Category: CNN Regional

By Mike Hellgren

Click here for updates on this story

    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — The man accused of killing a 12-year-old girl at a West Baltimore youth football game got out of prison early after an official with the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) advocated for his release.

State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said Tyree Reynolds would likely not have been released early without the MONSE official’s letter to a judge.

Just eight days after Reynolds’ release on September 25, police alleged he opened fire into a crowd, killing 12-year-old Khloe Ishway and injuring four other people.

The letter MONSE’s Chief of Victim Services Mark Mason wrote the letter on MONSE letterhead on August 8, 2025.

It was addressed to Judge Cynthia Jones and asked her to consider an early release for Reynolds, a person he had mentored since Reynolds was a child.

Reynolds was behind bars for a 2021 felony gun case stemming from a shootout at a West North Avenue chicken restaurant near his home.

“I would not be going out on a limb writing this letter on his behalf if I felt that he is a violent offender and his plan is to come back into society to engage in more violence,” Mason wrote.

MONSE’s Chief of Victim Services Mark Mason wrote the letter on MONSE letterhead on August 8th, 2025. Judge Jones originally sentenced Reynolds to 15 years with all but seven years suspended. He was required to serve at least five years before he could be paroled, which he ultimately did.

“Reynolds served the entirety of that five-year term, day for day, and was released on September 25, 2026,” Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services told WJZ.

A DPSCS spokesman said the agency was “heartbroken by the tragic death of 12-year-old Khloe Ishway and the injuries to innocent bystanders.”

Judge Jones cut the original sentence by two years, which State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said realistically amounted to an early release by 30 to 60 days with good behavior credits.

“Based on what MONSE has done and what MONSE had written in their letter, I’m sure it played a major and significant role in the judge changing the sentence,” Bates told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren.

Bates said the letter carried weight with the judge.

“It’s just not a letter from anybody. It’s a letter from the head of victim services who talks about the person’s background, talks about Mr. Reynolds’ upbringing, talks about how he’s remorseful,” he said.

Bates’ office did not oppose the early release in part because of the letter, he said.

Bates’ office did not oppose the early release in part because of the letter, he said. “When you are partners with MONSE, and they basically put their arms around this individual and say they are reformed and they know they have a job—they write the letter as if the first day that individual gets out, they’re going be there to take them, to give them a job, and there are no problems with this individual, you’re going go ahead and believe and support that,” Bates said.

The MONSE official promised Reynolds would get immediate help from the agency upon his release from prison.

Bates told Hellgren he is unsure if that ever happened.

“We were partners with MONSE and we left the partnership,” the state’s attorney said. “It was these types of things that we were beginning to see that caused us to have a great deal of concern.”

The mayor’s response On October 3, just eight days after Reynolds’ release, police said he opened fire at a football game with a short-barreled assault rifle.

A bullet struck and killed 12-year-old Khloe Ishway.

Police are still looking for a second gunman who fired shots at Reynolds.

In response to our questions about the controversy, MONSE told WJZ Investigates their official wrote the letter on Reynolds’ behalf “as a character statement, based on the staff member’s prior personal relationship with Mr. Reynolds, without the permission of MONSE’s Director or Chief of Staff. MONSE has no direct decision-making authority in determining detention release or sentence modification.”

The statement condemned Reynolds’ alleged actions as “heinous and reckless.”

Wednesday morning, before the MONSE letter surfaced, Mayor Brandon Scott condemned the repeat offender’s release.

“A 12-year-old baby should be here today not only because [Reynolds] should’ve known how to resolve his conflict in a better way, but also more importantly because he still should have been in jail,” Mayor Scott told WJZ.

Asked about the mayor’s comments, Bates told Hellgren, “Hindsight is 20/20. The mayor’s team was the one who wrote the letter, so that’s a question you probably need to ask the mayor.”

A spokesman for the mayor said he was not available to go on camera Thursday.

But his office issued the following statement to WJZ Investigates, “This letter was not approved by MONSE leadership, and no member of staff will ever be writing one again. Let’s be clear: there is one person responsible for the cowardly murder of Khloe Ishway: Mr. Reynolds. This was a cowardly, reckless decision made by him and him alone. We are committed to getting justice on behalf of Khloe, her family, and the entire community, and we will not rest until we eradicate violence from our city for good.”

Asked whether the MONSE official who wrote the letter could face disciplinary action, the mayor’s office said they cannot comment on personnel matters.

He is a former MONSE employee of the month.

Suspect pleaded for mercy In the 2021 case file is a handwritten letter Reynolds himself wrote to Judge Jones.

He said he “learned his lesson” and was ready to “better himself and start over.”

Now, at 23, he may end up spending the rest of his life in prison.

“I promise you Judge Jones, I won’t let you [down]. You can count on me,” Reynolds wrote.

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 Chloe Godding

Click here for updates on this story

    JOHNSON COUNTY, Kansas (KMBC) — When Johnson County, Kansas, firefighters heard about a pet stuck in a tree, they surely weren’t expecting one with scales.

But it wasn’t a cat that needed rescuing — it was an iguana.

Johnson County Consolidated Fire District firefighters were called to the 200 block of West Allen Street in Spring Hill on Wednesday, where a pet iguana named Tasslehoff, who escaped the week prior, was found in a tree.

As far as animal rescues go, Tasslehoff isn’t exactly the usual suspect: no paws, no fur, but it turns out, he was quite friendly! A spokesperson for the fire department said the 9-year-old reptile was approximately 30-40 pounds, 3 feet long and “very sweet.”

Firefighters had to use a ladder truck and a catch pole, borrowed from the Spring Hill Police Department, to rescue Tasslehoff, who was 35-45 feet up the tree.

Photos show a firefighter carrying him to safety, much to the delight of his owner. A member of the fire department had experience handling reptiles, which helped the mission run smoothly.

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 WCCO Staff, Jason Rantala

Click here for updates on this story

    COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, Minnesota (WCCO) — A Columbia Heights, Minnesota, man was found guilty Wednesday of murdering his 16-year-old son last year.

Jordan Dupree Collins Sr., who represented himself during the murder trial in Anoka County, was found guilty of second-degree murder. The jury’s verdict was met with tears and applause, ending what was a three-week trial.

After the verdict, the judge asked the jury to answer 10 more questions about the case — including whether Collins concealed the body and if he caused anguish to the family — to help with sentencing, which has been set for Dec. 2 at 1:30 p.m. He is being held without bail.

The remains of his son, Jordan “Manny” Collins Jr., were discovered in a garbage bag in an Elk River landfill by investigators in the summer of 2025. Collins Jr. had been living with his father at the time he was reported missing by his mother, Ashley Berry.

Berry testified that her son had been living with his father because he was struggling at school, and she believed his father could help him with his math homework.

Dozens of witnesses testified, and the prosecution pointed to DNA identifying Collins Jr.’s blood on the floor and bedding of his father’s apartment. The prosecution also said expert testimony detailed a brutal stabbing death, including the dismemberment of Collins Jr. by his father.

“It didn’t take the pain away, but it felt good to know that he’s going away,” Berry said.

Collins Sr. said during closing arguments that law enforcement didn’t collect all the evidence, like the alleged sightings of his son. He added that experts could not prove who caused his son’s death.

Berry is left with one question regarding motive that she believes may never be answered.

“I still want to know why. But we probably never will,” she said.

“None of us should outlive our children. But to have a child — a child in our community — taken from us in this way is simply unconscionable,” said Anoka County Attorney Brad Johnson. “I am so proud of the community and justice partners’ efforts on this case. From my position, it was a sight to behold. Those impacted will have an opportunity to address the court at sentencing, and we will continue to seek justice for Manny.”

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 Lesley Marin and Dean Fioresi

Click here for updates on this story

    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Family members of a U.S. Marine from Norco who was killed in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing in Afghanistan are pushing to have a street named in his honor.

Steve Nikoui said there’s not a day that goes by when he doesn’t think about the sacrifice that his son, Marine Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui, made.

“We wouldn’t have any of these privileges we have if we didn’t have kids like Kareem that are willing to sacrifice,” Steve Nikoui said.

Kareem Nikoui, a Norco native, was killed in a suicide bombing attack outside the Kabul Airport during the 2021 evacuation of Afghanistan. Now, family members want his legacy permanently cemented on the street he spent so much time on as a child. They’re hopeful that the portion of Sixth Street in front of the Ingalls Event Center can be named after Kareem.

“I’d love it when he was in high school and he was a kid, I would drive by and see him working many of the events and that just really tickled me,” Steve Nikoui said.

Their hopes, however, are being stalled by the city, family members claim. They also say that a request to rename a park in his honor was previously denied.

“Telling me that, you know, we’ve already done enough for him,” Steve Nikoui said.

He was one of a group that flooded Wednesday night’s Norco City Council meeting to support changing the street’s name.

“Do not make this family keep asking,” one person said during the meeting. “Honor the past. Honor the next generation. His parents couldn’t bring their son home, but Norco can bring his name home.”

During the meeting, city leaders said they don’t have a formal policy when it comes to renaming existing streets to honor people or events, but they did vote to begin looking into such a method.

“I hope that folks understand how deeply reverent this community is for our military and military service,” said Mayor Robin Grundmeyer.

“We just have to make sure that whatever process we do is done with care, and honor, and not by grifters,” said City Councilman Kevin Bash.

Kareem Nikoui was 20 when he was killed. His father says he was a JROTC graduate of Norco High School that has a plaque bearing his name in the Veterans Memorial Plaza in Norco, and a federal post office named in his honor, but he still believes there’s one more way to honor the local hero.

“Before Kareem became a name recognized by Congress or the State of California, he was a son of Norco,” Steve Nikoui said during the meeting.

He plans to hold a petition signing event over the weekend for anyone who supports renaming part of Sixth Street after his son. The portion of the street in question houses a park, parts of the event center and leads to a hiking trail.

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 Aaron Hegarty

Click here for updates on this story

    OMAHA (KETV) — Homeowners in Omaha’s Karen neighborhood are continuing to clean up and seek support one week after flooding caused significant damage to the area.

At Karen Western Elementary School, the Salvation Army is distributing $250 gift cards to neighborhood residents of the Karen Addition neighborhood whose homes were damaged in the flood.

Jerry Asmussen, who has lived in the Karen Addition neighborhood for 17 years, said the flooding late last Wednesday night and Thursday morning caused a “total loss” in his home, where he had been working on an addition.

Now, he is focused on recovering what he lost.

“I’ve kind of got a smile on my face right now, but it’s been rough. Really rough,” Asmussen said.

The Little Papio Creek runs behind Asmussen’s backyard. Along with much of his home, it claimed three cars belonging to his family.

While he currently has electricity, Asmussen said he does not have gas service. The crawlspace where the furnace is located is filled with mud.

“Right now it’s nice out, but if it’s, if FEMA takes a while for the disaster or whatever, then I’m going to be, I don’t know how long it’s going to take,” he said.

Nebraska Emergency Management Agency Assistant Director Erv Portis told KETV the agency is working with FEMA and the Small Business Administration to determine what assistance might be available to Nebraskans impacted by last week’s flash flood. He said there’s a very high bar for individual assistance.

City Councilmember Ron Hug said about 150 homes in the Karen neighborhood were impacted by the flooding.

If Asmussen can’t find any assistance, he’d “basically turn it over to God,” he said. “With me… the glass is half full. Even though there’s a major disaster here, I think something will. If not, we just deal with it. You know, that’s the way I was raised,” Asmussen said.

The city is encouraging residents affected by the flood to call United Way’s 211 hotline to connect with assistance programs and help the city assess the extent of the damage.

The City of Omaha encourages those impacted to call United Way’s 211 hotline for help connecting with resources and to help the city obtain a count of those who sustained damage.

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 Jason Rantala

Click here for updates on this story

    TWIN CITIES, Minnesota (WCCO) — A Twin Cities boy living with a rare form of muscular dystrophy received a gift from a galaxy far, far away this Halloween season.

Eleven-year-old Dash Stanton knew something special was hidden beneath a blue sheet Sunday morning at the Minnesota Fire Museum.

“I feel like this is going to be very, very cool,” Dash Stanton said before the reveal.

A self-described Star Wars fan who recently finished watching every movie in the franchise, Dash Stanton eagerly waited to see what had been built for him.

When the cover finally came off, he was greeted by a custom N-1 Starfighter complete with a Grogu, better known as Baby Yoda, figure. The spacecraft attaches to his power wheelchair, turning it into a ride fit for a Jedi.

The creation came from Magic Wheelchair, an Oregon-based nonprofit that designs and builds custom wheelchair costumes at no cost to families.

“It was way cooler than I thought it would be,” Dash Stanton said. “Honestly, it’s very, very sick.”

For his parents, the moment was especially meaningful.

About a decade ago, they noticed their son was not meeting the physical milestones typical for most children his age.

“After neurologists and physical therapy and all this, we ended up finding out that he had SMA, which is something we had never even heard of before,” said his mother, Amanda Stanton.

SMA, or spinal muscular atrophy, is a rare neuromuscular disorder that affects muscle movement.

Despite the diagnosis, Dash Stanton has remained active. He participates in musical theater and excels in power soccer, a sport designed for athletes who use power wheelchairs.

“We’ve hit a much more stable point. He’s doing really well,” Amanda Stanton said.

As for Dash Stanton, his immediate goal is a little less ambitious than piloting a starfighter across the galaxy.

He just wants to be the coolest kid out trick-or-treating this Halloween.

The surprise comes as local firefighters kick off the annual Fill the Boot campaign benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Funds raised help support people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS and other neuromuscular diseases.

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 Wakisha Bailey

Click here for updates on this story

    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Temple University has created a new space where students can find food, affordable clothing, wellness support and other essential resources under one roof.

The Essential Needs Hub is located inside the Howard Gittis Student Center. Floor decals guide students to the space, which university leaders say was designed with student input.

“It’s a central spot for resources students may need to get through the day,” said Jodi Accavallo, Temple’s vice president for student affairs.

The university defines essential needs broadly, including food and housing insecurity, emergency transportation and childcare challenges.

“You hear it every day,” Accavallo said. “They are taking care of loved ones. They are managing two jobs.”

The Barnett-Irvine-Cherry Pantry is part of the hub. Students use a point system to shop for groceries, with healthier items costing fewer points. Staff members can also help students connect with additional resources, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

“Our students have a high need,” Accavallo said. “They really want some place to go where they feel seen.”

More than 20,000 students have used the hub’s services, and about half have returned.

Students also helped determine what the hub would offer.

“They influence everything that’s in here,” Accavallo said.

The hub includes the Zen Den, a quiet wellness space where students can pause, recharge and even use massage chairs.

“There’s a correlation between student success in the classroom and their wellness and well-being outside the classroom,” Accavallo said.

Students looking to update their wardrobes can visit Temple Thrift, where every item costs less than $10.

“I’m glad our students feel like they can shop and eat all in the same place,” Accavallo said. “We’re like a food court for the soul.”

Temple is holding the hub’s official ribbon-cutting Thursday as the university kicks off its Homecoming weekend.

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.