(WASHINGTON) – As the standoff between Russia and the United States continues, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned of a “very distinct” possibility Russia will attack Ukraine at “any time now.”
“We believe that there is a very distinct possibility that Vladimir Putin will order an attack on Ukraine. It could take a number of different forms. It could happen as soon as tomorrow or it could take some weeks yet,” Sullivan said in an interview with ABC “This Week” Co-Anchor Martha Raddatz on Sunday.
“[Putin] has put himself in a position with military deployments, to be able to act aggressively against Ukraine at any time now,” he added, stressing that the United State is working with allies and continues to urge a path of diplomacy.
Sullivan said the United States is ready to respond, no matter what Russia decides.
“If they choose to go down the path of escalation instead, it will come at enormous human cost to Ukrainians. But it will also, we believe, over time, come at real strategic cost to Vladimir Putin,” he said.
ABC News has learned Putin now has 70% of his troops in place to possibly launch a full-scale attack on Ukraine. The report comes as U.S. troops began arriving in Poland over the weekend after President Joe Biden ordered deployments to reassure NATO allies.
Raddatz pressed Sullivan on the message U.S. troop deployments sends to the Russians as the U.S. continues to push for a diplomatic solution: “You talk about this diplomatic path, but 1,700 US troops just arrived in Poland, part of the 3,000 going in. Three hundred more sent to Germany. … (It) sounds like you’re no longer trying to de-escalate the situation.”
“We have since the beginning for months now, as we have warned about the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, pursued a two-track approach, deterrence and diplomacy,” he argued.
“Those forces you just referred to have not been sent to fight Russian forces in Ukraine. They have been sent to defend NATO territory because we have a sacred obligation under Article 5 to defend our NATO allies and to send a clear message to Russia, that if it tries to take any military action or aggression against our NATO allies, it will be met with a stiff response, including by the U.S. forces who are on the ground there now,” Sullivan said, adding the U.S. has been “equally clear” it is ready to have “substantive discussions on matters of European security” with Russia.
Sullivan would not get into specifics on how certain an attack is, even though Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., reportedly said after a briefing on the situation that a Russian invasion was a “near certainty.”
“I’m not going to make a prediction about what is going to unfold in the coming days. All I’m going to say is that we, the United States, under the direction of President Biden, are ready either way,” Sullivan said when pressed by Raddatz.
“We are ready,” he said, adding, “And we are ready to respond in a united, swift and severe way with our allies and partners should he choose to move forward with a military escalation.”
As the window for diplomacy appears to be rapidly closing, U.S. officials have repeatedly said they do not believe Putin has made up his mind on how to proceed but no longer describe the threat of a possible invasion as “imminent,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday.
With athletes from around the world gathering to compete in the Winter Olympics in China, Raddatz asked Sullivan if the U.S. believed Putin would hold off on an attack until the games conclude on Feb. 20 — allowing more time for the ground to freeze to facilitate tank movements.
Sullivan said it was possible but stressed that an attack could also come sooner.
“At this point, we’re in the window, meaning that we can’t just assume it’s going to be a couple of weeks off. Is that a possible scenario? Are there reasons to believe that it could happen in that timeframe? Yes. But there are also reasons to believe that Russia, under the direction of President Putin, could take steps before then.”
Sullivan appeared to brush off concerns over China’s alliance with Russia and the impact it could have on the U.S. threat of sanctions after Putin and President Xi Jinping met in Beijing Friday.
“That is an economic power powerhouse, China. Could that undermine your plans for severe sanctions?” Raddatz asked.
“Our view is that China is not in a position to compensate Russia for the economic losses that would come from our sanctions. That’s the analysis that we and the European share, and we believe the Russians and Chinese understand that as well,” Sullivan responded, adding that China would also feel the cost in the “eyes of the world” of supporting Russia.
(LONDON) — Queen Elizabeth has marked the eve of her Platinum Jubilee with a request that her daughter-in-law Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, be known as queen consort when her son Charles succeeds her as king.
“And when, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me,” she wrote in the statement to mark her 70 years on the throne, “and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”
This is the first time the queen has publicly addressed her daughter-in-law’s role in the future monarchy.
In response to the queen’s remarks, a spokesman for Prince Charles and Camilla told ABC News they are “touched and honoured by Her Majesty’s words,” adding that the Prince of Wales will issue his own statement congratulating the queen on her milestone Sunday.
“This really is an important moment for the queen using this historic milestone of the 70th anniversary of her reign to give Camilla, her daughter-in-law, her blessing, that she wants her to be the queen consort when the moment comes,” explained ABC News Royal Contributor Robert Jobson.
“It’s the first time really she’s spoken about the succession in such detail and she’s really saying when Prince Charles becomes king he deserves to have the support and love of a consort like she did with Prince Philip,” Jobson added.
There have been indications that this was the queen’s intention, and that she is grateful to her daughter-in-law for the support she gives her son. Most recently, the queen gave the Duchess of Cornwall a significant honor, appointing her to the Order of the Garter late last year.
“The Duchess of Cornwall has been an exemplary supporter of the queen and the monarchy,” Ailsa Anderson, the queen’s former press secretary and ABC News royal contributor, said.
“She has demonstrated her commitment in so many causes, including women’s rights and literacy. As a nation we should welcome and embrace this announcement. I believe she will support the Prince of Wales in the years ahead,” Anderson added.
On Feb. 6, Queen Elizabeth will be the first British monarch to reach the milestone of a Platinum Jubilee. Traditionally, the queen spends the day quietly at Sandringham, her Norfolk estate, as she remembers her father George VI who died there 70 years ago.
The queen was on tour in Kenya when she found out her father had died and she was queen, making her the first monarch in 200 years to accede to the throne when overseas.
She left the country a princess and returned a queen, leading the nation in mourning her father. The solemn anniversary makes Feb. 6 a day of mixed emotion for Queen Elizabeth. “The queen normally marks her ascension anniversary privately. It’s obviously a moment of reflection because it’s also the anniversary of her father’s death,” said Victoria Murphy, ABC News royal contributor.
But this year, as it was such a major milestone, the queen hosted a reception at Sandringham on Saturday. Television pictures showed her cutting a cake to mark the occasion. This was her first public appearance since she was hospitalized last October.
In Saturday’s statement she also took the opportunity to thank her people for their support: “I remain eternally grateful for, and humbled by, the loyalty and affection that you continue to give me.”
“As we mark this anniversary, it gives me pleasure to renew to you the pledge I gave in 1947 that my life will always be devoted to your service,” she wrote.
She also paid tribute to her late husband, Prince Philip, who died last April.
“I was blessed that in Prince Philip I had a partner willing to carry out the role of consort and unselfishly make the sacrifices that go with it,” she wrote.
Jobson argued that the queen wants Charles to have similar support from Camilla when he becomes king, and that this announcement will make the transition to his kingship easier.
“She realizes she’s not going to live for much longer. She’s 96 in April and she wants everything sorted out, so there’s continuity and a smooth succession; and there’s no controversy over whether or not Camilla should be queen,” Jobson said.
Jobson said Camilla’s future role is purely as companion and adviser.
“The reality is she will never reign as queen; she’s there as a supporter to the Prince of Wales,” he said. “There have been enough dramas in the royal family in the last year or so, to last a lifetime. So what the queen wants is a calm and smooth succession.”
(IGHRAN, Morocco) — A 5-year-old boy who had been trapped 32 meters underground in a well in Morocco for four days was found dead on Saturday following a lengthy rescue attempt that had captivated the Arab world.
In an official statement carried by state television, Morocco’s King Mohamed VI offered his condolences to the parents of the boy, identified as Rayan, as the meticulous relief operation came to a heart-wrenching end.
Relentless digging by bulldozers parallel to the well reached the full depth of 32 meters before rescuers embarked on a horizontal dig to reach the boy.
In the last stretch, which took longer than expected, rescuers resorted to manual digging in fear of possible landslides that would put Rayan’s life at risk. They also inserted pipes as a shelter from rock collapses, television footage showed.
After the pathway leading to Rayan was cleared, paramedics rushed to the tunnel to attend to him. His parents stood by anxiously, with security personnel forming a barrier in front of a crowd of onlookers as the sound of prayers blared through a loudspeaker.
The security guards then formed a cordon around an ambulance as Rayan’s body was moved out on a stretcher, with his mother appearing to be weeping.
Rayan reportedly fell through a narrow opening of the well while playing in the village of Ighran in Morocco’s Chefchaouen province on Tuesday evening.
A “Save Rayan” Arabic hashtag trended in several Arab countries, including in neighboring Algeria as well as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan as thousands of users took to social media to offer their prayers.
“I prayed to God and begged him to get him out of the well alive and safe. Please God, ease my pain. I hope the authorities and rescuers manage to save my son,” Rayan’s mother, Wassima Kharchich, told France24 earlier on Saturday.
Many likened his story to that of Prophet Yunis, commonly referred to as Jonah in the Bible, who was swallowed up by a whale for three days before the giant fish spat him out.
“Please God, protect him just like you protected Yunis in the belly of the whale,” read a caption on a widely shared drawing of a boy playing with toys while being trapped in a deep well.
Several Moroccan media outlets livestreamed the rescue operation to hundreds of thousands of viewers, leading to an outpouring of sympathy. A CCTV camera lowered into the well to track Rayan showed him alive on Thursday, albeit he appeared to be suffering from head injuries. Oxygen, food and water were also lowered into the well.
(LONDON) — Prince Andrew has agreed to a deposition date of March 10 in connection with the civil lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, according to an attorney for Giuffre and a source close to the prince.
Lawyers for Giuffre are expected to travel to London to question the prince. The specific location for the deposition has not yet been determined.
Sigrid McCawley, a partner at Boies Schiller Flexner, the firm that represents Giuffre, on Saturday confirmed to ABC News that the date has been set. The news of the agreed-upon date was first reported by The Telegraph.
A source close to the prince told ABC News that Prince Andrew’s legal team has agreed to “voluntarily produce” him for the deposition on that date. Giuffre has yet to commit to a date for her deposition “despite repeated requests,” the source close to the prince said.
The news comes following Prince Andrew’s failed attempt to have a lawsuit from Giuffre, an alleged Jeffrey Epstein victim, dismissed at this stage in the proceeding. A federal judge in New York rejected his arguments in January.
Giuffre alleges Jeffrey Epstein trafficked her to Prince Andrew who she claims took advantage and sexually abused her when she was under 18.
Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegation and attacked Giuffre’s credibility and motives.
(NEW YORK) — Days after former Miami Dolphins Coach Brian Flores sued the NFL over allegations of discrimination, commissioner Roger Goodell told teams Saturday that the league’s efforts to promote diversity among head coaches “have been unacceptable,” ESPN reported.
Goodell sent a letter to NFL teams addressing Flores’ suit and the allegations that the league and team owners have been sidelining Black candidates for coaching positions, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who tweeted out the letter.
The commissioner reiterated the league’s earlier messages that it “adopted numerous policies and programs,” to promote diversity, but acknowledged that there is still more work to be done.
“With respect to head coaches, the results have been unacceptable,” Goodell wrote in the letter.
The commissioner hasn’t commented on the letter.
Douglas H. Wigdor and John Elefterakis, Flores’ attorneys, said in a statement that Goodell’s letter was “on the surface, a positive first step, but we suspect that this is more of a public relations ploy than real commitment to change.”
They added that Goodell hasn’t reached out to them or their client to discuss his concerns.
Flores, 40, who was fired from the Miami Dolphins last month after back-to-back winning seasons, filed his suit on Monday and cited a recent experience he said he had as one of the examples of the league’s discrimination against Black coaches.
Flores said he was offered an interview with the New York Giants for a head coaching position and texted with his mentor, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, about the upcoming meeting.
Belichick allegedly sent texts congratulating Flores on getting hired by the Giants before the interview took place, according to screenshots of the texts that were included in the lawsuit.
Belichick later allegedly texted back indicating that he’d made a mistake and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was actually getting the job — three days before Flores’ interview, according to the screenshots.
“There’s a humiliation that came over me,” Flores told ABC News’ “Nightline.” “Why wasn’t I afforded the opportunity to truly interview and show what I can do? Because I am a good coach and I do relate to players and I know how to lead.”
The NFL responded to the suit, which seeks unspecified damages and changes to ensure the hiring of more Black coaches, dismissing Flores’ claims.
“The NFL and our clubs are deeply committed to ensuring equitable employment practices and continue to make progress in providing equitable opportunities throughout our organizations,” the league said in a statement Monday.
Goodell told the team owners that the league “understands the concerns of Coach Flores” and others and will be making some changes to address them. Specifically, the commissioner said the league will “reevaluate and examine” all policies related to diversity and inclusion and bring in outside experts to assist with the review.
The commissioner said the league will “also solicit input from current and former players, coaches and other authorities.”
Flores’ attorneys expressed skepticism in Goodell’s promise.
“For too many years, the NFL has hid behind the cover of foundations that were supposed to protect the rights of Black players and coaches, all while letting systemic racial bias fester in its front offices. The NFL is now rolling out the same playbook yet again and that is precisely why this lawsuit was filed,” the attorneys said in a statement.
ABC News’ Stephanie Wash contributed to this report.
(AUSTIN, Texas) — Members of the Texas National Guard deployed to the southern border under Gov. Greg Abbott’s controversial immigration initiative, Operation Lone Star, are raising several concerns about their mission, including reports that some guardsmen have died in suspected suicides.
The Texas National Guard and the Department of Public Safety have been collaborating under Operation Lone Star to stem what they describe as the flow of undocumented immigrants coming across the southern border and to combat drug trafficking.
ABC News has spoken to three soldiers in the Guard who asked that their names not be used so they can talk freely about the issues they say are affecting morale among some of their fellow service members deployed to the border.
They say those problems have ranged from pay delays to poor housing arrangements and inadequate training to assist Border Patrol in apprehending immigrants. Some of the guardsmen who spoke to ABC News say word of the suspected suicides of four members of the National Guard since October has also prompted them to come forward. The concerns raised by these members of the Guard add to the mounting pressure the program has already faced from Democratic lawmakers and advocates who say the mission violates the rights of immigrants who should be given the opportunity to seek asylum in the United States without fear of being detained for weeks at a time.
In recent months, dozens of state lawmakers and members of Congress have called on the Department of Justice to investigate Operation Lone Star, citing concerns over civil rights violations and the reported suicides. In December 2021, the ACLU of Texas and other civil rights groups asked the DOJ to investigate the mission, which authorizes members of the National and state law enforcement agencies to detain or arrest migrants suspected of trespassing on private or state property. They cited alleged incidents of racial profiling and cases where migrants were lured onto private land so they could be arrested.
“What we found is that officials are targeting Black and brown migrants in arrests and are frequently luring them in situations in which they are unknowingly on private property without permission,” ACLU of Texas lawyer Kate Huddleston told ABC News in a previous interview. “In 70% of cases charges are being dropped but that’s only after people are spending weeks in jail.”
Abbott’s office pushed back against the criticism in a statement to ABC News.
“It comes as no surprise that Democrats who support President Biden’s reckless and dangerous open border policies disagree with Governor Abbott’s resolve to do the President’s job and actually try to secure the border,” said Nan Tolson, a spokesperson for Abbott. “Those legislators should listen to the complaints the Governor has heard during dozens of visits to border communities–complaints by constituents who are suffering the consequences of almost 2 million immigrants crossing the border illegally in the past 12 months.”
A mission that quickly expanded
Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021, dispatching Texas National Guard, Department of Public Safety officers and other state resources to control the rising number of immigrant crossings at the border.
In less than a year, the originally voluntary operation of about 500 National Guardsmen has escalated to a mandatory activation of over 10,000 troops.
Former enlisted senior adviser to the Texas National Guard, Sgt. Maj. Jason Featherston, said he believes four reported recent incidents of the unit’s soldiers dying by suicide, including one who served under his leadership a few years back, are directly tied to the rapid escalation and poor execution of the program.
“This should have been planned, this was just a knee-jerk reaction to get people out there and no one took into account the individual soldier and what their needs are,” Featherston said. “That’s a mistake because if you’re not taking care of the soldier he is going to be distracted and they’re not going to focus on the mission and that is what is happening now.”
Since he retired in November, Featherston has been advocating for guardsmen on the front lines of the mission. Soldiers he has spoken to have complained about a lack of cold weather gear and Individual First Aid Kits (IFAKS). Others have said that pay delays are putting a strain on their spouses who struggle to pay bills when they’re away on duty. Featherston says that military leaders have prioritized quick mobilization over the needs of each guardsman.
The Army Times was first to report on four suspected suicides of guardsmen who were serving or set to be deployed under Operation Lone Star.
ABC News has not been able to reach the families of the soldiers who died or confirm that all were connected to Operation Lone Star, but military documents describe the death of one soldier who was currently deployed under the operation as a “confirmed suicide.” Another soldier was found inside a vehicle with “an apparent gunshot wound to the head with his right hand still holding the firearm,” according to the documents.
Suicides draw concern
The military documents reviewed by ABC News show that one guardsman, Pfc. Joshua Cortez, submitted a hardship request to be relieved from duty. Cortez noted he had missed his first opportunity to get hired for a job when he was deployed on a previous mission, but was on his way to getting hired for this “lifetime job” at an insurance company.
He included additional documentation that indicated the company was moving forward with the hiring process and wanted to set up an interview.
His request was denied by two of three commanders who reviewed it, with one of them writing “Soldier can deploy. If offered a job then soldier can be given time for training.” The comment was dated on Nov. 4. Less than two days later, an incident report reviewed by ABC News showed Cortez shot himself in a parking lot.
The Texas Military Department, which has been collaborating with the Texas Department of Public Safety to deploy personnel and resources to the border has, cautioned against connecting the deaths to Operation Lone Star.
“There has been misleading and false information publicized without proper context or relevant information, irrespective of family sensitivity and desires,” Texas Military Department public affairs staff told ABC News in an email. “Two of the four service members publicized by media outlets were mobilized in support of Operation Lone Star. However, there is no evidence to support that their decisions were made as a result of Operation Lone Star… It would be irresponsible journalism at this point in time to tie these tragedies to Operation Lone Star, and to not respect the wishes of grieving family members.”
In late January, 50 Texas House Democrats signed a letter calling on the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to investigate and end Operation Lone Star. The letter said members of the Texas legislature had received an email from a soldier with concerns about the mission.
“Furthermore, on Dec. 24, 2021, Members of the Texas Legislature and of Congress received an anonymous email from a Soldier in the Texas Army expressing grave concerns with Operation Lone Star, including four reported deaths by suicide of Texas Guardsmen over the course of the operation,” lawmakers wrote.
“We should ignore the governor’s attempts to deflect responsibility for the deaths of Guardsmen whom he is using as political pawns and get to the bottom of the causes for these tragedies,” lawmakers wrote.
The DOJ declined to comment when asked by ABC News if they’ve responded to the calls for an investigation.
News of the suicides has shocked the military community. Some soldiers currently deployed under Operation Lone Star said the deaths should call attention to the stresses the mission is causing. One soldier told ABC News he knew one of the deceased members and acknowledged that while several factors often contribute to a suicide, being deployed at a moment’s notice is a major stressor.
“I do think that a lot of the stress is that they yanked people out from their lives,” he said.
Housing and pay concerns
One of the soldiers interviewed by ABC News said he was given less than a week to prepare for his deployment last fall, which he was told would last around 120 days. Once he arrived at his station, he was told his deployment would be extended to at least a year of mandatory service. Soldiers have been living for months in RVs that have been retrofitted to house several soldiers, raising concerns over COVID-19 exposure.
“This type of mission being in our backyards — you would think that you didn’t have to pack us like sardines, six to a trailer,” the soldier said.
Another soldier told ABC News, that although they’re used to living in different conditions when deployed, military leaders did not tell soldiers what to pack for. While some soldiers have been living in old hotels or rental homes, others have been sleeping in the RVs.
“They look like massive six-wheel trailers with slide outs that have two bathrooms and either between 12 and 20 beds,” he said. “So there was a lot of uncertainty — soldiers didn’t know where they were going to be living.”
In a statement titled “Setting the Record Straight on Operation Lone Star,” the Texas Military Department pushed back on what they called “inaccurate reports and social media posts” about issues related to living conditions and lack equipment.
“Our personnel are trained to operate and adapt in austere environments at home and abroad,” Col. Rita Holton, Texas Military Department’s public affairs officer said. “Commanders in the field have identified areas of improvement in regards to equipment and living conditions and are actively working with vendors and supply chains to execute those solutions.”
When soldiers leave their civilian lives behind, they also leave their jobs and rely on their National Guard salary. Yet some members of the National Guard ordered to the border have reported not receiving their paychecks on time or getting paid the wrong amounts during their deployment for this mission.
Another soldier ABC interviewed, said he has tried to help resolve some of the payroll issues lower-ranking soldiers have raised to him, but added that checks are still being sent to soldiers with the wrong amounts.
“I have multiple reports from my guys having pay issues and not being paid on time. Some of them are getting direct deposits and some of them are getting checks that are incorrect,” he said. “I have a single soldier who is making more than soldiers with dependents. Yeah, it’s just a pay fiasco.”
According to the statement released by the Texas Military Department, a new pay system for state active-duty missions was installed after the agency found issues with the former pay system following Hurricane Harvey. The agency said it was identifying and addressing gaps within the new system.
Every soldier ABC News spoke to said they did not feel they were being properly trained to help detain or arrest migrants.
“What are we out here for?” asked the guardsman who was dispatched to the border with less than a week to prepare. “There’s a whole bunch of better resources you could have used the money for instead of just throwing us out on these ranch roads just sitting there.”
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also reach the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.
(NEW YORK) — The monster winter storm that dumped more than 1 foot of snow as well as ice from Missouri to the Northeast and freezing temperatures to Texas is making its exit.
As the storm exists the Northeast, it eaves behind harsh dry and bitter cold conditions Saturday, ranging from the northern Plains to New England, and into coastal Texas.
Texas will see the worst of the cold , with wind chill advisories and hard freeze warnings across the state.
California, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota also have wind chill alerts in place.
Wind chills in Minneapolis are at a low of 25 degrees below zero on Saturday morning.
Wind chills are as low as 9 degrees in Santa Fe, New Mexico, 7 degrees in New York and 22 degrees in Houston.
The Arctic blast will last into Sunday morning with wind chills from Houston to Augusta, Maine, remaining below 31 degrees.
Southern and coastal Texas will experience wind chills of 15 to 20 degrees, making for the coldest air mass in Texas this year.
Less severe weather and rain are expected on Saturday.
In central Montana, active Santa Ana winds at a 70 mph on Saturday may create some localized travel concerns along the Rocky Mountain front.
There are high wind warnings in north to central Montana, inducing the Great Falls, with gusts reaching near 75 mph — at hurricane-level strength.
The Santa Ana winds are also gusting to up to 60 mph in Los Angeles County and 55 mph in Ventura County, California.
In Florida, seasonal warmth will stay south of Gainesville.
Johnsburg, New York got the largest amount of snow over Thursday and Friday, with 17.8 inches.
Friday into Saturday, 17 inches of snow fell on the slopes in Killington, Vermont.
Temperatures in the Northeast will swing to seasonal and warmer on Tuesday, while the mid-Atlantic states will warm up Sunday.
(BLACKSBURG, Va.) — One person was killed and four others were injured at a shooting in Blacksburg, Virginia, near Virginia Tech on Friday, according to Blacksburg Police.
Police responded to reports of shots fired at the Melody Hookah Lounge in downtown Blacksburg at 11:53 p.m. on Friday, police said in a statement, and found five injured people.
They were all taken to local hospitals where one died, police said. Conditions of the remaining four are currently unknown, according to police.
“This incident continues to be a complex, ongoing case that has shifted to a homicide investigation,” Blacksburg police said in a statement.
One of the injured was a Virginia Tech student, Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said in a letter to members of the university community.
“Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased and we extend our support to those who were injured,” Sands said.
The names of the victims have not been released.
Virginia Tech did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
(WASHINGTON) — A new bill proposed this week would develop a federal alert system for active shooter situations, which have increased by over 1200% between 2000 and 2020.
The FBI defines an active shooter as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.” Though they account for a small percentage of gun deaths, 333 active shooter incidents in the United States resulted in 2,851 deaths between 2000 and 2019, according to an FBI report released last year.
On Tuesday alone, there were active shooter incidents at Bridgewater College in Virginia, where two officers were killed, and at South Education Center in Minnesota, where one student was killed and another was left in critical condition.
A bill proposed in the House the same day would help sound the alarm when such incidents occur so that people nearby an active shooter incident would be sent up-to-date information on their phones.
Reps. David Cicilline, D-R.I., and Fred Upton, R-Mich., proposed the bill, which aims to improve law enforcement officers’ ability to quickly disseminate information during active shooter situations. The AMBER Alert system, which this bill is modeled after, is a public alert triggered when a child is endangered or abducted.
The mechanics of the alert system are not spelled out in the legislation, but a coordinator from the Department of Justice would be responsible for determining best practices.
“It’s really about protecting law enforcement, protecting communities from gun violence, making sure that people have accurate and instantaneous information when there’s an active shooting to save lives,” Cicilline told ABC News.
Similar alert systems like the one proposed in the bill have been established in Michigan, Rhode Island and Texas, but the new legislation would provide a more uniform, national approach.
While several attempts at federal gun control legislation have been stalled in the Senate due to Republican opposition in recent years, this bill — which doesn’t directly impact gun ownership — was brought to the House floor by the bipartisan duo optimistic about garnering similar support in the Senate.
“I think it’s fair to say that when we pass this bill out of the House, there will be significant bipartisan support. We have been in discussions with both Democrats and Republicans,” Cicilline said.
Upton was one of eight House Republicans who voted in favor of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 that would require a background check for all firearm purchases. Despite passing in the House on March 11, 2021, the bill has yet to receive a vote in the Senate, where it’s unlikely to garner the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.
The Active Shooter Alert Act focuses on reducing harm during a shooting event instead of aiming to prevent the active shooter from acquiring a gun in the first place.
“Look, to the extent that anyone thinks that this bill alone is going to do all that we need to do to reduce gun violence in this country, of course, that’s not true,” Cicilline said.
In fact, mass shootings, which can include active shooter situations, represented a mere 1% of all of the 191,897 gun deaths that occurred from 2015 to 2019, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that identifies mass shootings as cases in which four or more people are shot and tracks them through public data, news reports and other sources. They also accounted for only 2.8% of the 74,565 gun homicides during that same five-year period.
The bill is on pace to be up for a vote in the House during Police Week, which runs from May 15 through May 21, according to the bill’s sponsors.
ABC News’ Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.
(MINNEAPOLIS) — The parents of Amir Locke spoke out at a press conference Friday alongside civil rights attorneys Ben Crump, Jeff Storms and Antonio Romanucci following the killing of the 22-year-old earlier this week.
Locke was fatally shot by Minneapolis police officers in an apartment early Wednesday morning. Body camera footage released on Thursday shows officers executing a “no-knock” search warrant before coming across Locke, who had been sleeping under a blanket on the couch. He is seen holding a gun as he begins to sit up, still covered with the blanket, before he is shot less than 10 seconds after officers entered the room.
Locke was not named in the “no-knock” warrant, Crump said at the press conference. The warrant was being executed on behalf of St. Paul police, who were searching for a homicide suspect.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has ruled Locke’s death a homicide.
“My son Amir was a law-abiding citizen who did not have a criminal history,” his father, Andre Locke, said at the press conference. “My son Amir was loved by many of us, by our family and many people, everyone that he came in touch with. My son Amir did what was right. He did all the things that he was supposed to do.”
Locke’s parents became emotional discussing their son’s killing, saying that he was a good kid working in the music industry and an entrepreneur who wanted to help the youth.
His mother, Karen Wells, said she struggled to watch the body camera footage.
“I could not watch it,” she said. “But when I finally was able to see parts of that video when they released it yesterday — a mother should never have to see her child executed in that type of manner.”
The officer who shot and killed Locke was identified by police as Mark Hanneman. In accordance with policy, he’s been place on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation into the incident.
Crump, who is representing the Locke family with Storms and Romanucci, said that he was “shocked,” as he reflected on Locke’s death. According to MinnPost, Minneapolis announced that it had changed its policy on “no-knock” search warrants and restricted their use after Breonna Taylor was killed in a similar situation in 2020. Minneapolis was one of several cities to make the change.
Minneapolis police still use “no-knock” search warrants in limited cases. Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Amelia Huffman said at a Thursday press conference that “both a no-knock and a knock search warrant were obtained … so that the SWAT team could assess the circumstances and make the best possible decision.”
“If we learned anything from Breonna Taylor, it is that ‘no-knock’ warrants have deadly consequences for innocent, law-abiding Black citizens,” Crump said.
“We have a city that just refuses to learn,” Storms added, referring to George Floyd’s 2020 murder in Minneapolis and David Smith’s 10 years earlier.
Romanucci said that Locke was “doomed to die,” because of the way that the police department carried out the raid.
“Had they announced who they were and why they were there, this tragedy could have been averted,” he said at the press conference. “But because they executed in the manner in which they did, Amir was doomed to die.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey issued a moratorium on “no knock” warrants late Friday.
“No matter what information comes to light, it won’t change the fact that Amir Locke’s life was cut short,” Frey said in a statement. “To ensure safety of both the public and officers until a new policy is crafted, I’m issuing a moratorium on both the request and execution of such warrants in Minneapolis.”
Locke’s family said at the press conference that he had a license to carry the gun in his possession on Wednesday, though this has not been confirmed by ABC News. His father also said he was mentored by relatives who had a background in law enforcement.
The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus issued a statement on Friday addressing the shooting, saying that it was “completely avoidable.”
“Black men, like all citizens, have a right to keep and bear arms. Black men, like all citizens, have the right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable search and seizure,” said Chair Bryan Strawser. The organization called for an independent investigation into the circumstances around Locke’s death.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison will work with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office to review Locke’s death, the office said in a press release Friday.
Locke’s parents are committed to getting justice for their son.
“As his mother, I will make sure that as long as I’m on this side of this world, I’m going to fight every day, throughout the day, 365 days, to make sure that Amir Rahkare Locke gets justice for being executed by the MPD,” Wells said.
“We know that we are not going to let them sweep Amir’s death under the rug, as they attempted to initially. His family, led by his mother and father, are gonna fight to say that Amir Locke’s life matters,” Crump added.
The Minneapolis Police Department declined to provide comment.
ABC News’ Miles Cohen and Whitney Lloyd contributed to this report
