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Fauci warns omicron cases ‘likely will go much higher’

December 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — As the “extraordinarily contagious” omicron variant surges across the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that COVID-19 cases will likely continue to climb.

“Every day it goes up and up. The last weekly average was about 150,000 and it likely will go much higher,” Fauci told ABC This Week co-anchor Jonathan Karl.

While Fauci said studies show omicron is less severe in terms of hospitalizations, he stressed, “we don’t want to get complacent” because “when you have such a high volume of new infections, it might override a real diminution in severity.”

“If you have many, many, many more people with a less level of severity, that might kind of neutralize the positive effect of having less severity when you have so many more people,” he explained. “And we’re particularly worried about those who are in that unvaccinated class … those are the most vulnerable ones when you have a virus that is extraordinarily effective in getting to people.”

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced a plan to distribute 500 million free at-home rapid tests to Americans beginning in January. The tests will be delivered by mail to Americans who request them. A website to request the tests will launch in January, according to the administration.

But the omicron surge created a massive rush for tests as Americans prepared to see relatives for the holidays, and they instead faced empty pharmacy shelves and massive test lines.

On Wednesday, ABC News’ World News Tonight anchor David Muir, asked Biden if that was a failure.

“I don’t think it’s a failure,” Biden replied in the exclusive interview. “I think it’s — you could argue that we should have known a year ago, six months ago, two months ago, a month ago.”

“I wish I had thought about ordering” 500 million at-home tests “two months ago,” he told Muir.

Biden added “nothing’s been good enough” when it comes to the availability of at-home tests.

When Karl asked about the comments, Fauci admitted to This Week he is frustrated with at-home test availability and said “we’ve obviously got to do better.”

“The beginning of the year, there were essentially no rapid point of care home tests available. Now, there are over nine of them and more coming,” Fauci said. “The production of them has been rapidly upscaled, and yet because of the demand that we have, which in some respects, Jon, is good, that we have a high demand because we should be using testing much more extensively than we have.”

“But the situation where you have such a high demand, a conflation of events, omicron stirring people to get appropriately concerned and wanting to get tested as well as the fact of the run on tests during the holiday season — we’ve obviously got to do better,” he continued. “I think things will improve greatly as we get into January. But that doesn’t help us today and tomorrow.”

Karl also asked about the FDA last week granting emergency authorization to both Pfizer and Merck’s antiviral pills to treat COVID-19.

“Is this really the breakthrough that you’ve been waiting for?” Karl questioned.

“That’s part of the comprehensive approach to this outbreak. Vaccines and boosters, masks and now very importantly, a highly effective therapy is really going to make a major, major difference,” Fauci replied. “We’ve just got to make sure that there’s the production of enough of that product that we can get it widely used for those who need it as quickly as possible.”

“I assume that will be a top priority going forward, right? I mean, possibly including Defense [Production] Act … and the like?” Karl pressed.

“Absolutely, Jon, absolutely,” Fauci said. “We’ve got to get that product into the mouths of those who need it.”

Only 61.7% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to CDC data. Many Americans remain against COVID-19 vaccines over one year into their use.

The omicron surge doesn’t appear to sway unvaccinated Americans. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll this week, just 12% percent of unvaccinated Americans polled said the variant makes them more likely to get a vaccine.

Former President Donald Trump showed his support for vaccinations, who has spread conspiracy theories about vaccines and didn’t get vaccinated publicly, showed his support for COVID-19 vaccines in a Wednesday interview with The Daily Wire’s Candace Owens, saying, “The results of the vaccine are very good. … People aren’t dying when they take the vaccine.”

Karl asked Fauci whether Trump’s supporters might listen to that message.

“I think that his continuing to say that people should get vaccinated and articulating that to them, in my mind is a good thing. I hope he keeps it up,” Fauci responded.

Fauci also said he was surprised when Trump was booed by some of his supporters in Texas last weekend after the former president revealed he’d gotten his booster shot.

“I was stunned by that,” Fauci said. “I mean, given the fact of how popular he is with that group, that they would boo him, which tells me how recalcitrant they are about being told what they should do.”

NYC entertainment industry workers worry about future amid show cancellations

December 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — With the number of COVID-19 cases surging in New York, workers in the entertainment industry, many of whom are freelancers, are worried about the prospect of another shutdown.

At least 12 Broadway shows have canceled performances due to performers and staff testing positive. Three Broadway shows, “Jagged Little Pill,” “Waitress” and “Thoughts of a Colored Man,” announced they will close their doors permanently, after detecting multiple positive COVID-19 cases.

While understanding of the precautions, entertainment workers — many of whom have been in a precarious position for nearly two years as the live performance industry has been heavily impacted by the pandemic — are left worried this holiday season about their financial futures, especially without the safety net of benefits that had been provided in 2020.

“Eliminating the ushering salary would take a huge hit on anyone’s finances. I don’t think anyone’s really doing this just for fun, they’re doing it because they really need the money,” Rachel, an usher for a Broadway show who did not want her last name or the name of her employer used, told ABC News.

The production Rachel works for has not yet canceled a performance during this surge, and she said she feels confident in the safety protocols in place, including regular testing and indoor mask mandates, especially given the number of people she interacts with at work. But, given the rapid spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant, Rachel is still worried about the prospect of shows getting canceled.

“It’s just inevitable. It’s just a matter of time at this point. With how things are spreading, to me, it seems almost impossible to avoid,” said Rachel.

When the pandemic first hit, Rachel said she was put on furlough and was able to take advantage of unemployment benefits until the industry reopened. These pandemic-era unemployment benefits — a federal supplement on top of states benefits — are no longer available.

The prospect of shows closing again scares Rachel, who said she, like many of her colleagues, needs to work another part-time job along with ushering to cover her costs.

“It would be probably devastating because it would be a matter of going back on to unemployment in order to get paid. But at this point, there are no pandemic-like increases for the unemployment, so [it] would definitely not be enough for me to cover my expenses,” Rachel said.

Though she needs the money she gets from ushering, she said she would feel more comfortable if workers would be able to take a temporary break through the holidays.

“Would it have prevented any spread? I don’t know. Would it make me feel better? Yes. Would I lose lots of money? Yes,” Rachel said.

Elizabeth, who asked that her last name be withheld, is a freelance opera singer and has had several performances at Carnegie Hall canceled this week due to people testing positive for COVID-19, many despite being fully vaccinated and boosted. She said one of her colleagues will be missing all her Christmas shows. Christmas season is usually a high-volume time for musicians with many holiday shows going on.

Elizabeth and her wife, Sara, who both currently work in the entertainment industry, were able to stay afloat during the pandemic because of an accounting job Sara had.

Sara, who also asked that her last name be withheld, took the accounting job just before the pandemic hit and stayed there for a year. Due to her fibromyalgia, the job left her feeling burned out and sick. She left that position and took a six-month break when Elizabeth’s work started to pick up.

Elizabeth, who still had a part-time teaching job throughout most of the pandemic, lost a large portion of her income because of shutdowns. That left her only qualifying for six weeks of unemployment benefits.

During the six months Sara had taken off work, the two burned through savings they had.

“We weren’t expecting it to be bad again. We’ve just started rebuilding, financially,” Sara said. “I took this job, and she’s finally getting work again. And now we’re starting to see her first cancellation was this week.”

Three of Elizabeth’s shows this week were canceled, in addition to two more shows in January.

“It’s definitely scary. Because this time if things shut down again, we don’t have a safety net,” Sara said.

The couple said they would not be able to afford losing any of their pay.

Even now, their finances are very tight and they are having to cut costs on essential things, like health care. Sara should be going to the doctor every month for checkups but she hasn’t been since September.

“I’m getting medication still, but I’m not seeing the doctor as much as I should. I just haven’t been going,” she said. “We’re crossing our fingers and hoping nothing bad happens.”

COVID-19 live updates: Israel begins testing fourth vaccine dose

December 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 816,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 61.7% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

Dec 27, 7:23 am
Israel begins testing 4th vaccine dose

Medical staffers at Tel HaShomer hospital near Tel Aviv, Israel, have begun receiving a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose.

About 150 staffers were taking part in the trial, which began on Monday morning. They’ll be monitored for a week.

The Ministry of Health has yet to announce a final decision on a fourth jab. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office last week said on Twitter that it had instructed the government to “prepare for an extensive operation.”

“This is wonderful news that will assist us in getting through the Omicron wave that is engulfing the world,” Bennett said in a statement.

-ABC News’ Bruno Nota

Dec 27, 7:27 am
New York subway scales back service amid COVID surge

Subway trains in New York City will run less frequently than usual this week amid a spike in COVID-19 cases.

“Like everyone in New York, we’ve been affected by the COVID surge,” New York City Transit Authority officials wrote on Twitter.

Officials said the subway was dealing with staff shortages and service would be scaled back until Thursday.

“We’re taking proactive steps to provide the best, most consistent service we can,” officials said on Twitter. “That means you may wait a little longer for your train.”

Dec 27, 2:58 am
Australia records first omicron death, as daily cases top 10,000

A man in his 80s who died near Sydney, Australia, was the country’s first known death linked to the omicron variant, health officials said on Monday.

“The man was a resident of the Uniting Lilian Wells aged care facility in North Parramatta, where he acquired his infection,” New South Wales health officials said in a news release. “He had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and had underlying health conditions.”

The country’s new daily cases topped 10,000 on Sunday, local media reported on Monday.

In New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, new coronavirus infections dipped to 6,324 on Sunday, down from a record 6,394 new cases on Christmas Day, according to health officials.

Bidens’ Christmas message recognizes those ‘who have lost loved ones’ during pandemic

December 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden honored those grieving loved ones lost during the pandemic in their joint message to Americans on Christmas Day.

The Bidens evoked classic Christmas themes, such as “the promise of hope and renewal” during “this season of joy,” but acknowledged that many are practicing “finding light in the darkness, which is also perhaps the most American of things to do.”

“We pray for you to find strength from sorrow and purpose from pain,” the Bidens said.

During their first Christmas in the White House, the Bidens reflected on the “enormous courage, character, resilience” displayed by Americans in the past year, lauding those who “show how our differences are precious and our similarities infinite.”

“This sacred season is yet another reminder that we are a great nation because we are a good people,” they wrote.

The president and first lady later met virtually with service members to thank them for serving far from home on Christmas.

Commander, the Bidens’ new German shepherd puppy, lied on the couch between them during the meeting.

The Bidens also spread Christmas cheer on Friday by visiting children at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., the first time in history a sitting president accompanied the first lady on the traditional Christmas Eve outing, according to the White House.

Also on Friday, the Bidens called into the phone line run by the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, which tracks Santa Claus’ path across the globe. During the call, a father directed a vulgar insult toward the president.

The man, who identified himself as “Jared,” spoke to the Bidens about his children before saying, “Let’s go, Brandon,” before the call ended. The statement, popular among conservatives who oppose the president, has become code for the phrase, “f— Joe Biden,” stemming from a reporter misinterpreting a chant after a NASCAR race.

The Bidens attended mass virtually on Friday, according to a White House official. They attended the Christmas Eve mass from the White House’s East Room, the official said.

Two years into the pandemic and amid another surge in positive cases with the highly transmissible omicron variant, Biden told ABC News World News Tonight anchor David Muir in an exclusive interview earlier this week that “nothing’s been good enough” when it comes to the availability of at-home coronavirus tests.

The Biden administration has purchased 500 million at-home tests to distribute to Americans for free, but they will not be available until after the new year.

Biden expressed regret to Muir for not ordering the tests sooner, saying he wished he would have thought to do it two months ago.

Desmond Tutu, South Africa’s archbishop and Nobel laureate, dies at 90

December 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(CAPE TOWN, South Africa) — South Africa’s Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, an anti-apartheid activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, died on Sunday. He was 90.

“The passing of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is another chapter of bereavement in our nation’s farewell to a generation of outstanding South Africans who have bequeathed us a liberated South Africa,” Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s president, said in a statement.

Tutu, a crusader for equality and racial justice, died in Cape Town, South Africa, the president’s office said.

He rose to global prominence as a leader of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, struggling against a political and social system of minority rule that he saw as cruel and unjust. Amid a violent and turbulent time, Tutu was known for his sermons calling for non-violent action. He was awarded The Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.

“Tutu was saluted by the Nobel Committee for his clear views and his fearless stance, characteristics which had made him a unifying symbol for all African freedom fighters. Attention was once again directed at the nonviolent path to liberation,” according to the prize committee.

After apartheid ended in 1994, Tutu chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a body whose daunting mandate called for investigating the country’s history of oppression, applying justice where necessary and helping the entire population step as one into a brighter future.

Under Tutu, the commission sought a middle ground between launching courtroom trials for “all perpetrators of gross violations of human rights” and total amnesty for them, Tutu wrote in a memoir, No Future Without Forgiveness, published in 1999. The commission granted amnesty to those who offered full disclosures of the crimes committed.

“Our nation sought to rehabilitate and affirm the dignity and personhood of those who for so long had been silenced, had been turned into anonymous, marginalized ones,” Tutu wrote. “Now they would be able to tell their stories, they would remember, and in remembering would be acknowledged to be persons with an inalienable personhood.”

In leading the commission, Tutu “touchingly and profoundly demonstrated the depth of meaning of ubuntu, reconciliation and forgiveness,” Ramaphosa said on Sunday.

“Desmond Tutu was a patriot without equal; a leader of principle and pragmatism who gave meaning to the biblical insight that faith without works is dead,” he said. “We pray that Archbishop Tutu’s soul will rest in peace but that his spirit will stand sentry over the future of our nation.”

Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born on Oct. 7, 1931, in Klerksdorp, South Africa.

He was a teacher in South Africa before becoming a priest, a vocation that led him to study at King’s College London in the mid-1960s. He moved between the United Kingdom and South Africa for the next decade, holding teaching and theological leadership positions, according to the college.

St. Mary’s Cathedral in Johannesburg appointed Tutu as dean in 1975, making him the first Black priest to hold the position. Ten years later, he became the first Black bishop of Johannesburg. He was named archbishop of Cape Town a year later, elevating him to the highest position in the Anglican hierarchy in Africa, according to a biography posted by King’s College.

“On behalf of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, the whole faith community, and I make bold to say, on behalf of millions across South Africa, Africa and the world, I extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Nomalizo Leah, his son, Trevor Thamsanqa and to his daughters, Thandeka, Nontombi and Mpho. And all of their families,” Thabo Makgoba, Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, said in a statement on Sunday.

On the morning of April 27, 1994, when all South Africans were allowed to enter voting booths, a day that would mark both the end of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela as president, Tutu rose early at the archbishop’s complex in Cape Town, he wrote in his memoir.

He drove from his residence in a “leafy upmarket suburb” to Gugulethu, deciding “that I would cast my vote in a ghetto township,” an action he described as symbolic.

“How do you convey that sense of freedom that tasted like sweet nectar for the first time? How do you explain it to someone who was born into freedom? It is impossible to convey,” Tutu wrote. “It is ineffable, like trying perhaps to describe the color red to a person born blind. It is a feeling that makes you want to cry and laugh at the same time, to dance with joy, and yet fearful that it was too good to be true and that it just might all evaporate. You’re on cloud nine.”

Daunte Wright’s parents speak out after verdict for former officer Kim Potter

December 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The parents of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man killed by police during a chaotic traffic stop in Minnesota earlier this year, spoke out after a former officer was convicted of manslaughter in his death.

Katie Bryant, Wright’s mother, said she could “never forgive” former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter, who was found guilty of first- and second-degree manslaughter charges Thursday.

“When they read first guilty my heart dropped and I let out a wail and buried my head in his chest. Tears of joy,” said Bryant.

Potter, who was a 26-year veteran on the force and training officer, claimed that she mistook her service weapon for her Taser during a traffic stop on April 11, 2021.

The 49-year-old had pleaded not guilty to both manslaughter charges. During the trial, Potter delivered emotional testimony in her own defense, saying that she “didn’t want to hurt anybody.”

“Never. I could never forgive that woman. She took my son away from me,” said Wright’s father, Aubrey Wright, on “Good Morning America.”

The mostly white Minnesota jury, which was composed of six men and six women, deliberated for nearly 27 hours over the course of four days to reach both guilty verdicts.

The trial took place at the Hennepin County District Court in Minneapolis which is the same courthouse where former officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty in the murder of George Floyd.

Dozens of people had gathered outside of the courthouse on Thursday to support Wright and his family. Bryant said that the verdict is a small step toward justice.

“For us, as a family, it gives us a sense of hope that police in America won’t be able to pull a gun instead of Taser and there hopefully will be no other Dauntes,” said Bryant.

Potter was immediately taken into custody on Thursday without bail.

The maximum sentence for first-degree manslaughter is 15 years and a $30,000 fine, and for second-degree manslaughter, it’s 10 years and a $20,000 fine.

Potter’s sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 18.

ABC News’ Kiara Alfonseca contributed to this report.

COVID-19 live updates: New York sees record-smashing 44,431 daily cases

December 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.3 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 815,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 61.7% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

Dec 24, 1:25 pm
Another outbreak reported on cruise ship

A COVID-19 outbreak has been reported on the South Florida-based cruise ship Carnival Freedom as Florida sees a massive surge in cases.

Carnival said a “small number” of people tested positive and are in isolation, but the cruise line did not disclose how many.

All passengers were vaccinated and tested ahead of the trip, Carnival said.

Carnival Freedom left Miami on Dec. 18 and stopped in Curacao on Dec. 21. Stops in Bonaire and Aruba were canceled but instead the ship will visit Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic on Friday, Carnival said.

The ship will return as planned to Miami on Dec. 26, Carnival said.

This is the third cruise ship outbreak this week. On Thursday, Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas ship reported 55 positive cases, days after setting sail from Florida. On Saturday, Royal Caribbean’s arrived in Miami with at least 48 confirmed cases, according to The Miami Herald.

ABC News’ Will Gretsky, Mina Kaji

Dec 24, 12:44 pm
UK breaks case record for 3rd day in a row

The United Kingdom recorded 122,186 new cases in the last 24 hours, according to official government data, setting a new record high for the third day in a row.

The U.K. has recorded 707,306 cases in the last week — a 48.2% jump from the previous week.

London has the highest proportion of cases for any region in England, with one in 20 people testing positive last week, according to new interim data from the U.K.’s Office for National Statistics.

ABC News’ Ibtissem Guenfoud

Dec 24, 11:36 am
New York sees record-smashing 44,431 cases in 1 day

New York state has set yet another daily case record with 44,431 new positive COVID-19 cases, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday. This comes as New Yorkers seek testing in record numbers ahead of the holidays.

This breaks Thursday’s record high of 38,835 cases.

The governor on Friday also announced new return-to-work guidelines for critical workers who test positive. If a critical worker has tested positive but is vaccinated, they can return to work after five days if they are asymptomatic or no longer have symptoms.

In New York state 95% of adults have had at least one vaccine dose, Hochul said, but she stressed that one dose isn’t enough.

ABC News’ Alexandra Faul, Will McDuffie

Dec 24, 11:18 am
Delta cancellations continue into the weekend

Delta’s flight cancellations are continuing into the weekend, with the airline citing “a combination of issues,” including weather and omicron.

“Up to 200 of 3,004 flights on Saturday may be canceled, and up to 150 are expected for Sunday,” Delta said.

So far on Christmas Eve there are 331 canceled flights between Delta, United and Alaska Airlines.

ABC News’ Mina Kaji

Dec 24, 9:39 am
White House to lift travel restrictions on southern African countries

The travel restrictions on eight southern African countries, put in place by the White House when omicron emerged, will be lifted on Dec. 31, according to a senior administration official.

This decision was recommended by the CDC for two reasons, the official said: vaccines and boosters have been determined to help prevent severe disease from omicron; and omicron is already prevalent in the U.S. and around the world so travel from those eight countries won’t have a major impact on U.S. cases.

Dec 24, 8:43 am
New record highs set in Illinois, Ohio, New York, New Jersey

New York and New Jersey set record case highs again on Thursday with 38,835 and 18,660 new daily cases respectively.

The new high came as New York saw a record high for testing as people check their status before seeing relatives for the holidays.

Illinois and Ohio also shattered pandemic case records Thursday with 18,942 and 15,989 new cases respectively, according to ABC Chicago station WLS and ABC Cincinnati affiliate WCPO.

Until this week, Ohio hadn’t seen over 12,000 daily cases since January, WCPO reported.

In response to the case surge in Cook County, Illinois, which encompasses Chicago, customers must show proof of vaccine inside restaurants, bars, gyms and entertainment venues beginning Jan. 3.

Dec 24, 8:19 am
Hawaii Bowl canceled

Friday’s Hawaii Bowl has been canceled after the University of Hawaii pulled out.

“The recent surge in COVID-19 cases has forced us to not participate in the game,” the university’s athletics director, David Matlin, said in a statement.

The team in a statement cited “COVID issues within the program” as well as “season-ending injuries and transfers.”

Friday’s game was supposed to be against the University of Memphis.

US to lift Southern African travel restrictions

December 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The temporary travel ban placed on eight Southern African countries will be lifted by the New Year, the White House announced Friday.

The restrictions were initially issued Nov. 29 in an effort to curb the spread of the new COVID-19 omicron variant. It limited travel for all non-U.S. citizens coming from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.

White House Assistant Press Secretary Kevin Munoz tweeted Friday saying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the change now that we know vaccines and boosters are effective against the variant.

The restrictions will be lifted the morning of New Year’s Eve.

Gabby Petito’s parents start foundation to counter domestic violence, find missing persons

December 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Gabby Petito’s parents and stepparents have established a foundation in her name aimed at fighting domestic violence and finding missing people.

The 22-year-old Petito went missing during a cross-country trip with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, and was later found killed in Wyoming. Laundrie, who was named a person of interest in the case, but never charged with her death, disappeared three days after Petito was reported missing by her family and was later found dead. His death was ruled a suicide.

Petito’s disappearance and death due to strangulation started a nationwide conversation on domestic violence.

“I don’t want to see this happen to another person. I know that we can’t save everybody, but I think that this — just awareness alone is giving people the strength,” Petito’s mother Nichole Schmidt said in an interview that aired on “Good Morning America.”

The foundation said it has already donated $50,000 to the Aware Foundation, Safe Space and the National Domestic Violence Hotline, all foundations with similar missions to fight domestic violence and help find missing persons.

The hotline said in a news release that in just over two months, it has been able to help more 300 people who contacted them after visiting the Petito Foundation website.

“If we can even be a small piece of support network for somebody else in a similar situation and try to just help them get through it, that’s it goes a long way,” said Jim Schmidt, Petito’s stepfather.

Despite saying they will never get closure in the case of Petito’s tragic death, they said their foundation’s work gives them hope.

“She’s doing a lot of good and she’s touched a lot of people,” said Joe Petito, Gabby Petito’s father.

On the eve of their first Christmas without their daughter, Gabby Petito’s mother said some days can be harder than others.

“We have our days where we just need to shut down and take a moment. But … the whole goal is prevention and helping other young people,” Nichole Schmidt said. “We hope that we save lives and in Gabby’s name and because of what happened to her, that that gives us a lot of hope.”

‘Tragic’: Teen apparently killed by stray police bullet in LA Burlington dressing room identified

December 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — The 14-year-old girl believed to have been killed by a stray police bullet in a dressing room in Los Angeles was identified by the local coroner — a death the city’s police chief called “tragic.”

Two people were fatally shot in the incident, when officers opened fire during a confrontation with a suspect at the clothing store, police said.

The 14-year-old girl was identified by the LA County Coroner on Friday as Valentina Orellana Peralta. The coroner did not provide any further information regarding cause of death, but police said Thursday that preliminarily they believed she was struck by one of the rounds fired by officers at the suspect.

“This chaotic incident resulting in the death of an innocent child is tragic and devastating for everyone involved,” Chief Michel Moore said in a statement. “I am profoundly sorry for the loss of this young girl’s life and I know there are no words that can relieve the unimaginable pain for the family.”

The incident occurred shortly before noon Thursday at a Burlington store in North Hollywood, where police responded to reports of an assault with a deadly weapon, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

While searching for the suspect, “the officers encountered an individual who was in the process of assaulting another, and an officer-involved shooting occurred,” LAPD Capt. Stacy Spell told reporters during a news briefing.

The male suspect was shot by police and declared dead at the scene, LAPD said.

Police found the teenage victim during a search for additional suspects and victims and she was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Officials said the dressing room was directly behind the suspect and out of the officer’s view.

“At this time we believe it was a round coming from an officer,” LAPD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi told reporters Thursday evening.

The identity of the suspect has not been released.

A third person, a woman, was also injured during the alleged assault, Spell said, and was transported to the hospital. Investigators were still determining the extent and nature of her injuries.

It is also unclear if there was any connection between her and the suspect, Choi said.

Investigators were still determining what prompted the officers to open fire and what the alleged weapon was. Police have not found a gun during the search of the area at this time, Choi said.

“We’re at the very preliminary stages of this investigation,” Spell said. “There’s still a lot of surveillance video to review, there are witnesses to interview.”

Investigators will also be looking at police body-worn camera footage, which was on during the incident, Choi said. The officers involved in the shooting also still need to be interviewed, he said.

A Burlington spokesperson said the company is supporting authorities during the ongoing investigation.

“At Burlington, our hearts are heavy as a result of the tragic incident that occurred today at our North Hollywood, CA store,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Our top priority is always the safety and well-being of our customers and associates.”

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