Polaris Dawn astronauts begin historic first commercial spacewalk
(NEW YORK) — The SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission crew began the first-ever commercial space walk early Thursday.
Two crew members — commander Jared Isaacman and mission specialist Sarah Gillis — were expected to exit the Dragon spacecraft on the “extravehicular activity,” as SpaceX described it. Pilot Scott Poteet and mission specialist Anna Menon planned to stay inside the capsule to support the operation.
All crew members are now considered “spacewalkers” as the capsule was depressurized for the outing, thus exposing all four crew to the vacuum of space.
The mission plan said Isaacman and Gillis would both leave the capsule for 10 minutes each. The astronauts will hold a handrail system — called Skywalker and are on 8-foot tethers — significantly shorter than NASA spacewalkers have traditionally used.
Isaacman and Gillis plan to “perform a series of mobility tests in the newly-designed SpaceX EVA suit” during the spacewalk, SpaceX said on its website, where the operation was live streamed.
The entire spacewalk is expected to take around two hours, SpaceX said.
(NEW YORK) — Before he allegedly killed four members of his family with a pump-action shotgun, a New York auto mechanic displayed obvious signs of distress and issued threats that were the talk of his neighborhood, but police said no one told them.
The quadruple homicide in the Long Island town of Syosset might have been avoided had someone with knowledge of the mental health issues 59-year-old Joseph DeLucia Jr. exhibited leading up to Sunday’s killing had called 911.
“As a community, we hear things, we know things, we see things. If we don’t say something, sometimes the outcomes are like what we got [Sunday],” Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said at a news conference on Monday.
Ryder said if police had known of DeLucia’s condition, they might have been able to enforce New York’s “red flag” laws, enabling them to seize the Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun before he allegedly used it to fatally shoot his family members and himself.
The commissioner said a preliminary investigation found that there was talk in that community about the distress DeLucia was under after his mother, whom he lived with at the family home on Wyoming Avenue up to her death from natural causes on Aug. 19.
The victims were identified by police as Joanne Kearns, 69, of Tampa, Florida; Frank DeLucia, 64, of Durham, North Carolina; Tina Hammond, 64, and her daughter, Victoria Hammond, 30, both of Patchogue, New York.
The killings unfolded while DeLucia and his relatives were gathered Sunday at the family home to meet with a realtor about selling the residence over his objections, police investigators said.
DeLucia had allegedly become upset that he was going to be displaced from the home he had lived in his entire life without another place to go, officials said, citing preliminary information gathered by detectives.
Ryder said homicide investigators are probing unconfirmed reports that DeLucia had voiced threats to neighbors about using a gun to commit violence. He said neighbors told homicide detectives that days before the shooting DeLucia made threatening statements, saying, “If you hear gunshots, don’t bother calling 911. It’s going to be too late.”
“These are things that are disturbing to us in law enforcement. We open up so many avenues to use for help. Call 911, call the local precinct, or come down and visit us and talk to us. We will keep it anonymous,” Ryder said. “There are laws that are put in place to make sure individuals that are suffering through some mental health issues or current stress that we can remove weapons, like the ‘red flag’ laws.”
The shooting unfolded just before noon on Sunday when a 911 call was made by a neighbor reporting that DeLucia, who police said worked as a mechanic for a local auto dealer, had shot himself on the front lawn of his home, said Detective Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick of the Nassau County Police Department’s homicide squad.
After finding DeLucia on the front lawn, officers discovered four bodies in a den at the back of the residence, Fitzpatrick said. He said all of the victims had been shot multiple times and that the gunman likely reloaded the shotgun during the killings.
“He did have past mental issues, psychological issues that were reported to us that we still have not confirmed,” Fitzpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick said that DeLucia was not only distressed and panicked about being displaced from a home he had lived in his entire life, the suspect also thought he was being cut out of his mother’s will, a belief other relatives told investigators was inaccurate.
“Because of that perception, [DeLucia] decided that day to get a loaded Mossberg shotgun, 12 gauge, approach them in the rear area of the house and from the kitchen fired 12 shots striking all four of them multiple times,” Fitzpatrick said at Monday’s news conference. “He then took the weapon, went out onto the front lawn, was shouting indiscriminately about what had happened. A neighbor heard him doing this, called 911 and that was our 911 caller. He then self-inflicted a shot to the chest and killed himself.”
Fitzpatrick said police records showed officers had been called to the house once before in 2022 to conduct a welfare check on DeLucia.
“He was not displaying any signs of anything that we would take action and take him against his will, that he was dangerous to himself or others at the time,” said Fitzpatrick, adding that DeLucia also had a prior arrest on his record for driving while impaired in 1983.
Fitzpatrick said police are still investigating where and when DeLucia obtained the shotgun, which he said had not been modified and was a legal weapon. He said detectives have found no records showing DeLucia had a handgun permit.
New York enacted red flag laws in 2019 and Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law in September 2023 strengthening the laws, also called Extreme Risk Orders of Protection. State records, according to the governor’s office, show that New York State Police filed 1,385 Extreme Risk Orders of Protection to seize 2,549 guns in 2023.
Besides New York, 20 other states have enacted red flag laws within the past six years.
Commissioner Ryder said the lesson that should be taken from Sunday’s massacre is to “speak up.”
“This is 2024. We will protect you, we will protect your identity,” Ryder said. “Tell us what you hear. Tell us what you see.”
(LOS ANGELES) — An operation is underway Thursday by the Los Angeles Police Department to make arrests in the murder of “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Wactor was shot “without provocation” around 3:25 a.m. on May 25, after he ended his shift at a bar and walked to his car, according to police.
He was confronted by three people who had his car “raised up with a floor jack and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter,” police said in a statement.
In a press conference Tuesday, Wactor’s mother, Scarlett Wactor, urged Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and District Attorney George Gascón to strengthen the criminal justice system.
“It needs to start with LA. People watch you from across the country. And this is where change needs to start,” Scarlett Wactor said.
Scarlett Wactor told reporters what the loss of her son has meant to her.
“I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but grief is my constant companion,” she said.
Earlier in August, police released new images of the three suspects accused of killing Wactor and the car they fled in.
Police asked for public assistance in identifying the three suspects.
The suspect accused of shooting Wactor has a tattoo above the left eye and on the right cheek, according to police.
The three individuals fled the scene in a black Infiniti Q50 Sedan, which police said was stolen.
In an emotional press conference in June, Wactor’s family and friends pushed for arrests to be made in the case.
“I’m here because one of the best men — if not the best man — I’ve ever known, was tragically and brutally taken from this earth,” Wactor’s friend, Micah Parker, said at the news conference. “He was taken from his mother, his brothers, his extended family, his friends and his fans.”‘
Just before he was shot, Wactor had been with a female co-worker, and he immediately stepped in front of her to try to protect her, according to his family and friends.
“They had a mask on and they pulled out a gun,” Wactor’s friend, Colin Flynn, told ABC News. “And from what I understand, Johnny literally stood in between himself and his colleague. And the shooter just pulled the trigger and ran away.”
In a message to the culprits, Parker vowed, “We are going to find you.”
“You do not get to terrorize our streets, stealing and killing with impunity anymore,” Parker said.
“To the LAPD, who are out there risking their lives every day, who are here with us today, I first want to say thank you,” Parker said. “But I also implore you to please — not rest, do not relent, until these three killers are brought to justice.”
Wactor played a recurring character in “General Hospital” from 2020 to 2022. He also appeared in other TV series, including “Criminal Minds,” “Siberia” and “Westworld.” He was called “one of a kind” in a statement on the official Instagram account for “General Hospital.”
“The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactor’s untimely passing,” the statement read. “He was truly one of a kind and a pleasure to work with each and every day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones during this difficult time.”
Wactor’s manager said in a statement to ABC News at the time that he was “still processing this unfortunate and senseless tragedy.”
“Johnny Wactor was such a kind soul, a talented actor and an inspiration to those around him. His professionalism, his enthusiasm and love for his craft was infectious and made him such a joy to work with. He pursued his dreams and achieved them, all the while remaining a good human being caring for others,” he said. “I am proud to say I was Johnny’s manager and friend. He will always be cherished in my memory.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — D.C. police officer Wayne David died on Wednesday evening after he suffered an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound while trying to recover a weapon from a storm drain, police have announced.
Officers were responding to reports of a suspicious vehicle when a man jumped out of a car, ran onto the I-295 highway and placed the gun inside a storm drain, ABC News has learned. The suspect then fled the scene on the back of a motorcycle.
When police then tried to retrieve the weapon, it went off, striking David — a 25-year veteran of the police force — in the upper torso. Other officers rendered aid and David was transferred to a local hospital.
Executive Assistant Chief of D.C. Police Jeffery Caroll told reporters earlier in the day that David — a crime scene search officer — was “trained to recover evidence and firearms,” and had recovered “hundreds of guns” in his career.
Pamela A. Smith, the D.C. chief of police, said in a statement: “Our hearts are heavy tonight after the tragic loss of one of our own.”
“Investigator Wayne David, a veteran MPD officer, lost his life while serving in the line of duty. There are few words to express the hurt and pain that Officer David’s family and the entire MPD is feeling right now,” Smith said.
“Investigator David was the epitome of a great officer. He was a dedicated and highly respected member of the department, and this is a tremendous loss for all of us,” she continued.
“For more than 25 years, Investigator David dedicated his life to protecting and safeguarding the District of Columbia. He served with passion and honor and had the utmost respect of his peers,” Smith added.
“I will be forever grateful for Investigator David’s service to the Metropolitan Police Department and his life will never be forgotten,” the statement read.
Police are still searching for the suspect who ditched the gun, and said there is no indication that the man knew the motorcyclist whose vehicle he escaped on. The department has released an image of the suspect.