News

(NEW YORK) — Kentucky state Sen. Karen Berg went viral last month for an impassioned speech in the Senate chambers against the state’s new law that bans abortions after 15 weeks, calling the legislation a “medical sham.”

Now that the bill is the law of the land, the Democratic senator told ABC News Live on April 15 that she will continue to raise her voice as the controversial legislation faces lawsuits.

“I don’t really understand how your morals could possibly think that is the appropriate thing to do,” she told ABC News, regarding the new abortion law.

The state bill went into effect on April 13 after the GOP-led legislature overturned Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto. Under the new rules, any physician who performs an abortion after 15 weeks would lose their license for at least six months.

The bill allows for exceptions if there is a medical emergency in which continuing the pregnancy would result in “serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function” or “death of the pregnant woman.” There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

The bill’s proponents have argued that abortion is morally wrong, including Kentucky’s Republican attorney general, Daniel Cameron, who said the bill was meant “to protect life and promote the health and safety of women.”

During the March 10 vote, Berg scolded the legislators who signed onto the bill for ignoring the personal choices of a pregnant woman.

“What you are doing is…putting your knee, putting a gun to women’s heads. You’re killing them,” she said.

Berg told ABC News that the speech wasn’t prepared and came about from her frustrations on the number of state legislatures in the country that choose “to ignore what is safe for women, to ignore what women want, and sometimes need for their own safety, and instead insert their own moral values that have nothing to do with health care.”

“That, honestly, is such an overreach of what government is supposed to be doing,” Berg said.

She recalled that her father, a surgeon, taught her how dangerous backstreet abortions can be, and was baffled as to why lawmakers would reduce access to safe options.

“I have actually seen what it looks like inside of a woman who is dying from sepsis, from a botched illegal abortion,” Berg said.

The bill also changed the regulations for prescription drugs used for medication abortions, which is a nonsurgical procedure typically used up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy.

In order for a physician to provide the medication, they must have hospital admitting privileges in “geographical proximity” to where the abortions are being performed, give the patient an in-person examination 24 hours before the medication abortion and cannot mail the drugs.
MORE: Oklahoma passes bill that would make it a felony to perform abortions

Berg said all of the clinics that provide medication abortion have had to shut down because they cannot comply with the new regulations.

“We do not have the system,” she said.

Two federal lawsuits were filed April 14 by abortion advocates, including Planned Parenthood, arguing that it is “impossible to comply” with the new regulations and the new law resulted in “unconstitutional ban on abortion in Kentucky.” Cameron said in a statement he would defend the law, reiterating that the “General Assembly passed HB 3 to protect life and promote the health and safety of women.”

Berg said she is unsure how the lawsuit will play out, especially since the Supreme Court is slated to make a decision on a case that challenges a similar 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi.

“How is this going to play out? Well, a lot of it’s going to depend on the Supreme Court decision. There is a lot, a lot riding on that decision,” she said.

ABC News’ Mary Kekatos contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(ORLANDO) — Operator error is suspected as the primary cause in the death of a 14-year-old boy who slipped out of his seat on a drop-tower ride at a Florida amusement park and plunged to the pavement, officials said Monday.

Nicole “Nikki’ Fried, the Florida commissioner of agriculture and consumer services, announced the findings of a forensic engineer’s field investigation report on the March 24 incident that killed Tyre Sampson of St. Louis, Missouri, at Orlando’s ICON Park.

Fried said the report showed the operator of the park’s FreeFall ride, the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower at a height of 430 feet, “made manual adjustments to the ride resulting in it being unsafe.”

The report by Quest Engineering & Failure Analysis, Inc., said manual manipulations were made to the seat Sampson was sitting in to allow the harness restraint opening to be loosened, apparently to accommodate the more than 300-pound teenager. Fried said the harness restraint opening was “almost double that of a normal restraint opening range.”

Fried said the adjustment by the individual operator, who was not identified in the report, enabled the FreeFall’s sensor lights to illuminate, “improperly satisfying” the ride’s electronic safety mechanisms and enabling the ride to operate “even though Mr. Sampson was not properly secured in his seat.”

“This report answers the question of what mechanically took place as our investigation now enters into the next phase of how and why it occurred as we look toward potential penalties along with any changes of rules and regulations needed to help prevent future tragedies,” Fried said at a news conference.

The report showed the average restraint opening for other seats on the ride was 3.33 inches, which is considered “normal.” Sampson’s seat was adjusted before the ride started to an opening of 7.19 inches, the report found.

“During slowing of the ride, Tyre Sampson slipped through the gap between the seat and harness” and fell to his death, according to the report.

The forensic engineer who wrote the report said his conclusions were partly based an examination of the ride, video of the incident and a reenactment using two individuals, one 6-foot-3, the other 6-foot-5, and both weighing between 200 and 300 pounds.

“During our investigation, two individuals were positioned in a seat with an opening ranging from 6 to 10 inches. Both individuals were able to slip through the restraint opening without assistance,” according to the report.

The forensic engineer’s investigation concluded that the ride “did not experience a mechanical or electrical failure.”

The report also found there “are many other potential contributions to the cause of the accident,” but did not elaborate.

Fried did not take questions from reporters and said she is declining further comment until the investigation is completed.

She said the FreeFall ride will remain closed indefinitely.

Fried said she spoke to Sampson’s parents prior to the news conference to inform them of the forensic engineer’s report.

State Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, said at the news conference that the manufacturer’s guidelines for the FreeFall specifically say the maximum weight of the rider is 250 pounds.

“Tyre Sampson weighed in excess of 300 pounds. So, yes this is outside of the manufacturer’s guidelines,” Thompson said.

Thompson said she was “very disturbed” by the report. She said she has been in contact with the Sampson family’s attorney, Ben Crump.

“As you might imagine, the family is in shock,” Thompson said. “You send your 14-year-old son away for spring break and he does not return alive. So, they’re in shock.”

ICON Park said in a statement to ABC News on Monday that it was “deeply troubled” by the findings of the report.

“We are deeply troubled that the preliminary findings of the State’s investigation indicate a sensor on the Orlando FreeFall attraction, which is owned and operated by the SlingShot Group, had been mis-adjusted after the sensor was originally secured in place,” the statement said. “ICON Park is committed to providing a safe, fun experience for families. We will continue to support the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services with their ongoing investigation.”

SlingShot Group, the ride’s operator, did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment on Monday.

The company said in a statement following Sampson’s death that it was “heartbroken” about the incident and was cooperating with authorities and ride officials in the investigation.

ABC News’ Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — In the aftermath of a mass shooting at an Airbnb rental house that left two 17-year-old boys dead and eight people wounded, neighbor Leonard Verdetto described what he said was “rapid fire” followed by panicked party-goers flooding out of the residence.

The episode erupted early Sunday morning across the street from Verdetto’s Pittsburgh home and was one of three mass shootings in the United States over the Easter weekend, including two in South Carolina at a mall and a restaurant.

The Gun Violence Archive, a website that tracks shootings across the nation, has tallied 139 mass shootings in the country in the first 107 days of 2022.

“When we heard the bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, we looked out the window and people were running out the door and screaming, yelling, crying,” Verdetto told ABC affiliated station WTAE in Pittsburgh of the shooting that broke at the Airbnb house being used for a party in his East Allegheny neighborhood on the city’s North Side.

When Verdetto’s wife went to look out a window to see what the commotion was, he said he yelled, “Get away from the window!”

“I could see the flashing of the shots coming out the windows because we look across at the windows,” Verdetto said. “I said, ‘Holy mackerel, that’s really rapid fire.’ I said, ‘Man, with all that shooting there’s got to be a lot of dead people over there. It was lucky it was only two.”

More than 90 shots were fired, including 50 inside the home, where the Pittsburgh Police Department said more than 200 people were attending a party. Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert said at a news conference Sunday that the gunfire started after an “altercation” and confirmed that multiple shooters engaged in a gunfight.

Besides the 10 people shot, including the two slain teenagers, another five party-goers suffered broken bones and cuts attempting to escape the gunfire, some by jumping from windows, Schubert said.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased as Mathew Steffy-Ross and Jaiden Brown, both 17. No arrests have been made and investigators were working Monday to identify suspects.

“They all come tearing out and they were falling over, crying. There were a lot of young girls,” Verdetto said. He added that prior to the shooting, he noticed mostly young people lined up outside the house.

“There was a long line getting into the building. I said, ‘Wow, where are all them people going?'” Verdetto said. “And then I’d come back again and come back again and the line was still going and going. I said, ‘I don’t know how they get all them people in there.’ And I mean, it was a lot of people in there.”

The owner of the Airbnb rental has not been identified.

The shooting marked the third time in nine days that gunfire erupted during parties being held at Airbnb rentals, including one near Sacramento, California, which left a teen dead, and another that rocked a suburban Houston residential neighborhood.

Airbnb said a statement to ABC News that the person who booked the Pittsburgh house has been issued a lifetime ban from Airbnb. The company confirmed that an “unauthorized party” was thrown without the knowledge or consent of the house host, who specifically stated in the listing page that no parties were allowed and that any evidence of a party would result in a $500 fee.

Airbnb said on Monday it is taking legal action against the person who booked the Pittsburgh rental.

“Airbnb strictly bans parties, and we condemn the behavior that is alleged to have prompted this criminal gun violence and the tragic loss of life. Yesterday we confirmed the booking guest has been issued a lifetime ban from Airbnb, and today we can confirm that we plan to pursue affirmative legal action against this individual,” Airbnb said in a new statement on Monday, adding that the company is cooperating with the Pittsburgh Police Department’s investigation.

Following the shooting, Verdetto said his grandson pointed out numerous vehicles in the neighborhood with shattered windows, and walls of nearby homes and businesses pockmarked with bullet holes.

“I’m just glad I’m here,” Verdetto said.

ABC News’ Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — South Carolina police have arrested a second suspect in the mall shooting that injured more than a dozen people and are continuing a manhunt for a third.

The Columbia Police Department has obtained an arrest warrant for 21-year-old Amari Sincere-Jamal Smith, Police Chief Skip Holbrook announced in a press briefing Monday afternoon, asking for anyone who sees him or knows of his whereabouts to call 911.

Marquis Love Robinson, 20, was arrested Monday on aggravated assault and attempted murder charges. Both he and Smith live in Columbia, Holbrook said.

At least 15 people ranging in age from 15 to 73 were injured Saturday when gunfire erupted at the Columbiana Centre mall in Columbia, Holbrook said. Nine people sustained gunshot wounds, while six people were injured in another manner, Holbrook said, adding that one victim remains in intensive care.

Investigators do not believe that it was a random act of violence, Holbrook said Saturday.

“We don’t believe this was random,” he said after the shooting. “We believe the individuals who were armed knew each other.”
MORE: 9 injured in shooting at South Carolina restaurant, police say

Jewayne M. Price, 22, was arrested Saturday on a charge of unlawful carrying of a pistol and has since received upgraded charges of aggravated assault and attempted murder, Holbrook said.

Holbrook called on lawmakers to do more work to ensure gun safety in the country, saying the “availability of firearms on the street for people that have illegal intentions or nefarious intentions to use those firearms against others” has gotten out of control.

“Something’s got to change,” he said Monday. “We need our legislators to legislate. We need more accountability for people that illegally carry firearms.”

ABC News’ Will McDuffie and Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(OHATCHEE, Ala.) — Before showtime, pots and pans are some of the tools reenactor Tanya Haessly makes the most use of as a camp cook, feeding families and individuals taking part in a Civil War reenactment in Janney Furnace, Alabama.

Haessly and her kids sleep in a tent near the camp under the shadow of a Confederate flag — one of the many props used in the reenactment. Every morning, she builds up a fire to make breakfast and gets ready to welcome a new audience.

She told ABC News her job is to make sure history is told, and she wants her children to learn about what happened during the Civil War — especially when it comes to the Confederacy.

“Some people think that we’re racist for doing this,” she said. “I had people on the northern side. My mom was from Maine, my father was from the South. And so I had people on the northern side that died. I had people on the southern side that died.

“We’re just trying to portray history, and we have people of all races that fight for both sides because they did. So for me, this is history. I homeschool my children and this is a history lesson for them.”

Civil War battle reenactments have been taking place across the South since the 1960s. But reenactor Billy Pugh told ABC News that recently, they have been seeing a growing number of people interested.

“There were probably about three or four hundred spectators yesterday, so there were a good bit of people,” Pugh said. “They were lined up all the way around the road and up the hill to the flag yesterday.”

Some of these reenactors travel the country to tell the stories of their ancestors, and high school social studies teacher Jason Sumner expects to have a busy summer as the interest grows.

Sumner said the Civil War shaped the nation in many ways, and its ramifications can still be seen today. As an educator, he said the country doesn’t do enough with education to dig deep into the past, and he hopes people will remember the whole history behind the conflict.

“It’s so important that we don’t forget that and it is an offensive history, but it’s like I tell my students, it is well and good that history’s offensive because if it’s not, we will not develop that emotional connection to the past and we won’t learn from it,” Sumner told ABC News.

Along with his co-stars, Sumner will wear his uniform for six more performances in the spring alone. Depending on the battle, participants can portray Confederates one day, Union the next.

For Ron Carpenter, participating in the reenactment is not a hobby, but rather an homage to his ancestors who fought in the battles.

“If we don’t continue this, then my grandchildren and your grandchildren won’t have the option of learning exactly what happened, not the polished version, not the governmental version, but exactly what happened,” Carpenter said. “And that’s not fair to them.”

Pugh, whose son recently graduated school, said the version they show in the reenactments are not displayed in school, which gives him reason to continue spreading the history behind the Confederacy and his ancestors.

The importance of telling and sharing the Civil War history has grown over the past years since the rise of protests after the murder of George Floyd, according to the reenactors.

“When everything happened in 2020, I think what really pushed me to really want to go for the reenactments is to try to better help people understand the history,” Christopher Re, who has begun documenting the reenactments, said.

While they believe recent events have impacted the way people look back on the country’s racial history, many still resent seeing protesters tear down Civil War monuments.

“Not taking anything away from what happened in Minneapolis, I know that was a sad time, but I believe, you know, the monuments being removed and everything else was kind of like a spit in the face,” Re said.

Confederate monuments began being erected throughout the country shortly after the Civil War, but the majority took place around the 1900s during the Jim Crow era. Out of the 800 Confederate monuments and statues erected on public property across the country, 604 were dedicated before 1950 while 28 were built between 1950-1970 and 34 after 2000, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s research.

Since the protests took place, 73 Confederate monuments were removed or renamed from public spaces, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, with more than 700 remaining across the country. For many, the monuments represent racism and white supremacy during the Civil War, and when the future of slavery was being decided.

Martin O’Toole is a spokesperson for the Georgia Division Sons of Confederate Veterans. The group is suing, in some cases, to stop cities across the country from removing Civil War monuments from public spaces.

He told ABC News it should be acceptable for people in the South to honor and celebrate the Confederacy.

“When we have calls for diversity, it should include diversity of opinion as well,” O’Toole said. “And if people say they don’t like statues, put up their own statues, let all Americans have their say [about] what they want about their ancestors, their history and the like.”

O’Toole said he has been seeing a growing interest in joining the organization over the past few years.

“There’s more passion because they feel like they’re under attack and so that we are being told that they’re the most singularly wicked and evil people that have ever lived on the planet,” O’Toole said.

While the group celebrates and honors the history of the Confederacy, others, like Richard Rose, Atlanta Chapter President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, resent it due to its link to white supremacy.

Rose told ABC News, some people across the south are still fighting the Civil War since it ended more than 150 years ago.

“The bottom line is, obviously, the Civil War was fought on the premise that Blacks, in theory, are subservient to whites. And so every reenactment, every celebration continues to send that message,” Rose said.

He’s among Black leaders trying to remove the giant carvings of three Confederate generals at Stone Mountain in Atlanta.

“They should be completely covered and destroyed. They’re not works of art, and they are not historical,” Rose said.

But Abraham Mosley, the chairman at Stone Mountain, who is also African American, said the idea to destroy the carvings is a bad idea — and one very unlikely to happen.

“I have no problem with the carving. I have no problem at all,” Mosley told ABC News. “Removing that carving will not change people. The only thing that will change people is a change of heart.”

For Rose, monuments and reenactments honoring the confederacy are not a way to represent history.

“What country celebrates the failed insurrection against itself? And that’s what all of these … reenactments do,” Rose said.

But in the midst of the scalding sun in Alabama, in a field where rifles and cannons fire blank bullets and canisters for an audience, Haessly believes, regardless of the result of the war, it should be told.

“It’s still history. Win or lose, it’s still history. It’s still things that we need to remember,” she said.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.