2 killed, several hurt in Halloween night shooting in Orlando, mayor announces local state of emergency
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(ORLANDO, Fl) — The mayor of Orlando, Florida, is cracking down in the city’s entertainment district after two people were killed and several others injured in a Halloween night shooting.
The suspect, 17-year-old Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, has been taken into custody, Orlando police said.
Officers responded to reports of shots fired just after 1 a.m. Friday, and within minutes, the officers witnessed a second shooting, police said.
One person was killed at the first scene and the second victim was killed at the second scene, police said.
Nine people, aged 18 to 39, were injured, some critically, police said.
The suspect walked by more than 10 officers just before opening fire, Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said.
Surveillance video captured the chaos of people fleeing the scene as officers apprehended the suspect.
Edgar has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and six counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, police said.
A motive is unknown, Smith said.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said he’s issuing a local state of emergency for establishments in the downtown entertainment area, which will ban alcohol sales after midnight and implement a curfew from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.
“It’s unfortunate that the changes in the state concealed weapons laws [in 2023] have made it even easier for people to carry guns,” Dyer said at a news conference.
“You can legally carry a firearm unless you fall into a certain kind of category: underage, convicted felon,” Smith explained. “For most people, it allows them, without getting a concealed weapons permit, to carry a gun concealed.”
ABC News’ Jason Volack contributed to this report.
(LOS ANGELES) — Los Angeles County has been devastated by two deadly wildfires that have become some of the most destructive in California history.
The Palisades and Eaton fires both erupted on Jan. 7, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong Santa Ana winds.
Dozens of people are believed to have died in the fires, which have burned down whole swaths of communities, including in the Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Altadena and Pasadena. More than 12,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed in the two fires, with the Eaton Fire the most destructive in Los Angeles history.
With the fires continuing to rage, the full scope of the lives lost and destruction remains to be seen.
While working to contain the Palisades and Eaton fires, firefighters also have had to contend with several smaller fires that have ignited amid the hazardous fire conditions.
Here’s a look at how the deadly blazes unfolded.
Jan. 7
A dayslong red flag warning goes into effect for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, with very strong winds in the forecast amid dry conditions.
“Strong, damaging and potentially life-threatening #SantaAnaWinds are still on track for #SoCal,” the National Weather Service in Los Angeles warns. “Be prepared for strong winds and high fire danger.”
10:20 a.m.: A live camera with AlertCalifornia, a UC San Diego program to monitor wildfires and disasters in real-time, picks up smoke rising. This is the first sighting of the Palisades Fire.
10:30 a.m.: Cal Fire reports the Palisades Fire has started southeast of Palisades Drive in the Pacific Palisades.
11:44 a.m.: Evacuation warnings — voluntary notices to leave — begin to be issued in the Palisades Fire.
Noon: Mandatory evacuation orders start in the Palisades Fire. Long lines of vehicles can be seen amid evacuations, as well as abandoned cars.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency due to the Palisades Fire, which has grown to 1,200 acres at the time of his declaration.
6:18 p.m.: Cal Fire reports the Eaton Fire has begun in Altadena, describing the incident as a “fast-moving fire burning brush fueled by high winds,” prompting evacuation orders.
6:26 p.m.: The Los Angeles Fire Department calls on all of its firefighters to report for duty.
10:29 p.m.: Cal Fire reports the Hurst Fire has begun in Sylmar, prompting evacuations.
Jan. 8
Newsom says more than 1,400 firefighting personnel and hundreds of “prepositioned assets” have been deployed to battle the “unprecedented fires” ravaging parts of Los Angeles, with the Palisades Fire growing to nearly 3,000 acres and the Eaton Fire to 1,000 acres by the morning.
5 a.m.: A wind gust of 100 mph is recorded at Mountain Lukens in the San Gabriel Mountains, northeast of La Canada Flintridge — very close to the Eaton Fire.
6:15 a.m.: Cal Fire reports the Woodley Fire has begun in the Sepulveda Basin.
At a morning press briefing, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone reports that two people have died in the Eaton Fire, as it continues to rage uncontrolled.
The city of Pasadena issues a do-not-drink-water notification alert due to damage to water reservoirs, tanks and pumping stations, and an air quality alert is issued for parts of Los Angeles County, amid the wildfire impacts.
President Joe Biden approves a major disaster declaration for California, allowing impacted communities to immediately access recovery funds and resources related to the major wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area.
2:07 p.m.: Cal Fire reports the Lidia Fire has begun in Acton, prompting evacuations.
5:57 p.m.: A fire has begun in the famed Hollywood Hills, Cal Fire reports. The Sunset Fire prompts evacuations.
8:07 p.m.: The Woodley Fire in the Sepulveda Basin is now fully contained, Cal Fire reports.
By the evening, Newsom updates that more than 7,500 firefighting personnel are on the ground to respond to “California’s ongoing historic wildfires.”
Jan. 9
The Palisades Fire has now burned more than 17,000 acres, while the Eaton Fire has grown to more than 10,000 acres, as both are 0% contained.
Newsom announces he has approved a request from Los Angeles County to deploy the California National Guard to support law enforcement efforts in the region, including in efforts to target looting in evacuated communities.
Biden also announces the federal government will cover 100% of the disaster response to the Los Angeles wildfires for 180 days, up from the 75% to 90% that is typically covered.
3:34 p.m.: Cal Fire reports the Kenneth Fire has started in West Hills, prompting evacuations.
3:55 p.m.: Cal Fire reports the Sunset Fire in Hollywood Hills is 100% contained.
Around 4 p.m.: An evacuation alert is mistakenly sent to millions of Los Angeles County residents, officials said. The county subsequently called the error a “serious breach of public trust” and said, for now, the state’s Office of Emergency Services would be handling alerts to the public.
Jan. 10
The Palisades Fire has grown to nearly 20,000 acres with 6% containment, and the Eaton Fire to nearly 14,000 acres with 0% containment.
Los Angeles officials announce that a 12-hour curfew, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., is in effect for all evacuated areas to protect homes and prevent looting.
11:24 a.m.: Cal Fire reports the Archer Fire has begun in Granada Hills, prompting evacuations.
That afternoon, Newsom calls for an independent investigation into the “loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the reported unavailability of water supplies” from the Santa Ynez Reservoir, following a Los Angeles Times report that the Pacific Palisades reservoir had been closed for repairs at the time the destructive fire started.
“We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to fight these catastrophic fires,” he says on X.
Jan. 11
The Palisades Fire is now more than 21,000 acres with 11% containment, while the Eaton Fire is more than 14,000 acres with 15% containment.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is leading a task force investigating the cause and origin of the fires, officials announce. The task force is made up of local, state and federal partners designed to investigate the cause of these fires and to see if there’s any connection between them.
Newsom also announces he is doubling the California National Guard’s deployment to the Los Angeles fires to 1,680 service members, as they are “continuing to rush in resources to rapidly respond to the firestorm in Los Angeles fueled by hurricane-force winds,” he says in a statement.
7:40 a.m.: Cal Fire reports the Lidia Fire in Acton is 100% contained.
8:41 a.m.: The Archer Fire in Granada Hills is fully contained, Cal Fire reports.
Jan. 12
The Palisades Fire is now more than 23,000 acres and 11% contained while the Eaton Fire is more than 14,000 acres and 27% contained.
There have been at least 24 fire-related deaths — eight in the Palisades Fire and 16 in the Eaton Fire, according to the latest tally from the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner.
As the wildfires continue to burn, the National Weather Service issues another red flag warning for fire danger in Southern California through Jan. 15, with high winds again in the forecast. Power shutoffs in evacuated areas will remain through the red flag warning, fire officials said.
The California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund has collected more than $6 million in donations, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announces, with more than 13,000 people from across the country and the globe donating.
7:48 a.m.: Cal Fire reports the Kenneth Fire in West Hills is 100% contained.
Jan. 13
The Palisades Fire is now 14% contained, while the Eaton Fire is 33% contained. More than 15,000 firefighting personnel have been deployed for the fires, ahead of the latest fire threat, Newsom says.
Four separate lawsuits are filed against Southern California Edison, a utility company in California, by homeowners and renters who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire. The lawsuits each allege the company failed to de-energize all of its electrical equipment despite red flag warnings issued by the National Weather Service.
A group of Pacific Palisades residents and businesses impacted by the Palisades Fire also files a lawsuit against Los Angeles’ Department of Water and Power, alleging that the city and its agency were unprepared for the Palisades Fire.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Fire agencies are investigating whether Southern California Edison — a subsidiary of Edison International — infrastructure sites caused fires in areas devastated by the Eaton and Hurst wildfires.
Pedro Pizarro, the president and CEO of Edison International, tells “Good Morning America” that the company cannot yet rule out the possibility that its energy infrastructure played a role in the fires, as they have not yet been able to examine the equipment.
6:27 p.m.: Cal Fire reports the Hurst Fire is 97% contained after burning nearly 800 acres in Sylmar.
9:25 p.m.: Cal Fire reports the Auto Fire has started in Ventura, prompting evacuations.
Jan. 14
The Palisades Fire is now 17% contained, while the Eaton Fire is 35% contained.
More than 30 people remain unaccounted for in the fires, authorities say at a morning briefing. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department says it is following 24 missing persons cases, all adults, while the Los Angeles Police Department says it has 13 active missing persons cases, two of whom are believed to be dead.
In the afternoon, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner reports an additional fire-related death in the Eaton Fire, bringing the total fatalities in the two wildfires to 25. The Eaton Fire is the fifth-deadliest in the state’s history, with 16 reported deaths.
Jan. 15
The Palisades Fire is now 19% contained and the Eaton Fire 45% contained, as firefighters continue to work to contain and suppress the fires with the red flag warning in effect through the afternoon.
ABC News’ James Hill, Laura Romero, Alexandra Myers, Kate Holland, Kerem Inal, Helena Skinner, Lena Camilletti, Kirsten Cintigo, Tonya Simpson, Tomas Navia and Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.
Regina Mullen, mother of, Kyle, a Navy SEAL that died in February 2022/ABC News
(NEW YORK) –The mother of a Navy SEAL recruit who died after completing “hell week” training has told ABC News that the cases against the men she blames for her son’s death were dismissed by the Navy and she says she hasn’t been told why.
In February 2022, 24-year-old Kyle Mullen died after successfully endured the 120-hour week of brutal training that’s designed to push Navy SEAL candidates to their physical and mental limits.
His mother, Regina Mullen, is now demanding accountability for his death.
Mullen recounted parts of her son’s story on “Good Morning America” in an interview with ABC News’ Will Reeve airing on Tuesday morning.
“I got a text. It said, ‘Hell Week Secured!’” Mullen told “GMA.” “So I immediately called him and he answered and he was out of breath and he said, ‘Hey mom, I did it. Hell Week secured.’ And I said, First I’m like, ‘my God, you’re all happy.’ And then I’m like, ‘wait a minute, you all right? Are you in a hospital? You don’t sound good.’”
“All he said to me is, ‘Mom, I love you. Don’t worry about me. And he hung up,” Mullen continued.
Kyle died hours later from bacterial pneumonia, with the final medical check showing swollen legs that required him to be sent back to his barracks in a wheelchair with abnormalities in his lungs and severe trouble breathing.
A Navy investigation cited failures “across multiple systems” that led to a number of candidates being at a “higher risk of serious injury” with “inconsistent medical monitoring.”
Additionally, a “lack of training” among commanding officers and an “at all costs” mindset among the candidates was also cited in the investigation.
“We have a failed leadership and under a command that killed a man unnecessarily and injured many,” said Regina Mullen. “I think it’s pretty reasonable to ask for accountability.”
Mullen insists that Capt. Brad Geary, who was in charge of her son’s trainee class, and Cmdr. Doctor Erik Ramey are responsible.
But now, with the case being dismissed, Regina Mullen said questions still remain about the quality of her son’s medical care and that she has not yet been provided with any answers.
“The Navy’s not giving me what I’m asking for,” Mullen said. “The medical treatment of Kyle’s care — why won’t they provide it? I want the Board of Inquiry to be reinstated. This is what I really want so we can go public.”
A lawyer for Geary released a statement to ABC News saying “this case was badly mishandled from the beginning. When we were noticed for the board of inquiry it became very clear that a comprehensive investigation had never been done and the deciding officer hadn’t had access to all the evidence. Through the discovery process, the Navy was forced to gather all the relevant evidence which made continuing the case unsustainable.”
Ramey’s attorney told ABC News that “we invested a substantial amount of time investigating the case with the assistance of top medical experts. The overwhelming evidence confirmed that Dr. Ramey met the medical standard of care.”
The investigation also looked into allegations of the use of performance enhancing drugs among SEAL candidates. Authorities say they found a bottled labeled as human growth hormone in Mullen’s car. Investigators, however, “determined that [Mullen] died in the line of duty, and not due to own misconduct.”
Mullen says the medical examiner told her they did not test her son for steroid use. “She said that they didn’t test for it because it was irrelevant to the cause of death. Right. For the medical exam, for the Navy medical examiner.”
The Navy has refused to comment, “citing privacy considerations for the officers.”
“Cases sometimes take a long time and that can be frustrating,” Regina Mullen’s attorney, Kevin Uniglicht, told ABC News. “The problem in this case is that when we have a dismissal, we don’t have a basis for it. Secondly, when we’re doing our investigation and we can’t find documents, we have to question, where are the documents? Was there ever treatment? If there is treatment, why didn’t it follow the military’s protocol on medical standards?”
“We’re trying to figure out what they’re hiding. It’s simple as that,” Uniglicht continued.
Since her son’s death, Regina Mullen says she has seen some improvement, with candidate’s vitals being checked more consistently and preventative antibiotics administered prior to “hell week” so sailors don’t catch pneumonia. But, she says, more work still needs to be done.
Mullen said she still lives with the pain of her son’s death every day.
“I’m deflated, I’m upset,” Mullen said. “The pain is unreal for me. I don’t get the call anymore. I don’t get the jokes anymore. I don’t get the little cards. I don’t get that anymore.”
“Before he left the Navy, I said, ‘how am I going to live my life if something happens to you?’” Mullen continued. “He said, ‘Mom, you’re the strongest person I know. You got this.’”
“He was just trying to be a hero and protect people,” Mullen said. “And it happened by his own … own country, by his own military.”
(GATESVILLE, Tx.) — The family of Melissa Lucio, a death row inmate whose execution was delayed in 2022, expressed hope that the Texas woman would be freed after a judge concluded last month that Lucio is “actually innocent” after she was convicted of capital murder in 2008 for the death of her 2-year-old daughter.
“This is the best news we could get going into the holidays,” said her son, John Lucio, and daughter-in-law Michelle Lucio in a statement released by the Innocence Project.
“We pray our mother will be home soon,” the Lucios added, joined by Lucio’s son, Bobby Alvarez.
In a 62-page ruling that was signed on Oct. 16, 2024, and reviewed by ABC News, Senior State District Judge Arturo Nelson recommended that Lucio’s conviction and death sentence be overturned in the 2007 death of her daughter Mariah.
The judge found that prosecutors suppressed evidence and testimony – including statements from Lucio’s other children – that could support the argument that Lucio was not abusive and that her daughter’s death was accidental after a fall down the stairs.
“This Court finds (Lucio) has satisfied her burden and produced clear and convincing evidence that she is actually innocent of the offense of capital murder,” Nelson wrote in the ruling.
“(T)his Court concludes there is clear and convincing evidence that no rational juror could convict Applicant of capital murder or any lesser included offense,” Nelson added.
The judge’s recommendation was sent to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for review. ABC News reached out to the court for updates in the case.
“Melissa Lucio lived every parent’s nightmare when she lost her daughter after a tragic accident,” Vanessa Potkin, director of special litigation at the Innocence Project, and one of Lucio’s attorneys, said in a statement on Thursday.
“It became a nightmare from which she couldn’t wake up when she was sent to death row for a crime that never happened. After 16 years on death row, it’s time for the nightmare to end. Melissa should be home right now with her children and grandchildren.”
Lucio has maintained her innocence over the years.
ABC News reached out to the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted this case, but a request for comment was not immediately returned.
Lucio’s story gained national attention through filmmaker Sabrina Van Tassel’s 2020 Netflix documentary, “Melissa vs. the State of Texas,” a documentary that follows Lucio’s journey on death row as she filed her last appeal.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers backed the calls to free the Texas woman and her case was further bolstered by celebrities who called for her freedom, like Kim Kardashian and Helen Prejean, the Catholic nun who wrote the book “Dead Man Walking.”
Abraham Bonowitz, coordinator of the #FreeMelissaLucio Campaign and executive director of Death Penalty Action, told ABC News in a statement on Thursday that Lucio credits the film with bringing attention to her case.
“Melissa Lucio was once two days from execution. It took a film viewed by millions and a massive public relations campaign just to halt her execution and get the courts to order a fresh look at the evidence,” Bonowitz said.
“If it were not for the film that was created, there would never have been enough pressure to stop the execution, which should concern us all — that if you don’t have a film and you don’t have a big campaign, then you can’t be heard,” Bonowitz added in a phone interview on Monday with ABC News.
Amid growing calls for the court to review her case in 2022, Lucio was granted a stay of her scheduled April 27, 2022, execution by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on April 25, 2022 – after nearly 15 years on death row.
“I thank God for my life,” Lucio said in an April 2022 statement reacting to the stay. “I am grateful the Court has given me the chance to live and prove my innocence. Mariah is in my heart today and always. I am grateful to have more days to be a mother to my children and a grandmother to my grandchildren.”
