Wildlife expert explains bald eagle behavior after cat dropped through windshield

CNN Newsource on November 25, 2025

By Marisa Sardonia

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    SWAIN COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — A recent incident involving an eagle dropping a cat through a driver’s windshield in North Carolina has raised questions about bald eagle behavior.

On the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 19, Melissa Schlarb was driving on US-74 in Swain County when she looked up and saw a bald eagle. The 28-year-old driver quickly realized the bird had something in its grip: a deceased cat.

Just seconds later, Schlarb said, the cat fell directly into the passenger side of her car’s windshield, shattering it.

“Okay, you may not believe me, but I just had a bald eagle drop a cat through my windshield,” Schlarb said in a 911 call. “It absolutely shattered my windshield.”

Schlarb was uninjured in the bizarre incident, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol confirmed.

An official from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said the cat, described as a juvenile domestic, appeared freshly killed and had been fed upon. According to Kendrick Weeks, wildlife diversity supervisor for the commission, bald eagles can take animals the size of a cat, but it is more challenging for them to capture a live one than a dead one.

Bald eagles, which are native to North Carolina, have been increasing in population, according to Weeks. In North Carolina alone, there are more than 200 nesting pairs.

Eagles may drop prey for several reasons, Weeks said, including if the prey becomes conscious and struggles, the bird is harassed, the prey is too heavy, or the bird doesn’t get a good enough grip. Scavenging is also common among bald eagles.

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Holiday and year-round scams hit Central Oregon hard—here’s how to stay safe

KTVZ on November 25, 2025

Tracee Tuesday

BEND, Ore. [KTVZ] — As the holidays approach, scammers ramp up their efforts to deceive consumers—and Central Oregonians are among the many targets. But scams are not just a seasonal problem; they affect people all year round with increasing sophistication and financial damage.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), roughly 2.6 million consumers reported being victims of scams in 2024, alongside more than 1.1 million reports of identity theft during the same time period. Experts warn that these figures only reflect reported cases, and the true number of victims is likely much higher as many scams go unreported.

Scams today range from fake delivery notifications and fraudulent phone calls impersonating government officials, to online shopping traps and business opportunity frauds. Sheila Miller, Communications Manager for the Bend Police Department, says, “Through November 24th, we’ve had 385 calls for service from people reporting that they’ve been scammed. We see a variety of scams. And one of the scary parts, I think, is that they’re constantly changing. So once we feel like we have a handle on one and we’ve told people about it, there’s some new iteration. Most scams are: ‘there’s a problem and we need you to solve it.’

Local businesses are not spared. Behroz ‘Bruce’ Aria, co-owner of Bruce & Nikki’s Parkway Deli, shared their experience: “We got a call from the sheriff’s department, telling us that there was stolen, cards being used at the gas station and inside the store. So to crack down on that and make sure that doesn’t happen again, we occasionally ask for a secondary ID, backed up with id with the card. And a lot of times when we ask for that second form of ID, the person says, I don’t have it, we decline the transaction.” 

Financial institutions advise vigilance as a key defense. Michelle Loftsgard, Assistant Vice President at OnPoint Community Credit Union, points out, “One of the biggest red flags is pressure. If someone is pushing you to act right away or trying to make you feel worried or rushed, that is a sign to slow down and take a closer look. You should never share your password, PIN or secure access code with anyone. You should also be cautious with unexpected links, unusual grammar or sender information and calls from numbers you do not recognize. If anything feels unusual, stop and contact the company directly using a phone number you know is real.”

Loftsgard also advised, “We are seeing more impersonation scams right now, which is when a scammer pretends to be someone you know or a trusted organization. This can show up as phishing emails, fake texts or phone calls that sound urgent. We are also seeing scammers use newer tools like deepfake phishing to recreate a family member’s voice. The reality is that anyone can be targeted, but we often see youth, teens and senior citizens as the most vulnerable because scammers look for people who may be less familiar with the warning signs or who are more likely to respond quickly.”

Here are some additional tips from Loftsgard:

Watch for imposter scams. Your financial institution will never contact you unexpectedly for your password, PIN or sensitive personal information.

Think before clicking. Avoid unexpected links or attachments, even if the message looks real.

Use multi-factor authentication. Add Face ID, Touch ID or one-time codes for extra protection.

Switch to passphrases. Use long, memorable phrases that are harder to guess than traditional passwords.

Add extra safeguards. Create a safe word with family, turn on account alerts, keep software updated, and use your digital wallet for secure transactions.

If you suspect you’ve been scammed, act immediately. Report the incident to your bank to safeguard your accounts. You should also file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, the United States Postal Service (USPS), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Staying informed and cautious is the best way to protect yourself. Check out the FTC‘s website for more tips and resources on how to avoid scams.

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‘I jumped for joy’: Landlord surprises tenants with free rent for the holidays

CNN Newsource on November 25, 2025

By Kamilah Williams

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    PORTSMOUTH, Virginia (WTKR) — When Missy Waller moved into her new home in Portsmouth three months ago, she was still working to make it her own.

Still in need of a kitchen table, dressers, and more curtains for her windows.

With the holidays approaching and her son off to college, Waller said every dollar counts.

“I pay rent, lights, gas, water, trash, etc.,” she said, listing her $1,400 in monthly housing costs. “It all adds up.”

Then an unexpected gesture from her landlord, Travis Johnson, changed everything.

“He was like, ‘Come outside.’ And when I came outside, he said, ‘Y’all ain’t gotta bring rent for November and December,’ Waller recalled. “You mean literally you don’t have to pay anything? I just jumped for joy. It was a blessing to me because I’ve got a son who’s trying to go to Richard Bland, well, he’s at Richard Bland, accepted, and I’m trying to get him in the dorm. This was a big, huge blessing to help my son.”

For Waller, the financial reprieve was more than just about money. “It was a big relief,” she said. “It was like a book bag of bricks off my back. I just didn’t know what to do, and I’m very thankful.”

Johnson, a Portsmouth native, said his own history with housing insecurity informed his decision.

“I know what it’s like to have a housing crisis and instability when it comes to rent, because I myself have struggled in the past,” he said. “That’s what inspired me to give my tenants free rent for the holidays. The movement actually became bigger than just a moment; it became a national movement.”

Johnson has spent eight years as a landlord and now rents out 12 homes in Portsmouth.

He said he was “overjoyed and excited” to see tenants’ reactions.

“To see their excitement brought me excitement, because you never know when it can be you in a situation.”

For Waller, the landlord’s compassion was a reminder that kindness endures.

“It’s just a blessing. There’s somebody who cares when you think you’re down and out. That’s a blessing, especially for landlords that care. Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah.”

Johnson said he isn’t stopping with just two families.

“We actually have six more homes to knock on the door and let them know they’re receiving free rent for the month of December,” he said.

He plans to expand the effort, launching the Homebridge Community Care Foundation to help single-parent households and families facing hardship with rent and mortgage payments.

“We’re in the process of creating a foundation that will focus on helping single-parent households with rent, mortgage, or whatever they need assistance with.”

Johnson also operates Homebridge Home Healthcare, providing in-home care across Hampton Roads.

“Whether you’re a client of ours, an employee of ours, or even if you’re not, we’re going to always pay it forward. That’s our motto,” he said.

The scope of Johnson’s giving has gained attention beyond the neighborhood. He said notable figures, including rappers, have reached out to support the movement.

“Everyone is proud of the movement. They are excited about the movement. They’re potentially talking about jumping on board,” he said.

As Johnson works to expand the program, Waller reflects on how the act of kindness ripples through the community.

“I just think it’s a wonderful thing,” she said. “Not only is it a relief off my back, but for somebody else in Portsmouth going through what I’m going through, they’re going to have relief off their back too. And I’m happy for them as well.”

For now, Waller said she has one more thing to top her gratitude list: “Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah.”

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Black women say they were asked to leave restaurant because of their race

CNN Newsource on November 25, 2025

By WTKR Staff

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    CHESAPEAKE, Virginia (WTKR) — Nine Black women who witnessed an altercation at a Chesapeake restaurant say they were discriminated against and wrongfully removed earlier this month, prompting them to consider legal action.

Shakoya Somerville-Holt said she and her friends were dining at Cork and Bull Restaurant when two other Black women who weren’t with their group started fighting. While those women left the restaurant, Somerville-Holt said managers told her group to leave as well, even though they weren’t involved in the altercation.

“No one should be removed from an establishment or denied service when they’ve done nothing wrong and there should be some type of accountability, clarity, as well as prevention,” Somerville-Holt said. “I don’t want this to happen to anyone else again.”

When Somerville-Holt questioned the decision, she said a manager made a racially charged comment.

“I questioned, Are you shutting the entire restaurant down for tonight? No, we’re just not servicing you all because y’all like to fight,” Somerville-Holt said.

Somerville-Holt and her friends have retained attorney Joyvan Malbon-Griffin, who said they’re considering taking legal action against the restaurant.

“So we could start with an apology, but I think at this point, after so much time has passed, after so many hurt feelings, after the anxiety, the emotional toll that now they have to seek out professional advice from just to be able to get through it,” Malbon-Griffin said.

Cork and Bull Chophouse declined to comment. A manager said their attorneys have advised them not to issue a statement.

A review of Cork and Bull’s social media pages indicates that they had limited comments on recent posts.

The President of the NAACP Virginia State Conference said the incident “is a painful reminder that racism remains embedded in our daily lives. It is unacceptable for anyone to be judged or mistreated based solely on the color of their skin.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTKR verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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SNAP funds reach widow days before Thanksgiving

CNN Newsource on November 25, 2025

By Joel Lopez

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    PALM BEACH COUNTY, Florida (WPTV) — A West Palm Beach widow we first met two weeks ago now has a whole lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday.

After nearly a month of uncertainty caused by the government shutdown, the SNAP benefits she desperately needed to feed her three sons have finally landed in her account — and relief is unmistakable.

Anna Walker lost her husband two years ago and has been raising her three teenage sons on her own.

The deposit, nearly $1,000 in SNAP benefits, arrived overnight on Monday, ending weeks of worry about how she would afford holiday meals.

“When they ask me, ‘Hey, mom. I’m hungry.’ What am I supposed to say?” said Walker two weeks ago, not knowing how she was going to afford dinner for the holidays. “I wanted to create a meal for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

The reaction after the funds posted was immediate and emotional.

“I’m feeling good, I’m feeling calm, less stress, I felt like the whole world was on me, but that has been lifted,” said Walker. “Now, my kids are able to eat and stuff, it feels good.”

Her sons are already pitching in to prepare the family’s Thanksgiving dinner.

“My oldest, he loves to cook. He has this thing where he seasons meat a lot better than I do, so I’m going to have him do all the meat seasoning then I’ll do the rest,” said Walker.” He’s more of a baker; he loves making cupcakes and cake and brownies.”

For Walker, Thanksgiving will be both a meal and a moment of togetherness and faith.

“I’m just happy, it’s not because I got my food stamps back on, it’s just because everything is just going good,” said Walker. “I’m able to focus on what I need to do and continue to move forward for my goal of finishing school.”

She’s determined to push her family forward and noted she still has two years left in a criminal justice degree in order to accomplish her dream of becoming a crime scene tech.

“It’s one of those goals where you go where your heart desire. It’s one of those things I’ve been wanting to do since I was 14 and we’re making it happen,” said Walker. ” I have a lot to be thankful for, a lot, cause I could have been in a worse situation.”

Walker lives at The Lord’s Place family campus, where organizers said roughly 90% of residents rely on SNAP. Upwards of 40% of residents there remained without their payments at the time of the report. That’s why the nonprofit has ramped up food production and mobile distribution to fill gaps, while many families wait for benefits to clear.

“What message would you have for families here that are still waiting on the SNAP benefits?” asked Lopez.

“Just have faith, just like Anna has hers now, hopefully theirs will show up shortly,” said Kerline Aurelien.

She is the director of family services for The Lord’s Place, who said helping others has always been her passion.

“We want them to feel like they are home, and we want the children and the families to feel that,” said Aurelien.

That mission is matched by action: The Lord’s Place plans to serve a Thanksgiving meal on Tuesday and said it has enough funding to continue mobile food distribution through December.

They will reassess needs and budget to determine whether services can extend into the new year.

For Walker, the arrival of SNAP benefits means more than groceries. It restores a little calm, lets her focus on school, and gives her boys a chance to take part in a holiday tradition that bonds the family.

“I’m just happy and thankful for everyone that’s helped me get to where I’m at,” said Walker.

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North Texas senior without food and water calls 911 for help amid growing crisis

CNN Newsource on November 25, 2025

By Marvin Hurst

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    TEXAS (KTVT) — Hood County Sheriff dispatch audio reveals an elderly person in a critical situation. The man, who CBS News Texas is not identifying, called the sheriff’s office with a weak voice seeking help.

DISPATCH: Hood County 911, what’s your emergency?

CALLER: I’m calling to get someone to bring water to my house.

DISPATCH: To do what?

CALLER: Get someone to bring water to my house.

A rise in the dispatcher’s voice conveyed a sense of shock in the request. However, the weak voice on the end kept calm.

DISPATCH: Like, is there something going on?

CALLER: Yeah, I’m out of water.

DISPATCH You’re out of water?

CALLER: Yes, sir.

DISPATCH: Okay, so you called 911.

CALLER: Yes.

The deputy connected the man in his 70s to the pantry at the Granbury Church of Christ. The meals from the church would get delivered, but it wasn’t enough. The man had called the emergency line at least twice. He became more specific.

CALLER: Well, I have no water.

DISPATCH: I’m sorry, what’s going on?

CALLER: I have no water and no food.

CALLER: My truck broke down, so I’m stuck here at the house with no water and no food. I’ve been here now for 13 days with no water or food.

Hood County faces growing need for senior meals as funding cuts impact local services Mary Flores is the crime victims’ liaison for Hood County. She also serves on the Salvation Army’s advisory board. This was a different call for her.

“We have about 10 or 11 food pantries here in Hood County,” she said. “For this particular man to call law enforcement for food and water, we knew that there was a need.”

Flores, who has worked for HCSO for 10 years, said she could tell something was wrong with the man. She said he had no family in Texas. He did not have running water or an operating septic system.

“I knew he wasn’t feeling well,” she said. “I knew he was sick. I can tell.”

Meals on Wheels faces long waiting lists amid budget cuts She got him to agree to sign up for Meals on Wheels only to find out he’d be on a waiting list. The Hood County Meals on Wheels lost $181,000 in funding. That money has impacted transportation, congregate meals at the senior center in Granbury and the Meals on Wheels program.

“We make in-person visits, with a ready-to-eat meal, through volunteers to ensure safety, nutrition and emotional well-being,” Meredith Corrigan said. “Our patrons that walk into our doors every day have a sense of community and engagement that they may not get elsewhere.”

Corrigan, the Senior Center’s director, has 65 seniors on a waiting list now. In January, the center separated services for 47 seniors. In November, 25 more are a possibility to make the budget align.

Senior Center director warns of rising isolation and food insecurity “Without programs like these, seniors and their caregivers will become more isolated, some will have increased food insecurity, and others be forced into institutional living at a much higher cost,” she said.

The man Flores wanted to help was retired. He had some life in church. She asked him to put his hand on the Bible that he would go to the doctor to get checked. The man agreed. He found he had cancer.

“My biggest concern would have been if we had found him dead in his home,” she said.

Even if he had been well, the waiting list would not have shortened the time to get a meal. Kristi Mann is a volunteer who delivers meals in Hood County.

“I guess I didn’t realize we were actually delivering to people who had no means of obtaining food, or even driving to get food. So if you’re not the one taking the food to them, they really have no way of getting it,” Mann said.

The 46-year-old said she was not prepared for what she’s seen among the elderly. She is certain the interactions are fruitful, and for some, it’s the only person they will see.

“Some of the houses that I’ve driven up to, half of the house might be burned. And the other half of the house is something they might have been living in temporarily, or an RV next to the burned-down house,” she said.

In five years, she said her route has decreased from 20 to two people.

Records show the man called HCSO on May 27 and June 13. He was hospitalized for treatment. According to Flores, he is out of the hospital with his children. His face is still imprinted on her life.

“When I heard about that number on that wait list, I saw his face. There’s more of him,” Flores said. “There’s more people out there like him. And we shouldn’t have people like that in our communities needing food and water.”

Hood County approved $100,00 from its emergency disaster fund to combat hunger during the government shutdown, to be divided among its participating non-profits. In the meantime, Flores wrote a proposal to the Salvation Army to adopt 25 seniors so they would not go hungry.

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Archaeologists uncover 13,000-year-old mystery at dig site

CNN Newsource on November 25, 2025

By Kristi Harper

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    BALTIMORE COUNTY, Maryland (WMAR) — State archaeologists and geologists are working together to solve a more than 10,000-year-old mystery at the Piney Grove archaeological site near Reisterstown, building on discoveries first made in May.

State Terrestrial Archaeologist Zachary Singer and State Geologist Rebecca Kavage Adams are tracking the earliest inhabitants of this region — the Clovis people who walked these lands about 13,000 years ago, long before modern humans built the church that now stands nearby.

“Every piece of chalcedony we’ve found at the site has been worked. Has been flaked,” Zach updates Rebecca. “So this was the hangout and do the work site.” Zach, “Yes, this was the reduction site.”

The Clovis people hunted animals now extinct during a time when estimates suggest only around 150 people lived in all of Maryland.

“It’s a fun partnership because there’s so much common sense to like people’s pathways,” Adams said.

Zach says what typically survives in the archaeological record from 13,000 years ago are stone tools, which researchers use as evidence to recreate how people lived during that time period.

Singer and Adams are working to prove that the paths the Clovis walked were governed by their search for a specific stone that would bring hunting success — chalcedony, a translucent stone pointing researchers to a specific time period.

“The chalcedony must have been found very nearby because we’re finding lots of evidence of people breaking down larger pieces to make hunting tools,” Singer said.

Chalcedony is uncommon in Maryland’s archaeological record, but when researchers do find it, it’s mostly associated with 13,000-year-old archaeological sites.

At the end of the last ice age, this land looked much different than today. However, the nearby stream where the team is digging was likely present then, and something made it an ideal location for the Clovis people to make their tools.

“This site is likely where people were first making those stone tools and then carrying them around the rest of the region,” Singer said.

The discovery of this site was fortunate for both the ancient Clovis people and modern researchers. When a road was built here in 2001, archaeologists found the site contained a large amount of chalcedony.

Singer provided state geologists with samples from the collection to determine the type of chalcedony used to make Stone Age points.

“So I think we could even term it agate because agate is spherically banded fibrous microcrystalline and quartz,” Adams said.

To make that determination, geologists had to grind back into the stone’s past. Over time, the surface becomes muddled by other elements, so state geologists created billets from the interior of the provided samples. Under the microscope, an identifying pattern emerged in these samples.

With that part of the mystery solved, researchers can now focus their search for the source of that stone, bringing Adams closer to walking in the ancient steps of the Clovis people.

“Right now we’re on what’s known as the Cockeysville Marble. So this is a marble that underlies a good portion of Baltimore County. It’s what the Washington Monument was made of,” Adams said. “It’s possible there’s an outcrop of the Cockeysville marble that has this chalcedony that has precipitated in it.”

Using GPS mapping, Adams and her colleague traverse the land to register data points of rock outcrops that could be the original source of the stone brought to the dig site during the Stone Age.

“If I am looking for a nice place to live and an easy path to walk, I’m certainly going to do that in a valley that is formed by the Cockeysville marble than hiking over a whole bunch of ridges and difficult terrain, so the two, you know, the archaeology and the geology really go hand in hand that way. I think that’s neat,” Adams said.

The next step in their search involves blood protein residue analysis on the tools they find. This DNA research allows scientists to extract samples from micro cracks in stone tools. By comparing them to known samples, Singer hopes to identify what these people were hunting.

“Based on blood residue and protein analysis on stone tools on the East Coast, people have found direct evidence for people 13,000 years ago hunting mammoths and mastodon and bison and extinct horse,” Singer said. “We don’t have that evidence yet directly from Maryland.”

The emphasis is on “yet.” With the evidence found during this research, a deeper story of Maryland’s past is coming to light at the Piney Grove archaeological site.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WMAR verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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Man charged after trying to lure children to open door by claiming parents were hurt

CNN Newsource on November 25, 2025

By Leigh Searcy

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    GEORGETOWN, Kentucky (WLEX) — A Michigan man has been charged after home security video captured him attempting to get children at a northern Scott County home to open their front door by falsely claiming their parents were injured outside.

Anthony Britton, 35, of Southfield, Michigan, was charged with falsely reporting an incident and second-degree burglary after the November 15 incident, according to Sheriff Jeremy Nettles.

The security footage shows Britton knocking on the door around 6:45 p.m. and telling the children inside that their parents were hurt and lying on the ground outside.

“Your mom and dad are out here hurt. They’re laying on the ground right here, I promise you,” Britton can be heard saying on the video. “I was walking through the neighborhood, I promise you, I’m not harming anybody. They are hurt.”

The children were home with a babysitter and never came to the door. The babysitter reported the man but didn’t initially realize everything he had said, Nettles said.

“This evening could have went bad based upon this individual’s actions and the way he was talking trying to lure somebody outside or at least trying to open the door,” Nettles said.

Police say Britton had walked away from a nearby recovery center. On the same night, he called 911 asking for help and claiming people were chasing him in the woods. Deputies responded and gave him a ride to a different location but didn’t connect the two incidents at the time.

It wasn’t until several days later that the parents watched and shared the security video with deputies, realizing the seriousness of the situation. That’s when the sheriff’s department connected Britton to the man caught on camera.

“It’s really scary that what could have happened that night. I’m glad no one answered the door and he didn’t try to force his way in,” Nettles said.

Deputies say Britton appeared to be under the influence during the incident. Nettles said Britton was apologetic but couldn’t explain his actions.

“We don’t know what his intent was that night, what he was planning to do if somebody were to open that door. It’s a scary situation,” Nettles said.

Nettles said the case serves as a reminder for people to always lock their doors.

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Man accused of shooting and killing his brothers at hunting cabin

CNN Newsource on November 25, 2025

By Althea Castro de la Mata

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    TOWN OF ALLEN, New York (WKBW) — New York State Police have charged 65-year-old Scot D. Thompson in the deadly shooting of his two brothers at a hunting cabin in the town of Allen on Sunday. Thompson is now behind bars and faces two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of criminal use of a firearm.

The incident occurred around 10 p.m. on November 23, at a cabin located at 5301 Botsford Hollow Road. Investigators said the three brothers were staying together when a dispute escalated.

According to Trooper James O’Callaghan, spokesperson for NYSP, Troop A, alcohol was involved, and a verbal domestic argument between the brothers turned physical. During the fight, Scot Thompson allegedly grabbed a rifle and fatally shot his brothers, identified as 70-year-old Mark B. Thompson of Canterbury, CT, and 69-year-old David E. Thompson of Port Charlotte, FL.

After the shooting, Thompson fled the scene in one of the brothers’ vehicles. Law enforcement agencies, including the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office and Geneseo Police Department, located the vehicle and conducted a safe felony stop, taking Thompson into custody without further incident. He was then turned over to State Police at SP Amity, processed, and transported to the Allegany County Jail for arraignment.

Autopsies for the victims are scheduled at Strong Memorial Hospital, and State Police are still looking into whether the cabin was owned by one of the brothers or rented.

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$5,000 reward offered for information on killing of 14-year-old Armani Floyd in Loop shooting

CNN Newsource on November 25, 2025

By Lauren Victory, Marissa Sulek, Sara Machi

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A new reward is being offered for information to help find the shooter who killed a 14-year-old boy Friday night in the Loop, in the first of two shootings downtown, which left one teen dead and eight others wounded.

The gunfire erupted after thousands of people had gathered to celebrate the Christmas tree lighting in Millennium Park.

Cook County Crime Stoppers immediately offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible for the two shootings.

On Monday, the Youth Peace and Justice Foundation – a Texas-based nonprofit – offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the death of 14-year-old Armani Floyd, who was killed in the second of those two shootings.

The first shooting happened around 9:50 p.m. Friday, when seven teens were shot outside the Chicago Theatre, in the 100 block of North State Street. All seven victims were taken to hospitals in good or fair condition.

Around 10:40 p.m., two more teens were shot near Dearborn and Adams streets, a few blocks away. Armani Floyd, 14, was shot multiple times and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An 18-year-old man was also shot in the leg and was taken to Northwestern in serious condition.

Amari was part of Project sWISH Chicago, a nonprofit basketball program for teens. Project sWISH founder and basketball coach McKinley Nelson said he’s not sure what led to Amari’s death, but he was shocked to hear the news.

Nelson described Amari as “super funny, super competitive, great kid, right?”

“I played basketball some years ago. I mean, he always, like, wants to challenge me, right? Like, old man or unc, like, ‘you don’t got it anymore,’ like, that kind of stuff, right?” Nelson said. I told him if he beat me in a one-on-one, I would get him a pair of shoes for Christmas. He did not beat me, but I still promised him a pair of shoes for Christmas.

Project sWISH won’t play a game the next time they meet. Instead, therapists will be available to talk to Armani’s friends about his death.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said Chicago police were aware of social media posts promoting a so-called “teen takeover” downtown on Friday night, and that Chicago Public Schools had sent letters home to parents. Police also put an extra 700 officers on patrol, using some of the same precautions that prevented teen takeovers in the summer.

“What we put in place did not do enough for what we were concerned about from actually manifesting,” Mayor Johnson said. “Our young people have to understand that they should not attend these unauthorized events that are advertised on social media. They are extremely dangerous due to the number of individuals that may be carrying weapons, especially semiautomatic weapons.”

“So, the precautions themselves and the measures that we took, we learned a lesson that they don’t work 100% of the time,” said Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd).

Hopkins said he’s talking to other councilmembers about re-visiting the idea of a snap curfew since they knew about the crowds of teens days before they met up.

“This is a tool that would have been used by the police at that time. They actually did start enforcing the curfew when the law allowed them to Friday night, which was 10 p.m., but by then it was too late. The shootings had already occurred,” he said.

Hopkins said there were other major red flags earlier in the night on Friday. He said when police initially tried to break up some crowds of kids, some of the teens used pepper spray on police, one even tried to pull a stun gun on officers.

Johnson said 18 arrests were made Friday night, and five guns were recovered in the aftermath of the shooting. The mayor called the shootings a setback for the city. Hopkins said another 18 teens faced curfew detentions after the 10 p.m. curfew went into effect.

As of Monday morning, no one was in custody for either shooting.

Vigil held for Armani Floyd in South Shore Dozens, including the father, a violence prevention advocate, and siblings of Floyd, were in the South Shore neighborhood on Monday evening to grieve the tragic loss.

The vigil was held near Gary Comer Middle School. Each person in attendance had a balloon with a message on it, which they released in honor of the 14-year-old they describe as an athlete, comedian, and a go-getter.

“Armani always had the biggest smile on his face. A smile never left Armani’s face,” Breanna Thomas said.

“He was going to have a very bright future. He was going places in basketball. He stayed fresh. Everyone loved Armani.” Nyah DeBerry said.

“He didn’t deserve that, he really didn’t,” Ayesha Harkness said.

City officials said social media warned them of a teen trend or a large gathering, and they did nothing.

Ald. William Hall (6th Ward) is now proposing a city ordinance that requires social media companies to take down posts advertising the teen gatherings if the city tells them to.

“If we are asking communities to partner with us. If we are asking parents to partner with us how is it that social media companies are exempt from this?” he said.

“My son was downtown that night as well, and so, I was just shocked because this was someone who he was just recently with.” Precious Edmondson said.

Edmondson and Pam Peterson are parents who knew Floyd well. After the weekend, they want to see more resources in the community for teens to keep them from downtown.

“I usually don’t let my son do stuff like that, but you know, when you are a teen mom, you have to let go,” Edmondson said. “That night I did, and I don’t regret it because that was his last night with Armani.”

In the ordinance Hall is proposing, he said social media platforms must take down posts about teen gatherings in six hours. If they don’t, they must explain wh,y or they will be fined $50,000.

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