Feds announce massive takedown of fraudulent nursing diploma scheme

Feds announce massive takedown of fraudulent nursing diploma scheme
Feds announce massive takedown of fraudulent nursing diploma scheme
Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — A massive, coordinated scheme to sell false and fraudulent nursing degree credentials has been brought down by a joint federal law enforcement operation, Justice Department officials said Wednesday.

As first reported by ABC News, officials said the scheme involved peddling more than $100 million worth of bogus nursing diplomas and transcripts over the course of several years — fake credentials that were sold to help “thousands of people” take “shortcuts” toward becoming licensed, practicing nurses.

The forged diplomas and transcripts were sold from what had been accredited schools to aspiring nurses, in order to help candidates bypass the qualifying requirements necessary to sit for the national nursing board exam. Although they still had to take the exam, the bogus credentials allowed them to skip vital steps of the competency and licensure process, officials said — and once licensed, those individuals were able to find a job in the health care field.

Overall, the conspiracy involved the distribution of over 7,600 fake nursing diplomas and certificates issued by Florida-based nursing programs, according to officials.

“This is probably one of the most brazen schemes that I’ve seen. And it does shock the mind,” Omar Perez Aybar, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), told ABC News in an exclusive interview.

The sweeping enforcement action spanned five states: Florida, New York, New Jersey, Texas and Delaware, and resulted in more than two dozen criminal wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy charges against 25 individuals.

We “expect our health care professionals to be who they claim they are. Specifically when we talk about a nurse’s education, and credentials – shortcut is not a word we want to use,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe. “When we take an injured son or daughter to a hospital emergency room, we don’t expect — really cannot imagine — that the licensed practical nurse or registered nurse training our child took a shortcut.”

HHS-OIG, the FBI and Justice Department worked jointly on the operation, dubbed “Operation Nightingale,” in honor of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

Investigating agents spent weeks combing through upwards of 10,000 records from nursing schools to move the investigation forward. “As we started to poke through them we noticed there were no real courses the individuals took — it was simply a cash mill,” Aybar said.

Nursing candidates who allegedly participated in the scheme would pay as much as $15,000 for the fraudulent diplomas, officials said.

The defendants include “owners, operators and employees” of the schools who “prepared and sold fake nursing school diplomas and transcripts to nursing candidates, knowing that the candidates would use those false documents to one, sit for nursing board examinations, secure nursing licenses, and three ultimately obtain nursing jobs in medical facilities — not only in Florida, but elsewhere across the country,” Lapointe said. All three schools have since closed, according to officials. Additional defendants charged include “recruiters” to bring in would-be buyers.

The alleged scheme enabled these nursing candidates allegedly buying the fake diplomas “to avoid hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of clinical training — countless hours getting that experience,” Lapointe said. “These people didn’t go through that. That part was completely skipped.”

“For them, it was worth the investment, or the risk,” Aybar told ABC News.

For those involved — “the owners of the nursing schools, certainly the recruiters and, without doubt, the recipients of the transcripts and the nursing diplomas” — Aybar said, “It was definitely all motivated by greed.”

Federal law enforcement officials underscored the high stakes of the scheme, saying that it potentially jeopardized patients’ health and safety — and that standards for safe nursing care cannot be purchased — only learned.

“What is disturbing about the scheme is the possibility of harm coming to patients under the dubious care of one of these allegedly fraudulent nurses,” acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough, FBI Miami, said.

In the indictments, federal law enforcement officials alleged that the defendants — some in leadership roles at nursing schools — “solicited and recruited individuals who sought nursing credentials to gain employment as Registered Nurses (RN) or Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPN/VN),” then arranged with co-conspirators “to create and distribute false and fraudulent diplomas and transcripts” to falsely represent that the aspiring nurses had attended the program and had completed the necessary courses to receive a diploma, when “in fact, the aspiring nurses had never actually completed the necessary courses and clinicals.”

Aybar said one of the ways officials were alerted to the alleged scheme was when the Florida state auditing process discovered poor passing rates at three nursing schools.

Alleged participants in the scheme backdated the diplomas and transcripts they were selling, to make them appear legitimate, authorities said. Applicants would use those forged diplomas, transcripts and additional records to obtain licensure in various states — then, once licensed, applicants could then use those fraudulent documents to get nursing jobs “with unwitting health care providers throughout the country,” according to officials.

Officials said they had “not learned of, nor uncovered any evidence of patient harm stemming from these individuals potentially providing services to patients” — but it was the potential for that harm to patients that was precisely the concern.

Aybar said that is why, from the onset of the investigation, authorities have been working with state licensing boards to share as much information as they could, as fast as they could, so the respective boards “can assess what actions to take to prevent these individuals from rendering care.”

The action by federal law enforcement comes at a crucial moment in the health care industry, where an existing nurse shortage, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has left many nursing staffs spread thin and burnt out.

“I’m confident that there will be a level of accountability that all of these individuals will face,” Aybar said.

Defendants in the alleged scheme, if convicted, face a statutory maximum of 20 years in jail for the charges of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, the DOJ said.

Aybar pointed to the pledge of ethics and principles that nurses take, called the “Nightingale Pledge.”

“They pledge that they’re going to abstain from any deleterious act. They will do all in their power to enhance and honor the profession. Clearly, these individuals did not do that here,” he said.

“We understand that this conduct has no reflection on the hard work and dedication that [nurses] put into making this profession honorable, and so thank you for that,” Aybar added. “I encourage those of you — if you’re in a setting and you happen to have someone that may not be practicing up to the standards as you understand it, maybe if you see something, say something.”

Officials said that at this point it is up to the state licensing boards to push forward with action against those individuals under their purview — some of whom have been practicing nursing “somewhere in the United States, perhaps currently,” Lapointe said.

“We know who they are,” Lapointe said.

“Not only is this a public safety issue, but it also tarnishes the reputation of nurses who actually did the hard clinical and coursework required to get licenses and jobs,” Lapointe said. “And of course, erodes the centuries-old trust we have built with our country’s nurses.”

ABC News’ Luke Barr contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Arrest made after Microsoft executive, father of 4 gunned down in ‘targeted ambush’: Police

Arrest made after Microsoft executive, father of 4 gunned down in ‘targeted ambush’: Police
Arrest made after Microsoft executive, father of 4 gunned down in ‘targeted ambush’: Police
Nathan Griffith/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Nearly a year after Jared Bridegan, a Microsoft executive and father of four, was gunned down on a Florida road in what authorities called a targeted ambush, a suspect has been arrested in connection with his murder, police announced Wednesday.

Bridegan was driving with his then-2-year-old daughter in Jacksonville Beach on Feb. 16, 2022, when he came upon a tire blocking his path, police said. When he stepped out of the car he was “gunned down in cold blood,” Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Paul Smith said.

“This was a plan and a targeted ambush and murder,” Smith told reporters during a press briefing on Wednesday announcing an arrest in the case.

Henry Tenon, 61, was arrested Wednesday on charges including conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree murder with a weapon and accessory after the fact to a capital felony.

“We know Henry Tenon did not act alone,” State Attorney Melissa Nelson said at the press briefing.

Tenon also faces a child abuse charge due to Bridegan’s 2-year-old, who was strapped in her car seat, being “directly in harm’s way” when he was fatally shot, Nelson said.

The identification of a Ford F-150 spotted around the crime scene at the time of the shooting led to the arrest, Smith said.

Tenon is scheduled to appear in court Thursday morning, after which prosecutors will seek an indictment for first-degree murder, Nelson said. It is unclear if he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

The state has obtained a court ordering sealing Tenon’s arrest warrant and affidavit for the next 30 days to “protect the integrity” of the investigation, Nelson said.

Bridegan was driving home after dropping off twins she shares with his ex-wife when he came upon the “purposefully placed” tire and was shot, Smith said. Nothing was stolen, he said.

Bridegan’s wife, Kirsten Bridegan, told ABC News last year that she believed the attack was targeted.

“Some coward trapped him and took him out and that’s not OK,” said his widow, who had two children with Bridegan — the then-2-year-old and a younger daughter who was home with his wife at the time of the shooting.

She described her husband as a creative, fun and loving father who would do anything for his four kids.

“He loved being a dad. He genuinely did,” she said. “He would spend hours setting up some activity that he thought would be awesome.”

ABC News’ Melissa Gaffney contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Baltimore schools failed to fully act on security recommendations before cyber attack: State IG report

Baltimore schools failed to fully act on security recommendations before cyber attack: State IG report
Baltimore schools failed to fully act on security recommendations before cyber attack: State IG report
Maskot/Getty Images, FILE

(BALTIMORE) — Baltimore County Public Schools failed to act on several state recommendations to help mitigate cyber attacks before a hack disrupted school operations and cost the school system millions of dollars in damages and repairs, according to a report from a state inspector general.

BCPS was hacked using a phishing email in November 2020 — a process that disrupted the school system’s website and remote learning programs for several days, according to the report from the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education.

The inspector general’s report found that the initial network compromise occurred 15 days before the network disruption and came in the form of an e-mail.

A teacher flagged the e-mail to the in-house tech support who forwarded the e-mail to a contracted tech support supervisor, according to the report.

“The OIGE investigation revealed that the contractor mistakenly opened the email with the attachment using their unsecured BCPS email domain account and not in their secured email domain. Consequently, opening the attachment in the unsecured environment served as the catalyst, which delivered the undetected malware into the BCPS IT network,” the report says.

The OIGE report says BCPS did not fully implement several network recommendations from the Maryland Office of Legislative Audits in recent audit reports, including the relocation of publicly accessible database servers and the adequate maintenance of internal network servers. BCPS has implemented an array of new network security measures since the cyber attack, the report says.

The report says the network upgrades and damages from the cyber attack cost BCPS nearly $10 million.

An investigation by the FBI and Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is ongoing, the report says.

BCPS did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

29-year-old woman charged after allegedly posing as a student at New Jersey high school

29-year-old woman charged after allegedly posing as a student at New Jersey high school
29-year-old woman charged after allegedly posing as a student at New Jersey high school
Oliver Helbig/Getty Images

(NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.) — A 29-year-old New Jersey woman fraudulently posed as a high school student for several days after allegedly filing false documents, school officials and police said.

The incident was announced during a New Brunswick School Board meeting Tuesday night.

The woman attended New Brunswick High School for four days last week before staff uncovered the “ruse,” New Brunswick Public Schools Superintendent Aubrey Johnson said during the meeting. She was barred from district property and “all the appropriate authorities were immediately notified,” Johnson said.

“This is an unfortunate event,” he said.

The New Brunswick Police Department said Hyejeong Shin, of New Brunswick, was charged on Tuesday with one count of providing a false government document with the intent to verify one’s identity or age.

“Specifically, Ms. Shin provided a false birth certificate to the New Brunswick Board of Education with the intent to enroll as a juvenile high-school student,” the police department said in a statement.

Students in New Jersey are able to attend school on a provisional basis and have 30 days to confirm their identity before they’re declared ineligible to attend classes.

The woman gained provisional admittance to the high school last week after allegedly filing false documents last week, according to Johnson. Staff members discovered the “deception” during their vetting process, he said.

School officials contacted students who may have encountered the fake student, Johnson said.

“We have told our students to refrain from having any further contact with her either remotely or in person,” he said.

In light of the incident, the district is going to examine its enrollment processes to “better look for fake documentation,” he added.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office told ABC News it is not currently investigating the incident.

The New Brunswick Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for more information on the case, including a possible motive.

ABC News was unable to reach Shin or an attorney on her behalf.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Woman allegedly steals $2.8 million from Holocaust survivor in romance scam

Woman allegedly steals .8 million from Holocaust survivor in romance scam
Woman allegedly steals .8 million from Holocaust survivor in romance scam
US Attorney’s Office

(NEW YORK) — A Florida woman was arrested Wednesday for orchestrating a yearslong romance scam that defrauded an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor.

Peaches Stergo began her alleged scheme in May 2017 and bilked the victim out of $2.8 million over the next four years, federal prosecutors said.

Stergo met the victim on a dating website and eventually asked him to borrow money to pay her lawyer, who she claimed was refusing to release funds from an injury settlement, according to the indictment. After the victim gave her the money, Stergo said the settlement funds had been deposited into her TD Bank account.

In reality, bank records show Stergo never received any money from an injury settlement.

The alleged lies continued over the next four years. Stergo is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

“Stergo deceived an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, maliciously draining his life savings so she could become a millionaire through fraud. Stergo forged documents and impersonated a bank employee in exchange for a life of fancy trips, Rolex watches, and luxury purchases,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.

Stergo, 36, of Champions Gate, Florida, repeatedly demanded the victim deposit money into her bank accounts. She claimed that if he did not, her accounts would be frozen and he would never be paid back. In total, the victim wrote 62 checks — totaling more than $2.8 million — that were deposited into Stergo’s bank accounts, the indictment said.

While the victim lost his life savings and was forced to give up his apartment, prosecutors said Stergo lived a life of luxury with the millions she received from the fraud. She bought a home in a gated community, a condominium, a boat and numerous cars, including a Corvette and a Chevy Suburban.

During the course of the fraud, Stergo also took expensive trips, staying at places like the Ritz Carlton, and spent many tens of thousands of dollars on expensive meals, gold coins and bars, jewelry, Rolex watches and designer clothing from stores like Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton and Hermes, according to prosecutors and the FBI.

“Today we allege the defendant callously preyed on a senior citizen simply seeking companionship, defrauding him of his life savings,” the FBI’s Mike Driscoll said in a statement.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Half Moon Bay shooting suspect to face seven counts of murder: DA

Half Moon Bay shooting suspect to face seven counts of murder: DA
Half Moon Bay shooting suspect to face seven counts of murder: DA
amphotora/Getty Images

(HALF MOON BAY, Calif.) — The suspect in a deadly mass shooting at two Northern California farms will be charged with seven counts of murder, the local district attorney said.

The alleged gunman, 66-year-old Chunli Zhao, is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Wednesday with an arraignment hearing at 1:30 p.m. local time.

Ahead of the hearing, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told ABC News he will be filing a felony complaint on Wednesday against Zhao consisting of seven counts of murder, as well as one count of attempted murder, firearm use enhancements and a count of special circumstance allegation of multiple murder.

Seven people were fatally shot at two nurseries in Half Moon Bay on Monday. An eighth shooting victim was hospitalized in stable condition as of Tuesday evening, authorities said.

Workplace violence is believed to be the motive, authorities said. Zhao worked at one of the shooting locations, Mountain Mushroom Farm, but it’s unclear what connection he may have had with the victims beyond being co-workers, authorities said.

All victims are thought to be workers at the nurseries and were of Asian and Hispanic descent, authorities said.

Zhao was arrested on Monday when the sheriff’s office located his vehicle in the parking lot of the Sheriff’s Office Half Moon Bay Police Substation, the department said.

A semi-automatic handgun was found in the suspect’s car that had been legally purchased, authorities said.

Zhao is believed to have acted alone, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said.

ABC News’ Alex Stone contributed to this report.

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Teacher shot by 6-year-old says school was warned four times, announces lawsuit

Teacher shot by 6-year-old says school was warned four times, announces lawsuit
Teacher shot by 6-year-old says school was warned four times, announces lawsuit
Jay Paul/Getty Images

(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.) — Abigail Zwerner, the teacher who was shot by a student in a classroom in Newport News, Virginia, earlier this month intends to file a lawsuit against the school board, her lawyer said Wednesday, alleging the shooting could have been prevented by school administrators.

Zwerner sustained a gunshot wound to the chest when a 6-year-old student brought a gun into a classroom at Richneck Elementary School and intentionally shot and wounded her, according to police. A bullet remains lodged in her body, according to Diane Toscano, Zwerner’s lawyer.

“This should have never happened. It was preventable and thank God Abby is alive. But had the school administrators acted in the interest of their teachers and their students, Abby would not have sustained a gunshot wound to the chest,” Toscano said at a press conference Wednesday.

Toscano revealed new details about the events leading up to the shooting, alleging that school administration was warned that the student had a gun with him at school and had threatened people several times the day of the shooting, but school administrators took no action.

Toscano alleged that the administration was warned four times by teachers and school employees that the unnamed student “had a gun on him at the school and was threatening people.”

Toscano laid out a timeline of events the day of the shooting:

At around 11:15 to 11:30 a.m., Zwerner went to a school administrator and told them that the 6-year-old had threatened to beat up another child that day. The administration did not take action or remove the student from the classroom, according to Toscano.

At 12:30 p.m. a teacher told a school administrator she searched the 6-year-old’s backpack for a gun and told the administration that she believed the boy put the gun in his pocket before going outside for recess. The administrator downplayed the report and responded that the boy has little pockets, according to Toscano.

Shortly after 1 p.m., a third teacher told administrators that another student who was scared and crying confessed that the shooter showed him a gun at recess and threatened to shoot him if he told anyone, according to Toscano.

A fourth employee asked the administrator for permission to search the boy but was denied and was told to wait the situation out because the school day was almost over, according to Toscano.

Zwerner was shot almost an hour later, according to Toscano.

She is now home recovering, “but the road to recovery will be long,” Toscano said.

The press conference came hours before the Virginia public school system is set to decide the fate of its superintendent.

The Newport News School Board has called a special meeting for Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET to vote on a separation agreement with Newport News Public Schools Superintendent George Parker III and the appointment of an interim superintendent.

Parker has been under fire from teachers, parents and community members since the shooting. The boy, who has not been named publicly, allegedly took a handgun from his home, put it in his backpack and brought it to school that day before shooting his teacher in an “intentional” act, according to the Newport News Police Department.

Police said Zwerner was giving class instruction that afternoon when the student pointed the gun at her and fired one round. The teacher took a defensive position, raising her hand. The bullet went through her hand and into her chest, police said.

There was no physical struggle or fight, according to police.

After Zwerner was shot, she ushered all of her students out of the classroom. She was the last person to leave the room, police said.

About 16 to 20 students were in the classroom at the time of the shooting and none of them were physically injured, according to police.

Police said responding officers found a school employee physically restraining the 6-year-old suspect in the classroom. The boy allegedly hit the school employee before officers took him into custody. He was subsequently taken to a local hospital for evaluation, police said.

Since then, a temporary detention order has been obtained and the child is currently receiving treatment at a medical facility, according to police.

Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew has called Zwerner a “hero” who “saved lives.” He told reporters that the teacher has repeatedly asked how her students are doing.

Zwerner was released from Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News last week and will continue to receive outpatient treatment, according to Riverside Health System.

Police said the investigation into the Jan. 6 incident, including a motive, is ongoing and no one has been charged so far. Richneck Elementary School has remained closed in the meantime.

The 9 mm Taurus pistol used in the shooting was legally purchased by the boy’s mother, according to police.

During a town hall meeting with parents earlier this month, Parker said the student’s backpack was searched at school the morning of Jan. 6, after someone reported he may have had a weapon. The person who searched the backpack didn’t find a weapon, according to the superintendent. It was unclear who conducted the search or how the tip about the weapon was received.

When asked for comment, a police spokesperson told ABC News: “We have determined through our investigation that a school employee was notified of a possible firearm at Richneck Elementary before the shooting occurred. The Newport News Police Department was not notified of this information prior to the incident. I cannot release any further information at this time because of the ongoing investigation.”

Earlier this month, Newport News School Board Chair Lisa Surles-Law said they have been given approval to purchase 90 walk-through metal detectors, which will be installed in every school across the district, starting with Richneck Elementary School. The district will also bolster protocols on handling school violence, including implementing a safety stand down and reviewing student conduct and discipline records, according to Surles-Law.

The unnamed family of the boy released a statement last week, saying the “firearm our son accessed was secured” and that he “suffers from an acute disability and was under a care plan at the school that included his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to class every day.”

“The week of the shooting was the first week when we were not in class with him. We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives,” the family said. “Since this incident, our son has been under hospital care and receiving the treatment he needs.”

The boy’s family called the shooting “horrific” and noted that they “have been cooperating with local and federal law enforcement to understand how this could have happened.”

“Our heart goes out to our son’s teacher and we pray for her healing in the aftermath of such an unimaginable tragedy as she selflessly served our son and the children in the school,” they added. “She has worked diligently and compassionately to support our family as we sought the best education and learning environment for our son. We thank her for her courage, grace and sacrifice.”

ABC News’ Meredith Deliso, Caroline Guthrie, Davone Morales, Emily Shapiro and Ben Siu contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

School board to decide fate of superintendent after 6-year-old shoots teacher in classroom

Teacher shot by 6-year-old says school was warned four times, announces lawsuit
Teacher shot by 6-year-old says school was warned four times, announces lawsuit
Jay Paul/Getty Images

(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.) — A Virginia public school system is set to decide the fate of its superintendent on Wednesday evening, after police say a 6-year-old student brought a gun into the classroom and intentionally shot his teacher.

The Newport News School Board has called a special meeting for Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET to vote on a separation agreement with Newport News Public Schools Superintendent George Parker III and the appointment of an interim superintendent.

Parker has been under fire from teachers, parents and community members since Jan. 6, when a first-grade student allegedly shot and wounded 25-year-old teacher Abigail Zwerner in a classroom at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, a shipbuilding city near Virginia’s coast. The boy, who has not been named publicly, allegedly took a handgun from his home, put it in his backpack and brought it to school that day before shooting his teacher in an “intentional” act, according to the Newport News Police Department.

Police said Zwerner was giving class instruction that afternoon when the student pointed the gun at her and fired one round. The teacher took a defensive position, raising her hand. The bullet went through her hand and into her chest, police said.

There was no physical struggle or fight, according to police.

After Zwerner was shot, she ushered all of her students out of the classroom. She was the last person to leave the room, police said.

About 16 to 20 students were in the classroom at the time of the shooting and none of them were physically injured, according to police.

Police said responding officers found a school employee physically restraining the 6-year-old suspect in the classroom. The boy allegedly hit the school employee before officers took him into custody. He was subsequently taken to a local hospital for evaluation, police said.

Since then, a temporary detention order has been obtained and the child is currently receiving treatment at a medical facility, according to police.

Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew has called Zwerner a “hero” who “saved lives.” He told reporters that the teacher has repeatedly asked how her students are doing.

Zwerner was released from Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News last week and will continue to receive outpatient treatment, according to Riverside Health System.

Zwerner’s attorney, Diane Toscano, is expected to hold a press conference at 11 a.m. ET to provide updates on the teacher’s recovery, new information about the shooting and what their next steps will be, according to Hampton ABC affiliate WVEC-TV.

The investigation into the incident, including a motive, is ongoing and no one has been charged so far. Richneck Elementary School has remained closed in the meantime.

The 9 mm Taurus pistol used in the shooting was legally purchased by the boy’s mother, according to police.

Parker, the superintendent, told a town hall meeting with parents earlier this month that the student’s backpack was searched at school the morning of Jan. 6, after someone reported he may have had a weapon. The person who searched the backpack didn’t find a weapon, according to Parker. It was unclear who conducted the search or how the tip about the weapon was received.

When asked for comment, a police spokesperson told ABC News: “We have determined through our investigation that a school employee was notified of a possible firearm at Richneck Elementary before the shooting occurred. The Newport News Police Department was not notified of this information prior to the incident. I cannot release any further information at this time because of the ongoing investigation.”

Earlier this month, Newport News School Board Chair Lisa Surles-Law said they have been given approval to purchase 90 walk-through metal detectors, which will be installed in every school across the district, starting with Richneck Elementary School. The district will also bolster protocols on handling school violence, including implementing a safety stand down and reviewing student conduct and discipline records, according to Surles-Law.

The unnamed family of the boy released a statement last week, saying the “firearm our son accessed was secured” and that he “suffers from an acute disability and was under a care plan at the school that included his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to class every day.”

“The week of the shooting was the first week when we were not in class with him. We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives,” the family said. “Since this incident, our son has been under hospital care and receiving the treatment he needs.”

The boy’s family called the shooting “horrific” and noted that they “have been cooperating with local and federal law enforcement to understand how this could have happened.”

“Our heart goes out to our son’s teacher and we pray for her healing in the aftermath of such an unimaginable tragedy as she selflessly served our son and the children in the school,” they added. “She has worked diligently and compassionately to support our family as we sought the best education and learning environment for our son. We thank her for her courage, grace and sacrifice.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Monterey Park mass shooting updates: Suspect had hundreds of rounds of ammunition, police say

Monterey Park mass shooting updates: Suspect had hundreds of rounds of ammunition, police say
Monterey Park mass shooting updates: Suspect had hundreds of rounds of ammunition, police say
Eric Thayer/Getty Images

(MONTEREY PARK, Calif.) — Eleven people were killed and nine others were injured by a gunman who opened fire at a crowded dance studio in Monterey Park, California, on Saturday night, authorities said.

The suspect — identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran — fled the scene and traveled to nearby Alhambra, where he allegedly entered a second dance hall, where he was disarmed. Tran was found dead on Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a van in Torrance, about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park, according to police.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jan 24, 6:23 PM EST
Vice President Kamala Harris to visit Monterey Park

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to travel to Monterey Park, California, on Wednesday to mourn the victims of Saturday’s mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 11 people, according to the White House.

“Doug and I continue to pray for healing and recovery for all those impacted,” Harris tweeted on Tuesday.

Jan 24, 1:02 PM EST
All victims identified

All 11 people killed in the Monterey Park massacre have been identified by the Los Angeles County coroner. They are: My Nhan, Lillian Li, Xiujuan Yu, Muoi Ung, Hong Jian, Yu Kao, Chia Yau, Valentino Alvero, Wen Yu, Ming Ma and Diana Tom.

Jan 24, 12:16 PM EST
Family of 68-year-old victim calls out ‘vicious cycle’ of mass shootings

Valentino Alvero, a 68-year-old killed in the massacre, “was a loving father, a dedicated son and brother, a grandfather who loved his three granddaughters fiercely,” and “an uncle who loved his nieces and nephews like his own,” his family said in a statement.

“He loved ballroom dancing, he loved his community, and was the life of any party,” the family said.

The family called out the “vicious cycle” of mass shootings, saying, “We became unwilling members of a community who has to mourn the loss of our loved ones due to gun violence.”

The family continued: “It is also a great travesty that he did not receive last rites. He was a devout Catholic and our family would like to request all priests and Catholics to pray for him by name, Valentino Marcos Alvero. Please offer up any Masses or rosaries you can for the repose of his soul. Pray for Valentino by name, and for the souls of all victims of mass shootings and for an end to mass shootings in our nation and our world.”

Jan 24, 2:49 AM EST
Diana Tom remembered as ‘grandmother who loved to dance’

Diana Tom, 70, who was wounded at Star Dance in Monterey Park, died on Jan. 22 after being transported to a hospital in critical condition, her family said.

“On behalf of Diana Tom, we, her family, condemn this senseless act of violence that has uprooted the lives of all the victims, their families and the entire API community at large,” the family said in a statement. “We honor and support all of those affected.”

The family said Tom was a “hard-working mother, wife and grandmother who loved to dance.”

“On the night of January 21, Diana was at Star Dance celebrating the Lunar New Year by dancing with her friends,” the statement said. “To those who knew her, she was someone who always went out of her way to give to others.”

Jan 23, 7:50 PM EST
Monterey Park was worst mass shooting in LA County history, supervisor says

Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Janice Hahn said that Saturday night’s shooting in Monterey, California, was the worst mass shooting in LA County history.

“Los Angeles County is in mourning,” Hahn said at a news conference on Monday.

Jan 23, 6:45 PM EST
Monterey Park suspect had criminal history, was making homemade firearm suppressors: Police

The suspected gunman in the Monterey Park, California, shooting that left 11 people dead had a limited criminal history, police said at a news conference on Monday.
Huu Can Tran, 72, was arrested in 1990 for unlawful possession of a firearm, according to officials.
Law enforcement officials served a search warrant at the suspect’s home and recovered a .308 caliber rifle and numerous electronic devices, police said.
According to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, the suspect manufactured homemade firearm suppressors.

-ABC News’ Matthew Fuhrman

Jan 23, 5:53 PM EST
2 more victims identified

The LA County Coroner’s office released the names of two more victims from this weekend’s mass shooting.
Xiujuan Yu, 57, and Valentino Alvero, 68, were among the 11 victims, the coroner’s said Monday afternoon.
The 11th victim who died at the hospital on Monday was also described as a woman in her 70s.

-ABC News’ Alex Stone

Jan 23, 4:13 PM EST

Gov. Newsom laments ‘rinse and repeat’ of mass shootings

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday lamented the “rinse and repeat” motions of the U.S. between mass shootings, during which the nation mourns but doesn’t make changes.

Newsom called large-capacity magazines “weapons of pure, mass destruction,” and said it’s “disgraceful” that the U.S. does not address it.

“The No. 1 killer of our kids last year was guns. The hell’s wrong with us?” Newsom told reporters Monday.

Americans should have the “freedom to walk the damn streets without being fearful,” he said.

The governor said he didn’t hold a news conference on the Monterey Park shooting on Sunday because “I can’t do those again … saying the same thing over and over again. I mean, it’s insane.”

-ABC News’ Matt Fuhrman

Jan 23, 4:00 PM EST

Man injured in massacre recounts the horror

Heong Bang, a man in his 60s who was injured in the mass shooting, told ABC News he heard what he thought was celebratory Lunar New Year fireworks, then suddenly felt pain his leg.

He said he looked around and saw fellow dancers on the ground covered in blood.

Monterey Park Mayor Henry Lo prays as members of the community hold a prayer vigil in…

Bang was taken to the hospital with a leg injury. Bullet pieces were recovered from his leg; he said he gave the fragments to police.

Bang said he never thought this could happen. He said he’ll never step foot in a dance studio again.

-ABC News’ Reena Roy

Jan 23, 2:53 PM EST

11th victim dies

One of the victims hospitalized after the Monterey Park mass shooting has died, bringing the death toll to 11, hospital officials said Monday.

The LAC+USC Medical Center said it still has three patients from the shooting: one in serious condition and two who are “are recovering.”

Jan 23, 1:12 PM EST
Suspect ‘distrusted everyone,’ acquaintance says

The mass shooting suspect, 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, filed for divorce from his then-wife in 2005, according to court filings. The judge approved the divorce in 2006.

It appears he worked as a professional trucker for at least 20 years. He was the chief executive officer of a San Gabriel-based business called Tran’s Trucking Inc., established in 2002 and dissolved in 2004, according to incorporation filings.

Tran was found dead on Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a van in Torrance, about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park, according to police. No motive for the massacre has been determined. According to law enforcement sources, Tran had no known criminal history.

Tran’s former tenant and longtime acquaintance, who wished to remain unnamed, told ABC News that the suspect was a regular at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, where the massacre unfolded, and Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio, where Tran entered with a gun later that night and was disarmed by a good Samaritan.

He told ABC News that Tran liked to dance but that he didn’t have many friends at either of the dance studios.

He said Tran “distrusted everyone.”

He added, “I wouldn’t say he was aggressive, but he just couldn’t get along well with people.”

He said Tran spent his nights mainly alone, but would offer women free lessons in the dance studio. He said that upset the owner and staff instructors, who made their living on paid lessons.

“I think there was tension between Tran and those instructors,” he said.

In 2015, the former tenant filed a small claims case against Tran, claiming Tran owed $750 to him, court records show. He explained that he filed the lawsuit because Tran had refused to pay him his security deposit. He told ABC News that he did not serve Tran in the suit, but he did serve his co-owner of the property, Janine Liu. ABC News reached out to Liu but has not heard back.

Jan 23, 12:31 PM EST
Devastated family of 65-year-old victim speaks out

Mymy Nhan, a 65-year-old woman killed in the Monterey Park dance studio mass shooting, “spent so many years” going there to dance on weekends, her family said.

“It’s what she loved to do,” the family said.

“We are starting the Lunar New Year broken. We never imagined her life would end so suddenly,” her family said. “Her warm smile and kindness was contagious. She was a loving aunt, sister, daughter and friend. Mymy was our biggest cheerleader.”

Jan 23, 11:30 AM EST
Rep. Chu’s message to community: Go to Lunar New Year celebrations

Rep. Judy Chu, a Democratic congresswoman who represents Monterey Park, told ABC News’ GMA3 that she wants to know the gunman’s motive for Saturday night’s massacre that claimed 10 lives.

“For him to do this right after we had our opening celebration of Lunar New Year was just horrific. There were thousands of people that were only one block away celebrating this very, very important holiday,” she said. “It was a joyous time that immediately turned to tragedy.”

Chu said the community is “beginning the healing process.”

“It’s been a horrific 24 hours. People were so fearful and anxious about an active shooter being out there in the community,” she said.

The suspect was found dead on Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a van in Torrance, about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park, according to police.

“My message to the community is: you are safe,” Chu said. “And it’s so important for people to heal and to go to the Lunar New Year celebrations that they have been looking forward to all year long.”

Chu added, “The feelings of Asian Americans are very raw right now because we’ve just come from three years of anti-Asian hate due to COVID.”

“In fact, the reason that everybody was so enthusiastic about this Lunar New Year is that it was on hiatus for three years due to COVID. This was the first time it was being done in three years where everybody was together and in person,” she said. “So it should have been a wonderful time for our community.”

Jan 23, 10:53 AM EST
Ten slain victims all in their 50s, 60s or 70s

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office has released the names of two women killed in the mass shooting: 65-year-old My Nhan and 63-year-old Lilan Li.

The names of the other eight people killed have not yet been released. The coroner’s office has only identified them as a woman in her 50s; two women in their 60s; two men in their 60s; and three men in their 70s.

Jan 23, 9:51 AM EST
Governor visits Monterey Park

California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted photos of his Sunday visit to Monterey Park.

He said he met with “leaders and those impacted by this terrible tragedy” and called their strength “incredible.”

“No other country in the world is terrorized by this constant stream of gun violence,” the Democratic governor tweeted. “We need real gun reform at a national level.”

Jan 23, 8:42 AM EST
Suspect had no documented criminal history

Authorities have found no criminal history for the suspect in the Monterey Park mass shooting, ABC News has learned.

Investigators are still looking into a possible motive, including domestic violence.

-ABC News’ Josh Margolin and Alex Stone

Jan 23, 7:36 AM EST
‘Something came over me,’ says man who disarmed shooter

The man who disarmed the Monterey Park mass shooter recalled how “something came over me” during an interview Monday on ABC News’ “Good Morning America.”

“I realized I needed to get the weapon away from him,” Brandon Tsay said. “I needed to take this weapon, disarm him or else everybody would have died.”

Jan 23, 7:01 AM EST
Dance studio releases statement

The dance studio in Monterey Park where Saturday’s mass shooting took place has released a statement.

“What should have been a festive night to welcome the first day of the Lunar New Year turned into a tragedy. Our heart goes out to all the victims, survivors, and their families,” Star Dance Studio said in a Facebook post late Sunday. “In this time of healing, we hope that all those who were affected have the space to grieve and process what transpired within the last 24 hours. In the meantime, all classes will be canceled and studio will be closed until further notice.”

Jan 23, 5:31 AM EST
Survivor says longtime dance partner was among those killed

Shally was dancing the jive with her longtime dance partner on Saturday night when a gunman entered the studio and opened fire.

“We go to hide under the table,” Shally, who only provided her first name, recalled during an interview with Los Angeles ABC station KABC. “I think [my partner] had got shot already but not realized yet.”

Shally said she saw the gunman leave to get more bullets. When he returned, he reloaded the gun and opened fire again, she said.

“I said, ‘Lie down.’ We all lied down,” Sally told KABC.

Shally said the shooter then fled the scene and she turned to her partner, who she realized was unconscious. She tried to wake him but then saw her hands were covered in blood, she said.

“I thought I got shot too,” she told KABC.

Shally said she then realized that her partner had been shot in the back and the blood on her hands was his, from when they were holding each other in fear while hiding under the table.

“‘Wake up, wake up,'” she recalled telling her partner. “He was dead.”

Shally, who did not want to share the name of her dance partner, said he was a good friend and that they had danced together every week for about 10 years. She described him as a 62-year-old Asian man who didn’t have any family and said he was also friends with her husband, whom she married a couple years ago.

“He’s a nice guy,” she told KABC of her dance partner. “We love to dance.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Half Moon Bay mass shooting updates: Workplace violence believed to be motive

Half Moon Bay mass shooting updates: Workplace violence believed to be motive
Half Moon Bay mass shooting updates: Workplace violence believed to be motive
Kali9/Getty Images

(HALF MOON BAY, Calif.) — Seven people were killed on Monday in a mass shooting at two locations in Half Moon Bay, California, authorities said.

One person was also taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.

The suspect, 67-year-old Chunli Zhao, is in custody. Workplace violence is believed to be the motive, authorities said.

This is the state’s second mass shooting in three days.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jan 24, 7:17 PM EST
‘Only in America do we see this kind of carnage’: Newsom

California Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to Half Moon Bay on Tuesday, offering strong words after three mass shootings have rocked the state in recent days.

“It’s said all the time — only in America,” Newsom said during a press briefing. “No. 1 in gun ownership, no. 1 in gun deaths, it’s not even complicated.”

“The one common denominator are these damn guns,” he continued. “I’ve got no ideological opposition to someone owning gun responsibility. But what the hell is wrong with us that we allow these weapons of war and large-capacity clips out on the streets or sidewalks? Why have we allowed this culture, this pattern to continue?”

Newsom applauded California’s gun safety measures, though said, “One state can’t do it alone,” and criticized the Republican party for blocking gun safety reform “every step of the way.”

“Only in America do we see this kind of carnage, this kind of chaos, this kind of destruction of communities and lives,” Newsom said.

Five men and two women were killed in the Half Moon Bay shooting. A male survivor is currently hospitalized in stable condition, authorities said.

The workers were shot “execution-style,” California Rep. Anna Eshoo said. The sheriff’s office did not provide any further details amid the investigation.

Jan 24, 12:41 PM EST
Workplace violence believed to be motive

Workplace violence is believed to be the motive for a gunman who opened fire at two Northern California farms on Monday, killing seven and injuring one, authorities said.

All victims — seven men and one woman — were adults, authorities said. The victims were of Asian and Hispanic descent, authorities said.

The suspect’s semi-automatic handgun was legally purchased, authorities said.

The suspect, 67-year-old Chunli Zhao, worked at one of the shooting locations, Mountain Mushroom Farm, but it’s unclear what connection he may have had with the victims beyond being co-workers, authorities said.

Zhao was not known to police, according to authorities.

Zhao is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday. Prosecutors will review the case and decide on charges, officials said.

The coroner’s office is working to notify the victims’ next of kin, but authorities said it’s difficult to reach families because some victims are migrants.

-ABC News’ Alex Stone

Jan 24, 8:15 AM EST
Biden calls for federal assault weapons ban after California mass shootings

President Joe Biden released a statement on Tuesday in the wake of the deadly mass shootings in Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park, California.

“Jill and I are praying for those killed and injured in the latest tragic shooting in Half Moon Bay, California,” Biden said. “For the second time in recent days, California communities are mourning the loss of loved ones in a senseless act of gun violence.”

“Following a briefing from my homeland security team, I have directed my administration to ensure local authorities and the broader Half Moon Bay community have the full support of the federal government in the wake of this heinous attack,” the president added.

On Monday, two days after another deadly mass shooting in Monterey Park, Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Murphy reintroduced a federal ban on assault weapons as well as legislation that would raise the minimum purchase age to 21. In his statement on Tuesday, Biden said that while “we await further details on these shootings, we know the scourge of gun violence across America requires stronger action.”

“I once again urge both chambers of Congress to act quickly and deliver this Assault Weapons Ban to my desk, and take action to keep American communities, schools, workplaces, and homes safe,” the president said.

Jan 24, 2:04 AM EST
Farm principal says alleged gunman unfamiliar

Aaron Tung, principal at Concord Farms, one of the locations where the shooting took place, said the company wanted to thank the community for the “outpouring of thoughts and support.”

“We thank law enforcement for their swift response and actions. Concord Farms is a family owned and operated mushroom farm at this location for 37 years,” he said in a statement.

Tung added, “With no past knowledge with this gunman or his motives, we are shook and very eager to gain more information from the authorities and their investigations. Our hearts are with the victims, their families and the Chinese American community—from Half Moon Bay to Monterey Park.”

Jan 23, 11:01 PM EST
Semi-automatic handgun found in suspect’s car: Sheriff

San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said a semi-automatic handgun was found in the suspect’s car.

The suspect, 67-year-old Chunli Zhao, is cooperating and being interviewed, the sheriff said.

Zhao is believed to have acted alone, Corpus said.

Jan 23, 10:53 PM EST
‘Our hearts are broken’: San Mateo County official

The gun violence in the U.S. is at “completely unacceptable levels,” and it “really hit home tonight,” San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President Dave Pine said Monday. “Our hearts are broken.”

“But in the end, there are simply too many guns in this country,” Pine said. “And there has to be a change. This is not an acceptable way for modern society to live its conduct its affairs.”

Jan 23, 10:37 PM EST
Shooting took place at two separate nurseries, victims thought to be workers: Sheriff

San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said the department was dispatched at 2:22 p.m. local time with reports of a shooting in unincorporated San Mateo County with multiple victims.

At the first location, four people were found dead with gunshot wounds and a fifth person was taken to the hospital and is in critical condition, Corpus said during a press briefing Monday.

Shortly afterward, three additional victims were found dead at a separate location about a mile away, the sheriff said.

Both locations are nurseries, large rural properties, and some people live on site; children witnessed the shooting, Corpus said. The victims are thought to be workers.

The suspect is thought to be a farm worker, Corpus said.

The motive and the relationship between the victims and the suspect are unknown at this time. The suspect is cooperating and being interviewed, Corpus said.

Jan 23, 10:11 PM EST
San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office identifies suspect

The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office has identified the suspect as 67-year-old Chunli Zhao, a Half Moon Bay resident.

The sheriff’s office located his vehicle at 4:40 p.m. local time in the parking lot of the Sheriff’s Office Half Moon Bay Police Substation, the department said in a press release.

Zhao was taken into custody without incident, the sheriff’s office said, adding that he is believed to have acted alone.

A weapon was found in his vehicle, authorities said.

Jan 23, 9:35 PM EST
Biden has been briefed on San Mateo County shooting, White House says

President Joe Biden has been briefed on the mass shooting in San Mateo County, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted Monday night.

“He has asked federal law enforcement to provide any necessary assistance to the local authorities. As more details become available, the President will be updated,” she wrote.

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle

Jan 23, 9:35 PM EST
Sheriff’s office responded to shooting incident ‘with multiple victims’

The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office tweeted that it responded to a shooting incident “with multiple victims in the area of HWY 92 and the HMB [Half Moon Bay] City limits,” later adding that a suspect is in custody and there is “no ongoing threat to the community at this time.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.