(HOUSTON) — A 23-second running gun battle in which 30 to 50 shots were fired during a teen’s birthday party at a rented Airbnb house in a suburb of Houston left one person wounded and police searching for suspects, authorities said.
Ring doorbell camera footage from a home near the party house was obtained by ABC station KTRK in Houston and captured the chaotic scene of multiple people running down a residential street and diving behind parked cars for cover as the gun violence unfolded.
“There were so many shots, I just can’t believe more weren’t wounded, killed, more damage,” a woman who lives near the Airbnb rental and witnessed the incident after arriving home with her daughter told KTRK. “You know it could have been so much worse.”
Investigator Robert Gonzales of the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting happened Saturday night in Manville, about 24 miles south of Houston. He said one teenager was shot in the foot.
Gonzales said the shooting erupted when a fight broke at a 16th birthday party that was being held at the rented Airbnb house.
No arrests were reported as of Tuesday morning.
“We’re attempting to locate and get more information from the public,” Gonzales said.
Authorities said at least three guns were involved in the shooting, which left numerous cars in the neighborhood pocked with bullet holes and at least one window of a neighboring home shattered.
Airbnb said in a statement that it has removed the home from its website and suspended the person who rented it pending its own investigation.
“Airbnb bans parties, and we condemn this senseless gun violence,” the company said in its statement. “We have reached out to the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office and stand ready to support their investigation. We take party house issues seriously and support fair regulations that balance anti-party measures while empowering our local Host community to continue earning meaningful additional income.”
The Texas shooting happened on the same day as another shooting at an Airbnb rental house in the Sacramento, Calif., suburb of Elk Grove left an 18-year-old man dead, according to the Elk Grove Police Department. No arrests have been made.
A preliminary investigation found that the Airbnb rental was being used for a party at the time of the fatal shooting in Elk Grove, police said in a statement. Detectives suspect there were 10 to 15 people at the house party but most were gone when officers arrived and found the victim inside the house, according to the statement.
The book, titled Inside No 3: A History on the Products and Memorabilia from Apple Records 1968-73, features images of albums and singles released on the label, as well as promo photos of the artists who recorded for Apple, and pics of posters, t-shirts, stationary, correspondence and much more.
In addition to many Beatles-related photos, Inside No 3 features pics of albums, singles and/or promotional materials from George Harrison, Plastic Ono Band, Yoko Ono, Badfinger, James Taylor, Billy Preston, Ravi Shankar, Mary Hopkin, Ronnie Spector, Delaney & Bonnie, Phil Spector and many others.
The book was written by Nigel Pearce and focuses on the collection of Apple Records memorabilia he has amassed over the years.
The title Inside No 3 refers to the address of Apple Records headquarters, located at No 3 Savile Row in London. Four different versions of the book will be available, including a special collector’s edition limited to only 100 copies that features a signed and numbered hardback copy packaged with replica memorabilia.
The other versions are signed and unsigned hardback copies, and an unsigned softcover edition.
“When you open this beautiful book, you will enter a world that millions of people never knew existed. It’s a world of colour, innovation, revolution, coupled with a completely fresh and different mode of marketing from Apple Records, the label owned by The Beatles,” Pearce writes. “No 3 Savile Row is where it all happened in a way beyond belief operation that still inspires artists from all walks and ages of music and life.”
(NEW YORK) — A gunman donned a gas mask, detonated a smoke canister and opened fire on a New York City subway train Tuesday morning, shooting 10 people and sparking panic during the rush-hour commute.
Twenty-nine victims went to Brooklyn hospitals with various injuries. Five people were critically injured and have since stabilized, according to a fire department official.
Police described the gunman, who is still on the run, as an “active shooter.” The bloodshed comes amid a surge in crime on New York City’s transit system.
The shooting, reported just before 8:30 a.m. local time, erupted on a Manhattan-bound N subway car as it approached the 36th Street subway station in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a news conference.
According to a police official, the suspect was seen mumbling to himself before he put on the gas mask, released a smoke canister commonly bought online and opened fire with a .380 caliber handgun.
A credit card was also recovered from the scene and investigators said the card was used to rent a U-Haul, according to a police source. Police located the vehicle in Gravesend, Brooklyn, on Tuesday afternoon, roughly five miles southeast of the subway station and were investigating to determine if it has any connection to the suspect, the source said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams told New York station WABC that police are working to get as much evidence and clues from the vehicle as they can.
“We want to make sure that all of the evidence that is gathered is going to assist us in apprehending this person. We must make sure that we have it protected correctly so that we can convict this person for,” he said.
There were no working cameras in the 36th Street station, according to a police official. The cameras, which are aimed at the turnstiles, didn’t transmit in real-time due to a glitch computer malfunction, a source said. The same glitch impacted cameras at the stops before and after 36th Street.
But police were able to get an image of the suspect from a bystander’s cellphone video, a law enforcement official told ABC News.
In the subway station, police found a handgun with three extended round magazines: one on the shooter’s backpack, one empty on the floor and one in the gun jammed, the law enforcement official said. The gun jamming is believed to have saved lives, the official said.
Yav Montano, 24, was on the train when he said the whole car filled with smoke.
“It was hard to breathe, it was hard to see. It was hard to hear or pay attention to what was going on with the chaos that was happening,” he said.
“I didn’t see anything because the smoke in the train was so thick. I couldn’t even see halfway down the length of the train car,” he added.
“After the smoke went on there was a bunch of popping, which I thought at first was firecrackers,” he went on. “I ducked behind a chair to protect myself.”
From a crouching position on the floor, Montano said, “I saw a lot of blood on the floor. Too much blood.”
Montano said the doors opened at 36th Street about three to four minutes later. “As soon as the doors opened, everyone started to pour out and run,” he recalled.
Multiple smoke devices and a bag of commercial-grade fireworks have been recovered, according to a law enforcement official.
Sewell said there are no known explosives on subways and a motive is still unknown.
After initially saying the shooting was not being investigated as an act of terrorism, Sewell later said police are “not ruling anything out.”
Sewell described the suspect as a man wearing a green construction-type vest and a gray-hooded sweatshirt. The suspect has a “heavy build” and is believed to be about 5 feet 5 inches tall, Sewell said.
A man who works in a bodega outside the subway told ABC New York station WABC about 10 to 15 people ran to his store for safety.
“It was horrifying,” he said.
“I saw three or four people with gunshot wounds to their legs. They just fell to floor before the cops came…They just stayed here for a couple of minutes before the coast was clear,” he said. “Everyone was terrified, I was terrified.”
Victims range in age from 17 to 50, according to a police official.
A senior federal law enforcement source told ABC News authorities are concerned this shooting showed a level of planning and commitment to kill scores of commuters during rush hour. The source said it is too early to know if the suspect acted alone.
President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have been briefed on the situation, the White House said.
President Joe Biden said Tuesday afternoon that he’s “praying for those that are injured and all those touched by that trauma.”
“And we’re grateful for all the first responders … including civilians, who didn’t hesitate to help their fellow passengers,” Biden said.
“We’re gonna continue to stay in close contact with New York authorities as we learn more about the situation,” he said.
The FBI is assisting and officials from the ATF are at the scene. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was also at the scene for an afternoon news conference.
Anyone with information, video or photos is urged to call 800-577-TIPS.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Pierre Thomas, Mark Crudele, Miles Cohen and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
–It’s been almost two years since the hit show P-Valley debuted on Starz and after the cast revealed news of the series’ return in a “top secret” Instagram announcement, fans were more than excited to soon tune in for more drama at The Pynk.
“I can only imagine how much you’ve missed this. I know I have,” says Autumn, who’s portrayed by Elarica Johnson, at the beginning of the trailer.
The sizzling 50-second reel shows off a “whole new Pynk,” highlighting the show’s cast — Nicco Annan, Shannon Thornton, Brandee Evans, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Tyler Lepley and others.
Images of the upcoming season were shared to the series’ official Instagram, along with caption, “Ya best keep your eyes open, cause we comin’ June 3.”
—Trevor Noah returned his The Daily Show with Trevor Noah studio in Manhattan on Monday for the first time in over two years.
According to Variety, Noah interacted with a vaccinated crowd who wore masks and celebrated the TV host’s return by asking him questions on any topic of their choosing.
“Oh man, I’ve missed you guys,” Noah said during his opening monologue. “And I’m so sorry that we were separated for two years. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have left that Tupperware open in Wuhan. My bad, guys. The important part is, we’re all here together again…”
During Monday’s show he spoke about Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson‘s historic confirmation and Will Smith being banned from the Academy Awards.
The fest announced its lineup on Tuesday, which includes Megan Thee Stallion, Lauren Hill and D-Nice and will take place at the Pimlico Race Course on May 20.
Evgen Kotenko/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — The Pentagon has been providing daily updates on the U.S. assessment of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Ukraine’s efforts to fight back.
Here are highlights of what a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Tuesday on Day 48:
Russia could use riot control agents to mask chemical weapons
A defense official said the U.S. cannot confirm whether Russia has used any chemical weapons in Mariupol or elsewhere in Ukraine, but the Defense Department has seen evidence Russia could consider disguising use of chemical weapons by making them look like more benign riot-control agents.
“In the past we’ve had indications that that could be one thing that the Russians look at, is the potential mixing of agents with the with the idea that they could disguise a more serious attack by using the vehicle and the techniques of riot control agents,” the official said.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby put out a similar statement Monday night addressing social media reports claiming Russia used a chemical weapon in Mariupol.
“These reports, if true, are deeply concerning and reflective of concerns that we have had about Russia’s potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine.”
Kirby, like the official on Tuesday, emphasized the U.S. cannot confirm the allegations.
On Tuesday, Kirby told reporters the U.S. is looking into the matter.
“We’re obviously taking it seriously and we’re monitoring it,” Kirby said. “We’re trying to do the best we can to figure out what, if anything, happened.”
Russian convoy creeping south
The Russian convoy approaching Izuim is still roughly 40 miles to the north of the key Ukrainian city, according to the official.
“We do assess that it’s moving, but not at breakneck speed,” the official said.
While the Pentagon doesn’t have a pristine view of what capabilities make up the convoy, it seems to be support-heavy.
“It includes some command and control elements, some enablers, and we think it’s also intended for resupply, perhaps an effort to amend their poor performance in logistics and sustainment in the north,” the official said.
Heavy fighting continues to the south of Izuim, with Russian forces about 12 miles from the city.
Mariupol stands
While Russian forces have devastated the coastal city of Mariupol with long-range strikes and have cut off essential supplies to the populace, Ukrainians continue to defend it.
“You’ve seen the devastation that Russian airstrikes have wrought on Mariupol in the city, but our assessment is that the Ukrainians are are still fighting for it,” Kirby said.
Mariupol is strategically important for both the Ukrainians and Russians.
“It’s obvious that the Russians want Mariupol because of its strategic location there at the south of that Donbas area and right on the Sea of Azov,” Kirby said. “It’s a major, important city… it would provide them unfettered and unhindered land access between the Donbas and Crimea.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine has its own clear incentives to keep Mariupol.
“It also has great significance to the Ukrainian people because of what it represents to their economic life, because it is their city and it’s part of their country,” Kirby said. “They haven’t given up on it, and we’re not giving up on them, either.”
Military aid for Ukraine
The $800 million military aid package for Ukraine authorized by President Joe Biden last month has mostly been delivered, and will be completed in the coming days, according to the official.
“Yesterday, two U.S. flights arrived in the region with everything from small-arms ammunition, machine guns, body armor, grenades and other explosives,” the official said.
So far, the U.S. has sent 19 out of an expected 20 flights needed to deliver the $800 million package.
While U.S. officials have said Russia has not hit support shipments coming over the border, there is an effort more broadly to disrupt Ukrainian forces’ ability to resupply themselves.
“They certainly have shown an interest in trying to hit logistics and sustainment for the Ukrainians, and they have certainly tried to go after Ukrainian air defense as well,” the official said.
Better Call Saul lead and Nobody star Bob Odenkirk will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday.
The comic, writer and star of AMC’s Breaking Bad and its spin-off will receive the 2,720th star on the same day Better Call Saul‘s sixth and final season begins on AMC.
For fans of both shows, some more good news if you ever want to visit: Odenkirk’s star, located at 1725 Vine Street, in front of the Aster Hotel, will be next to that of his friend and former Breaking Bad co-star Bryan Cranston.
It was recently revealed that Cranston’s Walter White, as well as fellow Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman, would make an appearance on the final season of Odenkirk’s prequel spin-off.
(NEW YORK) — President Joe Biden addressed the New York City subway system shooting that left at least 29 injured on Tuesday while he was in Iowa as federal authorities in Washington assist New York officials in an intense manhunt for the suspect.
“To start, I’d like to say a few words about the mass shooting in New York City subway this morning, you all read and heard about,” Biden began, before delivering remarks on easing gas prices. “Jill and I and my wife Jill and I are praying for those who are injured and all those touched by that trauma, and we’re grateful for all the first responders who jumped into action, including civilians — civilians who didn’t hesitate to help their fellow passengers and try to shield them.”
“We’re going to continue to stay in close contact with New York authorities and as we learn more about the situation over the coming hours and days,” he said. “We’re not letting up on it until we find out, and we find the perpetrator,” he said.
Biden was briefed on the shooting earlier, White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted, before he departed for Iowa. Senior White House staff are also in contact with New York City Mayor Adams and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell as the situation unfolds, she said, and Biden reiterated.
En route to Des Moines, Psaki told reporters on Air Force One that she spoke with Biden aboard the plane about the ongoing situation and said the president reiterated a commitment to provide assistance to local leaders on the ground as the investigation continues.
“Anything they need, anything they want. We are here to help them and provide that to them,” Psaki said.
She said Biden and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have not yet had a phone call Tuesday.
The still at-large suspect — who police said was wearing a green vest and a hooded gray sweatshirt — is believed to have opened fire inside at least one subway station during morning rush hour traffic. There are at least three active crime scenes in Brooklyn. Authorities said at an earlier press conference that the lone gunman put on a gas mask, deployed a smoke canister, and when the subway car filled with smoke, opened fire inside the car and on the platform.
Among those injured, according to the FDNY, 10 were shot. Five people are in critical but stable condition.
The NYPD has put out a citywide alert for a UHAUL vehicle and shared a description of the suspect with federal authorities. The shooter’s motive remains unclear, police said.
Vice President Kamala Harris has received regular updates on the shooting, according to a White House official. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have also been briefed.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York tweeted that he is “closely monitoring” the unfolding situation in what he called “our beloved Brooklyn.”
“I’m grateful for the quick action of our first responders,” he said. “To everyone in New York: Stay safe.”
The shooting sparking panic across New York City comes as Adams has vowed to combat gun violence as mayor amid a recent surge in crime.
ABC News’ Aaron Katersky, Josh Margolin, Alexander Mallin and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.
(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Health officials are warning Florida residents about a “large” outbreak of a potentially fatal bacterial illness known as meningococcal disease that’s primarily affecting gay and bisexual men.
So far this year, there have been 21 confirmed cases of meningococcal disease as of Monday, according to Florida Department of Health data. That’s higher than the state’s five-year average of cases of the disease.
“[Florida Department of Health] epidemiologists are investigating each case as well as contacting people with potential or direct exposure to known cases to provide them with information and treatment options,” the department said in a statement.
Most of the cases are in central Florida, and more than half are in people between the ages of 20 and 39, according to state health department data.
The “large, ongoing” outbreak is primarily among men who have sex with men, including those living with HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC recently issued an alert on the outbreak, urging gay and bisexual men and men who have sex with men who live in Florida or who plan to travel to the state to get vaccinated against the disease. The outbreak is primarily among residents, though it has affected some people who have traveled to Florida, the CDC said.
There also have been cases of meningococcal disease reported among Florida college students in recent months, though “there is no evidence to suggest that the cases among college students are related to the larger outbreak,” the CDC said.
Meningococcal disease is a rare but serious disease that is primarily spread by close or direct contact, such as kissing. Symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, confusion and rash.
Meningococcal disease can commonly lead to two potentially fatal infections: meningitis — when the lining of the brain and spinal cord become infected — and bloodstream infection.
Those who contract the disease could suffer from hearing loss, brain damage, kidney damage, loss of limbs or nervous system problems.
“Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect against meningococcal disease,” the Florida Department of Health said.
Florida health officials are encouraging men who have sex with men, people living with HIV, immunocompromised individuals and college students to get vaccinated against the disease amid the outbreak. Anyone in those groups who more than five years ago received their MenACWY vaccine — one of two types of meningococcal vaccines available in the U.S. — is also encouraged to get vaccinated.
People planning to travel to Florida should get vaccinated at least two weeks before traveling, the CDC advised.
College students may choose to get a MenB vaccine, which is available for those between the ages of 16 and 23, to protect against meningococcal disease, the CDC said.
(NOTE LANGUAGE)Omari Hardwick flexed his abs, as well as his past and future TV projects and many other topics, as the cover star of L’Officiel’s Fashion Book.
The Power star chatted with the French magazine about his “exhilarating experience” on Army of the Dead, working on the upcoming film The Mother, and his time as a poet and musical artist.
“It was dope when I go back into music because when I was in South Central, back in the day living, $5, paying rent, trying to make ends meet, there were people that were saying, ‘Man, you should really pursue this music thing,'” he said. “They would try to call me a rapper, and I was like, ‘No, I’m a poet,” and I was real big on that.'”
On playing the character Ghost on the hit Starz show Power, Omari says he jumped at the opportunity to join the project after learning a Black woman, Courtney Kemp, was behind the creation.
“He [Hardwick’s manager] called back and he said, ‘It is a woman. It’s a Black woman.’ I said, ‘A Black woman created this show and I don’t know her?’ He said, ‘Yes, you want to meet with her?’ I said, ‘F****** absolutely.'”
The cover photo and many of the images that follow, show off Hardwick’s cut physique, one that he says wasn’t always easy to attain. And when asked what advice he’d give to his younger self, Hardwick said he’d tell himself to slow down, because “it takes a minute to really figure out.”
(NEW YORK) — Cases of several sexually transmitted diseases continued to increase during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new federal report.
Published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuesday, the report found STD cases fell during the early months of 2020 but resurged later in the year.
Overall, 2.4 million STD cases were reported in the U.S. in 2020, a slight decrease from the 2.5 million cases reported in 2019.
However, the decreases observed in early 2020 may have been a result of significant reductions in screening and reporting associated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC noted.
“Many jurisdictions reported critical effects on staffing and testing and treatment supplies, straining an already crumbling public health infrastructure,” the agency wrote in the report, meaning “COVID-19 significantly affected STD surveillance and prevention efforts.”
Specifically, cases of gonorrhea, syphilis and congenital syphilis were higher than levels seen in 2019 despite lockdowns, stay-at-home orders and school closures.
Cases of chlamydia — which represent about two-thirds of total STD cases — were lower in 2020.
“There were moments in 2020 when it felt like the world was standing still, but STDs weren’t,” Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, said in a statement. “The unrelenting momentum of the STD epidemic continued even as STD prevention services were disrupted.”
In terms of specific diseases, the report found cases of gonorrhea were up 10% in 2020, from about 616,000 to more than 677,000. Additionally, cases of syphilis increased 7% from nearly 39,000 to more than 41,000.
Cases of congenital syphilis, which occurs when a mother passes on the disease to her baby during pregnancy, spiked 15% from about 1,900 in 2019 to more than 2,100. This occurred in the broader context of what the CDC has called a “resurgence” in congenital syphilis with annual case counts skyrocketing 235% since 2016.
The CDC said these increases are particularly “worrisome” because congenital syphilis — which is easily preventable with screening and treatment — has serious risks including life-long physical and mental health risks for babies, miscarriage and stillbirth.
Because congenital syphilis occurs in communities of color at rates several times higher than among whites, officials fear the rises in the disease spreading from mother to child will perpetuate health disparities.
“This … highlights the nation’s failure to provide sufficient, quality sexual health care for everyone who needs it,” Dr. Leandro Mena, director of CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, said during a media telebriefing Tuesday.
On its face, the one silver lining of the report found chlamydia cases decreased 13%, to about 1.6 million from 1.8 million.
However, the CDC cautioned that, because the disease is typically asymptomatic, these decreases were more likely due to screening shortfalls than to drops in infections.
During the telebriefing, the agency elaborated on some of the causes of the shortcomings in screening.
Mermin said “STD program resources were heavily diverted to address COVID-19” — including shunting of contact tracing staff. Half of programs discontinued STD prevention field work during most of 2020.
Additionally, Mena said more than half of the programs reported shortages in testing and treatment supplies during the pandemic.
The report also addressed which groups saw the highest rates of STDs.
Half of all STDs reported in the U.S. in 2020 were among 15-to-24-year-olds.
STD rates were also higher across the board among certain racial and ethnic groups – including Black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaskan Native – compared to white and Asian Americans.
Gay and bisexual men were also disproportionately affected — particularly by syphilis — than other groups.
Rates in certain regions also soared far above the national average. For example, in Mississippi, rates of chlamydia were 167% higher than the national average, and rates of gonorrhea were 224% higher.
Similar patterns were seen in other states throughout the South, including Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.
If the country fails to “rebuild, innovate, and expand” STD prevention resources in the coming years, Mermin said he expects STD rates will continue to rise.
“STDs are not patiently waiting for the pandemic to end, and neither can we,” the agency wrote in its report.
