(MINNEAPOLIS) -- A man who allegedly shot and killed two residents and wounded several other people, including police officers, at his Minneapolis apartment building opened fire on the victims following a custody exchange, authorities said.

The suspect -- who was armed with a handgun -- is dead and an autopsy is underway, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said at a news conference Thursday. His cause and manner of death are not clear but investigators believe he "died in an exchange of gunfire" with officers, Evans said.

Wednesday afternoon's shooting began outside the suspect's apartment building during what appeared to be an arranged custody exchange, Evans said. The gunman allegedly shot and wounded his child's mother, Evans said, adding that the child was able to escape and was not physically harmed.

As the gunman went inside the apartment building, he shot and wounded two building employees, Evans said.

The suspect then took the elevator to ninth floor -- where his apartment was -- and he allegedly shot and killed two men in their 60s who also lived in the building, Evans said.

Responding officers heard the gunfire and followed the sound to the ninth floor, where they encountered the suspect and exchanged gunfire, Evans said.

The suspect died and two officers were shot and injured, Evans said, noting that a third officer was not shot but also wounded.

When officers arrived on the ninth floor they "encountered a haze that significantly limited their visibility," Minneapolis Police Department spokesperson Garrett Parten said Wednesday.

Four officers "experienced adverse effects" from the hazy unknown substance, police said, and two additional officers were injured when their squad car was involved in a crash while responding to the shooting.

A motive is not clear, interim Minneapolis Police Chief Bill Peterson said Wednesday. Law enforcement sources told ABC News investigators are probing whether the suspect had some connection to the building, including whether he was a former or current tenant and whether he was under an eviction notice.

Asked about the potential eviction notice, Evans told reporters Thursday, "That will all be part of our investigation."

"The residents that were shot and killed on the ninth floor, the exact relationship he had with any of them, and whether or not they were a part of some of the information that was leading up to the eviction process that was underway by the building, is something that we will unpack, and I don't have specifics right now," Evans said.

Evans added, "This is once again a situation where domestic violence is center and central to a really terrible situation with multiple people shot. And the role that domestic violence continues to play in mass casualty incidents ... continues to be a problem."

ABC News' Luke Barr and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) -- A Colorado judge ordered that Barry Morphew be confined to his home after the murder suspect was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run incident while out on $3 million bond, according to the judge's order.

Morphew is set to go on trial next year after being indicted on first-degree murder over the death of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, whose body was found more than three years after the mother of two was reported missing. He pleaded not guilty and has denied any involvement in her death.

In her order issued Wednesday, District Court Judge Amanda Hopkins said that earlier that day, a "concerned citizen" alerted her that Morphew was involved in a hit-and-run accident in Denver on Aug. 26, in which he is alleged to have been "driving aggressively prior to striking two vehicles."

One of the drivers filmed her encounter, according to the filing, which cited a CBS News Colorado report on the incident that included some of the footage.

In the video, a "person who is very clearly" Morphew "refused to provide his name or identification," the judge stated. He then offered to pay the driver $300 for the damage and is seen buffing scratches on her vehicle with his shirt and hand, according to the filing.

The truck involved in the incident had the same Indiana license plate that Morphew is "alleged to have used on more than one vehicle," according to a motion the prosecution filed in his murder case, the judge said.

"When the other driver refused the Defendant's offer of cash and indicates that she was calling the police, the Defendant leaves the scene, almost striking another individual and driving over a curb to do so," the judge stated.

Hopkins ordered Morphew's GPS provider to submit its monthly report and provide her with all information related to permissions he may have had to be away from his home at the time of the incident, though the judge said the provider did not comply. Prior reports have shown no violations of Morphew's conditions of release, the judge said.

The terms of that release included that Morphew only leave his home for medical appointments or emergencies, work, meetings with his legal team and court, and that he not commit any felony offenses, the judge said.

In the order issued Wednesday, the judge said Morphew must now remain in his home at all times, "no exceptions."

"If the Defendant has a medical emergency during that time, he can call 911 and be transported by ambulance," Hopkins stated.

She said a hearing will be set for next week to discuss his bond.

The judge noted that while there "may potentially be felonious conduct implicated by the actions of the Defendant during the traffic incident," Morphew has not been charged in the incident by the local jurisdiction.

Following the judge's order, prosecutors filed a motion to modify Morphew's bond conditions, including that he no longer be given exceptions from his house arrest and that the financial conditions of his bond be increased, "given the increased flight risk demonstrated by his behavior in the hit and run incident."

"His driving in this case appears to put others at risk, and were he to flee in the present case, that is a new consideration for the Court as it pertains to community safety," prosecutors stated. "The fact that the driving appears to be in direct response to impending police involvement indicates a willingness to flee police specifically."

ABC News has reached out to Morphew's attorneys for comment on the order but has not yet received a response.

Morphew is set to go on trial for murder in July 2027.

His wife was reported missing on Mother's Day in May 2020. Her remains were found in September 2023 while investigators were searching in an unrelated case. Her death was subsequently ruled a homicide.

Her death was determined to have been caused by homicide "by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication," according to the autopsy.

Morphew had previously been charged with his wife's presumed murder in 2021, but those charges were dropped in April 2022, just before the trial was supposed to begin.

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(NEW YORK) -- Three Pennsylvania youth football coaches were charged Thursday, days after they were part of a massive brawl caught on video during the final minutes of a game, police said.

The clash took place during the final minutes of Saturday's game between Carlynton and Keystone Oaks, who were made up of 8 and 9-year-old players, in Carnegie, a Pittsburgh suburb. Carlynton coach DeQuay Canton, 24, was seen screaming at the sideline of the opposing team and then confronted one of their coaches, Frank McGrath, 37, the criminal complaint said.

Although referees tried to separate them, the fight escalated as more Keystone Oaks coaches came onto the field and fought with the Canton, according to the criminal complaint.

At one point during the fight, another Keystone Oaks coach, Joseph Kobiak, 35, and the Canton were seen throwing a punch at the other's head as bystanders looked on and called to watch the kids, according to the video and the criminal complaint.

On Thursday, the Carnegie Police Department charged Canton with disorderly conduct and harassment. The police allege he threw punches "which would have caused substantial harm and most definitely caused serious inconvenience."

Police also charged McGrath and Kobiak by summons with disorderly conduct and harassment for participating in the fight.

The investigation is ongoing. Attorney information for the coaches wasn't immediately available.

Steel City Youth Football League, which organized the game, said in a statement Monday that it suspended two coaches involved in the fight indefinitely.

The two teams independently suspended five additional members involved in the clash, according to the league.

"League officials are reviewing video footage, referee reports, and witness statements. The scope of this inquiry is not limited to the ejected individuals; the investigation may expand to include additional personnel, coaches, or spectators found to be involved," Steel City Youth Football League said in a statement.

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(NEW YORK) -- After 30 hours of deliberations spanning five days, the jury in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy has still not reached a verdict.

The extensive deliberations followed weeks of testimony concerning whether or not Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she strangled her children and attempted to take her own life in January 2023 and whether she should be held criminally liable for the killings.

On Wednesday afternoon, after the jury reported they were at an impasse for a second time in as many days, Judge William Sullivan read the jury a Tuey-Rodriguez instruction, encouraging them to continue working together toward a verdict.

The Tuey-Rodriguez instruction urges jurors to remember it is their "duty to decide this case if you can do so conscientiously," reminding them "there is no reason to suppose that the case will ever be submitted to six persons who are more intelligent, more impartial, or more competent to decide it than you are, or that more or clearer evidence will be produced on one side or the other."

Boston-based criminal defense attorney Peter Elikann said sending the jury back to deliberate again may force a hung jury if the deadlock continues.

"At that point, the judge has to declare a mistrial, unless he has the consent of the jury who would want to go out again, and that's rather doubtful," Elikann said in an interview with ABC News on Wednesday.

"This is really it. This is kind of the final push," Elikann added.

If a mistrial is declared, one of several next steps may transpire, according to ABC News legal analyst Brian Buckmire.

"First and foremost, the defense is probably going to ask for bail, some amount of money or release, that she does not have to be incarcerated pending the prosecution decision as to whether or not they're going to retry her," Buckmire said in an interview Wednesday.

Buckmire said the prosecution could make the decision to retry her "right then and there" or in the near future following a mistrial declaration.

Elikann said the prosecution could also choose to drop the case, though he added, "That's not all that likely."

Buckmire said a second trial is a likely scenario, in his opinion.

The second option, according to the attorneys, could be plea negotiations.

"In many cases, the prosecution, after having a deadlocked jury, will kind of say to the defense, 'Let's compromise. We'll break down the charges to something much lesser, and can we agree on that, that you'll plead to something, a much more minor charge,'" Elikann said.

Buckmire said it is possible, however, that prosecutors would not want to lessen any of the charges moving forward.

Speaking to the deliberations and the jury's inability thus far to reach a verdict in this case, Elikann said this sort of result was both rare and, in some ways, predictable.

"Most of the time, probably all the lawyers will tell you the conventional wisdom is that [an] insanity defense almost never works," he said, adding it usually ends in a conviction.

Elikann explained that Clancy's case was different.

"Everybody had a sense that they would never get 12 people to convict her of first-degree murder. And it was anticipated, by many people, that this would be either not guilty by reason of insanity or a hung jury," he said.

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(NEW YORK) -- Women's liberation icon Gloria Steinem has died at 92.

"Yesterday, Gloria Steinem passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved her," a post on an official social media channel said. "Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end."

The outspoken activist and journalist was born on March 25, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio. She studied government at Smith College in Massachusetts, and graduated magna cum laude in 1956.

Afterward, she spent two years studying and researching in India thanks to the Chester Bowles Fellowship, which inspired her grassroots activism later in life.

She would become known as one of the most prominent figures in the modern feminist movement, tackling politics, abortion, marriage and more through her writings and speeches.

"When humans are ranked instead of linked, everyone loses," she said in her book, "My Life on the Road."

In an interview with NPR, Steinem spoke about getting pregnant when she was 22 and seeking out an illegal abortion in 1957.

"I just knew that if I went home and married, which I would've had to do, it would be to the wrong person; it would be to a life that wasn't mine, that wasn't mine at all," she said in the interview.

"My Life on the Road" is dedicated to the doctor who recommended her for the abortion, Dr. John Sharpe.

The dedication read: "Knowing that she had broken an engagement at home to seek an unknown fate, he said, 'You must promise me two things. First, you will not tell anyone my name. Second, you will do what you want to do with your life.' Dear Dr. Sharpe, I believe you, who knew the law was unjust, would not mind if I say this so long after your death: I've done the best I could with my life."

At first, Steinem struggled to gain footing in the male-dominated journalism industry as a reporter on politics and social justice issues.

"I was angry because young men in politics were treated like rising stars and young women were treated like - well - young women," she wrote.

She continued, "I was angry about the human talent that was lost just because it was born into a female body, and the mediocrity that was rewarded because it was born into a male one."

She gained national attention in 1963 for her reporting on the working conditions at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Club.

In the exposé, she revealed the "not-so-glamorous, sexist, and underpaid life of the bunny/waitresses," according to the National Women's History Museum.

In 1968, she helped found New York magazine, and worked as an editor and political writer, largely focusing on the women's liberation movement, the National Women's History Museum reported. She also helped found the feminist magazine, "Ms."

In 1971, she was one of the founders of the National Women's Political Caucus, alongside other icons such as Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm.

The caucus remains the only "national organization dedicated exclusively to increasing women's participation in all areas of political and public life," according to the organization's website.

It was founded after Congress failed to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, and was spurred by the belief that "legal, economic and social equity would come about only when women were equally represented among the nation's political decision-makers."

She continued her advocacy work throughout her life, through her books and lectures, uplifting the civil rights and anti-racism movements along the way.

"We are here and around the world for a deep democracy that says we will not be quiet," she said at the 2017 Women's March on Washington. "We will not be controlled. We will work for a world in which all countries are connected. God may be in the details but the goddess is in connections."

Steinem was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1986. She overcame the disease after undergoing surgery and radiation treatment.

Her husband, entrepreneur and animal rights activist David Charles Howard Bale, died in 2003. Steinem, who famously denounced marriage as an institution, married Bale in 2000 and said her mind was changed because "marriage changed," according to The New Yorker.

She continued, "We spent 30 years in the United States changing the marriage laws. If I had married when I was supposed to get married, I would have lost my name, my legal residence, my credit rating, many of my civil rights. That's not true anymore. It's possible to make an equal marriage."

The post announcing her death said Steinem spent her recent years "being in community with others and writing." It also included a quote, which is said was from the writer's forthcoming book, "An Unexpected Life."

"I have now lived for more than fifty years in this brownstone," she wrote, "in rooms that have witnessed lives before mine, and will know others after I am gone."

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(MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.) -- Two people are dead and multiple others injured after gunfire broke out in a high-rise apartment building in downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday, authorities said.

Two Minneapolis police officers are among those injured by gunfire, according to police.

The suspected shooter is dead, according to interim Police Chief Bill Peterson, who told reporters at a press briefing he was "truly sickened by this level of violence."

Officers responded to reports of a shooting at the building at 15 E. Grand St. shortly after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Inside, officers encountered victims in the lobby and heard additional gunfire, Minneapolis Police Department spokesperson Garrett Parten told reporters at an earlier press briefing. "Officers followed the sound of gunfire to the upper floor of the building, and on that floor, officers encountered a haze that significantly limited their visibility," Parten said.

At a follow-up press conference, the interim police said police said they weren't sure yet what caused the haze.

A total of seven people were shot, authorities said.

One of the shooting victims was found dead at the scene, while a second died at a hospital, police said. Three other shooting victims were transported from the scene, according to police.

Of the wounded officers, one was shot in the leg and another was shot twice in the abdomen, the mayor said.

That officer was undergoing surgery, authorities said. A third officer was being evaluated for an apparent non-life-threatening injury, according to police.

In addition, four officers experienced adverse effects after "being exposed to an unknown airborne substance," police said in a news release. Two other officers were hurt when their squad car was involved in a crash while responding to the scene.

Peterson said it was his understanding that the officers were expected to make a full recovery.

It is unclear how the suspect died, police said. The interim chief said police were familiar with the suspect but said they do not yet have a motive.

Some of the victims lived in the building, Peterson said, but said police are still sorting that out.

In his remarks, the mayor praised the heroism of officers who he said rescued victims and brought people to safety "all while getting shot at themselves," Frey said.

"The one thing that is clear is that our Minneapolis police officers acted with incredible bravery and courage," he said.

In a statement on social media, Minnesota Gov. Tom Walz said he was relieved to hear the officers involved in the shooting were expected to make a full recovery. "We’re keeping all of the victims in our prayers as more information about this tragic shooting unfolds," he said.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) -- Women's liberation icon Gloria Steinem has died at 92.

"Yesterday, Gloria Steinem passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved her," a post on an official social media channel said. "Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end."

The outspoken activist and journalist was born on March 25, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio. She studied government at Smith College in Massachusetts, and graduated magna cum laude in 1956.

Afterward, she spent two years studying and researching in India thanks to the Chester Bowles Fellowship, which inspired her grassroots activism later in life.

She would become known as one of the most prominent figures in the modern feminist movement, tackling politics, abortion, marriage and more through her writings and speeches.

"When humans are ranked instead of linked, everyone loses," she said in her book, "My Life on the Road."

In an interview with NPR, Steinem spoke about getting pregnant when she was 22 and seeking out an illegal abortion in 1957.

"I just knew that if I went home and married, which I would've had to do, it would be to the wrong person; it would be to a life that wasn't mine, that wasn't mine at all," she said in the interview.

"My Life on the Road" is dedicated to the doctor who recommended her for the abortion, Dr. John Sharpe.

The dedication read: "Knowing that she had broken an engagement at home to seek an unknown fate, he said, 'You must promise me two things. First, you will not tell anyone my name. Second, you will do what you want to do with your life.' Dear Dr. Sharpe, I believe you, who knew the law was unjust, would not mind if I say this so long after your death: I've done the best I could with my life."

At first, Steinem struggled to gain footing in the male-dominated journalism industry as a reporter on politics and social justice issues.

"I was angry because young men in politics were treated like rising stars and young women were treated like - well - young women," she wrote.

She continued, "I was angry about the human talent that was lost just because it was born into a female body, and the mediocrity that was rewarded because it was born into a male one."

She gained national attention in 1963 for her reporting on the working conditions at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Club.

In the exposé, she revealed the "not-so-glamorous, sexist, and underpaid life of the bunny/waitresses," according to the National Women's History Museum.

In 1968, she helped found New York magazine, and worked as an editor and political writer, largely focusing on the women's liberation movement, the National Women's History Museum reported. She also helped found the feminist magazine, "Ms."

In 1971, she was one of the founders of the National Women's Political Caucus, alongside other icons such as Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm.

The caucus remains the only "national organization dedicated exclusively to increasing women's participation in all areas of political and public life," according to the organization's website.

It was founded after Congress failed to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, and was spurred by the belief that "legal, economic and social equity would come about only when women were equally represented among the nation's political decision-makers."

She continued her advocacy work throughout her life, through her books and lectures, uplifting the civil rights and anti-racism movements along the way.

"We are here and around the world for a deep democracy that says we will not be quiet," she said at the 2017 Women's March on Washington. "We will not be controlled. We will work for a world in which all countries are connected. God may be in the details but the goddess is in connections."

Steinem was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1986. She overcame the disease after undergoing surgery and radiation treatment.

Her husband, entrepreneur and animal rights activist David Charles Howard Bale, died in 2003. Steinem, who famously denounced marriage as an institution, married Bale in 2000 and said her mind was changed because "marriage changed," according to The New Yorker.

She continued, "We spent 30 years in the United States changing the marriage laws. If I had married when I was supposed to get married, I would have lost my name, my legal residence, my credit rating, many of my civil rights. That's not true anymore. It's possible to make an equal marriage."

The post announcing her death said Steinem spent her recent years "being in community with others and writing." It also included a quote, which is said was from the writer's forthcoming book, "An Unexpected Life."

"I have now lived for more than fifty years in this brownstone," she wrote, "in rooms that have witnessed lives before mine, and will know others after I am gone."

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) -- A 23-year-old man wanted in the fatal shooting of a Georgia police officer has been found after a manhunt ensued.

Jimmie Steverson, 23, is believed to have shot Chris Fisher, a Warm Springs Police Department officer, who was killed just before midnight, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

On Tuesday night, Fisher concluded an unrelated traffic stop while on duty and in his patrol car in the parking lot of Meriwether Country Inn, according to GBI.

While he was stopped a black 2026 Chevrolet Silverado stopped beside Fisher's patrol car, according to GBI.

"The driver, later identified as Jimmy Lee Steverson, age 23, of Warm Springs, GA, then fired multiple shots into Officer Fisher’s patrol vehicle, hitting Officer Fisher. Steverson then fled the parking lot," according to GBI.

Fisher was pronounced dead at the scene and his body will be taken for an autopsy, according to GBI.

On Wednesday at around 11:30 a.m., the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on a car in Anderson, South Carolina and found Steverson, who was a passenger in the car, according to GBI.

"When law enforcement made contact with the car, they discovered Steverson injured from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Steverson was transported to a local hospital," GBI said in a statement.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said he is "deeply saddened" by the news of Fisher's killing.

"This is a tragic reminder of the dangers law enforcement face on a daily basis in service to their communities, and I ask that all Georgians lift up Fisher’s family and his fellow officers in prayer," Kemp said in a post on X.

This investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Midland Regional Investigative Office at 706-565-7888. 

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(NEW YORK) -- The parents of a 5-year-old girl who was found dead after being reported missing in South Carolina have been arrested in connection with her death, with arrest warrants alleging they misled authorities during the search for their autistic child.

Saylor Hayes of Virginia went missing on Sunday after wandering away from a rental home in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, according to local authorities.

During an extensive search involving hundreds of people and multiple agencies, her body was found the following day in waters near where she was last seen, according to the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office.

Her parents -- John Herb Hayes III, 70, and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, of Bristol, Virginia -- were arrested on Tuesday. They have been charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk/willfully abandoning a child "for their actions in the disappearance and subsequent death of their child," the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office said.

The couple were arrested in Carter County, Tennessee, and are awaiting extradition proceedings to be brought back to Georgetown County to face their charges, authorities said.

Arrest warrants for the parents allege that they placed Saylor "at an unreasonable risk of harm affecting her life and safety by failing to provide supervision and safeguards appropriate for a severely nonverbal, autistic five-year-old child with known affinity to water and history of elopement."

The girl had been equipped with a monitoring device since 2024, though the device was removed prior to the family leaving Virginia, according to the warrants.

"After the child was discovered missing, the defendant encouraged search efforts to be directed toward the use of tracking technology, despite knowing that the child was not wearing the monitoring device," the warrant for each parent stated.

The parents are also accused of directing search efforts away from a body of water near where they had allegedly left Saylor unsupervised, according to the warrants.

"The death of Saylor Hayes is a heartbreaking tragedy that has deeply affected our community and everyone who worked so hard to find her," Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver said in a statement. "From the beginning, our responsibility has been to follow the evidence wherever it led. Following an extensive investigation, Saylor's parents have been arrested and charged under South Carolina law relating to unlawfully placing a child at risk of or causing harm, or willfully abandoning a child."

"Saylor was a vulnerable five-year-old child who depended upon the adults responsible for her care and protection," he added. "She deserved to be safe. She deserved to be protected."

The parents remain in custody in the Carter County Detention Center, online jail records show. It is unclear if they have an attorney at this time.

The sheriff's office in Washington County, Virginia, where Saylor lived, said the child had been enrolled in its monitoring program, Project Lifesaver, since June 2024. In the program, individuals who are at risk of wandering wear a transmitter that emits an individualized radio frequency, "allowing specially trained personnel to track and locate them if they become missing," the office said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office said it provided authorities in Georgetown County with Saylor's assigned frequency after they requested it on Sunday, though search personnel were unable to detect it.

Washington County authorities subsequently tracked her transmitter to a vehicle at her residence in Bristol, the sheriff's office said. The transmitter can only be removed by physically cutting the band it's attached to, the office noted.

"Project Lifesaver works, and we believe strongly in this program," Washington County Sheriff Blake Andis said in a statement. "When our personnel searched for Saylor's assigned frequency, the equipment did exactly what it was designed to do. It detected her transmitter and led our personnel to its location."

"What makes this situation especially heartbreaking is that Saylor did not have her transmitter with her when she went missing," he continued. "Had Saylor been wearing her Project Lifesaver transmitter, we believe the technology could have assisted search teams in locating her much sooner."

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(NEW YORK) -- A Utah judge ruled that Tyler Robinson can stand trial on a capital murder charge stemming from the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Judge Tony Graf's decision follows final oral arguments from both sides in the high-profile case in a Provo courtroom on Tuesday, during which attorneys primarily debated an aggravating factor that would make Robinson eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

"Viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, this evidence is sufficient at this stage to support a reasonable belief the defendant is the individual who shot and killed Charlie Kirk," Graf said.

The judge also found that there was a reasonable known risk of death to others at the time of the shooting, allowing prosecutors to pursue the death penalty.

A statement on behalf of the Kirk family said the judge's decision marked an important step in their pursuit of justice.

"Every step in this process carries the weight of all that Charlie’s murder has taken from his family, especially his children who will grow up without their father," the statement said. "We are grateful to all who have continued to pray for us, support us, and stand with us through a year of unimaginable grief."

The statement continued: "As the next phase of the judicial process begins, our family remains united in our love for Charlie, our commitment to the pursuit of justice, and our prayer for a transparent and timely process."

Robinson is accused of killing Kirk with a rifle shot fired from a building's rooftop approximately 415 feet from where the co‑founder of the conservative student organization Turning Point USA was speaking at an outdoor rally at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10, 2025.

The 23-year-old suspect was charged with aggravated murder, a capital felony, which alleges that others were knowingly endangered in the shooting. He was also charged with felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.

Judge Graf found probable cause for Robinson to stand trial on all charges. Not guilty pleas were entered on the defendant's behalf following the judge's ruling.

Prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty in the case.

"The defendant, this man, Tyler James Robinson, shot and killed Charlie Kirk because he disagreed with him, and he did it by firing a high-powered rifle into a crowd of over 3,000 people, which created a great risk of death that anyone would know about," Utah County prosecutor Ryan McBride told the judge during Tuesday's hearing.

McBride said there is a "mountain of evidence" proving Robinson is the gunman who killed Kirk -- citing video footage, DNA evidence on the suspected murder weapon and an alleged admission by Robinson in a note to his boyfriend -- and argued that the alleged politically motivated shooting posed a great risk of death to others, including children, who were at the rally.

"It's not that the defendant didn't see all these people. He obviously did. He had to. It's that he didn't care," McBride said. "He came on a mission to kill Charlie Kirk, and if he missed, so be it. He was prepared to take other shots. Let the casualties be what they may."

Defense attorney Staci Visser asked the judge to strike the "great risk of death" aggravating factor that makes the offense eligible for the death penalty, arguing during Tuesday's hearing that it's not supported by the facts of the case.

"There's nothing in this evidence showing that there was a great risk that someone else was going to be killed," she said.

Defense attorneys also challenged charges and enhancements alleging that Robinson knew children were present during the shooting, tampered with a witness by telling his boyfriend to "ask for a lawyer and stay silent" if questioned by the police, and targeted Kirk because of the conservative activist's political expression.

"There's no evidence as to really what was in Mr. Robinson's mind, if in fact he was the shooter, about Charlie Kirk, because we have no testimony that Mr. Robinson had ever spoken about Charlie Kirk, that he had ever heard anything he'd said, that he'd ever discussed anything," defense attorney Richard Novak said during Tuesday's hearing.

During a week-long preliminary hearing in July, prosecutors called several law enforcement witnesses and presented a series of security videos allegedly placing Robinson at the scene of the shooting. One of the videos showed Robinson on the roof of the building where the fatal shot that killed Kirk was fired from, prosecutors alleged.

Prosecutors also presented a video statement from Robinson's roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, who claimed in a redacted videotaped interview with prosecutors and detectives that Robinson confessed to killing Kirk in a letter, text messages, and in person.

In a written argument filed ahead of Tuesday's hearing, prosecutors said they showed there is enough probable cause to warrant a trial.

"This is likely as straightforward a bind-over decision as this Court will ever see," prosecutors stated.

In its written argument, the defense countered that the state failed to establish probable cause due to its "extensive use" of hearsay evidence that it said was not assessed for reliability.

"For this reason alone, the Court must decline bindover," the defense stated.

The defense cited alleged communications between Robinson and Twiggs, who did not testify in the preliminary hearing, that were admitted through Twigg's videotaped interview.

Defense attorneys also argued in the filing that prosecutors failed to meet the burden of proof for the aggravated murder charge.

Prosecutors alleged in their filing that Robinson "fired a high-powered rifle towards a crowd of thousands," endangering the lives of "everyone who was in his line of fire" or near Kirk. In response, the defense said only a single shot was fired above the crowd and argued that the evidence does not support that "the shooter was aware that there was a high probability that someone else may die from his single gunshot that hit the intended victim."

ABC News' Alex Stone and Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) -- A Pennsylvania police officer has been charged with voluntary manslaughter stemming from the fatal shooting this month of a college student whose parents said he was mistaken for a burglar after knocking on the door of a residence he wrongly thought was a friend's house, authorities said.

Cpl. Sean Farrell, a veteran member of the Upper Pottsgrove Township Police Department, was charged in the Aug. 23 death of Glenwood "Bubba" Pysher, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele announced at a news conference Tuesday.

Steele said he is "obligated under the law" to charge Farrell, who allegedly shot Pysher twice after responding to a 911 call from a homeowner reporting a break-in in progress.

"At the time these two fatal shots were fired, Mr. Pysher had his hands up," Steele said, citing footage from Farrell's body-worn camera. "He had no weapon. He did not charge the officer or act aggressively in any way. He was not a threat to the homeowners who were inside their residence."

Steele further said that the body-worn camera video, which he did not play but from which he released a still image, showed Farrell claim to a colleague after the shooting that Pysher “charged” him while “screaming and yelling.”

“The body-worn camera video does not depict Pysher charging and does not depict yelling or screaming prior to the shooting,” Steele said.

Pysher's parents told ABC News last week that before the shooting, their son had been out bar-hopping with a group celebrating a friend's 21st birthday.

Pysher's mother, Erin Pysher, said that when the group decided to move the celebration to a friend's house, her son walked to what he wrongly thought was the correct address.

"He was walking down the road to what he thought was his friend's house. And after some drinks, he ended up walking in the dark at night. I guess he got mixed up, and he made a wrong turn and went to the wrong house," Erin Pysher said in a phone interview with ABC News.

Pysher said her son was a student at Saint Elizabeth University in Morris Township, New Jersey, and was expected to begin the new school year last week.

Steele said on Tuesday that while Pysher was apparently inebriated, he was complying with Farrell's orders to put his hands up when he was shot.

"He was not trying to escape and he did not commit a forcible felony. This is not a legal use of lethal force under Pennsylvania law," Steele said.

Farrell is being arraigned on the voluntary manslaughter charge Tuesday, according to Steele.

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(LOS ANGELES) -- Two people are dead and at least one person remains missing following a major flash-flooding event at the Grand Canyon over the weekend, as cadaver dogs are expected to be used in the ongoing search of the devastated areas, authorities said.

The current missing-person count is based on overnight camping permits issued by the park, officials said, while acknowledging that additional day hikers who did not have permits could also be missing.

"There are day hikers that come in the canyon that we don’t know about," Dave Black, the Grand Canyon National Park Service's incident commander, said at a news conference Monday evening.

Black said that the weather is expected to be clear Tuesday for the first time since Saturday afternoon's flash flood, allowing ground crews to be sent to the hard-hit areas. Four teams with cadaver dogs are planning to search the Bright Angel Creek and Phantom Ranch areas Tuesday, he added.

Authorities said hundreds of tips have been received but so far, there is no reason to believe anyone else is missing other than the one person already being sought.

A Border Patrol technical search team will search for the remaining confirmed missing person, Black said. Authorities said they will also use Bluetooth technology and a drone to search the area.

"We are absolutely holding out hope that that person is still alive," Black said.

The National Park Service confirmed that two people have been killed in the deadly flash flooding.

On Sunday evening, officials said the body of a 46-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was recovered near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River. The family of the other recovered victim identified him as Dr. John Giusti, a Texas chiropractor and married father of three daughters.

Flash flooding unfolded about 2:30 p.m. local time Saturday in the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch area, both popular destinations for hikers. Authorities said 82 people were rescued from the canyon, most by helicopter. A couple of people were able to hike out, they said.

Meanwhile, new details have emerged about the response to the flash flood emergency.

Deputy Superintendent Brian Drapeaux of the Grand Canyon National Park Service said at Monday's news conference that water-level gauges installed in Bright Angel Creek following last year's Dragon Bravo Fire on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon stopped working during the flood.

"That system started to alert us of rising waters, and then shortly after, that system went offline as water progressed down the creek and picked up speed and destructive force," Drapeaux said.

It's unclear why the water-level gauge system stopped working, Drapeaux said, adding that debris that filled the creek could have knocked it offline.

Flood survivors told ABC News that they ran for their lives when a flood swept through the floor of the Grand Canyon on Saturday afternoon, wiping out campgrounds, structures, hiking trails and vital infrastructure, according to officials.

"The National Park Service is asking anyone who knows of hikers or backpackers who were in the inner canyon along the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29, as well as anyone who had a campground reservation in the affected corridor, to provide information to the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch (ISB)," the National Park Service said in a statement.

On Sunday, NPS officials said more than 20 people had initially been reported missing and that 62 individuals were air evacuated from Grand Canyon's Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail, "which was affected by a significant flash-flood event Saturday afternoon."

"The flash flood resulted in significant impacts to infrastructure throughout Bright Angel Canyon. Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, eliminating hiker access across the creek," the Grand Canyon NPS said.

Saturday's flash-flood event occurred after four rounds of rain swept across parts of the Grand Canyon over a span of about six hours, according to the National Weather Service. The initial three rounds were not very heavy but saturated the soil and left the area much more prone to dangerous flash flooding once the fourth round of torrential rain moved through.

The steepness of the canyon and the burn scar from last year's Dragon Bravo Fire on the North Rim were likely major contributors, the NWS said.

Videos of the flooding obtained by ABC News show a roaring Colorado River as mudflows and debris from metal structures are seen floating down the river.

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(NEW YORK) -- A nationwide wave of protesters and vandals targeting surveillance cameras made by Flock Safety did not deter a man in a Darth Vader costume from praising the devices at a recent city council meeting in San Diego, California. His "Star Wars"-themed acclaim, as it turned out, was anything but.

"The Emperor is a fan of Flock," the man told elected officials in a mocking tone last week. "We must continue utilizing Flock technologies so that we can follow and surveil the rebel scum."

So far this year, more than 50 cities and counties have canceled or deactivated automated license plate-recognition (ALPR) cameras of the type manufactured by Flock Safety and other firms, also known as Flock cameras, Politico found.

On Monday, Florida's state transportation office revoked the ability of local law enforcement to put license plate readers on state highways.

Flock cameras have been vandalized in at least 36 states, including incidents in which individuals sawed down the devices and shot at them with guns, NPR reported last month.

The neighborhood cameras have prompted pushback in localities big and small, dotting red and blue states. Privacy concerns have been stoked in part by instances of police officers tracking ex-partners or other relations, some analysts and advocates told ABC News.

Wariness about the role of artificial intelligence in the technology has deepened public unease, tapping into discontent about the possibility of AI acting beyond human oversight, they added.

"This is the biggest, most grassroots privacy backlash that I've ever seen in more than 20 years working on these issues," Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst at the American Civil Liberties Union's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, told ABC News.

"It just shows people don't like mass surveillance," Stanley added.

Surveillance technology firms and a law enforcement expert, however, touted the cameras as a valuable tool for police departments, leaving officers better equipped to protect public safety.

"You can see in some cases unsolved crimes may have been solved if there were a Flock camera in the area at the time," Kenneth Gray, a lecturer in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of New Haven, told ABC News. "They can be useful."

More than 135,000 automated license plate-recognition cameras have been identified nationwide, and four of every five of those are made by Flock Safety, according to crowdsourced data from DeFlock.org. The company says its cameras operate in 49 states.

Flock cameras, which sit atop metal roadside poles resembling streetlights, capture a vehicle's license plate number and characteristics as it passes, Flock Safety says on its website. The devices do not identify individuals in a given car, nor do they record continuously, the company adds.

Earlier this month, the firm bolstered safeguards for its cameras, including a default data-retention period of seven days instead of 30, as well as an "Evidence Mode" for preserving data related to an active investigation.

"Flock is designed to help authorized users find relevant evidence for investigations without compromising safety and compliance," the Flock Safety website says. "Clear safeguards define how information is stored, accessed, shared, and reviewed."

Flock Safety did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.

The technology has triggered some police abuse involving its recordings. A police officer in Kentucky was arrested last week after authorities alleged he used Flock cameras to track his ex-girlfriend more than 2,000 times. In Savannah, Georgia, six police department employees were fired in August over alleged abuse of Flock cameras, according to local ABC affiliate WJCL.

The nonprofit Institute for Justice, a libertarian law firm, says it has identified more than 100 incidents of ALPR abuse, among them stalking and wrongful stops.

"People have a sense, 'I wouldn't want someone following me around in a car; and I wouldn't want them doing it with a camera,'" Evan Greer, director of Fight for the Future, an advocacy group organizing against Flock cameras, told ABC News.

"Then when these stories come out about law enforcement officers using it to stalk their exes, it reminds people once you build a surveillance apparatus like this, it can and will be abused," Greer added.

The use of AI in Flock cameras has exacerbated concern among some critics, analysts said, since they fear data could be compiled and examined by the technology with limited oversight.

"These companies are not just recording that you were on this street at this time on this day; they're also allowing law enforcement to run algorithms to decide whether your movement patterns are 'suspicious,'" said Stanley, of the ACLU.

Surveillance companies and a law enforcement expert promoted the crime-fighting benefits of Flock cameras. They pointed to the unique information provided by a network of devices that can identify and track vehicle movements.

Flock Safety says it helped authorities locate more than 10,000 missing people last year, amounting to more than 27 per day. Roughly 1 million criminal investigations were supported by Flock in 2025, the company says.

Flock Safety cameras helped law enforcement identify the car belonging to a suspect in the murder of a Brown University professor last year, aiding efforts to track down the individual, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said in December. The suspect died by suicide before he was located.

The surveillance capability that unnerves some critics can be vital to a police investigation, according to Gray, of the University of New Haven.

"Because there's a series of Flock cameras, you can put together a pattern of where a particular car goes at a certain time of day along a particular route," he said. "That can be useful in putting together details that can be analyzed to try to fill in gaps for an investigation."

Still, Gray acknowledged, the camera system collects information on many innocent people, vacuuming up data of no utility for law enforcement.

"The Flock system is building a database without any allegation of criminal activity. It's useful to law enforcement after the fact, but it's also gathering up information on many people that have committed no crime," Gray said.

Critics of Flock cameras lauded local efforts to cancel or alter contracts with surveillance companies. They said they hoped additional restrictions would be implemented on a wider scale.

Greer, of Fight for the Future, advocated for a nationwide ban of the technology, saying "there are certain types of weapons we've decided as a society are too dangerous to sit in the basement of your local police department."

Torin Monahan, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who specializes in surveillance, said law enforcement should be required to possess a judicial warrant in order to access Flock camera data.

"If they have to prove probable cause and protect people's 4th Amendment rights, as they do with other evidence, I think that would be reasonable," Monahan told ABC News.

Gray, the law enforcement expert, agreed.

"A warrant for the information from the database would protect the public from misuse," he said.

The backlash has prompted action from state and national elected officials belonging to both major parties.

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbot last week paused state funding of Flock cameras. Meanwhile, Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in recent days he would welcome a bipartisan bill to ban Flock cameras in the state.

Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, on Friday announced an investigation into Flock Safety, penning an open letter to the company that included a request for internal documents.

"I want law enforcement to have tools to catch offenders and keep the public safe. But Americans do not surrender their privacy rights when they drive to work, drop their kids off at school, or go to church," Hawley wrote.

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(NEW YORK) -- New York City police fatally shot an apparently emotionally disturbed woman after she allegedly stabbed two people in Times Square in a "random and unprovoked" attack on Monday afternoon, authorities said.

One of the victims, 32-year-old Erin Piacenti of Chester, New Jersey, died at the hospital from her injuries, according to the New York Police Department.

The other victim, a 68-year-old man from Rhode Island, was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition, officials said.

The victims were stabbed within 20 seconds of each near 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

The 68-year-old had just exited the subway and was waiting to cross the street with his wife when the suspect pulled two knives from a bag, waved them and then allegedly stabbed him in the abdomen "in what appears to be a random and unprovoked attack," Tisch said at a press briefing.

The suspect then went up Seventh Avenue toward 42nd Street, where she approached the second victim, who was similarly stabbed in the abdomen in an apparently random, unprovoked attack, Tisch said.

The suspect allegedly then fled north toward the NYPD substation, authorities said. Witnesses flagged down officers who confronted her for four minutes and "gave her numerous commands to drop the knife," which she refused, Tisch said.

"During the encounter, she told the officers, 'I'm not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.' She repeated, 'I will kill you,'" Tisch said.

Officers deployed Tasers before two officers discharged their service weapons, Tisch said.

The suspect, identified by police as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, was pronounced dead at a hospital. She had a "documented mental health history," Tisch said.

Police officials stressed the woman appeared emotionally disturbed and the incident is not terror-related.

Two knives were recovered from the scene, Tisch. The NYPD also released a photo of the recovered weapons.

"I want to thank the NYPD officers who stepped in and prevented a horrific attack from becoming even worse," NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said during the press briefing. "This is what the men and women of this department do every single day to keep our city safe."

The NYPD will conduct an internal investigation and body-worn camera footage will be released to the public, the mayor said.

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(NEW YORK) -- Survivors of a deadly flash flood that swept through the floor of the Grand Canyon over the weekend described a horrific escape as they ran through rising muddy water in a desperate effort to reach higher ground.

Gabriel Bergemann and David Gregory told ABC News that they were backpacking together at the bottom of the national park on Saturday afternoon when disaster struck, and park rangers told them to run across a footbridge over a raging creek to higher ground.

Bergemann said that 10 minutes after crossing the bridge, a wall of water came through and washed it away.

"If they hadn't told us to evacuate when they did, I think a lot of people wouldn't have made it," he told ABC News.

Gregory added that the water level in the creek they crossed seemed to be "getting bigger and bigger as more water was coming into the creek."

"I was just thinking that if someone fell into the creek, I don't know how they would be able to get out," he said.

Grand Canyon National Park Service officials said on Monday that a second body had been recovered from the flooded area. A search continued for 14 people who remain missing or unaccounted for.

One of the individuals missing on Monday was identified in a Facebook post by his wife as Dr. John Guisti, a New York chiropractor, who was with a hiking group when the flash flood swept through the area where they were camping.

Guisti is a partner at Whipple City Family Chiropractic in New York, which posted his wife's message on Facebook, describing Guisti as a "deeply loved husband, father and pillar of our family."

More than 60 people, most of them hikers and campers, were air evacuated from Grand Canyon's Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail on Saturday, according to park officials.

The flood hit around 2:30 p.m. local time in the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch areas of the Grand Canyon amid a monsoonal downpour that produced "a significant flash-flood event," officials said.

Erica Viola and her husband, Scott Svedin, told ABC News they were camping at Bright Angel Campground when they were told to evacuate immediately.

"This was something out of a movie," said Svedin, who described struggling through knee-high water and mud to reach safety.

Viola added, "We just heard people yell, 'Run, Run, Run.' And there's 40 of us running through this deep muddy water trying to make it to the bridge."

Viola said that once she and Svedin got across the footbridge, it was destroyed by the torrent of floodwater that turned the creek they had crossed into a raging river.

"Once we got to the bridge, that's when this 15-foot wall of water came through the campground at Phantom Ranch and just wiped out all the bridges in the creek," Viola said.

Viola said that she lost most of her belongings in the flooding.

The Grand Canyon National Park Service (NPS) said in a statement on Sunday that the flooding caused extensive damage to infrastructure in the inner canyon, including the Transcanyon Waterline, which supplies water from the canyon for use in the park.

"The flash flood resulted in significant impacts to infrastructure throughout Bright Angel Canyon. Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, eliminating hiker access across the creek," the Grand Canyon NPS said.

The Grand Canyon NPS said the Transcanyon Waterline is currently not operational, leaving the entire park with limited water reserves. As a result, all overnight guest lodging and concessions inside the park have been halted.

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(NEW YORK) -- Rescuers are bracing for more treacherous weather at the Grand Canyon Monday as authorities confirmed another body had been recovered amid a search for 14 people who “may be missing or unaccounted” in a deadly flash flood that struck the national park over the weekend.

The National Park Service said the body was pulled from the flooded area, bringing the death toll to two.

On Sunday evening, officials said the body of a 46-year-old man was recovered near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River.

The names of the deceased have not been released.

Flood survivors told ABC News that they ran for their lives when a flood swept through the floor of the Grand Canyon on Saturday afternoon, wiping out campgrounds, structures, hiking trails and vital infrastructure, according to officials.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the Grand Canyon through at least Monday evening, warning that "flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible" for all of northern and central Arizona.

Air evacuations continued on Sunday afternoon, a day after a "significant flash flood" swept through campgrounds and hiking trails at the bottom of the national park, authorities said.

The Grand Canyon National Park Service said in an update Sunday evening that one person was recovered from the Colorado River in the park. The identity of the deceased individual has not been released.

NPS said there are at least 14 other individuals "who may be missing or unaccounted" following the flash flood.

"The National Park Service is asking anyone who knows of hikers or backpackers who were in the inner canyon along the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29, as well as anyone who had a campground reservation in the affected corridor, to provide information to the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch (ISB)," the statement said.

Earlier Sunday, the National Park Service (NPS) officials said more than 20 were missing and 62 individuals were air evacuated from Grand Canyon's Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail, "which was affected by a significant flash-flood event Saturday afternoon."

Evacuees were being taken to the Maswik Lodge Cafeteria on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, where the American Red Cross is coordinating assistance.

No injuries were immediately reported.

The latest National Park Service said the flash flooding knocked out the park's water pipeline, prompting "significant water conservation measures" to be implemented. Those measures include: no overnight hotel stays allowed starting Monday, and only campground bathroom faucets will still run.

"Multiple campgrounds and trails are closed until further notice, and there is no estimated reopening date for the affected areas," the Grand Canyon NPS said.

Grand Canyon National Park staff, in coordination with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, were continuing air evacuations on Sunday afternoon, officials said.

"Grand Canyon will possibly face additional thunderstorms and heavy rainfall today and Monday, which could result in flash flooding, debris flow, and rockfall," the Grand Canyon NPS statement said.

Flash flooding unfolded about 2:30 p.m. local time on Saturday in the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch area, both popular destinations for hikers.

"The flash flood resulted in significant impacts to infrastructure throughout Bright Angel Canyon. Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, eliminating hiker access across the creek," the Grand Canyon NPS said.

Saturday's flash-flood event occurred after four rounds of rain swept across parts of the Grand Canyon over a span of about six hours, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The initial three rounds were not very heavy, but saturated the soil and left the area much more prone to dangerous flash flooding once the fourth round of torrential rain moved through.

The steepness of the canyon and the burn scar from last year's Dragon Bravo Fire on the North Rim were likely major contributors, the NWS said.

Videos of the flooding obtained by ABC News show a roaring Colorado River as mudflows and debris from metal structures are seen floating down the river.

Erica Viola, who recorded the videos, told ABC News she was camping at Bright Angel Campground when she and her husband, Scott Svedin, had to evacuate. Viola said that she lost most of her belongings in the flooding.

Viola said that she and other campers were told by park rangers to run as fast as they could to the nearest bridge for evacuation.

Svedin said that as they were headed for the bridge, people were scrambling to beat the rising water.

"We just heard people yell, 'Run, run, run!' And there's 40 of us running through this deep, muddy water, trying to make it to the bridge," Viola said. "Once we got to the bridge, that's when this 15-foot wall of water came through the campground in Phantom Ranch and just wiped out all the bridges in the creek."

Viola and Svedin said they witnessed bunkhouses, barbecue grills, ice chests, and even an excavator floating down the Colorado River.

ABC News' Jennifer Watts, Lissette Rodriguez and Dan Peck contributed to this report.

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(NASHVILLE) -- Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee wants to honor Dolly Parton in a big way.

Lee said he spoke with Parton's team about renaming Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly, which would create "a lasting tribute to her indelible legacy and the generations of people she inspired across Tennessee and around the world."

Parton's team "expressed their appreciation for the extraordinary outpouring of support to honor Dolly," according to Lee, and they are "touched by the idea and open to continuing the conversation."

"Dolly Parton's extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state," Gov. Lee said in a statement. "From her rural mountain home in East Tennessee to global stages, Dolly carried the Volunteer Spirit with her. At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favorite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith, and kindness."

Lee's proposal will be addressed at the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority's meeting on Sept. 17.

MNAA President Doug Kreulen said in a statement, "Dolly’s remarkable legacy reminds us that what makes Nashville special is our ability to welcome people from every walk of life. She understood that dignity, kindness and opportunity should never be defined by where you come from or your socioeconomic status."

Kreulen added, "At BNA, we share that commitment. Whether you are boarding a private aircraft or taking your first flight, you deserve to be welcomed, respected and served with the same level of care. That spirit is what defines BNA and it is a fitting reflection of the values Dolly shared with Tennessee and the world.”

A change.org petition created by Lydia Popovich and Dan Dion in January 2025 to rename the airport after Parton has received tens of thousands of additional supporters since her death on Aug. 25. Since it was created, it has received more than 155,000 signatures.

The petition calls on Lee and Tennessee lawmakers Todd Warner, Bob Freeman and Fred Atchley to make the change.

Warner shared a response to the petition on Wednesday, writing, "Yes I will definitely introduce legislation to rename the BNA airport Dolly Parton International Airport! Thanks, TW."

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(NEW YORK) -- A federal judge approved the $72.5 million settlement between Jeffrey Epstein's victims and Bank of America, the third financial institution to publicly reach such a settlement. 

"The settlement class has been properly served," Judge Jed Rakoff decided Thursday.

The women, suing collectively under the pseudonym Jane Doe, accused Bank of America of ignoring suspicious transactions by Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial. 

Bank America agreed to settle the lawsuit in March while still insisting it did not facilitate Epstein's sex trafficking crimes.

Among the transactions the plaintiffs alleged were suspicious were payments to Epstein by Leon Black, who stepped down as chief executive of Apollo Global Management after an independent review commissioned by the company found he paid Epstein $158 million for estate planning.

Black previously said that his relationship with Epstein, which he said involved "professional services" for estate planning, tax and philanthropic advice, had been "a horrible mistake." He has denied involvement or knowledge of Epstein's crimes and said any suggestion of his involvement in "Epstein's reprehensible conduct is categorically untrue."

The same Jane Doe plaintiffs reached similar settlements with JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank, but their claim against Bank of New York Mellon was dismissed. The court in the BNY Mellon case concluded that the plaintiffs' complaint had failed to adequately allege that the bank had civil liability under the Trafficking Victims' Protection Act or that the bank had obstructed investigations of Epstein.

Bank of America had previously sought dismissal of the case, contending that the lawsuit was an attempt to "radically expand liability for banks" for providing "routine services to customers who at the time had no known connection to Epstein's sex trafficking."

The bank denies "each and all of the claims and contentions" in the lawsuit, according to court documents.

“While we stand by our prior statements made in the filings in this case, including that Bank of America did not facilitate sex trafficking crimes, this resolution allows us to put this matter behind us and provides further closure for the plaintiffs," a Bank of America spokesperson told ABC News.

An attorney for the accusers previously called the proposed settlement "one more step on the road to much-deserved justice."

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(NEW YORK) -- Jerry Sandusky is due to return to court next month as one of his accusers is expected to recant his testimony against the former Penn State assistant football coach who was convicted of sexually abusing boys for more than a decade.

A judge scheduled an evidentiary hearing for Sept. 8 in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

Sandusky, who is now 82, has been serving a decades-long prison sentence after he was convicted in 2012 of abusing boys. 

An accuser known as Victim 10, who testified for the prosecution at Sandusky's trial, is now prepared to tell the court Sandusky did not abuse him. 

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(WASHINGTON) -- A DHL cargo plane lit up the runway during a landing at Los Angeles International Airport Wednesday night as its tires caught on fire.

The Boeing 737, which was operated by DHL on behalf of Kalitta Charters II, made its landing around 11 p.m. PT when the brakes malfunctioned, causing them to overheat and blow four tires, DHL and the Federal Aviation Administration said in statements Thursday.

Surveillance video caught the flames flying from the bottom of the jet as it sped through the runway.

The runway was temporarily closed, and emergency crews rushed to put out the fire.

DHL said no one aboard the jet, which took off from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, was injured.

The FAA said it will be investigating the incident. The jet was still on the runway and being inspected Thursday morning.

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