National

(NEW YORK) — Dangerous rip currents are forecast to persist Sunday along much of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, where at least eight people have drowned since Thursday after being dragged out to sea by the powerful currents, officials said.

The likelihood of life-threatening rip currents is high for beaches along the Atlantic Coast, including the Jersey Shore from Point Pleasant to Cape May, according to the National Weather Service. Dangerous rip currents are also forecast Sunday for North Carolina beaches from Frisco to Emerald, according to the NWS.

High-risk warnings for rip currents were also issued for the Gulf Coast, where the remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto continue to stir up the water.

A high-risk warning means the surf zone is dangerous for all levels of swimmers, and beachgoers should stay out of the water.

Moderate risk warnings, which have been issued for other parts of the Atlantic Coast, mean rip currents are likely, and swimmers are advised to stay near lifeguards and heed the advice of local beach patrols and flag warning systems.

“It’s a beautiful place, but they don’t realize how dangerous it can be. The ocean is strong and final when it gets ahold of you,” Chief Deputy John Budensiek of the Martin County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office told West Palm Beach ABC affiliate WPBF after a Pennsylvania couple got caught in a rip current and drowned while swimming with their six children at Hutchinson Island off Florida’s east coast.

The bodies of the couple, identified as 51-year-old Brian Warter and 48-year-old Erica Wishard, were found by lifeguards about 100 to 125 yards, or 300 to 375 feet, offshore, Martin County fire officials said.

Warter and Wishard were among eight people who have drowned since Thursday while swimming in the rough waters of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, according to officials.

On Friday, three men from Alabama who were visiting a Florida beach drowned after they went out swimming in the Gulf off Panama City Beach. The drownings occurred a day after a 19-year-old man drowned in the same area, authorities said.

In New York, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended a search Sunday for two boys, ages 16 and 17, whom witnesses said were apparently caught in a rip current at Jacob Riis Park in New York City’s Queens borough and were quickly swept out into the Atlantic, according to New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry.

“The teens tried to jump up to kind of slice the wave, the wave was extremely high, and it went on top of them and sucked them over,” Daughtry said during a news conference.

Meanwhile, the New York State Police said the body of a 15-year-old boy has been recovered after he was swept away and drowned Thursday in a powerful current while swimming in the Genesee River, a tributary of Lake Ontario near Caneadea, New York. Investigators said the teenager and a friend were swimming when he was swept away by the current.

The teen’s body was recovered on Thursday after multiple search-and-rescue teams combed the river.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — At least 10 people were injured in a shooting in Columbus, Ohio, police said, adding that they were searching for a suspect and a vehicle that may have been involved.

“The vehicle is believed to be a white, 4-door Honda Civic with tinted windows,” the Columbus Division of Police said on social media. “The suspect involved in the shooting was described as a male wearing all black clothing.”

Police posted two pictures they said were of the vehicle, adding that the car may have been involved with a shooting on the 1100 block of N. High St. early Sunday.

The 10 people who were injured in the shooting ranged in age from 16 to 27, police said. Nine were in stable condition and one was in critical condition, police said.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WEST HAVEN, Conn.) — Two children are recovering in a Connecticut Intensive Care Unit after police officers stopped their father from allegedly trying to drown them at a West Haven beach early Saturday morning, according to investigators.

A West Haven Police Department patrol officer spotted an SUV parked at Dawson Avenue Beach around 2:30 a.m. and heard screaming from the water as the officer inspected the car, according to investigators.

The officer encountered Romney Desronvil, 41, with two children in the water, the police said.

“As the officer entered the water the adult male continued to drift further away with the children all while screaming at the responding officers to ‘stay back,'” the West Haven Police Department said in a statement. “It was obvious at this point that the male…was deliberately drowning his children.”

Additional police officers and members of the fire department entered the water to assist, going as far as 100 yards from the shore, police said.

Officers were able to get the children, who were described as under 3 years old, away from their father and bring them back to shore to give life-saving measures before they were rushed to the hospital, investigators said.

West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer told reporters later in the day that the victims were showing signs of improvement but remained in critical condition.

She commended the actions of two of the officers, who she identified as Officer Williamson and Officer Miller, for saving their lives.

“They had guardian angels this morning,” Borer said.

Desronvil, a Queens, New York, resident, was arrested and charged with two counts each of attempted manslaughter and risk of injury, according to investigators.

The investigation is ongoing and more charges may be brought, according to the police.

Attorney information for the suspect was not immediately available.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(SEATTLE) — A public bus crashed into a building in Seattle on Saturday evening, injuring 11, including one critically, officials said.

The Sound Transit bus ran into the building at the intersection of 5th Avenue and Terrace Street in downtown just before 7 p.m., the Seattle Fire Department said in a statement.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene for an “extrication response” and helped all the passengers off, the department said. Each was able to exit the vehicle by themselves, the department said.

Eleven adult passengers were transported to hospitals nearby, officials said. All but one were in stable condition, the department said.

“Crews treated a 54-year-old male in critical condition,” the department said. “The critical patient was transported to Harborview Medical Center by paramedics.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(FORDYCE, Ark.) — A fourth person has died on Saturday following a mass shooting at a grocery store in Arkansas, authorities said.

Police responded to the shooting at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce, about 70 miles south of Little Rock, early afternoon on Friday, police said.

Three civilians were killed at the shooting and eight civilians were hurt, police said.

The four victims were 23-year-old Callie Weems, 50-year-old Roy Sturgis, 62-year-old Shirley Taylor and 81-year-old Ellen Shrum.

Two law enforcement officers were also shot and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The remaining victims are two men and five women between the ages of 20 and 65. Four of the victims remain hospitalized with one woman still in critical condition. Three victims have been treated and released, Arkansas State Police said.

The suspect, who was shot by officers and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, will be charged with capital murder, Arkansas State Police said.

The suspect — identified by Arkansas State Police as 44-year-old Travis Eugene Posey, of New Edinburg — is being held at the Ouachita County Detention Center. He will be charged with three counts of capital murder, with additional charges pending, police said.

Houchens Food Group, the Kentucky-based company that owns Fordyce’s Mad Butcher grocery store, said in a statement Saturday that the store would remain closed as the investigation continues and that store officials are cooperating with the probe.

“We are deeply saddened by the shooting incident that occurred Friday,” the company said. “We’re thankful for the rapid response from local authorities who apprehended the suspect and secured the area.”

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she’s been briefed on the shooting.

The FBI said it sent personnel to the scene to help state and local police with the investigation.

The White House said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting and his team will continue to keep him updated.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — More than 100 million Americans across 18 states are under heat alerts from coast-to-coast.

The I-95 corridor between New York City and Washington, D.C., is scorching this weekend, with an Extreme Heat Risk for New York on Saturday and for the entire corridor on Sunday.

In New York City, the heat index could reach 103 degrees this weekend. A daily record high (tie) of 96 is possible Sunday.

The heat index could reach 102 in Philadelphia on Saturday, and on Sunday up to 110. A daily record high of 98 is possible Sunday.

In Washington, D.C., the heat index is expected to reach between 105 and 110 on Saturday, up to 104 on Sunday. Both Baltimore and D.C. will rival daily record highs both days this weekend with highs near 100 both days.Much of this area is also under Air Quality Alerts because the stagnant air has led to low-level ozone concentrations which may be dangerous for sensitive groups.

The good news for this corridor, regarding heat, is “cooler” weather is forecast starting Monday after a couple rounds of showers and storms move through along a cold front which will sweep the region into Monday morning.

In the West, there will be daily record highs possible Saturday for Reno near 100, and for Salt Lake City on Sunday with the forecast around 100 there with an Excessive Heat Warning in effect there as well.

Heat alerts are blanketing much of California this weekend and continuing into next week for some.

In Palm Springs, temperatures may reach 114 degree today through Thursday – prompting an Excessive Heat Warning.

Saturday, temperatures in Redding and Sacramento may reach up to 107. Fresno may reach up to 108 both Saturday and Sunday. Heat Advisories for all those locations through the California Valley.

Severe weather and flooding

A swath of flood warnings are in effect Saturday morning from South Dakota through southern Minnesota and northern Iowa where 4-7 inches of rain have fallen in the last 24 hours. Numerous areas have no travel advised.

Incredibly, an area of northwest Iowa and southeast South Dakota, around the Sioux Falls region, has seen 8-16 inches of rainfall.

Severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening across parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes region from Missouri to Michigan, including Chicago and Milwaukee.

Flash flooding is a risk for this area on Saturday. One or two clusters of storms may evolve and pose a risk for damaging wind gusts, but a couple of supercells posing a risk for tornadoes are possible as well.

On Sunday, damaging wind and a few tornadoes are possible in the Northeast. This includes an area from Pittsburgh to Portland and also includes Boston, Burlington, and Albany. Flash flooding is also possible.

Tropical update

There is a tropical rainstorm hitting the Florida and Georgia coasts this morning, but it will not organize into a tropical cyclone. No watches or alerts of any kind are for this area, as rain isn’t expected to cause widespread issue.

Off the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico there is a 50% chance for development of a tropical cyclone. The next name is Beryl.

The system may once again move into a similar location as Alberto in Mexico, however, this time the ramifications for Texas are not expected to be quite as large. Brownsville, Texas, may get the worst of the rain this weekend.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(CHICAGO) — A teenager now faces murder charges after a 7-year-old boy was fatally shot in the chest in a random act of gun violence in Chicago, police announced Friday.

The victim, Jai’mani Amir Rivera, had just left his apartment and was on the sidewalk Tuesday afternoon when shots rang out, police said. Responding officers rendered aid and then rushed him in their squad car to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

A 16-year-old suspect has since been charged with four counts in connection with the shooting, including first-degree murder and first-degree murder for personally discharging a firearm that caused the death of the victim, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said Friday.

Police have not released the name of the suspect because he is a juvenile. He was taken into custody on Thursday, less than 48 hours after the shooting, Snelling said.

Detectives “did excellent work to hold this violent offender accountable and take him off the streets so that he can’t destroy another family,” Snelling said during a press briefing.

Police were able to document the suspect’s movements before and after the shooting through video footage and with help from the community, according to Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Antoinette Ursitti. An anonymous tip assisted in identifying the teen, who is believed to be the sole offender, she said.

Thirteen rifle casings were recovered as part of the investigation, Ursitti said. The firearm has not been recovered, though police believe it to have been an assault rifle, she said.

It is unclear why the shooting occurred, though Jai’mani was not the intended target, Ursitti said.

“We all understand this is senseless and this is why it’s senseless — we can’t give you a confirmed motive for why this happened,” she said during the press briefing. “There is no justification or explanation that would make it any better. But this is the senselessness that we’re talking about.”

The suspect had an active warrant for failure to appear in court on an unrelated arrest, police said.

Members of the Chicago police and the U.S. Marshals’ Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force were able to locate the teen at his residence in Chicago, where he was arrested Thursday afternoon, Snelling said.

An unrelated stolen weapon was recovered at the scene of the arrest, police said.

A juvenile detention hearing is scheduled for Saturday.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(BLUE ISLAND, Ill.) — Three people were injured after multiple gunmen in a vehicle opened fire on a community center that was hosting a funeral reception in the Chicago suburbs, officials said.

The shooting occurred around 3:30 p.m. local time Friday in the city of Blue Island, Illinois, located about 16 miles south of the Chicago Loop. The Salvation Army community center was being rented for a repast funeral service at the time, according to Blue Island City Administrator Tom Wogan.

“The vehicle containing multiple gunmen opened fire on the front of the building,” Wogan said during a press briefing Friday evening.

A person with a concealed carry permit who was attending the service came out of the building and returned fire, Wogan said, describing the scene as “very chaotic.”

The three victims were inside the building when the shooting began, according to Wogan. They were brought to local hospitals, one with potentially life-threatening injuries and two with minor injuries, he said.

One person has been taken into custody for questioning in connection with the shooting, the Blue Island Police Department said Friday night.

Police said they are working to identify the suspect vehicle and “remaining offenders.”

It is unclear if this was a “retaliatory incident,” Wogan said.

Several law enforcement agencies, including state police and the FBI, are assisting, the Blue Island Police Department said.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(BERKELEY, Calif.) — A California jury has found David DePape guilty on all charges in the state trial over the hammer attack against Paul Pelosi, following his federal conviction for the 2022 assault, prosecutors said.

The jury began deliberations Tuesday afternoon in San Francisco, with the court dark on Wednesday, before reaching a verdict Friday afternoon.

DePape, 44, was charged with false imprisonment of an elder by violence or menace, residential burglary, threatening a family member of a public official, dissuading a witness by force or threat and aggravated kidnapping, which carries a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

The sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the conviction ensures that DePape “will face consequences for his heinous crimes against the Pelosi family and our democracy.”

“I would like to thank all of the law enforcement agencies that collaborated with us to ensure that justice was done,” Jenkins said in a statement Friday. “I would also like to thank the family for their courage and resilience. I hope that this verdict brings them ameasure of closure as they continue to heal from this tragic ordeal.”

DePape’s public defender, Adam Lipson, said they were disappointed by the verdict.

“I don’t believe that this was a kidnapping for ransom, I think that it’s really unfortunate that he was charged this way,” Lipson told reporters, adding that his client had lived a “very isolated” life and had gotten “wrapped up in a lot of conspiracy theory-type situations.”

DePape did not testify during the three-week state trial. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

During the trial, the judge dismissed three other charges DePape initially faced — attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and elder abuse — after the defense argued that the counts fell under double jeopardy following the defendant’s conviction in the federal trial over the attack against former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, according to the AP.

His public defender had argued there was not enough evidence to convict DePape of threatening a family member of a public official and aggravated kidnapping, according to the AP.

“There is not much of a dispute to the facts of the case, but there is a tremendous dispute as to what charges apply and what don’t,” Lipson told the jury during his closing argument, according to the AP.

Assistant District Attorney Phoebe Maffei told jurors during her closing argument that the “plain facts of this case are terrifying by themselves without embellishment,” the AP said.

“David DePape broke into the home of an 82-year-old man while he slept, entered his bedroom, held him hostage with a hammer, threatened him, threatened his wife, and attempted to kill him,” Maffei said, according to the AP.

Paul Pelosi testified during the state trial that on the night of the attack, DePape woke him by asking, “Are you Paul Pelosi?” and had a hammer and zip ties, according to KGO.

“He seemed very intent on what he was going to do,” Paul Pelosi said, according to KGO.

On the impact of the attack, Paul Pelosi said he has had two falls since the incident and that it is better for his mental health not to discuss it, according to KGO.

The verdict in the state trial follows DePape’s sentencing in May in the federal case, when he was convicted of seeking to hold former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hostage and attacking her husband with a hammer.

A judge sentenced DePape to 30 years in federal prison on May 17. However, the sentencing was reopened after prosecutors noted that the defendant was never formally given the opportunity to address the court during his sentencing. He was again sentenced to 30 years in prison at a hearing two weeks later, during which he apologized for the attack.

“I’m sorry for what I did, especially what I did to Paul Pelosi,” he said during the resentencing hearing, according to KGO. “I should have just left the house when I realized Nancy Pelosi wasn’t home.”

DePape’s attorneys filed a brief notice of appeal following his initial sentencing in the federal case.

A federal jury found DePape guilty in November 2023 of attempted kidnapping of a federal officer or employee, and assault of an immediate family member of a federal official.

DePape admitted during the federal trial that he was looking for Nancy Pelosi to question her about Russian influence on the 2016 election and planned to hold her hostage, but only Paul Pelosi was at their San Francisco home when he broke in on Oct. 28, 2022.

Paul Pelosi said on the stand during the federal trial that DePape repeatedly asked him, “Where is Nancy?”

DePape hit Paul Pelosi, then 82 years old, with a hammer, causing major injuries, including a skull fracture, but told the court that Paul Pelosi was “never my target.”

“I’m sorry that he got hurt,” DePape said during the federal trial. “I reacted because my plan was basically ruined.”

The incident was captured on police body camera video by officers who responded to the scene.

Paul Pelosi was hospitalized for six days following the attack and underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(TUSCON, Ariz.) — A housing assistance agency in one of the hottest regions in the country has found a sustainable way to provide relief from scorching temperatures.

Two shipping containers that used to sit on the U.S.-Mexico border have been repurposed into cooling stations for residents in Tucson, Arizona, who may not have access to air conditioning – especially homeless communities, ABC Tucson affiliate KGUN reported.

Dubbed ‘COOLtainers’ and located on northern Tucson’s so-called ‘Miracle Mile’ commercial corridor, the air-conditioned stations are solar-powered. One is equipped with cots for napping, while the other has tables and chairs, and also offers snacks and hygiene items, according to officials from Tucson Housing First Program, a city-run program that assists individuals and families facing homelessness.

“Having something like this would have been a game changer,” Erica Dallo, an employee with the Tucson Housing First Program who once was homeless herself, told KGUN. “…There is no relief when you’re out on the streets like that.”

Being able to provide such a critical service to those in need has led to a full-circle moment for Jeannette Garment, another Tucson Housing First Program employee who was formerly homeless, she told KGUN.

“I hope that people take advantage of it and that they can come down here and take a couple of hours off their feet,” she said. “Try to get some rest and see how better their life can be one day.”

The new cooling station joins six that the city already has in operation throughout the city, according to the City of Tucson.

Temperatures in Tucson over the next week are forecast to be in the triple digits, with lows in the 80s. Any prolonged exposure to that kind of heat could induce heat-related illness, especially for medically vulnerable populations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Extreme heat affects disadvantaged communities disproportionately, research shows, due primarily to lack of access to air conditioning or funds to pay the increased utility bills.

Many in the Tucson area don’t have anywhere to go to escape the sweltering temperatures and intense sun, Dallo said. In triple-digit temperatures, cooling centers could be very helpful in preventing heat-illness and fatalities.

“We are aware that there’s a need, especially with this extreme heat we’re supposed to have today,” Allison Chappell, community services manager for housing operations at the Tucson Housing First Program, told KGUN.

The cooling centers are scheduled to operate through Aug. 31, but are not open on Sundays and Mondays due to lack of funding, according to the housing program.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.