Category: CNN Regional

By Naomi Popa

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    WILLIAMSTON, South Carolina (WYFF) — An Upstate family is turning grief into a life-saving mission after a man tragically died from a skateboarding accident.

Twenty-six-year-old Troy Link experienced a traumatic brain injury and acute respiratory failure after he fell from his board on W. Main Street in Williamston on March 9.

“We were getting a lot of that. It’s just a skateboarding accident. Just a skateboarding accident. I was like, no, I don’t think you understand. Like, this is significant,” Callie Tayrien, TJ’s sister, said.

Tayrien is a mother, a nurse, a wife, and an older sister to three siblings. She was 12 years older than TJ and was just recently building an even closer relationship with her brother.

“He wanted us to all be closer. And I promised him that we would work on that. And even though it took this for that to happen, he got that wish, you know, we were all together, and I just hope he knows that.”

When TJ fell from his skateboard, he became unresponsive and was E-vaced to Greenville Memorial Hospital. It was there that TJ spent 15 days fighting for his life. According to Tayrien, doctors monitored TJ’s brain for two days before it was determined that he needed surgery. He underwent a craniectomy due to the swelling of his brain. At the time, TJ was also experiencing an impact on his lungs.

“Knowing kind of how he came in was pretty indicative of what his prognosis was. And they’ve just continued to have significant issues with his lungs. And they tried everything. They exhausted every option,” Tayrien said.

Tayrien was joined by her sister Chloe, Kirsti, her mother, and countless other family members at the hospital while TJ fought for his life before he died March 24.

“I wish I could tell him I love him again. And I told him a lot during those 15 days, but I wish I could have said it sooner and more often,” Tayrien said.

TJ loved hockey; he was a fan of the Dallas Stars and liked watching the Greenville Swamp Rabbits as well. Tayrien told WYFF 4 that TJ was an avid music listener, was full of life, funny, and determined to make people smile.

“I can’t stress that enough. Like he was just the sweetest and kindest person,” Tayrien said.

Tayrien wants people to hear her brother’s story and be reminded of the importance of wearing a helmet and taking preventative safety measures seriously.

“A helmet with padding could have, you know, like I said, I don’t think it would have necessarily prevented a head injury, but maybe not one not as severe. And he would still be here with us,” Tayrien said.

When TJ’s diagnosis was getting worse, his family was approached by staff at the hospital about his decision to be a donor. His mother knew firsthand how important that was to him, and according to Tayrien, was even encouraging his mother to become a donor.

TJ donated three vital organs, his kidneys and heart. Among those three are countless others that TJ was willing to donate after his passing. Tayrien said it’s been comforting knowing that someone has a piece of TJ, specifically, his heart.

“My mom’s like, I hope I can bring a stethoscope and just listen. I just want to hear it again,” she said.

Tayrien’s two children were never able to meet their uncle, but Callie promises to remind them how selfless and kind he was. She said she will continue to advocate for helmets and safety prevention with her own children in hopes that it could save a life one day.

“I think he would give you the shirt off his back. So, the fact that he literally was able to give somebody his heart is, you know, more than he could have ever asked. And to us, his family,” she said.

Before TJ moved to Anderson County, he lived in Tennessee, where he advocated for a multi-use sports pad/skate park in November 2025. While the idea wasn’t passed by the city of LaFollette then, his mother plans on advocating for the park in the future, with hopes it can be named after him and ensure that helmets are mandatory.

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 Zach Rainey

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    GREER, South Carolina (WYFF) — The Secret Service is investigating after a South Carolina woman allegedly threatened to harm President Donald Trump and his supporters in a post on social media.

On Wednesday, March 25, the York County Sheriff’s Office was made aware of multiple social media posts made by a woman from her home in Greer.

According to the sheriff’s office, in the aforementioned social media posts, the woman appeared to threaten Trump and members of MAGA.

York County detectives immediately launched an investigation and worked to verify the credibility of the information.

On Monday, March 30, investigators determined that there is no credible threat. The individual, who deputies say previously lived in Fort Mill, SC, recorded the video in Greer.

We are told that out of an abundance of caution, Secret Service members have been notified and are actively investigating the posts.

In the original post on TikTok, which has since been deleted, the woman allegedly told Trump supporters to “count their days.” She continued by threatening to harm the president himself if she was given the opportunity.

She later deleted the original post and addressed it in a post on Facebook, stating that the “threats were made in a rage-baiting gesture.” She also claimed that she had taken down most of her accounts on social media after receiving phone calls and emails of death threats.

No charges have currently been filed. No other details have been released at this 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 Jonathan Ayestas

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    OAKLEY, California (KCRA) — A five-year-old boy underwent surgery after being accidentally shot in the chest by an AR-15-style rifle while his father was cleaning his guns, Bay Area officials said Monday.

Officers with the Oakley Police Department in Contra Costa County went to the 1700 block of Hemlock Court near Empire Avenue around 9:25 p.m. Sunday after a report of a man who accidentally shot himself. While on the way, police said the call was updated to reflect that it was a child who was shot in the torso.

Oakley police said officers arrived at the home at 9:28 p.m., and fire department and medical personnel arrived shortly afterward. The father was holding his child and applying pressure to the wound.

The child was airlifted to a hospital, and police said he is expected to recover.

Investigators learned that while cleaning his guns, the father retrieved his rifle from a gun case and accidentally pulled the trigger, police said. The father told investigators that he thought the rifle was empty.

“This was a very tragic event that occurred,” a statement from Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard read. “As we have learned more about what happened, we now know the gunshot wound suffered by the five-year-old boy was a grazing wound and not a penetrating wound. Even a graze however, from a rifle-fired bullet can cause devastating injuries. We are very thankful the injuries sustained by the boy are not worse than they are; an inch of difference of where the bullet struck the boy would have been a different, and more tragic, outcome. Even though we believe this to be an awful accident, some crucial errors of negligence were made. Firearms should always be treated as if they are loaded and one should never put a finger on the trigger of a firearm unless there is an intent to shoot it.”

Following the shooting, police said officers seized all weapons and other pieces of evidence from the home.

Once investigators complete their investigation, the police department said it will turn over its findings to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, which will determine whether it will file criminal charges.

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 Peyton Spellacy

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — BioPark Zoo staff addressed the elephant, not in the room, but on the public walkway. The 52-year-old Asian elephant, Alice, escaped from her habitat Sunday morning, spending time in a public area before safely returning to her enclosure.

Security video captured Alice taking a calm Sunday morning stroll down Main Street, sniffing the map and playing tourist at home for the day, and stopping too much on the trees.

Alice escaped through a welded pillar gate in the water pond section of her habitat, which is currently off-limits as welders repair it. She then trampled another bamboo fence to reach Main Street.

Brandon Gibson, director of the BioPark, said, “The 8,000-pound elephant somehow squeezed through this opening, knocking down this fence, just to take a stroll down Main Street. She’s over 8,000 pounds. She’s definitely able to use some force.”

Officials said the section of fence Alice escaped through hadn’t been updated in nearly 20 years.

“Not only has that section been repaired, it’s also been reinforced. So we’ve added some more pillars and steel,” Gibson said. “We’ve also reassessed the perimeter, looking for any more areas that may be weak points. So it’s something that we’re monitoring daily.”

Zoo staff continues to inspect other habitats for weak spots, using Gross Receipts Tax money to modernize them.

Staff responded to Alice’s escape in just 10 minutes, using the same recall method she’s trained with.

Gibson said, “We were able to secure the perimeter, have our zookeepers come and start recalling her back. It has been a very long time since any animal has escaped a perimeter containment at the BioPark. I think it’s looking back decades and decades. I think the BioPark is a very safe place to be, and I think this incident shows that all of our measures and tools worked. Staff was safe, the public was safe, and Alice the elephant was safe.”

After her adventurous Sunday morning stroll, Alice spent the rest of the day relaxing. Zoo staff said her behavior is back to normal Monday.

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 Allison Petro, Pattrik Perez

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    PALM BAY, Florida (WESH) — A man was arrested after remains were found in suitcases in a remote area, according to the Palm Bay Police Department.

Police officers were dispatched to the area of 1574 Bombardier Blvd., often known as the “Compound,” after receiving reports of a suitcase.

After officers arrived on the scene, they found the suitcase lying in tall grass and described an odor.

The suitcase was partially opened, where human remains could be seen, according to police.

Police also reported seeing personal belongings inside, as well as an Amazon box addressed to the defendant’s home, identified as Lucas Jones.

Another suitcase was located a short distance from the first, according to police.

It was later discovered that Jones was associated with a report of a missing person who was identified as 28-year-old Colie Lee Daniel, a registered sex offender. According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, Daniel was reported missing on March 21:

“Colie visited a friend’s house on 03/20/2026 and did not show up back at his residence the following day, as he said he would. Neither friends nor family have heard from Colie since the evening of 03/20/2026.” Officials conducted a search warrant at Jones’ residence, where he was seen with visible healed wounds and bruises on parts of his body.

Police interviewed Jones’ girlfriend, who stated she saw the victim lying unconscious on Jones’ bed. After leaving the room to use the bathroom, she returned to find the victim’s body was gone.

Jones told his girlfriend that the victim had left through the back door.

The following day, on March 21, Jones instructed his girlfriend to drive to the “Compound.” She reported that he then removed two gray tote containers from her vehicle and discarded them in different locations.

While police searched Jones’ home, investigators found blood stains throughout the residence.

Police also said a kitchen knife was discovered in one of the suitcases recovered from the “Compound,” and a matching knife was also located inside his home.

Palm Bay Police Sgt. Vincent Galioto told WESH 2 that detectives are waiting for the autopsy results and a positive identification of the human remains from the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Jones was taken into custody and charged:

Tampering with evidence. Abuse of a dead human body. Transporting a dead human body in an unauthorized container.

He was released on a $7,500 bond.

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.