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(KERRVILLE, Texas) — As the Guadalupe River overflowed in Kerr County on the Fourth of July, officials with a local agency charged with “managing water quality and water quantity” in the Texas Hill Country appeared perplexed by the extent of the unfolding crisis and their role in addressing it, according to emails and text messages obtained by ABC News.

“Wow!! It’s a beautiful thing!” an official initially wrote to an Upper Guadalupe River Authority (UGRA) group chat at 7:09 a.m. — including a screenshot of a graph showing a massive increase in streamflow levels along the river in Kerrville — following drought conditions that Kerr County had faced prior to the flooding.

As others in the group chat shared the increasingly concerning reports they were hearing, it quickly became clear that there was cause for alarm.

“So I know I said it’s a beautiful thing earlier,” the official wrote at 7:38 a.m. “I had just woken up and hadn’t looked at the gages yet. It’s terrible.”

By that time, parts of Kerr County had already been inundated with floodwaters for several hours, flood alerts had been issued, and the Kerrville Police Department had received calls for multiple water rescues.

“When it all settles back down, it will be a totally different river,” an individual identified as maintenance technician Kevin Molenaar wrote.

‘Any word on Camp Mystic?’

The staggering toll of the flooding would not become apparent for days. More than 130 deaths were ultimately reported across the region, with many of the fatalities occurring at Camp Mystic.

On July 4, one official texted Dick Eastland, the camp’s president, “You are in my prayers.”

There was no response.

Eastland, who also served as the treasurer for the UGRA’s Board of Directors, died during the storm alongside multiple young campers and counselors.

“The poor children at the camps and their parents,” an official wrote in a group chat. “And so many people here in RVs for the 4th.”

The communications were released in response to a request filed by ABC News under Texas law.

They paint a picture of confusion and concern throughout Independence Day, with some text messages stating that water gages in Hunt and Kerrville had stopped reading. In other messages, UGRA representatives posted what they had learned from news outlets or on social media.

“There are missing people and possibly missing kids from mystic but that is not confirmed,” an official posted at 9:47 a.m.

Less than two hours later, the official typed, “They are saying now all camp mystic accounted for. Praise the lord.”

An individual identified as natural resources manager Shelby Taber responded, “Glad to hear camp mystic is all safe!”

But by mid-afternoon, the UGRA’s senior leadership appeared to realize the situation at Camp Mystic was more dire — though they did not know specific details.

“Any word on Camp Mystic?” UGRA board president William Rector emailed general manager Tara Bushnoe at 2:41 p.m. “I bet we may find some financial assistance for establishing our Floor Warning System!”

Bushnoe responded at 3:12 p.m. that she only knew what she had seen on a local news website indicating “there are some girls missing” and that the camp had issued a statement that aired on a local newscast.

“I don’t know if a flood warning system would have made enough difference,” Bushnoe wrote. “I think it would have made some, but this happened so quickly. We will have to be careful with our messaging to be respectful of the devastation.”

“Very true.” Rector wrote back. “I think working behind the scenes is going to be the most appropriate action at this time. We, however, need to be concerned that the county does not try to sieze [sic] control.”

Contacted by ABC News regarding the messages, officials with the UGRA did not respond to a request for comment.

‘Vulnerable to flash floods’

ABC News previously asked the UGRA for any flood after-action reports it may have created over the last 25 years following other storms along the Guadalupe River, but a law firm representing the authority said that they “have no responsive information.”

Documents released over the last month show that concerns over the risks posed by the Guadalupe River in Kerr County were widely known ahead of the Fourth of July floods, with the UGRA being particularly cognizant.

As ABC News previously reported, the authority submitted an application last year to state officials seeking a $1 million grant from the Texas Flood Infrastructure Fund for a project called the “Kerr County Flood Warning System” that would have included “high water detection systems at 10 low water crossings.”

“Since 1932, approximately 35 lives have been lost in floods in Kerr County. Many of those lost were in vehicles attempting to cross flooded roads,” the application noted alongside a timeline of deaths between 1987 and 2016.

However, in October 2024 the UGRA declined to continue applying for funding from the Infrastructure Fund, with Bushnoe writing in a letter at the time that although Kerr County was “vulnerable to flash foods,” the project would have been “only eligible for a 5% grant.”

“We will continue to explore options to implement a Kerr County flood warning system and financial assistance opportunities,” Bushnoe’s letter said.

The letter did not note who decided that the project would have only been eligible for a 5% grant.

The UGRA later reached an agreement with a company called Kisters to develop a different flood warning system that would have consisted of a “centralized dashboard to support local flood monitoring and emergency response.”

The agreement, which was signed exactly one month before the July 4 floods, indicated that the project was expected to cost more than $70,000.

A kick-off meeting was scheduled for mid-July, but the plans were put on hold after the floods. It remains unclear what happened to the plan crafted in 2024 for the $1 million flood warning system.

Kisters did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment following the floods.

‘We’ll be getting lots of calls’
July 4 was supposed to be a day of celebration in Kerr County, with a major Independence Day fireworks event called “Fourth on the River” scheduled to take place just a stone’s throw from the Guadalupe River.

Instead, it became one of the most tragic days in Central Texas history, with scores of people unaccounted for after sunset.

At the Upper Guadalupe River Authority, some staff members discussed the significance of the catastrophe among each other.

“I am hopeful they find more survivors tonight, but I assume the worst for the missing,” natural resources specialist Travis Linscomb texted another staffer at 11:48 p.m.

“Hopefully this will push the early flood warning topic to the forefront and we get more done this time around,” Linscomb added. “Unfortunately it seems like it takes major loss of life to get the ball really rolling on it like Blanco 2015 did,” an apparent reference to another flood a decade ago.

As the calendar turned to July 5, the UGRA team grappled with how to explain their role as inquiries came in, according to the communications.

“I have a feeling we’ll be getting lots of calls from very angry people asking why we let this happen because they want someone to blame and I’m going to have no idea what to tell them,” one official wrote at 7:21 a.m.

The lack of an effective flood warning system in Kerr County would become top of mind in the hours, days and weeks after the banks of the Guadalupe overflowed. A committee of Texas legislators is now investigating the circumstances surrounding the July 4th floods.

“Some of the comments I’m seeing are saying things along the lines of ‘how is there now [sic] flood warning system in 2025?'” an employee wrote to Linscomb early in the morning on July 5. “I want so badly to tell them that there is soooooo much more to it than just snapping your fingers and making it happen. Red tape, money, equipment that may not even survive a flood (like we saw today), etc.”

“I can’t imagine just being asleep then waking up to your rv floating away with you and your family in it and there is absolutely nothing you can do,” the employee said. “The fear and helplessness people must have felt is gutwrenching.”

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(AUSTIN, Texas) — A 4-year-old girl, her grandfather and a Target employee have been identified as the victims killed in a shooting outside of a Target store in Austin, Texas, according to police.

The suspect, 32-year-old Ethan Nieneker, allegedly first shot Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca, a Target employee, as he was collecting carts in the parking lot on Monday afternoon, Austin Police Sgt. Nathan Sexton said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Nieneker then allegedly approached a family’s car, fatally shot the little girl and her grandfather, Adam Chow, and minorly wounded Adam Chow’s wife and stole their car, Sexton said.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis called it an “unprovoked and deliberate attack” on “innocent lives,” adding that it was “in broad daylight.”

Asked if the suspect gave a motive, Sexton said, “He said that he was Jesus and there was really no reason whatsoever given. It was a completely random choosing of the victims.”

After the shooting, Nieneker allegedly fled the scene in the stolen car and carried out other crimes, including “causing multiple crashes,” “assaulting another female driver and stealing her Volkswagen,” trying to break into a Waymo vehicle and vandalizing the home of an acquaintance from bible study, Sexton said.

Officers found Nieneker naked; they subdued him with a Taser and took him into custody, police said.

Nieneker, who worked at a restaurant and lived alone, has a history with the Austin Police Department, including assault, driving while intoxicated and mental health reports, Davis said.

Davis did not elaborate on the mental health issues but said, “This man had some serious issues,” adding, “There were some serious failures here.”

Nieneker faces charges including two counts of capital murder and one count of first-degree felony murder, Sexton said.

The suspect’s gun “was acquired through family,” Sexton said.

A Target spokesperson said in a statement on Monday, “We are devastated by the violence that occurred today.”

“Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, our team in Austin and all those impacted by this tragedy,” the statement said. “We are working with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation and are grateful to the first responders who acted quickly at the scene. In the days ahead, we will continue partnering with law enforcement and will be providing support resources, including grief counseling, to our team.”

Austin-Travis County EMS had initially reported four victims, but that number was later corrected.

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(UVALDE, Texas) — Two months before a gunman killed 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the school district’s then-police chief was required to attend a training about how to respond to an active shooter, which instructed in no uncertain terms that an “officer’s first priority is to move in and confront the attacker.”

When Pete Arredondo, the police chief of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District at the time of the May 2022 shooting, was confronted with precisely the situation his training should have prepared him for, he did the opposite of what the training instructed would have saved lives, according to a newly released trove of documents from the Uvalde school district.

“Time is the number one enemy during active shooter response,” a lesson plan for the training said. “The best hope that innocent victims have is that officers immediately move into action to isolate, distract, or neutralize the threat, even if that means one officer acting alone.”

More than three years after the shooting and the training designed to prevent it, Arredondo continues to fight a criminal case that alleges that he was responsible for putting students in danger by waiting 77 minutes to confront the gunman, who had holed up in adjoining fourth-grade classrooms.

Arredondo has pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of child endangerment and abandonment on behalf of the injured and surviving children. His trial date is set for October 2025.

“From the benefit of hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course, it wasn’t the right decision. It was the wrong decision, period,” then-Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw told reporters days after the shooting.

The records of the active shooter training were included in a trove of documents released by the Uvalde School District on Monday, following a years-long effort to withhold the documents about the school district’s response, security, and police training. After years of requests from the families of victims, the public, and media organizations, including ABC News, the records were released on the eve of the new school year, as prosecutors prepare to bring two former school district police leaders, including Arredondo, to trial.

Paul Looney, an attorney for Arredondo, said in a statement to ABC News, “There is very little that will shed any constructive light on what to do next time or who did or didn’t do anything this last time. Much is being made of trying to keep information private and secret so that they can try to prosecute two officers. Those prosecutions are flawed. They are not going to be successful, but the hiding of information is hiding a gold mine that we need to be learning from so that we can handle it more constructively next time. I’ve seen all this stuff in discovery for quite a while now. The hiding of this is pointless and serves nobody any constructive purpose.”

“I’m not sure if my battle for transparency will ever truly be over,” said Gloria Cazares, the mother of 9-year-old Jackie Cazares, who was killed in the massacre. “I need to know everything that led up to my daughter’s death and what happened after. Every detail matters. If we can’t get justice, then the very least we deserve is every piece of evidence, every record, every truth that has been kept from us.”

Among the hundreds of pages released, the records suggest that the flawed response was not because of a lack of training, but in spite of it. The Texas state legislature passed a law in 2019 that required school resource officers and police to participate in an approved active shooting training within 180 days of their employment. One such training in Uvalde took place on March 21, 2022, two months before the deadly shooting.

“First responders to the active shooter scene will usually be required to place themselves in harm’s way and display uncommon acts of courage to save the innocent,” the training said. “A first responder unwilling to place the lives of the innocent above their own safety should consider another career field.”

The training also includes material about the flaws in the emergency response to the February 2018 deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida, where officers faced criticism for staging outside the building while the shooting took place. According to the materials, the training in Texas was mandated to prevent a similar tragedy from taking place, where a delayed law enforcement response could potentially contribute to additional casualties.

The newly released documents also shed light on the academic and disciplinary history of the deceased gunman, Salvador Ramos. The 18-year-old student was disciplined for inappropriate behavior at least 18 times between 2015 and 2018, including bullying other classmates, using inappropriate and sexual language, and fighting his peers, the documents say.

Ramos’ incidents show a clear and documented pattern of low-grade but increasing and recurrent behavioral issues in school, according to the documents. His acting out was written up multiple times, but there was no clear follow-up documented to address his needs and help him. His parents were often absent from the process, the documents show.

His mother Adriana Reyes told law enforcement prior to the shooting that she was “scared” of her son. Speaking to ABC News after the shooting, Reyes said her son could be “aggressive” but he was not a “monster.”

“We all have a rage, that some people have it more than others,” Reyes said

In November of 2015, a disciplinary write-up noted Ramos wrote “I’m gay” on the back of another student’s artwork planning sheet, according to the documents. Though he denied it, the student whose paper it was identified Ramos as the culprit. When the teacher called Ramos’ mom, “it said this person is unavailable. I also tried calling grandfather’s phone, and it said voicemail is full,” the documents show.

In March 2018, Ramos was written up for truancy and got suspended, according to the documents. Also that March, he was written up for “‘using sexual language’ after repeatedly [being] told to stop.” When told to do his work by a teacher, the documents say he flashed the “L” loser sign and was placed under in-school suspension.

Ramos was written up for drawing an “inappropriate picture” on an assignment in May 2018 and received in-school suspension, according to the records. The same month, a handwritten note in pink pen said he was sent to the office because “he refused to do his work. I told him to put his head down for the whole class or go to the office. He decided to go to the office.”

Also in May 2018, Ramos “went up to a student and hit him in the arm. Another student reacted by kicking him,” according to the documents. Under parent contact, the documents show the disciplinary record said, “no answer.”

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(ATLANTA) — The gunman who attacked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s campus on Friday may have fired several hundred rounds, law enforcement said on Tuesday.

During a news conference, Chris Hosey, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), said almost 500 shell casings were recovered. Of those rounds, about 200 struck facilities on the CDC campus.

It’s unclear how many came from the gunman and how many came from law enforcement exchanging gunfire.

Hosey said that the suspect, 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White, had a long gun that belonged to his father during the attack.

Hosey added that White’s parents are “fully cooperating” with the investigation, which is ongoing.

White had no criminal history, Hosey said. White had “recently verbalized thoughts of suicide” and law enforcement had been contacted several weeks prior to the shooting, according to Hosey.

Hosey also confirmed that a search warrant of White’s home had found “written documentation” expressing his discontent with the COVID-19 vaccine. GBI is examining the documentation, which is being shared with the FBI Atlanta field office.

There were no direct threats made in the written document but allegedly White wanted to make the public aware of his discontent with and distrust of the vaccine, Hosey said.

Law enforcement sources and sources close to the suspect previously told ABC News that White had blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him sick and depressed.

People who knew the 30-year-old suspected shooter told ABC News they had heard White express similar angry and conspiracy-minded sentiments.

One neighbor, who asked not to be named, told ABC News that White had sat on her porch and complained that he lost weight, developed problems swallowing and experienced gastrointestinal issues after he got the COVID-19 vaccine.

Serious health events after receiving the COVID-19 vaccines are rare, according to the CDC.

White died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A total of five firearms were recovered from the scene, according to Hosey.

Electronic devices seized during the investigation are currently undergoing digital forensic examination and GBI agents are continuing to conduct numerous interviews.

DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose was fatally shot after responding to the reported gunfire. Hosey said preliminary information from the from the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office indicates Rose’s injuries were caused by one of the gunman’s weapons.

“He served with honor, courage and unwavering dedication,” Hosey said during the news conference. “His sacrifice will never be forgotten and his commitment to protecting others is a profound testament to the very best of the law enforcement profession.”

In an agency-wide meeting on Tuesday, new CDC director Susan Monarez said that she knows the campus will feel “unsettling, in many ways, for some time to come.”

“We will make sure that you have the resources, the protection, the support you need to keep doing the work that you do. Protecting health and saving lives. Please take care of yourself. Check-in on your colleagues,” Monarez said in an audio recording of the meeting obtained by ABC News. “And know this, we will face the challenge together. United in purpose, grounded in truth, and committed to protecting one another.”

CDC employees told ABC News that the meeting was cut short by technical difficulties, lasting just about 10 minutes instead of the planned hour.

Editor’s note: The story has been updated to clarify that some of the 500 rounds may not have been fired by the gunman, according to law enforcement.

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(LAS VEGAS) — Two drivers were seriously injured and were taken to a hospital after suspects threw or dropped large rocks from a pedestrian overpass onto an interstate highway in Las Vegas, according to police.

Four vehicles experienced moderate to severe damage in the incident, according to Nevada State Police.

Police responded to reports of individuals dropping or throwing large rocks from a pedestrian overpass onto US-95/IR-11 just before 9 p.m. local time on Sunday.

The rocks were thrown just north of the Railroad Pass Casino in Henderson, Nevada, according to police.

When officers arrived on the scene, the suspects had already fled. Police are now searching for anyone who may have information about individuals.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or may have information is asked to call the Nevada State Police Investigations Division at 702-668-3261.

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(CHINO, Calif.) — Police in California recovered approximately $30,000 worth of stolen Labubu collectibles that were stolen in multiple trips over several days, police said.

Chino Police Department detectives recovered the Labubus after serving a search warrant at a home in Upland, California, where they found 14 boxes of the stolen merchandise, along with evidence indicating the items were about to be resold and shipped across the country, according to a statement from the department.

Detectives said they had been investigating a burglary where, they say, suspects would enter a warehouse and steal boxes, during several trips over multiple days, containing the highly sought-after Labubus that are often sold for high prices online.

“During the investigation, a search warrant was served at a residence in Upland,” Chino officials said. “One suspect attempted to flee but ultimately surrendered without incident. Detectives recovered fourteen boxes of stolen merchandise, along with evidence indicating the items were being prepared for resale and shipment across the country.”

The recovered property was quickly returned to the rightful owners, police said.

Police did not say if any had identified any suspects or brought any charges in the case.

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(CLAIRTON, Pa.) — Two people have died and 10 are injured following an explosion at a Pennsylvania steel plant on Monday, Allegheny County police said.

The incident at the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works plant in Clairton, about 15 miles outside of Pittsburgh, trapped people under rubble, prompting a rescue operation, according to Allegheny County officials.

Of those injured, five are in critical but stable condition and five were taken to the hospital, treated and released, according to officials.

“Injured employees have now been transported to local hospitals to receive care, and search-and-rescue efforts remain active at the plant,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said on social media. “Lori and I are eternally thankful for the bravery of our first responders — and we continue to pray for the entire Clairton community.”

One person who died in the explosion was identified as Timothy Quinn, Clairton Mayor Richard Lattanzi confirmed to ABC News.

The second individual, who was found dead on Monday night, has not yet been identified.

The explosion inside a battery operating area at the plant was reported at 10:51 a.m., and “multiple secondary explosions” were reported after that, Allegheny County officials said.

David B. Burritt, president and CEO of U.S. Steel, said in a statement, “We are working closely with relevant authorities to investigate the cause of the incident.”

“Nearly 1,300 dedicated men and women work at the Clairton Plant each day, performing their jobs with the utmost safety,” Burritt said. “During times like this, U.S. Steel employees come together to extend their love, prayers, and support to everyone affected.”

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said at a news conference, “Out of an abundance of caution, we advise residents within 1 mile of the plant to remain indoors, close all windows and doors, set HVAC systems to recirculate, and avoid activities that draw in outside air, such as exhaust fans.”

The Allegheny County Health Department is monitoring the incident and Innamorato said the department’s “air quality monitors have not detected a rise in PM 2.5 [fine inhalable particles under 2.5 micrometers] or sulfur dioxide above federal standards.”

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