(WASHINGTON) — Texas lawmakers on Sunday reacted to the latest mass shooting in America — at an outdoor mall north of Dallas — by focusing on the importance of mental health treatment and prayer.
In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Gov. Greg Abbott pointed to shootings in other states with stricter gun laws and argued that prioritizing mental health could help prevent more violence.
Eight people were killed and seven others were injured before the suspected gunman was killed by police on Saturday in Allen, Texas, authorities have said.
“What we’ve seen across the United States over the past year or two … is an increased number of shootings in both red states and blue states. Shannon, we’ve seen an increased number of shootings in states with easy gun laws as well as states with very strict gun laws,” Abbott, a Republican, told anchor Shannon Bream on Sunday.
“One thing that we can observe very easily is that there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of anger and violence that’s taking place in America. And what Texas is doing, in a big-time way, we’re working to address that anger and violence by going to its root cause, which is addressing the mental health crisis behind it,” Abbott said.
Rep. Henry Cuellar, one of the most conservative Democrats in the House, sounded a similar note on the same program.
“It’s one of those things that we need to look at. And again, it’s making sure we get at the root problems. And I do agree with the governor: Mental health is one of the things,” Cuellar said.
Mass shootings “happen across the nation, and we have to get to the bottom of this,” he said.
Republican Rep. Keith Self, meanwhile, rebuked gun reform supporters who have lambasted the offering of “thoughts and prayers” that often follow such shootings.
“Those are people that don’t believe in an almighty God who is absolutely in control of our lives. I’m a Christian, I believe that he is. We have people, though, with mental health [problems] that we’re not taking care of,” Self said on CNN on Saturday.
“Prayer is powerful in the lives of those people that are devastated. And I know people want to make this political,” Self said. “But prayers are important, and they are powerful in the families who are devastated right now.”
In a statement, President Joe Biden again called for a ban on assault-style weapons and other legislative changes.
“Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts,” Biden said. “More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, credible estimates show. The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence.”
“We need more action, faster to save lives,” the president said, urging “a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately.”
Last year, in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, school massacre, Congress broke a decades-long stalemate to pass a bipartisan bill that strengthened background checks, bolstered mental health support and made other changes.
But Democratic priorities like banning assault weapons have little chance of making it to Biden’s desk, as many Republicans argue such restrictions are ineffective and unconstitutional.
(WASHINGTON) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday said invoking the 14th Amendment to get around the debt ceiling and continue borrowing money to pay the nation’s bills would risk a “constitutional crisis,” downplaying the idea that the amendment would simply solve the looming problem — but she avoided ruling it out entirely.
“What to do if Congress fails to meet its responsibility? There are simply no good options, and the ones that you’ve listed are among the not good options,” Yellen told ABC “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos when pressed on whether the Biden administration was considering using the 14th Amendment, which states that the public debt “shall not be questioned.”
Yellen said on “This Week” that the only way for the U.S. to avoid an unprecedented default as soon as next month is for Congress to pass legislation doing so, even as the White House and congressional Democrats appear to be in a stalemate with Republicans over GOP demands to tie steep spending cuts to raising or suspending the debt ceiling.
Amid that debate, President Joe Biden said on Friday, of trying to use the 14th Amendment as a solution: “I’ve not gotten there yet.”
“But it didn’t seem like he took it off the table. So, is it still a possibility?” Stephanopoulos asked Yellen on Sunday.
“Our priority is to make sure that Congress does its job,” she said. “There is no way to protect our financial system in our economy other than Congress doing its job and raising the debt ceiling and enabling us to pay our bills. And we should not get to the point where we need to consider whether the president can go on issuing debt. This would be a constitutional crisis.”
Stephanopoulos followed up: “Is that a hard and fast position that the president will under no circumstances invoke the 14th Amendment?”
“All I want to say is that it’s Congress’ job to do this. If they fail to do it, we will have an economic and financial catastrophe that will be of our own making, and there is no action that President Biden and the U.S. Treasury can take to prevent that catastrophe,” Yellen replied, later saying, “I don’t want to consider emergency options.”
The treasury secretary echoed the president’s position: that the debt ceiling should not be used as leverage as part of Republicans’ negotiations with the White House over the budget.
“Since 1960, the debt ceiling has been raised 78 times, three times during the prior administration, always with bipartisan support,” Yellen said. “And it simply is unacceptable for Congress to threaten economic calamity for American households and the global financial system as the cost of raising the debt ceiling and getting the agreements on budget priorities.”
Yellen reiterated that she expects the Treasury Department to no longer be able to pay all of its obligations as soon as June 1, a timeline that has jumpstarted negotiations in Washington.
“This would be really the first time in the history of America that we would fail to make payments that are due,” Yellen said. “And whether it’s defaulting on interest payments that are due on the debt or payments due for Social Security recipients or to Medicare providers, we would simply not have enough cash to meet all of our obligations. And it’s widely agreed that financial and economic chaos would ensue.”
Biden is set to meet with the leaders of each chamber of Congress on Tuesday to discuss spending and the debt.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., insists that the president agree to steep budget cuts as a condition of getting GOP support for a debt limit increase. That position is shared by many Republicans on Capitol Hill.
On Saturday, a group of 43 Republican senators signed onto a letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that said they would not vote “for cloture on any bill that raises the debt ceiling without substantive spending and budget reforms.”
“It’s entirely reasonable to be able to sit down and say, if we’re continuing to add more and more debt, let’s talk about the whole view,” Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford, a signatory of the letter, said Sunday in a separate “This Week” appearance.
Biden, meanwhile, says the debt should be separated from any compromise on the budget and spending.
“I know he wants to set up a process in which spending priorities and levels are discussed and negotiated,” Yellen said on “This Week.” “But these negotiations should not take place with a gun, really, to the head of the American people.”
(WASHINGTON) — Sen. James Lankford on Sunday previewed what he would like to see when President Joe Biden meets with Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders on Tuesday to talk about the looming debt ceiling crisis.
“I would hope that they would all sit down and be able to talk about, ‘OK, what are the parameters? Where are we?'” Lankford, R-Okla., told ABC “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos.
“We have $31 trillion in debt. That’s happening as a nation. It’s continuing to accelerate,” Lankford said.” We’re continuing to see high inflation. We have all the risks of a recession that’s out there based on what’s happening on government spending and such.”
Lankford continued: “I would hope they would sit down [on Tuesday] and say: ‘What are the areas that we do have common ground on? What are the areas that we can actually begin to reduce spending?'”
He echoed other Republicans who feel that debt and spending negotiations should have started months ago. Biden and McCarthy last met on the issue in February.
“That’s been the most stunning part about this is: Everyone knew it was coming. It’s time to be able to negotiate it,” Lankford said.
On Saturday, 43 GOP senators, including Lankford, sent a letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer saying they won’t back a debt limit increase without “substantive spending and budget reforms.”
That position is at odds with congressional Democrats and the White House who say the nation’s borrowing limit must be raised without preconditions, as it sometimes has in the past.
“I don’t find a single American, whether they’re around government or not around government, that says, ‘The federal government spends every dollar perfectly; there’s nowhere in federal spending we can cut; everything’s very efficient,'” Lankford said Sunday.
“Everyone knows that there’s areas of waste in government,” he said.
Stephanopoulos pressed Lankford on where the GOP would like to see specific spending cuts, given that a recent House proposal they passed remains vague beyond reducing funding for federal agencies to 2022 fiscal year levels and limiting growth in government spending to 1% per year.
“The House bill that they put out was their first parameter,” Lankford responded. “It is the beginning of a negotiation to say the House is well prepared and has been prepared to be able to negotiate this.”
Last week, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned in a letter to lawmakers that the country could run out of money to pay all of its bills as soon as June 1, unless the debt ceiling is raised by Congress.
Lankford on Sunday laid the blame with Biden, whom he maintained was slow-walking negotiations with Republicans.
The president has repeatedly said the debt must be dealt with separate from a compromise on spending.
“I know he wants to set up a process in which spending priorities and levels are discussed and negotiated,” Yellen said on Sunday, in a separate “This Week” appearance. “But these negotiations should not take place with a gun, really, to the head of the American people.”
Lankford cast the unique arrangement in the U.S. as a way to enforce fiscal responsibility, though critics of the debt ceiling says it can manufacture economic crises.
“We’re the only one that has a debt limit like this one. The reason we have it is because it forces a moment to be able to talk about debt and deficit and to say, ‘Where are we going on this?'” Lankford said.
He also pushed back on criticism that only conservatives use the debt ceiling to enact budget and spending changes — and he singled out past votes to that effect by then-Sen. Biden.
“These are not moments where there’s this, quote-unquote, always ‘clean’ [limit increase] unless Republicans are negotiating,” Lankford said.
Yellen warned in her interview that “financial and economic chaos would ensue” if lawmakers fail to act, noting a bipartisan history of raising the debt ceiling.
“It simply is unacceptable for Congress to threaten economic calamity for American households in the global financial system as the cost of raising the debt ceiling and getting agreement on budget priorities,” Yellen said.
“We’ve always paid our bills,” Lankford said in his interview, challenging the “calamity” label. “But Democrats and Republicans have both used this moment to be able to look at it and say, ‘Let’s talk about where we’re going, what’s the direction, what’s the future?'”
Lankford was also asked about a political issue: the 2024 Republican primary race. An ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Sunday shows Trump leading Biden in the race for the White House.
“I’ve not endorsed anyone in this race and not going to for quite a while, if I do it all. I didn’t in 2016, either. So I’ll stay out of this, as we’ve got an open seat at this point,” Lankford said. “Clearly, President Trump is leading in all the polls on it. But it’s still early. There are several folks that are unannounced that may announce in the next couple of months.”
(ALLEN, Texas) — Nine people died and seven others were injured on Saturday after a gunman opened fire at an outdoor mall north of Dallas, Texas, officials said.
The alleged gunman, who died after a confrontation with police, was among the seven people who were killed at the Allen Premium Outlets, the scene of the shooting, Allen Police Department officials said. Nine additional people were transferred to hospitals, where two later died, officials said. The hospitalized victims’ ages range from 5 to 61 years old, authorities said.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded at about 3:30 p.m. on Saturday to the outlets in the Dallas suburb, where an active shooter incident had been reported.
“This is a tragedy. People will be looking for answers,” Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said during a press briefing. “We’re sorry that those families are experiencing that loss.”
Aerial footage from the scene showed shoppers being evacuated from the stores, many with their arms raised in the air.
None of the victims’ names have been released. Information about the suspect has not been released publicly.
ABC News’ Izzy Alvarez contributed to this report.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
May 07, 3:33 PM EDT
Alleged shooter ID’d in deadly Texas mall rampage
The suspect in the Allen, Texas, mall mass shooting was identified Sunday as Mauricio Garcia, according to law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation.
The 33-year-old Garcia was fatally shot by a police officer who rushed to the gunfire and confronted him at the outlet mall on Saturday afternoon, police said.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, which is leading the investigation, was searching Mauricio’s home and vehicle on Sunday. The agency declined to comment further on Garcia and said the motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
President Joe Biden said the assailant was dressed in tactical gear and armed with an AR-15-style assault weapon he used to gun down eight people and injure at least nine others.
May 07, 2:43 PM EDT
3 people wounded in attack remain in critical condition: Police
At least three people wounded in a mass shooting at an Allen, Texas, outlet mall remained in critical condition on Sunday, according to police.
Four victims were taken to Medical City McKinney, a trauma center in McKinney, Texas, about seven miles from Allen. Three of the patients were in critical condition and one was listed in fair condition, according to a statement Sunday from the Allen Police Department.
Eight victims were killed in the attack and a total of nine people were injured, police said. The shooter, whose name has not been released by police, was confronted and fatally shot by a police officer.
Among the injured, one patient was transferred from Medical City McKinney to Medical City Plano and was in fair condition. Another patient was transferred to Medical City Children’s Hospital in fair condition, police said.
“We are a strong and caring community and we want all of the victims and their families impacted by this tragedy to know that we will wrap our arms around you, and we are here for you,” Allen Mayor Kenneth M. Fulk said in a statement released Sunday. “The City of Allen pledges to offer our complete support. We know you are grieving, we are grieving. Rest assured, the nation and the world are also grieving.”
May 07, 2:40 PM EDT
Biden calls on Congress to pass assault weapons ban
President Joe Biden is renewing his call for Congress to pass an assault weapons ban following Saturday’s mass shooting at a Texas outlet mall.
“Yesterday, an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in a shopping mall, and not for the first time. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar,” Biden said in a statement released Sunday.
“And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts. More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, credible estimates show. The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence,” Biden said.
Biden argued that “some progress” has been made as a result of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and his various executive actions, but blasted GOP lawmakers, saying, they “cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough.”
“Once again, I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe.”
May 07, 12:03 PM EDT
Abbott says mall shooting underscores need to address mental health issues
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he plans to visit Allen, Texas, on Sunday afternoon as he argued in a TV interview that the mass shooting at an outlet mall there underscores the need to focus on addressing mental health issues.
“Texans are hurting today. And the people who are hurting the most obviously are the families of the victims, the families of lost loved ones, families who have a loved one who is injured and our main priority right now is to help and support those families in the Allen community,” Abbott said on Fox News Sunday.
He said he is going to Allen on Sunday “to begin the process of providing hope and healing.”
“But I can tell you there are questions that are lingering that the families want answers to. And that is why this happened? Why did that gunman do this? How did this happen? And I know that those families need answers as quickly as possible,” said Abbott, who praised the quick response of police in confronting the shooter and killing him.
Abbott was asked about new polling that shows strong support for background checks for gun purchases, increasing the legal age to buy a gun to 21 and requiring mental health checks for purchases. The governor said his state is also looking at legislation to address “easy solutions” to get guns out of the hands of criminals.
But overall, Abbott argued, the focus should be on the “long term solution” of addressing mental health.
May 07, 11:23 AM EDT
Domestic terrorism probed in Texas outlet mall massacre
As authorities work to determine a motive for the outlet mall shooting in Allen, Texas, one avenue investigators are exploring is whether this was an act of domestic terrorism, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News.
The shooter wore patches or stickers on his clothing that raised suspicion he may have gravitated toward right-wing extremism, the sources said, though they added no motive has yet been established.
Federal agents were seen at a home in the Dallas area believed to be associated with the shooter, ABC Dallas affiliate station WFAA reported.
Federal investigators are already going through the suspect’s electronic devices and social media as they work to understand what led to the killing rampage, the sources said.
In addition to a rifle used in the shooting, sources said investigators recovered additional firearms in a vehicle associated with the shooter.
The Texas Rangers are the lead agency on the case with assistance from the FBI, ATF and Allen police.
May 07, 11:08 AM EDT
‘I got him down’: officer who apparently killed Texas shooter says in radio transmission
Police radio dispatches from the Allen, Texas, mall shooting Saturday captured the chaotic moments as the massacre unfolded, including an officer who apparently confronted the killer, calling for backup before reporting, “I got him down.”
“We got shots fired at the Allen Mall,” an officer is heard saying in the radio dispatches, according to the Broadcastify, which records emergency transmissions.
A police officer was at the Allen Premium Outlets when the shooting erupted around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, raced to the gunfire and fatally shot the suspect, Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said at a news conference on Saturday.
“We got people running,” the officer on the scene radioed to a police dispatcher. “I need everybody I got.”
A short time later, the officer radioed, “I got him down,” referring to the gunman, who police have yet to identify.
May 06, 11:46 PM EDT
Shopper says she ‘hunkered down’ amid shooting
A woman was shopping when she says the shooting began and described how people began to flee for safety.
Elaine Penicaro said in an interview that she was finishing up her shopping when she heard “popping” noises and began to realize how dire the situation was.
“We saw sparks flying like it was right in front of us. So we just ran into the Converse store. They locked the door. We all hunkered down in the back. And that’s where we stayed,” she said.
Penicaro said she heard the police arrive within five to 10 minutes.
May 06, 11:13 PM EDT
Vigil planned for Sunday
A vigil will be held Sunday afternoon in the aftermath of the deadly shooting.
State Rep. Jeff Leach said that a vigil was planned for 5 p.m. at Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church. He made the announcement during a briefing Saturday evening.
“This community is home for us and our hearts are devastated and broken tonight no law enforcement official no elected official Ever imagines or plans to or hopes to speak in front of a press conference like this,” Leach said.
May 06, 11:01 PM EDT
Mayor calls shooting a ‘tragic day’
Ken Fulk, the mayor of Allen, called the shooting a tragic day for the community and extended his sympathies. Fulk, who was elected in 2020, also pledged his support.
“Today is a tragic day for the city of Allen, our citizens, our friends and visitors who were at the Allen Premium Outlets today. We are a strong and caring community and we all want the victims and their families impacted by this tragedy to know that we will wrap our arms around you. And we are here for you,” he said.
May 06, 10:47 PM EDT
Shooter killed at the scene
The shooter was killed at the scene, police said.
Allen Police Department Chief Brian Harvey said at a press briefing that an officer was at Allen Premium Outlets on an unrelated call when he heard gunshots and located the shooter who was then “neutralized.”
“We are asking for the public’s help if you are a witness,” Harvey said.
(ALLEN, Texas) — Nine people died and seven others were injured on Saturday after a gunman opened fire at an outdoor mall north of Dallas, Texas, officials said.
The alleged gunman, who died after a confrontation with police, was among the seven people who were killed at the Allen Premium Outlets, the scene of the shooting, Allen Police Department officials said. Nine additional people were transferred to hospitals, where two later died, officials said. The hospitalized victims’ ages range from 5 to 61 years old, authorities said.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded at about 3:30 p.m. on Saturday to the outlets in the Dallas suburb, where an active shooter incident had been reported.
“This is a tragedy. People will be looking for answers,” Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said during a press briefing. “We’re sorry that those families are experiencing that loss.”
Aerial footage from the scene showed shoppers being evacuated from the stores, many with their arms raised in the air.
None of the victims’ names have been released. Information about the suspect has not been released publicly.
ABC News’ Izzy Alvarez contributed to this report.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
May 07, 2:43 PM EDT
3 people wounded in attack remain in critical condition: Police
At least three people wounded in a mass shooting at an Allen, Texas, outlet mall remained in critical condition on Sunday, according to police.
Four victims were taken to Medical City McKinney, a trauma center in McKinney, Texas, about seven miles from Allen. Three of the patients were in critical condition and one was listed in fair condition, according to a statement Sunday from the Allen Police Department.
Eight victims were killed in the attack and a total of nine people were injured, police said. The shooter, whose name has not been released by police, was confronted and fatally shot by a police officer.
Among the injured, one patient was transferred from Medical City McKinney to Medical City Plano and was in fair condition. Another patient was transferred to Medical City Children’s Hospital in fair condition, police said.
“We are a strong and caring community and we want all of the victims and their families impacted by this tragedy to know that we will wrap our arms around you, and we are here for you,” Allen Mayor Kenneth M. Fulk said in a statement released Sunday. “The City of Allen pledges to offer our complete support. We know you are grieving, we are grieving. Rest assured, the nation and the world are also grieving.”
May 07, 2:40 PM EDT
Biden calls on Congress to pass assault weapons ban
President Joe Biden is renewing his call for Congress to pass an assault weapons ban following Saturday’s mass shooting at a Texas outlet mall.
“Yesterday, an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in a shopping mall, and not for the first time. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar,” Biden said in a statement released Sunday.
“And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts. More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, credible estimates show. The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence,” Biden said.
Biden argued that “some progress” has been made as a result of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and his various executive actions, but blasted GOP lawmakers, saying, they “cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough.”
“Once again, I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe.”
May 07, 12:03 PM EDT
Abbott says mall shooting underscores need to address mental health issues
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he plans to visit Allen, Texas, on Sunday afternoon as he argued in a TV interview that the mass shooting at an outlet mall there underscores the need to focus on addressing mental health issues.
“Texans are hurting today. And the people who are hurting the most obviously are the families of the victims, the families of lost loved ones, families who have a loved one who is injured and our main priority right now is to help and support those families in the Allen community,” Abbott said on Fox News Sunday.
He said he is going to Allen on Sunday “to begin the process of providing hope and healing.”
“But I can tell you there are questions that are lingering that the families want answers to. And that is why this happened? Why did that gunman do this? How did this happen? And I know that those families need answers as quickly as possible,” said Abbott, who praised the quick response of police in confronting the shooter and killing him.
Abbott was asked about new polling that shows strong support for background checks for gun purchases, increasing the legal age to buy a gun to 21 and requiring mental health checks for purchases. The governor said his state is also looking at legislation to address “easy solutions” to get guns out of the hands of criminals.
But overall, Abbott argued, the focus should be on the “long term solution” of addressing mental health.
May 07, 11:23 AM EDT
Domestic terrorism probed in Texas outlet mall massacre
As authorities work to determine a motive for the outlet mall shooting in Allen, Texas, one avenue investigators are exploring is whether this was an act of domestic terrorism, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News.
The shooter wore patches or stickers on his clothing that raised suspicion he may have gravitated toward right-wing extremism, the sources said, though they added no motive has yet been established.
Federal agents were seen at a home in the Dallas area believed to be associated with the shooter, ABC Dallas affiliate station WFAA reported.
Federal investigators are already going through the suspect’s electronic devices and social media as they work to understand what led to the killing rampage, the sources said.
In addition to a rifle used in the shooting, sources said investigators recovered additional firearms in a vehicle associated with the shooter.
The Texas Rangers are the lead agency on the case with assistance from the FBI, ATF and Allen police.
May 07, 11:08 AM EDT
‘I got him down’: officer who apparently killed Texas shooter says in radio transmission
Police radio dispatches from the Allen, Texas, mall shooting Saturday captured the chaotic moments as the massacre unfolded, including an officer who apparently confronted the killer, calling for backup before reporting, “I got him down.”
“We got shots fired at the Allen Mall,” an officer is heard saying in the radio dispatches, according to the Broadcastify, which records emergency transmissions.
A police officer was at the Allen Premium Outlets when the shooting erupted around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, raced to the gunfire and fatally shot the suspect, Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said at a news conference on Saturday.
“We got people running,” the officer on the scene radioed to a police dispatcher. “I need everybody I got.”
A short time later, the officer radioed, “I got him down,” referring to the gunman, who police have yet to identify.
May 06, 11:46 PM EDT
Shopper says she ‘hunkered down’ amid shooting
A woman was shopping when she says the shooting began and described how people began to flee for safety.
Elaine Penicaro said in an interview that she was finishing up her shopping when she heard “popping” noises and began to realize how dire the situation was.
“We saw sparks flying like it was right in front of us. So we just ran into the Converse store. They locked the door. We all hunkered down in the back. And that’s where we stayed,” she said.
Penicaro said she heard the police arrive within five to 10 minutes.
May 06, 11:13 PM EDT
Vigil planned for Sunday
A vigil will be held Sunday afternoon in the aftermath of the deadly shooting.
State Rep. Jeff Leach said that a vigil was planned for 5 p.m. at Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church. He made the announcement during a briefing Saturday evening.
“This community is home for us and our hearts are devastated and broken tonight no law enforcement official no elected official Ever imagines or plans to or hopes to speak in front of a press conference like this,” Leach said.
May 06, 11:01 PM EDT
Mayor calls shooting a ‘tragic day’
Ken Fulk, the mayor of Allen, called the shooting a tragic day for the community and extended his sympathies. Fulk, who was elected in 2020, also pledged his support.
“Today is a tragic day for the city of Allen, our citizens, our friends and visitors who were at the Allen Premium Outlets today. We are a strong and caring community and we all want the victims and their families impacted by this tragedy to know that we will wrap our arms around you. And we are here for you,” he said.
May 06, 10:47 PM EDT
Shooter killed at the scene
The shooter was killed at the scene, police said.
Allen Police Department Chief Brian Harvey said at a press briefing that an officer was at Allen Premium Outlets on an unrelated call when he heard gunshots and located the shooter who was then “neutralized.”
“We are asking for the public’s help if you are a witness,” Harvey said.
(AURORA, Colo.) — Six people were injured, including two in life-threatening condition, after mechanical equipment collapsed in a pool area at a Colorado resort, authorities said.
The Aurora Fire Rescue said its rescue team responded Saturday to the Gaylord Rockies Resort in suburban Denver “where there is a reported collapse of mechanical equipment in the aquatics area.”
First responders treated six patients, including two who were transported to local hospitals with life-threatening injuries, the department said.
Gaylord Hotels is a Marriott International brand. ABC News has reached out to Marriott for comment.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — When it comes to the password habits of Americans, there’s some room for improvement. But some tech companies are hoping a new security technology known as a “passkey” may offer a solution.
Passkeys, as they’re known, is a new security technology that works by having a person’s smartphone generate unique cryptographic “key,” which can then be used to unlock that person’s various online accounts – no password required.
“If I had to use one word it would be ‘lazy,'” Patricija Cerniauskaite, a spokesperson for digital security firm Nordpass, told ABC News, describing the habits of some Americans when it comes to their passwords.
A new report from Nordpass finds 83% of the most common passwords globally can be hacked in less than one second. According to Nordpass, the most common password among Americans last year was the word “guest. “123456” was the second most-common password, and in third place was, simply, “password.”
Cerniauskaite says the prominence of weak passwords is nothing new, in part because of the sheer volume of accounts internet users now have to manage.
“For a general person, it’s impossible to learn and remember 80 or 100 different, complicated password[s],” Cerniauskaite said. That’s why, she says, many people resort to words and phrases that are easier to remember, but less secure.
“It’s understandable, but it compromises people’s security,” she said.
Recently, tech companies including Google, Apple, and Microsoft have been rolling out passkeys to offer a solution to Americans’ bad password habits.
“The server will be sending a request to your device which can only be answered by the related passkey stored there,” Cerniauskaite said. “So when the passkeys are paired, you will actually be logged into your account.”
“You’ve confirmed to your device that you are who you say you are,” David Pierce, Editor At Large of The Verge, told ABC News. “And your device now goes to the website and says, ‘yup, it’s David.’ And you’re good to go.”
To set up a passkey, users navigate to the login screen of an account, and select the option to sign in with a passkey (usually the option is accompanied by a small icon that looks like a person standing next to a key). Then, the account will prompt the user to log in to their phone using a face scan, a fingerprint, or other security measure.
“It replaces a password, which is a series of letters and numbers and symbols that you have memorized, with essentially biometric information stored on your device,” Pierce said.
Passkeys are stored on a person’s phone or computer. Experts say this is more secure than having a company oversee a server full of user passwords, which could be vulnerable to hacking.
“Even if your password is good and safe, it can be stored somewhere and often those places are hackable and that’s how passwords get leaked,” Pierce said. “That is much much harder to do in a case like this.”
In addition, Pierce says, passkeys address the problem of “phishing” scams – where malicious actors create fake websites, designed to look like real login pages, with the intention of collecting the usernames and passwords of people who fall for the scam.
“You can’t give a hacker your password anymore, you can’t be socially engineered into giving someone your password,” he said, because “you don’t have a password anymore.”
This week, Google announced that passkeys are now available for Google accounts across most major platforms. Websites like eBay, Shopify, CVS Health, Kayak, and Best Buy all support the technology – but some major players are missing. Popular websites like Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter have yet to announce passkey support. Pierce says that’s likely to change as the technology matures.
“It will happen kind of, account by account, service by service, company by company,” he said. “It would be great if everybody would decide to do it at the same time, but that’s not likely going to happen.”
There are other drawbacks to passkeys as tying authentication to smartphones also ties it to smartphone batteries.
“If I’m out in the world and my battery dies – my password manager just died,” Pierce said.
(HOUSTON) — A teenager was killed in a shooting at a high school graduation party in Houston, Texas, the local sheriff said in a statement.
The deceased has been identified by police as 16-year-old Isaac Zetino.
Several teenagers were attending a graduation party Saturday morning when shots were fired around 1:30 a.m., according to a statement from Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Medical personnel at the scene were unable to save the teen at the scene of the shooting. The shooting took place in Houston’s residential Copperbrook neighborhood.
“During the gathering, shots were fired outside the residence resulting in a 16 year old white male victim sustaining a gunshot wound,” a statement from the sheriff’s office said. “Medical personnel was summoned to the location for life-saving measures with no avail.”
Zetino was not a resident at the home where the shooting took place and had been there to attend an after-prom party, according to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. Investigators determined Zetino and another juvenile got into a “disturbance” with the father of a female at the party.
During this disturbance, both parties took out handguns and fired at each other, according to police. Investigators have located the adult male who exchanged gunfire with Zetino and the second juvenile involved in the incident.
“The individual cooperated w investigators and provided a statement that said, in part, that he had acted in self-defense when he was shooting. This statement was corroborated by findings at the scene,” Gonzalez said in a statement.
Police said no charges are being filed at this time.
The incident is still under investigation. Upon conclusion of the investigation, it will be presented to a grand jury for possible charges, police said.
(MATAMOROS, Mexico) — Most U.S. border towns, from Texas to California, thrive on a healthy relationship with their Mexican counterparts. Goods and labor flow back and forth, helping tourism and the economy on both sides. But in the last decade, those relationships have been strained and tensions have grown.
The Migrant Protection Program, or MPP, was created during the Trump administration. Thousands of migrants requesting asylum were sent back to Mexico to wait for their appointments or court hearings, resulting in the creation of a large-scale tent city in Matamoros, Mexico. The camp was only for migrant families and was fenced off to the general public — even media couldn’t get inside.
The migrants running the location set up a cooking area, a place to bath and use the restroom and even a play area for children. It was safe and orderly. Once MPP was discontinued, the camp was eventually shut down.
As the end of Title 42 creeps closer, a new camp has flourished in Matamoros. Over the last six months thousands have flocked to the Mexican border town, staging near the Rio Grande River and preparing to cross when the time is right. We traveled over the International Bridge into Matamorros, Mexico, with Pastor Abraham Barberi, a local minister associated with One Mission Ministries.
Title 42 is a Trump-era policy implemented during the pandemic that allows border patrol agents to expel migrants without allowing them to seek asylum but it does not come with consequences.
“At times, it’s overwhelming. And I’ve wanted to quit. It’s been going on too long and it’s just difficult,” he said. “I wake up in the morning many times and I think … I’m done. I’m tired. It’s not just that … it’s just feeling like you can’t do anything.”
And yet, several times a week he’s in the camp delivering food or water and ministering to people. Within minutes we run into a young mother, Lucia Gomez, and her 2-year old daughter from Venezuela.
The pair have been living in the make-shift camp along the river for more than five months. Tears running down her face, Gomez tells us in Spanish that the CBPOne app went live at 10 a.m. with daily appointment slots but they were already all gone. It’s 10:01 a.m.
We soon found out that level of desperation and anxiety has seeped into every corner of the camp that holds thousands of migrants in Matamorros. Families are sleeping in make-shift tents made of old blankets and broken tree limbs. They are cooking over open fire pits, with portable toilets and piles of trash feet away. It’s primitive. It’s dirty and inhumane. And yet, most of the people we spoke with say they are willing to endure this for a chance to get into the U.S.
But many are growing restless. They tell us the U.S. government’s CBPOne app is meant for iPhone users and is difficult to navigate. Internet service is scarce and the cartel is now charging migrants for printouts of the instruction manual for the application process because the link is not readily accessible. Our camera caught a family with three young children, one in a body cast, crossing the river with pool rafts and a rope. Troops on the U.S. side watch it all go down without saying a word.
The family we saw crossing the river will end up in Brownsville at the city’s newly erected processing facility along the river. On average the city is getting well over 2,000 migrants a day. Some will get sent back to Mexico by using Title 42; many will be processed and released. The city and local NGOs will help them find transportation out of the Rio Grande Valley. A majority will be staying with sponsors already here in the U.S.
Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez told us: “We are ready. We know there are more people coming and these last few weeks have been a dry run for us.”
When the Biden administration announced last April that they’d let Title 42 expire in May, migrants were required to apply for legal entry through a phone app and set up an appointment.
Title 42 ends on May 11 and officials continue to tell us they have no idea how many people to expect. They are confident they measures they’ve put in place so far will help them mitigate whatever comes their way.
Not everyone is convinced.
Pastor Abraham worries the situation will only get worse.
“No. I don’t think we are prepared,” Abraham said. “More asylum seekers are going to come and this is just going to get bigger.
(OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss.) — A teenager was killed and six others were injured in a shooting at a Mississippi Gulf Coast restaurant Friday night, authorities said.
Police responded to a shooting shortly before 11 p.m. local time at The Scratch Kitchen in Ocean Springs, east of Biloxi.
Responding officers found seven shooting victims at the scene, including a teenager who had died from his injuries, Ocean Springs Police Capt. Ryan LeMaire said. The police department identified the victim as 19-year-old Chase Harmon of Pascagoula, Mississippi.
The surviving victims were transported to area hospitals for treatment, said police, who did not provide details on the extent of their injuries.
There are no suspects in the shooting at this time, police said.
The Scratch Kitchen is located on a busy strip in downtown Ocean Springs that’s lined with restaurants and bars. It was offering Cinco de Mayo specials at the time of the shooting.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information is asked to call the Ocean Springs Police Department at 228-875-2211.
