An exterior view of Manhattan Criminal Court on December 23, 2024 in New York City. Adam Gray/Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Two court security officers were stabbed while screening people at the metal detectors at the Manhattan criminal courthouse on Monday morning, according to a state courts spokesperson.
One court officer was slashed in the face and the other was slashed in the neck, according to law enforcement sources. Both were taken to a local hospital in stable condition, sources said.
“Several Court Officers immediately rushed to stop the assailant, subduing him near a bank of magnetometers, disarming him, and taking him into custody,” state courts spokesperson Al Baker said in a statement.
Baker described the incident, which was caught on surveillance video, as an apparent “targeted attack.”
(NEW YORK) — All 50 states as well as Washington, D.C., and four U.S. territories have agreed to sign a $7.4 billion settlement with the company and once-prominent family behind OxyContin, officials announced Monday.
The settlement resolves pending litigation against Purdue Pharma, which, under the leadership of the Sackler families, invented, manufactured and aggressively marketed opioid products for decades, according to the lawsuits. States and cities across the country said it fueled waves of addiction and overdose deaths.
The attorneys general in 55 states and territories have signed on to the historic settlement, which they said will end the Sacklers’ ownership of Purdue and bar them from making, selling or marketing opioids in the U.S.
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia led the team that negotiated the settlement, which marks the largest of its kind involving the opioid crisis, officials said.
“As Pennsylvania families and communities suffered during an unprecedented addiction crisis, Purdue and the Sacklers reaped the mammoth profits from their products,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a statement. “This monumental settlement achieves the top priority of getting as much money as quickly as possible to prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across the Commonwealth. My office will continue engagement with municipal leaders to ensure millions of dollars reach every corner of the state.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WHEELING, W.Va.) — The death toll in West Virginia has climbed to six after heavy rains and devastating flash flooding struck the state, according to Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
Two people are unaccounted for, according to the governor’s office, and a state of emergency is in effect.
Flash flooding occurred throughout the city of Wheeling and the towns of Triadelphia and Valley Grove. Roughly 3 to 4 inches of rain fell in the area in a short period of time, prompting significant flash flooding along US 40 (National Road), Middle Wheeling Creek, Little Wheeling Creek and various runs and streams through Ohio County.
On Sunday, a residential building in the city of Fairmont, in Marion County, partially collapsed, prompting the emergency declaration, according to the governor.
Footage from the scene showed water rushing out of the severely damaged structure as emergency crews responded to the scene.
“As flash floods continue throughout North Central West Virginia, emergency officials are on the scene in Marion County at a partial apartment collapse,” Morrisey said in his emergency declaration.
“State resources are being dispatched to the region immediately. Please — stay off the roads. Do not underestimate the strength and speed of these floods. Pray for our friends and neighbors during this challenging time for our state.”
There have been no hospitalization for injuries due to the collapse and an emergency shelter for those who were living in the apartment building has been set up in the Falcon Center on the Fairmont State campus, according to ABC Clarksburg, West Virginia, affiliate, WBOY-TV.
Multiple cars in the apartment parking lot were also totaled, the outlet reported.
Morrisey mobilized the National Guard to support local emergency operations.
ABC News’ Darren Reynolds and Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.
(GREEN ISLE, Minn.) — The man suspected of shooting and killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband as well as shooting and wounding a second lawmaker and his wife is in federal custody and is expected to face federal charges, multiple sources told ABC News.
Authorities are expected to announce the federal charges against 57-year-old Vance Boelter at a news conference on Monday.
Boelter, who was arrested overnight near his farm in Green Isle, Minnesota, is expected to appear in state court on Monday to face two charges of murder and two charges of attempted murder, according to court documents. He’s also due in federal court on Monday, sources said.
Early Saturday morning, the gunman knocked on the Hoffmans’ door in Champlin, Minnesota, identified himself as a police officer and then went in the house and shot the couple, according to court documents.
After the Hoffmans were shot, officers proactively went to the home of his fellow lawmaker, former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives Melissa Hortman, in the nearby town of Brooklyn Park.
Around 3:35 a.m., when officers arrived at the Hortmans’ house, they saw an SUV “with police-style lights” in the driveway and “immediately saw Defendant, still dressed as a police officer, shoot an adult man … through the open door of the home,” according to court records.
The gunman engaged in a shootout with responders and then fled the scene on foot, authorities said.
The officers who confronted the suspect likely prevented other shootings, according to Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
A target list was recovered from the suspect’s car outside the Hortmans’ house with a list of dozens of Minnesota Democrats, including Hoffman, Hortman, Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the matter.
The shootings sparked a massive, two-day manhunt that included 20 SWAT teams, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles, authorities said.
Boelter was armed when he was taken into custody late Sunday in a rural area, authorities said, but he was taken into custody without incident.
Investigators are looking to see if anyone helped Boelter but are confident he worked alone, Evans said.
A motive remains under investigation.
ABC News’ Pierre Thomas, Katherine Faulders, Mike Levine and Alexander Mallin contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Oil prices fell and stocks climbed in early trading on Monday, indicating optimism among investors about the limits of economic fallout from the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 415 points, or 1%, erasing much of the losses suffered on Friday as back-and-forth strikes broke out between the two countries.
The S&P 500 climbed 1% early Monday, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq jumped 1.3%. In each case, the gains erased nearly all of the losses suffered as the conflict began days earlier.
Oil prices, meanwhile, ticked slightly lower on Monday, easing a surge in prices set off late last week as investors feared a wider regional war in the oil-rich Middle East.
The U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures price — a key measure of U.S. oil prices — dropped 4% on Monday. Brent crude future prices, another top measure of oil prices, also fell about 4%. Each index had climbed as much as 10% in the immediate aftermath of the conflict.
Aerial attacks between Israel and Iran continued overnight into Monday, marking a fourth day of strikes following Israel’s Friday attack. That surprise operation hit at the heart of Iran’s nuclear program, striking key facilities and killing several nuclear scientists as well as high-ranking military leaders, according to Israeli officials.
The U.S. did not provide any military assistance or have any involvement in Israel’s Friday strikes, a U.S. official told ABC News. President Donald Trump told ABC News on Sunday, “It’s possible we could get involved.” The U.S. did provide assistance in shooting down incoming missile and drone attacks from Iran in response to Israel’s initial barrage, officials said.
The drop in oil prices may ease a potential uptick in the price of gasoline for U.S. drivers.
Since crude oil makes up the top ingredient in car fuel, the Israel-Iran conflict threatened to modestly increase prices over the coming days and significantly hike them in the event of a wider war, experts previously told ABC News.
“By later this week, we’ll likely see nearly all states with price increases as retail gas prices rise following Iran/Israel attacks,” Patrick de Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said on Monday in a post on X.
The move higher for U.S. stocks mirrored gains in markets across Asia and Europe. The STOXX Europe 600 index ticked up 0.3% by mid-afternoon local time. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo climbed 1.2% on Monday.
ABC News’ David Brennan contributed to this report.
Michele Jokinen, Minnesota House Public Information Services
(CHAMMPLIN, Minn.) — Two days after a man in a mask knocked on their door, identified himself as a police officer and opened fire on them, Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, are recovering and “both incredibly lucky to be alive,” their family said.
“We continue our healing journey and are humbled by the outpouring of love and support our family has received from across the state and our nation,” the family said in a statement obtained by ABC News.
Early Saturday morning, the gunman knocked on the Hoffmans’ door in Champlin, Minnesota, identified himself as a police officer and then went in the house and shot the couple, according to court documents.
At 2:05 a.m., the Hoffmans’ child called 911 to report their parents had been shot, according to court documents.
John Hoffman was shot nine times and Yvette was shot eight times, Yvette said, according to a message released by Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Vance Boelter, who was arrested early Monday, is accused of shooting and wounding the Hoffmans and then shooting and killing Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark.
After the Hoffmans were shot, officers proactively went to Hortman’s house in the nearby town of Brooklyn Park.
“When officers arrived at approximately 3:35 a.m., they saw the Ford SUV with police-style lights and immediately saw Defendant, still dressed as a police officer, shoot an adult man … through the open door of the home,” according to court records.
“We are devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark, and our hearts go out to all those who knew and loved them both,” the Hoffmans said in their statement.
“There is never a place for senseless political violence and loss of life,” they said.
The Hoffmans also said they had “deep and profound” gratitude for the work of law enforcement officials who tracked down the suspect.
Boelter has been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder, with the second set of charges related to the shooting at the Hoffmans’ house. He’s due in court on Monday.
ABC News’ Darren Rynolds and Jessica Gorman contributed to this report.
(HENNEPIN COUNTY, Minn) — The massive search for the man suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers, one fatally, concluded on Sunday evening when he was arrested by police, officials confirmed.
Vance Boelter, 57, was arrested near his farm in Green Isle, Minnesota. He was booked into Hennepin County Jail at about 1 a.m. on Monday, according to online records.
Vance was spotted on a trail via camera earlier Sunday and then taken into custody, police said during a press conference.
Minnesota State Patrol Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger said when police closed in on Boelter in the woods, he surrendered without incident.
“The suspect crawled to law enforcement teams and was placed under arrest at that point in time,” Geiger said.
After his arrest, Boelter was taken to an undisclosed police facility where he is being interviewed, officials said.
Boelter is accused of the fatal shootings of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and a separate shooting attack on Sen. John Hoffman and his spouse.
During a press conference on Sunday night, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz condemned the killing of Rep. Hortman, saying, “One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota.” The governor thanked law enforcement partners for their role in the suspect’s capture, saying, “This is a great example of coordination and collaboration.”
Police noted it was the “largest manhunt in Minnesota state history,” with Boelter’s capture coming 43 hours after the shootings occurred.
The twin attacks in Champlin and Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, on Saturday led to the discovery in the suspect’s vehicle of an alleged target list of dozens of Minnesota Democrats, including Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to law enforcement sources.
During a press conference Sunday evening, police said a hat believed to be associated with the suspect was found near his alleged vehicle. There were several items of evidence relevant to the ongoing investigation found in the vehicle outside of the alleged target list, police added.
The discovery of the hat is what led authorities to believe Boelter was in the area.
Police said that Boelter had been in contact with individuals, but were trying to determine if he was receiving any assistance while on the run from law enforcement. “All options are on the table,” said Drew Evans, the superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said earlier Sunday.
The FBI was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Boelter’s arrest.
There was a nationwide warrant for Boelter’s arrest on a state level and a federal warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, police said Sunday.
Boelter is suspected of gaining entry to the lawmakers’ homes by disguising himself as a police officer, even arriving at the victims’ home in a vehicle that looked like a police cruiser equipped with flashing emergency lights, officials said.
The shootings unfolded around 2 a.m. Saturday, when Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were both shot multiple times at their home in Champlin, Minnesota, authorities said.
Soon after the shooting at the Hoffmans’ home, state Rep. Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park, according to authorities.
Police believe the suspect opened fire on the victims while wearing a latex mask, sources said.
Following the shooting at Hoffman’s residence, officers were sent to Hortman’s home to check on her well-being, officials said. As officers arrived at the residence, they encountered the gunman at around 3:35 a.m. The suspect and the officers exchanged gunfire before the suspect escaped, flee on foot and leaving behind his fake police car, where investigators found his target list, authorities said.
Court records filed in Hennepin County, Minnesota, say that Hoffman’s child was the one who initially made the call that their parents had been shot.
Two associates of Sen. Hoffman and his wife told ABC News on Sunday that the couple was awake and out of surgery.
Yvette Hoffman is conscious and “doing relatively well,” and John Hoffman is alert and recovering from a collapsed lung, the associates said. One source estimates that Sen. Hoffman was shot multiple times.
“Everybody is cautiously optimistic,” one of the sources said.
Boelter – a husband and father, according to an online biography – has touted an extensive background in security and military training, according to an ABC News review of his online presence and professional history.
Boelter helped lead the private security firm Praetorian Guard Security Services, which is based in the Twin Cities area, according to the company website.
The suspect’s wife was detained for questioning after a traffic stop near Onamia late on Saturday morning, multiple law enforcement sources told Minnesota ABC News affiliate KSTP. She was released without being arrested, according to KTSP, which reports it’s unknown why her vehicle was stopped.
ABC News’ Josh Margolin, David Brennan, Emily Shapiro, Jack Moore, Luke Barr and Mike Levine contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar mourned the two Minnesota state lawmakers shot early Saturday at their homes in what leaders are calling an “act of targeted political violence,” calling them “friends” and “decent people” who were simply “trying to represent the people that they were elected to represent.”
The Minnesota Democrat told ABC News’ “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz that people should “know” the victims of political violence and threats — in this case, state Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was killed alongside her husband, and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, who underwent surgery after the attack.
“She was a true leader, and I loved her work, but was always so grounded and such a decent person. I think that’s probably the best word to describe her. You look at her pictures and you know what she was about. So we miss her greatly, and so when you hear about statistics about political violence and threats, I just want people to know who we’re talking about,” Klobuchar said about Hortman.
“Or Senator Hoffman. Equally respected. Got into politics because his daughter has spina bifida and she couldn’t get insurance, and he wanted to advocate for her. Decent people who didn’t deserve this to happen to them,” Klobuchar continued.
Authorities have identified 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter as the suspected gunman and are continuing to search for him.
Klobuchar described Hortman as an illustrious lawmaker and compassionate public servant, who began her career in public service as a mother with young children who had a background working at her father’s auto parts company. Hortman easily juggled teaching Sunday school, leading a Girl Scout troop and training service dogs for veterans, Klobuchar said.
The senator said she first got to know Hortman when she was a young lawmaker and she was struck with how she was able to know “practically every person in her district.”
“Melissa Hortman was a woman that I wish everyone around the country knew,” Klobuchar told Raddatz. “When you think about a true public servant who goes into it for the right reasons, it’s Melissa.”
Klobuchar said that Hortman’s ability to “juggle it all” may have contributed to the political success she’d been able to notch, especially in the past year with a divided legislature, when she worked alongside the state Senate’s Republican leader to artfully negotiate a budget and avoid government shutdown.
When she was the Speaker of the House, Hortman also spearheaded landmark legislation like paid family leave and free lunch for students, Klobuchar said.
Klobuchar called the suspect “evil,” and “smart” on Sunday.
“He’s evil. He is smart. He has killed without a second thought, and there’s a $50,000 reward,” she told Raddatz.
The Minnesota Democrat lauded the cooperation between Minnesota leaders and state law enforcement.
“We couldn’t be getting more help from law enforcement,” Klobuchar said, applauding also local police officers’ swift work on the ground, when they checked in on Hortman soon after getting called to Hoffman’s house.
“Those local police officers at that moment not only appear to have saved [Hoffman] and his wife’s life, but also had given us major leads to who he was and why he was doing this,” Klobuchar said.
Klouchar said she “hasn’t seen” the target list written by the gunman, something that law enforcement sources say had dozens of Minnesota Democrats on it.
Those on the list included Minnesota lawmakers Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the matter.
Klobuchar called political violence a “rampant problem” and said she “believes” that could have been one of the gunman’s motivations for the Minnesota lawmaker shootings.
“I believe that there’s some things in the manifesto that would lead you down that trail to believe that this was one of his motivating forces,” Klobuchar said.
She also highlighted the bipartisan statement against political violence that the Minnesota congressional delegation released after the shootings on Saturday.
“You speak with one voice to condemn this political violence. There’s no place for this politically motivated violence in our democracy,” Klobuchar said on Sunday. “This is a rampant problem that the public and all of us have to deal with — and also against judges, and all of us should condemn all of that violence,” she said.
Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel “Michael” Leiter, claimed that Israel had set Iran’s nuclear program back significantly after a series of strikes on the country, but that the full operation could take “weeks.”
“We’ve set them back dramatically, but not enough,” Leiter told “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz. “And that’s why this series of strikes is not going to end today or tomorrow, but only at a period of time, which may take weeks, when we are absolutely certain that the nuclear infrastructure with the intention of weaponizing and threatening Israel is terminated.”
The two countries have been engaged in a deadly back-and-forth since Israel launched what it called preemptive strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, scientists and military leadership.
Asked by Raddatz if Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was off of Israel’s target list, Leiter declined to rule that out.
“I think it’s fair to say that nobody who’s threatening the destruction of Israel should be off the target list,” Lieter said. “The idea is to neutralize and terminate the Iranian intention of destroying Israel through nuclear weapons and through ballistic missiles. And anybody who gets in the way of that, or — or is actually advancing, that cause of destroying Israel is obviously somebody we’re going to have to deal with.”
Leiter said that Israel sustained “significant attacks” on Saturday night, which killed more than 10 people and wounded hundreds after Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles that struck targets across the country.
“We have some good defense systems, anti-missile defense systems, but they’re not hermetically sealing the skies. So there’s about 10 to 15 percent of these ballistic missiles that get through.”
Here are more highlights from Leiter and former CENTCOM commander Gen. Joseph Votel’s interviews on “This Week”:
Leiter on destroying Iran’s Fordow nuclear site
Raddatz: Let’s talk about Fordow. It’s deep in a mountainside. There are those who do not believe you can destroy Fordow without U.S. help and those bunker-busting bombs. Is it possible without U.S. help?
Leiter: The help that we’ve asked from the United States is confined to defensive posture. We’re very, very thankful to President Trump and the administration for the THAAD missile, anti-missile defense system, for the Aegis missile defense system, but it’s only in a defensive posture. We have a number of contingencies, will — which will enable us to deal with Fordow. Not everything is a matter of, you know, taking to the skies and bombing from afar.
Raddatz: But you’re certain you can wipe out Fordow?
Leiter: We’re certain — we’re — we’re certain that we can set back the nuclear weapons system development within Iran for a very, very long time.
Votel on potential U.S. involvement
Raddatz: But you say delay, so you’re confident they couldn’t destroy [Fordow] without the help of the U.S.?
Votel: Well, I don’t know the full range of all capabilities that the — that the Israelis have, their very sophisticated, savvy military. There are lots of tools that are available to them. I think the conventional wisdom is that the bunker busters, the penetrating munitions that are needed to go after something like this are largely still within the inventory of the United States. So, yeah, I think — I think — I think probably would have some difficulty at doing that and, again, the Iranians are demonstrating some level of resolve here. And we can’t dismiss the fact that they will continue to pursue this program or even try to make a dash to take what they have now and try to — try to create some kind of weapon.
Votel on the possibility of escalation
Raddatz: And how likely do you think it is that this war spreads, that this becomes a regional war involving the U.S.?
Votel: Yeah. I think this largely depends on the directions that the leaders of both of these countries go. It’s not particularly in Iran’s interest to try to spread this, that they don’t need to earn the anger of others in the region. They ultimately have to — have to live there. So, it doesn’t necessarily make a lot of sense for them to widen that. But again, as this progresses as the Iranians run out of options, and they don’t have a lot of great options right now, frankly. They’re fighting a little bit blind in terms of what they’re doing. They don’t have great options. And as they run out of the things that are available to them right now and they begin to reach out and look for other ways to have an impact, that’s when I think the concern for regionalization of the conflict becomes greatest.
A massive search continued Sunday for a man suspected in the fatal shooting of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and a separate shooting attack on another state lawmaker and his spouse, authorities said.
The manhunt for 57-year-old Vance Boelter stretched into its second day following Saturday’s twin attacks in Champlin and Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and the discovery in the suspect’s vehicle of an alleged target list of dozens of Minnesota Democrats, including Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to law enforcement sources.
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Boelter’s arrest.
“Right now we are asking the public if you do locate him, if you see him, to call 911. Do not approach him. You should consider him armed and dangerous,” Superintendent Drew Evans of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said at a Saturday-evening news conference.
Sources tell ABC News that authorities searching for Boelter have found a “vehicle of interest” in Sibley County, outside Minneapolis, along with “personal items” believed to be associated with him. There are now many teams of law enforcement officials searching the area, sources said.
The suspect’s wife was detained for questioning after a traffic stop near Onamia late on Saturday morning, multiple law enforcement sources told Minnesota ABC News affiliate KSTP. She was released without being arrested, according to KTSP, which reports it’s unknown why her vehicle was stopped.
Boelter is suspected of gaining entry to the lawmakers’ homes by disguising himself as a police officer, even arriving at the victims’ home in a vehicle that looked like a police cruiser equipped with flashing emergency lights, officials said.
The shootings unfolded around 2 a.m. Saturday, when Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were both shot multiple times at their home in Champlin, Minnesota, authorities said.
Soon after the shooting at the Hoffmans’ home, state Rep. Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park, according to authorities.
Police believe the suspect opened fire on the victims while wearing a latex mask, sources said.
Following the shooting at Hoffman’s residence, officers were sent to Hortman’s home to check on her well-being, officials said. As officers arrived at the residence, they encountered the gunman at around 3:35 a.m. The suspect and the officers exchanged gunfire before the suspect escaped, flee on foot and leaving behind his fake police car, where investigators found his target list, authorities said.
Two associates of Sen. Hoffman and his wife told ABC News on Sunday that the couple was awake and out of surgery.
Yvette Hoffman is conscious and “doing relatively well,” and John Hoffman is alert and recovering from a collapsed lung, the associates said. One source estimates that Sen. Hoffman was shot multiple times.
“Everybody is cautiously optimistic,” one of the sources said.
Boelter – a husband and father, according to an online biography – has touted an extensive background in security and military training, according to an ABC News review of his online presence and professional history.
Boelter helped lead the private security firm Praetorian Guard Security Services, which is based in the Twin Cities area, according to the company website.
ABC News’ Josh Margolin, David Brennan, Emily Shapiro, Jack Moore, Luke Barr and Mike Levine contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
