(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Florida 4, Anaheim 3 (OT)
Boston 3, Ottawa 1
San Jose 4, Seattle 0
Philadelphia 4, Calgary 3
NY Islanders 4, Pittsburgh 2
Winnipeg 4, NY Rangers 1
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Kansas 63, TCU 58
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(JACKSON, Miss.) — In recent years, Jackson, Mississippi, has grappled with crisis after crisis with its water infrastructure. Historic flooding in late summer and freezing temperatures in December damaged the city’s water distribution system, leaving many residents without running water or under boil-water notices for weeks at a time.
The Justice Department appointed a third-party manager in November to fix the ailing system and manage some of the hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding earmarked to address the crisis. Ted Henifin spoke to “GMA3” hosts DeMarco Morgan and Stephanie Ramos about why the problem has gone on for so long and how the city plans to solve it.
STEPHANIE RAMOS: Ted, thank you so much for being with us. Right off the bat, can you explain what your position is?
TED HENIFIN: Yeah, it’s a tough one to explain. So the Department of Justice and EPA came to town and negotiated a deal with the city and the state Department of Health to create basically a third party to manage the system. And so that was presented to the court at the end of November. And the judge entered that order, effectively appointing me as this interim third-party manager. So I’m an officer of the court working here for the good of the citizens of Jackson.
DeMARCO MORGAN: All right, Ted, according to The Washington Post, there have been more than 100 complaints about the water. The city has had to warn residents their water may be undrinkable. The water supply was reportedly shut off for 45 days last summer. So why has this gone on for so long and what needs to happen in order to end this crisis?
HENIFIN: Well there’s been, I think, decades of under-investment here in Jackson for a variety of reasons, shrinking population, older core cities — lot of folks start moving out of those and they leave a large infrastructure that needs to be maintained and operated. As such, there’s fewer ratepayers to deal with that. There have been many, many challenges on that end. And climate change. We’ve had sort of the freeze of the century the last five years here in Jackson, like a lot of the other Southern cities. Our facilities weren’t built for that. So as those things continue, we’re really thankful to have the federal dollars available to start making those investments that need to be made. And over the next five years and a lot in the next couple of years, we’ll see some significant investments. Already today we’re really able to provide pretty consistent pressure through the system, which is a big improvement over the last several months. That’s been the biggest problem.
You can live on bottled water for a while, to take care of your drinking and teeth brushing. But no water at all, having no water to flush the toilet, wash the dishes, wash your clothes. That’s a real tragedy. Any time you have anybody without water in a water system like this, it’s terrible. So, whether it’s one or 1,000 or 2,000, it doesn’t matter. We’re really striving to eliminate that and put that in Jackson’s history as we move forward.
RAMOS: And Ted, you’re tasked with coming up with a water system financial management plan. Not easy, given all the issues there in that city. How are you tackling that? What’s in the plan and when will residents start to feel safe when it comes to the water there?
HENIFIN: I would hope they would feel safe again. Building that trust is tough, but the water has been heavily tested since the fall, with EPA on site doing additional water testing, that went all the way through January. So I was telling folks here, it’s the most-tested water in America and it was for some time and continues. We’re going to continue to have EPA come in periodically to validate the testing we’re doing. But we’ve found no issues with the water up to this point, since it’s been back in functioning fully the way it has been since the fall.
But the other parts of the plan include really creating a sustainable source of local revenue. We really need to build the rate structure that folks can afford their water and pay their bills, because at the end of the day, this federal dollar, which is wonderful to have, this money coming for infrastructure, that’s one-time money. And if we don’t do something to make sure we’ve got a sustainable plan going forward, it won’t be maintained, and we’ll find ourselves back here in 20 years.
MORGAN: Ted, I used to live in Jackson, actually went to Jackson State there, and it’s no secret that water quality issues have historically hit black and poor communities the hardest. The mayor of Jackson has accused the governor of racism over this. Is this a discrimination problem or just a problem with bad management and planning over the years?
HENIFIN: I would say, from my perspective, it’s probably more bad planning and management. But there’s been lots of challenges between the state and the city. And you have to wonder a little bit about the motivations and a lot of that. But I’ve been really trying to be forward focused, trying to solve the problem. And one of the issues that does exist and it is a continual challenge, is the location of the water treatment plants.
Both water plants are on the eastern edge of the city, one very much in the northeast corner, and the other on the eastern side of downtown. And the areas that suffer the most during our problems are really the furthest away from the plants. And those happen to be the furthest south and the furthest west. If you know Jackson State, DeMarco, then you know that’s in that southwest part of the city. And that water has to go through a lot more piping and a lot further elevation. It’s actually a higher elevation than where the river and the reservoir are. So as a result of that, they feel the pressure problems the worst, and they are some of the most disadvantaged parts of the city. Again, I don’t think that’s a direct correlation, but I do believe that we need to do a lot more to make sure that those pressure issues are resolved. And that’s one of the things we’re working on right now.
RAMOS: And we really hope that happens quickly. Ted, you’ve got a big job ahead of you. Thank you for joining us. And best of luck there in Jackson.
HENIFIN: Thanks, Stephanie.
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(NEW YORK) — A string of deadly shootings across the nation has marred the Presidents Day weekend as law enforcement officers in major cities and rural areas investigated separate violent episodes, many involving children — including a baby killed in Chicago.
Gunfire erupted over the holiday at a pre-Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, a party in Columbus, Georgia, and on a freeway in Chicago, authorities said. Among those killed were beloved Catholic auxiliary bishop gunned down in a Los Angeles home and a college campus police officer fatally shot execution-style.
In four of the shootings that have occurred since Friday, at least 16 juveniles were shot, four fatally, according to police.
Baby killed in Chicago freeway shooting
A 1-year-old girl was among three people killed when gunfire erupted Sunday night on Chicago freeway, police said.
The baby, identified as Amara Hall, was fatally shot around 10:30 p.m. while riding in an SUV in the northbound lanes of Interstate 57 on the city’s South Side, according to the Illinois State Police. A 14-year-old boy and a woman were also killed in the incident.
Three other people were wounded, including two boys — ages 13 and 14, police said.
No arrests have been announced and a motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
5 shot, 1 fatally, at New Orleans parade
A pre-Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans turned chaotic Sunday night when a barrage of gunfire left a man dead and four other people injured, according to police.
The shooting occurred around 9:30 p.m. along the route of the popular Krewe of Bacchus parade and sent people running for cover, witnesses said.
Two men, a woman and a juvenile girl were wounded in the shooting.
One suspect was arrested but police said it appeared that additional shooters were involved. Two weapons were recovered at the scene.
A motive was under investigation.
Camryn Lafleur, 19, described the gunfire as a “continuous loud noise that kept going off.” He said he saw “faces of pure horror” fleeing the gunfire.
2 related Memphis shootings leave 1 dead, 10 injured
Three people of interest were being sought for questioning Monday in a pair of related shootings in Memphis that left one man dead and 10 people wounded, according to the Memphis Police Department.
Gunfire erupted around 12:43 a.m. Sunday at the Live Lounge in the city’s Whitehaven neighborhood, police said. Officers found two shooting victims suffering from critical injuries and learned that at least five other victims were taken to hospitals in private vehicles, according to police.
As police were investigating the nightclub shooting, gunfire broke out at an intersection about a mile away. When they arrived at that scene, officers located three victims in critical condition. One victim later died at a hospital.
Police said the second shooting stemmed from the incident at the nightclub.
No arrests have been announced and a motive for the shootings is under investigation.
2 teens among 4 killed in New Jersey murder-suicide
A family of four, including two teenagers, was found shot to death in a home in Linden, New Jersey, in what police suspect was a murder-suicide committed by the father, authorities said.
Police were called to the family’s home about 9:30 a.m. Sunday and discovered three people dead and a teenage boy gravely injured, police said. The boy was taken to a hospital but was later pronounced dead.
The boys sister, father and mother were pronounced dead at the scene.
Linden Mayor Derek Armstead said the brother and sister killed in the incident were ages 13 and 14.
Temple University police officer killed
An 18-year-old man was arrested Sunday in the fatal shooting of a Temple University police officer in north Philadelphia, authorities said.
Miles Pfeffer, 18, of Buckingham Township, Pennsylvania, is facing charges including murder, murder of a law enforcement officer, robbery, carjacking and related offenses in the shooting on Saturday night that killed officer Christopher Fitzgerald, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
Fitzgerald, the married father of four children, encountered Pfeffer while investigating a robbery near the Temple University campus, officials said.
A struggle allegedly occurred between Fitzgerald and Pfeffer, in which the officer was shot, officials said. After shooting Fitzgerald once, Pfeffer allegedly stood over the officer and fired several more shots at him, including at least one to the head from point-blank range, killing him, officials said.
Investigators alleged that Pfeffer attempted to rob the officer, rifling through his pockets as he lay dying in the street.
Auxiliary bishop shot dead in Los Angeles
A long-serving Catholic bishop known as a “peacemaker” was fatally shot in a Los Angeles home on Saturday, prompting police to launch a murder investigation, officials said.
Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, who had been a priest and then a bishop during his 45 years with the church, was found dead in a home in the unincorporated Los Angeles County community of Hacienda Heights.
On Monday, police sources told ABC News that a person of interest has been detained for questioning in O’Connell’s homicide.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s investigators said they received a medical emergency call at 12:57 p.m. Sunday and deputies responded to a home in the unincorporated neighborhood of Hacienda Heights. There, they found the 69-year-old O’Connell unresponsive and bleeding from a gunshot wound to the upper torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
9 juveniles wounded in Columbus, Georgia
A confrontation at a house party in Columbus, Georgia, prompted a shooting at a nearby gas station that left nine juveniles wounded, including a 5-year-old boy, police said.
The shooting happened just after 10 p.m. Friday.
A fight broke out at a house party and the violence spilled across the street to a Shell gas station, where gunfire erupted, according to Columbus police.
In addition to the 5-year-old, the other victims ranged in age from 12 to 17, police said.
No arrests were announced and a motive is under investigation.
6 killed in Mississippi shooting rampage
A 32-year-old man was arrested on murder charges after allegedly going on a shooting rampage in rural Mississippi, killing six people in three different locations, according authorities.
The shooting spree erupted Friday in Arkabutla, an unincorporated community of less than 300 people in Tate County.
The suspected gunman, Richard Dale Crum, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, according to the Tae County Sheriff’s Office.
Crum allegedly began the rampage outside a convenience store in Arkabutla, where a victim was shot at random while sitting in a parked car, sheriff’s officials said.
Crum then traveled three miles to ex-wife’s home where he allegedly shot her dead and wounded her husband, officials said.
Two other people were found shot to death inside a house near Crum’s Arkabutla residence and two handymen were found fatally shot on an access road to Crum’s property, according to the sheriff’s office.
Crum was arrested outside his home, where deputies seized two handguns and a shotgun.
A motive for the killing spree is under investigation.
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(PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.) — An 85-year-old woman was killed by an alligator in Florida on Monday, according to state wildlife officials.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the St. Lucie Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about an alligator bite in St. Lucie County, Florida.
Officials recovered the woman’s body and the alligator was captured by a nuisance alligator trapper, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of the victim,” a representative for the agency said in a statement.
According to the FWC, serious injuries that stem from alligators are rare in the state.
The St. Lucie Sheriff’s Office and Florida and Wildlife Conservation Commission did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
On Sunday, a 4-foot-long alligator was removed from a lake at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York, city officials said.
According to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the alligator was “very lethargic and possibly cold shocked since it is native to warm, tropical climates.”
In August, an 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina when she was gardening near a pond in Sun City Hilton Head, an adult-only community, and slipped in, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Natural Resources.
Officials said that the alligator, a 9-foot, 8-inch male, was euthanized.
Another elderly woman in Florida was killed in July after she fell into a pond and was attacked by two alligators, authorities said.
Alligators are active during spring and summer because when temperatures rise, their metabolism increases and they look for food, a spokesperson for FWC told ABC News last year.
ABC News’ Emily Shapiro, Meredith Deliso and Will McDuffie contributed to this report.
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(NEW YORK) — Over the weekend, former President Jimmy Carter entered home hospice care, the Carter Center announced.
The center said in a statement that the oldest living president, who is 98 years old, had elected “to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention” after several hospital stays.
“He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers,” the statement read.
Experts explained to ABC News what it means to enter hospice care and what it may entail:
What is hospice care?
Hospice care is a type of end-of-life care meant to maximize the comfort and quality of life of a terminal patient.
“Typically, hospice care requires a referral from a physician who agreed that hospice care is appropriate for the patient and so we certified that the patient’s life expectancy is six months or less, based on our best knowledge and data we have if the disease runs its expected course,” said Dr. Jay Bhatt, an internist and geriatrician in Chicago and an ABC News contributor.
Bhatt said a patient suffering from several conditions can enter hospice including cancer, dementia, kidney failure, recurrent infection and more.
“Entering hospice means your caregivers are focused on managing your symptoms…and it’s oriented around alleviating suffering, during that projected time of life,” he said.
Several needs are addressed when a patient is in hospice care including physical, psychological, social, and spiritual, according to the National Association of Home Care and Hospice.
Hospice care may be misconstrued as a process used to accelerate the worsening of someone’s condition so that they may pass, but that is not the case, Bhatt said.
“This is not intended to speed up the dying process or reduce their time that they may have,” he said. “It really is focused on addressing physical health, managing their symptoms that create suffering, [and] their emotional and spiritual health.”
What is included in hospice care?
Hospice care can include a broad set of services including physician care; nursing care; a home health aide; social work services; physical, occupational, and speech therapy; and bereavement services for the patient’s family, according to the NAHCH.
These services can help manage medication for pain or other conditions, supply emotional support for mental health needs and therapy for mobility that help alleviate suffering, Bhatt said.
“Hospice care at home relies primarily on the family or personally paid caregivers to provide that day-to-day care,” he said. “But you can have a nurse or physician on call 24 hours a day to help with medications for pain or trouble breathing [or] other symptoms.”
If symptoms become too difficult to manage, a person can receive inpatient hospice care at a facility.
While hospice care may be covered by employer-provided insurance or private insurance, it began being covered by Medicare in 1983.
According to the NAHCH, more than 1.6 Medicare beneficiaries received hospice services in 2019 with Medicare expense totaling about $20.9 billion.
Qualifying for hospice care
Experts told ABC News that it’s a complex process filled with hours of discussion before a patient can receive hospice care.
A hospice physician and a regular physician, if the patient has one, have to certify that a patient is terminally ill. The patient has to accept the care as opposed to care to cure their illness, and the patient has to sign a statement choosing hospice care.
“Clearly, the recognition is that Jimmy Carter lived an incredible life; we should all be so lucky to live a life that is so full, rich and rewarding,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital, and an ABC News contributor. “At the end of the day, it’s about patient-centered decisions and their wishes and in this particular case, I’m sure there’s been a lot of consultation with medical teams, and family.”
He continued, “These things are are complicated, you know, long conversations that require many layers of discussion within that, you know, reaching out very quick decisions that are, they’re done without, you know, without the guidance of the whole care team and family.”
How is it different from palliative care?
While hospice care and palliative care are often used interchangeably, they’re not the same, experts said.
Both are about offering compassionate comfort care, but patients in palliative care might have their symptoms treated as well as receiving treatment with the intent of curing their illness.
Additionally, while hospice care requires physicians to sign off, palliative care can begin whenever the physician and patient decide and at any stage or illness — and the illness is not required to be terminal.
“Hospice care is really focused highly on the comfort of that patient,” Brownstein said. “So, comfort care without any sort of intention for cure, whereas palliative care is broader ’cause it’s comfort care, but it could have some component of curative intent.”
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(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Monday made a surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, to reiterate America’s commitment for the war-torn country one year after Russia’s invasion.
Biden’s previously unannounced trip adds him to the list of sitting U.S. presidents who visited a war zone — a list that includes Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Richard Nixon and even Abraham Lincoln, among others.
Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln was in the White House when Confederate troops invaded Washington, D.C., in July of 1864. Lincoln left the White House and visited the battlefield at Fort Stevens.
Lincoln is thought to remain the only sitting president to come under fire. He climbed a parapet at Fort Stevens for a better view and troops began shooting. The president may have been warned by a nearby soldier — according to legend — to “get down, you damn fool!” A Union surgeon a few feet from Lincoln was hit and wounded.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Roosevelt was in office for almost the entirety of World War II. His only overseas visit to the theater of war — which encapsulated much of Europe — was on Dec. 8, 1943.
On the second anniversary of his famous speech on Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt visited Allied military installations in Italy.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Johnson first sent U.S. troops to Vietnam in March 1965 and he made two overseas visits to the war zone during his term.
In October of 1966, he visited U.S. forces in Cam Ranh Bay. A little over a year later, he returned to Cam Ranh Bay on Dec. 23, 1967.
Richard Nixon
The U.S. withdrew from Vietnam during Nixon’s time in office and he made one overseas trip before the conflict ended.
On July 30, 1969, Nixon met with South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu and visited U.S. troops in Saigon.
George W. Bush
Bush oversaw U.S. troop deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq as a part of what was known as the War on Terror following the 9/11 attacks.
In his two terms, Bush made two visits to Afghanistan and four visits to Iraq.
Bush’s first war zone visit was Nov. 27, 2003, to Baghdad. He met with Iraqi leaders and addressed U.S. military personnel. He made two more trips to Baghdad and one trip to Al-Assad Air Force Base during his terms.
Bush visited Bagram Airfield and Kabul in Afghanistan in 2006. He met with then-Afghan President Hamid Karzai, dedicated a new U.S. embassy and visited U.S. troops. He returned to Kabul in 2008 and again met with Karzai and visited U.S. troops.
Barack Obama
Obama made one visit to Baghdad, in April 2009. He met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and visited U.S. military personnel.
Obama made four trips to Afghanistan, starting in March 2010, when he visited both Kabul and Bagram. He made two more trips to Bagram and one more trip to Kabul by 2014.
Donald Trump
Trump made two visits to troops overseas during his term. He first visited U.S. forces in Iraq on Dec. 26, 2018.
On Thanksgiving Day in 2019, he made a surprise visit to U.S. troops at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan.
ABC News’ Nancy Gabriner and Terry Moran contributed to this report.
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(WARSAW, Poland) — This week in Poland, President Joe Biden is set to underscore the importance of NATO’s support for Ukraine after making a surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday on the eve of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
Biden’s chief message while in Warsaw, Poland, until Wednesday is expected to center around continued backing from western allies for Ukraine, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters last week.
The president is scheduled to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday to discuss cooperation between Washington and Warsaw to aid Kyiv, particularly over Poland’s role as a key staging ground for military and financial aid flowing to Ukraine.
“The two leaders will discuss Poland’s important logistical role as well in helping the U.S. facilitate deliveries of military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine from not only the United States but from our allies and partners,” Kirby said last week. “The president will also have a chance to thank Poland for how they have hosted now an increased number of U.S. forces, including those that are permanently stationed and those who were deployed to Europe as part of our force posture adjustments.”
“As we approach the one-year mark since this invasion, we can proudly say that our support for Ukraine remains unwavering and our alliances and our international coalition in support of Ukraine remain stronger than ever,” Kirby said.
Biden echoed that while in Kyiv, a previously unannounced visit which he said showed “unwavering and unflagging commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Also on Tuesday, Biden will deliver public remarks in Warsaw detailing U.S.-led efforts to arm Ukraine with assistance needed to respond to Russia’s invasion. The White House says his speech will address “how the United States has rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and democracy, and how we will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
One day later, the president will meet with heads of state of the so-called Bucharest Nine, who comprise NATO’s eastern bloc.
“These are largely the group of eastern flank NATO allies who are basically and, quite frankly, literally on the frontlines of our collective defense right now,” Kirby said.
Those leaders have also been among the most vocal about the need to help Ukraine fend off Russia’s military, with some warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin could have his eyes set on invading other eastern European countries — including NATO members — at the same time that Russian officials have signaled they view the West’s support as its own provocation.
Biden first landed in Poland late Sunday, according to reporters traveling with him, then set off for to Ukraine for his roughly five-hour visit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his first since Russia’s invasion last year.
“One year later, Kyiv stands and Ukraine stands. Democracy stands,” Biden said alongside Zelenskyy on Monday. “The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you.”
“This is the largest land war in Europe in three quarters of a century, and you’re succeeding against all and every expectation except your own,” he added. “We have every confidence that you’re going to continue to prevail.”
Yet despite Biden’s successful trip to Kyiv, debate continues to rage in Washington and across the Atlantic over what kind of aid to provide Ukraine ahead of what is anticipated to be a major offensive from Russia.
House Republicans, who were elected to the majority in November, have pledged to push for accountability for U.S. assistance to Ukraine, describing it as an end to a “blank check” mentality. Some in the GOP conference have pushed for a harder line to pull back on sending money and supplies, though leaders in both parties have rejected that.
In total, the United States has committed $30 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration, including more than $29.3 billion since the beginning of Russia’s invasion. That has included sending increasingly complex munitions, from Stinger anti-aircraft systems and Javelin anti-armor systems to most recently Howitzers, and soon, Abrams tanks.
Now, though, Zelenskyy is pushing for the U.S. to allow F-16 fighter jets and longer range missiles to be sent to Ukraine, something that Biden has previously seemed reluctant to commit to.
Zelenskyy has said the jets could be instrumental in the fight and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said earlier this month that “nothing is off the table” and said the U.K. will begin to train Ukrainian pilots on NATO-standard aircraft.
In Washington, the Biden administration has also emphasized the importance of good training over any particular system.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken declined to answer directly, in an interview on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, about possibly sending F-16s.
“We’re in very close collaboration and coordination with the Ukrainians precisely on this question of what do they need at any given time. But what’s very important is this: What we should not do, any of us, is to focus or get fixated on any particular weapons system because the weapon system itself, as important as it is, is not sufficient. You have to make sure that Ukrainians are trained on the systems that are being provided,” he said.
Biden returns to the White House from Poland on Wednesday.
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(LOS ANGELES) — Police have identified the suspect in the fatal shooting a long-serving Catholic bishop known as a “peacemaker” in Los Angeles.
Sixty-five-year-old Carlos Medina was arrested in connection with the murder of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, officials said at a Monday press conference. Medina is the husband of the bishop’s housekeeper, Los Angeles County Sherriff Robert Luna said.
O’Connell, who had been a priest and then a bishop during his 45 years with the church, was found dead in a home Sunday in the unincorporated neighborhood of Hacienda Heights after sheriff’s deputies responded to an emergency medical call, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives received a tip Sunday night that Medina was acting strangely and accused O’Connell of owing him money, according to Luna.
Medina reportedly had an SUV similar to the one seen pulling up in the bishop’s driveway, officials said Monday.
The killing of the beloved bishop sent shock waves through the Los Angeles Catholic community, prompting some parishioners to go to the scene of the O’Connell’s death to pray.
José H. Gomez, the archbishop of Los Angeles, said O’Connell was known as a “man of deep prayer.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s investigators said they received a medical emergency call at 12:57 p.m. Sunday and deputies responded to a home in Hacienda Heights. There, they found the 69-year-old O’Connell unresponsive and bleeding from a gunshot wound to the upper torso.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. It’s unclear how long O’Connell had been dead before sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home.
“He was a peacemaker with a heart for the poor and the immigrant, and he had a passion for building a community where the sanctity and dignity of every human life was honored and protected,” Gomez said.
“It broke me and I was scared to tell my wife because my wife loved him so much,” parishioner Johnny Flores told ABC Los Angeles station KABC.
Another parishioner, Glendy Perez, described O’Connell as “a humble soul.”
“He was not the type that would have confrontations with nobody,” Perez told KABC. “He was very loving, and he had like a gift of healing. When you would attend his ceremonies, it was like a gift of healing.”
O’Connell, who was born in Ireland, was named an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Pope Francis in 2015.
O’Connell studied for the priesthood at All Hallows College in Dublin and was ordained in 1979 to serve in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. After ordination, he served as associate pastor and pastor at several parishes in Los Angeles.
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(SAMANDAG, Turkey) — Turkey was hit with another earthquake Monday as a 6.4 earthquake rattled Samandag even as the country is still cleaning up from one of the worst natural disasters in its history, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
There were no immediate reports of damage, injuries or deaths from officials.
Samandag is located in Hatay province, which suffered catastrophic damage in the quake that struck on Feb. 6.
Several civilians were injured in Syria after the latest quake struck, the White Helmets, the Syria Civil Defense Unit, tweeted. Several balconies and walls collapsed from the tremors, the White Helmets tweeted.
“Several civilians injured from falling building debris, stampedes, and jumping from high areas. Additionally, in Jenderes, north of Aleppo two uninhabited buildings and the minaret of a mosque collapsed,” the organization tweeted.
There were no immediate reports of deaths.
At a Turkish camp for 700 people who are now homeless from the prior earthquake, buildings shook for about 15 seconds around 8 p.m. local time and lights went off in the distance.
Most of the people in the camp were sitting outside huddling around fires to keep warm when the earthquake occurred. Many started praying and shouting to get away from buildings.
Several aftershocks were felt following the initial quake.
Monday’s quake comes as officials from Turkey and Syria said the death toll from the quake that struck two weeks ago has reached 46,957 total, with 41,156 in Turkey and 5,801 in Syria.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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(LIVERPOOL, England) — Two teens are set to go on trial for the death of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey on July 10. Ghey, a transgender girl, was found dead by passersby in a park in the English town of Warrington on Feb. 11, according to officials.
The trial is expected to last for three weeks at the Liverpool Crown Court and “will hear evidence of the incident at Culcheth Linear Park,” according to the Cheshire Constabulary police force.
The two teens, both 15 years old, were arrested the following day and charged with Ghey’s murder.
Police say it is unclear if the circumstances surrounding her death are hate-related, and the investigation into a motive is ongoing.
“I would like to pass on my sincere thanks to the community of Culcheth for their support in relation to the investigation,” said Detective Chief Inspector Adam Waller, in a statement.
“We have been inundated with pieces of information from members of the community wanting to help and assist the inquiry. Many of our officers have been approached to offer their best wishes to us and, especially, to Brianna’s family.”
Ghey’s death has prompted vigils and protests in her memory, in support of the transgender community.
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