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(NEW YORK) — Influencer and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat was charged with at least two counts of inciting a riot and unlawful assembly after thousands of people descended on Union Square in New York City Friday afternoon, police said.

Cenat was issued a desk appearance ticket for the charges, which include a felony charge of riot in the first degree causing public injury or damage. He was released from custody early Saturday morning.

The crowd was apparently responding to Cenat’s promise of free PlayStations, sparking a chaotic scene and a massive police response.

The NYPD made 65 arrests and 30 of those arrested were juveniles, Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said in a Friday evening briefing.

The event was “unpermitted” and “not sanctioned” and grew rapidly to thousands of young people, who Maddrey said attacked officers instead of complying with orders to leave. The chief implored parents to step in.

“I had thousands of kids out there, I needed thousands of parents,” Maddrey said. “When it gets to the point where it’s disorderly, we want the parents to come and take control.”

Maddrey said a 17-year-old was hospitalized from what was initially believed to be a gunshot wound, but it ended up being a firework injury.

NYPD officers arrived in droves to try to quell the mayhem, which erupted after a post by Cenat went viral around 3 p.m., and the officers soon found themselves under attack, according to Maddrey.

“We were crushed, we were pushed,” Maddrey said.

The massive crowd caused the park and surrounding streets to become overcrowded. People ran through the streets and some were seen jumping on cars and a city bus. Some people took objects from a construction site in Union Square, including plywood, shovels and axes, according to Maddrey.

Police showed up in riot gear to disperse the crowd. A bus that was holding people in custody was attacked by others trying to pull individuals off the bus, according to Maddrey.

Fireworks set off in the crowd resulted in smoke and noise but police said they did not use any flash-bang devices and no shots were fired.

Maddrey called the gathering an “unlawful assembly” and “uncontrolled.”

“We’re not against young people having a good time, we’re not against young people gathering, but it can’t be to this level where it’s dangerous,” he said during a press briefing. “A lot of people got hurt today.”

Some officers sustained injuries in the incident, Maddrey said, adding that he personally was hit with “multiple objects.”

Six people were transported to area hospitals in connection with the incident, according to the FDNY.

The influencer’s intention had been to “create a positive experience” for fans, but “we’ve never experienced anything at the scale of what took place yesterday,” Cenat’s AMP group said in a written statement issued Saturday.

“We are deeply disheartened by the outbreak of disorderly conduct that affected innocent people and businesses, and do not condone that behavior,” the statement said. “We apologize to all of those impacted. We are fully cooperating with local authorities.”

NYPD has recovered evidence from social media that Cenat was out of his vehicle and interacting with the large crowd before he left Union Square, sources said.

Cenat, 21, posted in an Instagram story, “Please be safe,” while sharing news coverage of the incident.

“I love you guys to the fullest you guys are amazing,” he said.

A woman shopping in the area with her baby took shelter in an ATM lobby during the mayhem.

“Everything was just bombarded with people,” she told ABC New York station WABC.

“It was just hectic. The only thing I could think about was to keep my daughter safe,” she said.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams thanked police “for their quick work” in controlling the situation.

“I want our streets to be alive and full of joy. But they must be safe,” he said on social media. “That’s the most important thing.”

An NYPD official said they do believe there were a handful of PlayStation 5s that Cenat intended to distribute and the event would likely have turned out differently had he notified the department ahead of time

ABC News’ Mark Crudele, Josh Hoyos, Matt J. Foster and Reena Roy contributed to this report.

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(GREENBELT, Md.) — The search continues for a beloved Maryland teacher who mysteriously vanished a week ago, as the community held a vigil praying for her safe return.

Mariame Toure Sylla, 60, was last seen near a park on July 29 around 8 p.m., the Greenbelt Police Department said.

She is considered a critical missing person, police said. Officials told ABC Washington, D.C., affiliate WJLA that Sylla takes medication.

Sylla is a teacher at Dora Kennedy French Immersion School in the Prince George’s County school district, where she is known by her students as Madame Sylla.

“We hope and pray for Mariame Toure Sylla’s safe return,” Prince George’s County Public Schools said on social media.

The search for the missing teacher has included Schrom Hills Park in Greenbelt, where she was known to take walks.

During a vigil and prayer event held at the park on Friday, attendees spoke about Sylla’s dedication to the community where she lives and teaches. One described her as a “really good woman” who “strived for a life of righteousness” and a veteran teacher who enjoyed her students.

Attendees canvassed the area and handed out flyers to spread the word about Sylla’s disappearance. According to the flyer, the teacher also goes by Mariam Toure and was last seen walking around the Greenbelt neighborhood in a long dress and head scarf.

“We continue to follow all leads that have come in to us,” Greenbelt Chief Richard Bowers said during the vigil. “We keep all of our possibilities open as to the cause of her disappearance.”

Sylla was described by police as a Black woman who is approximately 5’5″ and weighs 135 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Greenbelt Police Department at 301-474-7200.

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(ORLANDO, Fla.) — Two police officers were injured in a shooting in Orlando, Florida, on Friday night after they stopped a vehicle allegedly connected to a homicide, police said.

The suspected gunman was killed in a shootout with SWAT officers at a hotel Saturday morning, Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said at a press briefing.

The incident began at about 11 p.m. local time, when officers stopped a vehicle wanted in connection with a homicide in Miami, according to Smith. While outside the vehicle during the traffic stop, the suspect shot and struck both officers, then fled in another vehicle, authorities said.

After an “extensive search,” police located the suspect at a Holiday Inn at about 6 a.m. Saturday, according to Smith. The hotel was safely evacuated, and the suspect barricaded himself in a room, Smith said.

“Several attempts were made to get the suspect to safely surrender,” Smith said.

Shortly before 9 a.m., the suspect shot at SWAT officers “multiple times,” Smith said. The officers returned fire, striking the suspect, who died, Smith said.

The suspect was identified by police as 28-year-old Daton Viel.

The officers injured in the traffic stop shooting were transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition. They are expected to fully recover from their injuries, Orlando Health officials said on Saturday.

“Our officers are lucky to be alive and we ask that you continue to pray for them,” Smith said.

The chief called the incident a tragedy for the department.

“For some piece of crap to do this to them, because they don’t want to go back to prison, is ridiculous,” Smith said. “We’re not going to put up with it. We’re going to stay out there fighting crime and keep our communities safe.”

In a statement on social media, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer thanked law enforcement officers “who’ve ensured the suspect is no longer a threat to our community.”

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(ST. LOUIS) — Flash flood warnings continue Saturday for parts of Missouri and Illinois, as severe weather is forecast across parts of the U.S. over the next three days.

More than six inches of rain fell overnight, leading to flash flooding in northeastern Missouri, with water rescues needed for civilians and law enforcement in the Kahoka area.

Saturday’s storm threat extends from southeastern Colorado to southwestern Missouri where an enhanced risk is in place, mainly for damaging wind. Meanwhile, a chance for a tornado or two is likely in Indiana from Indianapolis to Evansville. Two people were reportedly displaced from their homes with minor injuries due to wind damage in Baring, Missouri, and there was also damage to railroad equipment, powerlines and several homes.

On Friday, there were three reported tornadoes in Missouri, with damage reported to homes near Knoxville and Russellville in Ray County. Power lines were reportedly brought down near Malta Bend in Saline County.

On Sunday, the weather pattern moves to an area from eastern Missouri to western Virginia and North Carolina where again the main threat will be damaging wind. On Monday, the threat for severe weather reaches the East where much of Appalachia will be under the threat for damaging wind and large hail, from Alabama to New York.

Severe heat

Worldwide, the last 32 days have been Earth’s hottest days on record based on preliminary analysis. Since crossing into new record territory on July 3, global temperature has yet to go back below that level.

Millions of Americans are under alert for dangerous heat on Saturday, with no end in sight for places in Texas and surrounding areas. Records continue to be possible this weekend in Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Albuquerque, Phoenix and Tucson.

The heat index Saturday is reaching well into the 100s from Florida to Texas to Missouri and even the 110s are possible in multiple states.

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(CONYERS, Ga.) — The husband of Imani Roberson, a Georgia mother of four who disappeared last month, has been arrested and charged with her murder in what investigators said was a domestic incident, police announced Saturday.

Donell Anderson has been charged with felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett said at a press conference Saturday. More charges are still possible.

The body of Roberson was found on Friday and Anderson was arrested in in an apartment in Atlanta, Levett said.

“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.

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 said another arrest will be made in this death, but did not identify the suspect, and said that the investigation is still ongoing.

“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 the press conference.

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(NEW YORK) — The Mega Millions jackpot is expected to rise to $1.55 billion in the next drawing, the highest-ever pot for the lottery, topping its previous record of $1.537 Billion in October 2018.

No jackpot-winning ticket was purchased with Friday night’s numbers, 11, 30, 45, 52, 56 and a gold Mega Ball 20, the lottery said.

The cash option for Tuesday’s drawing is estimated to be $757.2 million.

The lottery game’s jackpot had grown ahead of Friday’s drawing to an estimated $1.35 billion. That figure would have been the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever and the fourth-largest in U.S. lotto history when also factoring in Powerball jackpots.

A drawing of $1.55 billion would place the Mega Millions jackpot behind only two other U.S. lottery drawings, a $1.586 billion Powerball in January 2016 and a $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot in November 2022.

The jackpot has continued to climb since it was last won on April 18. Friday’s drawing marked the 31st in this current run.

“There’s always an air of excitement around the country when Mega Millions jackpots soar,” Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin, lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a statement. “The growing jackpot is a source of entertainment and winnings for players while generating important dollars for the good causes supported by each lottery. We are grateful for our players, appreciate our hardworking retailers, and remind everyone to play responsibly.”

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.

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.

 

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(NEW YORK) — A teenager has been charged with murder as a hate crime in connection with the fatal stabbing of New York City dancer O’Shae Sibley, police said.

The unidentified suspect lives in and attends high school in Brooklyn, NYPD Assistant Chief Joseph Kenny said at a press briefing on Saturday announcing the suspect’s apprehension.

Police previously said that a 17-year-old male was wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of Sibley, a 28-year-old Black gay man, who was stabbed in his torso on July 29 around 11 p.m. at a gas station in Brooklyn.

The suspect turned himself in accompanied by an attorney, police said. He is charged with murder as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon.

Those charges are subject to change once the Brooklyn District Attorney takes over the case.

In a video posted to Facebook, Sibley’s friend Otis Pena said he and Sibley were among a group of friends that were voguing and dancing at the gas station while pumping gas when they were confronted by another group.

The group hurled homophobic slurs and anti-Black statements at Sibley’s group while demanding that they stop dancing, according to Kenny. After about four minutes, the confrontation then turned violent, Kenny said.

The perpetrator struck Sibley with a sharp object on the left side of his ribcage, “piercing his chest and damaging his heart,” Kenny said. The suspect fled the scene in a vehicle, but was quickly identified with the help of tips from citizens, officials said.

Sibley was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

“Parents lost a child, a child to something clearly that was a hate crime,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at Saturday’s press briefing.

“This is a city where you are free to express yourself, and that expression should never end with any form of violence,” he added.

The killing comes at a time of growing anti-LGBTQ+ extremism across the U.S.

Sibley was a beloved figure in the New York and Philadelphia dance communities. He was described by his friends as “a beautiful and sweet spirit,” with “spectacular” talents in singing and dancing.

“How is it even possible for someone’s life to be taken at such a young age — so talented, so kind,” said Ja’Michael De’Shawn, a fellow dancer who worked with Sibley.

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The next drawing for Mega Millions’ mega-billion jackpot is Friday night.

(NEW YORK) — The lottery game’s jackpot has grown over several months to an estimated $1.35 billion. That figure would be the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever and the fourth-largest in U.S. lotto history when also factoring in Powerball jackpots.

The estimated cash payout for the top prize is $659.5 million.

The jackpot has continued to climb since it was last won on April 18. Friday’s drawing marks the 31st in this current run.

“There’s always an air of excitement around the country when Mega Millions jackpots soar,” Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin, lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a statement. “The growing jackpot is a source of entertainment and winnings for players while generating important dollars for the good causes supported by each lottery. We are grateful for our players, appreciate our hardworking retailers, and remind everyone to play responsibly.”

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.

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. Friday’s drawing takes place at 11 p.m. ET.

 

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(NEW YORK) — Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose 10-year-old daughter Alexandria was killed in the Uvalde school shooting last year, recently announced she is running for mayor of the city – a decision, she says, that comes from both honoring her daughter’s legacy and wanting “to be the change I seek.”

“Right now, after fighting at the federal and state level, I think it starts on the ground up and in my own community,” Mata-Rubio told “GMA3.”

Mata-Rubio’s daughter, Alexandria, was among the 19 third and fourth graders and two teachers who were killed on May 24, 2022, after a gunman opened fire inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Since then, Mata-Rubio has joined a chorus of voices urging officials to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Just weeks after the shooting, the grieving mom converged with other Uvalde families in Washington, D.C., for a rally and march to the Capitol.

Mata-Rubio was overcome with emotion as she addressed the crowd that day, pleading with lawmakers: “What if the gunman never had access to an assault weapon? I want that question to be the first thing to cross their mind in the morning and the last thought they have before they go to bed.”

A year later, Mata-Rubio says she believes that running for mayor gives her a new platform to amplify that call to action.

“I think it gives me a chance to share my story first with my community and changing their minds and hearts. Once they really hear and resonate with my story,” Mata-Rubio told “GMA3.”

Mata-Rubio is also calling for reform in the Uvalde Police Department, whose officers faced criticism after deciding to wait more than an hour to mount a counterassault against the shooter, who was holed up in two classrooms.

“I think that we need to review the final report and decide whose failures will determine if they’re fired or they stay with the police department. But also, policy changes. What are we doing about the officers that we’re hiring? What are we doing to ensure that they’re trained for situations like this? So, there’s several things I’m looking into,” Mata-Rubio said.

Mata-Rubio, who works in ad sales at the local newspaper, the Uvalde Leader-News, is seeking the position being vacated by Don McLaughlin, who has been Uvalde’s mayor since 2014. McLaughlin is stepping down to run for a Texas House seat. The Uvalde special mayoral election race is for a one-year term. After it ends, there will be another mayoral election, which will be for a usual four-year term.

Also running for mayor is Cody Smith, a senior vice president at the First State Bank of Uvalde. Smith previously held the post and was mayor from 2008 to 2012. Prior to being mayor, he was a member of the city council elected in 1995 and served for 12 years.

“I would come to the position with some experience,” said Smith, “[…] and then I just want to do anything I can to help this community, you know, heal and, you know, and prosper.”

Smith told ABC News that his first initiative would be building a committee consisting of families, city, county and school district members to work toward a permanent memorial to honor the lives lost at Robb Elementary.

If elected, Mata-Rubio would be the first woman and third Hispanic to become Uvalde’s mayor. That’s something she says would make her daughter proud.

“She was a very confident little girl. She was a leader, and I’m really trying to harness that power within her for myself and honoring her with action,” Mata-Rubio said.

“She looked up to so many women in power. We had conversations about AOC (Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York), about (Vice President) Kamala Harris. I think that she’d be proud of me,” Mata-Rubio said.

 

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(LOS ANGELES) — An Orange County Superior Court judge has been arrested and charged with shooting and killing his wife in California’s upscale Anaheim Hills neighborhood.

Judge Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, is under arrest for murder. He has been booked on $1 million bail.

Police received a 911 call about a shooting at a home just after 8 p.m. on Thursday.  Officers arrived and found 65-year-old Sheryl Ferguson suffering from at least one gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jeffrey Ferguson was arrested in the home without any issues, according to police.

Police said they would not release any additional information because the investigation is still ongoing.

Superior Court judge is an elected position in Orange County, with Ferguson winning reelection in March 2020. He has served in the role since 2015.

 

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