California radiologist, wife fatally shot in driveway in targeted attack, police say
Law enforcement on the scene after two people were shot and killed in Simi Valley, Calif., Dec. 1, 2025. KABC.
(SIMI VALLEY, Calif.) — A California doctor and his wife were shot and killed in their Simi Valley home in a targeted attack, not a random incident, according to police.
Dr. Eric Cordes and wife, Vicki, were shot multiple times in their open garage on Sunday. The couple was taken to a local hospital and later died of their injuries, the Simi Valley Police Department told ABC News.
Simi Valley Police said they’re actively investigating the murders and they believe there is no threat to the community.
Police would not reveal any information on possible suspects or the motive for the attack.
Dr. Cordes worked with Focus Medical Imaging for several years before his killing, the radiology clinic told ABC News.”
Dr. Eric Cordes was a brilliant, hard working doctor, and a respected colleague. He served the Simi Valley community and surrounding areas throughout his entire 30 plus year career. His tragic passing will leave a huge hole that will take a long time to fill,” Focus Medical Imaging said.
Adventist Health Simi Valley, where he also worked, called the couple’s killing a “shocking loss.”
“The Adventist Health Simi Valley community is heartbroken by the tragic deaths of our longtime colleague, Dr. Eric Cordes, and his wife, Vicki. Dr. Cordes was a highly respected, board-certified radiologist and beloved physician who served this community with compassion and excellence for nearly 30 years,” the hospital told ABC News in a statement.
Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket carrying astronauts Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyn, Kerianne Flynn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, and Lauren Sánchez lifts off from Launch Site One on April 14, 2025 in Van Horn, Texas. Blue Origin’s Mission NS-31 is the first all-female astronaut crew since 1963. (Justin Hamel/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Blue Origin will make history when it sends the first person who uses a wheelchair past the Kármán line, an internationally recognized boundary of space that’s 62 miles above Earth, on its next mission.
On Thursday, a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket will take Michaela ‘Michi’ Benthaus, an aerospace and mechatronics engineer who suffered a spinal cord injury after a mountain biking accident, along with five others, on a journey past the Kármán line. New Shepard rockets are fully reusable spacecraft that Blue Origin says require less maintenance between flights, saving money and reducing waste.
The NS-37 mission will be the 16th human flight for Blue Origin, which has taken 86 people — 80 individuals — above the Kármán line.
Benthaus, who works for the European Space Agency, has dedicated her career to scientific collaboration to advance interplanetary exploration, according to Blue Origin. Since her 2018 accident, she has advocated for greater access to space.
Benthaus flew aboard a Zero-G research flight in 2022 — also known as the “Vomit Comet” — and completed an analog astronaut mission, simulating space activities on Earth. She continues to pursue sporting activities outside of work, including wheelchair tennis, according to Blue Origin.
The other five members of the team include:
Joel Hyde is a physicist and quantitative investor, and a retired hedge fund partner. He resides in Florida with his wife and five children. Blue Origin says his passion for space was ignited in 1988 during a visit to the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center, leading him to earn a Ph.D. in Astrophysics.
Hans Koenigsmann is a German-American aerospace engineer known for his efforts in developing reusable spacecraft and launch vehicles. He spent two decades at SpaceX and remains influential in the aerospace community, serving in advisory roles across different companies, including Blue Origin.
Neal Milch is a business executive and entrepreneur who is currently the Chair of the Board of Trustees at Jackson Laboratory, where he champions genetic research to enhance human health.
Adonis Pouroulis is an entrepreneur and mining engineer with over 30 years of experience in natural resources and energy. He leads several companies, including Pella Resources and Chariot Limited, focusing on innovative energy technologies.
Jason Stansell is a space enthusiast from West Texas with a computer science degree from Tulane University. Blue Origin says his flight is in honor of his brother, Kevin, who passed away from brain cancer in 2016, by dedicating his upcoming flight to him.
Unlike recent orbital missions flown by SpaceX or NASA, New Shepard flights are suborbital, designed for brief human spaceflight experiences that cross the Kármán line before returning to Earth.
During the 10 to 12-minute flight, the group will experience several minutes of microgravity before returning to Earth.
The flight is scheduled to take off from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in West Texas on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey speaks with a constituent at a campaign event on October 26, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
(MINNEAPOLIS) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman in her car during operations in Minneapolis on Wednesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security, and the Minneapolis mayor is disputing the government’s claims surrounding what led up to the shooting.
According to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, the woman was allegedly “attempting to run over our law enforcement officers” when an ICE officer fatally shot her.
“An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots,” McLaughlin said.
“He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers,” she said, referring to the woman as part of a group of “rioters.”
The mayor, however, at an impassioned news conference said that he saw video of the incident and claimed the agent’s actions were not self-defense.
“This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying — getting killed,” Frey said.
Frey said it does not appear the victim — a 37-year-old woman and U.S. citizen — was driving her car toward the agent and using her car as a weapon. The victim “was an observer” and was “watching out for our immigrant neighbors,” according to Minneapolis City Council member Jason Chavez.
Minneapolis police said it indicates she was in her car and blocking the road. “At some point, a federal law enforcement officer approached her on foot, and the vehicle began to drive off,” police said. “At least two shots were fired … the vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway.”
“There is nothing to indicate that this woman was the target of any law enforcement investigation or activity,” police added. “… She appears to be a middle-aged white woman.”
Frey said his message to ICE is to “get the f— out” of Minneapolis.
“We’ve dreaded this moment since the early stages of this ICE presence in Minneapolis,” Frey said.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed the incident was an “act of domestic terrorism.”
“What had happened was our ICE officers were out in enforcement action, they got stuck in the snow because of the adverse weather that is in Minneapolis,” she said during remarks at a press briefing in Texas. “They were attempting to push out their vehicle, and a woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle.”
The Twin Cities are seeing a massive deployment of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents to conduct immigration enforcement and fraud investigations, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.
As many as 2,000 agents from ICE and HSI could be headed to the Minneapolis area but a source cautioned the number of agents could change.
Sources have told ABC News that as many as 600 HSI agents are being deployed and 1,400 ICE agents could be deployed as part of the increased enforcement operation.
The Trump administration has zeroed in on accusations of fraud at Somali-run childcare centers in recent weeks.
Noem was on the ground in Minneapolis on Tuesday conducting immigration enforcement.
ABC News’ Laura Romero contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(FRANKFORT, Ky.) — Multiple people were injured in a shooting Tuesday at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, according to the university and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
A suspect is in custody, according to Beshear and local police.
The Frankfort Police Department said it responded to an incident on the school’s campus Tuesday afternoon “regarding an active aggressor.”
“At this time, we are aware of some injuries,” Beshear said on X. “Let’s pray for all those affected.”
The campus is on lockdown until further notice, police said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
