2 dead, 2 injured after man attacks group of people with a stick
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(MIAMI) — Two people are dead, and two others have been injured after a man allegedly attacked a group of homeless people with a stick, police said.
Police in Miami, Florida, say that units responded after 6 a.m. on Thursday to reports of an armed male who was “beating up people,” according to Miami Chief of Police Manuel Morales during a news conference.
Several people — all of whom were homeless — were attacked during the incident, according to Morales.
Police believe the suspect first attacked one homeless male, then traveled eastbound and found another man before attacking him with a stick as well, authorities said.
The suspect then proceeded to attack a homeless couple across the street from the second suspect, ultimately leaving two of the victims dead and two others injured, Morales said.
Officers at the scene identified the suspect who fled, and following a foot pursuit the suspect was in police custody.
The suspect was not identified but police confirmed that he is 30-years-old and has no known criminal history in the area but does have a record of some “minor” criminal activity in New York, Morales said.
Authorities believe these attacks are examples of “unprovoked violence” but the investigation into the deadly assault remains open.
ABC News’ Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — After prevailing in a state that went for Republican Donald Trump, Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein said that his service as attorney general gave North Carolina voters confidence and called the Tar Heel state a “bright spot” for Democrats on election night.
Stein told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl that Kamala Harris ran a “strong campaign,” but was hindered by a condensed timeline and “tough national mood.”
“It was a unfortunate night for Democrats across this country, but North Carolina was a bright spot,” Stein said. “ And we’re proud of what we accomplished here.”
This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — A moderate risk for severe weather is in place from eastern Texas through Louisiana and Mississippi and into Alabama on Saturday.
The risk for severe weather begins in Texas on Saturday morning and then charges east through the evening and into overnight.
The greatest risk will be for several strong and large long-tracked tornadoes, potentially EF3 or greater, according to the Storm Predication Center.
Other risk factors will be from large hail, damaging wind and flash flooding.
As for the rain, 2 inches to 4 inches of rain is expected in the South on Saturday from Texas to Alabama and Tennessee, with localized areas of 5 or more inches possible, leading to that flash flood risk.
This same storm complex will reach the Southeast on Sunday, leading to a severe threat there as well, although it is expected to be far less extreme than Saturday will be.
Strong to severe storms will be rolling through Georgia through the morning hours, as well as the Carolinas – where major hubs like Charlotte and Atlanta may see morning delays due to the storm.
The main threats will be from damaging wind and possible tornadoes on Sunday, though again, the threat is lower than on Saturday.
Virginia may also see strong to severe storms late morning and early afternoon.
This rain will reach Philadelphia to New York City early Monday morning but likely be gone by sunrise Monday. Boston, however, will have a rainy Monday morning.
(LOS ANGELES) — As thousands of firefighters battled a series of raging wildfires across Los Angeles County, California officials warned the public that fire season should now be considered a yearlong event.
Multiple fires destroyed thousands of homes and prompted some 180,000 evacuations in January demonstrates that the so-called “fire season” is no longer just a spring and summer event, they said. They also emphasized that homeowners outside of fire-prone areas should still be prepared.
“Climate change has made fire season year-round and increased our ever-growing number of wildfires,” the Los Angeles County Fire Department said in an online post. “Firefighters and residents alike are now constantly on heightened alert for the threat of wildfires.”
The warning came just days after the National Interagency Fire Center released a report showing preliminary data on total acres burned in 2024 in the United States. It was 127% above the 10-year average of 55.9 million acres a year, the report said.
While Los Angeles County fire officials said firefighters are ready to respond to wildfires, they stressed that it is crucial more than ever for homeowners to step up their efforts to help reduce deaths and property damage.
“We can’t do this without your cooperation,” fire officials said. “Preparation and prevention go hand-in-hand.”
The notice went out even as Los Angeles fire officials said at a news conference that firefighters have had to rescue people who got trapped by the blazes because they did not heed mandatory evacuation orders.
At one point on Wednesday, six wildfires were burning at once over a 42-square-mile area of Los Angeles County.
Five fire-related deaths had previously been reported when the statement was posted.
However, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said in a press conference on Thursday afternoon that the death toll was expected to rise.
At the time, the Hurst Fire was still burning out of control in Pasadena and Altadena, two neighboring communities about 11 miles from downtown Los Angeles. Two of the biggest fires — the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire — were 0% contained.
Los Angeles County fire officials also emphasized the importance of having a “Ready! Set! Go!” action plan and re-released a video the fire department put out last year showing steps residents can take to reduce the risk of death and property destruction.
Their recommended action plan includes creating defensible space around homes by removing debris and dry vegetation up to 200 feet in diameter of houses. It also recommends clearing pine needles and leaves from roofs and gutters.
However, in addition to “Ready! Set! Go!” officials advised residents to create a personalized disaster action plan detailing evacuation routes and meeting locations.
They also urged homeowners to learn how to turn off gas lines, propane lines and electrical circuits before evacuating.
“When there’s little time to react during an emergency, your personal wildfire action plan will help guide you and your family during those critical moments,” Deputy Chief David Richardson Jr. of the Los Angeles County Fire Department says in the “Ready! Set! Go!” instruction video.
While fire officials believe many residents affected by the Los Angeles fires were saved by creating a disaster action plan, it remains unclear how many lives may have been spared through acts of preparedness.
Los Angeles emergency officials said the unprecedented fire conditions, including hurricane-force Santa Ana winds and drought conditions that dried out vegetation, formed a perfect storm for the fires.
“No, LA County and all 29 fire departments in our country are not prepared for this type of widespread disaster,” said Chief Jim McDonnell of the Los Angeles Police Department on Thursday.
He added that there were not enough firefighters to address all the fires that were currently burning at the same time in the County of Los Angeles.
