2 killed, several hurt in Halloween night shooting in Orlando, mayor announces local state of emergency

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.

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When will airports in Tampa and Orlando areas reopen post-Hurricane Milton?
When will airports in Tampa and Orlando areas reopen post-Hurricane Milton?
Saul Martinez/Getty Images

(TAMPA, Fla.) — Cleanup and damage assessments are underway at airports in Florida after Hurricane Milton barreled into the state’s western coast as a Category 3 storm.

Multiple airports in the Tampa, Sarasota and Orlando areas closed in the hours and days ahead of landfall, with thousands of flights canceled.

Bridges and roads were also closed in the wake of Milton, with damage assessments underway.

Here’s a look at the latest on when airports are expected to reopen.

Tampa International Airport

The airport announced it will reopen for commercial and cargo operations at 8 a.m. Friday, after conducting a “thorough inspection of the 3,300-acre campus and its buildings.”

“Roadways are clear and parking garages are in good shape,” airport officials said. “The City of Tampa confirmed the Airport is not experiencing wastewater issues and the Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting station had no significant damage. The FAA reports the air traffic control tower is ready for full operations.”

The airport’s campus did sustain some damage following the extreme wind gusts and heavy rainfall during the hurricane and some areas will need repairs, airport officials said. Among the impacts, six boarding bridges that move passengers to aircraft were damaged by high winds and parts of the main terminal had leaks and need repairs.

The airport is also “evaluating staffing levels after one of the biggest evacuation events we’ve had in recent Tampa Bay history.”

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport

All flights out of the Tampa Bay-area airport have been canceled on Thursday.

Airport officials had previously announced the airport will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday and advised passengers to contact airlines directly “for information regarding cancellations and resumption of service.”

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport

The Sarasota airport will remain closed on Thursday and Friday, airport officials said.

“SRQ is currently assessing conditions and beginning cleanup post Hurricane Milton,” the airport said while advising customers to watch for further updates on social media.

The airport recorded one of the strongest gusts of any location during the storm at 102 mph.

Orlando International Airport

The airport remains closed to commercial and private passenger operations, after the Orlando region was hit with powerful wind gusts and rain overnight, as crews conduct damage assessments.

“Greater Orlando Aviation Authority leadership will make a determination on when both airports can reopen, based on feedback from crews surveying the buildings and grounds,” airport officials said.

The airport noted that a Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM) filed with the FAA before Milton’s arrival showed the airport is scheduled to open at 6 p.m. Thursday, but noted that does not take into account damage assessment.

“The airport and partners also need time to bring in adequate staff and to prepare working areas to better serve customers,” airport officials said. “The public should not rely on the NOTAM for a guaranteed opening announcement.”

Orlando Sanford International Airport

The airport, located north of Orlando in Sanford, said it will resume operations on Friday.

Allegiant passengers were advised to check with the airline for questions about how Milton might impact their flights.

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E. coli cases linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders rise to 75 across 13 states: CDC
E. coli cases linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders rise to 75 across 13 states: CDC
Matt Cardy/Getty Images

The number of cases in a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has risen to 75, according to new federal data released Friday.

Cases have been reported in 13 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Most of the cases have been in Colorado, which has 26 reported cases, and Montana, which has 13 reported cases, according to the CDC.

Cases have also been reported in Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming, according to the CDC, which further notes that illnesses have occurred between Sept. 27 and Oct. 10 of this year.

Of the 61 people about whom the CDC has information, 22 have been hospitalized, and two developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious, potentially fatal complication of E. coli infection that can cause kidney failure, according to the CDC.

One death has been reported in Colorado in connection with the outbreak. The person was a resident of Mesa County in the western part of the state, according to the Mesa County department of health.

“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC said in its update. “This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for E. coli. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.”

McDonald’s says either fresh, slivered onions or beef patties used for the Quarter Pounder may be behind the outbreak.

Following the initial announcement of the outbreak on Tuesday, the fast-food company announced it had proactively removed two ingredients from stores across two affected regions. The company’s leadership team said that a majority of other menu items are not impacted, according to the CDC investigation.

McDonald’s confirmed in a statement to ABC News that Taylor Farms is the supplier of the sliced onions the fast-food chain removed, but it is unclear whether Taylor Farms provides its products directly to McDonald’s or through an intermediary.

Taylor Farms issued a voluntary recall on Wednesday for its raw onions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said that raw slivered onions and the beef patties are the focus of their investigation as potential E. coli sources, but also indicated that preliminary data suggests the onions are “a likely source of contamination.”

ABC News’ Kelly McCarthy and Taylor Dunn contributed to this report.

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A look at college admissions diversity after SCOTUS affirmative action decision
A look at college admissions diversity after SCOTUS affirmative action decision
Jon Lovette/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — More than one year after the Supreme Court set new limits on the use of affirmative action in college admissions, the results of the controversial decision are beginning to trickle in.

However, the results are a mixed bag, with schools seeing varied changes in the diversity makeup of their incoming freshman class after adjusting their admissions policies.

For example, the Yale University class of 2028 saw no difference from the class of 2027 when it came to the percentage of African American students and Native American students. The Hispanic/Latino and International student populations remained roughly the same, dropping and rising, respectively, by 1%. However, the Asian American population dropped by 6%, the white population rose by 4%.

When comparing Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s class of 2027 to 2028, the Black population dropped from 15% to 5%, the Hispanic/Latino population dropped from 16% to 11%, and the white population decreased by 1%.

The Asian American population increased from 40% to 47% and both the American Indian/Alaskan Native and international populations increased by 1%.

Affirmative action policies allowed institutions to take into account an individual student’s race or ethnicity as one factor of many during the college admissions selection process. It rose to popularity in the 1960s to address racial inequities in access to higher education.

Researchers previously told ABC News that societal injustices – such as economic inequality, segregation and academic inequity in K-12 schools – as well as the lasting impact of historical exclusion from colleges and universities against Black and brown students have led to the continued underrepresentation in four-year institutions.

A landmark Supreme Court ruling in 1978 – in the case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke – cemented affirmative action policies in college and university admissions for decades and led to an increase in diversity on campuses.

However, the 2023 decision by the Supreme Court sided in part with Students for Fair Admissions, a conservative group that challenged race-related admissions policies. Members argued that the affirmative action policies at the schools were discriminatory against white and Asian students.

Now, as a new class of students head back to campus, many are looking at how schools might feel the impact of the required policy change.

Here’s a look at the difference in student diversity at several other institutions that have published their class breakdown:

Princeton University saw a decrease in its Asian population and International incoming populations, both of which dropped by about 2%. The Black or African American incoming population saw a .1% dip, and the Hispanic/Latino population saw a 1% dip.

However, at least 7.7% of the class’ racial or ethnic identity is unknown. Princeton did not publish the percentage of white students in its class of 2027, but noted that 31.3% of students in the class of 2028 are white.

Amherst College in Massachusetts reported larger drops in the Black and Latinx incoming student population. The incoming Black student population decreased from 19% to 9% and the Latinx population decreased from 14% to 10%, the American Indian or Alaska Native incoming population dropped by 1%.

The percentage of white students rose by 2% and the Asian student percentage increased by 1%.

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