(CHICAGO) — A child was killed and at least 10 other people were injured, including a 1-year-old and an 8-year-old, when gunfire broke out at a family gathering in Chicago, according to police.
No suspects have been arrested in the mass shooting that erupted Saturday night on the city’s South Side, and police are asking for the public’s help in identifying those who might be responsible for the shooting.
Deputy Chief Don Jerome said the shooting was likely gang-related.
“This was not a random act of violence,” Jerome said during a news conference Saturday night. “Regardless of the motivation for this incident, three innocent children were struck tonight and one of them tragically succumbed to her wounds.”
The slain victim was identified by her father as 9-year-old Ariana Molina, who police said was shot in the head. She was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said.
Ariana’s father, Jose Molina, told ABC News that the shooting also left him and his wife with bullet wounds. He said his wife remains hospitalized with a bullet wound to the back and that he suffered wounds to his feet.
He said his daughter was “wonderful and helpful, and was everything to him.”
The shooting unfolded during a large family outdoor gathering in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, police said. Witnesses told police that around 9:18 p.m., a black sedan pulled up to the event and occupants opened fire on the crowd without warning.
Police said there were likely two shooters responsible for the carnage.
“The offenders’ actions, make no mistake, are horrific and unacceptable in our city,” Jerome said.
Police officers went to the scene after a ShotSpotter alert detected 18 gunshot rounds at the location, according to police.
Officers found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds and started performing life-saving measures, authorities said.
At least three people were in critical condition, including the 1-year-old and 8-year-old boys, police said. Both children were shot in the abdomen and were being treated Sunday at Comer Children’s Hospital, according to police.
A 36-year-old man who suffered two gunshot wounds to the back was also in critical condition Sunday at the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said.
The other victims ranged in age from 19 to 40, police said.
Chicago Alderman Stephanie Coleman, who represents Chicago’s 16th Ward where the shooting occurred, released a statement Sunday calling the shooting “a cowardly crime.”
“The Back of the Yards community is united in our grief, prayers and collective mindset that we must continue to stand firm against these senseless acts of physical force,” Coleman said.
“Violence is a citywide issue that continues to falsely characterize the true essence and intrinsic nature of our neighborhoods. This tragedy has left us all heartbroken and distressed,” Coleman said.
(SALINA, N.Y.) — A sheriff’s deputy and a police officer have died after shots were fired as they investigated a stolen vehicle in Salina, New York, officials confirmed early Monday morning.
A Syracuse police officer and an Onondaga County sheriff’s deputy were initially taken to a local hospital in critical condition following the shooting, officials said earlier. Both were pronounced dead at University Hospital, a police official said Monday morning.
The person authorities consider the prime suspect in the case was also killed.
Just after 8 p.m. ET, the officers were trying to perform a vehicle traffic stop, officials said Monday morning. When the vehicle did not stop, the officers got the license plate number and went to a location associated with it, according to the authorities.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
ABC News’ Megan Wordell and Darren Reynolds contributed to this report.
(SANTA FE, N.M.) — Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez is set to be sentenced on Monday for involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set.
She faces up to 18 months in prison for the felony conviction.
Her attorneys asked for probation in a sentencing memorandum filed last week, citing her “complete lack of prior criminal history” and “relative youth.” Prosecutors meanwhile requested a sentence of 18 months with the designation of serious violent offender due to her “extreme recklessness” while working as an armorer on the Rust set.
The Santa Fe County jury deliberated for under three hours on March 6 before reaching a split verdict. They found her guilty of involuntary manslaughter but acquitted her of tampering with evidence in the case.
Prosecutors told jurors that Gutierrez “repeatedly” failed to maintain proper firearm safety and that her negligence led to the death of Hutchins, who was shot by actor Alec Baldwin, while the defense countered that the 26-year-old is a “convenient scapegoat” during closing arguments in the trial.
Gutierrez was remanded into custody following the verdict.
Defense attorneys filed an emergency motion for a new trial and release last month, arguing that the jury instructions could lead to a non-unanimous verdict. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer denied the motion.
In their sentencing memorandum, her attorneys argued that Gutierrez “has endured and will continue to endure collateral consequences far harsher than most defendants ever must face.”
“This conviction and press deluge will forever impact her life going forward, including with job prospects, and simply trying to lead a ‘normal’ life again someday,” her attorneys wrote.
Gutierrez feels” incredibly saddened and heart broken by what happened on that tragic day” on the Rust set, they wrote.
Her attorneys asked for a conditional discharge, wherein the court would place her on probation without entering an adjudication of guilt. The defense argued conditional discharge would be “adequate to punish the offense, but not more serious than necessary to serve the underlying sentencing goals.”
In a response filed last week, prosecutors said they opposed a conditional discharge due to Gutierrez’s “complete and total failure to accept responsibility for her actions.” They argued that her jail calls since being incarcerated demonstrated that she “continues to deny responsibility and blame others.” They said the calls also showed she has complained about the negative effects of the incident “while never expressing genuine remorse at any time.”
“Stunningly, Ms. Gutierrez requested during jail calls that her legal team request that Ms. Hutchins’ husband and son be contacted and asked to speak on her behalf at her sentencing,” prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors further noted that while she is eligible for a conditional discharge, she still faces another felony charge for allegedly hiding a firearm from security at a local bar.
The state asked that Gutierrez be sentenced to 18 months with a designation of serious violent offender due to her recklessness, or five years probation if the court found that a suspended or deferred sentence was appropriate.
Baldwin was practicing a cross-draw in a church on the set of the Western film on Oct. 21, 2021, when the Colt .45 revolver fired a live round, striking Hutchins and director Joel Souza, who suffered a non-life-threatening injury.
During the two-week trial, prosecutors presented evidence they said showed Gutierrez was responsible for bringing six live rounds onto the set — and did not discover them for 12 days before the deadly shooting by failing to perform industry-standard safety practices.
“This is not a case where Hannah Gutierrez made one mistake, and that one mistake was accidental — putting a live round into that gun,” prosecutor Kari Morrissey told jurors during her closing argument. “This case is about constant, neverending, safety failures that resulted in the death of a human being and nearly killed another.”
Morrissey told jurors Gutierrez failed to maintain firearms safety on the set, “making a fatal accident willful and foreseeable.”
She showed jurors stills of footage from the set of actors pointing firearms at other crew members, including a minor actor, as well as Gutierrez pointing one at her own face. She also showed photographs of what experts determined to be live rounds in holsters and containers on the set as early as Oct. 10, 2021.
Morrissey said that meant Gutierrez was not checking dummy rounds to ensure they were not live rounds — such as by shaking them — and that there was a game of “Russian roulette” every time an actor had a gun loaded with dummies. She also said they have “mountains of circumstantial evidence” that Gutierrez brought the live rounds onto the set.
“I’m not telling you Hannah Gutierrez intended to bring live rounds on set,” Morrissey said. “I’m saying she was negligent, she was careless, she was thoughtless.”
Hutchins died from loss of blood and a lethal wound to her lung, Morrissey said.
“The astonishing lack of diligence with regard to gun safety is without question a significant cause of the death of Halyna Hutchins,” she said.
Defense attorney Jason Bowles said during his closing argument there was a rush to judgment and that detectives didn’t conduct a thorough investigation of the shooting. Gutierrez was made a “convenient fall person,” he said.
He also argued that the New Mexico Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s investigation into the shooting found that the management “demonstrated plain indifference to employee safety” and was responsible for the safety on the set.
Gutierrez had additionally been charged with tampering with evidence, with prosecutors alleging she handed off a small bag of cocaine at her hotel on the day of the shooting after her interview with law enforcement. The jury found her not guilty.
Gutierrez did not testify in her own defense.
Baldwin has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death. His trial is scheduled to start in July.
His attorneys last month filed a motion to dismiss the charge, accusing prosecutors of “unethical disparagement” of the actor and “violating nearly every rule in the book” to secure a grand jury indictment.
In a response to the motion filed earlier this month, prosecutors claimed Baldwin missed concerns about Gutierrez and “compromised safety” on the set by demanding the crew and armorer work faster.
“The combination of Hannah Gutierrez’s negligence and inexperience and Alec Baldwin’s complete lack of concern for the safety of those around him would prove deadly for Halyna Hutchins,” prosecutors stated.
Marlowe Sommer has yet to rule on the motion to dismiss the charge.
ABC News’ Aaron Katersky and Jenna Harrison contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Severe thunderstorms may bring damaging winds from the Great Lakes to the Northeast on Sunday, with a more widespread threat in the Heartland early in the week. Sunday afternoon, strong to severe storms are expected to flare up along a cold front that will sweep across the Great Lakes and into the Northeast. Most of the action looks to be later in the afternoon and into the evening hours.
From Ohio to Connecticut — including nearly all of Pennsylvania — the Storm Prediction Center is watching the chance for severe thunderstorms.
Damaging winds remains the biggest concern, but small to moderate hail and an isolated tornado or two are also possible.
On Monday, the severe weather threat really ramps up in the Plains. Cities like Oklahoma City and Wichita, Kansas, are looking at an enhanced risk for widespread severe weather, mainly on Monday evening and into the overnight hours.
So far this year, severe weather reports are lagging slightly behind average, but the gap is closing after all the activity in the past week.
Tuesday brings another day of severe weather, with the focus shifting slightly eastward.
From Texas to Wisconsin, severe weather could cause trouble for millions in the Central U.S. Prior to storms firing up, temperatures will soar well above average across the western half of the country. This wave of warmth will stretch its way east over the weekend into early next week.
Daytime highs rising between 10 to 30 degrees above average — and possibly higher in some places — will impact a large swath of the nation over the next few days, with parts of the Plains seeing the biggest departures from normal.
Near record-high temperatures will be possible.
Cooler air will make its way back in over the Rockies Sunday into Monday, dragging temperatures back near and below average there.
Yet, conditions will remain unseasonably warm across the Central U.S. as the warm air spreads farther east, covering the eastern two-thirds of the country. Even though the Plains will still see the biggest departures Sunday into Monday, temperatures will still climb 10 to 15 degrees above normal across portions of the Mississippi River Valley through the Mid-Atlantic and the Carolinas. Temperatures will moderate a bit midweek, but will still remain on the warmer side of normal across the southern U.S., and east of the Mississippi River.
John Greim/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) — Twenty-six barges broke loose and floated uncontrolled down the Ohio River Friday night, according to the Pittsburgh Public Safety Office.
The West End Bridge was closed in both directions and rail traffic was shut down on the rail bridge to Brunot Island due to the loose barges, before reopening on Saturday.
Of those that broke loose, 23 were loaded with dry cargo, such as coal, and three were empty. The barges are owned or operated by the Campbell Transportation Company.
There are no reported injuries, but Peggy’s Marina sustained extensive damage.
Of the barges, 11 were located and pinned against the river bank by Brunot Island, 14 continued down the river and six went over the Emsworth Dam.
The company that owns the barges told ABC affiliate WTAE in a statement that “the incident occurred under high water conditions on the rivers resulting in strong currents due to flooding in the area.”
(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) — When Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia-Bailey, the former vice president of student affairs at Lincoln University in Missouri, died by suicide on Jan. 8, the tragedy brought attention to the difficulties and obstacles that many Black women report experiencing in higher education.
Candia-Bailey, who received a termination letter from the historically Black university on Jan. 3, had previously accused the school’s president, John Moseley, of bullying, harassment and discrimination.
“It was shocking,” Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Knight Chair of Race and Journalism at Howard University, told “Nightline.” “And I think there was a lot of fear that if the experiences that Black women are going through are not being paid attention to, that they can have really devastating results.”Moseley was reinstated to his position last month after a third-party investigation found no evidence of substantiated bullying claims by the university president. He’d been on a voluntary paid administrative leave.
In a press release, the board of curators from the university said that an “exhaustive, independent investigation” found that “Dr. Candia-Bailey’s claims that she was bullied by President Moseley were unsubstantiated.”
The press release added, “Specifically, when directly asked in the course of this investigation, no witnesses reported that they had ever witnessed President Moseley engage in bullying – and all denied having ever personally felt bullied by President Moseley.”
ABC News attempted to contact the university but have not received a response.
In a statement, Moseley said “our thoughts and prayers have been and continue to be with Dr. Bailey’s family, friends, and our campus community.”
Moseley added, “There is not a lot I can say about the independent report and its findings, but I am grateful to the Board of Curators for their faith in me and their vote of confidence.”
Candia-Bailey’s loved ones are still grappling with the loss of the woman they affectionately called “Bonnie.”
“My confidence in the thoroughness of the investigation is zero,” said Omega Tillman, a close friend to Candia-Bailey. “Bonnie was not a person to mince words or, if she felt bullied, if she felt unheard, unseen, then that’s what it was. It’s frustrating.”
For 20 years, Candia-Bailey had worked to climb the professional ladder in academia. In 2016, she wrote a dissertation on the challenges that Black women face in academia.
Her dissertation is titled, “My Sister, Myself: The Identification of Sociocultural Factors that Affect the Advancement of African-American Women into Senior-Level Administrative Positions.”
“Attempts need to be addressed to look at how African American women can increase and advance in higher education,” Candia-Bailey wrote in the dissertation. “These factors also link to being treated like the help, the outsider within, keeping them away from the table.”
Candia-Bailey’s death brought shock and sadness, prompting social media videos showing Black women sharing their own frustrations and experiences.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women and other women of color face harsher evaluations at work due to harmful stereotypes. Inger Burnett-Zeigler, a clinical psychologist, studies how negative stereotypes affect the mental health of Black women. According to her, Black women are often stereotyped as “angry Black women, strong Black women, and hypersexual Black women.”
“The No. 1 thing that I believe Black women can do to protect their mental health is to establish very clear boundaries,” Burnett-Zeigler said. “Being a strong Black woman can come with taking on too much, feeling like you just can’t take it anymore and often we don’t recognize it until it’s gone too far,” she added.
Hannah-Jones said it is a concerning trend that despite being highly qualified for leadership positions, Black women are often subjected to intense scrutiny and criticism once they assume their roles.
“It’s a struggle to be respected, it’s a struggle to be heard. There’s so many obstacles, and often the higher you ascend, the lonelier it gets,” Hannah-Jones said.
Recent data from the American Association of University Professors reveals that Black women represent only 2.4 percent of tenured professors in colleges and universities nationwide.
“Tenure is the highest status that you can achieve at a university,” Hannah-Jones said. “So Black women get hired, but they aren’t getting tenure, and they aren’t being moved through that process.”
Amidst the tragedy, the next generation of black women academics are forging their own community and advocating for change.
Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images
(BOISE, Id. ) — Librarians across the country say they’ve become targets in the ongoing battles over books – but the attacks have escalated beyond just calls to remove materials from library shelves.
Several librarians told ABC News they’re facing threats of physical violence, lawsuits and criminal charges for having what some say is “inappropriate” content in libraries and schools where children can access the materials.
“We had people threatening to burn down our building,” said Maegan Hanson, a library director in a small Idaho town.
Hanson’s library had a book on display called “Gender Queer,” a graphic novel by Maia Kobabe. It’s one of the most targeted books in the country because of its LGBTQ content and depictions of sex.
When parts of the book were posted to Facebook, Hanson said the library began receiving online threats. She said fear began to set in among the small crew who work at the library – some of whom are teens and young adults.
“We are in this service because we love the communities that we are a part of and the misinformation and the misrepresentation about what we do hasn’t stopped us from doing our jobs – it just makes it harder,” Hanson said.
The Idaho Library Association, which Hanson is a part of, is concerned that tensions and threats will only get worse now that Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed library content restrictions into law on Wednesday.
— Idaho Library Association (@Idaho_Libraries) April 10, 2024
House Bill 710 bars schools or public libraries from making materials available to children that are “harmful to minors,” “depict nudity, sexual conduct, or sado-masochistic abuse,” or include “detailed verbal descriptions or narrative accounts of sexual excitement, sexual conduct, or sado-masochistic abuse.”
The law states these books would need to be moved to an “adults only section,” and allows anyone to sue if schools and libraries don’t restrict access to books that are believed to be harmful to children.
“For children, libraries open doors to reading and intellectual exploration, helping them become lifelong learners. It’s no wonder the vast majority of Idahoans say they value libraries and trust librarians,” said Little in his letter after signing the law.
“I share the cosponsors’ desire to keep truly inappropriate library materials out of the hands of minors,” said Little, adding that he also has concerns about the content on minors’ cellphones.
Little vetoed previous efforts to restrict library content, saying past legislation would have forced libraries to shutter their doors by forcing them to pay $2,500 for damages if they made “obscene” materials accessible.
HB710 will make libraries pay $250, on top of other incurred fees or damages, if they violate the law. Little said he was moved to sign HB710 because it also allowed librarians to avoid legal action and fees if they addressed concerns about materials in a certain time frame.
In Little’s letter, he states that literacy is still a top priority for him: “Libraries play such a crucial role in helping our youngsters to read early on.”
For the small libraries of Idaho, directors say hundreds of dollars in lawsuits over books could come at the expense of some library resources and education programming – including early literacy programs, technology support, access to case workers and more.
Hanson’s library had a total operating income of $279,452 in 2021 for the year’s staffing and programming, according to the Idaho Commission for Libraries.
“We have a high poverty population in Idaho and various rural communities, so for these people who are lacking in resources, this content is important,” Hanson said.
Supporters of HB710 argue it’s just a book relocation policy and should not impact libraries that don’t have “inappropriate” content or properly move content out of sections for people under 18.
But some librarians fear that a plethora of material could fall victim to this definition of obscene content, including classical pieces of literature and other popular books, and lead to censorship.
“There’s absolutely going to be the chilling effect of people being so afraid of ordering or having any sort of book that could possibly offend somebody,” said Huda Shaltry, a library director in Boise, Idaho.
“A well-curated public library has something in it to offend everyone,” she said, explaining that having a diverse collection with a wide range of perspectives and subjects available to all is vital to a public library system that serves all.
“[Book restrictions are] very directed to the LGBTQIA+ community but, ultimately, you can make the argument that the Bible’s offensive. There goes the Bible,” Hanson said. “‘50 Shades of Grey,’ OK, it’s offensive. ‘Game of Thrones,’ it’s offensive. Where exactly does it stop? ‘Harry Potter,’ it’s offensive because it teaches witchcraft – It really impedes on people’s First Amendment rights.”
Several renowned, award-winning books have been added to banned books lists for being “offensive,” including “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood and more, according to the American Library Association.
What some might find offensive, Shaltry and Hanson argue, could be helpful to someone else – be it about representation, sexuality, experience with abuse, or other topics, they say.
Shaltry, who says “being a librarian is a calling and not a career” for her, said critics have made hurtful claims and accusations about librarians for displaying content that may contain sex education or sexual content.
“I’m trying not to cry,” said Shaltry in an interview. “The words of being a pedophile and a groomer or stuff – I never thought that I would ever hear any of this stuff.”
Idaho librarians aren’t alone in their challenges – local reports show that libraries nationwide have received bomb threats, others say they’ve been fired for not removing certain books from shelves, and others have been defunded because of content and programming.
West Virginia libraries are also facing growing challenges.
If the state’s House Bill 4654 becomes law, employees could be charged with a felony, fined up to $25,000, and sentenced to up to five years in a correctional facility if found guilty of allowing a minor to access material that could be what the state considers to be “obscene.”
“What this bill does do is stop obscene and pornographic material, sexually explicit materials from being available to children in public taxpayer-funded spaces,” said State Delegate Elliott Pritt, a Republican, in a February hearing, according to The Parkersburg News and Sentinel.
The president of the American Library Association has denounced such legislative efforts, calling it “organized censorship.”
“Falsely claiming that these works are subversive, immoral, or worse, these groups induce elected and non-elected officials to abandon constitutional principles, ignore the rule of law, and disregard individual rights to promote government censorship of library collections,” ALA said in a statement objecting to such restrictions.
(HONOLULU, Hi.) — One woman has died and 10 others were injured after a shuttle bus crashed into the transportation area outside a Honolulu cruise terminal Friday, according to police.
The ship, Carnival Miracle, was on a 15-day journey, departing Long Beach, California, on April 6, according to Carnival Cruise Line. Nine of the people hit by the vehicle were cruise ship passengers.
“Sadly, one guest has died from her injuries. She was traveling with her husband, who was also injured and is expected to recover. Members of the Carnival Care Team are assisting the guests. Our thoughts are with the guests affected and their loved ones,” Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement to ABC News.
A 57-year-old man was dropping off customers at pier 2 when a bystander told him that his vehicle was moving forward. He then jumped into the drivers seat, trying to stop the vehicle, but he accidentally pressed the gas pedal instead of the brakes, colliding with two concrete barriers and eleven pedestrians, according to the Honolulu Police Department.
Five pedestrians were transported to the hospital — one of whom was later pronounced dead and four others are in good condition. Six other pedestrians refused treatment on the scene, police said.
According to police, speed does not appear to be a contributing factor in the collision and it is unknown if drugs or alcohol were contributing factors.
(NEW YORK) — Are we entering a “performance arms race” between internal combustion engine and electric sports cars?
Some engineers and top auto executives are beginning to question the superiority of electric sports cars, which have become a contentious topic among enthusiasts.
This week, Lawrence Stroll, executive chairman of Aston Martin, told reporters at the company’s U.K. headquarters that Aston is delaying its shift to electrics, focusing instead on plug-in hybrids.
“We are going to invest much more heavily in our PHEV program to be a bridge between full combustion and full electric,” Stroll said, according to Road & Track.
Stroll noted the “real lack of consumer demand” for electric sports cars. “We speak to our dealers, we speak to our customers — when you have a small network you can communicate easily. And everyone said we still want sound, we still want smell,” he said.
British marque McLaren, known for its seductive — and fear-inducing — supercars, recently launched its 750S coupe and spider, successors to its widely successful 720S. The brand has one hybrid on sale, the Artura, which launched in 2022. Customers, however, still demand the palpable acoustics of the raucous twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 positioned behind the driver’s seat. The 750S may be the epitome of internal combustion engine (ICE) ingenuity.
Chief engineer Sandy Holford said his team truly raised the bar on the 750S, making it the lightest and most powerful series production McLaren to date. “It offers more thrills, more power and more torque, as well as improved ergonomics and engagement,” Holford said.
The car’s stats are also mind-bending, even without an electric motor: zero to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds; 740 horsepower; 590 lb-ft of torque.
ABC News spoke to Holford about the push for electric sports cars and their limitations. The conversation below has been edited.
Q: We’re seeing more electric supercars and hypercars. Will the popularity of the 750S be short-lived as more automakers build all-electric sports cars?
A: In the performance figures arms race, there’s going to come a point where physics gets in the way. And you can have all the power in the world but if you can’t make the rubber stick when you pull away, it’s not going to help you. It all depends on what the customers want. You can do naught to 60 mph in an insane time, but you can only do half a lap at pace because of the battery pack. There’s a balance to be had — for us that’s road use and track use for the 750S. This car is a different proposition to an EV car.
For people who are thinking about the 750S, get out and try it. We can write about it, we can talk about it, but the proof is in the pudding and getting behind the wheel. It’s about trying to be the ultimate engagement car for people.
Q: How long have you been working on the 750S?
A: The 750S development was around two years plus some small amount of refining time at the end, just really validating everything we tested through the development program and real-world customer situation driving.
Q: You benchmarked the 750S against its predecessor, the 720S. What was your objective with this car?
A: The 720S was revolutionary in its time — from an aerodynamic development point of view but also from a dynamic performance. The target for us was to understand where we can push this further but also to really make this car a driver-centric vehicle. How could we focus on engagement and a sense of connection to the car — from the way the car responds to you in terms of pedal mapping and gear shifts maps — to the audio and sound effect of the exhaust.
We moved everything around the cabin to be really focused on where the driver is sitting. Every switch that is commonly used has been moved closer to the steering wheel.
The challenge was to stretch the top end of performance for the 750S without losing any of the comfort and everyday usability. We moved switches and controls to a place that didn’t exist in the previous car. For example, putting a dedicated switch for the car’s nose lift is one of the pieces of feedback we had. The stalk was harder to find in the 720S. The nose lift is now twice as fast.
All of our cars are designed to be drivers’ cars; however, we continue to evaluate and improve based off customer feedback and our own benchmarking.
Q: Racing is at the heart of all McLaren cars. Is this the closest owners will get to driving an F1 car?
A: From a McLaren point of view – no. This is a road car that can be taken on the track. Our Ultimate Product Offering is usually closer to a racing vehicle – like a Senna GTR.
Q: Does the 750S mimic anything that professional drivers experience?
A: We take a lot of cues from our racing colleagues in terms of the way we develop: Our phrase is: “Fail fast, iterate and go again.”
The thing about the 750S is the breadth of capability it has. The car will look after you [on a track]. As you gain confidence in it, you can gradually turn things up, you can turn things off. You can get into variable drift control.
Q: Why was it important for drivers to feel engaged at speeds under 40 mph?
A: With the improvements in technology we have, some vehicles can feel really slow at high speeds. And it’s really easy to let your speed drift up in a high-performance car because it handles so well.
It was really important to me that customers could experience that real engagement and that sense of exhilaration under [lesser] speeds. You don’t want to have a car that only feels fast at 150 mph on a track.
Lots of our customers will use that car on a track but not all of our customers will. I still wanted customers to feel like they have an engaging supercar.
(BRENHAM, Texas) — One person was killed and more than a dozen injured after a man allegedly intentionally crashed a stolen semi-truck into a Texas Department of Public Safety office in Brenham on Friday, officials said.
A suspect is in custody, authorities said.
“This is a tragic day for us,” Texas DPS Regional Director Gerald Brown told reporters during a press briefing Friday.
The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. local time, when the driver rammed a stolen 18-wheeler into a Texas DPS driver’s license office, Brown said.
The suspect — identified by authorities as Clenard Parker, 42 — had been informed by the office on Thursday that he was not eligible to renew his commercial driver’s license, authorities said.
The suspect then “returned today with intent to harm,” Washington County Judge Mark Keough said in a statement on social media.
Six people were transported to area hospitals, one of whom died from their injuries at the hospital, authorities said. Eight victims were treated at the scene and released.
The victims were all inside the building at the time of the crash. It is unclear how many were civilians, authorities said.
Footage from the scene showed extensive damage to the Texas DPS office.
The Texas Rangers are investigating and there is no further threat to the community, Texas DPS said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
