Missouri firefighter-paramedic stabbed to death in ‘senseless act’: Officials
KCFD
(KANSAS CITY, MI) — In what officials called “a senseless act,” a paramedic Graham Hoffman, 29 years old, had been with the Kansas City Fire Department since 2022.
“Early Sunday morning, Firefighter Hoffman was critically injured after being stabbed in the chest, piercing his heart, while transporting a patient to a local hospital on what began as a routine medical call from the police,” a statement from the city said. “His partner immediately initiated a crew emergency.”
He was rushed to North Kansas City Hospital, where he died from his injuries, Fire Chief Ross Grundyson said.
“KCFD crews worked tirelessly to save Firefighter Hoffman’s life en route to North Kansas City Hospital,” the city’s statement added. “Lifesaving efforts continued in the emergency room before Graham was moved into surgery. Despite the heroic efforts … Firefighter Hoffman, succumbed to his injuries in the intensive care unit.”
Officials said the suspect was in custody on Sunday, but did not provide details.
“I expect and will demand justice,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said at a news conference on Sunday. “I never expected a line of duty death like this one.”
“Graham was a dedicated professional who loved serving his city,” the KCFD posted on Facebook. “He will be greatly missed.”
(BUFFALO, N.Y) — Payton Gendron, the teenager who killed 10 Black people at the Topps supermarket in East Buffalo in 2022, claims he cannot get a fair trial in Western New York, so his federal death-penalty eligible case should move to New York City, his attorneys said in a new court filing.
Gendron pleaded guilty in November 2022 to state charges, including domestic terrorism motivated by hate, and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted of federal crimes.
His federal trial is scheduled to begin in September.
Gendron’s attorneys argued that “due to the overwhelming amount of pretrial publicity, combined with the impact of this case on Buffalo’s segregated communities of color, it is impossible for Payton Gendron to select a fair and impartial jury in the Western District of New York.”
The lawyers asked for change of venue to the Southern District of New York, encompassing Manhattan, the Bronx and the northern suburbs, because it is “far enough from the local media market to be less impacted by it” and because “the S.D.N.Y. also has sufficient minority representation that has not been directly impacted by the shooting and its aftermath that a diverse and representative jury should be able to be selected.”
There was no immediate comment from federal prosecutors, who would be expected to file their opposition or consent in court papers.
Gendron has separately asked the judge to strike the death penalty as a possible punishment, arguing the decision to seek it had a “discriminatory intent and discriminatory effect.”
The judge has yet to rule.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK CITY) — A tourist helicopter carrying family members from Spain plunged into the Hudson River in New York City, killing six, including three children.
The New York Helicopters chartered chopper, which was carrying a pilot, two adults and three children, fell into the Hudson River by Lower Manhattan in New York City on Thursday afternoon, officials said during a press briefing.
Agustin Escobar, an executive from European automation company Siemens, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their children — aged 4, 5 and 11 years old — were killed in the crash along with the pilot, aged 36, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
The crash occurred at 3:17 p.m. off the coast of River Drive in Hoboken, New Jersey, just over 15 minutes after it departed from the Wall St. Heliport. The helicopter reached the George Washington Bridge before turning south and crashing, officials said during the briefing.
The five-person family was from Barcelona, Spain, two Spanish officials told ABC News on Thursday.
“Our hearts go out to the family and those on board,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during the briefing.
Video from the crash showed the chopper plunging into the water without a tail rotor or a main rotor blade. Officials said it hit the water inverted.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
Jersey City Medical Center, where the passengers were transported after the crash, tried as hard as they could, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop told ABC News.
President Donald Trump took to his social media platform on Thursday evening, calling the crash “terrible” and saying that the footage of the accident is “horrendous.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a post to X that the news was “devastating.” He added, “Five Spaniards from the same family, three of them children, and the pilot have lost their lives. An unimaginable tragedy.”
Dani Horbiak told ABC News she watched the helicopter “fall out of the sky” from her apartment window.
“I heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river,” she said.
“I was walking by and the helicopter went down at a 45-degree angle,” Eric Campoverde told ABC News. “Big splash — it was very scary.”
“It sounded like a sonic boom,” a witness told New York ABC station WABC. He said he saw the “helicopter splitting in two with the rotor flying off.”
Another witness told WABC, “One propeller broke into pieces.”
The chopper — identified by the Federal Aviation Administration as a Bell 206 helicopter — was on its sixth flight of the day. It was found upside-down in the 50-degree water when rescuers arrived at the scene, which was closer to the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, according to sources.
The Jersey City Police Department is taking the lead on the investigation since the helicopter crashed on the Jersey City side of the river, Fulop told WABC on Thursday.
Fulop said the city has had concerns about the air traffic over the Hudson before and is hoping this brings more attention to their safety concerns.
ABC News’ Leah Sarnoff and Erin Murtha contributed to this report.
(TOPSFIELD, Mass.) — A 49-year-old mother of four died on Wednesday after she fell about 50 to 75 feet from a cliff while hiking at Purgatory Chasm in Massachusetts.
The woman, who was from Topsfield, Massachusetts, was hiking at the Purgatory Chasm State Reservation in Sutton just before 2 p.m. when the incident took place, according to local police. She was hiking with three of her children and other family members when she fell, authorities said.
“There were multiple medical professionals in the area hiking the chasm at the same time, and were able to provide medical attention right away,” Sutton police said. “However, she had succumbed to the injuries sustained during the fall, and was pronounced deceased a short time later.”
The chasm, a popular hiking destination about 20 minutes south of Worcester, is closed in the winter due to slippery conditions. However, the weather was warm and dry on Wednesday.
The fall remains under investigation, but appears to be accidental, police said.
The Sutton Fire Department, Massachusetts State Police, Northbridge Police Department, LifeStar and others were involved in the rescue efforts, according to Sutton police.
“There are trails above the chasm you can go along, [and] dangerous overhangs if you’re going to the edge to look down,” hiker Andy Spears told Boston ABC affiliate WCVB. “It’s really sad that it had to happen at a place like this.”
The woman was not identified, out of respect to the family, according to Sutton police.
“Lastly, the Sutton Police Department would like to extend our condolences to the family during this very difficult time,” the department said.
