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(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — At least one person was killed and six others were injured in a shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee on Thursday, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News.
One person is in critical condition and five are in serious condition, according to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.
The number of injured is subject to change, sources told ABC News, as law enforcement is actively searching to determine how many might be injured.
A suspect is in custody, multiple sources told ABC News, adding that the search for possible additional shooters is ongoing.
The shooting took place near the Student Union, according to an FSU Alert, which had advised students to continue to shelter in place due to reports of an active shooter.
Student Daniella Streety told ABC News she was in the building across the street from the Student Union when alert sirens started blaring, and people who were standing outside ran into her building.
Students then fled from the Student Union as law enforcement flooded the scene, she said.
Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was killed in the Parkland high school shooting in South Florida in 2018, said some of Jaime’s classmates now attend FSU.
“Incredibly, some of them were just a part of their 2nd school shooting and some were in the student union today,” Guttenberg, who has become a gun reform supporter, wrote on social media. “As a father, all I ever wanted after the Parkland shooting was to help our children be safe. Sadly, because of the many people who refuse to do the right things about reducing gun violence, I am not surprised by what happened today.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it’s “actively engaged in the incident.” The FBI is also assisting authorities at the university, an agency spokesperson told ABC News.
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
FSU said classes are canceled through Friday.
Leon County public schools have been placed “on lockout as a precaution,” according to the school district.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, “My heart breaks for the students, their families, and faculty at Florida State University. There is no place in American society for violence. Our entire nation is praying for the victims and their families.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Sony Salzman and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Attorneys for a Venezuelan man who is currently imprisoned in a notorious Salvadoran prison filed a habeas petition on Wednesday, asking a federal judge to order the immediate release of their client.
Instead of deporting Edicson David Quintero Chacon to Venezuela, the government is “paying” for his “torture in El Salvador with U.S. taxpayer dollars in flagrant violation of the United States Constitution,” his attorneys said in the filing.
According to the habeas petition, on June 13, 2024, Quintero Chacon went to his routine check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in North Carolina where he was detained and taken into custody and transferred to a detention center in Georgia. Then, in September 2024, an immigration judge ordered him removed from the U.S. to Venezuela.
On February 10, 2025, he filed a habeas petition challenging his detention in Georgia, saying he “was not fighting [his] case anymore” and that he “just wanted to go home.”
A month later, after being transferred to a detention center in Texas, Quintero Chacon was put on one of the first flights to El Salvador with more than a hundred other Venezuelan migrants.
“Mr. Quintero’s continuing detention—now approaching a year—is lawless,” his attorneys said in the petition. “There is no statutory authority that could possibly justify his continued custody under or by color of the authority of the U.S. government, let alone at CECOT.”
The government’s decision to transfer Quintero Chacon to CECOT, his attorneys said, “will amount to an effective life sentence—and possibly a death sentence.”
Quintero Chacon’s attorneys said in the filing that he has not been charged with or convicted of a crime in any country.
“He is a loving husband, father of two small children, brother, and son, and a skilled carpenter and fisherman,” his attorneys said in the petition.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment on the habeas petition and questions about Quintero Chacon.
In a 5-4 decision earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could resume deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act, but said detainees must be given due process to challenge their removal.
Attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union said on Wednesday they plan to refile more than a hundred habeas claims in Washington for the men who were deported on March 15.
(CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich.) — An elderly man with dementia was rescued by officials after his foot got stuck in a window and he ended up dangling from the second-story of his home in Michigan, the Canton Township Police Department told ABC News.
The incident, which occurred on April 12 at approximately 2:49 a.m., was captured on police body-worn camera footage, showing officers on the ground building a human pyramid to attempt to free the dangling man while others inside the home supported him with cables.
In the footage reviewed by ABC News, the man can be heard screaming, “I can’t hold this much longer, I really can’t.”
The man’s wife, Lynnette Barnett, told ABC Detroit affiliate WXYZ that her husband, who is in the late stages of dementia, was trying to get out of the room, was unsure how, so he decided to leave through the window.
“He’s not steady on his feet, the window he chose to come out of is the only window in the house that you need to prop open, because if you don’t prop it open, it will fall shut,” Barnett told WXYZ.
If the window had not shut on the man’s foot, Barnett said her husband “would have been dead.”
Officials, along with the help of “swift-acting neighbors” who provided a ladder, were successfully able to return the man to safety, intervening in a way that “saved this man’s life and prevented a tragedy,” Canton Police Chief Chad Baugh said in a statement to ABC News.
“This incident reflects the heart of public service, and we remain committed to working with every available resource to provide wraparound support for those facing cognitive challenges,” Baugh said.
(WASHINGTON) — Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said he was blocked Thursday from entering the El Salvador prison that is holding the Maryland resident who the courts say was erroneously deported from the United States last month.
The Maryland senator, who flew to the country on Wednesday, shared a video on social media showing guards stopping him and others from entering CECOT, where Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being held.
The Supreme Court and a Maryland federal judge ordered that the U.S. government “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. after the Department of Justice said in court filings that the 29-year-old father was wrongfully deported because of an “administrative error.” The Trump administration has alleged it cannot bring him back and claimed outside of court that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang.
Van Hollen was joined by Chris Newman, who he said is the attorney for Abrego Garcia’s wife and mother, and said they are trying to check on the deported man’s condition.
The video also showed Van Hollen and Newman speaking to prison guards, who were visibly shaking their heads “no.”
“These soldiers were ordered to prevent us from going any farther from this spot,” Van Hollen said. “I understand we’re about three kilometers now from CECOT, and as you can see, they’re letting other cars go by, but they stopped us because they’re under orders not to allow us to proceed to check on the well-being of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.”
Over the last couple of weeks, Republican members of Congress have gained access to the prison and posted pictures on their social media pages from inside the complex.
Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — At least six people were injured in a shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee on Thursday, according to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.
One person is in critical condition and five are in serious condition, according to the hospital.
The number of injured is subject to change, sources told ABC News, as law enforcement is actively searching to determine how many might be injured.
A suspect is in custody, multiple sources told ABC News, adding that the search for possible additional shooters is ongoing.
The shooting took place near the Student Union, according to an FSU Alert, which had advised students to continue to shelter in place due to reports of an active shooter.
Student Daniella Streety told ABC News she was in the building across the street from the Student Union when alert sirens started blaring, and people who were standing outside ran into her building.
Students then fled from the Student Union as law enforcement flooded the scene, she said.
“It’s too early to understand the extent of the violence, but early reports are very disturbing,” Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., said in a statement. “Shelter in place. Stay Safe. Thank you to our brave first responders for responding to the situation.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it’s “actively engaged in the incident.” The FBI is also assisting authorities at the university, an agency spokesperson told ABC News.
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Sony Salzman and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
(LOS ANGELES) — Erik and Lyle Menendez’s long-awaited resentencing hearing will move forward on Thursday despite a new filing from Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who wants to keep the brothers behind bars.
In a filing late Wednesday, prosecutors urged the court to obtain a copy of a recently completed risk assessment conducted on the brothers by the California Board of Parole Hearings at the request of Gov. Gavin Newsom. The filing by the district attorney’s office urged the judge to delay the sentencing if the court couldn’t get a copy of the report in time for the hearing.
Outside the courthouse Thursday morning, Hochman said he wants all of the facts to come out, but added that his team is proceeding with the hearing.
The Menendez brothers’ attorney, Mark Geragos, called the last-minute attempt to delay the resentencing hearing a “Hail Mary” by Hochman.
The brothers — who are serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez — are fighting to be released after 35 years behind bars.
At the resentencing hearing — which begins Thursday and is likely to last through late Friday — 10 family members are ready to take the stand, ABC News has learned. A prison expert and former inmate may also testify.
This comes one week after Lyle and Erik Menendez had a major win in court when the judge ruled in their favor at a hearing regarding Hochman’s motion to withdraw the resentencing petition submitted by the previous DA, George Gascón, who supported resentencing and the brothers’ release.
In the DA’s three-hour argument Friday, he argued the brothers — who were listening to the hearing via video — haven’t taken responsibility for their actions and he called their claims of self-defense part of a litany of “lies.” Hochman also dismissed the brothers’ claim that they were sexually abused by their father.
This comes one week after Lyle and Erik Menendez had a major win in court when the judge ruled in their favor at a hearing regarding Hochman’s motion to withdraw the resentencing petition submitted by the previous DA, George Gascón, who supported resentencing and the brothers’ release.
In the DA’s three-hour argument Friday, he argued the brothers — who were listening to the hearing via video — haven’t taken responsibility for their actions and he called their claims of self-defense part of a litany of “lies.” Hochman also dismissed the brothers’ claim that they were sexually abused by their father.
Geragos called the decision “probably the biggest day since they’ve been in custody.”
“They’ve waited a long time to get some justice,” he said.
Hochman said in a statement after the ruling, “We concluded that the case was not ripe for resentencing based on the Menendez brothers’ continuing failure to exhibit full insight and accept complete responsibility for the entire gamut of their criminal actions and cover-up, including the fabrications of their self-defense defense and their lies concerning their father being a violent rapist, their mother being a poisoner, and their trying to obtain a handgun for self-defense the day before the murder.”
“Until the Menendez brothers finally come clean with all their lies of self-defense and suborning and attempting to suborn perjury, they are not rehabilitated and pose an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety,” he said.
This potential path to freedom gained momentum in October, when Hochman’s predecessor, Gascón, announced he was in support of resentencing.
Gascón recommended their sentences of life without the possibility of parole be removed, and said they should instead be sentenced for murder, which would be a sentence of 50 years to life. Because both brothers were under 26 at the time of the crimes, they would be eligible for parole immediately with the new sentence.
Gascón’s office said its resentencing recommendations take into account many factors, including rehabilitation in prison and abuse or trauma that contributed to the crime. Gascón — who lost his reelection bid to Hochman in November — praised the work Lyle and Erik Menendez did behind bars to rehabilitate themselves and help other inmates.
Over 20 Menendez relatives are in support of the brothers’ release. Several of those relatives spoke with ABC News last week, including cousin Diane VanderMolen, who said Erik Menendez asked her to relay a message.
“They are truly, deeply sorry for what they did. And they are profoundly remorseful,” VanderMolen said. “They are filled with remorse over what they did. And through that, they have become pretty remarkable people.”
Besides resentencing, the brothers have two other possible paths to freedom.
One is their request for clemency to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Newsom announced in February that he was ordering the parole board to conduct a 90-day “comprehensive risk assessment” investigation into whether Lyle and Erik Menendez pose “an unreasonable risk to the public” if they’re granted clemency and released.
After the risk assessment, which Hochman said in the filing is now complete, Newsom said the brothers will appear at independent parole board hearings in June.
The other path is the brothers’ habeas corpus petition, which they filed in 2023 for a review of two new pieces of evidence not presented at trial: a letter Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin eight months before the murders detailing his alleged abuse from his father, and allegations from a former boy band member who revealed in 2023 that he was raped by Jose Menendez.
In February, Hochman announced he was asking the court to deny the habeas corpus petition, arguing the brothers’ new evidence wasn’t credible or admissible.
Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Multiple people are injured in a shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee, according to a senior administration official.
Police are responding to the scene, which is near the Student Union, according to an FSU Alert, which had advised students to continue to shelter in place due to reports of an active shooter.
“FDLE is actively engaged in the incident on FSU’s campus, and we will update the public with more information as soon as possible,” according to a statement from Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The FBI is assisting authorities at the university, an agency spokesperson told ABC News.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — Longtime Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell will face constituents Thursday in his home state of Kentucky as Republican lawmakers continue to face hostile crowds raising issues with President Donald Trump’s policies.
Party leadership has advised against holding in-person events after some lawmakers faced volatile crowds back home in their districts and questions about cuts to Medicaid and Social Security, Trump’s tariffs and his deportation policy.
McConnell announced in February that he would not seek an eighth term in the Senate. He stepped down from his role as party leader last year after a record-breaking 18 years atop the GOP conference.
Since ending his tenure as leader, McConnell has been one of few Republican senators willing to challenge Trump. He has voted against Trump Cabinet nominees and been critical of Trump on his tariff policy, his efforts at election reform, and holding direct negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
He will speak on Thursday to the Glasgow-Barren County Rotary Club.
Angry constituents have confronted Republican lawmakers who chose to hold in-person town halls this week.
GOP Sen. Charles Grassley faced a contentious crowd on Tuesday in Iowa who peppered him with questions about Trump’s tariff and deportation policies and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency slashing federal agencies.
The same day, Republican Rep. Brian Mast faced pushback from angry constituents who pressed him on immigration enforcement actions and potential cuts to Social Security at three town halls he held in his Florida district. A scuffle broke out in the audience at one event before security broke it up.
On Tuesday evening, two protesters were tased by law enforcement and others were escorted out after they interrupted a town hall held by GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of Trump’s staunchest supporters.
(WASHINGTON) — Longtime Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell will face constituents Thursday in his home state of Kentucky as Republican lawmakers continue to face hostile crowds raising issues with President Donald Trump’s policies.
Party leadership has advised against holding in-person events after some lawmakers faced volatile crowds back home in their districts and questions about cuts to Medicaid and Social Security, Trump’s tariffs and his deportation policy.
McConnell announced in February that he would not seek an eighth term in the Senate. He stepped down from his role as party leader last year after a record-breaking 18 years atop the GOP conference.
Since ending his tenure as leader, McConnell has been one of few Republican senators willing to challenge Trump. He has voted against Trump Cabinet nominees and been critical of Trump on his tariff policy, his efforts at election reform, and holding direct negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
He will speak on Thursday to the Glasgow-Barren County Rotary Club.
Angry constituents have confronted Republican lawmakers who chose to hold in-person town halls this week.
GOP Sen. Charles Grassley faced a contentious crowd on Tuesday in Iowa who peppered him with questions about Trump’s tariff and deportation policies and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency slashing federal agencies.
The same day, Republican Rep. Brian Mast faced pushback from angry constituents who pressed him on immigration enforcement actions and potential cuts to Social Security at three town halls he held in his Florida district. A scuffle broke out in the audience at one event before security broke it up.
On Tuesday evening, two protesters were tased by law enforcement and others were escorted out after they interrupted a town hall held by GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of Trump’s staunchest supporters.
(NEW YORK) — Alphabet’s Google illegally dominated two markets for online advertising technology, according to a federal judge.
Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a ruling Thursday that Google had broken the law to build its dominance over the largely invisible system of technology that places advertisements on pages across the web.
“Plaintiffs have proven that Google has willfully engaged in a series of anticompetitive acts to acquire and maintain monopoly power in the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets for open-web display advertising,” the judge wrote in his ruling. “For over a decade, Google has tied its publisher ad server and ad exchange together through contractual policies and technological integration, which enabled the company to establish and protect its monopoly power in these two markets.”
The Department of Justice had sued Alphabet claiming Google had a monopoly in ad technology that allowed the company to charge higher prices and take a bigger portion of each sale. The Justice Department has said Google should have to sell off at least its Google Ad Manager, which includes the company’s publisher ad server and its ad exchange.
“We won half of this case and we will appeal the other half,” Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president for regulatory affairs, said in a statement. “The Court found that our advertiser tools and our acquisitions, such as DoubleClick, don’t harm competition. We disagree with the Court’s decision regarding our publisher tools. Publishers have many options and they choose Google because our ad tech tools are simple, affordable and effective.”
ABC News has reached out to Alphabet for comment.
Google is now facing the possibility of two different U.S. courts ordering it to sell assets or change its business practices. A trial will be held this April in Washington on the DOJ’s request to make Google sell its Chrome browser and take other measures to end its dominance in online search.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
