(HIGHLAND PARK, Ill.) — Highland Park, Illinois, mass shooting suspect Robert Crimo III changed his plea to guilty on Monday as opening arguments in his trial were set to begin, according to Chicago ABC station WLS.
Crimo is accused of killing seven people and injuring dozens of others in the mass shooting at a 2022 Fourth of July parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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(NEW YORK) — A strengthening storm system will move across the country this week, bringing blizzard conditions to the Heartland and tornadoes and damaging winds to the South.
On Monday, the storm is focused on the Rockies and the Southwest, bringing mountain snow from Southern California to Colorado.
Meanwhile, there’s an extreme fire danger in New Mexico and western Texas. The combination of gusty winds up to 65 mph and relative humidity down to 5% will make conditions ripe to spread wildfires.
As this storm moves east, severe weather will break out across the South starting Monday night and Tuesday morning from Dallas to Oklahoma City.
Damaging winds and a few tornadoes will be the biggest threat.
On Tuesday, the storm will bring dangerous winter weather conditions to the Heartland.
A blizzard warning is in effect for Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado.
Winter storm watches have been issued in Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where more than 6 inches of snow and near-whiteout conditions are possible.
In the South, severe thunderstorms are expected Tuesday afternoon and evening.
Strong tornadoes are possible in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.
Damaging winds over 60 mph will be possible during Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans; Mobile, Alabama; and Birmingham, Alabama.
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(LONDON) — At least one person was killed and several injured when a car drove into a crowd of people in Mannheim, southwestern Germany, on Monday, police said.
“According to current findings, a car drove into a group of people in Mannheim city center,” the force said in a statement. “According to the current status of the investigation, one person was killed and several people were injured.”
“No information can be given yet on the number and severity of the injuries,” the police added. “As part of the search measures that were immediately initiated, a suspect was identified and arrested. No further, reliable information can currently be released beyond the information published so far.”
Police said that all bridges and main roads were under their control. Police also appealed to the public to stay away from the city center.
Video footage from Paradeplatz in the center of Mannheim showed shoppers standing outside a police cordon with objects strewn across the road, including a shoe. First responders could be seen tending to at least one apparently injured person.
Mannheim has a population 326,000 and lies about 52 miles south of Frankfurt.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Zoe Magee contributed to this report.
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(LONDON) — Local emergency services in Ufa, in Russia’s Bashkortostan republic, reported a fire at one of the country’s largest oil refineries, with one Ukrainian official describing the incident as a drone attack.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Bashkortostan reported a fire on the territory of the Ufa oil refinery in the early hours of Monday morning, without specifying the cause. There were no reports of casualties, and the ministry said around seven hours later that the blaze had been extinguished.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported the downing of seven Ukrainian drones overnight — three over the Lipetsk region, two over the Rostov region and two over the Belgorod region — but made no reference to any attack in Ufa.
Andriy Kovalenko, the head of the Counter-Disinformation Center operating as part of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said on Telegram that “unknown UAVs attacked the Ufa refinery.” ABC News could not immediately verify the claim.
Kovalenko described the facility as “one of the largest” in Russia, with a capacity of around 20 million tons of oil annually. “The refinery is of strategic importance for the Russian army, as it is part of the group of enterprises that provide fuel to the armed forces,” Kovalenko wrote.
“Its products include aviation fuel, diesel fuel for military equipment and lubricants necessary for the operation of armored vehicles, aviation and road transport,” he added.
Russia, meanwhile, continued its nightly tempo of cross-border drone strikes. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 83 attack drones into the country, 46 of which were shot down and 31 lost in flight.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement to social media, “Ukraine is fighting for the normal and safe life it deserves, for a just and reliable peace. We want this war to end. But Russia does not, and continues its aerial terror.”
“Those who seek negotiations do not deliberately strike civilians with ballistic missiles,” Zelenskyy added, referring to Moscow’s regular use of missile strikes across the country.
“To force Russia to stop its attacks, we need greater collective strength from the world,” Zelenskyy said. “Strengthening our air defense, supporting our army, and ensuring effective security guarantees that will make the return of Russian aggression impossible — this is what we must focus on.”
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(LOS ANGELES) — Late at night on Jan. 6, Los Angeles Emergency Management Department General Manager Carol Parks sent a text message wishing Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley a happy new year.
“It’s my first opportunity to send this Public Safety leadership text,” Parks wrote. “Wishing it could have been on a blue sky day, but duty now calls.”
The following day, Los Angeles would witness the start of what would become the worst wildfire in city history, destroying large swaths of the Pacific Palisades area.
“Not good,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Tony Marrone texted at 11:18 a.m.
“No,” Crowley responded.
Almost immediately after the Palisades fire began spreading through the Westside of Los Angeles in January, questions were raised about how city leaders prepared for the disaster.
Early on, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced scrutiny over her decision to continue with a diplomatic trip to Ghana before the fires broke out, while Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley told local TV station KTTV that previous municipal budget cuts “did impact our ability to provide [firefighting] service.”
“It was a mistake to travel, but I will tell you that we need to evaluate everything,” Bass later told KABC-TV. “Because, honest and truly, if I had all of the information that I needed to have, the last thing I would have done was to be out of town.”
ABC News previously reported that although the LAFD’s budget saw a $17.5 million budget cut in May 2024, the measure occurred while fire employee union contract negotiations were underway. Once the contract was approved, the department’s budget increased from $819.6 million to $895.6 million. The exact impact of the 2024 budget matters remains unclear.
Last month, Bass announced she was removing Crowley as fire chief, criticizing decisions she said the department made under Crowley’s leadership, including not keeping some 1,000 firefighters on extra duty as their shift ended in the hours before the Palisades fire broke out.
Crowley subsequently issued a statement defending her lengthy career with the LAFD, noting in part that “as the Fire Chief, I based my actions and decisions on taking care of our firefighters so that they could take care of our communities.”
Now, hundreds of files linked to the Palisades fire response released by the EMD and LAFD to KABC-TV and ABC News this week through public records requests are providing new insight about what local officials were discussing before, during and after the blaze tore through neighborhoods.
The records, which include text messages from Crowley’s phone and city government reports, show how officials first started to realize how bad things were getting and that the windswept blazes had the upper hand.
‘Potentially life-threatening and destructive impacts’
During the text exchange on Jan. 6, Parks, the Emergency Management Department director, informed Crowley that Los Angeles Emergency Operations Center would be “activated at Level 3 (lowest level with EMD staff)” the next day.
“Should conditions necessitate us elevating the EOC status, the three of us will need to remain in close contact,” Parks wrote, an apparent reference to Crowley and Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell.
Crowley responded in part, “I’ll be available to discuss any necessary actions with the both of you if the need arises.”
An EMD city leadership briefing dated Jan. 6 commented on the next day’s weather forecast for Los Angeles: “This windstorm event could lead to potentially life-threatening and destructive impacts similar in magnitude to the 2011 Pasadena windstorm.”
“Any fires that develop during this period may experience rapid growth and extreme behavior,” the briefing added, noting that the LAFD was expected to pre-deploy resources on Jan. 7 and that community emergency response teams would be activated.
‘Anything else you can send us, we will take it’
The next morning, in the hours after sunrise, text messages show that Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s office had reached out to the LAFD “about the weather event.”
Harris-Dawson had been serving as acting mayor since Bass traveled to Ghana.
“I briefed him on our deployment in our preparation efforts. Also our needs for additional resources,” LAFD Deputy Chief Jason Hing told Crowley in a text message.
In another text, sent to Battalion Chief Patrick Leonard at 9:04 a.m., Crowley asks him to direct another staff member to “reach out to the appropriate Council Offices to ensure that they are proper[ly] informed about our preparedness for the weather event.”
As fires started to break out in Los Angeles just under an hour and a half later, the text messages showed concerns growing.
At 10:33 a.m., Chief Deputy Orin Saunders texted Crowley an LAFD alert showing that a brush fire had broken out in the Pacific Palisades area.
“Two brush fires in the city. Palisades and Hollywood,” Crowley wrote to someone at 10:35 a.m.
“Sending over staff now,” she texted Parks minutes later. “I would recommend level 2,” indicating an increase in resources.
Parks responded, “EOC staff have some concerns now that we have two fires.”
By 10:58 a.m., videos posted on social media already showed plumes of smoke dangerously close to residential blocks.
At 11:27 a.m., Crowley sent a message to an individual asking for “Harris-Dawson’s number please.”
“I just asked him for his phone number and he said he will call you,” the recipient responded.
Six minutes later, Parks wrote to Crowley, “The EOC is in need of leadership. Pls advise who from your department can respond to the EOC asap,” with Crowley responding that a chief was en route.
Voluntary evacuation orders in the Palisades area were issued at 11:44 a.m.
“Anything else you can send us, we will take it,” Crowley wrote to fire officials in neighboring counties at 12:02 p.m. “Star[t]ing to [lose] home[s] and people trapped.”
At 2:27 p.m., Crowley texted a fire official, “Can you send me the number … of resources and type assigned to the palisades incident?”
At the same time, according to videos posted to social media, cars had already been abandoned alongside busy roads.
At 3 p.m., Crowley received a text stating, “Marqueece here Chief. At command post, eager to connect.”
Hours later at 5:54 p.m., California Governor Gavin Newsom posted on social media that he had declared a state of emergency to support communities impacted by the Palisades fire.
At 6:18 p.m. in Altadena, which is across Los Angeles County from the Pacific Palisades area and outside of city limits, the Eaton fire began, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Eight minutes later, the LAFD posted on social media that all off-duty LAFD members needed to call the Department Operations Center “with their availability for recall.”
At 7:19 p.m., Parks, the emergency manager, texted, “EOC Directors are recommending that we move to Level 1,” adding that the Level 1 status — the highest level of emergency management — would start the next morning.
At 7:22 p.m., Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Chief Executive Officer Janisse Quiñones asked Crowley if “we can safely access this point,” adding that “we got evacuated before installing a reg station” and that otherwise “we will run out of water in about 2 hours.”
The Department of Water and Power is currently facing a lawsuit from Pacific Palisades residents alleging that it was unprepared for a fire of this sort. The agency previously told ABC News that it does not comment on pending litigation, but issued a statement before the lawsuit was filed.
“The water system serving the Pacific Palisades area and all of Los Angeles meets all federal and state fire codes for urban development and housing,” the statement said. “LADWP built the Pacific Palisades water system beyond the requirements to support the community’s typical needs.”
‘I have not been fired’
The Palisades fire would not be fully contained until the end of the month. By that time, it had burned more than 23,000 acres. The Eaton Fire had torn through 14,000 acres. Entire neighborhoods were reduced to rubble and 29 people were dead.
In the days after the Palisades fire first broke out, Crowley received numerous messages of support.
“Getting mixed news reports about your future employment. If you need expert testimony in the future or simply a Jersey Guy to come out there and straighten things out with the pols, you have my number,” an unidentified individual texted on Jan. 11.
“Good to hear from you,” Crowley responded. “I have not been fired. Thanks for looking out for me.”
Bass went on to fire Crowley on Feb. 21. Crowley, who opted to take a civil service demotion to a lower rank, is appealing her dismissal. The Los Angeles City Council is expected to discuss the personnel matter on Tuesday. The council can override Bass’ move to terminate the chief.
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(THE CAROLINAS) — Firefighters were battling 175 wildfires that erupted across South and North Carolina overnight amid windy and dry conditions, threatening homes and prompting evacuations, authorities said.
There are ongoing response operations to the sprawling wildfires that had burned a combined 4,200 acres across the state as of Sunday — including blazes burning in Horry, Spartanburg, Oconee, Union and Pickens counties, the South Carolina State Fire Marshal said Sunday.
One of the biggest wildfires raging Sunday morning was threatening residents in the Carolina Forest near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in Horry County, officials said. The quick-spreading fire had burned more than 1,600 acres by the end of the day and was threatening the communities of Walkers Woods and Avalon, according to the South Carolina Forest Commission.
The fire was 30% contained as of Sunday afternoon, according to fire officials, and the evacuation order was lifted later that evening.
The South Carolina Forestry Commission posted an update on X just after 7 p.m. local time saying, “UPDATE: All areas previously evacuated due to Carolina Forest fire are now able to return, per Horry County Fire Rescue.”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster had issued an executive order on Sunday declaring a state of emergency to support ongoing response to wildfires ravaging his state. The order enhances ongoing emergency response efforts as firefighters work to contain the wildfires affecting various regions.
“This State of Emergency ensures that our first responders, who are working tirelessly and risking their lives to protect our communities from these wildfires, have the resources they need,” McMaster said in a statement.
McMaster announced that a statewide burning ban was in effect as of Saturday.
“That means you can and will go to jail for starting a fire outdoors in South Carolina, period,” McMaster said in a social media post on Saturday night.
On Sunday, McMaster added, “Dangerous wildfire conditions require that a statewide burning ban remain in effect until further notice.”
The cause of the Carolina Forest Fire is under investigation. The blaze erupted amid wind gusts of up to 40 mph and extremely dry conditions, fire officials said.
A fire in Horry County north of the Carolina Forest had scorched more than 300 acres by Sunday morning and was burning out of control, officials said.
Red flag fire danger warnings were issued across South Carolina.
“Our first responders are risking their lives to contain many fires across South Carolina tonight,” McMaster said on Saturday.
Video footage captured plumes of smoke and flames wafting above a tree line and houses in the Carolina Forest.
Another large wildfire about 35 miles south of Myrtle Beach broke out Saturday and threatened homes in Georgetown County, South Carolina, and prompted evacuations in the town of Prince George, officials said.
The fire, according to the Prince George Fire Department, had grown to more than 800 acres by Sunday morning, but firefighters were gaining the upper hand on the blaze and nearly all evacuations have been lifted, officials said.
The fire is under investigation.
The Prince George fire flared up in an area where firefighters were conducting a prescribed or controlled burn earlier this week near the Arcadia Plantation, according to Jackie Broach, a spokesperson for Georgetown County.
In Pickens County, South Carolina, yet another fire was burning Sunday morning in the Six Mile Mountain area, prompting evacuations, according to the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office.
Firefighters quickly responded to the Six Mile Mountain Fire, stopping it from spreading to homes, according to the sheriff’s office. The fire was 85% contained after burning nearly 300 acres, officials said.
In Polk County, North Carolina, near the border with South Carolina, a fast-moving brush fire ignited just after 2 p.m. local time on Saturday and grew overnight, threatening the towns of Melrose, Tryon and Saluda, where mandatory evacuation orders were issued, according to the Saluda Fire and Rescue Department.
The Polk County Fire started at about 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, caused by a downed power line near Highway 176, officials said. By 9 p.m. Saturday, the blaze had spread to 400 acres with no containment reported, according to fire officials.
Dry and breezy conditions were prompting red flag warnings across much of the Southeast on Saturday and into Sunday. Most of the red flag warnings expired by Sunday morning as winds calmed down.
But other areas in the Southwest were bracing for critical fire weather on Sunday and into Monday, including parts of New Mexico and Texas.
ABC News’ Victoria Arancio, Jessica Gorman and Daniel Amarante contributed to this report.
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(BATON ROUGE, LA.) — Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, went into lockdown after a shooting took place on campus Sunday evening.
The incident, which took place in the Ulysses S. Jones Hall dormitory, left at least one person injured and taken to the hospital, according to ABC affiliate WBRZ. Their condition is unknown.
No identities related to the incident have been released.
The school posted a message on its website at 7:24 p.m. local time, stating: “ATTENTION: There has been a shooting incident in U.S. Jones Hall. The possible suspect is a Black male waring a black hoodie with rhinestones and dark pants. The campus is locked down for safety. Please remain in your dorm rooms/offices until an all-clear is given.”
Southern University and A&M College is a Historically Black College and University and, with five locations across Louisiana, it is the only HBCU system in the United States, according to its website.
An all-clear was issued at 9:15 p.m. local time, according to WRBZ. It remains unclear if the alleged suspect described in the school’s previous announcement was located or taken into custody.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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(ROME) — Pope Francis “rested well” overnight, his 17th night in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican said on Monday.
“The pope rested well all night,” the Holy See, the Vatican’s press office, said in a brief statement.
The pope’s clinical condition had on Sunday remained “stable,” the church said. Vatican sources told ABC News on Sunday that the pope had eaten breakfast with coffee and continued his treatment. He read the daily newspapers, as usual, the sources said.
Francis, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, was admitted to Gemelli on Feb. 14 and was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.
The 88-year-old pontiff had been in stable condition on Saturday, church officials said, following a bronchospasm attack on Friday.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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(LONDON) — The Kremlin on Monday said it was “very important” to push President Volodymyr Zelenskyy toward making a peace deal, echoing arguments made by President Donald Trump in Friday’s contentious Oval Office meeting with the Ukrainian leader.
“He does not want peace. Someone should make Zelenskyy want peace,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, his remarks reflecting Russia’s long-standing false narrative blaming Kyiv for Moscow’s three-year-old invasion and more than a decade of cross-border aggression. “If the Europeans can do it, they should be honored and praised.”
The comments came shortly after Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for years of American backing in a statement ending a tumultuous week of transatlantic diplomacy that saw a dramatic and public break with Trump’s administration.
Zelenskyy framed this week’s outreach as the beginning of a longer process that may result in a peace deal to end Russia’s three-year-old invasion of his country. “There will be many meetings and joint efforts in the coming days and weeks,” Zelenskyy said in a video posted to the presidential website.
“There will be diplomacy for peace,” he added. “And for the sake of all of us standing together — Ukraine, the whole of Europe, and necessarily America.”
On Monday, Zelenskyy reacted to another night of Russian long-range missile and drone strikes, writing on Telegram, “Ukraine is fighting for the normal and safe life it deserves, for a peace that is just and reliable. We want this war to end. But Russia does not want it and continues its aerial terror.”
“Those who want negotiations do not deliberately hit people with ballistic missiles,” the president added. “To force Russia to stop the strikes, we need a greater joint force of the world.”
Zelenskyy’s fiery Friday meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance demonstrated the divergence in Ukrainian and U.S. visions of Russia’s war, blame for which Trump has repeatedly and falsely attributed to Kyiv while also seeking to undermine Zelenskyy’s legitimacy.
Russian officials celebrated the disastrous meeting. Peskov told state television on Sunday that Trump’s administration is “rapidly changing” American “foreign policy configurations,” putting them “largely in line with our vision.”
In his Sunday statement, Zelenskyy said Ukrainians “understand the importance of America, and we are grateful for all the support we have received from the United States. There hasn’t been a single day when we haven’t felt grateful. Because this is gratitude for the preservation of our independence.”
“We need peace, not endless war,” he added. “And that is why we say that security guarantees are the key to this.”
Zelenskyy attended a summit of European leaders in London on Sunday. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had agreed with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron that the U.K. and France would work with Ukraine to formulate a peace plan that will then be presented to the U.S.
Starmer outlined a plan including the continuation of aid flows to Ukraine and the maintaining of economic pressure on Russia. The prime minister said that any lasting peace agreement must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security, and that Kyiv must be at the negotiating table.
In the event of a deal, Starmer said Europe will continue to help Ukraine militarily to deter any future military action by Russia. He also said there will be a “coalition of the willing” to help defend Ukraine.
Starmer said the United Kingdom is ready to back the plan with boots on the ground and planes in the air. He said he also recognizes that not all countries will be able to make this kind of commitment.
Starmer stressed that any deal will need strong U.S. backing to succeed.
Zelenskyy said Sunday he had been given “clear support from Europe,” reporting “even greater unity, even stronger readiness for cooperation” from his weekend meetings.
“Everyone is united on the main point — for peace to be real, real security guarantees are needed,” the president said. “And this is the position of all of our Europe — of the entire continent.”
“In the near future, all of us in Europe will shape our common positions — the lines we must achieve and the lines we cannot compromise on,” Zelenskyy said. “These positions will be presented to our partners in the United States.”
“Robust and lasting peace, and the right agreement on the end of the war are truly our shared priority,” he added.
ABC News’ Patrick Reevell contributed to this article.
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Sen. Amy Klobuchar backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday after the volatile White House meeting with President Donald Trump on Friday, saying she “just couldn’t believe” how Friday’s meeting unfolded..
The Minnesota Democrat told ABC News’ “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos she was “appalled by what happened in the Oval Office,” and thinks the fallout of the exchange “is not in President Trump’s best interest.”
“We stand with our friends, not our enemies,” Klobuchar said. “The great country of America goes into negotiations with strength, not surrender.”
Klobuchar said she — along with other senators from both sides of the aisle — had been with Zelenskyy before he left for the White House, and said he had been in “great spirits.”
Watching video of the explosive meeting, Klobuchar said she “just couldn’t believe it.”
“It was Vice President Vance, particularly, who was on the offense, who was berating President Zelenskyy, who simply was trying to explain that … we needed a strong security commitment from all of our allies to be able to have a lasting peace, which is something that President Trump says that he wants to see.”
Klobuchar speculated on how the meeting so quickly became caustic when asked by Stephanopoulos if it had been an ambush.
“Either it was an ambush setup, or they just got so hotheaded, the president and the vice president, that what happened happened,” she said. “It’s the chaos of this presidency.”
Meanwhile, British ambassador to the U.S. Lord Peter Mandelson said the U.S.-Ukraine relationship needs a “reset” after the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting.
“I think that Ukraine should be the first to commit to a ceasefire and defy the Russians to follow,” Mandelson told Stephanopoulos. “And then, as part of the unfolding plan for this negotiation, the Europeans and perhaps some other countries too, have got to consider how they are going to put forces on the ground to play their part in providing enduring security and deterrence for Ukraine.”
European leaders were meeting in London on Sunday to discuss a UK-French peace plan they’re working on with Zelenskyy that they plan to present to the U.S.
Mandelson said it will be important to “create the circumstances in which enough pressure is brought on” to “force [Russia] to the negotiating table.”
“And then we will see the true color of their intentions and what they’re prepared to agree and to stand by,” he said. “But if it goes wrong, we must be there on Ukraine’s side, continuing to arm them to make sure that they have the capacity to withstand any further Russian attack with ourselves lining up behind them in that eventuality.”
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