(WASHINGTON) — The Army identified Saturday the third soldier on the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the midair crash over the Potomac River Wednesday night as Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach.
Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina, was the last member of the helicopter’s crew to be identified. The six-year Army member was assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, according to the Army.
Lobach’s family initially withheld her identity when the Army released the names of the other two soldiers killed in the collision, Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Lloyd Eaves.
“Rebecca was many things. She was a daughter, sister, partner, and friend. She was a servant, a caregiver, an advocate. Most of all, she loved and was loved. Her life was short, but she made a difference in the lives of all who knew her. Our hearts break for the other families who have lost loved ones in this national tragedy and we mourn with them,” her family said in a statement.
Lobach was among the 67 people killed in the crash between the helicopter and the American Airlines regional jetliner.
The Army said Lobach had no deployments but was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
Her family said she volunteered White House military social aide, supporting the president and first lady in hosting countless White House events, including ceremonies awarding the Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Lobach also was a certified Army Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention victim advocate and “hoped to continue her education so she could serve this country as a physician when her time with the Army ended,” her family said.
“She once said, ‘My experiences with SHARP have reinforced my resolve to serve others with compassion, understanding and the resources necessary for healing,'” her family said in a statement.
“Her life was short, but she made a difference in the lives of all who knew her. Our hearts break for the other families who have lost loved ones in this national tragedy and we mourn with them,” the family added.
(WASHINGTON) — The United States used manned fighter jets to conduct an airstrike against Islamic State targets in Somalia on Saturday, three U.S. officials told ABC News on Saturday.
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the airstrike, claiming no civilians were harmed in the attack. No details were released about the targets aside from the president labeling the target as a “Senior ISIS Attack Planner.”
Hegseth said the airstrikes were carried out “at President Trump’s direction and in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia.”
Notably, the strikes were not drone strikes but were carried out by fighter aircraft from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, which is currently in the Red Sea, as well as Air Force fighter aircraft, U.S. officials told ABC News.
And unlike other airstrikes, these attacks were offensive airstrikes against ISIS, not the defensive drones strikes, such as what U.S. forces have done against al Shabaab when they’re called in to support Somali troops who are being attacked by the militant group.
“This action further degrades ISIS’s ability to plot and conduct terrorist attacks threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians and sends a clear signal that the United States always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the United States and our allies, even as we conduct robust border-protection and many other operations under President Trump’s leadership,” Hegseth added.
(WASHINGTON) — Government agency webpages about HIV, LGBTQ+ people and multiple other public health topics were down as of Friday evening due to President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at gender ideology and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Some of the terms being flagged for removal include pregnant people, chestfeeding, diversity, DEI and references to vaccines, health and gender equity, according to officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who spoke to ABC News on the condition of anonymity.
Entire databases have also been temporarily removed.
Researchers confirmed to ABC News they were scrambling to collect and archive as much data as possible from the sites before they were taken down.
Some pages might be returned to public view after the language is reviewed and removed, officials at the Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC said, though it’s not clear which pages.
Removed pages included key CDC information on the rate of HIV diagnoses, breakdowns of infections by race and gender and the probability of HIV transmission by various forms of sex.
The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, a national survey system that collects various habits on teenagers as well as their gender identity, is also down.
The CDC’s “HIV Risk Reduction Tool,” an interactive tool that allowed users to gauge the risk of certain sexual behaviors, has also been erased.
For now, the agency appears to have consolidated all of its information about the virus that causes AIDS into a single, simplified page titled, “About HIV.”
Another website, reproductiverights.gov, which provided resources on reproductive care and abortion access, was also removed. The Food and Drug Administration’s webpage titled “Minority Health and Health Equity” was also down.
Asked Friday afternoon in the Oval Office if government websites would be shut down to be scrubbed, the president said it wouldn’t be a “bad idea.”
“I don’t know — it doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me,” Trump said.
“DEI … would have ruined our country, and now it’s dead. I think DEI is dead. So, if they want to scrub the website, that’s OK with me. But I can’t tell you,” Trump continued. Trump’s executive order on DEI called for an “end” to any related policies within the federal government.
The other executive order, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” directed the federal government to recognize only two sexes: male and female.
A memo sent to HHS officials on Wednesday directed subagencies such as the CDC to remove “all outward facing media (websites, social media accounts, etc.) that inculcate or promote gender ideology” by 5 p.m. on Friday.
(PHILADELPHIA) — At least seven people were killed and 19 others injured after a medical transport plane, carrying a child, her mother and four other people, crashed in Philadelphia Friday night near a busy mall, according to city officials.
Everyone aboard the flight was killed in the crash and one person was killed on the ground, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said at a press conference Saturday.
The Learjet 55 crashed near the Roosevelt Mall in northeast Philadelphia around 6:30 p.m. after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, according to authorities.
“Many people on the ground — in parking lots, on streets, in cars and homes in the area — were injured,” the office of Mayor Parker said Saturday. “A number of people were transported to Temple University Hospital, Jeans Campus in the Northeast.”
“Right now, we’re just asking for prayers,” Parker told reporters Friday night. She urged residents to stay away from the scene.
In a statement, Shriner’s Hospital said the child had received care from the Philadelphia hospital and was being taken back to her home country of Mexico along with her mother on a contracted air ambulance when the crash happened.
The flight was headed to Missouri and was only in the air for a short period of time before something went wrong, according to Parker.
The company that operated the flight, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, said in a statement there were four crew members on board.
“At this time, we cannot confirm any survivors,” the company said in the statement. “No names are being released at this time until family members have been notified. Our immediate concern is for the patient’s family, our personnel, their families and other victims that may have been hurt on the ground.”
The air ambulance was en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, according to Flight Radar24 data.
“I regret the death of six Mexicans in the plane crash in Philadelphia, United States,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a statement Saturday. “The consular authorities are in permanent contact with the families; I have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support them in whatever way is required. My solidarity with their loved ones and friends.”
A large fire burned in the wake of the crash, prompting a significant response.
“We heard a loud explosion and then saw the aftermath of flames and smoke,” eyewitness Jimmy Weiss told local ABC station WPVI near the scene.
He added, “It felt like the ground shook .. it was a loud boom. It was startling.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.
An NTSB investigator arrived at the scene Friday night with additional team members expected to arrive Saturday.
Temple University Hospital told ABC News it had received six patients hurt in the crash, although it was not clear if they were in the plane or people who were on the ground.
Three of those patients were treated and released and three remain hospitalized in fair condition, the hospital said.
Speaking at a follow-up press briefing Friday night, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said dozens of state troopers and other state personnel were on on hand to offer help and praised local responders and community members.
“We saw neighbor helping neighbor. We saw Pennsylvanians looking out for one another,” he said.
In a statement posted to social media platform Truth Social, President Donald Trump said: “So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged. First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow. God Bless you all.”
Immediately after the crash, the FAA issued a ground stop at Northeast Philadelphia Airport due to “an aircraft incident.”
The FAA had initially reported there were two people on board the aircraft but later corrected that report.
The investigation into the crash remains active and ongoing.
ABC News’ Ayesha Ali and Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.
(Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett)
(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to embark on his first diplomatic mission abroad since being confirmed to his post, visiting five countries in Central and South America over the first week of February.
During the trip, Rubio is expected to reinforce the Trump administration’s immigration priorities with leaders in the region, according to a senior official, who said the secretary is also planning to address Beijing’s influence during several of the stops.
The State Department is also billing Rubio’s trip as historic — saying his six-day journey to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic marks the first time a U.S. secretary of state has opted to make his or her first official visit to Latin America in over 100 years.
“This is where we live”
In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Rubio said the trip is part of a realignment of American diplomatic priorities.
“For many reasons, U.S. foreign policy has long focused on other regions while overlooking our own. As a result, we’ve let problems fester, missed opportunities and neglected partners,” he said. “That ends now.”
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said the region’s proximity to the United States was an important factor in selecting it for Rubio’s first trip.
“The fact of the matter is, this is where we live. This is who we are,” she said. “This is about not just wanting to have new partnerships — but that’s always good — but the nature of what it means to have an extended relationship with the people closest to you.”
Those relationships are vital for fulfilling the Trump administration’s border security and deportation plans, Rubio noted.
“Diplomacy’s role in this effort is central. We need to work with countries of origin to halt and deter further migrant flows, and to accept the return of their citizens present in the U.S. illegally,” he said.
Cooperation and coercion
However, the countries on his itinerary have largely been very cooperative with the administration so far, as other countries in the region Rubio will skip over remain hesitant to comply.
Guatemala, for instance, has accepted hundreds of migrants brought to the country on military planes since Trump took office, and the country’s leadership has signaled it is open to accepting deportees of other nationalities.
Meanwhile, Mexico, which is traditionally the U.S.’ most important partner in handling illegal immigration, has been much more tentative.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum originally said the country wouldn’t accept migrants from other countries, but she quietly reversed course in late January when she revealed Mexico had accepted over 4,000 deportees and that while “the large majority” was Mexican, others were not.
Mexico has also so far refused requests from the U.S. to allow military flights carrying deportees to land in the country, according to officials from both countries.
Honduras has posed another challenge to the administration’s agenda. According to data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the end of 2024, Hondurans made up the largest share of the population in the deportation pipeline. But ahead of Trump’s inauguration, the president of Honduras threatened to expel members of the U.S. military stationed in the country in response to mass deportations of Honduran nationals.
However, Honduran authorities have signaled the country’s position may be softening. The country’s foreign minister wrote on X that the government is in the process of launching a program to support returning migrants called “Brother, Come Home.”
The Trump administration has also had some early success in overtly pressuring countries to acquiesce. His threatened trade war against Colombia prompted its government to allow military deportation flights to land on its territory.
“It sends a message that this administration, President Trump, Secretary Rubio — they mean what they say,” said Mauricio Claver-Carone, special envoy for Latin America.
Claver-Carone also suggested the Trump administration would use gentler diplomatic tactics as well, saying that during Rubio’s trip, he will attempt to lay the groundwork for a program to repatriate migrants travelling through Central America with the government of Costa Rica.
He also addressed Richard Grenell’s visit to Venezuela to meet with strongman Nicolas Maduro on Friday.
“President Trump expects Nicolas Maduro to take back all of the Venezuelan criminals and gang members that have been exported to United States and to do so unequivocally and without condition,” he said, adding that Grenell, the envoy for special missions, will also urge Maduro to release American hostages held in the country.
A “direct threat” from China
Beyond immigration, Claver-Carone said Beijing’s growing influence in Central America will also be top of mind for Rubio through much of the trip, but it is expected to take center stage during the secretary’s first stop in Panama.
Trump has lodged a litany of complaints related to Panama’s operation of the canal that cuts through the country — claiming that American vessels are overcharged, lamenting that the U.S. ceded control of the vital waterway in the first place and promising “we’re taking it back” during his inaugural address.
Rubio has taken a more measured approach in discussing the Panama Canal while also underscoring that what he says are Trump’s legitimate concerns about the waterway — especially when it comes to companies controlled by Beijing located on each end of it.
“If the government in China in a conflict tells them to shut down the Panama Canal, they will have to,” Rubio said in an interview on Thursday. “That is a direct threat.”
Rubio continued to say it is a dynamic that cannot be allowed to continue.
“It is not in the national interest of the United States to have a canal we paid for and we built used as a leverage and a weapon against us. That can’t happen,” he said.
But ahead of Rubio’s visit, Panama President Jose Raul Mulino said handing back control of the canal isn’t a thought he can entertain.
“It’s impossible,” Mulino said during a press conference on Thursday. “I cannot negotiate, and much less open, a process of negotiation over the canal. That’s sealed. The canal belongs to Panama.”
Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, hands over Israeli hostage Keith Samuel Siegel in Gaza Port to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Saturday as part of the ongoing prisoner exchange deal in Gaza City, Gaza on February 01, 2025. (Photo by Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — American Keith Siegel has been released from captivity Saturday morning.
His release took place in Gaza City where he was taken onto a stage wearing a cap, flanked by masked and armed Hamas forces with the waters of the Mediterranean and the destroyed port behind them.
A crowd watched calmly from a short distance away while Hamas photographers on stage and drones above filmed the release.
Siegel walked on his own power, and he will now undergo medical checks before being reunited with his family shortly.
“According to information communicated by the Red Cross, one hostage was transferred to them, and they are on their way to IDF and ISA forces in the Gaza Strip,” read a joint statement from the IDF and the ISA.
Earlier on Saturday, two other hostages were turned over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas.
Both walked onto a stage flanked by armed and masked Hamas fighter and then taken into waiting while Red Cross SUVs where they were driven out and handed over to Israeli authorities.
The release on Saturday has looked different from previous releases and was done more orderly with the crowd kept back at a distance.
Keith Siegel, who is originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was taken hostage along with his wife, Aviva Siegel in 2023. She was released during the brief 2023 ceasefire and has waged a long campaign to free her husband and the other hostages.
“The commanders and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces salute and embrace the returning hostage as he makes his way home to the State of Israel,” a joint statement from the IDF and ISA read. “The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit asks everyone to respect the privacy of the returning hostage and his family.”
“The Israeli government embraces the return of Keith Siegel,” read a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office. “His families have been informed by the designated authorities that he is a member of our forces. The government, together with all security agencies, will accompany him and his families. The Israeli government is committed to the return of all abducted and missing persons.”
Siegel’s family released a statement shortly after he crossed over into Israel, saying they are “filled with indescribable excitement” and thanked President Trump “for bringing our father back to us.”
“At this very moment, our father is setting foot on the soil of the Land of Israel, and we are filled with indescribable excitement. Finally, after 484 long, terrifying days and nights, full of immense worry for our father, we can breathe again,” the statement read.
“Thank you President Trump, for bringing our father back to us. There are now 79 hostages who are also waiting to be reunited with their loved ones. Our hope rests with you. We also wish to thank the governments of Israel and the United States for bringing this blessed deal to fruition—a deal that prioritizes human life and embodies Jewish and Israeli values.”
“We are grateful to the incredible IDF soldiers and security forces who risk their lives and bodies, and we send our condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their most precious loved ones for the sake of us all,” the statement continued. “You will forever be in our hearts. Only together can we bring everyone home!”
(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration is set to impose tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China on Saturday, placing pressure on three top U.S. trade partners while risking price increases for essential products like gasoline and groceries.
The policy is expected to slap a 25% tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico, as well as a 10% tariff on goods from China.
Hours before the tariffs were set to take effect, leaders in Canada and Mexico vowed to respond, indicating the possibility of a trade war.
Tariffs of this magnitude will likely increase prices paid by U.S. shoppers, since importers typically pass along a share of the cost of those higher taxes to consumers, experts previously told ABC News.
The policy could raise prices for an array of products ranging from avocados to tequila to auto parts.
The price impact remains unclear, however, since businesses within the supply chain could opt to take on some or all of the tax burden, some experts added.
Speaking at the White House on Friday, U.S. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the tariffs target the three countries for hosting the manufacture and transport of illicit drugs that end up in the U.S.
“Canada, Mexico and China have all enabled illegal drugs to pour into America,” Leavitt said.
The sentiment echoed comments made by President Donald Trump when he proposed such tariffs in a post on Truth Social weeks after winning the November election.
“These are promises made and promises kept by the president,” Leavitt said.
Less than two hours after Leavitt addressed reporters, Canadian President Justin Trudeau said in a post on X that such tariffs would elicit a “forceful and immediate response.”
Speaking earlier in the day, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum cast doubt on the likelihood of tariffs. “We don’t believe that it will happen and if it does, we have our plan,” Sheinbaum said.
Mexico and Canada account for 70% of U.S. crude oil imports, which make up a key input for the nation’s gasoline supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a government agency.
The tariffs could raise gasoline prices by as much as 70 cents a gallon for some drivers, Timothy Fitzgerald, a professor of business economics at the University of Tennessee who studies the petroleum industry, previously told ABC News.
Trump said at the Oval Office earlier this week that the tariffs may feature an exemption for oil. Such a move could mitigate the risk of a price hike for gasoline, but the inclusion of the exemption remained unclear a day before the tariffs were set to take effect.
When asked on Friday about a possible exemption for oil, Leavitt declined to directly respond. “I don’t have an update,” Leavitt said. “Those tariffs will be for public consumption in about 24 hours.”
The proposed tariffs could also raise the price of an array of fresh fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, jalapenos, limes and mangoes, Jason Miller, a professor of supply-chain management at Michigan State University, told ABC News.
It would be difficult for the U.S. to replace those goods with domestic production or an alternative supplier, making it likely that prices would rise significantly if the tariffs take effect, he added.
The auto industry also retains deep ties to Canada and Mexico, making tariffs a threat to prices for cars and auto parts, experts said.
Inflation has slowed dramatically from a peak of more than 9% in June 2022, but price increases have picked up in recent months, keeping inflation nearly a percentage point higher than the Fed’s target rate of 2%.
Speaking on Friday, Leavitt touted Trump’s previous achievements in keeping inflation under control.
“Americans who are concerned about increased prices should look at what President Trump did in his first term. He effectively implemented tariffs and the average inflation rate during the first Trump administration was 1.9%.”
ABC News’ William Gretsky contributed to this report.
(PHILADELPHIA) — A medical transport plane, carrying a child, her mother and four other people, crashed in Philadelphia Friday night near a busy mall, killing all aboard and resulting in an untold number of injuries on the ground.
The Learjet 55 crashed near the Roosevelt Mall in northeast Philadelphia around 6:30 p.m. after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, according to authorities.
The exact number of the injured is not yet available, officials said.
“Many people on the ground – in parking lots, on streets, in cars and homes in the area – were injured; the number of injured is yet to be released but the information shared at this time reports that a number of people were transported to Temple University Hospital, Jeans Campus in the Northeast,” the office of Mayor Cherelle Parker said Saturday.
“Right now, we’re just asking for prayers,” Parker told reporters Friday night. She urged residents to stay away from the scene.
In a statement, Shriner’s Hospital said the child had received care from the Philadelphia hospital and was being taken back to her home country of Mexico along with her mother on a contracted air ambulance when the crash happened.
The company that operated the flight, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, said in a statement there were four crew members on board.
“At this time, we cannot confirm any survivors,” the company said in the statement. “No names are being released at this time until family members have been notified. Our immediate concern is for the patient’s family, our personnel, their families and other victims that may have been hurt on the ground.”
The air ambulance was en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, according to Flight Radar24 data.
“I regret the death of six Mexicans in the plane crash in Philadelphia, United States,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a statement Saturday. “The consular authorities are in permanent contact with the families; I have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support them in whatever way is required. My solidarity with their loved ones and friends.”
A large fire burned in the wake of the crash, prompting a significant response.
“We heard a loud explosion and then saw the aftermath of flames and smoke,” eyewitness Jimmy Weiss told local ABC station WPVI near the scene.
He added, “It felt like the ground shook .. it was a loud boom. It was startling.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.
An NTSB investigator arrived at the scene Friday night with additional team members expected to arrive Saturday.
Temple University Hospital told ABC News it had received six patients hurt in the crash, although it was not clear if they were in the plane or people who were on the ground.
Three of those patients were treated and released and three remain hospitalized in fair condition, the hospital said.
Speaking at a follow-up press briefing Friday night, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said dozens of state troopers and other state personnel were on on hand to offer help and praised local responders and community members.
“We saw neighbor helping neighbor. We saw Pennsylvanians looking out for one another,” he said.
In a statement posted to social media platform Truth Social, President Donald Trump said: “So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged. First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow. God Bless you all.”
Immediately after the crash, the FAA issued a ground stop at Northeast Philadelphia Airport due to “an aircraft incident.”
The FAA had initially reported there were two people on board the aircraft but later corrected that report.
ABC News’ Ayesha Ali and Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.
(PHILADELPHIA) — A medical transport plane, carrying a child, her mother and four other people, crashed in Philadelphia Friday night near a busy mall, killing all aboard and resulting in an untold number of injuries on the ground.
The Learjet 55 crashed near the Roosevelt Mall in northeast Philadelphia around 6:30 p.m. after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, according to authorities.
The exact number of the injured is not yet available, officials said.
“Many people on the ground – in parking lots, on streets, in cars and homes in the area – were injured; the number of injured is yet to be released but the information shared at this time reports that a number of people were transported to Temple University Hospital, Jeans Campus in the Northeast,” the office of Mayor Cherelle Parker said Saturday.
“Right now, we’re just asking for prayers,” Parker told reporters Friday night. She urged residents to stay away from the scene.
In a statement, Shriner’s Hospital said the child had received care from the Philadelphia hospital and was being taken back to her home country of Mexico along with her mother on a contracted air ambulance when the crash happened.
The company that operated the flight, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, said in a statement there were four crew members on board.
“At this time, we cannot confirm any survivors,” the company said in the statement. “No names are being released at this time until family members have been notified. Our immediate concern is for the patient’s family, our personnel, their families and other victims that may have been hurt on the ground.”
The air ambulance was en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, according to Flight Radar24 data.
“I regret the death of six Mexicans in the plane crash in Philadelphia, United States,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a statement Saturday. “The consular authorities are in permanent contact with the families; I have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support them in whatever way is required. My solidarity with their loved ones and friends.”
A large fire burned in the wake of the crash, prompting a significant response.
“We heard a loud explosion and then saw the aftermath of flames and smoke,” eyewitness Jimmy Weiss told local ABC station WPVI near the scene.
He added, “It felt like the ground shook .. it was a loud boom. It was startling.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.
An NTSB investigator arrived at the scene Friday night with additional team members expected to arrive Saturday.
Temple University Hospital told ABC News it had received six patients hurt in the crash, although it was not clear if they were in the plane or people who were on the ground.
Three of those patients were treated and released and three remain hospitalized in fair condition, the hospital said.
Speaking at a follow-up press briefing Friday night, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said dozens of state troopers and other state personnel were on on hand to offer help and praised local responders and community members.
“We saw neighbor helping neighbor. We saw Pennsylvanians looking out for one another,” he said.
In a statement posted to social media platform Truth Social, President Donald Trump said: “So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged. First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow. God Bless you all.”
Immediately after the crash, the FAA issued a ground stop at Northeast Philadelphia Airport due to “an aircraft incident.”
The FAA had initially reported there were two people on board the aircraft but later corrected that report.
ABC News’ Ayesha Ali and Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.
