Retired NYPD officer’s 1st Precinct memo book now serves as a valued 9/11 artifact

CNN Newsource on September 7, 2026

By Natalie Duddridge

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    NEW YORK, New York (WCBS) — An NYPD officer recently went back to the precinct closest to ground zero and opened the memo book he carried on Sept. 11, 2001. He is now sharing its contents publicly for the first time since that day.

A quarter-century later, Officer Shaun McGill was in the room in the 1st Precinct where he took roll call that morning. It’s now a makeshift museum.

“I stood here 25 years ago, getting my assignment and writing in this book right here, and the hell that happened [happened] less than an hour later,” McGill said.

What Officer McGill experienced on 9/11 McGill says at 8:41 a.m., five minutes before the first plane struck the World Trade Center, “I wrote 10-53 north end in Vesey. A 10-53 is an accident of two vehicles.”

McGill was a rookie with only 18 months on the job. His log book shows he was responding to a fender bender one block from the towers just as the first plane hit. He said he ran toward the World Trade Center and then inside.

“I saw little pockets of fire on the street. It was debris coming down from the building,” McGill said. “And as I got closer, I saw bigger balls of fire, and it turns out they were people.”

Jet fuel had poured down the elevator shafts and exploded in the lobby.

“When I see a woman on fire who’s still alive, and she’s begging me to help her, I take off my uniform shirt and put the flames out on her, and just do what I can for her,” McGill said.

He said he evacuated everyone he could, including children from a nearby school, and then raced into the Marriott hotl.

“‘We have to go! Let’s go! Let’s go!'” McGill remembered saying. “And it’s at that moment someone yelled out, ‘It’s coming down!’ I just started running. We all started running, and when everything settled, the ceiling came down on us. Smoke, wires, electrical wires everywhere, and I realized I was alive.

“The building caved in in front of us and it caved in behind us, so we were in a spot where we were the only survivors, where maybe if I wouldn’t have ran I’d be dead,” McGill added. “If I would have ran too fast I’d be dead. So it was truly just not my time.”

He said all he could think of was his wife, who had suffered a miscarriage two days earlier.

“I knew that I can’t survive 110 stories falling down on my head, but when people say their life flashes before their eyes, it actually does,” McGill said. “I thought of my wife and I said, ‘I’m not … this isn’t my day. I’m not going out like this. I’m gonna get out of here one way or the other.'”

McGill and some firefighters picked their way out, found a door beneath the debris, and waded through dark, flooded water before escaping.

“I will never forget what I saw, ever” NYPD Chief of Department Michael LiPetri also responded that day.

“I will never forget what I saw, ever. I just remember civilians still trying to kind of get out and police officers and firemen and rescue operations,” LiPetri said.

He said of the thousands of NYPD who responded that day, now just over 900 are still on the force.

“I can’t believe it’s 25 years, but the heroism and the response from the men and women, not just from the NYPD, but all members of the rescue operation, was just unbelievable,” LiPetri said.

McGill said he stayed on the force another 22 years, but didn’t talk much about what happened until after he retired.

“The World Trade Center Health Program suggested that I start speaking to somebody about this, and I have, and it has been a great help. But people just knew not to ask you about it while you were working,” McGill said.

Now, that room in the 1st Precinct holds his memories alongside other remnants, including a photograph of Officer Moira Smith, the only female NYPD officer killed on Sept. 11, moments before she died. A uniform from that day is still covered in dust and firearms still carry World Trade Center ash.

And, of course, there’s McGill’s memo book. For his last entry the night of Sept. 11, before months of round-the-clock response, the only words that came to him were, “No final giving back, World Trade Center crash necessitated emergency response, priority. 21:15, end of tour, P.O. McGill.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Amazon cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport felt miles away, resident says

CNN Newsource on September 7, 2026

By Steve Maugeri, S.E. Jenkins

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    MIAMI, Florida (WFOR) — A resident living nearly three miles from Miami International Airport said he felt the impact of Sunday’s Amazon cargo plane crash from inside his Virginia Gardens home.

Jose Sanchez, who lives along Northwest 38th Terrace, said he initially thought he heard an explosion or a truck crash.

“An explosion or truck, maybe, exploded or something like that,” Sanchez said. “But for the house to shake — it wasn’t normal.”

Sanchez said the vibration was strong enough to shake his home. When he went outside, he said he could smell smoke from the crash, though he could not see smoke rising.

“Then I started to smell some smoke,” Sanchez said. “As I stepped outside, it got stronger.”

Sanchez said his home was not damaged. He said he was devastated to learn about the victims.

“Just the fact that it happened so close,” Sanchez said. “I feel very bad for the people, the victims and their families.”

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Georgia officer explains why he shot beloved donkey HeeHaw during search for missing girl

CNN Newsource on September 7, 2026

By Christopher Harris

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    POLK COUNTY, Georgia (WUPA) — A newly released police report provides the first detailed account from the Cedartown officer who shot and killed HeeHaw, a bottle-raised donkey, while helping search for a missing 12-year-old girl in Polk County.

Officer Trenton Garner wrote that he fired one shot after the donkey charged toward officers and an attempt to scare it away with a Taser did not work, according to the Cedartown Police Department incident report. Garner has been placed on administrative leave while the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Law Enforcement Division conducts an outside investigation.

The report says Garner was sent to a home on Coaling Road early Sunday to assist the Polk County Police Department with the search. The girl had been missing for about two hours.

Garner joined a Polk County K-9 handler and a Haralson County bloodhound team as they followed a trail through the woods and into a pasture. Officers found footprints along the route, while a Rockmart Fire Department drone team helped search from above.

As the officers followed a fence line, horses in the pasture became frightened and ran away, Garner wrote. The officers then saw HeeHaw on the side of a hill.

“The donkey then began to charge at us,” Garner wrote.

According to the report, the Haralson County bloodhound team moved away as the donkey approached. The Polk County K-9 handler removed his Taser and activated its electrical arc in an attempt to discourage the animal, but Garner said the donkey continued toward them.

Garner then pulled his department-issued handgun and fired once, striking HeeHaw. The donkey turned, moved back up the hill and collapsed, the report says.

Garner notified a supervisor and told dispatchers that he had shot the donkey to prevent injuries to the K-9 handler and bloodhound team. Rockmart firefighters operating the drone told officers they witnessed the encounter through its camera, according to the report.

The missing girl was later found safe farther down Grady Road, in the direction the bloodhound team had been tracking.

HeeHaw’s owner, Hannah Israel, told officers the donkey was worth about $6,000 because she had bottle-fed him since he was young. She said he had never acted aggressively or tried to bite anyone.

In a statement posted by Elsberry Riding and Farm, Israel said she remains “heartbroken and traumatized” by HeeHaw’s death and is seeking answers and accountability.

Israel also rejected allegations circulating online that she mistreats her animals. An attorney representing her sent a cease-and-desist notice demanding that accusations of animal abuse and neglect be removed and retracted within 10 days. The letter threatens possible legal action if the recipient does not comply.

Israel said she does not condone threats or harassment directed at law enforcement, the missing girl’s family or anyone else.

“We can seek accountability without hatred,” she wrote.

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Massachusetts shops push back on city’s window art rules: “Removes that whimsy and sterilizes it”

CNN Newsource on September 7, 2026

By Aaron Parseghian

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    SALEM, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Some business owners in Salem, Massachusetts are in a dispute with the Witch City about what’s on their windows.

Salem is known for its character and creativity and it’s proudly displayed at shops downtown.

Eric Crescimano and his wife own Gulu-Gulu Café, where colorful artwork, specifically their beloved beagles sailing through Salem, is displayed on the restaurant’s side window.

“Just put this up about two weeks ago,” Crescimano told WBZ-TV. “Now we have this beautiful art here and it’s under threat.”

They’re among the shops pushing back against the city’s rules governing temporary window art.

Crescimano said the Salem Redevelopment Authority recently told him and other business owners that their artwork has to come down in a couple of months or they could face fines.

“These have been things that have existed for years and now suddenly it’s an issue. It was never an issue before,” he said.

The Salem Redevelopment Authority was created in the 1960s, in part to target and remove blight. Last year, the authority updated its standards for temporary window art. Under the code, the art must be removed or replaced every three months. It also cannot include business names, logos or brands and cannot cover more than 20% of a window.

“Each business is unique, each person here is unique, and they’re effectively taking it away under the guise that this is blight, like I don’t see how it is,” Crescimano said.

The concerns are shared by Marnie Greenhut, whose Curly Girl Candy Shop is celebrating five years in business. Greenhut described Salem as a welcoming place to live and work.

“It’s a great community for a small business, ironically,” she said.

But Greenhut said she was also recently told her newly commissioned window art should not remain in place through Halloween, one of Salem’s busiest times of year. The art, which cost her $900 to put up, is inspired by the board game Candy Land and a number of nostalgic treats.

“I do not understand when people love it and it’s just, [a city] known for art. It’s just beyond me why this is a policy they want to do now and the timing right before the busy season. That just blows me away,” Greenhut said. She’s prepared to face potential fines rather than remove the art.

“I have no intention of taking mine down on the deadline,” Greenhut said.

SRA executive director Tom Daniel defended the code.

“The updated standards expand allowances for temporary window art, increasing permitted window coverage from 15% to 20% and extending the display period to three months, while maintaining the distinction between window art and signage,” Daniel said in a statement. “The SRA also notes that businesses seeking alternatives beyond these standards may work with staff to explore other approval options through the existing review process.”

It’s not enough to quell business owners’ concerns, who say they do not believe the restrictions should be enforced at all, especially with the art not being controversial.

“Salem is a weird place. It’s full of whimsy and this is something that removes that whimsy and sterilizes it. Keep Salem weird,” Crescimano said.

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‘We continue remembering, and we continue climbing’: 9/11 stair climb honors fallen heroes 25 years later

CNN Newsource on September 7, 2026

By Olivia Acree

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KSHB) — Firefighters from across the country gathered in Kansas City on Sunday to honor the firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. All 343 firefighters climbed 110 floors—the same number of floors in the Twin Towers.

Twenty-five years after the attacks, firefighters say the memory of that day still shapes who they are and why they serve. Battalion Chief Josh Nelson of the Sedalia Fire Department was in seventh grade when the attacks happened.

“I was in seventh grade. I was watching it go down, and I remember wanting to do something, just wanting to help,” Nelson said.

Nelson has channeled that memory into a career of service and into the stair climb itself.

“It’s not about you pushing for you. It’s about you pushing for them. Just the extra motivation of, ‘Hey, they gave everything that day,'” Nelson said.

Throughout his entire career, Nelson has climbed in honor of the same fallen firefighter: Andrew Jordan. A few years ago, that connection became something more personal.

“I reached out to his children and slowly developed a relationship with them,” Nelson said.

Just this weekend, Nelson visited Jordan’s son in New York.

“I don’t know how to describe it in words, but it was just surreal. It was an honor to meet his kid,” Nelson said.

343 firefighters lost their lives on 9/11. Every one of the 343 firefighters climbing in Kansas City did so in honor of a different hero.

Karli Schnakenberg of the Lenexa Fire Department said the turnout speaks to the impact of that day.

“It just really shows the impact that it had on our country, and especially our field of work,” Schnakenberg said.

For Nelson, the commitment to the climb is lifelong.

“We continue remembering, and we continue climbing, and I will climb till I can’t anymore,” Nelson said.

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

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Proposed Kansas data center sits hundreds of yards from psychiatric hospital, raising safety concerns

CNN Newsource on September 7, 2026

By Ryan Gamboa

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    BEAGLE, Kansas (KSHB) — Clayton Sherlock spent 16 years caring for psychiatric patients at the Osawatomie State Hospital. Now, he is speaking out about a proposed data center he fears could harm the recovery of some of Kansas’ most vulnerable residents.

“They are without question, some of the most vulnerable people within our state,” Sherlock said.

The proposed development, known as Project Catalyst, sits on a site that has grown from 115 acres to 283 acres — just a few hundred yards from the Osawatomie State Hospital, a taxpayer-funded psychiatric facility.

Sherlock, who worked as direct care staff in activities at the hospital, said the project’s construction and prolonged operational noise could negatively impact patients living nearby.

“I’ve worked with a number of patients that had delusions about machinery,” Sherlock said. “My concern with the data center is the construction to begin with, but then the continued operation I think could potentially interfere with their treatment.”

Sherlock said noise, light, deep vibrations and machinery sounds can be incorporated into a patient’s delusions or worsen psychosis. He also points to sleep as a critical factor in mental health treatment.

“Sleep is a huge issue when it comes to mental illness. Our patients need to be able to sleep and find rest,” Sherlock explained. “In addition, for those patients that suffer from delusions or psychosis, there may be issues where noise, light, deep vibrations, deep bass sounds, kind of machinery sounds, fans roaring and that kind of stuff, that can pose problems for them because that can incorporate into their delusion.”

Sherlock said his concerns are not on data centers broadly, but on where they are built.

“I am not opposed to data centers. They’re a fact of life, they’re going to be there, they’re a part of modern-day living,” Sherlock said. “What I am concerned about is the location of where they are built.”

Nearly all patients at the Osawatomie State Hospital are court-committed, meaning they have no choice but to be there. Sherlock said that reality makes the state’s obligation to protect them even greater.

“The state is required to ensure that patients within a facility who are involuntarily committed there have rights, have civil rights,” Sherlock said. “My goal in bringing this to light is making sure those rights are protected.”

In the past nine months, I asked the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) for comment multiple times about the data center proposal and have never received an answer.

I also reached out to Alcove Development on Friday afternoon with a list of questions about how it is working with the state and am expecting an answer following the holiday weekend.

KSHB 41 also pressed Osawatomie City Manager Bret Glendening directly by email, asking whether the city plans to evaluate potential impacts to patient safety, patient well-being, emergency response, noise, infrastructure strain, or overall compatibility with a psychiatric treatment campus — and whether the city had been in communication with KDADS or Osawatomie State Hospital officials about the proposal.

Glendening said the city had preliminary conversations with the state about the project and noted a presentation and question-and-answer session with hospital employees still needed to be rescheduled.

On the patient welfare concerns, he said they “have been determined not to be concerns for a variety of reasons.” He instructed me to visit a Kansas City area data center — ones that are not comparable to the $1 billion, 283-acre campus proposal.

When I followed up asking who made that determination, whether any formal assessment had been conducted, and whether KDADS had formally communicated support or no objection to the project, Glendening said the developer is still engaged in studies.

“To date, everything that I have observed from the data centers I have visited, none of the concerns that have been shared are concerns of mine,” Glendening wrote.

After I asked again what specific information, studies, expert input, or site visits informed that conclusion, and whether the city had received any written guidance from KDADS, hospital leadership, environmental consultants, or emergency management officials, Glendening again directed KSHB 41 to visit a data center.

“When I said, ‘They aren’t concerns of mine,’ that’s what I meant. They aren’t concerns of mine,” Glendening said.

The Osawatomie State Hospital is also one of the largest employers in the community.

Glendening did note that the city council and planning commission will have a role once a formal application is received, along with required studies. He said it would be irresponsible to speak on their behalf before that process plays out.

“I don’t want to give the appearance that minds are made up and the project is moving forward without any studies being completed,” Glendening said.

Glendening said one study — a traffic impact study — has been completed to his knowledge, and that many other studies are currently underway.

The concerns, however, are not new. Ian Day, who opposes the data center, raised a similar point at a public meeting KSHB 41 attended back in June.

“Here we are wanting to put one, people say hospital, an active psychiatric hospital,” Day pleaded to Osawatomie city council.

KSHB 41 has been reporting on Project Catalyst since January, sharing the voices of neighbors, community opponents, elected city leaders, and Miami County, Kansas resident Mo Brings Plenty, known for his role on the Yellowstone TV show.

The developer of the project said it carries significant fiscal benefits for the area. The city of Osawatomie is expected to receive annual revenues of $30 million or more, including property tax, franchise fees and other local revenues — funds projected to flow directly into roads, public safety, parks and other quality-of-life services. Miami County is expected to benefit by more than $10 million annually, and USD 367, the Osawatomie School District, is projected to receive more than $10 million in annual property tax revenue.

Sherlock said those economic benefits do not diminish the responsibility owed to patients.

“The state has a responsibility, the city has a responsibility, the developer has a responsibility to ensure the fair and equitable treatment of these patients,” Sherlock said.

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

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

25 years later, 9/11 responders are still dying from illnesses tied to the attacks

CNN Newsource on September 7, 2026

By John Domen

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    WASHINGTON, D.C. (WTOP) — The Sept. 11, 2001 attacks killed thousands of people in a matter of hours. Nearly 25 years later, illnesses tied to response efforts continue claiming lives. More than 400 FBI employees have been diagnosed, and dozens have died.

Hundreds of first responders and others who helped in the hours, days and weeks after the attacks have developed serious illnesses, many of them cancer. More than 30 FBI agents who later died have their names memorialized on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial near the Judiciary Square Metro station.

“And the number continues to rise,” said Darren Cox, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. He told WTOP that FBI employees have been diagnosed with illnesses related to their service at the Pentagon, the World Trade Center in New York, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

“For over two weeks, the FBI employees worked there at the scene,” Cox said. “They were rendering aid when they first got there, and helping other victims. And then that transitioned into the investigative phase and collecting evidence and collecting parts of the plane and documents from DoD at the time, from the Pentagon.”

John Adams, a retired FBI agent and one of the Evidence Response Team leaders, arrived minutes after American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon and spent weeks at the site.

Since then, Adams said he has watched friends and colleagues become sick and die from illnesses tied to their response efforts.

Three years ago, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma. “I was just having some back pain, and really thought I’d pulled a muscle or something like that,” Adams said, “and it turned out to be a tumor that in my spine that had spread from other parts in my body.”

The World Trade Center Health Program determined his cancer was related to his 9/11 exposure.

Adams said it wasn’t until 2008 that he realized the chemicals and carcinogens responders were exposed to might lead to cancer. That’s when a fellow team member Bob Roth developed multiple myeloma and died.

“That hit me really hard, actually, because as a team leader, I was in charge of assigning people to go into the building and conduct the search and recovery, and he was one of those individuals,” Adams told WTOP. “And from an emotional standpoint, I took that pretty hard. Really he was only acting, doing what I asked him to do, and … as a result of that, then he ended up getting cancer and dying.”

Thirteen of the 33 FBI employees who have died of cancers related to 9/11 exposure worked at the Pentagon site, Adams said.

By the time Adams learned he had cancer, tumors had spread throughout his body, including to his liver to spleen.

“It was actually a rare form of melanoma,” he said. “That’s an interesting part or piece of information about the individuals that have died. It has been cancers that are rare.”

Still, Adams said he considers himself fortunate.

“The type of cancer that I had, melanoma, there’s been a lot of research and development and some amazing treatments that have been developed,” Adams said.

He said he’s been cancer-free now for a year.

As the 25th anniversary of the attacks approaches, Adams and Cox said they hope the FBI employees who responded that day will also be remembered.

“The one common theme among the FBI, all of our employees, is that dedication,” said Cox. “That morning of Sept. 11, the dedication that it took for those heroes to respond.”

“I think it’s easy for people to forget about the sacrifices that me and others made during that day,” Adams said.

“The victims that died that day, we should continue to recognize and celebrate their lives,” he continued, “and I’m really proud of the fact that there’s a memorial now at the Pentagon that recognizes the victims of that day. But I also want to emphasize that it wasn’t just people that died on that day. It’s people that were responders that day that continue to die each year.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Tennessee inmates riot, leading to $15k+ in damages and ‘significant’ flooding

CNN Newsource on September 7, 2026

By Addison Howard

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    GRUNDY COUNTY, Tennessee (WRCB) — An active riot by several inmates at the Grundy County Jail last week caused extensive damage to the facility.

According to a release from Sheriff Virgil McNeece, a riot in the facility’s maximum security housing unit “A-Pod” broke out. At the time, there were 17 inmates housed in the pod where three employees were staffed. It’s unclear how many inmates participated.

Due to the incident’s severity and concerns for employee safety, multiple law enforcement agencies were asked to provide mutual aid so deputies could bring the situation under control.

Once a response team was organized, officers made entry into the housing unit:

“Upon entry, officers discovered that inmates had placed sharp, broken mop handles near the entrance of the pod, creating a dangerous obstacle capable of causing serious injury upon entering the area. Once inside, the officers were able to gain control of the situation without injury.”

Officials estimated that the damaged property will cost between $15,000 and $20,000 to repair or replace, including: -inmate telephones -security cameras -fire alarm systems -entry-door windows -skylights -sprinkler system

The damaged sprinklers also led to significant flooding within the housing unit.

Repairs are currently underway and are expected to take eight weeks:

“The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office understands the importance of jail ministries, volunteers, and outside program providers in providing positive and rehabilitative opportunities to inmates. We respectfully ask everyone involved to remain patient while repairs are completed.”

All of the inmates identified to have participated in the riot have been charged with aggravated rioting, vandalism over $10,000, and attempted aggravated assault on law enforcement.

Two other inmates will face charges related to attempted escape.

Sheriff McNeece did not release any of their names in his statement.

However, he did have a message for the inmates:

“The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office will not tolerate destruction of county property, attempts to escape custody, or actions that place correctional officers or other inmates in danger.

We would also like to recognize and thank the surrounding law enforcement agencies that responded and assisted during this incident. Their assistance was critical in restoring order and maintaining the safety and security of the facility.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

1 dead, 2 hospitalized following hit-and-run of Maryland police vehicle in Jessup, police say

CNN Newsource on September 7, 2026

By Tara Lynch

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    HOWARD COUNTY, Maryland (WJZ) — Police are investigating a fatal crash following the hit-and-run of a police vehicle early Sunday morning by the border of Howard and Anne Arundel counties.

A 2018 Infiniti Q60 backed into a parked, occupied Howard County police car around 2:15 a.m. at a Royal Farms in the 7100 block of Montevideo Road in Jessup, the police department said.

The driver of the Infiniti fled the scene, prompting the officer to pursue the vehicle, according to police. The Infiniti then crashed into a retaining wall about a mile away.

One man was pronounced dead at the scene, and two other people were taken to a hospital in stable condition, police said. According to the dispatch call, all three people were ejected from the car, and the driver was conscious. The officer involved was not injured.

Montevideo Road was closed at the Howard-Anne Arundel County line following the crash but has since reopened.

“They drive really crazy out here” Neighbors said the Infiniti narrowly missed two utility poles, and the car appears to have taken out a traffic sign and two mailboxes. They said they weren’t surprised that something like this happened in the community, adding drivers need to slow down on the roads.

“They drive really crazy out here. I’ve been living in Howard County for the past 15 years, and there are no safe drivers,” Howard County resident Jasmine Ortiz said. “Even out in Annapolis, I even work out there. They don’t even put on their signal. They’re zigzagging, it’s ridiculous.”

“That’s a tragedy for whoever got killed. But, you know, I mean, that’s how people drive nowadays around here,” said Catonsville resident Ed Fisher.

So far this year, 281 people have been killed in car crashes in Maryland, and more than half of them have died since May. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day is considered the deadliest time of year on the road, because of an increase in impaired, distracted and reckless driving.

“People feel very empowered when they’re behind the wheel,” Melissa Green Parker, of North Laurel, said. “The speeding, the people who are just driving illegally on the curbs, on the highway. Just so they can get around the so-called slow people.”

The Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division (IID) is now leading the investigation. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the IID at (410) 576-7070 or by email at IID@oag.maryland.gov.

Investigators say the officer involved was equipped with a body-worn camera, and the video will be released publicly in accordance with state protocols.

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Sacramento’s Rainbow Festival returns amid heightened security

CNN Newsource on September 7, 2026

By Esteban Reynoso

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — The Rainbow Festival returned to Sacramento’s Lavender Heights neighborhood for its 38th year, drawing large crowds to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community amid heightened security and recent attacks.

Security was a key focus at the festival, with multiple security gates surrounding the event and additional personnel on standby. Terry Sidie, the owner of Faces Nightclub and creator of the Rainbow Festival, said, “I have to have a security guard for every 100 people, plus 8 police officers today. About 30 more security. It’s sad we have to have so much, but we do.”

Sidie expressed his vision for the neighborhood, saying, “I need more people, more gay businesses in Lavender Heights. I want it to be notoriously gay and we accept everybody.”

The festival comes just a week after a Sacramento man reported being targeted and attacked alongside his friend for being members of the LGBTQ+ community. Multiple victims described a group of four men shouting homophobic slurs before attacking them.

“My face hit the ground and they were still trying to get at me,” one victim said.

Sacramento police have not yet made any arrests in connection with the incident.

Steven Murphie, a Sacramento resident, shared his concerns about safety at the festival.

“I’ve gotten to the point where I’m carrying a taser and pepper spray. A friend of mine said, is that where we’re at right now? Unfortunately, we have to protect ourselves,” he said.

Murphie also expressed his hope for a safer environment. “I don’t want to feel like I need to come to this community armed, because people who don’t respect us want to attack us,” he said.

As the festivities continued under the Sacramento sun, attendees enjoyed performances, fundraisers, and celebrations. The event is scheduled to run until 11 p.m.

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