Category: CNN Regional

By Christine Sloan

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    KEYPORT, New Jersey (WCBS) — A New Jersey town’s residents fear cancer cases in their neighborhood could be connected after state environmental officials say they found contaminants at a former landfill nearby.

While there has been no link or cancer cluster designation in Keyport, residents and other officials are demanding an investigation.

Dozens of cancer cases Keyport is known for its views of the Raritan Bay and hometown feel, but some residents say they’re on edge over dozens of cancer cases over the years in a neighborhood near the former Aeromarine landfill.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection says the Aeromarine site closed in 1979 and that a 2010 study found contaminants above groundwater, including benzene, arsenic and PCBs.

Ginger Morris lives on First Street, where her sons created a map of cases. They marked an “X” on 28 homes where they say there has been a cancer diagnosis, including their own.

Morris’ husband is battling prostate cancer.

“We’ve been married 54 years … we have a lot going on,” she said.

The couple’s son uncovered a total of 40 cancer cases in the neighborhood, a statistic also stated by Congressman Frank Pallone, who is demanding an investigation.

“Immediate concern is to see if we can do some screening to determine if there’s a causal relationship between the cancers and the site, but then the site has to be remediated,” Pallone said.

Brian Hagman’s home is also marked with an “X.” His grandparents and aunt, who once lived there, all had cancer. Other relatives are suffering too, he says.

“Two of my uncles have cancer,” Hagman said. “It makes you wonder is it natural or is it because of the dumps?”

NJDEP looking at next steps NJDEP said it recently learned of health concerns, but that it is not aware of water supply contamination. The department said it’s committed to “the proper closure of the landfill to protect the environment and public health.”

Keyport Councilman Robert Bergen said the company that owns the land was fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for failing to properly close the landfill.

“The borough then again in 2021 took the landowner in court to try and compel the cleanup of the site and that case was dismissed, and the DEP was ordered at that time to clean it up,” Bergen said.

The DEP said it’s looking at next steps, which may include taking samples and sharing the information with the state Department of Health so it can track cases and assess any public health risks.

Keyport officials plan to hold a townwide meeting in the coming weeks.

CBS News New York was unable to reach site owners and we have not heard back from an attorney who represents them.

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 Nikiya Carrero

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    MIAMI, Florida (WFOR) — The Miami-Dade State Attorney has released body camera footage showing the moments officers arrived at a deadly shooting involving a locksmith.

The video shows City of Miami police officers finding 37-year-old Adrian Venereo with a gunshot wound to the head and attempting to save him by performing CPR.

Authorities warn that the footage is difficult to watch.

Audio from the body camera captures officers rushing down a hallway.

“He has a gunshot in the head,” one officer says.

“Gunshot to the head?” another responds.

“Yo! Can you hear me?” a third officer is heard saying.

The body camera footage is from Feb. 20, when officers arrived to find the locksmith lying in a hallway after being shot in the head.

One officer is heard saying, “You want to render aid? Turn him around.”

Officers performed CPR for nearly two minutes until Miami Fire Rescue arrived, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

“No pulse. We’ve been doing CPR. It seems that he’s shot in the head,” an officer says. A fire rescue worker added, “No signs of life. So you guys should all know.”

According to police, Venereo had gone to an apartment building near Southwest 8th Street and 63rd Avenue after being called to help a resident gain access to an apartment. Detectives say the resident, later identified as Luis Lemus, had requested assistance.

Video from a Ring camera shows the locksmith following Lemus down a hallway while rolling his tool bag. Authorities allege Lemus then shot Venereo as he attempted to open the apartment door.

Police say Lemus was found later that day wearing the same clothes seen in the video and in possession of the gun believed to have been used in the shooting. The trial is scheduled for November.

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, Brandon Truitt

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Two armed bank robberies in Boston Tuesday morning are believed to be connected, police say. A third bank was robbed in nearby Everett Tuesday afternoon, but police say the suspects taken into custody there are not responsible for the robberies in Boston.

The armed robberies in Boston occurred at a Santander Bank on Washington Street in Roxbury at 10:11 a.m., and a TD Bank on the American Legion Highway in Roslindale at 11:56 a.m.

“Both of today’s robberies are very active investigations,” a Boston police spokesperson said in a statement to WBZ-TV. “Preliminary information gathered by detectives indicates both robberies involve the same suspects.”

In Roxbury, police said two men entered the bank and robbed tellers at gunpoint. Police described one robber as a light-skinned man, about 5 feet, 7 inches tall, with a medium build who was wearing a light blue Nike Tech hoodie, black pants, blue gloves and black face mask. The other robber was wearing a black Champion hoodie, with white lettering, black pants, blue gloves and a black face mask, police said.

In Roslindale, police said one of the robbers had the same black Champion hoodie, while the other wore a black hoodie with black pants, a black face mask, white and blue sneakers and blue gloves.

Radek Weirdeowski was inside the Roslindale bank at the time of the robbery. “I heard someone yelling behind me and two guys ran in,” Weirdeowski said. “One had a gun and started screaming that it was a robbery.”

He said it all happened so quickly. “While one guy was at the teller with the gun, the other guy was kind of rounding everyone else up,” he said. “And I thought we would all get robbed as well. But fortunately, they just took the bank’s money and took off.”

Police are looking for a blue Toyota RAV4 seen in both Boston robberies with license plate 4MXN78.

“Members of the public are advised to use caution, as a firearm was brandished during the incident,” Boston Police said.

Everett robbery arrests In Everett, just north of Boston, police made two arrests in another bank robbery Tuesday afternoon. The Eastern Bank at Broadway and Ferry Street was robbed at about 4:30 p.m., according to police.

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.

WBZ

By Neal Riley, Brandon Truitt

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Two armed bank robberies in Boston Tuesday morning are believed to be connected, police say. A third bank was robbed in nearby Everett Tuesday afternoon, but police say the suspects taken into custody there are not responsible for the robberies in Boston.

The armed robberies in Boston occurred at a Santander Bank on Washington Street in Roxbury at 10:11 a.m., and a TD Bank on the American Legion Highway in Roslindale at 11:56 a.m.

“Both of today’s robberies are very active investigations,” a Boston police spokesperson said in a statement to WBZ-TV. “Preliminary information gathered by detectives indicates both robberies involve the same suspects.”

In Roxbury, police said two men entered the bank and robbed tellers at gunpoint. Police described one robber as a light-skinned man, about 5 feet, 7 inches tall, with a medium build who was wearing a light blue Nike Tech hoodie, black pants, blue gloves and black face mask. The other robber was wearing a black Champion hoodie, with white lettering, black pants, blue gloves and a black face mask, police said.

In Roslindale, police said one of the robbers had the same black Champion hoodie, while the other wore a black hoodie with black pants, a black face mask, white and blue sneakers and blue gloves.

Radek Weirdeowski was inside the Roslindale bank at the time of the robbery. “I heard someone yelling behind me and two guys ran in,” Weirdeowski said. “One had a gun and started screaming that it was a robbery.”

He said it all happened so quickly. “While one guy was at the teller with the gun, the other guy was kind of rounding everyone else up,” he said. “And I thought we would all get robbed as well. But fortunately, they just took the bank’s money and took off.”

Police are looking for a blue Toyota RAV4 seen in both Boston robberies with license plate 4MXN78.

“Members of the public are advised to use caution, as a firearm was brandished during the incident,” Boston Police said.

Everett robbery arrests In Everett, just north of Boston, police made two arrests in another bank robbery Tuesday afternoon. The Eastern Bank at Broadway and Ferry Street was robbed at about 4:30 p.m., according to police.

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 Louisa Moller

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A Massachusetts woman appeared in court on Tuesday, accused of faking her own cancer death in order to avoid having to face a judge for drunk driving and shoplifting charges.

Shannon Wilson shook her head in Plymouth District Court as prosecutors laid out the indictment against her.

“This is a defendant who was willing to fake her own death,” Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney Alex Zane said.

Wilson is charged with one count each of furnishing false identifying information, obstruction of justice, forgery, uttering of a public record, and failure to appear after release on bail.

Woman accused of faking own death Prosecutors said the 45-year-old woman orchestrated the scheme to evade cases from 2022-2023. The first came in 2022 when she was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence.

“And this is when she first raises that she has terminal brain cancer,” Zane said, adding that Wilson told a Hingham judge at the time that she was dying.

They argue that she did the same thing during an arraignment for a shoplifting charge in Plymouth.

Then, prosecutors said Wilson stopped appearing in court. Defense attorneys reported that Wilson was in hospice care as her condition deteriorated.

“And ultimately, the counsel representing the defendant gives the court a screen grab or a print out of a text message that he received from that number he’s been communicating with that he believes is the defendant’s family of a death certificate from Rhode Island saying that she had passed away,” Zane said, saying the claim that Wilson died happened in May 2023.

Investigators looked at the grainy copy of the death certificate. The doctor whose signature was used, the hospice center listed, and the funeral home all had no record of Wilson’s death. Prosecutors determined the document was a fake.

Shannon Wilson charged in Massachusetts In August 2023, the person who previously posted Wilson’s $400 bail recovered the money after being informed she was dead. Several weeks later, prosecutors say Wilson showed up at the person’s house and allegedly admitted she had faked her death.

Wilson allegedly also duped her ex-fiancé, who she lived with in a Plymouth home.

“He indicated a week or so after the Hingham matter was dismissed, he actually thought that she was dead,” Zane said.

Wilson’s defense attorney argued that she was not the architect of the plan.

“She’s not the one who made these phone calls. She’s not the one who prepared the document that Mr. Zane referred to and she’s not the individual who submitted that to the court,” defense attorney Josh Werner said. Werner did not say who he believes sent in the fake death certificate.

Wilson pleaded not guilty and is being held on $50,000 bail.

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.

WBZ

By Louisa Moller

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A Massachusetts woman appeared in court on Tuesday, accused of faking her own cancer death in order to avoid having to face a judge for drunk driving and shoplifting charges.

Shannon Wilson shook her head in Plymouth District Court as prosecutors laid out the indictment against her.

“This is a defendant who was willing to fake her own death,” Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney Alex Zane said.

Wilson is charged with one count each of furnishing false identifying information, obstruction of justice, forgery, uttering of a public record, and failure to appear after release on bail.

Woman accused of faking own death Prosecutors said the 45-year-old woman orchestrated the scheme to evade cases from 2022-2023. The first came in 2022 when she was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence.

“And this is when she first raises that she has terminal brain cancer,” Zane said, adding that Wilson told a Hingham judge at the time that she was dying.

They argue that she did the same thing during an arraignment for a shoplifting charge in Plymouth.

Then, prosecutors said Wilson stopped appearing in court. Defense attorneys reported that Wilson was in hospice care as her condition deteriorated.

“And ultimately, the counsel representing the defendant gives the court a screen grab or a print out of a text message that he received from that number he’s been communicating with that he believes is the defendant’s family of a death certificate from Rhode Island saying that she had passed away,” Zane said, saying the claim that Wilson died happened in May 2023.

Investigators looked at the grainy copy of the death certificate. The doctor whose signature was used, the hospice center listed, and the funeral home all had no record of Wilson’s death. Prosecutors determined the document was a fake.

Shannon Wilson charged in Massachusetts In August 2023, the person who previously posted Wilson’s $400 bail recovered the money after being informed she was dead. Several weeks later, prosecutors say Wilson showed up at the person’s house and allegedly admitted she had faked her death.

Wilson allegedly also duped her ex-fiancé, who she lived with in a Plymouth home.

“He indicated a week or so after the Hingham matter was dismissed, he actually thought that she was dead,” Zane said.

Wilson’s defense attorney argued that she was not the architect of the plan.

“She’s not the one who made these phone calls. She’s not the one who prepared the document that Mr. Zane referred to and she’s not the individual who submitted that to the court,” defense attorney Josh Werner said. Werner did not say who he believes sent in the fake death certificate.

Wilson pleaded not guilty and is being held on $50,000 bail.

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 Faith Egbuonu

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — The wall toward the East Side of Lindy’s Diner collapsed on Monday, April 27, 2026, nearly one week after the City of Albuquerque red-tagged and shutdown the historic diner in southwest Albuquerque over safety concerns on Monday, April 20, 2026. According to Albuquerque Fire and Rescue, there were no injuries reported.

According to the City’s Code Enforcement Division Report, the red tag was issued for an “unsafe structure” inside of Lindy’s Diner. According to the owners, the building is 100-years-old. However, the restaurant opened in 1929 as Coney Island Cafe.

“We’re out here at Fifth and Central on scene of a building collapse. We had reports of a building collapse, and crews responded. We have crews from station one and station four here. Station four is our heavy technical rescue station,” Albuquerque Fire and Rescue Lt. Jason Fejer said during a press conference after the incident Monday morning.

“There are no reports of injuries. When crews arrived on scene, they confirmed that and then worked to start evacuating some of the adjoining structures of this building. So, structures have been evacuated,” Fejer said.”We need building engineers to come out at this point to actually evaluate the structure. You can see that East wall came down, and you can see that big crack by the other window. So, there is a threat that more of that wall,” Fejer told KOAT.

On Monday, KOAT spoke with co-owner Dawn Vatoseow shortly after the collapse. She and her husband, Steve Vatoseow, told KOAT they are heartbroken by the painful loss, but thankful there are no reported injuries, as both arrived to the chaotic scene.

“Thank God that no one was hurt. Nobody was close enough in proximity that—you know, there are tenants that are still in the building. That had until the end of the month to get out of there,” Vatoseow told KOAT. “It’s tragic. I’m sure that building will now be demolished. It’s a historic landmark. That’s 35 years of my life right there. Everybody’s safe. It was that one piece of wall. We have been working on it, and working on it, right up until today, to see what we needed to do with that.”

On Monday, architect and owner of 505 Central Food Hall Mark Baker, and his employees told KOAT they witnessed the aftermath of the building partially collapsing Monday morning. The Food Hall is adjacent from Lindy’s Diner on the Northwest side of Albuquerque.

“The bartender in our front bar spotted smoke come out on the side walk, and they can tell something had happened. The building probably collapsed. They ran to the back, and told another employee,” Baker told KOAT. “That employee came up to the architecture studio and told the architects, so we came out in the street and saw it, and right when we walked up— we still saw the smoke rising from the ashes.”

“The City’s Planning Department, through Code Enforcement, had been monitoring the property for several weeks because of structural safety concerns. Below is a timeline of the City’s response:

Code Enforcement did an external inspection of Lindy’s Diner on March 20, 2026, after a local news channel contacted the Planning Department regarding a tip they had received. Between March 21 and April 10, Code Enforcement also received two separate complaints through the City’s 311 system from two different parties concerning the property. Those complaints along with the initial inspection prompted an additional inspection of the building on April 2. Findings from that inspection warranted a more in-depth inspection, which was conducted on April 20 utilizing drone technology. Following the April 20 inspection, the property was red-tagged and issued an emergency shutdown order because of concerns the structure could collapse.

“We investigate these matters very carefully and that is why we ordered the closure and installed the safety fencing. However, we remain hopeful that some of the structure can be a safely restored so the building once again becomes an attractive landmark along Route 66.” — Planning Department Director Alan Varela

On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, KOAT spoke with co-owner Dawn Vatoseow on the sudden closure after the diner was red-tagged and shutdown by the City of Albuquerque. Vatoseow told KOAT they were aware of the structural concerns with the building and applied for grants through the City and State of New Mexico over the years, but to no avail.

The owners also sent KOAT documentation and e-mails of inquiries submitted for assistance with structural concerns in 2024. KOAT spoke with the City of Albuquerque on its reasoning for the red-tag a month after an initial inspection that addressed minimal concerns.

“Well, it certainly isn’t the way that we wanted to go out, that’s for sure. I would have liked to have gone out on our own terms and say goodbye to our customers. We appreciate each and every one of them, and we’re going to miss them so much. We have spent a lifetime serving Albuquerque and loving every minute of it,” Vatoseow told KOAT.

“We applied for grants. The grant process is not an easy process to do. Most of those grants have to be picked up by a municipality. They have to be the ones to apply for the grant. The money doesn’t come directly to you. It comes to the city of Albuquerque,” Vateseow said. “Then, they dispense it out to the people that have applied for those grants. It is a lengthy process and everything takes money. There’s only so much that you can afford to do without help trying to keep this building going.”

On Tuesday, KOAT reached out to the New Mexico Tourism Department for reasoning of denial for Vatoseow’s Route 66 Infrastructure grant— and many more, applied through the City of Albuquerque as well as assistance. Both statements are below.

“Code Enforcement’s initial inspection was just of the exterior of the building and of the roof. The findings from that inspection warranted a follow-up inspection which is what happened yesterday,” City of Albuquerque’s public information officer Tim Walsh said. “Code Enforcement found some pretty severely damaged lateral support and that is a life safety risk, so that’s why they had they had to issue the red tag.”

Vateseow disputed the City’s account, stating ” That is not true. They were inside of the place. They took pictures in the inside of the place. Two weeks ago, a week ago. It’s been a continual barrage,” Vatoseow said. “We have a few neighbors that continuously called several times a day, both of which wanted the building. So, they just got sick of the constant phone calls coming in and just said, ‘that’s it, we’re red tagging, fencing. Get a structural engineer over here.”

“We’ve had a structural engineer come in. He’s retired now, but he’s the one that worked on the building some years back. We put steel all the way around the inside of the dining room and the restaurant. It’s all the way around to hold the weight of the upstairs,” Vatoseow said. According to the City of Albuquerque, The City’s Code Enforcement Division conducted a follow-up inspection on Monday, April 20, 2026 after complaints submitted through 3-1-1 concerning the building’s condition which prompted an initial inspection last week.

“Local mom-and-pop businesses make our city so special, but we also have a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure that businesses are safe for everyone. While Lindy’s Diner is a treasured landmark, it was rightfully determined to be unsafe and uninhabitable under current conditions. We will do what we can to help keep Lindy’s and this historic corner.” —Alex Curtas, Communications Director for Mayor Tim Keller

City of Albuquerque Deputy Communications Director Mikayla Ortega confirmed the City of Albuquerque’s Planning Department proactively assisted Lindy’s Diner in applying for the ‘Preserve Route 66 Combined Grant’ in 2025. Ortega also sent to KOAT the following:

Please see below for a full assessment of Lindy’s applications and disbursements within the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency:

This program was designed to reduce vacant ground-floor spaces downtown by supporting new businesses or expansions into vacant storefronts.

Lindy’s was awarded $35,000 to expand and open Narke. They received the first disbursement of $17,500 on March 9, 2022. Narke closed after only a few months, which put them out of compliance with the grant terms. As a result, they did not receive the remaining $17,500.

This program provides funding for exterior security cameras to improve safety.

Lindy’s was awarded and received $19,896.15 for security camera installation.

This was a matching grant program for property improvements aimed at enhancing building conditions and economic performance.

The program is now closed for applications. There is no record of an application from Lindy’s.

This program supports exterior improvements such as paint and murals within Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas.

The program recently closed, and awards have not yet been announced. There is no record of an application from Lindy’s.

“The Route 66 Centennial Grant program was a competitive grant where all applicants were required to provide detailed proposals for project goals. It was determined by the review process that this application provided an inadequate amount of information about how this project relates to specific goals stated in the program objectives. NMTD awarded this grant for two fiscal years.” — Cody Johnsons, Communications Director

“The Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency (MRA) routinely receives requests for assistance with renovations and repairs from privately owned businesses. In March 2026, MRA received an inquiry from real estate advisor Anthony Lotto, representing Steve and Dawn Vatoseow, inquiring about potential financial assistance from the City for repairs to Lindy’s Diner. The requested amount ranged from $1.5 million to $3.2 million.

Unfortunately, the City is unable to provide funding for major repairs to individually owned businesses due to budget constraints. Mr. Lotto was informed that the City does not have resources available at that level to support significant renovations; however, information was provided regarding the City’s seven-year tax abatement program.” — Operations Manager, Sarah Supple

Update: According to Vatoseow, Anthony Lotto is their Real Estate Agent. Vatoseow told KOAT he contacted MRA to inquire what funds would be available to anyone that purchased the building to rehab upstairs for housing. According to Vatoseow, the request was not for Lindy’s Diner.

Vatoseow told KOAT they will try to raise funds to address structural safety concerns with the City of Albuquerque. According to Vatoseow, the structural repairs will cost $250,000. According to the Code Enforcement notice, the owners have 14 days from the date of notice issued on April 20, 2026, to respond, submit structural engineer’s report, acquire a building permit, take corrective action and comply.

As of Tuesday evening, Vateseow told KOAT they don’t have access to the building. However, she was assured they would have access by 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

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 Tanner Kahler

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    WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wisconsin (WISN) — Prosecutors said a dispute over dinner may have led to a deadly stabbing at an apartment in the Village of Lac La Belle.

Mikayla Kloth, 27, was charged Monday with first-degree intentional homicide.

According to prosecutors, the crime happened Friday, April 24, at Kloth’s apartment on Wisconsin Avenue in the Village of Lac La Belle. Responding officers arrived on scene to find a man with a stab wound in the chest. Prosecutors said Kloth, who was standing in the apartment, told an officer on scene she stabbed the man because she was angry at him.

The victim later died at a hospital. Family identified him to WISN 12 News as Lukas Rosch, 25.

On the way to the police station, the complaint said Kloth made “excited utterances, stating she should have just gone to the bar, and the whole thing was irritating.”

The complaint adds, “While transporting her, the defendant stated that if Victim A’s parents didn’t hate her before, they will hate her now.”

Prosecutors said during an interview with police, Kloth told them she did not want Rosch to come over for dinner that night. Rather, she wanted to go out. Rosch “proceeded to come over to the apartment and he had chicken drumsticks, seasoning, and was planning on using the air fryer,” prosecutors said. “The defendant stated Victim A began pushing her buttons, she was upset and an argument ensued.”

According to the complaint, Kloth admitted to stabbing Rosch and took full responsibility, stating, “If they had to lock her up, that was cool.”

A week before the stabbing, the criminal complaint said Rosch was speaking to another woman and the apartment landlord. Rosch stated he had been bitten in the thumb by the defendant. The woman said Rosch “genuinely seemed afraid” of Kloth and stated, “Please take my full name, in case something ever happens to me.”

Kloth made her initial appearance in court on Monday. The court set cash bond at $2,000,000. Her preliminary hearing is set for May 29.

Rosch’s family shared a statement with WISN 12 News that said,

We are completely broken at the tragic and senseless loss of our son, Lukas John Rosch, the most loving, giving, kind-hearted person anyone could ever meet. We are just asking for privacy at this time as we try to process.

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 Adam Sexton

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    CONCORD, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A committee at the State House is considering whether to discipline or expel a state representative from Weare over a social media post targeting a fellow lawmaker and invoking a Nazi term for the systemic extermination of Jewish people.

Some who spoke at the hearing Monday said it doesn’t matter if state Rep. Travis Corcoran, R-Weare, was joking. They believe he should face consequences.

“Mr. Corcoran’s words are an affront not only to Jewish people, but to all people who are committed to the free exchange of ideas without threat of violence or murder,” said Rabbi Daniel Aronson, of Keene.

Jewish religious and community leaders went to Concord on Monday to call for Corcoran to face consequences for his recent social media post. Corcoran was responding to an invitation from state Rep. Jessica Grill, D-Manchester, to join the “karaoke caucus” when he posed on X: “We need a final solution for theater kids in politics.”

Grill is Jewish.

“I did not know Representative Grill was Jewish when I made the comment,” Corcoran said. “There are nearly 400 members of this House. I do not keep track of my colleagues’ religious backgrounds. The claim that this targeted her because of her background is false.”

Corcoran blasted the hearing as a “full-blown piece of political theater.”

“A joke is now being treated as though it were an act of malice, and sarcasm is being recast as hate speech,” he said. “This is absurd.”

After speaking, Corcoran stood up, left the hearing room, and did not return.

Grill also testified, calling for the committee to recommend that Corcoran be expelled.

“As a Jewish lawmaker, the use of this phase ‘final solution’ is especially disturbing,” she said. “It is not vague or thoughtless. It is not a poorly worded joke. It is targeted language with a specific historical meaning.”

Corcoran had one fellow lawmaker speak in his defense. Several others asked for accountability within the recommendations available to the committee, saying no matter the intent, the House must stand against such language.

“You have the power to reprimand, censure and expel,” said Mark Murray, of Bedford. “So, I’m going to assume there is behavior that would warrant that happening. If this isn’t it, what is? What’s going to be acceptable next?”

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By Spencer Tracy, Christian Bussiere

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    OCALA, Florida (WESH) — Two teens were arrested Saturday following the release of a video showing one of them driving a lawn mower inside a Target store, according to the Ocala Police Department.

Police say 18-year-old Janek Szkaradek arrived at the Target store on Southwest College Road, unloaded a lawn mower from a trailer, and drove it through the doors of the store, damaging them as he drove through. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Luke Charske recorded a video for social media.

“The last thing you expect to see inside a Target is a lawn mower coming through the door,” said Vanessa Scarlett, a witness.

Vanessa Scarlett said she was inside the store when she began recording the incident as it unfolded.

“He actually drove straight into the door first and shattered it. It was quite interesting,” Scarlett said.

Scarlett, who said she did not know either teen, said she started recording after realizing what was happening.

Police said the damage is still visible at Target, where wood boards and broken glass now cover the damaged entrance.

Investigators said the incident did not start at Target. The night before, Szkaradek allegedly used a leaf blower inside a Culver’s on SW College Road.

Police said Szkaradek was charged with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. Both Szkaradek and Charske were arrested in connection with the Target incident and charged with disorderly conduct. Charske was charged as a principal to disorderly conduct for his role in recording the stunt.

“I think they are teenagers that definitely got the consequence that a lot of people think they deserved. But I also think to give them some grace, because they are teenage boys,” Scarlett said.

Police said what began as a social media stunt resulted in property damage, arrests, and criminal charges.

“These actions endangered people and caused property damage,” said a spokesperson for the Ocala Police Department. “They are crimes, not harmless videos.”

“Think before you record- It’s not worth an arrest and a criminal charge,” Ocala police said.

According to jail records, both Szkaradek and Charske were released on Sunday.

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.