Idaho college murders: Other friends were in house when 911 call made, police say

Idaho college murders: Other friends were in house when 911 call made, police say
Idaho college murders: Other friends were in house when 911 call made, police say
Heather Roberts, ABC News

(MOSCOW, Idaho) — Police in Moscow, Idaho, said Sunday that other friends were in the house when a 911 call was made following the fatal stabbings of four University of Idaho students a week ago, but couldn’t say how many.

The 911 call was placed last Sunday at 11:58 a.m. reporting an unconscious person, police said. Two victims were found on the second floor and two on the third floor, according to police.

Two female surviving roommates were at the house at the time and were not hurt, Moscow Police Chief James Fry has said. Police said Friday that they don’t believe the two surviving roommates are involved in the crime, which authorities reiterated Sunday.

The 911 call was made from one of the two surviving roommates’ phones, according to police, who would not disclose who made the call but said that person was not considered the killer.

There are no suspects in custody.

The victims, who were killed in a house near campus in the early morning hours on Nov. 13 and found hours later, were identified as Ethan Chapin, 20, of Conway, Washington; Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Xana Kernodle, 20, of Avondale, Arizona, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho.

The coroner has identified all four victims and their cause of death as homicide by stabbing, police said Sunday.

Police have said the victims were likely sleeping at the time of the attack, and each was stabbed multiple times, citing the coroner. Some victims had defensive wounds, but there were no signs of sexual assault, police said.

University of Idaho President Scott Green on Sunday addressed safety in the wake of the horrific incident, saying they have ramped up security and are working to accommodate students who don’t feel safe on campus.

“We fully appreciate and share the frustration of our students, employees, parents and community members who continue to push for answers. While we wait for answers in the investigation, we’ve ramped up our security safety practices in our listening to students and supporting them in any way possible,” Green said.

“The police continue to inform us that they believe this was a targeted attack. But we recognize this is not good enough for some of our students who will want to complete their semester remotely until the person who committed the crime is in custody,” he continued.

“In addition to the campus-wide precautions being taken, we offer the following security, safety and security feature features in our residence halls,” Green said. “We will continue our Safe Walk available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All residence halls are locked 24 hours a day and only accessible by students that live in the building. All guests must be accompanied by a resident of the building.”

Police on Friday also released a map and timeline of the whereabouts of the victims in the hours before the killings.

Goncalves and Mogen — lifelong best friends — were in downtown Moscow the night of Nov. 12 while Chapin and Kernodle — who were dating — were at the Sigma Chi house, police said.

At about 1:40 a.m., Goncalves and Mogen were seen on video at the Grub Truck food vendor, and then they got a ride home from a private party, arriving at 1:45 a.m., police said. Authorities said Friday that the man seen in the Grub Truck surveillance video with the victims is not believed to be involved in the crime.

Chapin and Kernodle also got home around 1:45 a.m., police said. Chapin didn’t live in the house where they were killed but was sleeping over with his girlfriend, according to his mother, Stacy Chapin.

Police are searching for leads and urge anyone who saw “suspicious behavior, has video surveillance, or can provide relevant information” to call the tip line at 208-883-7180 or email tipline@ci.moscow.id.us.

ABC News’ Marilyn Heck, Izzy Alvarez and Flor Tolentino contributed to this report.

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5 migrants dead, 5 missing after boat capsizes off coast of Florida

5 migrants dead, 5 missing after boat capsizes off coast of Florida
5 migrants dead, 5 missing after boat capsizes off coast of Florida
Valeria Ferraro/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

(KEY WEST, Fla.) — Five migrants have died and another five are missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Florida, the US Coast Guard said in a statement.

A group of migrants was traveling in a homemade boat when it capsized 50 miles off the coast of Little Torch Key, Florida, authorities said. Winds were 30 miles per hour on Saturday and the seas were 6 to 8 feet in the swell.

The Coast Guard said nine people were rescued because they were wearing life jackets, while four died almost immediately upon capsizing and one died after the incident.

“For individuals residing in the US seeking information on a family member possibly intercepted by the Coast Guard, please contact your local government representative,” the Coast Guard said.

The Department of Homeland Security, including Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, has warned migrants not to make the journey from the central triangle countries because it is incredibly dangerous and will result in some dying.

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What we know about the Colorado Springs mass shooting victims

What we know about the Colorado Springs mass shooting victims
What we know about the Colorado Springs mass shooting victims
Aston Family

(COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.) — A bartender was one of the victims killed in a mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado late Saturday night, ABC News has learned.

Five people were killed and 25 were injured after a gunman began shooting inside Club Q in Colorado Springs as soon as he walked in, Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez told reporters during a news conference Sunday morning.

Police identified the suspect as Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22. At least two people, whom authorities described as heroes, then confronted Aldrich and fought with him, which saved more lives, police said.

At least two guns, including a long one, were recovered from the scene, police said. The shooting is now being investigated as a hate crime.

Here’s what we know about the victims so far.

Daniel Davis Aston, 28

Daniel Davis Aston was one of the victims who lost their lives in the shooting at Club Q on Saturday, his mother, Sabrina Aston, told ABC News.

Sabrina Aston said her youngest son was the youngest of the family, calling him amazing. She said he moved to Colorado from Oklahoma, where he was able to make friends quickly, largely because of his personality.

ABC News’ Julia Jacobo and Kevin Shalvey contributed to this report.

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Colorado club shooting updates: Suspect named after 5 dead, dozens injured at LGBTQ nightclub

Colorado club shooting updates: Suspect named after 5 dead, dozens injured at LGBTQ nightclub
Colorado club shooting updates: Suspect named after 5 dead, dozens injured at LGBTQ nightclub
Timothy Abero/EyeEm/Getty Images

(COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.) — Five people were killed and dozens others were injured in a shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado, officials said.

The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, allegedly began shooting as soon as he walked into Club Q in Colorado Springs late Saturday night, Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez told reporters during a news conference Sunday morning.

At least two people, whom authorities described as heroes, then confronted Aldrich and fought with him, which saved more lives, police said.

The first 911 call came in at 11:56 p.m. Saturday and an officer was dispatched to the scene seconds later, Lt. Pamela Castro, spokesperson for the Colorado Springs Police Department, told reporters. The first officer arrived at midnight, and the suspect was detained by 12:02 a.m., Castro said.

At least two guns, including a long gun, were recovered from the scene, police said. The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime.

In addition to the five victims who died, at least 25 people were injured, according to Colorado Springs city officials.

Aldrich was injured and remains in the hospital, police said. His release will be determined by medical personnel, Castro said.

UCHealth Memorial Hospital North in Colorado Springs is caring for five patients who were injured in the shooting, according to a statement from the hospital.

Patients were also taken to UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central and Centura Penrose Hospital, according to the Colorado Springs Fire Department.

Officials are in the process of identifying the victims, Vasquez said.

Club Q, on North Academy Boulevard, hosts a weekly drag show and live DJ on Saturday nights, according to its website. The club described the shooting as a “hate attack,” saying it was “devastated by the senseless attack on our community.”

The club is a safe haven for the LGBTQ community, Vasquez said, adding that he is saddened and heartbroken by the attack that took place there.

Aldrich was arrested in a June 2021 bomb threat incident after the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office was alerted that he was in possession of a homemade bomb, law enforcement officers briefed on the investigation told ABC News.

He was charged with two counts of felony menacing and three counts of first-degree kidnapping, but no explosives were found in his home, Colorado Springs radio station KRDO reported.

Colorado’s red flag law, which went into effect in 2020, allows relatives, household members and law enforcement to ask a judge to order the seizure of a gun owner’s weapons if that owner is believed to be a risk to themself or others.

It is unclear whether the law would have stopped the suspect from targeting the club, El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder told ABC News.

Elder did not recall the circumstances surrounding Aldrich’s 2021 arrest, he said.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis tweeted in response to the attack that he is “horrific, sickened, and devastated.”

“My heart breaks for the family and friends of those lost, injured and traumatized in this terrible shooting,” he said, before thanking the first responders who “responded swiftly” to the shooting.

“Our prayers and thoughts are with all the victims and their families and friends,” the club said in a statement posted on Facebook. “We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack.”

President Joe Biden issued a statement in the wake of the shooting, saying that “the LGBTQI+ community has been subjected to horrific hate violence in recent years,” drawing comparisons to the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando.

“Places that are supposed to be safe spaces of acceptance and celebration should never be turned into places of terror and violence. Yet it happens far too often,” Biden said. “We must drive out the inequities that contribute to violence against LGBTQI+ people. We cannot and must not tolerate hate.”

Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper described the shooting as “horrendous,” tweeting that the LGBTQ community needs to be protected from “this hate.”

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet tweeted that he was “sending strength to those who were injured, the survivors, and Colorado’s LGBTQ community.”

“As we seek justice for this unimaginable act, we must do more to protect the LGBTQ community and stand firm against discrimination and hate in every form,” Bennett said.

“Our hearts are broken for the victims of the horrific tragedy in Colorado Springs, and their loved ones.” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement Sunday. “This unspeakable attack has robbed countless people of their friends and family and an entire community’s sense of safety. You can draw a straight line from the false and vile rhetoric about LGBTQ people spread by extremists and amplified across social media, to the nearly 300 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced this year, to the dozens of attacks on our community like this one.”

Other politicians also took to Twitter to express dismay over the attack. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., tweeted that he was “sickened and horrified” over the violence against the LGBTQ+ community.

“And devastating attacks like these will only become more common if we don’t fight back, Schiff wrote. “It must stop.”

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., tweeted that he was “deeply saddened and angered” but the senseless hate.

“We cannot, and will not, allow hate and violence to win,” Nadler wrote.

ABC News’ Jenna Harrison, Ahmad Hemingway, Josh Margolin, Amanda Morris, Bonnie McLean, Molly Nagle and Jennifer Watts contributed to this report.

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Man arrested for alleged threats against NYC Jewish community

Man arrested for alleged threats against NYC Jewish community
Man arrested for alleged threats against NYC Jewish community
Oliver Helbig/Getty Images/Stock

(NEW YORK) — A man was arrested Saturday for allegedly making threats against the New York City Jewish community, authorities said.

The 21-year-old man from Suffolk County, New York, made a series of increasingly concerning statements about attacking a synagogue in New York City, according to police sources.

The threat, which was uncovered Friday by NYPD counterterrorism officers and FBI agents, did not involve a specific synagogue, police said.

An intelligence alert was issued that included a photo of the man, identified as Christopher Brown, and stated that the individual had allegedly “made recent threats to unknown Jewish Synagogues in the New York Area.”

“Sharp-eyed” MTA police officers spotted the man entering Penn Station in Manhattan with another individual on Saturday, where he was found with a knife, according to NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell.

A subsequent search of an apartment where the suspect visited turned up an illegal Glock 17 firearm, sources said.

A 30-round magazine and several other items were seized in the search, police said.

“As a joint investigation now continues to establish a strong prosecution, Police Department commanders are strategically deploying assets at sensitive locations throughout New York City,” Sewell said.

Brown, of Aquebogue, New York, has been charged with making a terroristic threat, aggravated harassment and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

A second man, identified as 22-year-old Matthew Mahrer of Manhattan, has also been charged with criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the incident, police said.

Federal prosecutors are still considering additional charges, sources said.

It is unclear if the two men have an attorney who can speak on their behalf.

The arrests come more than two weeks after the FBI announced the “broad threat” to New Jersey synagogues on Twitter and urged people to “stay alert” and “take all security precautions.”

The FBI later said it identified the source of the threat made against an unspecified New Jersey-area synagogue. Once the young man was located, authorities realized there was no threat, sources said.

An 18-year-old man from Sayreville, New Jersey, was subsequently arrested and charged with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce, the Justice Department said.

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Memorial service for slain UVA football players to be held Saturday

Memorial service for slain UVA football players to be held Saturday
Memorial service for slain UVA football players to be held Saturday
Virginia Sports

(CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.) — The University of Virginia will host a public memorial service on Saturday to honor the three football players killed in a mass shooting earlier this week on the Charlottesville campus.

Lavel Davis Jr., and Devin Chandler, both wide receivers on the team, and linebacker D’Sean Perry were killed on Sunday when a gunman opened fire on a bus full of students returning home from a class field trip to see a play in Washington, D.C., university officials said. Two other students — Mike Hollins and Marlee Morgan — were injured, the school said.

A suspect — identified as 22-year-old UVA student Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a former walk-on player for the team — was taken into custody Monday morning following an overnight manhunt. A motive hasn’t been released.

The UVA football team was scheduled to play its final home game of the season on Saturday against Coastal Carolina University. The school announced the game will be canceled to instead host a memorial service as the community mourns the victims of the shooting.

The memorial service is scheduled to be held in the John Paul Jones arena at 3:30 p.m. local time and will also be livestreamed here.

“There’s nothing normal about what we’re going through as a community,” UVA President Jim Ryan said in a video message this week. “I hope you are taking care of yourselves, taking it easy on yourselves, and leaning on each other.”

Ryan said the football team’s decision to cancel the game was supported by the head football coach and the university’s athletic director.

“I’m ready for somebody to pinch me and wake me up and say that this didn’t happen,” the head football coach, Tony Elliott, said at a news conference earlier this week.

Elliott called the slain players three “beautiful, young, human beings” with “unbelievable” futures ahead of them.

The memorial service follows a silent vigil held at the campus on Monday night that was attended by hundreds.

In other tributes, members of UVA’s basketball team warmed up on Friday for a game against Baylor in Las Vegas while wearing shirts in memory of the three students.

A memorial decal honoring Chandler, Davis and Perry has also been worn on the helmets of college football players this weekend, including during Saturday’s Duke-Pittsburgh game.

The suspected gunman is facing three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of using a handgun in the commission of a felony, according to University of Virginia Police Chief Timothy Longo. Jones also faces two counts of malicious wounding and firearm charges in connection to the two other students, Albemarle County Commonwealth Attorney James Hingeley said.

Jones did not enter a plea at his first court appearance Wednesday. He is set to return to court on Dec. 8.

Amid the criminal investigation, Ryan said the school will conduct an external review of its interactions with the suspect to consider whether “we did all we could to prevent or avoid this tragedy.”

“This will likely take a while, but we will share — and act upon — what we ultimately learn,” he said in the message. “It’s possible, and perhaps likely, that we will never find one single thing that will explain this. It may also be that we never truly understand why this happened.”

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Why this man is running for mental health awareness

Why this man is running for mental health awareness
Why this man is running for mental health awareness
ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Among the many inspiring stories at this year’s New York City Marathon, one first-time marathoner was determined to make an impact on a cause very dear to his heart, running to raise awareness and defeat the stigma surrounding the struggle with mental health.

“The last couple of years have been so difficult for everybody,” said 32-year-old Chris Vetter of Port Washington, New York, who has struggled with anxiety since he was in high school. “I wanted to be a part of something bigger … that’s why I chose to run with a mental health charity.”

For Vetter it was personal. “My anxiety attacks were so bad, one time I actually thought I was dying. I thought the room was caving in and collapsing,” he said.

He said he was also deeply affected watching his twin sister’s battles with severe depression and bipolar disorder in high school and in college.

He gets emotional talking about her.

“A really big part for me is my twin sister. In high school she wasn’t going to school every day … I was sleeping on her pull-out bed couch in her bedroom, trying to figure out how do I make her happy, how do I make her feel different. She’s my twin sister. I still want her to be the happiest person she possibly can be every single day.”

Vetter raised money for Still I Run, a nonprofit running community that works to promote the benefits of running for mental health. He was selected from hundreds of applicants.

Still I Run CEO and director Sasha Wolff founded the nonprofit following her own battles with depression.

“After I was hospitalized for depression and anxiety, I found running,” she said. “I have not stopped running for my mental health since because it’s that sense of accomplishment, that confidence, there’s the chemical reaction going on in your brain.”

Exercise in general and running in particular have long been linked with positive health benefits. Serotonin, dopamine and endorphins are all hormones our bodies produce while running and are known to reduce anxiety and depression.

Licensed clinical social worker Cristen Van Vleet, a runner herself, talks to her clients about running for anxiety.

“Part of what happens when someone is anxious is … we get caught in our own head,” said Van Vleet. “When we get outside, things become larger than us. We have to focus on our breathing. We have to focus on our heart rate. It takes the focus off of the hamster wheel that has happened in our brain that puts us in an anxious state.”

Vetter said running has allowed him to “just be in my own zone. I can collect my thoughts.”

And he sees the parallels between running and mental health.

“Sometimes you’re running downhill and you can’t stop your legs and everything’s kind of snowballing downhill,” he said. “And then sometimes you’re running back uphill and everything’s going better. And then also sometimes you’re just on flat road and everything’s OK. But that’s life, too.”

The “Still I Run” team raised over $40,000 at the marathon.

“It feels amazing but the job’s not done … this is only the beginning just for my own personal journey and I want to continue on that mission,” Vetter said.

He now wants to spread the message of how running can really improve one’s mental state.

“At the end of the day, you feel better … you’re able to think about everything so much clearer. I encourage everybody to just get outside and run,” he said.

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Second gunshot victim found in search for 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre graves

Second gunshot victim found in search for 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre graves
Second gunshot victim found in search for 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre graves
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

(TULSA, Okla.) — A second gunshot victim was found among 32 new graves in the search for victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

The archeologists leading the search began a second round of excavation at Oaklawn Cemetery late last month and concluded the process Friday.

“That individual was buried with personal effects, including one shoe and keys,” Dr. Phoebe Stubblefield said during a press conference. “His manner of burial indicates haste or certainly the lack of consideration.”

This is the second victim found at the site with a confirmed gunshot wound.

Stubblefield is a forensic anthropologist who specializes in human identification and is leading the excavations that began at the cemetery in 2020. Experts have uncovered a total of 66 unmarked graves since the start of the search.

Forensic scientists in Tulsa will continue to examine the recently exhumed burials. DNA samples from those that meet the criteria of potential massacre victims will then be sent to Intermountain Forensics lab in Utah for further testing.

Intermountain Forensics was able to extract DNA from two of the 14 sets of remains sent to them last year.

The team in Tulsa needed to re-exhume the other 12 individuals during this latest search to get additional samples for testing.

The newly discovered burials will be kept above ground until the Utah lab confirms it has enough DNA to proceed with tests.

Historical documents and witness accounts from the 1920s indicate several black men killed during the massacre were placed in plain caskets and buried at Oaklawn Cemetery in unmarked graves. City officials say although the excavation is a significant step in the search for massacre victims, experts have not yet determined if the burials are from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

“We’re not looking for a needle in a haystack, we’re looking for a needle in a needle stack,” Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said.

About 1,200 Black residents lived in Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood in the early 1900s. The area was also home to hundreds of successful Black-owned businesses and became known as “Black Wall Street.”

On the evening of May 31, 1921, a confrontation between groups of white and Black residents prompted by the arrest of a young Black man named Dick Rowland who was accused of assaulting a white woman. The violence ended with an entire 35-block area burned to the ground.

Historians estimate that between 100 and 300 people were killed during the massacre. Many of the victims’ bodies have never been found.

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At least two dead amid potentially historic lake-effect snowfall in Western New York

At least two dead amid potentially historic lake-effect snowfall in Western New York
At least two dead amid potentially historic lake-effect snowfall in Western New York
John Normile/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — At least two people have died in connection with an “extreme” lake-effect snowstorm in western New York that could dump up to 6 feet of snow in the Buffalo region.

Two Erie County residents died from cardiac arrest “related to exertion during shoveling/snow blowing,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Friday.

A state of emergency has been declared for Erie County, which includes Buffalo, as the potentially historic snowstorm hits the region.

A countywide driving ban went into effect Thursday night, with only those authorized for emergency travel allowed to drive. It was temporarily lifted in Buffalo Friday morning, before being reinstated for the city, Poloncarz announced.

South Buffalo in particular has been hit “incredibly hard,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said during a press briefing Friday, prompting officials to reimpose the travel ban.

“We do not want any driving in that area at all,” Brown said.

A lake-effect snow warning is in effect through 1 a.m. Saturday for southern Erie County. A winter storm watch will be in effect from Saturday evening through Sunday afternoon.

At least 5 feet of snow is possible for parts of the region by Saturday morning, with snowfall rates of at least 3 inches per hour accompanied by lightning and gusty winds as high as 35 mph.

“This will produce near zero visibility, nearly impossible travel, damage to infrastructure, and paralyze the hardest-hit communities,” the National Weather Service warned.

The long-duration event brought intense bands of lake-effect snow across Buffalo and Watertown Thursday night. On Friday, the lake-effect band off of Lake Erie is forecast to shift slightly north and remain over Buffalo and the Southtowns, while the band off of Lake Ontario will remain slightly north and over the Watertown metro area, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

Parts of Erie County have already reported 4 feet of snow as of midday Friday. An additional 20 to 40 inches are likely between Dunkirk and Buffalo, for up to 6 feet of snow possible in some areas.

Region prepares for ‘dangerous’ conditions

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a state of emergency in 11 counties due to the storm, with hazardous travel conditions and lower power outages likely.

“This is considered an extreme event,” Hochul said during a press briefing Thursday morning. “That means it’s dangerous. That also means it’s life-threatening.”

Hochul said that conditions in Buffalo and other parts of western New York will be “very similar to 2014,” when the region saw upwards of 5 feet of snow during a deadly storm.

More than 350 plows, 5,700 utility crews and the National Guard have been deployed and are standing by, she said. Parts of the New York State Thruway also closed to commercial traffic starting at 4 p.m. Thursday.

“This can go on for a number of days,” Hochul said. “The cleanup is going to take some time.”

Schools in the region are preparing for closures on Friday due to the storm, including in Buffalo.

Erie County’s executive advised private businesses to close on Friday if the forecast holds.

“We are gonna have a doozy,” Poloncarz said during a press briefing on Wednesday.

The city of Buffalo has brought in private contractors to handle the snow in addition to state support, according to Mayor Brown.

“This is not the normal snow event that we get, so the public has to be patient,” Brown told reporters. “This is a major snowstorm.”

More than 100 plows were working at one point earlier Friday and more resources and private contractors will be brought in Saturday, city officials said.

Sunday’s game between the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns has been moved to Detroit due to the weather forecast, the NFL announced Thursday. The game was initially scheduled to be played at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

Lake-effect snow hitting several states

Lake-effect snow is common in the late fall and early winter along the downwind shores of the Great Lakes, which is caused by cold air flowing over the warmer waters of the Great Lakes.

In November 2014, more than 5 feet of lake-effect snow fell just east of Buffalo, in what was one of the most significant winter events in the city’s history, according to the National Weather Service. There were 13 fatalities due to the storm. A second lake-effect event days later dropped another 1 to 4 feet of snow in the same area, bringing the total from the two storms to nearly 7 feet.

Beyond New York, lake-effect snow is forecast for several states, including Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Buchanan, Michigan, has reported at least 13 inches of snow, while Gile, Wisconsin, was hit with over 22 inches of lake-effect snow.

ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke, Max Golembo, Victoria Arancio, Matt Foster and Brian Hartman contributed to this report.

 

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Idaho college murders: Police release new timeline, map of victims’ final hours

Idaho college murders: Police release new timeline, map of victims’ final hours
Idaho college murders: Police release new timeline, map of victims’ final hours
Kaylee Goncalves/Instagram

(MOSCOW, Idaho) — Police in Moscow, Idaho, on Friday released a map and timeline of the whereabouts of four University of Idaho students in the hours before they were stabbed to death.

The victims, who were killed in a house near campus early Sunday morning and found hours later, were identified as Ethan Chapin, 20, of Conway, Washington; Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Xana Kernodle, 20, of Avondale, Arizona; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho.

Police said they have no suspects.

Goncalves and Mogen — lifelong best friends — were in downtown Moscow Saturday night while Chapin and Kernodle — who were dating — were at the Sigma Chi house, police said.

It’s believed they were killed between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. Sunday, Moscow Mayor Art Bettge told ABC News.

Chapin didn’t live in the house where the four were killed, but was sleeping over with his girlfriend, according to his mother, Stacy Chapin.

Police are searching for leads and urge anyone who saw “suspicious behavior, has video surveillance, or can provide relevant information” to call the tip line at 208-883-7180 or email tipline@ci.moscow.id.us.

Two other female roommates were home at the time of the stabbings, and they were not hurt, Moscow Police Chief James Fry said on Wednesday. It was not a hostage situation, he added.

The roommates were home when police responded to a call for an unconscious individual at the home at about noon, Fry said. The roommates were not the 911 callers, according to Idaho State Police spokesman Aaron Snell.

The surviving roommates have not been ruled “in or out at suspects,” Snell said Thursday, adding that they’re “working and talking with detectives, and they have been cooperative — very cooperative.”

“Potentially they are witnesses, potentially they are victims,” Snell said, adding that the roommates could be “the key to this whole thing.”

Fry said the four students were killed in “an isolated, targeted attack”.

Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt told ABC News that it appears all four were killed with a large knife and each student was stabbed more than once. There is no indication of any sexual assault, she said.

Latah County prosecuting attorney Bill Thompson told ABC News that authorities have “more information on the nature and location of the wounds” than they are releasing publicly.

He said police are not releasing certain details of the crime because there’s some information that only the suspect would know.

The murder weapon was not left at the scene, officials said.

Snell did not reveal what type of knife was used in the killings but said authorities are going to local businesses to see if anyone recently purchased a fixed-blade knife.

Snell described it as “a very complex and in-depth investigation.”

As for having no suspects nearly a week later, Snell said, “It’s very frustrating … we would have loved to have solved this [immediately].”

Thompson said it’s unusual to not have a suspect or motive at this point, and noted that this case has brought in more resources and manpower to Moscow than he’s ever seen in his 30 years as prosecutor.

“I wish we had the answers,” he said.

Goncalves and Mogen had been best friends since childhood and “did everything together,” Goncalves’ sister, Alivia Goncalves, told ABC News. She said she finds some solace that the friends were together in their final moments.

Although Fry described the attack as “targeted,” he said Wednesday, “We cannot say there is no threat to the community.”

Former FBI agent and ABC News contributor Brad Garrett thinks the surviving roommates are the “key” in the investigation, but he doesn’t think they are suspects.

“It’s a small town. The likelihood that they know who that person was in the house, I think, is reasonable,” Garrett said Thursday morning.

In terms of the investigation, Garrett said, “police appear to be stymied based on their own comments.”

For police, Garrett said the next steps are: “You really are going to have to do a complete detail of the party that was prior to whatever was going on between 3 and 4 o’clock at the victim’s house. … Who followed them home? Who has been taking whom? Who have had issues with people? This killer didn’t all of a sudden show up at this house — he knew this house.”

ABC News’ Kayna Whitworth, Nick Cirone and Timmy Truong contributed to this report.

 

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