(NEW YORK) — Extreme weather — from destructive storms to blistering heat — continues to wreak havoc across the United States.
Since Monday, there have been more than 850 damaging storm reports nationwide with nearly two dozen tornadoes reported from Colorado to Massachusetts. Ten of those twisters have been confirmed by the National Weather Service, including an EF3 in northern New York state and an EF1 in eastern Massachusetts.
The National Weather Service currently uses the Enhanced Fujita scale to rate tornado intensity based on wind speeds and the severity of the damage caused. The scale has six intensity categories from zero to five (EF0, EF1, EF2, EF3, EF4 and EF5), representing increasing wind speeds and degrees of damage. There is also an unknown category (EFU) for tornadoes that cannot be rated due to a lack of evidence.
Thunderstorms also dumped 6 to 7 inches of rain in Massachusetts within a short period of time, producing major flash flooding that inundated roadways and neighborhoods.
At least two people were killed by severe weather on Monday — a 28-year-old man in Florence, Alabama, and a 15-year-old boy in Anderson, South Carolina, according to local authorities.
The weather forecast for Wednesday shows a new threat of severe thunderstorms is on the move, stretching from Kansas to Georgia. Major cities like Little Rock, Arkansas; St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; and Birmingham, Alabama, could see damaging winds, hail and a few tornadoes.
On Thursday, the severe weather threat shifts east to the Carolinas, including the cities of Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina, and Columbia, South Carolina. The biggest threat there will be damaging winds but an isolated tornado can’t be ruled out.
That same storm system is forecast to produce more thunderstorms and heavy rainfall to the north, from New York, New York to Boston, Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, down south, a record-smashing heat wave is expected to persist in Texas, Louisiana and Florida. Heat index values — a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature — are forecast to be around 110 degrees Fahrenheit there this week.
On Tuesday, the heat index value hit 113 degrees in Miami, Florida — the hottest ever recorded in the city. Parts of Florida’s Tampa Bay metropolitan area reached a heat index of 123 degrees. Temperatures in Naples, Florida, hit 98 degrees — a tie for the hottest recorded in the city during the month of August.
Lafayette, Louisiana, has gone a record 10 straight days of temperatures at or above 100 degrees.
The hotter-than-normal temperatures are expected to continue into the weekend and next week.
The National Weather Service has issued heat alerts in effect Wednesday morning for 50 million Americans across nine states, from New Mexico to Florida.
(HOUSTON) — A baby boy died in Houston on Tuesday after being left in a car amid a dangerous and unrelenting heat wave, police said.
A mother and her two children arrived in the afternoon for a visit at the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD in Houston, the public mental health authority for Texas’ Harris County. She went into the building with her 4-year-old but left her 3-month-old alone in the car, according to the Houston Police Department.
When the mother and toddler returned to the car sometime later, getting ready to leave, she found her baby unresponsive inside. It was unclear how long the child was left unattended in the vehicle and whether it was intentional or by mistake, police said.
First responders arrived on scene within minutes of receiving the 911 call and attempted life-saving measures. The baby was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to police.
Houston Police Assistant Chief Yasar Bashir described the incident as tragic but “avoidable,” saying it “should never happen.”
“Houston gets very hot and under no circumstances you should leave a child in a car, not even for a moment,” Bashir said during a press conference on Tuesday evening. “Especially an infant or a child, the body temperature goes up very quickly”
The Harris County medical examiner will conduct an autopsy and determine the cause of death.
Authorities could bring charges depending on what the investigation reveals, according to Bashir, who noted that both parents are being cooperative with detectives.
“We are still in the earl stages of our investigation,” he told reporters. “When a child passes away, you want to slow down the investigation and make sure you don’t miss anything.”
Much of Texas was under heat alerts on Tuesday as scorching temperatures continued to plague the southern United States. The heat index value — a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature — was forecast to reach 108 degrees Fahrenheit in Houston by the afternoon.
Heat index values are expected to be around 110 degrees from Texas to Florida through the end of this week. And the latest weather forecast shows no end in sight, with hotter than normal temperatures expected to persist for the South through the middle of August.
ABC News’ Melissa Griffin, Michelle Mendez and Gina Sunseri contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — A New York City gastroenterologist, already accused of raping a woman in his apartment, has now been charged with dozens of new counts accusing him of drugging the women he allegedly raped and filming the assaults, prosecutors in New York announced.
Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng pleaded not guilty to new charges contained in a 50-count indictment that said he sexually abused three patients at the hospital and raped three other women in his Queens home, the Queens District Attorney’s office said in a press release Monday.
Cheng is charged with filming the alleged sexual abuse of the hospital patients, all of whom appeared to be unconscious in videos prosecutors said they recovered, according to the prosecutor’s office.
He had been fired last December from New York-Presbyterian Queens after his initial arrest.
Other videos seized from Cheng allegedly depict more than six other women being sexually assaulted, including one at New York-Presbyterian Queens, prosecutors added.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz urged women who think they may have been victimized to contact her office’s Special Victims Bureau.
“The recovered evidence compiled paints the picture of a sexual predator of the absolute worst kind, a serial rapist, someone willing to not only violate his sacred professional oath and patients’ trust but every standard of human decency, as well. We will present the facts to a jury and achieve justice for the victims of the horrific assaults captured on video,” Katz said in the press release.
Cheng, 33, was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned on 10 counts of predatory sexual assault, three counts of rape in the first degree, seven counts of sexual abuse in the first degree, four counts of assault in the second degree, three counts of criminal sexual act in the first degree, 11 counts of unlawful surveillance in the second degree, eight counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree and four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, according to prosecutors.
Cheng was charged in a previous 11-count indictment, after his arrest on Dec. 27, 2022, with two counts of rape in the first degree, criminal sexual act in the first degree, two counts of assault in the second degree, two counts of sexual abuse in the first degree and four counts of unlawful surveillance in the second degree, Katz said.
He pleaded not guilty on those charges.
An attorney for Chen did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
His attorney, Jeffrey Einhorn, who entered the plea on behalf of Cheng Monday, declined to say more about the case outside the courthouse, saying “It’s too early,” according to the New York Times.
He was accused of drugging and raping a female acquaintance — identified as Apartment Victim 1 by prosecutors — at his home in Queens.
Cheng’s medical license has been suspended by the state and has been held without bail since his arrest, prosecutors said. He faces several 25 years to life sentences, according to prosecutors.
Apartment Victim 1 came across videos depicting her and other women being assaulted by the doctor, according to prosecutors. Investigators say they then uncovered evidence resulting in the most recent indictment.
A search warrant executed at Cheng’s home resulted in the seizure of numerous digital media storage devices, which contained videos of female hospital patients who were unconscious, as well as Cheng’s female acquaintances, according to prosecutors.
Narcotics, including fentanyl, ketamine, cocaine, LSD and MDMA, as well as sedation drugs used in health care settings, such as propofol and sevoflurane, were also seized, prosecutors said.
Hospital Victim 1 is a 19-year-old woman who was allegedly ordered by Cheng to undergo a test. She is seen on a video shot sometime around June 2021 with her gown open, exposed and her underwear lowered, according to prosecutors.
The second hospital victim is a 47-year-old woman who was seriously ill and seen on a video, recorded sometime around May 2022, in an apparent unconscious state as she is groped, prosecutors said.
A 37-year-old woman, identified by prosecutors as the third hospital victim, was a patient sometime between March 2021 and June 2021. She is seen on video lying apparently unconscious as she is groped, according to prosecutors.
Other alleged victims were mentioned as part of the new evidence from Queens prosecutors, including:
Apartment Victim 2: A woman who met Cheng through an online dating site is seen on video sometime around July 2021 seemingly unconscious in his bed as Cheng allegedly engages in sexual conduct with her. A brown bottle is seen on the bed similar to one containing the anesthetic sevoflurane that was seized from his home, according to the Queens district attorney. The woman has no memory of the events, according to prosecutors.
Apartment Victim 3: A woman who met Cheng through an online dating site in the spring of 2022 is seen on numerous videos in his bedroom. She appears unconscious as Cheng allegedly engages in acts of sexual intercourse and other sexual abuse. She also has no memory of the events, according to prosecutors.
Apartment Victim 4: A female acquaintance of Cheng’s who spent several nights at his apartment from 2020 to 2022 is seen on videos apparently unconscious as Cheng allegedly commits sex acts. The woman has no memory of the events, according to prosecutors.
Another patient, who is unidentified, appears in a video similar to those involving the hospital victims, according to prosecutors.
Videos of other women allegedly being sexually assaulted were also recovered with the conduct taking place in Cheng’s Queens apartment as well as in Westchester County, Manhattan, Las Vegas, in and near San Francisco and in Thailand, prosecutors said.
(CONYERS, Ga.) — A second arrest has been made in connection with the death of Imani Roberson, a Georgia mother of four who disappeared last month, police said on Tuesday.
The announcement comes days after her husband was charged with her murder in what investigators said was a domestic incident.
Roberson’s husband, Donell Anderson, was charged with felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, authorities said on Saturday.
His brother, Cedarius Glaze, has now also been charged with tampering with evidence, concealment of a dead body and arson in the case, the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office said on Tuesday.
Anderson was arrested in an apartment in Atlanta on Friday, after the body of Roberson was found at an undisclosed location, according to Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett.
“When that body was found, it was our mission — especially mine — to make sure that we could convince our judges and/or the DA’s office that we had enough evidence to secure a warrant and to get him off the street,” Levett said at a press conference on Saturday.
The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday that it has “strong evidence” that Blaze “played a key role in the disposal” of Roberson’s body.
Roberson was last seen by her mother on July 16 when Roberson went over for dinner. Roberson then went home with two of her children, leaving the other two with her mother.
After her mother was unable to reach her by phone and did not find her at her home, Roberson was reported missing on July 17.
Investigators searched several homes including the victim’s home, a car and cell phones. They found the victim’s blood in the home she shared with Anderson and her four kids, Levett said.
“Our investigation intensified and it was clear that foul play was evident in the disappearance of Imani,” Levett said.
During their investigation, police also found Roberson’s car burned.
Levett had said on Saturday that another arrest will be made in this death, but did not identify the suspect at the time.
“We’ve had about four to five murders this year, and every last one of them has been domestic family violence related,” Levett said.
“If there’s anyone that’s out here that is involved in a toxic relationship, whether you are receiving mental abuse, verbal abuse or physical abuse it is not worth keeping quiet and we need for you to step out and say something so we can end such tragedies like this. Especially tragedies like this that involves children. These are four kids now without a mother and unfortunately now without a father,” Levett said.
Roberson’s four children will be cared for by her parents, Levett said.
“Last night, my worst fears were confirmed and our family is devastated. Being here today is extremely difficult for us,” Clarine Andujar-White, the mother of the missing woman, said at Saturday’s press conference.
(NEW YORK) — Ferocious wildfires, whipped by the winds of Hurricane Dora, wreaked havoc in Hawaii, prompting evacuations, rescues and school closures and prompting an emergency proclamation from the acting governor.
The proclamation was issued for Hawaii’s Maui and Hawaii counties on Tuesday by acting Gov. Sylvia Luke. The eye of the hurricane was “churning far south of the islands,” but the winds were still reaching much of the state, she said in a statement.
“We are closely following the wildfires caused by the strong winds of Hurricane Dora,” Luke said. “The safety of our residents is paramount, and this emergency proclamation will activate the Hawaii National Guard to support emergency responders in the impacted communities.”
Evacuations were in place Tuesday near two fires burning near Maui — the Lahaina and Upcountry Maui fires, county officials said.
“Multiple structures have burned and multiple evacuations are in place, as firefighter crews continue battling brush and structure fires in Upcountry and Lahaina areas,” officials said in a statement, later adding, “In West Maui, fire crews from Napili, Lahaina, Kihei and Wailuku responded to the fast-moving fire, which was fueled by strong winds as Hurricane Dora passed well south of Hawaii.”
The governor’s proclamation also authorized appropriate actions by the director of the state’s Emergency Management Agency and the Administrator of Emergency Management, according to the statement.
The U.S Coast Guard and other agencies were also responding.
“A @USCG 45-foot Response Boat Medium crew from Station Maui has successfully rescued 12 individuals from the waters off Lahaina,” the guard’s Hawaii Pacific patrol saidon social media.
The guard’s Cutter Kimball was headed to Maui to “enhance efforts,” the statement said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Marilyn Heck contributed to this report.
(TAMPA, Fla.) — A Florida mayor had quite the unexpected catch while on a recent fishing trip.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor helped reel in 70 pounds of cocaine while fishing last month in the Florida Keys, her office confirmed on Tuesday.
The drugs had an estimated street value of $1.1 million, according to Chief Patrol Agent Walter Slosar with the U.S. Border Patrol’s Miami sector.
Slosar said on social media on July 24 that the cocaine was “discovered by a recreational boater” over the weekend and seized by Border Patrol agents. He shared a photo of the haul — 25 bricks each stamped with a purple butterfly.
The identity of the “recreational boater” wasn’t revealed until now.
Castor was mahi-mahi fishing off the Florida Keys with her family when they spotted the package, the mayor told the Tampa Bay Times in an article published on Tuesday.
“Mayor Jane Castor is never off duty. This time, working with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office,” the City of Tampa said on Facebook on Tuesday while sharing a link to an article about the incident.
Castor is no stranger to law enforcement — the former police officer served as Tampa’s first female chief of police before becoming mayor, according to her mayoral biography.
More suspected cocaine has since been found in waters off the Florida Keys. On Sunday, lobster hunters found a brick that was turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.) — The 6-year-old boy accused of shooting his first-grade teacher, Abby Zwerner, during class in Newport News, Virginia in January allegedly admitted to doing so that same day, according to newly released court documents.
Probable cause documents, provided to ABC News by ABC affiliate station WVEC in Norfolk, declare that in the minutes immediately following the January 6 shooting, the alleged shooter “made statements like, ‘I shot that b**** dead.’ And ‘I did it.’ ‘I got my mom’s gun last night.”
The documents also state that Deja Taylor, the mother of the 6-year-old alleged to have shot Zwerner, told police after the shooting that she believed on the morning of the shooting “that her firearm was stored in her purse with the trigger lock in place,” and that her purse was placed on top of her bedroom dresser. The documents also say Taylor told police that she “keeps the key for the gunlock [sic] under her bedroom mattress.”
Taylor pleaded guilty in June to using marijuana while in possession of a firearm, in this case, the 9mm semiautomatic handgun police say was used in the shooting. Federal prosecutors claimed Taylor “knowingly made a false and fictitious written statement” when she legally purchased the gun and claimed she did not use marijuana. She is scheduled to be sentenced later this year.
In January, Taylor told police she normally stores her firearm in her purse with a trigger lock in place, or in a lockbox. However, federal prosecutors said that a lockbox wasn’t found, nor was a key or trigger lock.
Taylor previously told ABC News that she last saw the gun when it was locked, and family attorney James Ellenson later said “nobody knows” how the boy obtained it.
Ellenson told ABC News on Tuesday, after the documents were released, that the 6-year-old alleged shooter “has had extreme emotional issues for some time and he is doing better every day thanks to therapy, his grandparents’ support and the amazing professionals working with him on his recovery.”
The newly released documents also shed light on the moments before and after the shooting. Police say Zwerner told them at the hospital, where she was taken after the shooting, that she observed the child standing by his desk, and that he “pulled a firearm out of his jacket pocket and pointed it” at Zwerner. When she asked him, “What are you doing with that?” the child shot her, striking her in her left hand and torso, according to the documents.
Moments later the boy was restrained by Richneck Elementary School reading specialist Amy Korvac, who told police she heard a gunshot as she was walking past Zwerner’s classroom. The child allegedly made the statements admitting to the shooting as Korvac restrained him while waiting for police to arrive.
Zwerner, who was hospitalized for nearly two weeks following the shooting and required several surgeries, has since resigned her teaching position at the school and has sued the school district for $40 million, claiming school officials had been warned three times the day of the shooting that the student had a gun, but dismissed the concerns.
“Since the tragedy at Richneck Elementary School in January, Newport News Public Schools has worked cooperatively with the Newport News Police Department and other authorities in support of the investigation,” school district officials said in a statement to ABC News Tuesday, in response to a request for comment. “While the school division cannot comment on legal actions, NNPS remains committed to ensuring the well-being and care of all students and staff.”
(LOS ANGELES) — Rapper Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday for shooting and injuring hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in July 2020.
Lanez, 31, who was convicted on Dec. 23, 2022 for shooting and injuring the hip-hop star, whose legal name is Megan Pete, was initially set to be sentenced in January but the sentencing has been delayed several times after Lanez obtained new attorneys and filed a motion for a new trial. The request for a new trial was denied in May.
The defense called several witnesses, including members of his family, to testify on the rapper’s behalf during the hearing, which began on Monday and was extended through Tuesday.
Lanez’s father, Sonstar Peterson, issued and emotional appeal to the judge on his son’s behalf, describing the trauma Lanez experienced after his mother died at a young age and how music became his outlet.
Raina Chassagne, the mother of Lanez’s son, said that he is “the most supportive father” and asked the judge to be lenient to help end the generational curse of Black fathers in prison away from their children.
Another witness, Dr. Stephanie Herring, a clinical psychologist at a treatment facility, said that she believes Lanez suffers from PTSD, anxiety and a substance abuse disorder and needs treatment.
Meanwhile, prosecutors on Monday read an impact statement from Pete, who called for Lanez to “be forced to face the full consequences of his heinous actions and face justice.”
“He not only shot me, he made a mockery of my trauma. He tried to position himself as a victim and set out to destroy my character and my soul. He lied to anyone that would listen and paid bloggers to disseminate false information about the case on social media. He released music videos and songs to damage my character and continue his crusade,” Pete’s statement said.
“Today, I beg this court to send a message to every victim of violence and fully hold the defendant accountable for his criminal conduct. This is a statement for all survivors that their lives matter and there is zero tolerance for the torture that accompanies violence,” she added.
Lanez, a Grammy-nominated rapper whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, was convicted on Dec. 23, 2022 and is facing up to 22 years and 8 months in prison.
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, which is prosecuting this case, filed a motion in May asking the judge to give the rapper a 13-year sentence. Prosecutors also filed a motion on May 23, arguing for a harsher sentence for the rapper. According to the motion, a new California law would by default make the rapper’s sentence come in the “middle term” of the potential 22-year sentence, unless “circumstances in aggravation” were proven.
Prosecutors argued in the filing, obtained by ABC News, that “circumstances of aggravation” are present in this case and cited Lanez’s “callousness.”
Lanez’s attorneys, Jose Baez and Matthew Barhoma, did not respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.
Lanez was found guilty of three charges for shooting and injuring Megan in both of her feet in an incident in the Hollywood Hills on July 12, 2020.
The sentencing came after Superior Court of Los Angeles Judge David Herriford last month denied Lanez’s request for a new trial.
Lanez was initially charged in October 2020 with one felony count each of assault with a semi-automatic firearm (personal use of a firearm) and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, according to charging documents obtained by ABC News. “Personal use of a firearm” is not a separate charge but is a sentencing enhancement linked to the first count that could increase the length of Lanez’s sentence. Lanez was also charged ahead of his trial with an additional felony count of discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Lanez, who chose not to take the witness stand during the trial, pleaded not guilty to all three charges. His defense attorneys argued during the trial that Lanez was not the shooter.
His previous attorney, George Mgdesyan, who represented him at trial, told ABC News then that Lanez was “disappointed” by the verdict. Asked on Dec. 23, 2022 whether he plans to appeal, Mgdesyan said that “everything is on the table.”
This case has sparked intense debates over society’s treatment of women. Pete’s account of the incident — and the intense public vitriol she faced after sharing her story — has spotlighted the Protect Black Women movement, which addresses the two-front battle of sexism and racism Black women experience in their own communities and in society at large.
Following the trial, Pete — who testified during the trial and named Lanez as her shooter — broke her silence about the shooting in an interview for her May 2023 Elle magazine cover story.
“I don’t want to call myself a victim,” she said. “As I reflect on the past three years, I view myself as a survivor, because I have truly survived the unimaginable. Not only did I survive being shot by someone I trusted and considered a close friend, but I overcame the public humiliation of having my name and reputation dragged through the mud by that individual for the entire world to see.”
(WASHINGTON) — A day after the special counsel’s office and President Donald Trump’s legal team filed dueling motions regarding a proposed protective order in the Jan. 6 case, the judge in the case has scheduled a hearing on the matter for Friday morning.
The order from Judge Tanya Chutkan, filed Tuesday afternoon, does not require Trump to attend the hearing.
On Monday night, the judge ordered both sides to file their available dates and times after attorneys spent the day filing competing motions over the proposed protective order special counsel Jack Smith asked the judge to impose on Trump to keep him from disclosing evidence obtained during Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges of undertaking a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the election by enlisting a slate of so-called “fake electors” targeting several states; using the Justice Department to conduct “sham election crime investigations”; and trying to enlist the vice president to “alter the election results” — all in an effort to subvert democracy and remain in power.
The former president has denied all wrongdoing and has dismissed the probe as politically motivated.
Smith asked the judge for the protective order on Friday, referencing a social media post Trump made Friday afternoon in which he said, “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!” In a statement issued after Smith’s filing on Friday, the Trump campaign said the post was aimed at political interest groups.
In their filing on Monday, Trump’s attorneys accused Smith’s team of asking Judge Chutkan to “assume the role of censor and impose content-based regulations on President Trump’s political speech that would forbid him from publicly discussing or disclosing all non-public documents produced by the government, including both purportedly sensitive materials, and non-sensitive, potentially exculpatory documents.”
In a quick response filed Monday night, Smith accused Trump’s legal team of proposing an order “designed to allow him to try this case in the media rather than in the courtroom.”
Responding on Tuesday to Chutkan’s order regarding potential hearing dates, Trump’s attorneys said in their filing that they would prefer arguments to be scheduled for Monday or Tuesday of next week when both of Trump’s attorneys can be present, as attorney Todd Blanche is set to appear in Florida on Thursday for Trump’s arraignment on the new superseding indictment brought by Smith in his probe of Trump’s handling of classified documents.
Trump’s team said that if neither of those days were acceptable, attorney John Lauro would be available for a hearing on Thursday.
The special counsel’s office said they were available for the hearing at any time Wednesday through Friday.
(NEW YORK) — The jackpot for Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing is estimated to be $1.58 billion, a record high for the lottery and among the largest-ever U.S. drawings.
The drawing, which is scheduled for 11 p.m. ET, tops Mega Millions’ previous high of $1.537 billion, according to the lottery. A single ticket sold in South Carolina won that prize.
The cash payout option is estimated at $783.3 million, the lottery said, adding that “at this level, jackpots are hard to predict with complete accuracy.”
The jackpot is larger than all but two other U.S. lottery drawings, a $1.586 billion Powerball in January 2016 and a $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot in November 2022.
There have been 31 drawings held since the Mega Millions jackpot was last won in New York on April 18, according to the lottery.
“It’s exciting to watch Mega Millions grow,” said Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin, lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, in a statement.
She added, “As the jackpot climbs ever higher, we thank our players and retailers for their support, which benefits the many good causes funded by our participating lotteries.”
The previous four $1 billion Mega Million jackpots were won in 2018, 2021, 2022 and January 2023.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets are $2 for one play.
Players must match all five numbers plus the Mega Ball number to claim the jackpot. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350.
ABC News’ Meredith Deliso contributed to this story.
