Category: CNN Regional

By Michael Abeyta

Click here for updates on this story

    AURORA, Colorado (KCNC) — Sunday morning, protestors once again gathered outside the GEO Group ICE detention facility in Aurora to protest the conditions in which detainees are being held, with Thursday’s shooting by a GEO Group employee fresh in their minds.

“To see it happen or to hear that it happened so close to home, it’s always a bit of a shock, but not unexpected,” said Emil Mondragon.

Mondragon was there with Aurora Unidos, one of the groups who organized the event. They said knowing that a protester was shot here slightly more than 48 hours ago did make them consider whether coming out was a good idea.

“I was a little bit nervous, but we need to be out here, and we need to be speaking about this,” said Mondragon.

The crowd was encouraged, however, by Emma Landis and Maeve, who are the two women reportedly shot at by GEO employee Brandon Booth on Thursday evening. The Aurora Police Department says the two women were involved in a verbal confrontation with employees who could not enter the facility due to a protest. Police say Booth used his pistol to fire a single shot in their direction as the women were walking away.

Landis was shot in the foot, and despite the pain she is in, she decided to come out to speak to demonstrators on Sunday.

“This put a pause on my life. And because somebody was hurt by the words that I was saying to him, that doesn’t give you the right to shoot somebody,” said Landis.

The women say that, while they appreciate the concern for their well-being, they don’t want to take attention away from the confirmed case of tuberculosis that was found in the facility and the well-being of the people being held there.

On Monday, the Adams County Health Department said it confirmed an active case of tuberculosis at the detention center, but has not received all of the information from the facility that it needs to complete its investigation. In a statement to CBS Colorado on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security said there are no confirmed active cases of tuberculosis at the Aurora facility.

Maeve said the shooting on Thursday has brought even more attention to the detention center.

“Although this should have never happened, it has now brought so much attention to this GEO facility that has needed attention on it for far too long,” said Maeve.

Mondragon said they would understand if the women had chosen not to come back.

“It’s just a human response to not want to go back to where you got hurt, right? But they did anyway,” said Mondragon.

And they hope the duo’s courage will unite the community to join them in protesting.

“That is what’s going to help you humanize what’s going on today, in your community. And that’s what’s going to fuel the change that we need to see desperately,” said Mondragon.

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.

By Bo Evans

Click here for updates on this story

    SOUTHLAKE, Texas (KTVT) — Southlake police officer Joshua Swisher had just begun writing a speeding ticket when he spotted smoke pouring from a car on Highway 114. Moments later, he was sprinting toward a vehicle engulfed in flames.

Swisher said he had pulled over a driver for a speeding violation when radio traffic reported a possible vehicle fire nearby. He looked left and saw thick smoke rising from a car on the highway.

He instructed the first driver to remain stopped and directed the smoking vehicle to pull over. As soon as it did, the car burst into flames.

Swisher tried to open the door, but the handle broke off in his hand. He put on a glove, shattered the window, and reached inside.

“Hey, come out through the window. Sir, come out through the window now,” Swisher yelled in body camera footage. “Give me your hand. I got you. Are you OK? Anybody else in the car?”

He pulled the driver to safety as the fire intensified.

Swisher said he relied on instinct.

“When you’re in the moment, you’re just thinking you have to act,” he said. “There’s not a lot of time to process. My thought was just to get him out of the car as quickly as I could.”

After the rescue, Swisher returned to the driver he had initially stopped.

“Met with the other driver after – here’s your driver’s license, it’s a warning, slow it down,” he said.

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.

By Veronica Ortega

Click here for updates on this story

    DETROIT, Michigan (WWJ) — A Detroit nonprofit’s annual summer celebration was in jeopardy after 400 pairs of shoes were stolen from its warehouse. Thanks to the community, Hoopfest was able to move forward.

Day three of NW Goldberg Cares’ Hoopfest started with a 3-on-3 basketball tournament at Curtis Jones Park.

“I love Hoopfest. I like seeing the happy people, and some people don’t have this every day, and I’m glad that they can have it, at least this summer and all the other summers,” Detroit resident Addison Washington, 9, said.

The event is something the children in the neighborhood have been looking forward to for the past four years.

“I like that I get to come here with my friends and my family, and that I get new shoes every year,” Avery Ponders of Detroit said.

From the entertainment on the basketball court to the barbershop pop-up, everything is free.

“I think, for so long, this community hasn’t had someone to give back and just show them love and appreciation for free. Enjoy yourself, eat, get something to eat, drink, everything, enjoy the festivities. I think it’s much needed for the community,” Devon Larkin, a parent, said.

More than a week ago, the nonprofit made headlines after 400 pairs of name-brand custom sneakers intended for a giveaway were stolen.

“It just was sad, man, to know that they do so much for the community and they give back so much. Why would you come take something that is going to the children?” Larkin said.

Thanks to donations from the community and sponsors, the organization secured the amount needed to reach its goal of handing out 1,000 pairs of shoes.

“That was the number we had set in mind, and we’re going to hit that number. We’re so thankful to the Detroit community. We were able to secure enough shoes to still continue this event and that’s what we’re most proud of,” Brandon Daniels, treasurer for NW Goldberg Cares, said.

Whether it’s on the basketball court or off, students can start the school year feeling ready and confident.

“I am looking forward to a new pair of shoes. It’s going to be really great and I’m super excited,” Washington said.

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.

By Cole Premo, Jason Rantala

Click here for updates on this story

    MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (WCCO) — Minneapolis police are investigating after a mass shooting seriously injured two people and wounded seven others outside a nightclub in the Uptown neighborhood early Sunday morning.

According to police, officers responded shortly before 12:30 a.m. to a report of a shooting outside Reign Event Center, which is located on the 2900 block of Hennepin Avenue.

Police from all five precincts were called in to respond due to the number of victims and the crowd outside the club. According to preliminary information, gunfire erupted outside the club following an altercation, police say, with a large crowd present during the shooting.

At the scene, officers found four people suffering injuries. They included a 20-year-old man with potentially life-threatening injuries, and three others with apparent non-life threatening injuries. The latter three were a 21-year-old man and two women, ages 22 and 27. All were taken to Hennepin Healthcare.

Police say a man, 18, later walked into Hennepin Healthcare with an apparent non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

Police say four additional people arrived at Abbot Northwestern Hospital, including a 21-year-old man with potentially life-threatening injuries. Three other men, ages 20, 21 and 22, had non-life threatening injuries. The man with potentially life-threatening injuries was taken to Hennepin Healthcare.

In an update Sunday afternoon, police said the two men who suffered life-threatening injuries are expected to survive.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, in a statement, called the shooting “intolerable.”

“This is a stark reminder that keeping our streets safe requires every tool available. We need partnerships where the perpetrators of these acts are arrested and prosecuted, we need to continue hiring more police officers to both investigate and prevent gun crimes, and we must embrace proven technologies from drones to ShotSpotter that allow our police to do their jobs with greater efficiency,” Frey said.

Ali Salah, who lives in the neighborhood, was a witness to the aftermath.

“A lot of people were running down the street,” he said. “A lot of police and enforcement vehicles driving by, first responders.

“This was a brazen act of violence in a crowded entertainment district where innocent people were placed at tremendous risk,” Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Bill Peterson said.

Peterson said the Minneapolis FAST nonfatal shooting task force — which includes the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and county sheriff’s offices is investigating.

Ward 7 Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer said in a Facebook post that she hopes to meet with Reign nightclub ownership this week.

“I pray for the victims and all those affected by violence on our streets. We will not tolerate this outrageous activity,” Shaffer wrote.

City leaders say preventing future violence will require cooperation beyond law enforcement.

“That takes partnerships with the county, who provides a lot of the social services, the state, but more importantly, it really does take the community to help with prevention,” Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette said.

“You hope that nothing is fatal. You hope that people are able to walk away and learn from this situation,” Salah said.

There have been no arrests and the investigation is ongoing. Police are looking into whether gunshots were fired from a vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to call the police or CrimeStoppers.

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.

By Nick Lentz, Ubah Ali

Click here for updates on this story

    ST. LOUIS PARK, Minnesota (WCCO) — Around 90 apartment units are damaged after a massive fire at a complex in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, on Friday, according to city officials.

Crews responded to a report of smoke at the Helix Apartments, located at 7500 Hwy. 7, at 4:47 p.m. Once at the scene, they saw a “working fire,” officials said.

Flames were shooting out of the roof of the 167-unit complex early on Friday evening.

As of 8:30 p.m., the fire is under control, according to officials. Crews were working Friday night to extinguish hot spots and ensure there were no more flames. The cause is under investigation.

Roughly 20 “mutual aid fire departments” responded to the incident, according to the city.

Officials said one person was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening and two firefighters were treated at the scene for heat-related injuries.

“It is just a lot for me and scary,” resident Jasmine Kellogg told WCCO on Friday evening.

Kellogg is a single mother with multiple sclerosis. She says the fire is a setback she doesn’t know how she’ll come back from.

“To know this was something we cherished, we worked hard for, and then it’s gone. How do I tell my daughter her place is gone?” Kellogg said.

The Salvation Army has been called to help with displaced residents, though officials have yet to disclose how many. The American Red Cross said a temporary evacuation point was open on Friday night at The Ark Church on Quebec Avenue, where food and water were available.

The complex was built in 1985 and was “extensively renovated between 2020 and 2022,” according to a news release discussing the sale of the Helix Apartments last 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.

By Stephanie Ballesteros

Click here for updates on this story

    NEWARK, Delaware (KYW) — A man’s body was found in a retention pond near Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware, on Saturday morning.

Delaware State Police responded to Christiana Hospital, located at 4755 Ogletown Stanton Rd., shortly after 10:30 a.m. for a report of a dead body found in a retention pond at the entrance of the hospital.

Troopers say they found the body of a 30-year-old man from Wilmington in shallow water at the edge of the pond.

No word on how the man died.

Delaware State Police is investigating the death.

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.

By Frederick Sutton Sinclair, Kerri Corrado

Click here for updates on this story

    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Fresh off the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Lincoln Financial Field is part of another milestone.

Shane Gillis breaks 2 world records Comedian and actor Shane Gillis made history Friday night at the South Philadelphia stadium, breaking two Guinness World Records.

Gillis set new marks for the largest audience for a comedian with 73,946 attendees and the most tickets sold for a comedy show by a solo comedian with 77,047 tickets.

The sold-out event marked the largest headlining show of his career.

While stand-up heavyweight Dave Chappelle made an appearance, the show was mostly a hometown affair, with cameos from Travis Kelce, West Chester native Bam Margera, and Philly-area comedians Jay Oakerson and Matt McCusker, along with a performance by Meek Mill.

Philadelphia Eagles players Cooper DeJean and Jordan Mailata also helped kick off the show.

In a press release Guinness World Records adjudicator Andy Glass said in part, “Tonight’s event was a powerful reminder that record-breaking achievements continue to capture people’s imagination around the world.”

The show marked a full-circle moment for the comedian who was able to set the records at the home stadium of his favorite team.

Fans brave air quality for record-breaking show A hazy sunset in South Philadelphia Friday night. Smoke filled the area around the Linc and lingered into the night for the concert.

“I’d put a hazmat suit on to go see Shane. I won’t miss this for the world,” one fan said.

What’s normally a clear picture of the city’s skyline, was barely visible.

The city has been plagued by wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota for the past two days, triggering several air quality alerts. Fans say they weren’t too bothered by the smoke though.

“It does smell a little smokey but hasn’t hit me,” one man said.

“Not the best conditions in the world but we will make the best of it,” another fan said

The city of Philadelphia says conditions have slightly improved, but they’re warning the public to take the air quality seriously. All public pools and splash pads were closed on Friday and the city suspended trash collection for the day for the health and safety of city workers.

In Fairmount Park, trash cans and trash bags covered part of the sidewalk.

“We do plan on working all day Saturday and Sunday to ensure last week’s trash and recycling is collected in time for our service to be on a regular schedule starting Monday,” said Carlton Williams, Director of Clean and Green Initiatives.

The health department says the air remains unhealthy and if possible move as many activities as you can indoors. They are encouraging people to take advantage of places like the city’s libraries. “Since the air outside is not good and that people need a place to shelter we recommend they come in and just hang out so they can stay safe,” said Jennifer Chang.

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.

By Frederick Sutton Sinclair, Bill Seiders, Eva Andersen

Click here for updates on this story

    CHESTER COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KYW) — The Chester County home of Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was burglarized early Saturday morning, police say.

Authorities said patrol officers responded to the All-Pro running back’s home in the Malvern section of Tredyffrin Township for a report of a burglary in progress around 5 a.m. By the time officers arrived, the suspects fled, police said.

Police said Barkley and his family were home during the burglary and were unharmed. It is unclear if anything was taken from the home.

Investigators said they have not received reports of any similar incidents in the area and are looking into a white SUV that may be connected to the burglary. Police said they are also looking for at least two suspects.

Chester County District Attorney’s Office said it is assisting the Tredyffrin Township Police Department with the investigation.

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.

By Meghan Schiller

Click here for updates on this story

    WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — A Westmoreland County family wants to warn others after they said they found a large void beneath the garage of their house built by Ryan Homes.

“More than anything, we just want folks to know that there is potential that other homes could be built like this and just to be aware,” said homeowner Nicole Holderfield.

Beneath their seemingly normal front-facing two-car garage in the Altman Farms neighborhood in North Huntingdon is a lot of dead space that the Holderfield family just found out about. They said having a secret room is not as cool as it sounds when you realize the structural integrity of the 30-year-old home is at risk.

“I hate to say shocking, but it’s not something that we really wanted to be the first one on the street to find out,” Holderfield said.

Holderfield said there are leftover cinder blocks and even a Lowe’s bucket down there.

“You can actually stand all the way down here on this side, a lot of backfill, and then we did see it was weatherproofed on some of the walls,” Holderfield said.

This all started because Holderfield wanted to fix the growing number of large cracks popping up across her garage floor.

“We were starting the cosmetic fix, and our contractor was here. And with a sledgehammer, he wanted to see what he was working with, so he simply pounded down the sledgehammer,” Holderfield said.

The large void directly underneath the garage is not accessible from their finished basement. Only one wall appears to be weatherproofed, so the family believes moisture rusted away the single support column and the steel rebar attempting to carry the weight of the entire two-car garage.

“A couple different companies did stop by, and they were in awe of what they found. Even the North Huntingdon inspector came out, took a look, and it was not something he was familiar with seeing,” said Holderfield.

That inspector encouraged the family to hire a structural engineer. They did, and received a report that concluded the issue was the result of “poor workmanship and faulty construction,” Holderfield said.

The family’s homeowners insurance denied the claim, saying defects from faulty construction are excluded from coverage.

“Knowing that we were parking our cars in here up until we found this problem — we have children and animals, and knowing that a catastrophe could come, I think that’s our biggest concern,” Holderfield said.

That’s why the family called the builder, Ryan Homes, and alerted all of their neighbors with similar builds and floor plans.

“They really just took a look and took pictures. When we did speak to the one gentleman at Ryan Homes, he said this was 30 years ago, there were different laws back then,” Holderfield said.

KDKA Investigates reached out to Ryan Homes for comment to ask if building these dead spaces is still its practice. And if so, should other homeowners who live in Ryan Homes inspect further? Ryan Homes said it does not comment on news stories.

In an update on Thursday, the Holderfields told KDKA Investigates that Ryan Homes reached out and said it’s willing to work with them on this, share the cost of the fix, and manage the project to ensure it is fixed as they would expect.

The family feels that’s a valid attempt to make it right.

KDKA Investigates talked to a Cranberry homeowner who also lives in a Ryan Home built around the same time. She sent photos showing the wet tire marks where her car drove over and broke through the concrete last year. When the garage floor failed, she said it revealed a 9-foot void. She said it took four triaxle trucks of fill and $20,000 to fix.

Holderfield says that makes her wonder who else could find this.

“I would love people to be held accountable, but I also understand the laws and that we could potentially be out of the warranty period is what they say. I do wish we could have them stand behind their work or help us get this fixed,” Holderfield said.

More than anything, the Holderfield family says it wants people to know there is potential that other homes could be built like this, and to be aware.

According to the Ryan Homes website, the company designs and builds homes in hundreds of communities across 16 states plus Washington D.C. and has built more than 540,000 homes since its founding in Pittsburgh in 1948.

Ryan Homes is part of NVR Inc., one of the country’s largest homebuilders, and currently operates in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, D.C., Virginia, West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

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.

By Patrick Damp, Ricky Sayer

Click here for updates on this story

    PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — Following the implosion of the Commercial Street Bridge earlier this week, PennDOT said that it will begin sliding in the brand new bridge on Sunday morning.

Beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday, the lateral slide of the bridge between the Squirrel Hill Tunnel and the Edgewood-Swissvale exit will be put into place. The pre-built, fully constructed bridge will move 102 feet into place.

PennDOT said that each of the 42 skids that will move the bridge into place operates independently, and hydraulic jacks will be used to lift the bridge from the temporary supports and then set it down on the permanent bearings.

A livestream of the slide can be viewed here.

Explosive demolition takes down Commercial Street Bridge On Wednesday morning, just before 8 a.m., an explosive demolition brought down the old bridge. The implosion sent a large plume of dust into the air.

PennDOT District 11 Executive Jason Zang said the demolition went “extremely well.”

“It went according to plan,” Zang said. “No damage to the new bridge.”

At the time of the demolition, the new bridge had been wrapped in a protective layer to prevent any damage.

Pittsburghers in awe of engineering feat Pittsburghers looked on as the new bridge slid nearly 100 feet toward its permanent position on Sunday, with many of them finding something exciting that moved at a snail’s pace.

Work was paused Sunday around 5 p.m., with just a few feet to go as part of a pre-planned pause, a PennDOT spokesperson said.

“You don’t even notice it. You have to look away and look back,” said a father who’d brought both his sons to watch.

Over time, onlookers picked up on pieces of the new bridge disappearing from view, showing the bridge was indeed moving.

“There were two of those red gizmos, and now you only see one,” Gail Wedner said to her husband. “It’s very slow, but it’s exciting.”

“‘Impressive'” would be a better word to describe it,” said Kenneth Ide.

Wedner thought about that, too, and went back on her description of the slide as “exciting.”

“You can’t say it’s exciting to watch because it’s not like an action movie,” Wedner said. “It’s a marvel to watch.”

“I think it’s like an engineering feat. I mean, I’m proud to be a Pittsburgher, with this being one of the only times in the world or the country that this kind of bridge has been moved,” Valen said. “Years ago, we would have been out of the bridge for two or three years while the bridge was demolished and they built another one.”

“The fact that they could do this in such a short period of time and move that over, it’s just a remarkable achievement. That’s what’s exciting,” Wedner said.

The slide of the new bridge will be picked back up on Monday, the PennDOT spokesperson added.

Moving the new bridge into place will take time As the slide begins on Sunday morning, it won’t be a quick process.

The new bridge contains about 22 million pounds of steel, concrete, and metal. While it only has to be moved a little over 100 feet, the maximum speed of the skids is about 6 meters, roughly 20 feet, per hour.

“At the end of the day, we want to make sure that we’ve completed the job safely and efficiently and have not caused undue stress to the structure,” said Mammoet Public Relations Director David Shaw. “We do this kind of thing on a weekly basis. The only thing that changes is the shape of the load.”

PennDOT said on Sunday morning that the public will be alerted when the new bridge is fully in place.

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.