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(WASHINGTON) — Ed Martin, a top DOJ official and director of the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group, on Wednesday withdrew his request to an attorney for a retired FBI agent who was among the first to respond to the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that suggested the agent could be under criminal investigation for testifying at the defamation trial of conspiracy theorist and Infowars host Alex Jones. 

Martin’s decision to retract his letter came after an admonishment from the Justice Department’s No. 2 official, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, a person familiar with the matter told ABC News. Blanche ordered Martin to rescind his letter to Mattei on Wednesday following growing backlash after Jones made it public on his X account Tuesday. 

“Dear Sir,” Martin said in the letter Wednesday to Christopher Mattei, the attorney for retired FBI agent William Aldenberg. “At this time, I write to inform you that there is no investigation of you or your client. Because of this, I hereby withdraw my request for information from you or your former client.” 

The reversal came a day after Jones posted a copy of the letter Martin had sent to Mattei requesting a series of responses about Aldenberg’s involvement in the lawsuit that resulted in a $1.4 billion judgment against Jones. 

“I am writing to request information from you regarding your client FBI Special Agent William Aldenberg and his role in certain litigation that may benefit him personally and that may impact our citizens and our legal system,” Martin wrote in the initial letter. “As you may know, there are criminal laws protecting the citizens from actions by government employees who may be acting for personal benefit. I encourage you to review those.” 

Jones had previously posted a picture on Sep. 12 of him standing next to Martin, three days before Martin’s letter was sent to Mattei.

In a statement to ABC News Tuesday, Mattei blasted Martin over the letter describing it as the latest step in Jones’ campaign of harassment targeting Aldenberg and the Sandy Hook families. 

“Thanks to the courage of the Sandy Hook families, Infowars will soon be finished,” Mattei said. “In his last gasps, Jones is once again harassing them, only now with the corrupt complicity of at least one DOJ official. It’s as disgusting as it is pathetic, and we will not stand for it.”

Jones was previously ordered to pay Aldenberg $90 million stemming from the defamation suit he and families of the Sandy Hook victims brought against Jones for harassment and threats they suffered in the wake of the tragedy as a result of conspiracy theories stoked by Jones. 

At trial, Aldenberg broke into tears as he described being one of the first to arrive at the scene and entering the classrooms where 20 children had been killed. 

Aldenberg later testified about years of threats and harassment he was forced to endure from people who bought into Jones’ theories about the shooting being a staged event to strip people of their 2nd Amendment rights. 

Among the questions posed by Martin to Aldenberg’s attorneys was whether Aldenberg revealed “any financial benefit that might accrue to him as he led litigation and recruited other plaintiffs?” He further asked whether Aldenberg made clear that his testimony at Jones’ trial was “in his personal capacity” if he recused himself from any “matters in his work to protect himself and others from conflict.” 

Martin had requested Mattei issue a formal response by Sept. 29.

During his previous tenure as the Interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., before his nomination had to be pulled due to lack of Republican support, Martin sent a series of similar letters to high-profile Democrats and other opponents of the president suggesting he had launched similar investigations into them. 

A Justice Department spokesperson did not respond to questions regarding whether Attorney General Pam Bondi or other department leadership were aware of Martin’s inquiry to Mattei and if they had ordered him to rescind his letter. 

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(CHELAN COUNTY, Wash.) — The U.S. Marshals Service has declared Travis Decker, the 32-year-old father accused of allegedly killing his three daughters this summer, to be dead, according to a court filing obtained by ABC News.

“The United States Marshals Service has advised the Defendant TRAVIS CALEB DECKER is deceased,” according to the document, which was filed to dismiss the case and quash the arrest warrant for Decker.

Decker, an Army veteran, was previously wanted for three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree kidnapping.

His daughters — Paityn Decker, 9; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5 — had left home for a planned visitation with him on May 30, and never returned, officials said. Three days later, the girls were found dead near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Washington, following a search, police said.

Decker had been on the run since, sparking a multi-agency manhunt.

The declaration of Decker to be dead comes after the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office announced on Sept. 18 that remains located in a remote wooded area were believed to be the fugitive father.

While officials are still waiting on DNA testing to confirm whether the remains are Decker’s, the sheriff’s office said last week “preliminary findings suggest the remains belong to Travis Decker.”

Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told ABC News on Wednesday that they are not dropping their charges on Decker and will wait until DNA confirms the remains found belong to the father.

Morrison said he will make an announcement when they receive confirmation from the DNA results.

The remains were found on Sept. 18 in Leavenworth, Washington, when a drone carrying out a search found an “anomaly,” which was later discovered to be a shirt, consistent with what Decker had been wearing around the time of the killings.

Authorities also found U.S. Ranger shorts, chewing tobacco and a bracelet.

Morrison told reporters last week all indications are that Decker died in that location a while ago.

“We are praying that the remains found are confirmed to be Travis’s. We continue to be grateful for law enforcement’s efforts in this case and are forever appreciative of the entire world’s love, compassion, and support for Whitney,” Arianna Cozart, the attorney for Whitney Decker — Decker’s ex-wife and mother of the three girls killed — said in a statement last week.

Decker’s daughters were each found with plastic bags over their heads and their wrists were zip-tied, according to court documents previously obtained by ABC News.

An autopsy determined the girls’ cause of death to be suffocation and the manner of death was homicide, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said on June 9.

Decker’s truck was recovered at the scene but he was not found

The U.S. Marshals Service was previously offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading directly to Decker’s arrest.

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(SAN RAMON, Calif.) — A group of nearly 25 people ransacked a jewelry store in San Ramon, California, this week, stealing an estimated $1 million worth of merchandise, police confirmed to ABC News.

Seven suspects have been detained, so far, and some of the jewelry has been recovered, the San Ramon Police Department said.

The group looted Heller Jewelers, located at the City Center Bishop Ranch shopping mall, on Monday afternoon and was armed with at least three guns, according to police. Video obtained by ABC News’ San Francisco station ABC7 shows the masked mob storming the store and smashing displays with crowbars and pickaxes before being locked inside by automatic closing doors.

This is the second time in two years Heller Jewelers has been targeted in a massive heist, when a group of seven masked men similarly broke into the store on St. Patrick’s Day in 2023 and took $1.1 million worth of jewels. The suspects were later apprehended due to a GPS tracking device hidden inside a stolen Rolex, according to local reports at the time.

On Monday, a member of the group fired upon the door to escape before the thieves fled into six getaway vehicles in the valet area of the shopping mall — several of which were reportedly stolen, police said.

A representative of the City Center Bishop Ranch shopping mall declined to comment on the robbery to ABC News.

“When they went in, they basically took over the store,” San Ramon Police Department Lt. Mike Pistello told ABC7. “Taking whatever jewelry was available.”

Officers pursued the six getaway vehicles, but eventually ended the chase for public safety after the thieves exceeded 100 mph, Pistello said.

Since Monday, local police have arrested seven of the alleged culprits, including one juvenile. The suspects’ ages range from 17 to 31, and all are believed to live around Oakland, according to police, who say they believe the suspects are likely connected to other similar acts of robbery across the San Francisco Bay Area.

“This is not their first time doing something like this,” Pistello claimed.

Some of the jewelry and two of the firearms used in the crime have been recovered post hoc, according to authorities.

Authorities did not provide additional details about the suspects, but anyone with information is encouraged to call 925-733-7316.

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(NEW YORK) — After President Donald Trump complained about having to deal with a stopped escalator during his visit to the United Nations, White House officials are demanding an investigation.

As first lady Melania Trump and the president stepped onto the escalator ahead of his speech on Tuesday morning, it stopped moving, prompting both of them to stop in their tracks.

The first couple then proceeded to walk up the escalator.

The U.N. has said that there appears to have been no foul play.

But that explanation hasn’t satisfied White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt who vowed to get to the bottom of Tuesday’s incident.

“If someone at the UN intentionally stopped the escalator as the President and First Lady were stepping on, they need to be fired and investigated immediately,” she said in an X post.

Leavitt repeated her warnings on Fox News Tuesday night, but didn’t provide any evidence that what happened what deliberate.

“I know that we have people, including United States Secret Service, who are looking into this to try to get to the bottom of it,” she said.

At the start of the president’s address, his teleprompter also malfunctioned, which he complained about at the time and then again later in the day.

“The teleprompter was broken and the escalator came to a sudden halt as we were riding up to the podium, but both of those events probably made the speech more interesting than it would have been otherwise. It is always an honor to speak at the United Nations, even if, their equipment is somewhat faulty,” Trump posted on his social media platform.

The United Nations issued a statement about the incident, saying that the escalator stopping might have been triggered by a safety feature as a videographer was standing backward on the escalator, ahead of the president, while trying to film him.

“The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing. The videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function described above,” the U.N. statement said.

“Our technician, who was at the location, reset the escalator as soon as the delegation had climbed up to the second floor. A subsequent investigation, including a readout of the machine’s central processing unit, indicated that the escalator had stopped after a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step was triggered at the top of the escalator,” the U.N. statement continued. “The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing. The videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function described above.”

The U.N. has not immediately provided details about the teleprompter malfunction.

The White House has no additional comment on Wednesday.

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(DALLAS) — A sniper opened fire on the Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office on Wednesday morning, killing two detainees and critically wounding a third, the Department of Homeland Security said.

Dallas police initially said one victim was killed and two were wounded.

Although only detainees were shot, the Department of Homeland Security called the shooting “an attack on ICE law enforcement.”

The shooter, who was on a nearby rooftop, “fired indiscriminately at the ICE building, including at a van in the sallyport where the victims were shot,” DHS said in a statement.

The shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.

The FBI said the shooting is being investigated “as an act of targeted violence.”

FBI special agent Joe Rothrock said it appeared that rounds “found near the suspected shooter contain messages that are anti-ICE in nature.”

FBI Director Kash Patel released images of recovered unspent shell casings, including one engraved with the phrase “ANTI-ICE,” and DHS released a photo that appears to show a gunshot in an American flag display.

The incident comes as ICE has been ramping up deportation efforts throughout the country and DHS says ICE officers are facing a more than a 1,000% increase in assaults against them.

Two Texas facilities were targeted this July: a police officer was shot at an ICE detention facility in Alvarado and a gunman opened fire at the entrance of the Border Patrol sector annex in McAllen.

In the wake of Wednesday’s shooting, federal officials are stressing that attacks on ICE and law enforcement must end.

“Our prayers are with the families of those killed and our ICE law enforcement. This vile attack was motivated by hatred for ICE,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. “For months, we’ve been warning politicians and the media to tone down their rhetoric about ICE law enforcement before someone was killed. This shooting must serve as a wake-up call.”

“This is the second time I’ve had to stand in front of you and talk about a shooter at one of my facilities. And I think that the takeaway from all of this is that the rhetoric has to stop,” Dallas ICE official Joshua Johnson said at the news conference.

“This needs to stop,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said at a news conference. “Violence is wrong, politically motivated violence is wrong.”

“These despicable, politically motivated attacks against law enforcement are not a one-off. … It has to end,” Patel added in a statement.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said he would put all ICE facilities on a higher alert to protect agents and civilians carrying out the agency’s mission.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(PITTSBURGH) — Three students were injured in a stabbing at Pittsburgh’s Carrick High School on Wednesday morning, authorities said.

Police, fire and EMS responded shortly after 8:30 a.m. following reports of an altercation that led to the stabbings, Pittsburgh Public Safety said on X, formerly Twitter.

Two students were transported by Pittsburgh EMS with stab wounds to their abdomens, according to police. A third victim sustained a minor laceration and was treated at the scene.

In a statement, Pittsburgh Public Schools said the suspect used a small knife and stabbed three other students. The district confirmed one student’s injury may be serious, but said all injured students are receiving medical attention.

A male student was taken into custody at the scene after sustaining a hand laceration, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety. He was treated by medics and then transported to police headquarters for questioning.

Pittsburgh Police spokeswoman Cara Cruz told reporters the incident stemmed from an altercation in a hallway and was not random. Cruz confirmed one victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition, another in stable condition, and the third had minor injuries.

The students involved range in age from 15 to 18, Cruz said. The exact age of the suspect have not been confirmed as the investigation continues.

Pittsburgh Public Schools announced the building is in “secure” status. It remains on lockdown while the scene is processed.

Classes are ongoing, but parents may pick up students if they choose, Cruz said.

Authorities urged anyone with video footage of the incident to contact Pittsburgh Police headquarters at 412-323-7800.

Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

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(WAUKEGAN, Ill.) — An Illinois driver was charged in the fatal hit-and-run of a pregnant woman as she crossed the street, according to the Waukegan Police Department.

Rosalinda Vaca, a 49-year-old resident of the Chicago satellite city, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident after allegedly hitting 36-year-old Michelle Heidbrick with her car on Sunday, police said in a press release obtained by ABC News.

On Sunday evening, police responded to a report of a traffic crash and found a “female lying unresponsive in the westbound lanes of the street,” police said. They noted that they performed CPR on the victim until first responders arrived.

According to officials, the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run — a black 2016 Land Rover SUV — fled the scene without stopping.

The victim, identified as Heidbrick, was on a walk with her boyfriend and was crossing the street to return to her apartment when she was struck, her sister Nicole Heidbrick told ABC News.

Her boyfriend, who had his back turned at the time of the crash as he was walking to a nearby gas station, did not see Heidbrick get hit but “heard the impact,” Nicole Heidbrick said.

She was transported to a local hospital where she was “pronounced dead in the emergency room,” officials said.

Preliminary autopsy results indicate that Michelle Heidbrick “died from blunt force injuries as a result of the incident,” according to the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

On Tuesday, the driver, identified by authorities as Vaca, told police she was driving the black SUV at the time of the crash, officials said.

Vaca told authorities she “struck something in the roadway but didn’t realize what it was,” according to officials. She then “learned there was a report of a woman who was struck and killed in an accident,” police said.

“Rosalinda realized she was involved in the crash and decided to surrender to police,” officials said.

Her vehicle was located and is being “held for the ongoing investigation,” police said.

Vaca will make her first court appearance on Wednesday and will be held at the Lake County Jail, police confirmed to ABC News. It remains unclear whether Vaca has an attorney who can speak on her behalf.

Michelle Heidbrick, who was 22 weeks pregnant at the time of the incident, was the “goof of the family” who “lit up the room,” her sister told ABC News.

“If Michelle was there, you knew you were going to laugh about something,” Nicole Heidbrick told ABC News.

She said she is “relieved” that a suspect is in custody, but does not “understand why” Vaca did not stop after allegedly hitting her sister.

“I still don’t understand if you hit something that hard, why wouldn’t you at least stop to see what it was?” Nicole Heidbrick said.

Nicole Heidbrick hopes her sister, who was “the most generous person,” will be remembered “as the loving person that she was,” she told ABC News.

The victim leaves behind an 18-year-old son who had just started college, her sister said.

The family is still in the process of arranging the funeral, she noted.

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