35 PM EDT
DA Bragg stresses ‘safety’ for staff after threat sent to him
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg thanked his staff for their “strength and professionalism” in an email sent Friday and reassured them the powder sent to him in a letter discovered earlier in the day was not hazardous.
The email, which was obtained by ABC News, was sent to Bragg’s 1,600-member staff about three hours after the letter was discovered in a basement mail room on Friday.
“I want to reiterate my message from Saturday: your safety is our top priority,” the email said, referring to an earlier message to staff obtained by ABC News that followed former President Donald Trump’s social media call for protest and an inaccurate prediction he would be arrested on Tuesday.
The latest message revealed that some in the office had received “offensive or threatening phone calls or emails” and Bragg apologized for what he called the “distressing disruptions.”
Bragg concluded with his often-repeated vow to apply the law evenly and fairly.
He also mentioned a film shoot occurring this weekend outside the courthouse at 60 Centre St. could include simulated explosions.
Mar 24, 4:33 PM EDT
Letter threatening to kill ‘Alvin’ found at Manhattan DA’s office: Sources
A white powder was discovered in the mailroom at 80 Centre Street, where the Manhattan District Attorney has offices and where a grand jury has been meeting to hear evidence in former President Donald Trump’s case, according to a court official. The powder was determined to be non-hazardous, officials said.
The powder came in an envelope addressed to “Alvin,” an apparent reference to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, according police sources.
Inside the envelope was a letter containing the typewritten message, “Alvin: I am going to kill you,” with 13 exclamation points, according to sources.
This envelope followed a series of unfounded threats that targeted municipal offices in New York this week.
“For three days we got four emails,” Susan Stetzer, district manager at Manhattan Community Board 3, told ABC News on Friday.
At least one of the messages prompted the court to pause a hearing in the New York Attorney General’s civil lawsuit against Trump.
None of the email messages mentioned Trump by name. One included what Stetzer described as a “horrible homophobic rant.”
According to Stetzer, the messages came from @mail.ru domains and some contained Cyrillic characters. The FBI is aware but does not immediately assess that the emails came from Russia, according to a law enforcement official.
“We did not get one today so I’m hoping it stops,” Stetzer said.
New York City courthouses will see increased security, the Office of Court Administration said Friday.
Mar 24, 4:12 PM EDT
White powder addressed to ‘Alvin’ found at Manhattan DA’s office
A white powder was discovered in the mailroom at 80 Centre Street, where the Manhattan District Attorney has offices and where a grand jury has been meeting to hear evidence in former President Donald Trump’s case, according to a court official. The contents of the envelope were determined to be non-hazardous, officials said.
The powder came in an envelope addressed to “Alvin,” an apparent reference to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, according police sources.
This envelope followed a series of unfounded threats that targeted municipal offices in New York this week.
“For three days we got four emails,” Susan Stetzer, district manager at Manhattan Community Board 3, told ABC News on Friday.
At least one of the messages prompted the court to pause a hearing in the New York Attorney General’s civil lawsuit against Trump.
None of the email messages mentioned Trump by name. One included what Stetzer described as a “horrible homophobic rant.”
According to Stetzer, the messages came from @mail.ru domains and some contained Cyrillic characters. The FBI is aware but does not immediately assess that the emails came from Russia, according to a law enforcement official.
“We did not get one today so I’m hoping it stops,” Stetzer said.
New York City courthouses will see increased security, the Office of Court Administration said Friday.
Mar 24, 4:08 PM EDT
Trump escalating attacks on Manhattan DA
Former President Donald Trump has escalated his attacks on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his staff. Overnight, Trump posted on social media that if he were to be indicted it could result in “potential death and destruction.”
Senior administration officials at the Department of Homeland Security are continuing to “watch closely, particularly in the online environment” surrounding a potential indictment against former President Donald Trump, a senior administration official said.
There is nothing “that rises to the level of being credible and specific” or “actionable,” the administration official said. However, the official said that online “there are always things that emerge that will cause people to take note and possibly raise concern.”
As the grand jury continues, the lines of communication with local authorities like the NYPD and Capitol Police have been “wide open.”
“It’s been a several day period of, I’d say, very open and continued information exchange between and among federal and state partners, focused on this issue,” a senior administration official said.
Senior administration officials at the Department of Homeland Security are continuing to “watch closely, particularly in the online environment” surrounding a potential indictment against former President Donald Trump, a senior administration official said.
There is nothing “that rises to the level of being credible and specific” or “actionable,” the administration official said. However, the official said that online “there are always things that emerge that will cause people to take note and possibly raise concern.”
As the grand jury continues, the lines of communication with local authorities like the NYPD and Capitol Police have been “wide open.”
“It’s been a several day period of, I’d say, very open and continued information exchange between and among federal and state partners, focused on this issue,” a senior administration official said.
-ABC News’ Luke Barr
Mar 23, 11:31 AM EDT
DA says compliance with GOP’s requests for information would interfere with investigation
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s general counsel responded to House Republicans Thursday, telling them compliance with their requests for information would interfere with a legitimate law enforcement investigation.
General counsel Leslie Dubeck noted the House inquiry only resulted from former President Donald Trump’s social media post.
“Your letter dated March 20, 2023 (the “Letter”), in contrast, is an unprecedented inquiry into a pending local prosecution,” Dubeck wrote. “The Letter only came after Donald Trump created a false expectation that he would be arrested the next day and his lawyers reportedly urged you to intervene. Neither fact is a legitimate basis for congressional inquiry.”
Mar 23, 9:50 AM EDT
Grand jury won’t meet about Trump case this week
The grand jury hearing evidence of former President Donald Trump’s role in alleged hush money paid to Stormy Daniels will not meet about the case for the remainder of the week, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
The grand jury is meeting Thursday to consider a different case, the sources said. The grand jury news was first reported by Business Insider.
The grand jury is expected to reconvene Monday to consider the Trump case, at which time at least one additional witness may be called to testify, the sources said.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to comment.
It is not uncommon for grand juries to sit in consideration of multiple cases at once.
Mar 23, 7:37 AM EDT
Manhattan grand jury expected to reconvene Thursday
The Manhattan grand jury weighing charges against former President Donald Trump is expected to reconvene on Thursday, sources tell ABC News.
Mar 23, 5:28 AM EDT
Trump could still be elected president if indicted or convicted, experts say
According to law, former President Donald Trump can be elected president if indicted — or even convicted — in any of the state and federal investigations he is currently facing, experts tell ABC News. But there are practical reasons that could make it a challenge, experts say.
Trump said earlier this month at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference that he would “absolutely” run for president even if he were to be criminally indicted.
“I wouldn’t even think about leaving,” Trump told reporters ahead of a speech. “Probably it will enhance my numbers.”
Mar 22, 12:51 PM EDT
Manhattan grand jury to reconvene as early as Thursday
The Manhattan grand jury weighing charges against former President Donald Trump in connection to the Stormy Daniels hush payment investigation is not meeting on Wednesday, sources told ABC News. The earliest the grand jury would reconvene is Thursday, sources said.
The grand jurors were called Wednesday morning and told they were not needed during the day as scheduled, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. The grand jurors were told to be prepared to reconvene on Thursday when it’s possible they will hear from at least one additional witness, the sources said.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to comment, citing a policy of not discussing grand jury matters.
-ABC News’ John Santucci and Luke Barr
Mar 22, 8:25 AM EDT
With Trump case looming, what is an indictment?
Criminal prosecution proceedings typically start with an arrest and a court appearance, but legal experts say that on many occasions, especially in white collar crimes, suspects aren’t hit with charges or a visit from an officer until long after an official investigation is underway.
Typically, if a crime is being investigated, law enforcement agents will make an arrest, file initial charges and bring a suspect to be arraigned in court, Vincent Southerland, an assistant professor of clinical law and the director of the criminal defense and reentry clinic at NYU School of Law, told ABC News.
After this arraignment, prosecutors would impanel a grand jury for a formal criminal indictment. Southerland, who has been practicing law in New York state for 19 years, said this process includes giving the jury evidence, possible testimony and other exhibits before they can officially charge a person with felonies.
A Manhattan grand jury is currently investigating Trump’s possible role in the hush payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The former president has denied any wrongdoing and having an affair with Daniels. His attorneys have framed the funds as a response to an extortion plot.
-ABC News’ Ivan Pereira
Mar 21, 6:11 PM EDT
Pence discourages protests if Trump indicted
Former Vice President Mike Pence discouraged any protests should a grand jury indict Donald Trump.
“Every American has the right to let their voice be heard. The Constitution provides the right to peaceably assemble. But I think in this instance, I would discourage Americans from engaging in protests if in fact the former president is indicted,” Pence said Tuesday when asked by ABC News if Americans should protest a possible indictment.
Pence said he understood the “frustration” while calling the case “politically motivated.”
“But I think letting our voices be heard in other ways, and in not engaging in protests, I think is most prudent at this time,” he said.
-ABC News’ Libby Cathey
Mar 21, 11:00 AM EDT
McCarthy grows frustrated as Trump questions persist at House GOP retreat
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy again ripped into Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg when asked about the potential charges against former President Donald Trump at a Tuesday press conference at the House GOP retreat in Orlando.
When McCarthy was asked directly if had concerns about Trump’s alleged conduct regarding the alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, he didn’t answer the question and instead pivoted to talking about Hillary Clinton and Bragg.
“What we see before us is a political game being played by a local. Look, this isn’t New York City, this is just a Manhattan,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy said he hasn’t spoken to Trump in three weeks.
When asked if Trump is still the leader of the Republican Party, McCarthy took a jab at the press: “In the press room, for all of you, he is.”
-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders and Will Steakin
Mar 21, 10:14 AM EDT
Grand jury to reconvene on Wednesday
A grand jury will reconvene on Wednesday to continue to weigh charges against former President Donald Trump in connection with the Manhattan district attorney’s probe into the 2016 hush payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, paid $130,000 to Daniels in the closing days of the 2016 presidential campaign to allegedly keep her from talking about an affair she claimed to have had with Trump.
Trump has denied the affair and his attorneys have framed the funds as an extortion payment.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is mulling whether to charge Trump with falsifying business records, after the Trump Organization allegedly reimbursed Cohen for the payment then logged the reimbursement as a legal expense, sources have told ABC News. Trump has called the payment “a private contract between two parties” and has denied all wrongdoing.
Trump this weekend wrote on his Truth Social platform that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday.
The U.S. Secret Service is coordinating security plans with the NYPD in the event of an indictment and arraignment in an open courtroom in Manhattan, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. The two agencies had a call Monday to discuss logistics, including court security and how Trump would potentially surrender for booking and processing, according to sources briefed on the discussions. White collar criminal defendants in New York are typically allowed to negotiate a surrender.
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — The suspect in Monday’s mass shooting at a small, private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, had legally purchased seven guns from five different local gun stores, and hid some of those weapons at home, police said Tuesday.
Three children and three adults were slain in the attack at The Covenant School. Nashville police on Tuesday released dramatic body camera footage from two officers who fired at the suspect, identified by police as 28-year-old Audrey Hale.
The video shows the officers entering the school, following the sound of the gunfire to the second floor and finding the suspect in a lobby area on the second floor. After an officer shouted “reloading,” the video shows officers Rex Engelbert, a four-year veteran, and Michael Collazo, a nine-year veteran, firing at the suspect.
Hale was shot dead about 14 minutes after the initial 911 call came in, according to police.
The suspect was a former student, and while the Covenant School was likely targeted, Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said it appears the “students were randomly targeted.”
The suspect was armed at the school with two assault-style rifles, a handgun and “significant ammunition,” police said.
Hale, who lived in Nashville, had legally purchased seven guns from five different local gun stores, the chief told reporters Tuesday.
Hale was under a “doctor’s care for an emotional disorder,” Drake said, and Hale’s parents “were under the impression that was when she sold the one weapon” they believed Hale owned.
“As it turned out, she had been hiding several weapons within the house,” Drake said.
Hale had a red bag when leaving home on Monday morning, Drake said. Hale’s mother asked what was inside, but was “dismissed,” according to Drake.
Hale’s mother “didn’t look in the bag, because at the time she didn’t know that her daughter had any weapons,” Drake said.
Hale allegedly shot through a locked door on the side of the school to gain entry, according to police. As authorities responded to the scene, the suspect fired on police cars from a second-floor window, police said.
The slain children were identified by police as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9 years old. The adult victims were identified as 61-year-old substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61-year-old custodian Mike Hill and 60-year-old Katherine Koonce, who was head of the school.
The victims were found in different locations, Drake said. Hill was struck when the shooter sprayed rounds at the glass door to enter, Drake said, and Koonce’s body was in a hallway.
Investigators searched Hale’s home where they seized “a sawed-off shotgun, a second shotgun and other evidence,” according to police.
“We do have writings and a book we consider to be like a manifesto,” the police chief told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “We do have a map of the school, where it was diagramed how she would enter and how she might proceed to take on potential victims.”
“We have not been able to determine a motive as of yet,” the chief said. “The investigation is very much still ongoing.”
There is also “some speculation that the shooter did reach out to maybe a friend or some other people, but as of right now that’s unconfirmed,” Drake said.
“As soon as we know more, we’ll continue to put the facts out there,” he added.
Drake had told reporters on Monday that the suspect was female and identified as transgender but didn’t immediately provide more details. A police spokesperson later told ABC News that the suspect was assigned female at birth but pointed to a social media account linked to the alleged shooter that included the use of the pronouns he/him.
The Covenant School, which teaches preschool through sixth grade, does not have a school resource officer, according to police. There are about 209 students and 40 to 50 staff members.
In a statement released Monday night, the Covenant School said its community “is heartbroken.”
“We are grieving tremendous loss and are in shock coming out of the terror that shattered our church and school,” the school said. “We are focused on loving our students, our families, our faculty and staff and beginning the process of healing.”
“There’s nothing more gut-wrenching than responding to a child,” Nashville Fire Chief William Swann told ABC News’ GMA3. “That moment changes everything for you, because we all can relate to the innocence of it.”
President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the shooting “absolutely heartbreaking” and “senseless.”
“I never thought when I started my public life that guns would be the No. 1 killer of children in America,” he said.
Biden said he had spoken with the police chief and “the two officers who went in and saved lives.”
The president again called on Congress to ban assault weapons and said he wanted to “expose those people who will refuse to do something” to combat gun violence.
“I’m going to keep calling it out, remind people that they’re not acting,” he said. “They should act.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also stressed that Congress must take action on gun legislation.
“What we need from congressional Republicans is courage,” she told ABC News’ GMA3 on Tuesday. “What do you say to those parents? What do you say to those families? You can’t say to them, ‘There’s nothing else that can be done.’ That’s not what their job is as legislators.”
The “majority of Americans want common sense gun safety laws, they want to see [an] assault weapons ban. These are weapons of war,” she said. “The president has done his part. We need Congress to do their part.”
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — The six victims of a fatal shooting at a private Christian elementary school in Tennessee’s capital city have been identified by police.
Three students and three staff members were shot and killed at the Covenant School in Nashville on Monday morning. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department identified the victims as Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9; Mike Hill, 61; William Kinney, 9; Katherine Koonce, 60; Cynthia Peak, 61; and Hallie Scruggs, 9.
Here’s what we know about the slain so far:
Mike Hill, 61
Mike Hill was a custodian at the Covenant School, according to police.
In a statement to ABC News, Hill’s family thanked the community “for all the continued thoughts and prayers.”
“As we grieve and try to grasp any sense of understanding of why this happened, we continue to ask for support,” the family said. “We pray for the Covenant School and are so grateful that Michael was beloved by the faculty and students who filled him with joy for 14 years.”
Hill’s family said he was a father of seven children — Marquita Oglesby, Brittany Hill, Shakita Dobbins, Ebony Smith, Joshua Smith, Tawana Smith Garner and Jeremy Smith — and had 14 grandchildren.
“He liked to cook and spend time with family,” they said.
Katherine Koonce, 60
Katherine Koonce was the head of the Covenant School, according to police.
Cynthia Peak, 61
Cynthia Peak was a substitute teacher at the Covenant School, according to police.
In a statement to ABC News, her family said their “hearts are broken,” confirming the loss “of our beloved Cindy Peak.”
“Cindy was a pillar of the community, and a teacher beloved by all her students,” her family said. “Her favorite roles in life were being a mom to her three children, a wife to her husband, and an educator to students.”
“We will never stop missing her,” the family said. “We are grateful for the hope of Heaven. She never wavered in her faith and we know she is wrapped in the arms of Jesus. Our hearts go out to all the victims’ families as we grieve this horrific tragedy.”
Hallie Scruggs, 9
Hallie Scruggs was the daughter of Chad Scruggs, the senior pastor at the Covenant Presbyterian Church, which shares a location with the Covenant School.
The school was founded in 2001 as a ministry of the church, according to the school’s website.
Chad Scruggs described his daughter as “such a gift.”
“We are heartbroken,” he told ABC News in a statement. “Through tears we trust that she is in the arms of Jesus who will raise her to life once again.”
Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9
Evelyn Dieckhaus was a third-grader at the Covenant School.
“Our hearts are completely broken,” the Dieckhaus family said in a statement. “We cannot believe this has happened. Evelyn was a shining light in this world. We appreciate all the love and support but ask for space as we grieve.”
(NEW YORK) — Thirty-three swimmers are being accused of “pursuing, corralling, and harassing” a pod of dolphins in Hōnaunau Bay on Sunday, Hawaii’s division of Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement said on Tuesday.
Harassment cases were opened against each of the swimmers, who were not identified by name, Hawaiian officials said in a press release.
Officials released video and photos taken from a drone, which they said showed the harassment. Authorities were waiting onshore for the swimmers when they left the water.
Hawaii’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement and the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement are investigating, according to the statement.
Officials in the Aloha State earlier this month announced a similar investigation into a man who refers to himself as “Dolphin Dave.” Officials said he was caught repeatedly harassing a humpback whale and a pod of dolphins during a snorkeling trip.
(PHILADELPHIA) — Residents in Philadelphia can safely drink the water following a nearby chemical spill, the city’s water department said Tuesday evening.
The Philadelphia Department of Water declared that the water is “safe to drink and use” and that the drinking water wasn’t affected by Friday’s chemical spill in Bucks County.
Last week, the city recommended residents use bottled water “out of an abundance of caution” after a pipe ruptured at a chemical plant on Friday.
Philadelphia lifted its advisories monitoring the Baxter Drinking Water Treatment Plant, officials said.
Mayor Jim Keeney also announced the news on Twitter Tuesday, saying that Philadelphia worked quickly to deal with the situation.
“I’m grateful that no residents were exposed to unsafe chemicals in the city’s tap water following the spill,” Keeney said. “This is a result of the swift action, caution and preparedness of @PhiladelphiaGov and partners and our commitment to ensuring the well-being and health of all residents.”
An estimated 8,100 gallons of latex finishing material, a water-soluble acrylic polymer solution, was released into Otter Creek in Bristol, Pennsylvania, on Friday.
“It’s like the material you find in paint,” said senior vice president of manufacturing and engineering at Trinseo, Tim Thomas, according to ABC Philadelphia station WPVI. “It’s your typical acrylic paint you have in your house, that’s what really this material is, in a water base.”
According to the city, contaminants were never found in the city’s water supply at “any point since the spill.”
While residents in Philadelphia did not have their water contaminated, other cities have had ongoing water issues.
Historic flooding and freezing temperatures in Mississippi damaged Jackson’s water distribution system last year, resulting in boil-water notices or no running water for weeks at a time.
In September, Baltimore urged residents to boil their water after E. coli was discovered in West Baltimore. Over 1,500 people were affected by the advisory, as well as several local area schools.
ABC News’ Matt Foster and Julia Jacobo contributed to this report.
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) — A set of locks for an Ohio River dam in Kentucky is closed due to a “navigational incident” after 10 barges were released from a tugboat, including one barge carrying 1,400 tons of a toxic alcohol compound, officials said.
The incident occurred at roughly 2 a.m. Tuesday, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Of 11 total barges, 10 became loose from a tugboat; three barges became pinned to the dam, and one additional barge was pinned against a pier, the agency said.
The Army Corp of Engineers said it recovered the barge pinned against the pier by noon Tuesday. It wrote in a statement that the remaining six barges were recovered, adding that the dam’s locks will remain closed until the “barges on the dam are stabilized.”
The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet said in a tweet that the barge carrying methanol is partially submerged at the McAlpine Locks and Dam in Louisville, Kentucky. The incident prompted Louisville Fire to deploy hazmat monitoring to the dam, according to a Louisville Metro Emergency Services representative.
“The barge companies are marshaling significant resources in response to the incident and will assess the situation and determine next steps,” the representative wrote. “In the meantime, Louisville Fire has deployed Haz-Mat monitoring and LMPD and LFD are surveying the area until the private company arrives on scene.”
The closest water intake on the Ohio River from the affected dam is in Henderson, Kentucky — more than 100 miles away from Louisville, according to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet.
“There is no impact to Louisville Water’s water intake or water quality,” the utility company wrote in a tweet. “Your water is safe to drink.”
No one was injured in the incident.
Accumulations of methanol vapors in confined spaces can be explosive if ignited, according to the National Institutes of Health.
(NEW YORK) — As the United States reels from yet another mass school shooting, experts warn that young children are suffering from its devastating impacts.
A total of three children, all age nine — as well as three adults — were killed at the Covenant School in Nashville in what President Joe Biden referred to as “sick” and “heartbreaking.”
Children can respond in a wide range of ways including being numb to the event, being more angry or irritable, suffering from high anxiety and being fearful of going back to school, according to mental health experts.
“As a pediatrician, and as a father, I think it makes common sense that when kids are exposed to this sort of thing, that it would have potentially long-term consequences for them,” Dr. Marc Gorelick, president and CEO of Children’s Minnesota hospital, told ABC News.
He continued, “And the research actually bears that out, that there are, in fact, significant behavioral and psychological impacts on children who either are victims of or witness to or even around events, such as this shooting in Nashville.”
Doctors told ABC News what signs parents can look out for and how to best help their children cope.
Mental health impact of witnesses to a shooting
Dr. Daniel Marullo, a clinical psychologist from Children’s of Alabama Hospital, told ABC News that many children develop resilience, or an ability to overcome serious hardships.
However, he says gun violence can impact a child’s mental health, especially if they are witness to such an event.
“What would be considered a typical reaction could range everywhere from changes in mood, including being sad, angry, irritable, lowered frustration tolerance to having sleep problems,” he said. “Certainly, a child may be more prone to having some nightmares or scary dreams, you might see changes in appetite.”
Marullo said children who experience a traumatic even such as a shooting may have more trouble focusing and concentrating or are more easily distracted.
Experts said responses can depend on age, as well.
‘The impacts on them tend to fall into two categories,” Gorelick said. “Like older kids, they will often have symptoms of post-traumatic stress, that could be nightmares, sleep problems, avoiding certain locations, including avoiding school, because of the associated trauma.”
“Younger kids tend to have symptoms that reflect in things like withdrawal, depression, anxiety…in response to being a party to or witness to community violence, gun violence,” he added.
Wide scale of emotional response
Dr. Scott Krakower, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Northwell Health in New York, told ABC News that children can experience a wide range of emotions following a traumatic event.
Some children may be affected but may not show any emotion because they’re numbed or withdrawn after the event, he explained.
“Everybody’s different they might have more emotions, heightened levels of emotional states, avoidant behaviors, avoidance of the actual event itself, or memories related to the event, or going into even school itself, where they know that that’s the trigger of them,” Krakower said.
He continued, “Some of them probably have feelings of survivors’ guilt, like, what if they could have done things differently for themselves?”
Children impacted indirectly
The effects are not just on the children who attended a school where a shooting occurred, but those who live in the surrounding community or even in another state.
About four in 10 Americans believe they may become a victim of gun violence within the next five years, according to a UChicago Harris/AP-NORC Poll released in August 2022.
“One of the sad things, for kids, you don’t have to be that close to it to be affected by it and even just hearing about it on the news, knowing that it happened to kids like yourself, kids that you might know or kids in your community can have those same effects,” Gorelick said.
“What parents should be looking for in their children in the aftermath of event like this is showing signs of anxiety, showing signs of fears, showing signs of being worried about themselves because of what they saw or heard about,” he continued.
Resuming a normal routine
Experts say it’s important to make sure children are provided as much structure as possible after a traumatic event to help with their development and well-being.
Amidst the chaos that follows a shooting, routines either at school or home can help reassure children that they will be okay.
“One thing is to get back to normal, get back to routine,” Marullo said. “Getting back to that kind of structure is very important. That really provides a sense of security for kids.”
However, resuming routines doesn’t mean pretending the event didn’t happen, Marullo said, adding that adults should make sure children feel safe talking about their feelings.
“If a child brings up feeling scared, really validating that it’s okay to feel that way and helping them understand that they are safe, and here’s what we’re doing to help you out,” he said. “Just kind of recognize that this was scary, and you’ve got a right to be afraid, but giving them the tools to help them cope and manage.”
The experts say some children may benefit from at least brief therapy, either working with a psychologist or a counselor to process any feelings or fears they’re experiencing, even if they don’t develop a psychological disorder.
Help support adults’ needs
Experts say it’s important that adults take care of their own needs after a traumatic event because helping them will, in turn, help their child.
“If you want to help your child, you’ve got to help yourself,” Marullo said. “By an adult taking care of themselves, they are showing and demonstrating to their child or if they were a teacher to their class, how to cope and manage.”
He explained that because children look to adults for safety and security, how adults cope with a traumatic event will influence how children do the same,
“So, it’s not that you hide your emotions, but you manage your emotions, and it’s okay to say, ‘Look, I’m scared too, but this is what I’m going to do to feel better’ or ‘I’m upset, I’m angry, but here’s how I’m going to use my anger,'” Marullo said.
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — After authorities said the Nashville school shooter identified as transgender, anti-trans sentiment about the community surged from far-right political figures.
Gun reform advocates and LGBTQ activists say the transgender community is being used as a “scapegoat” and that focusing on the shooter’s reported trans identity is a distraction from what they say is the root of the issue: guns.
“Despite what the gun industry and their political allies want, attempting to find a scapegoat isn’t going to take away from the fact that what is causing gun violence in America is our easy access to firearms,” said Kris Brown, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Advocates say transgender people have historically and falsely been categorized as violent or dangerous – perpetuating anti-transgender sentiment and further ostracizing a vulnerable and small population.
“Every study available shows that transgender and non-binary people are much more likely to be victims of violence, rather than the perpetrator of it,” the Human Rights Campaign said in a statement following the shooting.
“Regardless of the reason for this shooting, the use of violence is reprehensible and we renew our call for common-sense gun safety.”
Three students and three staff members were shot and killed at the Covenant School in Nashville on Monday morning. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department identified the victims as Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9; Mike Hill, 61; William Kinney, 9; Katherine Koonce, 60; Cynthia Peak, 61; and Hallie Scruggs, 9.
Several conservative political figures, including Sen. J.D. Vance, Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, and Donald Trump Jr., were among the personalities on social media who implicated the role of the shooter’s transgender identity in the shooting. The motive for the shooting remains unknown, according to authorities.
Transgender people are more than four times more likely than cisgender people to experience violent victimization, according to a study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Because of this, activists fear anti-trans sentiment will only lead to more violence against transgender people in a time when state legislators across the country have been targeting this community through legislation, restricting access to gender-affirming care and spaces.
James Alan Fox, a professor of criminology at Northeastern University, maintains a database on shootings dating back 17 years. He said he’s been studying the topic of shootings for 41 years, and defines a mass shooting as four or more killed in a single event, not including the shooter.
He says he has not seen another case of a mass shooter being transgender in that time. The overwhelming majority of mass shootings are committed by cisgender men.
“I’m not aware of other cases like that,” Fox said. “Unless it was not reported, I would have known about it.”
“When you talk about mass killing it’s even more of a male activity,” Fox told ABC News.
He told ABC News that, according to his database, there have only been four female mass shooters who have killed four or more people in a single event in the United States since 2006.
Anti-gun violence activists are instead turning their attention to the national debate around guns and gun violence.
“I am devastated and angry,” said former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head in 2011 while meeting with constituents and now runs the gun violence prevention organization GIFFORDS.
“At least three innocent children and three adults lost their lives to another incident of senseless gun violence. Countless people, including young kids, will be left traumatized by this tragedy. No parent, student, or teacher should live in fear of a mass murder at school. Enough is enough. Our leaders need to act. We stand with the Nashville community and remain committed to fighting gun violence. We owe it to our children and future generations.”
ABC News reporter Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.
