(MARANA, Ariz.) — Two people were confirmed dead after two small planes collided midair at Marana Regional Airport in Arizona on Wednesday.
There were two people onboard each aircraft, a Lancair and a Cessna, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The aircrafts collided while upwind of runway 12, according to preliminary information from the National Transportation Safety Board.
“The Cessna landed uneventfully; the Lancair impacted terrain near runway 3 and a post-impact fire ensued,” according to the NTSB.
The planes collided around 8:30 a.m. local time.
The FAA and NTSB will investigate, and NTSB investigators are on their way to the scene with two more on the way, officials said.
The Marana Regional Airport is an uncontrolled field — it does not have an operating ATC control tower. Pilots utilize a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency to announce their position to other aircrafts. The pilot in command is responsible for maintaining a safe distance from other aircrafts.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW ORLEANS) — The anticipation surrounding Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans is not just about which team will win, it’s whether or not the city can pull the game off without a serious security breach.
New Orleans has hosted 10 Super Bowls in previous years, but Sunday’s game at the Superdome is different. Just over a month before Sunday’s kick-off, the city was the target of a terrorist attack on New Year’s Day in which a driver racing down Bourbon Street killed 14 people, injured 57 others, and heightened fears among locals that the city is unprepared for the estimated 100,000 visitors expected to arrive this week.
“New Orleans never had a reputation as a high target type place” for terrorism, “it was always ‘the Big Easy,'” said Eric Cook, executive chef and owner of St. John, a restaurant in the city’s Central Business District that is just a short walk from the stadium. The attack, he said, “really made everyone realize we’re all vulnerable at any time. I have concerns about it, I really do.”
Security concerns were heightened this week after President Donald Trump announced he is planning to attend the game, a first for any sitting president.
NFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier said the NFL changed its security plan since the attack and is “constantly monitoring what is going on in the environment and security worlds” in the days leading up to the game. She said more than 2,700 state, federal, and local law enforcement will be present in and around the Superdome and private drones are prohibited. She declined to talk in specific about other measures the league is taking, citing security concerns.
In the weeks following the Bourbon Street attack, the FBI gave the game a Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) 1 rating, “defined as a significant event with national and/or international importance that requires extensive federal interagency support,” according to a threat assessment the agency released in late January.
The FBI said the game, along with days of activities leading up to kick-off, make it “an attractive target for foreign terrorist organizations, homegrown violent extremists, domestic violent extremists, lone offenders, hate crime perpetrators, and those engaged in other reportable targeted violence due to their potential to cause mass casualty incidents and draw attention to ideological causes.”
The report warns that a copycat attack is possible since “vehicle ramming has become a recurring tactic employed by threat actors in the west.” Other factors contributing to the threat environment is unrest in the Middle East, the high number of pre-game events in the city, the use of unauthorized unmanned aircraft systems, and the potential of cyberattacks “designed to facilitate short-term financial gain or highly visible, symbolic disruptions.”
Eric DeLaune, a special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, is tasked with coordinating federal efforts around the Super Bowl. “In the days ahead, there will be a significant increased law enforcement presence in New Orleans, some of which will be visible and obvious,” he told reporters Monday.
A congressional delegation led by Alabama Rep. Dale Strong, the chair of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, this week toured the site of the Bourbon Street attack and the Superdome before a briefing by the NFL and law enforcement officials.
“This tragedy could happen in any state, any city—that is why it is so important that we invest in local law enforcement and give them the capabilities they need to prevent crimes before they happen,” Strong said in a statement
Guns allowed, but not coolers
The Bourbon Street attack triggered a state of emergency from the state, which Gov. Jeff Landry followed up weeks later with an executive order that established a wide security perimeter around Bourbon Street, from Canal to St. Ann Streets and Royal to Dauphine Streets. Coolers and ice chests are prohibited and bag checks conducted by the Louisiana State Police will start Wednesday at every entry point leading to Bourbon Street.
For French Quarter residents like Glade Bilby, who has called the neighborhood home for more than 40 years and is president of French Quarter Citizens, a non-profit that focuses on quality of life issues, the added security is “welcome.” He said, however, the security focus on Bourbon Street is limiting.
Another attack “could happen anywhere,” he said. “If this happened on Barracks, Gov. Nichols, it still affects the French Quarter which is an international brand. If you’re really intent on doing evil, you’ll be able to do it no matter what.”
Bilby is among many here who have been vocal all week about the contraction established by Landry which prohibits coolers into the security perimeter while state law allows people to carry in firearms without a permit. “That’s very problematic. It ties one hand behind law enforcement’s back,” Bilby said.
When Landry took office last year, he signed into law legislation to allow for the carrying of a concealed handgun without a permit or training. He rejected pleas from lawmakers in New Orleans to make the French Quarter and other entertainment districts in the city exempt. That means, according to Metropolitan Crime Commission President Rafael Goyeneche “there’s nothing that can be done legally with respect to people bringing firearms into the French Quarter.”
If law enforcement discovers a checked bag contains a handgun, “they have no recourse but to let them walk into the French Quarter, and that poses a real threat,” Goyeneche told WWL radio last month.
Landry’s office did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment. He has not commented on rejecting the carve-out on his gun legislation for the French Quarter but said upon signing the gun bill: “It’s fundamentally clear—law-abiding citizens should never have to seek government permission to safeguard themselves and their families.”
New Orleans City Councilmember Joe Giarrusso said the city will continue to advocate to state lawmakers that an exception should be made to prohibit conceal carry in the French Quarter because the environment is so unique.
“You have so many tourists packed into a small space and we’re encouraging people to drink alcohol inside and outside. That’s the ethos of what is going on there,” he said. “Alcohol and guns don’t mix. This is not a partisan issue.”
Investigations pending
Besides the refusal to carve out the French Quarter as a gun-free zone, concerns remain that the city hasn’t learned a lesson from the security gaps that safety officials have said made it easier for Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S.-born citizen from Texas, to drive a truck for at least three blocks in the early morning of New Year’s Day.
Two investigations — one by the city council and a second launched by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill — are looking into why protective columns designed to block vehicle traffic were removed and why other anti-vehicle barriers were not deployed.
“The People of Louisiana deserve answers,” said Murrill. “We are committed to getting a full and complete picture of what was done or not done, and more importantly, what needs to change so we can prevent this from ever happening again.”
New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told the city council she hired former New York Police Commissioner William J. Bratton to serve as a consultant to investigate the security lapses.
Bratton did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment on the investigation.
Still, for all the promises and pending investigations and final reports, the big game will still proceed Sunday. Cook said an outcome without a major safety incident will be critical for businesses like his own that saw traffic drop following the New Year’s Day attack.
“We hope the success of this weekend will generate more trusting folks to come down here and visually see that New Orleans is open for business and we’re safe and we’re prepared,” Cook said.
Giarrusso admitted that New Orleanians are “weary and wary” but have no choice but to move forward.
“The whole point of terrorism is to prevent people from doing what in free society people are allowed to do,” he said. “We have to find a sweet spot of finding reasonable safety protection for people and ensuring we’re leading our lives the way we’re supposed to.”
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — A 17-year-old boy opened fire at a Nashville high school on Wednesday, killing one student and wounding a second student, according to police.
The teenager, who was armed with a pistol, fired multiple shots in the cafeteria at Antioch High School around 11:09 a.m., Nashville police said.
The suspect then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
One female student was killed. A second female student suffered a graze wound to the arm and is in stable condition at a local hospital, police said.
A male student was also injured in the incident but was not shot, police said. The cause of the injury was not clear.
A motive is not known, police said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
People watch as the hearse carrying the flag-draped casket of former President Jimmy Carter departs Phoebe Sumter Medical Center on January 4, 2025 in Americus, Georgia. (Photo by Alex Brandon – Pool/Getty Images)
(ATLANTA) — The emotional, week-long public goodbye to former President Jimmy Carter is underway.
Carter’s body was transferred from his hometown of Plains, Georgia, to Atlanta on Saturday. The former president, who died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100, will remain in Atlanta through Tuesday.
Carter to remain in Atlanta through Tuesday
Former President Jimmy Carter will lie in repose at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta through Tuesday.
Mourners can pay their respects at the center from 7 p.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Tuesday.
He will be transported to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday morning. A service will be held at the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon and the late president will lie in state at the Capitol on Wednesday.
On Thursday morning, dignitaries will gather in D.C. for Carter’s state funeral at Washington National Cathedral. President Joe Biden is expected to deliver a eulogy.
On Thursday afternoon, Carter will return to his hometown of Plains, Georgia, for a private service and private interment.
‘The two of them together changed the world’
Former President Jimmy Carter’s son Chip Carter thanked his parents for their service and sacrifice at Saturday’s service at the Carter Presidential Center.
“The two of them together changed the world,” he said, overcome with emotion.
Chip Carter called out the caregivers who cared for his father in the last years of his life, including one caregiver attending Saturday’s service who spent 6 years working for the former president.
“They are the people that helped keep him alive and comfortable and fed and cleaned,” Chip Carter said. “It was amazing, what they did for us.”
He also shared memories from his childhood.
Chip Carter said when he failed Latin, his dad spent Christmas break learning Latin and teaching it to him. Chip Carter said when he returned to school, he asked to re-take the test and got an A.
‘His legacy will live on,’ grandson says
At a service at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, former President Jimmy Carter’s grandson Jason Carter said the family has been planning for this day for a while, but it’s still difficult.
To the Carter Center employees, he said, “While we mourn my grandfather’s passing, I know in my heart — and you all do — that his legacy will live on not only because of the millions of people he touched across the globe,” but because of the tireless work of the Carter Center employees.
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter founded the Carter Center after his presidency to improve health around the world and enhance freedom and democracy.
Hearse arrives at Carter Presidential Center
Former President Jimmy Carter’s motorcade has arrived at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta for a 4 p.m. service.
“Hail to the Chief” and “America the Beautiful” were played as his coffin was brought to the building, with the Carter family looking on.
Carter’s son Chip Carter and grandson Jason Carter are expected to speak.
President Carter is survived by four children — John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff) and Amy Lynn — and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, died on Nov. 19, 2023, at age 96.
Motorcade stops at Georgia’s state capitol
The motorcade’s first stop in Atlanta is Georgia’s state capitol, where former President Jimmy Carter will be honored with a moment of silence.
Carter served as governor of Georgia and a state senator before becoming the 39th president.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens are among the officials coming to the capitol to pay their respects. The president’s eldest son, Jack Carter, briefly exited the car to shake officials’ hands.
Georgia state troopers who were on Carter’s protective detail during his time as governor also attended.
Carter’s White House portrait dressed in black bunting
Former President Jimmy Carter’s official White House portrait has been dressed in black bunting.
President Joe Biden ordered American flags to be flown at half-mast for 30 days following Carter’s death. He also marked Jan. 9, 2025, as a National Day of Mourning.
Georgia residents line the streets to watch motorcade
Georgia residents from Ellaville to Fort Valley lined the streets with their families, holding American flags, to watch former President Jimmy Carter’s motorcade pass by on Saturday.
The motorcade is driving through several Georgia towns while en route from Carter’s hometown of Plains to Atlanta.
The motorcade will reach Atlanta around 3 p.m.
Carter begins final journey to Atlanta
Former President Jimmy Carter is now taking his final drive to Atlanta.
The public can view the motorcade in the cities of Preston, Ellaville, Butler, Reynolds, and Fort Valley.
The motorcade will arrive in Atlanta at about 3 p.m. The first stop will be the state capitol for a moment of silence. Carter’s remains will then go to the Carter Presidential Center for a service at 4 p.m.
Hearse makes emotional stop at Carter’s boyhood home
The motorcade is stopping in front of the Plains, Georgia, farm that was former President Jimmy Carter’s boyhood home. The home had no running water or electricity during his childhood.
The home is now a part of the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park.
National Park Service employees who work at the home saluted the hearse and the farm bell was rung 39 times in his honor.
Motorcade drives through Plains
The motorcade next drove through the small town of Plains, Georgia, the lifelong home of former President Jimmy Carter.
Members of the public were invited to line the route to pay their respects.
Secret Service agents carry Carter’s remains to hearse
The week-long funeral ceremonies for former President Jimmy Carter are officially underway.
Members of the public holding American flags gathered outside the Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia, to honor Carter as his remains leave the facility.
Current and former Secret Service agents who protected Carter since he took office served as pallbearers, carrying the former president’s remains from the medical center to the waiting hearse.
The agents walked alongside the hearse with their hands on the vehicle as it slowly left the medical center.
After departing from the medical center, the motorcade will drive by Carter’s boyhood home in nearby Plains.
Carter will then be driven to Atlanta for a ceremony Saturday afternoon.
Motorcade arrives at medical center
The Carter family has arrived at the Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia, to witness the transfer of former President Jimmy Carter.
After leaving the medical center, the motorcade will drive by Carter’s boyhood home in nearby Plains. Carter will then be taken to Atlanta for an afternoon ceremony.
Schedule of events for this week’s services
Former president Jimmy Carter’s body will be transferred Saturday morning from his hometown of Plains, Georgia, to Atlanta.
A ceremony will be held at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Mourners can pay their respects to Carter in Atlanta over the following days before his remains are transferred to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
Carter will lie in state at the Capitol from Tuesday to Thursday.
Carter will be honored with a state funeral at Washington National Cathedral on Thursday morning. President Joe Biden expected to deliver a eulogy.
On Thursday afternoon, Carter and his family will return to Plains for a private service.
The public is then invited to line the motorcade route as Carter and his family travel through Plains to the late president’s final resting place.
