Category: CNN Regional

By Nicole Comstock, Matthew Rodriguez

Click here for updates on this story

    GARDEN GROVE, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Garden Grove residents urged their city council to close the GKN Aerospace facility at the center of a chemical leak that forced tens of thousands of people out of their homes for almost a week in late May.

“If the city can prohibit commercial cannabis businesses or implement an ordinance against the production of pickles and sauerkraut, surely you can do the bare minimum to protect your constituents from a dangerous weapons manufacturer and the hazardous chemicals they employ,” said Logan Smith, a policy specialist at the Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice.

The hazardous material incident started on May 22 after a tank containing methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable and toxic substance, failed to cool and leaked at GKN Aerospace’s facility. The self-heating substance was at risk of a “catastrophic explosion” or leak, which would have affected neighboring residents.

The Orange County Fire Authority crews spent Memorial Day weekend trying everything they could to stop the BLEVE, or Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion. By the time they “eliminated” the threat of a potential explosion, 50,000 residents had been forced to evacuate their homes.

While the immediate danger had been averted, crews needed to clean up the toxic chemical, which could cause severe respiratory illness.

Some residents argued that GKN Aerospace had a history of safety violations, believing that paying fines or compensating families wouldn’t even be a slap on the wrist for the company.

“Since this incident, I looked them up, and there have been a lot of violations they have been fined for,” resident Kevin Nguyen said. “If they’re irresponsible about how they operate, they shouldn’t be allowed to operate.”

The Garden Grove City Council ultimately decided to send a letter to GKN Aerospace demanding that the company send a representative to a future council meeting.

“The community should not be left to absorb the consequences of this incident without answers, support and a clear commitment from GKN to prevent future harm,” Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein said.

GKN Aerospace officials have announced a series of community support initiatives intended to help residents affected by the leak, including a $3 million donation to Orange County United Way’s OC Community Resilience Fund “to provide assistance to those affected by the recent evacuation of areas surrounding GKN’s Garden Grove facility.”

“The company is also committing an additional $1 million to support broader community initiatives across Orange County,” the company wrote in a press release. “GKN earlier funded $1 million to the American Red Cross to support residents directly impacted by evacuation orders when those orders were in effect.”

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said his office launched a probe into GKN Aerospace and urged any whistleblowers to report any wrongdoing.

The Orange County Health Care Agency is overseeing the removal of the chemicals in the two remaining tanks. The project will happen on Friday if the equipment arrives on time.

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 Ubah Ali

Click here for updates on this story

    MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Technology that listens for gunfire is once again at the center of a debate in Minneapolis. Supporters say it helps officers respond quickly. Critics question whether it’s worth the cost.

ShotSpotter uses acoustic sensors and picks up the sound of gunshots and potentially the kind of weapon. It sets off an alert to 911 dispatch, which then passes that information to police.

According to ShotSpotter’s parent company, SoundThinking, the system is critical to detecting many possible gun crimes that could otherwise go unreported.

The devices are mounted on poles in north and south Minneapolis. But after decades in use and millions of dollars spent, some council members believe it is time to make other public safety investments.

During a City Council meeting, the Minneapolis Police Department asked for a three-year extension and expansion of the program to other parts of the city — a deal totaling more than $3 million.

Supporters say the system helps officers respond to shootings faster, locate victims and recover evidence.

Council member LaTrisha Vetaw, whose Ward 4 is outfitted with ShotSpotter sensors, has been among those in favor of this critical tool.

Technology that listens for gunfire is once again at the center of a debate in Minneapolis. Supporters say it helps officers respond quickly. Critics question whether it’s worth the cost.

ShotSpotter uses acoustic sensors and picks up the sound of gunshots and potentially the kind of weapon. It sets off an alert to 911 dispatch, which then passes that information to police.

According to ShotSpotter’s parent company, SoundThinking, the system is critical to detecting many possible gun crimes that could otherwise go unreported.

The devices are mounted on poles in north and south Minneapolis. But after decades in use and millions of dollars spent, some council members believe it is time to make other public safety investments.

During a City Council meeting, the Minneapolis Police Department asked for a three-year extension and expansion of the program to other parts of the city — a deal totaling more than $3 million.

Supporters say the system helps officers respond to shootings faster, locate victims and recover evidence.

Council member LaTrisha Vetaw, whose Ward 4 is outfitted with ShotSpotter sensors, has been among those in favor of this critical tool.

Council member Robin Wonsley is critical of it, saying she doesn’t believe the technology has reduced crime or improved public safety.

“Over 12 years now, MPD solve rates for homicides and nonfatal shootings were some of the worst in the country,” Wonsley said.

Minneapolis isn’t the only city rethinking it. Chicago ended its use of ShotSpotter in 2024, and response times improved by about four minutes, according to a University of Chicago study.

Across the Mississippi River, the St. Paul Police Department doesn’t use ShotSpotter. Instead, they are driving down gun violence through specialized teams like the non-fatal shooting unit. So far this year, they’ve solved 73% of nonfatal shootings. Minneapolis police announced the start of a similar team weeks ago.

Last month, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the homicide clearance rate in 2025 was 80%, while the clearance rate for non-fatal shootings was less than 50%.

The Minneapolis City Council will revisit this topic in the coming weeks. However, police will now return to the council with a one-year proposal.

Council members say the city auditor is conducting a study into the technology’s effectiveness. The findings of that study could ultimately help determine if ShotSpotter stays in Minneapolis.

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 Marc Liverman

Click here for updates on this story

    BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — After a new federal report found that Helene contributed to a 33% increase in North Carolina’s homeless population, western North Carolina advocates say the problem could persist for years.

According to the annual Homeless Assessment Report released by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), North Carolina experienced a 33% increase in homelessness year-over-year in 2025, the highest annual jump of any state in the country. That alarming increase comes as the nationwide number of people experiencing homelessness experienced a slight decrease.

The report cited Helene as a major reason for the statewide increase.

Buncombe County was just one of the many western counties that were hit especially hard by the September 2024 storm.

“Our unsheltered population increased 50%. That’s still taking time to resolve itself,” said Eric Jackson with the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care, adding that the most vulnerable to homelessness were certainly not spared by the storm.

“Anybody who is already on the edge, that is a devastating blow, and so we’ll see that playing out over years,” he said. In Buncombe County, Jackson said that more than 30% of residents are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing.

“You’re talking about people who are already on the edge,” he said.

As for a solution, Jackson explained that the first part is prevention: catching people before they fall.

Number two is how a community and its social programs respond after a major event like Helene.

“There are assistance kinds of things that we can do to keep people from becoming unhoused and to make sure that we’re able to help them get rehoused as quickly as possible if we can’t catch them,” Jackson said.

But he added that that’s more of a reactive remedy. Instead, he’d still rather see a substantial focus on solving the real problem.

“Which is to try to have more affordable housing,” Jackson 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 Itinease McMiller

Click here for updates on this story

    ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — For many people leaving prison, freedom comes with a new set of challenges, including finding housing, securing employment and convincing others they deserve a second chance. A coffee shop in the basement of Trinity United Methodist Church in Asheville is helping people recently released from prison by giving them a chance to rewrite their stories, one cup at a time.

Deep Time Coffee is more than a place to grab a morning brew. The nonprofit coffee enterprise provides second-chance employment and support for people returning to society after incarceration, helping them build stable lives and brighter futures.

Deep Time Coffee is more than a place to grab a morning brew. The nonprofit coffee enterprise provides second-chance employment and support for people returning to society after incarceration, helping them build stable lives and brighter futures.

“15 years old, I was convicted of second-degree murder,” said Lamar McNeal, who was released from prison last February.

Stories like theirs are often defined by past mistakes. At Deep Time Coffee, those stories are being redefined through opportunity, mentorship and community.

“We are a ministry/enterprise that provides second-chance employment for returning citizens,” Underwood said.

Underwood spent 16 years in prison for selling drugs before deciding to change the course of his life.

“It was just like I got sick and tired of disappointing my mom,” Underwood said. “Once I opened my eyes and started really seeing the truth and the love of God and stuff like that, it allowed me to abstain myself from such activities.” A friend he met while incarcerated later connected him with Deep Time Coffee. Underwood now helps lead a team made up largely of people who have experienced incarceration themselves.

The organization operates through a nine-month Sojourner Program, which provides participants with workforce training, coffee-roasting skills, and a paid stipend while they work toward rebuilding their lives.

But the support extends far beyond employment.

“We’re gonna do what we have to do to help those who are being belittled, derogated, downgraded, whatever the case may be, those who are being outcast, barraged out here. Those who are being ostracized just because of the choices that they made in the past,” Underwood said.

For Lamar McNeal, that support came at a critical moment. After serving 25 years in prison, he knew returning to old habits could send him down a familiar path.

“I knew I had to do something for myself in order to keep from making the same mistakes, because I was on the verge of making the same mistakes,” McNeal said.

He said finding a brotherhood of people who understood his struggles helped him stay focused on a better future.

“Being around the people who were in the same situation with me or similar situations, and then seeing the steps that they took to get themselves in a better position,” McNeal said. “It made me want to try it.”

Deep Time also connects employees with mental health resources, peer support specialists and community organizations — services McNeal credits with helping him overcome a methamphetamine addiction.

“I didn’t think it was possible for me,” McNeal said.

Today, he is not only rebuilding his own life but helping others do the same.

McNeal now mentors men at his halfway house, sharing resources and encouraging them to pursue opportunities they may not know exist, pouring opportunities into the cups of others.

“They’re not understanding the resources they have out here to get the help that they need to get on their feet,” McNeal said. “I tell them about the help that’s out there so they can create a better life for themselves and their family.”

At Deep Time Coffee, every bag roasted and every cup served represents something bigger than coffee. It’s a reminder that second chances are possible, that past mistakes do not have to define a person’s future, and that sometimes the path to a new life begins with someone simply believing you deserve one.

To learn more about Deep Time Coffee’s Sojourner Program, visit deeptimeavl.org.

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 Darius Johnson, Elyssa Kaufman

Click here for updates on this story

    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Two men are dead, and five others were injured after a mass shooting in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood overnight.

Chicago police said around 12:30 a.m., two armed men approached a group of people standing outside in the 5100 block of South Wood Street and fired shots.

Police said two men were critically injured and died at a local hospital. Officials have not identified the victims.

Police said a 23-year-old woman was shot in the head and is in critical condition.

Three men and a woman were taken to the local hospital and are expected to recover. The victims range in age from 21 to 54 years old.

No arrests have been made.

Area One detectives are investigating.

Two men are dead, and five others were injured after a mass shooting in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood overnight.

Chicago police said around 12:30 a.m., two armed men approached a group of people standing outside in the 5100 block of South Wood Street and fired shots.

Police said two men were critically injured and died at a local hospital. Officials have not identified the victims.

Police said a 23-year-old woman was shot in the head and is in critical condition.

Three men and a woman were taken to the local hospital and are expected to recover. The victims range in age from 21 to 54 years old.

No arrests have been made.

Area One detectives are investigating.

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 Stahl

Click here for updates on this story

    WILMINGTON, Delaware (KYW) — Sixteen-year-old Quin Duncan is a varsity lacrosse player in Wilmington is relieved to be back on the field after a bout with arteriovenous malformation (AVM).

“When I first started bleeding, I had passed out and had to go to the hospital,” Quin Duncan said. “And it was terrifying because I mean no one knew what it was.”

His mom, Kristin Duncan, says there were several scary episodes of bleeding coming from an abscess in his mouth.

“You don’t know it’s there. And then all of a sudden it was just, I was catching Quin’s blood in a bucket,” Kristin Duncan said. “In the moment, honestly, we just didn’t understand the magnitude of what it was.”

He was finally diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation, something that’s very rare and potentially fatal.

“An arteriovenous malformation is an abnormal connection between the arteries, which are vessels that pulsate, and the veins, which drain,” Dr. Anne Marie Cahill, an interventional radiologist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said. “They can create a lot of local problems with the tissues and integrity of bones and teeth, et cetera, so it’s complex problem.”

Cahill says AVMs are often misdiagnosed as a dental problem.

“When teeth are loose, it is really important to stop and figure out what lies beneath and then give us a chance,” Cahill said.

Quin Duncan underwent four surgeries over the past 8 months and takes daily chemotherapy to control the condition.

“It’s just completely flipped my world upside down,” he said.

Recovering now, he’s relieved to be back for the playoffs and able to practice with his dad in the backyard.

“From where I was, sitting in a hospital bed, not too long ago, never thought I’d be playing lacrosse again,” he said.

Quin Duncan and his family credit the team at CHOP for getting him back to playing, along with his friends who made sure he had plenty of support and milkshakes during his recovery.

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 Joe Brandt

Click here for updates on this story

    Philadelphia (KYW) — Police are investigating a shooting at a Philadelphia public housing complex after someone ordered a pizza and then fatally shot a delivery driver.

The shooting happened just after midnight Friday in the Raymond Rosen Homes, on the 2300 block of Edgley Street in North Philadelphia.

Police officers were called to the scene and found the victim, who had been shot in the head. The 28-year-old man was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead before 1 a.m.

Investigators learned that someone had called in a pizza delivery order to a vacant unit in the housing complex. It appears the driver made the delivery to the property and was shot after leaving the building.

Philadelphia Housing Authority cameras caught the driver walking with the pizza order and being followed by two people wearing dark clothing and carrying a backpack.

The driver worked for a pizza place on the 2000 block of Ridge Avenue, according to police.

The shooting remains under investigation, and police are looking for more surveillance video that can help find the shooter or shooters.

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 Neal Riley, Logan Hall

Click here for updates on this story

    Massachusetts (WBZ) — A 70-year-old man is charged with attempted murder for allegedly trying to drown a 21-year-old on crutches at a Hopkinton, Massachusetts beach following a residency dispute, police said.

Steven Dana, a Hopkinton resident, was arrested after police responded to a report of a fight at Sandy Beach Wednesday just before 7 p.m. Police said the fight was about the 21-year-old’s use of Lake Maspenock. The victim, 21-year-old Matt Duffy, said that Dana was irritated by his friends and him riding a jet ski.

“The only boat ramp to the lake, which straddles Hopkinton and Milford, exists on Lakeshore Drive, and it is limited to use by Hopkinton residents only from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend,” police said.

Police said video footage showed Dana slapping Duffy, who had been using crutches because he was involved in a severe motorcycle accident months before.

A struggle in the water followed, and police said Dana “is shown forcefully holding the 21-year-old under the water,” before others pulled Dana off him.

“He tackled me into the water, then we were fighting, and then he shoved my head under and was not letting me breathe until my friend came up and pulled him off me,” Duffy told CBS News Boston. “I just knew I couldn’t use either of my arms or my leg as they were both broken and it was just praying that he let go or my friends pull him off of me.”

Both men declined to be taken to a hospital for treatment. Hopkinton Deputy Police Chief Scott van Raalten said the “senseless violence” started because Dana did not believe the victim was a Hopkinton resident “and accosted him about use of the lake.”

“I’m really glad that they got him right away. He did say that he lived by the lake and he was very annoyed with jet skis for some reason. A lot of people think they should be banned even though we don’t bother people,” Duffy said.

“The Hopkinton Police Department asks that residents contact the proper authorities to investigate incidents that involve the enforcement of the town’s bylaws rather than taking matters into their own hands,” van Raalten said.

Dana is charged with attempt to murder, strangulation/suffocation and assault and battery on a disabled person. He was in Framingham District Court Thursday, but prosecutors said they need to review his prior charges before an official arraignment can be held. The defense argued that they do not believe the charges are relevant.

Dana is scheduled to be arraigned Friday.

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.