At least one person has died and dozens have been injured after a train collided with a slurry tanker and derailed in southern Denmark, officials have said. Police said the crash occurred between the towns of Tinglev and Kliplev in southern Jutland, near the German border, leaving a 60-year-old woman dead and 27 others injured.
In an update shortly after midnight, police said a crane was being used at the site to lift some of the damaged carriages to ensure there were no more injured passengers.
Of the five people seriously injured, two remained in a critical condition in hospital. Local media reported the train as having hit a slurry tanker, which are used to transport farm waste. Pictures from the scene showed a carriage lying on its side, with passengers standing around the train tracks.
Police said 106 people in total had been involved in the accident. Among the passengers onboard included pupils from a school in nearby Sønderborg, the train’s intended destination.
None of the students or the two teachers with them were seriously injured, police said, but they had been invited to go into school on Saturday to talk to a psychologist.
“My thoughts go out to the relatives, the many injured and everyone who is currently affected by the accident,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement to public broadcaster DR.
“I hope that everyone gets the best possible help and support.”
The country’s rail operator DSB said that it had shut down services along the line until further notice. The national rail agency Banedanmark wrote on X that the collision happened at a level crossing. At least two of the train carriages were derailed, according to local media.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—Singer Sean Kingston was sentenced to three and a half years in prison Friday after being convicted of a $1 million fraud scheme in which he leveraged his fame to dupe sellers into giving him luxury items that he then never paid for.
Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Paul Anderson, and his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, were convicted in March by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Turner was sentenced to five years in prison last month.
Before U.S. Judge David Leibowitz handed down Kingston’s sentence, the singer apologized to the judge in the South Florida courtroom and said he had learned from his actions. His attorney asked if he could self-surrender at a later date due to health issues, but the judge ordered him taken into custody immediately. Kingston, who was wearing a black suit and white shirt, removed his suit jacket and was handcuffed and led from the courtroom.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton described Kingston as someone addicted to his celebrity lifestyle even though he could no longer afford to maintain it.
“He clearly doesn’t like to pay and relies on his celebrity status to defraud his victims,” Anton said Friday.
The federal prosecutor described a yearslong pattern by Kingston of bullying victims for luxury merchandise and then refusing to pay.
“He is a thief and a conman, plain and simple,” Anton said.
Defense attorney Zeljka Bozanic countered that the 35-year-old Kingston had the mentality of a teenager — the age he was when he vaulted to stardom. The attorney said Kingston had almost no knowledge of his finances, relying on business managers and his mother.
“No one showed him how to invest his money,” Bozanic said. “Money went in and money went out on superficial things.”
Bozanic said Kingston has already started paying back his victims and intends to pay back every cent once he is free and can start working again.
Leibowitz rejected the idea that Kingston was unintelligent or naive, but the judge said he gave Kingston credit for accepting responsibility and declining to testify rather than possibly lying in court. That was in contrast to Kingston’s mother, whose trial testimony Leibowitz described as obstruction.
Kingston and his mother were arrested in May 2024 after a SWAT team raided Kingston’s rented mansion in suburban Fort Lauderdale. Turner was taken into custody during the raid, while Kingston was arrested at Fort Irwin, an Army training base in California’s Mojave Desert, where he was performing.
According to court records, Kingston used social media from April 2023 to March 2024 to arrange purchases of luxury merchandise. After negotiating deals, Kingston would invite the sellers to one of his high-end Florida homes and promise to feature them and their products on social media.
Investigators said that when it came time to pay, Kingston or his mother would text the victims fake wire receipts for the items, which included a bulletproof Escalade, watches and a 19-foot (5.9-meter) LED TV, investigators said.
When the funds never cleared, victims often contacted Kingston and Turner repeatedly, but were either never paid or received money only after filing lawsuits or contacting law enforcement, authorities said.
Kingston, who was born in Florida and raised in Jamaica, shot to fame at age 17 with the 2007 hit “Beautiful Girls,” which laid his lyrics over Ben E. King’s 1961 song “Stand By Me.” His other hits include 2007’s “Take You There” and 2009’s “Fire Burning.”
Tristan Rogers, who played legacy character Robert Scorpio on ABC’s “General Hospital,” died Friday, less than one month after he made a special appearance on the soap opera. He was 79.
“The entire ‘General Hospital’ family is heartbroken to hear of Tristan Rogers’ passing,” said Frank Valentini, the show’s executive producer, in a statement. “Tristan has captivated our fans for 45 years and Port Charles will not be the same without him (or Robert Scorpio).”
Born in Melbourne, Australia, Rogers’ first foray into performing was in his early twenties and playing drums in a rock band with a group of friends. They weren’t successful so Rogers turned to commercial work and modeling to earn some money. When the band dissolved, Rogers decided to give acting a try. After various roles in Australia, he also worked as a DJ and eventually moved to Los Angeles to try to break into Hollywood. He said casting directors were initially turned off by his accent but he eventually landed a two-day role on “General Hospital” in 1980.
“I had no idea at the point how big the show was,” Rogers told fellow “General Hospital” actor Maurice Benard on the YouTube show, “State of Mind with Maurice Benard” in 2022.
“I had no name. I was brought in expressly to beat up the hero, Luke, (played by Anthony Geary), and then disappear,” Rogers said. His first day was half-over when then-executive producer Gloria Monty asked if he would like to stay on. They had no character written for him so for three weeks Monty asked him to just appear in scenes “looking furtive, looking suspicious” until they came up with a storyline. It was decided he would play a spy known as “CK8” and eventually he was given the name Robert Scorpio. The character would remain a fixture in Port Charles for the rest of Rogers’ life, even when he wasn’t a current cast member.
Scorpio’s on again/off again romance with Emma Samms’ character, Holly Sutton, remained a favorite among fans. Scorpio also had a romance, and many storylines with another spy, Anna Devane, played by Finola Hughes. Scorpio and Devane shared a daughter, Robin, played by Kimberly McCullough. Samms returned to the show for a stint last fall where it was revealed that Scorpio was the father of her adult daughter, Sasha Gilmore (played by Sofia Mattson.)
Rogers and Samms left the show together in November 2024 in scenes taped with a nod to “Casablanca.” He returned to the show in July for one episode when Sasha arrived to his home in France with her new baby. It was then revealed that Rogers had lung cancer
Rogers’ other acting credits include “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “The Young & the Restless” and “Studio City,” which won him outstanding supporting actor in a digital drama series at the Daytime Emmy Awards. He is survived by his wife, Teresa Parkerson, and a daughter and a son.
NEW YORK — Former New York Lieutenant Governor Betsy McCaughey, a Republican considering a run for governor, has pledged to combat the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in New York State if elected. Speaking at a rally in Flushing on August 10, hosted by the Global Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party, McCaughey decried the CCP’s “illegal, secret, and violent” activities in the United States, emphasizing the need to protect Chinese immigrants who have distanced themselves from the Party.
The event celebrated a milestone of over 450 million Chinese individuals worldwide renouncing ties with the CCP and its affiliated organizations, part of the global “Tuidang” or “Quit the CCP” movement. Inspired by The Epoch Times’ 2004 editorial series “Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party,” the movement seeks to expose the CCP’s history and alleged human rights abuses, topics considered taboo in China. The New York-based nonprofit operates booths in the city, staffed by Falun Gong practitioners, to assist Chinese individuals in formally withdrawing from the CCP.
McCaughey, founder of Reduce Infection Deaths and co-founder of SaveNYC, described the Tuidang movement as “inspiring” during her speech. “It shows that the human spirit can never be conquered. It proves that truth, once spoken, lives on forever,” she said. “This is not about politics. It is about humanity. It is deep within our core as humans to want freedom.” She condemned the CCP’s intimidation of Chinese immigrants in the U.S., stating, “The penetration of the CCP—its illegal, secret, and violent ways inside the United States—must be stopped. They intimidate, they injure, they threaten Chinese people here who have left the Party; that must stop,” in an interview.
The rally highlighted the persecution faced by Falun Gong practitioners, a spiritual group based on principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, who have been targeted by the CCP since 1999. According to the Falun Dafa Information Center, millions of practitioners have faced detention, torture, and death in Chinese prisons and labor camps. In New York, the Global Service Center’s efforts have met with hostility, including an attack on a booth near Flushing’s Main Street subway station in April, following threats such as bomb attacks and shootings aimed at Falun Gong supporters.
Another speaker, Michael Pastine, assistant vice president and chief information officer at the State University of New York at Old Westbury, criticized the CCP’s censorship and control over information. “Each one of them has broken through the wall of lies. Each one is a digital and spiritual defector—walking away from a system that values power over people, and control over conscience,” Pastine said of those renouncing the CCP. He also praised the millions worldwide who have signed the center’s “End CCP” petition, calling the signatures “data points in a moral movement that technology cannot suppress.”
McCaughey emphasized solidarity with those rejecting the CCP, stating, “Together, we can build a future where the truth is not censored, where faith is not punished, and where the horrors of communism are never repeated.” Her remarks align with her broader campaign platform, which includes addressing local issues like public safety and economic recovery while taking a firm stance against foreign influence.
As New York’s gubernatorial race approaches, McCaughey’s focus on CCP influence underscores growing concerns about foreign interference in local communities. Her pledge to protect Chinese immigrants and curb alleged CCP activities could resonate with voters wary of global political dynamics affecting the state.
Health officials in Orange County have issued a warning after detecting West Nile Virus (WNV) in local mosquitoes, urging residents to take precautions as the peak of mosquito season continues. The virus, which can cause severe illness in rare cases, was found in a mosquito pool near Greenwood Lake on August 6, marking the latest instance of its presence in the area.
The Orange County Health Department announced the detection as part of its routine mosquito surveillance program. While no human or animal cases have been reported in the county this year, the finding serves as a reminder of the virus’s ongoing threat in the region. “We still have a long mosquito season ahead of us,” said Acting Orange County Health Commissioner Dr. Jennifer Roman in a statement. “Residents should always try to protect themselves but especially now that West Nile Virus positive mosquitoes have been detected in the County.”
WNV, first introduced to New York and North America in 1999, has since become endemic in the state, spreading rapidly across the continent. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans and other mammals through the bites of infected mosquitoes, which contract it by feeding on infected birds. According to public health data, Orange County has recorded WNV in mosquitoes in recent years, including 2021, 2022, 2023, and now 2024. Dr. Roman noted that the Greenwood Lake area has seen previous detections, making this latest find unsurprising but still concerning.
Most people infected with WNV—estimated at 70% to 80%—experience no symptoms at all. For the remaining 20%, symptoms are typically mild and include fever, headaches, body aches, nausea, skin rashes, or swollen lymph glands, appearing three to 14 days after a bite and lasting just a few days. However, in severe cases, the virus can lead to encephalitis or meningitis, causing life-threatening complications such as seizures, paralysis, or coma. Death is possible, though rare.
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 1,791 cases of WNV in the United States in 2024, with 164 fatalities. Experts believe these figures underrepresent the true scale of infections, as many mild cases go unreported or undiagnosed. In Orange County, the last confirmed human case dates back to 2009, but Dr. Roman told The Epoch Times that unreported infections have likely occurred since then.
Unlike many counties that do not routinely monitor for the virus, Orange County maintains an active surveillance program to track mosquito populations and detect pathogens early. This proactive approach allows for timely public alerts and helps mitigate risks.
To prevent bites and reduce mosquito breeding grounds, health officials recommend several steps. “Residents should wear appropriate clothing, consider sprays when outdoors, and check their property for any pooling or stagnant water,” Dr. Roman advised. “If found, it should be removed as soon as possible.” Additional tips from the health department include using insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus; wearing long sleeves and pants during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active; and ensuring window and door screens are intact.
As climate patterns shift and mosquito habitats expand, experts warn that WNV and similar vector-borne diseases may become more prevalent. For now, Orange County residents are encouraged to stay vigilant and report any unusual standing water to local authorities.
For more information on WNV and prevention, visit the Orange County Health Department website or the CDC’s resources on mosquito-borne illnesses.
Swift, who has won 14 Grammys including an unprecedented four for Album of the Year, made the announcement on a podcast with boyfriend and football star Travis Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce.
“This is my brand new album, ‘The Life of a Showgirl’,” Swift said while holding a blurred-out version of the cover in a clip from the New Heights podcast on Instagram. The full podcast episode is set for release at 7 p.m.
The official release date of the album will be announced later, according to Swift’s website.
The vinyl version is available for pre-order on the website for $30. The cassette version costs $20, and a CD with a poster of Swift is available for $13.
Her last album, “The Tortured Poets Department”, sold 2.61 million albums and streaming units during its first week of release in the United States.
Billboard said it was the largest streaming week for an album ever and the largest sales week for an album on vinyl in the modern era.
Spotify said “Poets” was its most-streamed album in a single week, surpassing 1 billion streams.
In May, Swift purchased the master recordings of her first six albums, giving her full control of her music after a dispute with her former record label.
She had signed with the world’s biggest music label, Universal Music Group, in 2018.
Swift, 35, has been setting music industry milestones and boosting local economies with The Eras Tour, a phenomenon that some economists have termed “Swiftflation.”
The record-breaking tour was the first to surpass $1 billion in revenue and created price surges in sectors such as hotels, dining, and travel.
Swift is one of several top artists releasing albums at the moment. Sabrina Carpenter will release “Man’s Best Friend” in August, and Ed Sheeran has a new one scheduled for release in September.
NEW YORK — Nearly 24 years after the devastating September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, New York City’s medical examiner’s office has identified the remains of three more victims, offering closure to their families through advancements in DNA technology. The announcement, made on Thursday, marks another step in the ongoing effort to return the remains of those lost in the tragedy to their loved ones.
The identified individuals are Ryan D. Fitzgerald, a 26-year-old currency trader; Barbara A. Keating, a 72-year-old retired nonprofit executive; and a third woman whose identity was withheld at her family’s request. All three were among the nearly 3,000 people killed when al-Qaida hijackers crashed jetliners into the World Trade Center’s twin towers, the Pentagon, and a field in southwest Pennsylvania. Their names have long been etched on the National Sept. 11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan, but until now, their families had no confirmed remains to connect to their memory.
The identifications were made possible through advanced DNA testing of minute bone fragments recovered from the World Trade Center debris over two decades ago. The city’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner has been tirelessly analyzing tens of thousands of such fragments, retesting them as DNA techniques improve to overcome challenges posed by fire, sunlight, and bacterial degradation. “Each new identification testifies to the promise of science and sustained outreach to families despite the passage of time,” said Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jason Graham in a statement. “We continue this work as our way of honoring the lost.”
Barbara Keating was aboard American Airlines Flight 11, a Boston-to-Los Angeles flight that hijackers crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The 72-year-old was returning to her home in Palm Springs, California, after spending the summer on Cape Cod. A career social worker, Keating had served as executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Middlesex near Boston and remained active in her Roman Catholic church in retirement. Her son, Paul Keating, expressed awe at the medical examiner’s dedication. “It’s just an amazing feat, gesture,” he told the New York Post. He revealed that genetic material from his mother’s hairbrush was matched to DNA samples from relatives, with a fragment of her ATM card being the only other trace of her recovered from the rubble.
Ryan Fitzgerald, a 26-year-old Manhattan resident, was working at a financial firm in the World Trade Center while pursuing a master’s degree in business. Described in obituaries as a driven young man planning a future with his girlfriend, Fitzgerald’s remains were identified through the same meticulous process. Efforts to reach his family for comment were unsuccessful as of Friday.
The third victim’s identity remains private, respecting her family’s wishes, but her inclusion in this announcement underscores the scale of the identification effort. Of the more than 2,700 victims who perished at the World Trade Center, approximately 40% still have no identified remains, leaving many families waiting for answers.
The medical examiner’s office has made steady progress, with identifications added as recently as last year. The process involves not only cutting-edge science but also extraordinary commitment. “We’re talking about people putting in overtime 24 years later, for us,” Paul Keating said, highlighting the emotional weight of the work for families. New York Mayor Eric Adams praised the effort, stating, “We hope the families receiving answers from the Office of Chief Medical Examiner can take solace in the city’s tireless dedication to this mission.”
As technology continues to evolve, the medical examiner’s office remains committed to testing and retesting fragments, ensuring that more families may one day find closure. For now, these three identifications offer a bittersweet moment of connection for those who have waited nearly a quarter-century to lay their loved ones to rest.
In one of the largest residential real estate transactions in Los Angeles history, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has purchased the iconic Spelling Manor—a 56,000-square-foot mega-mansion once home to late TV magnate Aaron Spelling—for $110 million, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The home, nestled in the prestigious Holmby Hills neighborhood, originally hit the market in 2022 for $165 million, making Schmidt’s final purchase price a significant markdown and a headline-grabbing deal in an otherwise cautious high-end market.
With this acquisition, Schmidt’s luxury real estate holdings in the Los Angeles area alone exceed $300 million, solidifying his growing reputation as one of the most influential real estate buyers in California’s elite circles.
Known simply as “The Manor,” the massive estate was custom-built in the early 1990s by Aaron Spelling and his wife Candy Spelling, who reigned over the property for years before selling it to British heiress and former Formula One royalty Petra Ecclestone in 2011 for a reported $85 million. Ecclestone, in turn, invested an estimated $20 million into extensive renovations that modernized the property while preserving its storied character.
Situated on nearly five manicured acres, The Manor is widely recognized as one of the largest and most elaborate private residences in Los Angeles—and in the United States. The French chateau-style compound is clad in limestone and features a staggering 14 bedrooms and 27 bathrooms, along with:
A two-lane bowling alley
A full-size movie theater
A private nightclub
A climate-controlled wine cellar
A beauty salon with massage and tanning rooms
An aquarium, multiple living rooms, and a grand double staircase
The exterior grounds are equally impressive, with two motor courts, a tennis court, fountains, a resort-style pool and spa, rose gardens, and mature citrus trees. Covered parking on-site can accommodate dozens of vehicles, making the estate ideal for hosting large-scale events.
“This is a trophy property—undoubtedly one of the finest estates in the world,” read the original marketing materials from Carolwood Estates, where Drew Fenton represented the seller, and Linda May repped Schmidt in the off-market transaction.
A Strategic and Philanthropic Purchase
While many billionaires invest in high-end real estate for lifestyle and legacy, Schmidt’s purchase appears to serve a broader purpose. According to WSJ, Eric and Wendy Schmidt—longtime philanthropists with a growing presence in Los Angeles’ cultural landscape—acquired the Manor to host nonprofit functions, environmental initiatives, and cultural events. The couple recently collaborated with the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (MOCA) to establish the Environment and Art Prize, aimed at supporting sustainability-focused artists and organizations.
“Eric’s vision for this property isn’t about opulence—it’s about creating a venue for conversations and change at the highest levels,” said one source familiar with the acquisition. “He wants to make it a center of influence.”
Schmidt currently serves as Chairman of Relativity Space, an aerospace manufacturer and 3D-printing rocket innovator, and remains one of the tech world’s most prominent thought leaders. His net worth is estimated at $23 billion, per Forbes.
The purchase of The Manor is only the latest move in Eric Schmidt’s aggressive real estate expansion strategy. In addition to several homes in Holmby Hills, Schmidt owns:
The former estate of Gregory Peck, an American film icon
A $65 million mansion that previously belonged to hotelier Barron Hilton
A $65 million undeveloped parcel in the Beverly Hills mountains formerly owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen
Properties in San Francisco, Montecito, Miami Beach, and London
According to insiders, Schmidt has spent over $700 million globally on real estate in the past decade, often targeting historically significant or architecturally unique properties.
The Manor’s original $165 million listing in early 2022 reflected a red-hot post-pandemic luxury real estate market, but multiple price cuts followed amid macroeconomic uncertainty. The ask was reduced to $137.5 million in April 2024, eventually settling at $110 million in 2025.
Despite the price drop, the deal still ranks among the top 5 most expensive residential sales in L.A. history, following closely behind Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s $200 million Malibu estate purchase in 2023.
Real estate analysts say Schmidt’s purchase reflects the evolving dynamics in the ultra-luxury market: trophy estates are still in demand, but savvy buyers are commanding significant discounts.
“Price cuts on mega-mansions have become more common, but when a home offers history, scale, and security like The Manor, it will always attract billionaires who want the best,” said Joyce Rey, executive director of Coldwell Banker Global Luxury.
According to Douglas Elliman’s Q2 2025 Luxury Report, the number of homes sold in the $50 million-plus range in Los Angeles increased by 12% year-over-year, even as the broader housing market slowed.
The Manor remains an icon of L.A.’s ultra-elite, a residence that has transcended the idea of a home and become a symbol of legacy, entertainment, and wealth. With Schmidt now at the helm, its next chapter may be more philanthropic and tech-influenced than ever before.
Though neither Eric nor Wendy Schmidt have commented publicly on the transaction, local cultural organizations are already buzzing with excitement about future collaborations. One board member from MOCA hinted, “The Manor will no longer just be a castle of Hollywood dreams — it may become a salon of ideas that shape the future.”
CALIFORNIA — A 29-year-old Google software engineer tragically lost her life earlier this month in a freak accident while hiking along a popular trail in Yosemite National Park, when a massive branch from one of the park’s iconic sequoia trees suddenly broke off and struck her.
Angela Lin, a gifted and respected engineer who previously worked for Salesforce and most recently for Google, had been hiking through the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias on July 19 with her boyfriend, David Hua, and two friends when disaster struck.
According to Hua, the group was walking along the well-trodden trail when they heard a loud crack from above. “One big branch struck Angela, and then there were a bunch of smaller ones directly behind me,” Hua told SFGate.
By the time Hua opened his eyes after instinctively shutting them during the chaos, Lin was lying face-up on the ground, motionless, with blood pooling around her head. He immediately called 911 and performed CPR until a park ranger arrived to take over. Although an ambulance eventually reached the scene, Lin was never transported. Emergency responders said she likely died instantly from the blow.
“It was just unimaginable that something like this could occur,” Hua said in a phone interview, his voice trembling. “On such a popular trail, too.”
Angela Lin’s tragic death stunned both the tech and academic communities. She had earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley, where she met Hua, and later completed her master’s in computer science at the University of Texas at Austin. She worked diligently through the ranks at Salesforce before joining Google, where she had been a software engineer for several years.
“We lost a loved and respected member of our team,” a Google spokesperson told The Post. “We’re very saddened by this tragedy, and our hearts are with their family and loved ones.”
Friends and former colleagues recalled Lin as exceptionally intelligent, warm, and humble. “Angela was obviously whip-smart, but she led with a simple and playful attitude,” said Ian Cook, a close friend from her Berkeley days. “That mix of confidence and humility put folks around her at ease.”
Richard Zhang, a research scientist who shared lab time with Lin in undergrad, remembered her kindness during crunch periods. “She’d stay through the late nights before a paper deadline and thoughtfully treat us to chocolate to keep our spirits up,” he said.
A Growing Pattern of Tragedy in Yosemite
Lin’s death adds to a list of recent tragedies in Yosemite. Last summer, Grace Rohloff, a college student, died after slipping and falling 200 feet from the Half Dome cables during a storm. In October 2024, 22-year-old Australian hiker Harry Partington was crushed by a falling tree on the Four Mile Trail. In 2015, two high schoolers were killed by a falling oak branch while sleeping in a tent, and in 2012, a concessions worker died under similar circumstances during a windstorm.
Yet what makes Lin’s case so uniquely unsettling is the complete lack of typical risk factors. Hua emphasized there was no wind, and Lin — known for her caution — had stayed on the trail and taken no dangerous detours.
“The sad thing is that Angela is the most cautious person you can be,” said Hua. “She stays on trails. She never goes off trails. Usually when you hear about these incidents, someone is doing something dangerous — like playing in water or near a cliff. But that wasn’t her.”
Frustration with Park Officials and Demand for Answers
In the wake of the tragedy, the Tuolumne Grove trail was closed for about a week. Park officials say an investigation is ongoing, but according to Hua and Lin’s loved ones, communication from the National Park Service has been minimal.
“We are seeking more information from the park service regarding this incident,” said Hua, “especially around trail safety, maintenance, awareness of problematic trees on popular trails, and future prevention of similar incidents.”
Yosemite public affairs officer Scott Gediman confirmed to SFGate that the investigation remains active. However, the park has not publicly addressed specific safety concerns related to the tree or trail.
The lack of transparency has left not only Lin’s loved ones but also bystanders emotionally shaken. One tourist who witnessed the incident created a Reddit thread titled “Tuolumne Grove Incident 7/19,” writing: “I am a tourist, but was on the scene of an extremely tragic freak accident… and it has been haunting me. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
The user added: “It hits so so hard because they were doing nothing wrong or careless… Life can be so cruel.”
A Devastating Loss for Many
As friends, coworkers, and strangers alike try to come to terms with the sudden loss of a young, vibrant life, Angela Lin is being remembered not only for her technical brilliance but also her kindness, humor, and steady presence.
“She was just the most thoughtful, grounded person,” said Hua. “We’ve been best friends since college. Her death is a devastating loss — to me, to her family, to everyone who knew her.”
The NFL was targeted in Monday’s attack by a gunman at the Manhattan building at which the league’s offices are located, New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) said in broadcast interviews Tuesday.
An NFL employee was “seriously injured” in Monday’s attack, Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a memo overnight.
“As has been widely reported, a gunman committed an unspeakable act of violence in our building at 345 Park Avenue,” Goodell wrote in the memo to league employees, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post. “One of our employees was seriously injured in this attack. He is currently in the hospital and in stable condition.”
Adams said that the shooter, identified by authorities as 27-year-old Shane Tamura of Las Vegas, was targeting the NFL.
“From our preliminary investigation, he took the wrong elevator bank up to the NFL headquarters,” Adams told CBS. “Instead, it took him to Rudin Management. And that is where he carried out additional shootings and took the lives of additional employees.”
Adams said the shooter, who played high school football but did not play in college or in the NFL, wrote in a note that he believed he had the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
“He did have a note on him,” Adams said. “The note alluded to that he felt he had CTE, a known brain injury for those who participate in contact sports. He appeared to have blamed the NFL for his injury.”
CTE can only be diagnosed definitively after death.
The league did not immediately release the identity of its injured employee. NFL staff members were at the hospital to support the employee’s family, according to Goodell.
“We believe that all of our employees are otherwise safe and accounted for, and the building has nearly been cleared,” Goodell wrote.
The gunman then fatally shot himself in the chest, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said at a news conference Monday night.
Goodell wrote that the NFL is “deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers who responded to this threat quickly and decisively and to Officer [Didarul] Islam, who gave his life to protect others.”
Those working in the NFL’s New York office should work remotely from home Tuesday, Goodell wrote, adding that it is “understandable if you prefer to take the day off.” He also wrote that there “will be an increased security presence at 345 Park Avenue in the days and weeks to come.”
Goodell told employees that there are grief counselors and other “significant resources” available to them.
“Every one of you is a valued member of the NFL family,” Goodell wrote. “We will get through this together.”
Several NFL employees said they had left the building shortly before the shooter entered just before 6:30 p.m. Monday. One employee who had left about 10 minutes earlier said it is “hard to imagine something like this no matter how many times you read about” similar incidents.
Based on previous visits to the NFL offices, the building at 345 Park Avenue is set back from the street, with a large area in front that includes seating and often draws lunchtime crowds. The lobby has entrances from multiple sides. There is a security desk, generally with multiple security staffers seated there, at which any visitors must stop and be approved to enter. The elevators are located behind or to the left of the security desk, depending upon which entrance is utilized.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred yesterday in New York City,” the NFL Players Association, which is based in Washington, said in a written statement Tuesday. “345 Park Avenue is a part of our football family, and we at the NFLPA extend our sincere condolences and support to the people who work in this building and to the families of those who lost their lives. We also want to express our deep gratitude to the law enforcement and emergency personnel who responded to those impacted.”
NEW YORK — A man stalked through a Manhattan office tower firing a rifle Monday, killing four people, including a New York City police officer, and wounding a fifth before taking his own life, officials said.
The shooting took place at a skyscraper that is home to the headquarters of both the NFL and Blackstone, one of the world’s largest investment firms, as well as other tenants.
The gunman, identified by authorities as Shane Tamura of Las Vegas, had a ‘documented mental health history,’ according to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, but his motive was still unknown.
“We are working to understand why he targeted this particular location,” Tisch said.
The rampage happened at the end of the workday in the same part of Manhattan where the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare was gunned down outside a hotel late last year.
Surveillance video showed the man exiting a double-parked BMW just before 6:30 p.m. carrying an M4 rifle, then marching across a public plaza into the building. Then, he started firing, Tisch said, killing a police officer working a corporate security detail and then hitting a woman who tried to take cover as he sprayed the lobby with gunfire.
The man then made his way to the elevator bank and shot a guard at a security desk and shot another man in the lobby, the commissioner said.
The man took the elevator to the 33rd floor offices of the company that owned the building, Rudin Management, and shot and killed one person on that floor. The man then shot himself, the commissioner said. The building, 345 Park Avenue, also holds offices of the financial services firm KPMG.
The officer killed was Didarul Islam, 36, an immigrant from Bangladesh who had served as a police officer in New York City for 3 1/2 years, Tisch said at a news conference.
“He was doing the job that we asked him to do. He put himself in harm’s way. He made the ultimate sacrifice,” Tisch said. “He died as he lived. A hero.”
One man was seriously wounded and remains in critical condition, Mayor Eric Adams said. Four others got minor injuries attempting to flee.
Adams said officials are still “unraveling” what took place.
Officers found a rifle case, a revolver, magazines and ammunition in Tamura’s car, Tisch said. They also found medication that belonged to Tamura, she said.
Rudin is one of the largest privately owned real estate companies in New York City. The company dates back to 1925 and is still managed by members of the Rudin family.
Tisch said there were no indications so far that Tamura had prior connections to the real estate industry or to the city.
No one answered the door at the address listed for Tamura in Las Vegas.
Islam, the slain officer, leaves behind two young boys, and his wife is pregnant with their third child, Tisch said.
Witnesses heard ‘rapid fire’
Local TV footage showed lines of people evacuating the office building with their hands above their heads in the hours after the killings.
Nekeisha Lewis was eating dinner with friends on the plaza when she heard gunfire.
“It felt like it was a quick two shots and then it was rapid fire,” she told The Associated Press.
Windows shattered and a man ran from the building saying, “Help, help. I’m shot.” Lewis said.
Jessica Chen told ABC News she was watching a presentation with dozens of other people on the second floor when she “heard multiple shots go off in quick succession from the first floor.”
She and others ran into a conference room and barricaded tables against the door.
“We were honestly really, really scared,” she said, adding that she texted her parents to tell them that she loves them.
Some finance workers at an office building down the block were picking up dinner at a corner eatery when they heard a loud noise and saw people running.
“It was like a crowd panic,” said Anna Smith, who joined the workers pouring back into the finance office building. They remained there for about two hours before being told they could leave.
Tisch says she believes two officers were working in different parts of the building as part of a program where companies can hire NYPD officers to provide security.
The building where the shooting happened is in a busy area of midtown, located a short walk north from Grand Central Terminal and about a block east of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Through late July, New York City is on pace this year to possibly have its fewest homicides and fewest people hurt by gunfire in decades. But the city’s corporate community has been on edge since last December, when UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed outside a hotel hosting a conference.
The man charged in that killing, Luigi Mangione, is awaiting trial. Prosecutors accuse him of killing Thompson because he was angry at perceived corporate greed, particularly in the health insurance business. He has pleaded not guilty.
New York – A 27-year-old man wearing body armor and carrying an M4 assault rifle shot and killed four people, including an off-duty police officer, in a Midtown Manhattan office building Monday evening before killing himself, officials said.
A fifth victim was critically injured in the shooting, officials said. In a statement, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that victim is one of its employees and was listed in critical but stable condition.
The shooting occurred just before 6:30 p.m. in an office building at 345 Park Ave. at East 52nd Street, which contains the headquarters for the investment company Blackstone and the National Football League, sources told ABC News.
The suspect, identified as Shane Tamura, carried a note in his pocket claiming he suffered from CTE, asked that his brain be studied and made references to the NFL, police sources told ABC News.
Police said he had a documented mental health history and played high school football.
The three-page note was described by sources as rambling and contained references to the NFL sources described as vague.
After barricading himself on the 33rd floor, Tamura, a Las Vegas resident, was found dead from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
During a news conference Monday evening, Tisch said preliminary information suggests the suspect traveled cross-country in a BMW from Las Vegas before arriving in New York City.
Tamura had a license to carry a concealed weapon in the state of Nevada. “We believe this to be a lone shooter,” Tisch said.
Police say Tamura emerged from a double-parked BMW Monday evening with an M4 rifle.
A security camera image shows Tamura holding a long gun and walking outside the office building.
He entered the lobby of the Midtown tower alone and immediately opened fire on an NYPD officer and sprayed the lobby with bullets.
He made his way to the elevator bank, where he shot a security guard, Tisch said. He then went up to the 33rd floor, where he shot another person before shooting himself in the chest, she added.
Detectives are actively trying to determine why the suspect went to the 33rd floor – whether he specifically was headed there or if he simply wound up on that level. Rudin Management, the real-estate company, is located on that floor.
Officers searched the suspect’s vehicle after the shooting, where they found a rifle case with rounds, a loaded revolver, ammunition and magazines, a backpack, “and medication prescribed to Mr. Tamura,” Tisch said. He had a documented history of mental-health problems, Tisch said.
The motive is currently under investigation, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said earlier on Monday.
In total, four people were shot dead plus the shooter in what Mayor Eric Adams called a “violent, despicable” act.
The deceased included NYPD officer Didarul Islam of the 47th Precinct, who came to the U.S. from Bangladesh and who Adams said he had been on the force almost four years. He was working security in the building while off duty.
“Early tonight, I met with the officer’s family. I told them that he was a hero, and we admire him for putting his life on the line,” Adams said.
Islam was married with two young boys, and his wife was pregnant with a third child.
The officer, and the surviving male civilian were taken to New York Presbyterian, where the civilian is in critical but stable condition.
Two other civilians, one male and female, both killed in the shooting, were taken to Bellevue Hospital. Police say another female was the victim found dead on the 33rd floor.
A witness inside the Midtown office building at the time of the shooting, detailed to NY Budgets what it was like at the scene as colleagues hid in lockdown, unsure of what was unfolding.
A photo from inside the 32nd floor showed how employees barricaded the door.
“The only thing between me and the door was a chair flipped over,” Jessica Chen said of the initial moments of the lockdown. “I texted my parents ‘I love them,’” she continued.
“Nothing can describe that feeling,” Chen added.
Chen went on to say that she recalled doing active shooter drills in school and said she often wondered what she would do in this kind of scenario. “It’s unfortunate that all Americans could think this through,” Chen said.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she has been briefed on the situation.
KPMG, an accounting firm that also has offices in the building, released a statement after the shooting, saying, “Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific act and their families.”
“We are incredibly grateful for the bravery of building security and law enforcement,” the company said.
Across the country, several squad cars from Las Vegas Metro Police have convened at entrances to the gated neighborhood where the purported suspect in the midtown Manhattan shooting was believed to have a home.
Detectives will be working throughout the night and the days ahead to piece together a profile of the man responsible.
Investigators are working to see where and when the gunman bought the high-powered rifle used in the rampage.
Detectives are now scrolling through thousands of surveillance cameras to pin point the gunman’s movements, minute by minute.
The world came to know the feisty older sister of University of Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves after she gave a ferocious victim impact statement at Bryan Kohberger’s sentencing last week. She said she memorized her speech so she wouldn’t break eye contact with him in the courtroom.
“I was prepared to be arrested that day,” Alivea Goncalves told ABC News of the fiery moment she confronted her younger sister’s killer in court.
Alivea Goncalves said to Kohberger, “You’re a delusional, pathetic, hypochondriac loser who thought you were so much smarter than everybody else. … You aren’t special or deep, not mysterious or exceptional. … No one thinks you are important.”
“I was fueled by seeing the rage on his face,” she told ABC News. “Man … was he mad. That was obviously a big point of why I did what I did — to make him feel small.”
Alivea Goncalves also asked pointed questions like, “What was second weapon you used on Kaylee?” A hypothetical question in the moment, but one that investigators have yet to figure out. Kaylee Goncalves had unique injuries described as a horizontal pattern, and it’s not clear what caused them, police confirmed to ABC News.
“I had one shot at it and I was gonna make the most of it,” Alivea Goncalves said.
Alivea Goncalves said she did eliminate a few thoughts from her statement after realizing Kohberger’s mom and sister were in the courtroom.
“I didn’t anticipate his mother and sister being there,” she said. “And I had specific lines that were directed towards his relationship with his mother and directed towards the shame that he has caused his family, and how the ultimate move of a coward is for him to sit behind bars while the rest of his family has to bear the real weight, the shame of what he’s done.”
She concluded her statement with memorable words to Kohberger, saying that if he hadn’t attacked the students in their sleep, “Kaylee would’ve kicked your f—— ass.”
“I got up there knowing that my speech wasn’t to Kaylee and Maddie — it was for them. … I just wanted to reclaim their power,” she said.
Kaylee, Kaylee’s lifelong best friend Maddie Mogen, their roommate Xana Kernodle and Xana’s boyfriend Ethan Chapin were stabbed to death at the girls’ off-campus house in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022. On Wednesday, their killer was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences on the four first-degree murder counts and the maximum penalty of 10 years on the burglary count after pleading guilty to all charges.
Kaylee Goncalves was stabbed more than 30 times and had defensive wounds, according to a police report released for the first time last week. The 21-year-old was described as “unrecognizable as her facial structure was extremely damaged,” the report said.
“It’s gruesome and it’s graphic,” Alivea Goncalves acknowledged, but she said it’s information she wanted because she knows “Kaylee absolutely fought for her life.”
In November 2022, when news of the deaths at 1122 King Road reached Alivea Goncalves, she said she started going through her sister’s phone records to see if she had made any calls, convincing herself Kaylee wasn’t picking up her phone because she was at the police station answering questions. But Alivea Goncalves would never speak to her sister again.
Their last conversation was a six-hour FaceTime during which Alivea Goncalves guided her sister through buying her Range Rover, which the 21-year-old proudly drove to Moscow to show her friends on her last trip to their college house. Their dad drives the car now. Alivea Goncalves said many of Kaylee’s other belongings were picked up by their parents, covered in blood and in hazmat bags.
Alivea Goncalves made Kaylee Goncalves an aunt twice over before she died, and twice more after. She was pregnant with a girl when Kaylee Goncalves was murdered, and she named that baby Theo MaddieKay. Alivea Goncalves calls Kaylee and Maddie soulmates, and she describes their namesake as the perfect mixture of Kaylee and Maddie.
Charges say a southern Minnesota man last week shot and killed his older neighbor, whom he believed to be an alien.
The 38-year-old man from Windom, Minnesota, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, according to a criminal complaint filed in Cottonwood County on Friday.
The Windom Police Department says they were called to the 1400 block of 12th Avenue at approximately 5:19 a.m. Wednesday on a report of a shooting.
Officers found the victim, a 70-year-old woman, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was able to speak to an officer, telling them she believed she was shot but did not see a firearm. She added that the suspect had called her, saying he needed help, and that she had gone to his house about 45 minutes earlier.
The woman was transported to the Windom Hospital, where she later died. An autopsy found she had been shot seven times. She died due to blood loss from the gunshot wounds, according to the provisional report.
Jamie Voelker Cottonwood County Jail
A witness told investigators the suspect had woken him up to sit on the couch when he began talking about aliens, allegedly stating he thought his neighbor, the victim, was an alien, and that an alien ship was coming to take them, according to the complaint. The witness recalled seeing the victim, hearing gunshots and seeing flashes, then the victim leaving.
Charges say the witness was scared and ran to their neighbor’s house, where they found her on the floor. That’s when they called 911.
While police were responding to the shooting, the complaint says dispatch informed officers around 5:30 a.m. that a woman called saying a man had broken into her nearby home on the 1200 block of River Road.
Upon arriving at the residence, police reported seeing a significant amount of broken glass and blood within the entrance, and hearing the sound of moaning and running water coming from the bathroom area.
Inside the bathroom, charges say officers found the suspect in the bathtub. Police removed him and placed him in handcuffs, noting the water in the tub was blood-stained.
The suspect was transported to the hospital for treatment before going to jail. His first court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 8.
IDAHO — For the first time since Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the chilling murders of four University of Idaho students, the lead investigators and prosecutors have offered a detailed account of the case that shocked the nation.
Speaking exclusively with ABC News, Idaho State Police Lt. Darren Gilbertson and Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson shared critical insights into the investigation, the possible motives, and their chilling face-to-face interaction with the now-convicted killer.
A Scene of Horror at 1122 King Road
On the morning of November 13, 2022, authorities discovered a brutal crime scene at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho. Inside the off-campus residence, four students — Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin — had been stabbed to death in the early hours of the morning.
Lt. Gilbertson, who walked through the scene shortly after the murders, described the house’s common areas on the second floor as deceptively normal. “It looked like what you would expect a house full of college kids to look like,” he said.
But upstairs and in the bedrooms, the horror unfolded.
In Xana Kernodle’s room, her body lay on the floor, and her boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, was found dead on the bed. His blood had seeped through the structure, visible from the outside of the house.
On the third floor, Goncalves and Mogen were found together in Mogen’s bed. Goncalves’ injuries were described as “unique” and showing a “horizontal pattern” — though investigators remain uncertain about what caused them.
Police also discovered a knife sheath left behind — a key piece of evidence that would ultimately lead to Kohberger.
The investigation initially yielded few leads. But in December 2022, forensic analysis of the DNA found on the knife sheath pointed authorities to Bryan Kohberger, a Ph.D. criminology student at Washington State University, just across the state border in Pullman.
Once Kohberger’s identity was uncovered, investigators conducted an extensive probe into his life — his digital footprint, financial activity, and physical movements.
“We figured out everything about him: his life, his behaviors, his routines,” said Gilbertson. According to court records, Kohberger’s phone had been near the victims’ house at least 12 times prior to the murders, dating as far back as August 2022. Most of those visits were in the late night or early morning hours.
However, after the murders, “every bit of that changed,” Gilbertson said. “His phone never comes to Moscow again.” Except for one chilling anomaly: Kohberger’s phone pinged near the home between 9:12 a.m. and 9:21 a.m. the morning after the murders.
“My hunch is that it was curiosity,” Gilbertson said. “He had to be wondering, ‘Why is nothing happening?’”
When Kohberger traveled back to Pennsylvania for winter break, police tracked him closely. He was observed wearing gloves in public, even at a pharmacy. On December 30, 2022, police arrested him outside his family home.
Gilbertson participated in the initial interrogation. “We started with just very general questions about Pullman, about WSU … he spoke at length,” he recalled. However, when the officers mentioned Moscow, the atmosphere changed.
“As soon as we mentioned that, then he stopped,” Gilbertson said. “He said, ‘I don’t want to talk anymore.’ He denied knowing anything about Moscow and immediately requested an attorney.”
Who Was the Target?
Despite intense investigation, a clear motive remains elusive.
“He’s the only one that has the ‘why,’” Gilbertson said. “And oftentimes that ‘why’ may only make sense to him.”
Prosecutor Thompson added that Kohberger attempted to delete digital evidence from his devices, suggesting an attempt to “sanitize” his trail. No concrete link between Kohberger and the victims has been established, though Thompson believes either Kaylee Goncalves or Madison Mogen was the intended target.
“It’s more likely than not he did not expect to encounter Xana and the others up and about,” he said. Kernodle had been awake around the time of the murders, likely to retrieve a food delivery.
Survivors and Miraculous Escapes
Two surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were spared during the attack. Mortensen reportedly saw a masked man inside the home holding a container-like object with both hands.
“Dylan was so vulnerable,” Thompson said. “That young woman had an angel watching over her.”
The Courtroom Outcome
On July 2, 2025, weeks before the trial was set to begin, Kohberger pleaded guilty to all charges. As part of the plea deal, the death penalty was taken off the table, sparking mixed reactions from victims’ families.
“I respect and recognize that not everybody agrees with the decision we made,” Thompson said. “But we had something that a trial would have never given us — his sworn acknowledgment that the charges are true.”
Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without parole for the murders and the maximum 10 years for burglary.
“This murderer is now in the custody of the Department of Correction,” Thompson said. “That door is closed behind him and it’s not gonna open again till he’s dead.”
Critics questioned why Kohberger’s plea deal didn’t include a confession or the murder weapon’s location.
“There was no legal way we could have compelled those,” said Thompson. “And quite frankly, there is nothing he could have said that I think would have been credible. He’s manipulative.”
Closure, But Not the End
As Moscow and the University of Idaho community try to heal, law enforcement officials remain mindful of the emotional toll the tragedy has left.
“This case is never going to be over and done with,” Thompson said. “The court case will, but for everybody who’s been affected by it — no.”
Though the final chapter has been written in court, the memory of Kaylee, Madison, Xana, and Ethan will continue to resonate through a community forever changed.
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