‘Horrific’: Three dead, five hurt in Michigan State University shooting

‘Horrific’: Three dead, five hurt in Michigan State University shooting
‘Horrific’: Three dead, five hurt in Michigan State University shooting
kali9/Getty Images

(EAST LANSING, Mich.) — Three people are dead and five others are injured after a shooting at multiple locations on Michigan State University’s East Lansing campus Monday night, police said, and a suspect has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The injured victims have been transported to a hospital, MSU Police and Public Safety said during a press briefing. All five remain in critical condition, Chris Rozman, interim deputy chief, said during a press briefing.

Sparrow Hospital Communications Director John Foren confirmed to ABC News that the hospital received five patients from the shooting. Foren did not have an update on their conditions but said they’re not expecting any more patients.

There is no longer a threat on campus and the shelter-in-place order has been lifted, Rozman said. He identified the suspect as a 43-year-old man who was not affiliated with the university.

“He is not a student, faculty, staff,” Rozman said. “And we have no idea why he came to campus to do this tonight.”

Police initially received 911 calls of shots fired at 8:18 p.m. in Berkey Hall and located “several” victims there when responding, Rozman said. Police then received a report of another shooting and responded to the MSU Union building, where they found other victims, according to Rozman.

Two of the fatalities were at Berkey Hall and one was at the MSU Union building, Rozman said.

Police are still working to determine the suspect’s identity and possible motive, the interim deputy chief said.

“This is still a fluid situation,” Rozman said. “There are several different crime scenes that we’re processing with our state and federal partners, and still a lot of work that needs to be done.”

Police initially said there were “multiple reported injuries” at IM East, a fitness center on campus.

Police had said that “Brody Hall, Snyder/Phillips Hall, Mason Hall, Abbot Hall, Landon Hall, the MSU Union and Berkey Hall” have been cleared.

Rozman said police had received “multiple” calls from other buildings around the campus as the shooting unfolded. Officers responded, but didn’t find signs of incidents at those locations.

He said his department had begun collecting and analyzing security video from buildings around campus.

“There are surveillance cameras that are going to be useful and helpful in this investigation, that will aid our investigators in putting the pieces together and trying to understand a little more about what happened,” he said.

Authorities told students not to come to campus Tuesday, and that campus activities, including classes and athletics, are canceled for 48 hours.

The City of East Lansing had also tweeted that community members should shelter in place.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she has been briefed on the shooting, tweeting: “The Michigan State Police along with @msupolice, local law enforcement and first responders are on the ground. Let’s wrap our arms around the Spartan community tonight. We will keep everyone updated as we learn more.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Detroit division and FBI are on the scene.

This is the 67th mass shooting of 2023, the Gun Violence Archive said.

“Tonight has been horrific,” Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said early Tuesday.

He said he had heard from concerned community members throughout the region.

“We know that now we have to come together to heal,” Schor said.

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3 fishermen dead after falling through icy lake in Vermont: Police

3 fishermen dead after falling through icy lake in Vermont: Police
3 fishermen dead after falling through icy lake in Vermont: Police
Udo Henneböle/EyeEm/Getty Images

(BURLINGTON, Vt.) — Authorities in Vermont are warning ice fishers to stay off the ice of a lake after three people died in the last week.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department told people on Tuesday not to go on the ice at Lake Champlain while the area experiences warm weather.

According to Vermont State Police, 62-year-old Wayne Alexander died after falling through the ice on the lake on Thursday.

Officials found Alexander in the lake around 9:30 p.m. that night, where he was wearing a flotation device.

He was pronounced dead at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, police said.

According to law enforcement officials, two brothers, John Fleury, 71, and Wayne Fleury, 88, were killed after their utility task vehicle broke through the ice on Saturday.

Organizers of the 43rd annual Islands Ice Fishing Derby canceled the event in a post on Facebook on Saturday at the urging of the local sheriff’s department because of the conditions of the ice.

The area near Lake Champlain, which is located between New York and Vermont, has experienced warmer temperatures in recent weeks, according to the U.S. National Weather Service Burlington.

Montpelier and St. Johnsbury recently recorded their warmest January on record, according to NWS Burlington.

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Dozens of states on alert for wind, snow as 2 storms sweep across US

Dozens of states on alert for wind, snow as 2 storms sweep across US
Dozens of states on alert for wind, snow as 2 storms sweep across US
ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Two storm systems moving across the U.S. have placed 26 states, from California to Kentucky, under snow and wind alerts.

Winter storm watches and advisories are in effect for parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Kansas, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

Additionally, winter storm watches are also in effect for the central Rockies and into the Plains with heavy snow this week.

According to meteorologists, this week’s snow will reach more than a foot in parts of the Southwest and Northwest, including parts of Colorado, Oregon and Washington.

The first storm is expected to bring heavy rain from Dallas to Wichita on Tuesday morning, while there is also snow expected across the Pacific Northwest and Northern and Central Rockies.

By Tuesday evening, the storm will likely move into the upper Midwest to areas including St. Louis, Chicago and Minneapolis–Saint Paul, bringing with it rain and snow.

The second storm will likely move east on Wednesday and Thursday, delivering a threat for a severe weather outbreak across parts of the South to the Ohio Valley.

Millions of people from the Florida Panhandle to the Ohio Valley could see scattered severe weather on Thursday.

Americans living in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., will get a preview of spring as temperatures are expected to reach the mid-60s.

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U-Haul driver allegedly plows into people in Brooklyn, injuring 8 in ‘violent rampage’: NYPD

U-Haul driver allegedly plows into people in Brooklyn, injuring 8 in ‘violent rampage’: NYPD
U-Haul driver allegedly plows into people in Brooklyn, injuring 8 in ‘violent rampage’: NYPD
WABC-TV

(NEW YORK) — A U-Haul driver is in custody after allegedly striking eight people in a “violent rampage” in multiple locations in Brooklyn, New York, on Monday, according to NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell.

Four people have been hospitalized, two in critical condition and two in serious condition, the commissioner said at a news conference.

Four others suffered minor injuries, Sewell said.

One of the eight injured was a police officer who tried to stop the driver, she said.

“We have seven different locations to process,” the commissioner said.

The driver was identified by police sources as 62-year-old Weng Sor. He allegedly screamed that he wanted to die as he sped off and led police on a brief chase, according to a law enforcement official and a local councilman.

He allegedly fled from Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge neighborhood through Sunset Park before being apprehended a few miles away in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook, ending the 40-minute ordeal.

Police searched the truck and found nothing suspicious, sources said.

U-Haul said in a statement that the truck was rented for 30 days with a return date of March 3, and that the daily cost of the rental was paid in advance and on a valid contract.

“It was an in-town rental, meaning the equipment was supposed to be returned to the location from which it was dispatched,” U-Haul said. “Our customers provide valid identification/driver’s license, valid form of payment, and any additional forms of meaningful assurance our rental agents deem necessary to try to make certain our equipment will be returned in proper condition, and at the stipulated time and place. These criteria must be met before a transaction occurs.”

The company said it has no record of the suspect previously renting with U-Haul prior to this rental.

“U-Haul is working closely with law enforcement officials to meet their needs in this case. Any further details should come from law enforcement,” the company added.

There are no additional credible threats, according to the New York City mayor’s office.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she’s been briefed on the incident and that New York State Police are on the scene.

“I am praying for everyone who was injured today in Brooklyn,” Hochul tweeted. “Grateful for the swift response of @NYPDnews to apprehend the suspect and of our first responders to tend to those injured.”

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How many weather balloons are out there? Hundreds, it turns out

How many weather balloons are out there? Hundreds, it turns out
How many weather balloons are out there? Hundreds, it turns out
Caroline Brehman-Pool/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — With the recent shootdowns of “high-altitude objects,” there’s heightened awareness about what’s flying in U.S. airspace, especially weather balloons.

As it turns out, the skies are crowded.

How many weather balloons are there?

On any given day, nearly 1800 weather balloons are launched across the world, including 92 here in the U.S. and U.S. territories, according to the National Weather Service.

Each flight lasts around two hours, during which a balloon drifts up to 125 miles and can reach an altitude of 100,000 feet.

How are weather balloons useful?

According to the NWS, weather balloons are a key tool in forecasting.

Each weather balloon has a device about the size of a shoebox attached to it called a radiosonde. The radiosonde measures pressure, temperature and relative humidity during its flight.

The radiosonde sends data down to monitoring stations every one to two seconds, which also allows researchers to track wind speed and the balloon’s location.

Who tracks weather balloons?

The radiosonde allows the researchers operating the weather balloon to track it. Regulations from the FAA require the balloon’s operator to record the position every two hours.

Operators are also required to “provide traffic advisories to all affected aircraft … specifying the balloon’s known or estimated position, direction of movement, and altitude.”

ABC News aviation analyst and veteran airline captain John Nance said a weather balloon might show up on a radar, but because it doesn’t contain a lot of metal, it is harder for the radar to spot.

“Something slow moving that has very little metal in it will pop up on a regular radar as just a little noise,” Nance said. “In other words you might see it on the sweep and you might not see it for a couple other sweeps and then another sweep [the weather balloon] might pop up again.”

Are weather balloons dangerous for planes?

Weather balloons do pass through the 31,000 – 41,000 commercial airplane cruising altitude range, but are not expected to hover at that range, according to Nance.

“If it’s up there at 60,000 feet or above, there’s really no worry about it conflicting with air traffic unless it starts coming down,” Nance said.

The object shot down Sunday over Lake Huron was said to be floating around 20,000 feet.

“That is definitely right in the middle of air traffic,” Nance said. “You do not want something like that hanging around.”

What happens to a weather balloon?

After about two hours, most weather balloons burst, according to the NWS. The weather balloon can expand to 20 feet in diameter when it reaches bursting altitude.

The radiosonde has a parachute, allowing it to fall back to Earth safely. Each radiosonde also has a mailing bag and instructions on how to return it.

According to the NWS, about 15,000 radiosondes get returned each year out of 75,000 sent out. The government fixes and reuses returned radiosondes, which saves money.

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There were more toxic chemicals on train that derailed in Ohio than originally reported, data shows

There were more toxic chemicals on train that derailed in Ohio than originally reported, data shows
There were more toxic chemicals on train that derailed in Ohio than originally reported, data shows
Bengtsson, Hasse/Getty Images

(EAST PALESTINE, Ohio) — There were more toxic chemicals aboard the train that derailed in Ohio than originally reported, new data shows.

State health officials were initially concerned about the presence of vinyl chloride, a highly volatile colorless gas produced for commercial uses, which spilled after about 50 cars on a Norfolk Southern Railroad train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3 while traveling from Illinois to Pennsylvania. Other toxins, like phosgene and hydrogen chloride, were emitted in large plumes of smoke during a controlled release and burn, prompting officials to issue mandatory evacuation orders in a one-mile radius of the crash site.

A list of the cars that were involved in the derailment and the products they were carrying released by Norfolk Southern reveal several more toxic chemicals that were released into the air and soil following the crash.

Among the substances were ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate and isobutylene were also in the rail cars that were derailed, the list shows.

Contact with ethylhexyl acrylate, a carcinogen, can cause burning and irritation of the skin and eyes, and inhalation can irritate the nose and throat, causing shortness of breath and coughing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Inhalation of isobutylene can cause dizziness and drowsiness as well, while exposure to ethylene glycol monobutyl ether can caused irritation in the eyes, skin, nose and throat, as well as hematuria, or blood in the urine, nervous system depression, headache and vomiting, according to the CDC.

The toxins that burned in the wreckage had the potential to be deadly if officials did not order evacuations in the region, experts told ABC News last week. However, once the controlled burn was complete, the only risk of coming in contact with the toxins was if they were embedded in the soil, which then had to be dug out, Kevin Crist, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and director of Ohio University’s Air Quality Center, told ABC News last week.

The evacuation orders for the residents in East Palestine were lifted on Wednesday after air and water samples that were collected in the region were deemed safe.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has not detected any concerning levels of toxins in the air quality that can be attributed to the crash since the controlled burn was complete, the agency announced on Sunday.

“Residents may still smell odors from the site,” the EPA said, suggesting that those experiencing any symptoms call their medical provider.

The EPA has also screened 210 homes near the crash site and has not detected any levels of vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride, the agency said. As of Sunday, 218 homes still needed to be screened.

A lawsuit filed by two residents of East Palestine on Feb. 9 called for the rail operator to pay for medical screenings and related care for anyone living within a 30-mile radius of the crash site, as well as undetermined damages, The Associated Press reported.

Some of the toxins spilled into the Ohio River near the northern panhandle of West Virginia, causing officials to shut down water production in the area and transfer to an alternate source of water supply, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice told reporters during a news conference on Feb. 8.

While Justice emphasized that “everything is fine here” due to the immediate action from agencies like the state’s Department of Environmental Protection and the National Guard, water utility company West Virginia American Water is continuing to enhance its water treatment process as a precaution, according to the AP.

The water utility installed a secondary intake on the Guyandotte River in the event that they need to switch to an alternate water source, the AP reported.

A town hall has been scheduled to take place on Wednesday at 7 p.m. to allow residents to ask questions about the effects of the derailment, East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway announced in a press release on Sunday.

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Books about Black and Hispanic historical figures under review in Florida schools

Books about Black and Hispanic historical figures under review in Florida schools
Books about Black and Hispanic historical figures under review in Florida schools
Yalonda M. James/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) — Thousands of books in Duval County schools in Florida are subject to review due to three state laws impacting certain subjects in education, including race, gender and sexual orientation, according to county officials.

The books are under review based on several laws that restrict classroom topics, including the Stop WOKE Act and the Parental Rights in Education law, which was called the “Don’t Say Gay” law by LGBTQ activists.

A report by the anti-censorship group PEN America claims specific titles under review include books about historical Black and Hispanic figures like Robert Clemente, a Puerto Rican baseball player who became a Major League Baseball icon despite facing racism and segregation in his career.

A book about Celia Cruz, a Cuban singer known as the “Queen of Salsa,” was also removed from shelves, PEN America found, as well as a book about Hank Aaron, a Black baseball player who holds the second-highest total of home runs in history and was outspoken against racial discrimination, was another removal.

A story about Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the court, was also reported to be under review by PEN America.

Duval County school officials have not yet responded to ABC News’ request for comment and have not confirmed which titles are under review.

House Bill 1467, which has also prompted book reviews, prohibits books that contain “pornographic” content or are “inappropriate.”

The “Stop WOKE” Act restricts lessons and training on race and diversity in schools and in the workplace, particularly anything that discusses privilege or oppression based on race. WOKE in the bill stands for “Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees.”

The Parental Rights in Education law states instruction on “sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards,” according to the bill’s language.

According to Duval County officials, the Florida Department of Education is training “all Florida schools districts to ‘err on the side of caution’ in determining if a book is developmentally appropriate for student use.” The county joins at least one other in heavily scrutinizing its book collection based on state laws.

Manatee County schools are also set to “remove or cover all materials that have not been vetted” in classrooms, according to a copy of the guidance previously obtained by ABC News.

Across the country, schools and libraries are facing challenges to books, predominantly affecting titles written by or about people of color and LGBTQ people.

Florida’s comes amid a growing movement against certain lessons or discussions concerning marginalized groups in Florida classrooms.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration have also recently rejected an AP African American studies course because it is “inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value,” according to state officials. His administration has also vowed to remove funding from diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in higher education, as well as certain lessons on race.

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Significant portion of Chinese balloon payload recovered, US official says

Significant portion of Chinese balloon payload recovered, US official says
Significant portion of Chinese balloon payload recovered, US official says
Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — A crane ship on the scene where a Chinese surveillance balloon went down in waters off South Carolina has picked up a significant portion of the balloon’s payload that measured as much as 30-feet-long and had all of craft’s tech gear and antennas, a U.S. official said Monday.

Search and recovery efforts had to be halted at the end of last week because of bad weather and rough seas.

The U.S. military shot down the surveillance balloon on Feb. 4 after it flew across the country for several days.

With regard to other object shots down Friday and over the weekend, the official said the U.S. military continues to look for the remnants from the take out of the sky off the coast of Alaska

While the pilots who shot down that object saw pieces land on ice waters, the official said, the search continues for the debris field amid bad weather. The U.S. wants to pinpoint the exact location before it places personnel in dangerous icy conditions, the official said. A Navy P-8 search plane was in the sky looking for debris.

Concerning the object shot down over Canada, the official said, that country’s government is taking the lead but has not yet located the object’s debris.

And about the object shot down Sunday over Lake Huron in Michigan, the official said, the U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian authorities are still looking for the debris that landed on water.

Because there was a good visual of where it may have landed, there is confidence the remnants will be recovered.

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U-Haul driver allegedly plows into people in Brooklyn, injuring eight in ‘violent rampage’: NYPD

U-Haul driver allegedly plows into people in Brooklyn, injuring 8 in ‘violent rampage’: NYPD
U-Haul driver allegedly plows into people in Brooklyn, injuring 8 in ‘violent rampage’: NYPD
WABC-TV

(NEW YORK) — A U-Haul driver is in custody after allegedly striking eight people in a “violent rampage” in multiple locations in Brooklyn, New York, on Monday, according to NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell.

Four people have been hospitalized, two in critical condition and two in serious condition, the commissioner said at a news conference.

Four others suffered minor injuries, Sewell said.

One of the eight injured was a police officer who tried to stop the driver, she said.

“We have seven different locations to process,” the commissioner said.

The driver allegedly screamed that he wanted to die as he sped off and led police on a brief chase, according to a law enforcement official and a local councilman. He allegedly fled from Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge neighborhood through Sunset Park before being apprehended a few miles away in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook.

Police searched the truck and found nothing suspicious, sources said.

There are no additional credible threats, according to the New York City mayor’s office.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted that she’s been briefed on the incident.

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U-Haul driver in custody after allegedly hitting pedestrians in Brooklyn: Sources

U-Haul driver allegedly plows into people in Brooklyn, injuring 8 in ‘violent rampage’: NYPD
U-Haul driver allegedly plows into people in Brooklyn, injuring 8 in ‘violent rampage’: NYPD
WABC-TV

(NEW YORK) — A U-Haul driver is in custody after allegedly striking pedestrians in the Brooklyn, New York, neighborhood of Bay Ridge on Monday, law enforcement sources told ABC News.

At least four people are injured, according to sources.

The driver allegedly fled the scene in Bay Ridge before being apprehended in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook a few miles away, sources said.

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