SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal shooting at a convenience store in Topeka have identified the victim as 24-year-old&nbsp; Oscar A. Ramirez of Topeka, according to Topeka Police Lt.&nbsp;LT Donna Eubanks.

Just after 3:00 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a shooting at the Kwik Shop gas station, 746 NE Wabash Avenue in Topeka, according to Topeka Police Lt. Edward Stanley. First responders located Ramirez with life threatening injuries.&nbsp; Medical personnel pronounced him deceased on scene.&nbsp;

As a result of the investigation, Caleb E Brown, 19, Topeka was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections and is being held on requested charges of Voluntary manslaughter, Unreasonable belief of justified deadly force, Possession of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs

This is the city’s 4th homicide investigation of 2025, according to Stanley.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744941578851.png" alt="Brown photo Shawnee&nbsp; County." />
 <figcaption>Brown photo Shawnee&nbsp; County.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal shooting at a convenience store in Topeka have identified the victim as 24-year-old&nbsp; Oscar A. Ramirez of Topeka, according to Topeka Police Lt.&nbsp;LT Donna Eubanks.Just after 3:00 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a shooting at the Kwik Shop gas station, 746 NE Wabash Avenue in Topeka, according to Topeka Police Lt. Edward Stanley. First responders located Ramirez with life threatening injuries.&nbsp; Medical personnel pronounced him deceased on scene.&nbsp;As a result of the investigation, Caleb E Brown, 19, Topeka was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections and is being held on requested charges of Voluntary manslaughter, Unreasonable belief of justified deadly force, Possession of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugsThis is the city’s 4th homicide investigation of 2025, according to Stanley.

Kan. teen accused in deadly shooting while under the influence

JOHNSON COUNTY —Just before 9a.m. Thursday, police responded to Shawnee Mission South High School,&nbsp;5800 W 107th Street in Overland Park regarding a suspicious man on the property, according to Officer John Lacy.

He was described as a white male in his late twenties, with a beard, wearing a tan baseball cap and tan pants.  The man was seen on the north side of the school near a wooded area.  School officials took the appropriate action by conducting a lockdown, bringing all students and staff inside the building. Despite a search by K-9 officers, patrol officers and drone operators, police did not find the person.

The lockdown lasted for sixty minutes. Parents of students who attend Shawnee Mission South were contacted by district office about the incident.&nbsp;

JOHNSON COUNTY —Just before 9a.m. Thursday, police responded to Shawnee Mission South High School,&nbsp;5800 W 107th Street in Overland Park regarding a suspicious man on the property, according to Officer John Lacy.He was described as a white male in his late twenties, with a beard, wearing a tan baseball cap and tan pants. The man was seen on the north side of the school near a wooded area. School officials took the appropriate action by conducting a lockdown, bringing all students and staff inside the building. Despite a search by K-9 officers, patrol officers and drone operators, police did not find the person.The lockdown lasted for sixty minutes. Parents of students who attend Shawnee Mission South were contacted by district office about the incident.&nbsp;

Report of suspicious man near Kan. high school led to lockdown 

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. airstrikes targeting an oil port held by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;killed 74 people and wounded 171 others, the group said Friday, marking the single-deadliest known attack under President Donald Trump’s new campaign targeting the rebels.

Assessing the toll of Trump’s campaign,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-us-airstrikes-israel-hamas-278d07bc5aad75bb32e57f99a78cbe88">which began March 15</a>, has been incredibly difficult as the U.S. military’s Central Command so far has not released any information on the campaign, its specific targets and how many people have been killed. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels strictly control access to areas attacked and don’t publish complete information on the strikes, many of which likely have targeted military and security sites.

But the strike on the Ras Isa port, which sent massive fireballs shooting into the night sky, represented a major escalation for the American campaign by hitting oil facilities for the first time.

In a statement, Central Command said that “U.S. forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorize the entire region for over 10 years.”

“This strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen, who rightly want to throw off the yoke of Houthi subjugation and live peacefully,” it added. It did not acknowledge any casualties from the attack or offer any damage assessment.

Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by The Associated Press Friday showed destroyed tanks and vehicles at the port as oil leaks into the Red Sea.

The Iranian-backed Houthis later Friday launched a missile toward Israel that was intercepted, the Israeli military said. Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and other areas.

The war in Yemen, meanwhile, further internationalized as the U.S. alleged a Chinese satellite company was “directly supporting” Houthi attacks, something Beijing declined to directly comment on Friday. And a second round of negotiations between Iran and the U.S. over Tehran's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-program-us-tensions-explains-25acc4bfbbe165a374a58ebfa6a4ab41">rapidly advancing nuclear program</a>, which America has linked to the Yemen campaign, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-nuclear-talks-iaea-zarif-tehran-c3a8afc699c670300b9521f1e2019ef7">due to happen Saturday in Rome</a>.

The Ras Isa port, a collection of oil tanks and refining equipment, sits in Yemen's Hodeida governorate along the Red Sea. It is just off Kamaran Island, targeted by intense U.S. airstrikes over the past few days.

The Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel aired graphic footage of the aftermath, showing corpses strewn across the site and smashed tanker trucks ablaze.

The port also is the terminus of an oil pipeline stretching to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-dubai-iran-iran-nuclear-united-arab-emirates-f81982b0ce4a4c65b8c94f6ff2517594">Yemen's energy-rich Marib governorate</a>, which remains held by allies of Yemen's exiled government. The Houthis expelled that government from Yemen's capital, Sanaa, back in 2014. However, oil exports have been halted by the decadelong war and the Houthis have used Ras Isa to bring in oil.

Ras Isa takes in gasoline, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas for the Houthis. The damage from the strikes could have serious impacts on life in Houthi-held areas of Yemen.

The Houthis denounced the U.S. attack as a “completely unjustified aggression.”

“It targets a vital civilian facility that has served the Yemeni people for decades," the Houthis said in a statement.

On April 9, the U.S. State Department issued a warning about oil shipments to Yemen, saying it would “not tolerate any country or commercial entity providing support to foreign terrorist organizations, such as the Houthis.”

The attack follows Israeli airstrikes on the Houthis which previously hit port and oil infrastructure used by the rebels after their attacks on Israel, including Ras Isa.

Oil depot attack deadliest so far known in Trump's Yemen campaign

The attack represented the deadliest known attack so far in the campaign, analysts said. However, “it’s been so difficult to assess the fatalities,” said Luca Nevola, the senior analyst for Yemen and the Gulf at the Armed Conflict Location &amp; Event Data Project.

“Since they are targeting civilian areas, there’s a lot more victims but it’s also difficult to assess how many because the Houthis are releasing these umbrella statements that cover all the victims ... or tend to stress only the civilian victims,” Nevola said.

Further complicating the situation is the U.S. strikes hitting military targets, said Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen expert at the Basha Report risk advisory firm. He pointed to an American attack that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-airstrikes-israel-hamas-war-87ca0be8a841ce3e939d65ee72d2c021">Trump highlighted online with black-and-white strike footage</a>, that may have killed some 70 fighters.

“Although the Houthis claimed it was a tribal gathering, they neither released any footage nor named a single casualty, strongly suggesting the victims were not civilians but affiliated fighters,” al-Basha said. “However, the overnight strike on the Ras Isa Fuel Port marks the first mass-casualty incident the Houthis have openly acknowledged and publicized.”

Chinese satellite firm accused by US of aiding Houthi attacks

Meanwhile, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce in a briefing with journalists accused Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd., a commercial satellite image provider, of “directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on U.S. interests.”

Bruce did not elaborate in detail, but acknowledged a report by The Financial Times that quoted anonymous American officials saying the firm linked to the People’s Liberation Army has provided images allowing the rebels to target U.S. warships and commercial vessels traveling through the Red Sea corridor.

Bruce said “Beijing's support ... of the satellite company” “contradicts their claims of being peace supporters.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, responding to a question about the allegation, said Friday: “I am not familiar with the situation you mentioned." However, he insisted China is seen as urging countries “to make more efforts conducive to regional peace and stability.”

“Since the escalations in the Red Sea situation, China has been playing a positive role in de-escalating the situation,” Lin said. “Who is promoting talks for peace and de-escalating the tensions, and who is imposing sanctions and pressure?”

Chang Guang did not respond to request for comment. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned the company in 2023 for allegedly providing satellite images to the Russian mercenary force&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wagner-group">the Wagner Group</a>&nbsp;as it fought in Ukraine.

It remains unclear whether Chang Guang is linked to the Chinese government. The U.S. government in the past has used images taken by American commercial satellite companies to share with allies, like Ukraine, to avoid releasing its own top-secret pictures.

US strikes are part of monthlong intense campaign

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-us-airstrikes-israel-hamas-278d07bc5aad75bb32e57f99a78cbe88">An AP review</a>&nbsp;has found the new U.S. operation against the Houthis under President Donald Trump appears&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3WJ-C2gpDA">more extensive</a>&nbsp;than that under former President Joe Biden. The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-israel-hamas-war-gaza-aid-ship-attacks-0da6c2453fe2c4e5f81923c84c7d3f3a">threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships</a>&nbsp;again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip.

The Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-rebels-ship-attack-red-sea-yemen-bfa7d321e55c5bb59b268b82ef3c56ba">sinking two of them and killing four sailors</a>&nbsp;from November 2023 until January of this year. That has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion of goods move through it. The Houthis also launched attacks targeting American warships without success.

Associated Press writer Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744939148247.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. airstrikes targeting an oil port held by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;killed 74 people and wounded 171 others, the group said Friday, marking the single-deadliest known attack under President Donald Trump’s new campaign targeting the rebels.Assessing the toll of Trump’s campaign,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-us-airstrikes-israel-hamas-278d07bc5aad75bb32e57f99a78cbe88">which began March 15</a>, has been incredibly difficult as the U.S. military’s Central Command so far has not released any information on the campaign, its specific targets and how many people have been killed. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels strictly control access to areas attacked and don’t publish complete information on the strikes, many of which likely have targeted military and security sites.But the strike on the Ras Isa port, which sent massive fireballs shooting into the night sky, represented a major escalation for the American campaign by hitting oil facilities for the first time.In a statement, Central Command said that “U.S. forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorize the entire region for over 10 years.”“This strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen, who rightly want to throw off the yoke of Houthi subjugation and live peacefully,” it added. It did not acknowledge any casualties from the attack or offer any damage assessment.Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by The Associated Press Friday showed destroyed tanks and vehicles at the port as oil leaks into the Red Sea.The Iranian-backed Houthis later Friday launched a missile toward Israel that was intercepted, the Israeli military said. Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and other areas.The war in Yemen, meanwhile, further internationalized as the U.S. alleged a Chinese satellite company was “directly supporting” Houthi attacks, something Beijing declined to directly comment on Friday. And a second round of negotiations between Iran and the U.S. over Tehran's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-program-us-tensions-explains-25acc4bfbbe165a374a58ebfa6a4ab41">rapidly advancing nuclear program</a>, which America has linked to the Yemen campaign, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-nuclear-talks-iaea-zarif-tehran-c3a8afc699c670300b9521f1e2019ef7">due to happen Saturday in Rome</a>.<h2>US strikes spark massive fireball</h2>The Ras Isa port, a collection of oil tanks and refining equipment, sits in Yemen's Hodeida governorate along the Red Sea. It is just off Kamaran Island, targeted by intense U.S. airstrikes over the past few days.The Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel aired graphic footage of the aftermath, showing corpses strewn across the site and smashed tanker trucks ablaze.The port also is the terminus of an oil pipeline stretching to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-dubai-iran-iran-nuclear-united-arab-emirates-f81982b0ce4a4c65b8c94f6ff2517594">Yemen's energy-rich Marib governorate</a>, which remains held by allies of Yemen's exiled government. The Houthis expelled that government from Yemen's capital, Sanaa, back in 2014. However, oil exports have been halted by the decadelong war and the Houthis have used Ras Isa to bring in oil.Ras Isa takes in gasoline, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas for the Houthis. The damage from the strikes could have serious impacts on life in Houthi-held areas of Yemen.The Houthis denounced the U.S. attack as a “completely unjustified aggression.”“It targets a vital civilian facility that has served the Yemeni people for decades," the Houthis said in a statement.On April 9, the U.S. State Department issued a warning about oil shipments to Yemen, saying it would “not tolerate any country or commercial entity providing support to foreign terrorist organizations, such as the Houthis.”The attack follows Israeli airstrikes on the Houthis which previously hit port and oil infrastructure used by the rebels after their attacks on Israel, including Ras Isa.<h2>Oil depot attack deadliest so far known in Trump's Yemen campaign</h2>The attack represented the deadliest known attack so far in the campaign, analysts said. However, “it’s been so difficult to assess the fatalities,” said Luca Nevola, the senior analyst for Yemen and the Gulf at the Armed Conflict Location &amp; Event Data Project.“Since they are targeting civilian areas, there’s a lot more victims but it’s also difficult to assess how many because the Houthis are releasing these umbrella statements that cover all the victims ... or tend to stress only the civilian victims,” Nevola said.Further complicating the situation is the U.S. strikes hitting military targets, said Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen expert at the Basha Report risk advisory firm. He pointed to an American attack that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-airstrikes-israel-hamas-war-87ca0be8a841ce3e939d65ee72d2c021">Trump highlighted online with black-and-white strike footage</a>, that may have killed some 70 fighters.“Although the Houthis claimed it was a tribal gathering, they neither released any footage nor named a single casualty, strongly suggesting the victims were not civilians but affiliated fighters,” al-Basha said. “However, the overnight strike on the Ras Isa Fuel Port marks the first mass-casualty incident the Houthis have openly acknowledged and publicized.”<h2>Chinese satellite firm accused by US of aiding Houthi attacks</h2>Meanwhile, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce in a briefing with journalists accused Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd., a commercial satellite image provider, of “directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on U.S. interests.”Bruce did not elaborate in detail, but acknowledged a report by The Financial Times that quoted anonymous American officials saying the firm linked to the People’s Liberation Army has provided images allowing the rebels to target U.S. warships and commercial vessels traveling through the Red Sea corridor.Bruce said “Beijing's support ... of the satellite company” “contradicts their claims of being peace supporters.”Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, responding to a question about the allegation, said Friday: “I am not familiar with the situation you mentioned." However, he insisted China is seen as urging countries “to make more efforts conducive to regional peace and stability.”“Since the escalations in the Red Sea situation, China has been playing a positive role in de-escalating the situation,” Lin said. “Who is promoting talks for peace and de-escalating the tensions, and who is imposing sanctions and pressure?”Chang Guang did not respond to request for comment. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned the company in 2023 for allegedly providing satellite images to the Russian mercenary force&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wagner-group">the Wagner Group</a>&nbsp;as it fought in Ukraine.It remains unclear whether Chang Guang is linked to the Chinese government. The U.S. government in the past has used images taken by American commercial satellite companies to share with allies, like Ukraine, to avoid releasing its own top-secret pictures.<h2>US strikes are part of monthlong intense campaign</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-us-airstrikes-israel-hamas-278d07bc5aad75bb32e57f99a78cbe88">An AP review</a>&nbsp;has found the new U.S. operation against the Houthis under President Donald Trump appears&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3WJ-C2gpDA">more extensive</a>&nbsp;than that under former President Joe Biden. The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-israel-hamas-war-gaza-aid-ship-attacks-0da6c2453fe2c4e5f81923c84c7d3f3a">threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships</a>&nbsp;again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip.The Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-rebels-ship-attack-red-sea-yemen-bfa7d321e55c5bb59b268b82ef3c56ba">sinking two of them and killing four sailors</a>&nbsp;from November 2023 until January of this year. That has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion of goods move through it. The Houthis also launched attacks targeting American warships without success.___Associated Press writer Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

US airstrikes target a Yemeni oil port in single-deadliest attack under Trump

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for a fatal shooting that took place in south Kansas City in 2023, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2569/Baker-Judgement-Redacted">Dinsmore Baker, 47, pled guilt</a>y&nbsp;to 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.

He received 18 years for 2nd Degree Murder and five years for Armed Criminal Action, which will run consecutively. He also received a five-year sentence for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, which will be served at the same time as the other two counts.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2568/BakerDinsmore---PCStatement_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to East 85th Street and Holmes Road on June 15, 2023, on a sound of shots call. Witnesses told detectives the defendant shot into their vehicle and struck the passenger in the head, killing him. Witnesses said Baker was an ex-boyfriend of the driver.

Baker has a history of domestic assault, violating a protection order, and reported threatening, erratic, and violent behavior.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744203480976.png" alt="Baker photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Baker photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for a fatal shooting that took place in south Kansas City in 2023, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2569/Baker-Judgement-Redacted">Dinsmore Baker, 47, pled guilt</a>y&nbsp;to 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. He received 18 years for 2nd Degree Murder and five years for Armed Criminal Action, which will run consecutively. He also received a five-year sentence for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, which will be served at the same time as the other two counts.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2568/BakerDinsmore---PCStatement_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to East 85th Street and Holmes Road on June 15, 2023, on a sound of shots call. Witnesses told detectives the defendant shot into their vehicle and struck the passenger in the head, killing him. Witnesses said Baker was an ex-boyfriend of the driver.Baker has a history of domestic assault, violating a protection order, and reported threatening, erratic, and violent behavior.

Prison for murder of victim in car with his ex-girlfriend

SAN SALVADOR (AP) — Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen met Thursday in El Salvador with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kilmar-abrego-garcia-el-salvador-trump-deported-e537cfb69a9840046b5d3e512509e9a8">Kilmar Abrego Garcia</a>, a man who was sent there by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportees-el-salvador-contempt-boasberg-da282511ac6f5c8dd19af620995ca440">Trump administration</a>&nbsp;in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation.

Van Hollen posted a photo of the meeting on X, saying he also called Abrego Garcia's wife “to pass along his message of love.” The lawmaker did not provide an update on the status of Abrego Garcia, whose attorneys are fighting to force the Trump administration to facilitate his return to the U.S.

El Salvador’s Presidnet Nayib Bukele posted images of the meeting minutes before Van Hollen shared his post, saying “Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ &amp; ‘torture’, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!”

The meeting came hours after Van Hollen said he was denied entry into an high-security El Salvador prison Thursday while he was trying to check on Abrego Garcia's well-being and push for his release.

The Democratic senator said at a news conference in San Salvador that his car was stopped by soldiers at a checkpoint about 3 kilometers (about 2 miles) from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">Terrorism Confinement Center</a>, or CECOT, even as they let other cars go on.

“They stopped us because they are under orders not to allow us to proceed," Van Hollen said.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Bukele&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-white-house-el-salvador-kilmar-abrego-garcia-ad338d6b4558a6aba80e8290fd3eece9">said this week</a>&nbsp;that they have no basis to send Abrego Garcia back, even as the Trump administration has called his deportation a mistake and the U.S. Supreme Court has called on the administration to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-maryland-deportation-trump-9f46dd62890befdc321ed1ab56107470">facilitate his return</a>. Trump officials have said that Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who was living in Maryland, has ties to the MS-13 gang, but his attorneys say the government has provided no evidence of that and Abrego Garcia has never been charged with any crime related to such activity.

Van Hollen’s trip has become a partisan flashpoint in the U.S. as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abrego-garcia-trump-salvador-due-process-a1265923d0188dc375b01205a0742ac2">Democrats have seized on</a>&nbsp;Abrego Garcia's deportation as what they say is a cruel consequence of Trump's disregard for the courts. Republicans have criticized Democrats for defending him and argued that his deportation is part of a larger effort to reduce crime. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt held a news conference Wednesday with the mother of a Maryland woman who was killed by a fugitive from El Salvador in 2023.

The Maryland senator told reporters Wednesday that he met with Salvadoran Vice President Félix Ulloa, who said his government could not return Abrego Garcia to the United States.

“So today, I tried again to make contact with Mr. Abrego Garcia by driving to the CECOT prison,” Van Hollen said Thursday.

Van Hollen said Abrego Garcia has not had any contact with his family or his lawyers. “There has been no ability to find out anything about his health and well-being," Van Hollen said. He said Abrego Garcia should be able to have contact with his lawyers under international law.

“We won’t give up until Kilmar has his due process rights respected,” Van Hollen said. He said there would be “many more” lawmakers coming to El Salvador.

New Jersey Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cory-booker-new-jersey-senator-speech-ab573bb7c3c76fa107cacac7136d3823">Cory Booker</a>, D-N.J., is also considering a trip to El Salvador, as are some House Democrats.

While Van Hollen was denied entry, several House Republicans have visited the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">notorious gang prison</a>&nbsp;in support of the Trump administration's efforts. Rep. Riley Moore, a West Virginia Republican, posted Tuesday evening that he’d visited the prison where Abrego Garcia is being held. He did not mention Abrego Garcia but said the facility “houses the country’s most brutal criminals.”

“I leave now even more determined to support President Trump’s efforts to secure our homeland,” Moore wrote on&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RepRileyMoore/status/1912289444863828144">social media</a>.

Missouri Republican Rep. Jason Smith, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, also visited the prison. He posted on X that “thanks to President Trump" the facility “now includes illegal immigrants who broke into our country and committed violent acts against Americans.”

The fight over Abrego Garcia has also played out in contentious court filings, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abrego-garcia-maryland-father-deported-el-salvador-6de340ac95f2abb5fd3688fc1679fd66">repeated refusals</a>&nbsp;from the government to tell a judge what it plans to do, if anything, to repatriate him.

Since March, El Salvador has accepted from the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-el-salvador-immigration-dd4f61999f85c4dd8bcaba7d4fc7c9af">more than 200 Venezuelan immigrants</a>&nbsp;— whom Trump administration officials have accused of gang activity and violent crimes — and placed them inside the country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">maximum-security gang prison</a>&nbsp;just outside San Salvador. That prison is part of Bukele’s broader effort to crack down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-bukele-central-america-crime-gangs-60c3a34c571dfdbdf0a203deb85abf71">on the country’s powerful street gangs</a>, which has put 84,000 people behind bars and made Bukele extremely popular at home.

Human rights groups have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-human-rights-abuses-amnesty-international-bukele-9e6df04aed5b8a21b02e8614b345105a">accused</a>&nbsp;Bukele's government of subjecting those jailed to “systematic use of torture and other mistreatment." Officials there deny wrongdoing.

SAN SALVADOR (AP) — Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen met Thursday in El Salvador with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kilmar-abrego-garcia-el-salvador-trump-deported-e537cfb69a9840046b5d3e512509e9a8">Kilmar Abrego Garcia</a>, a man who was sent there by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportees-el-salvador-contempt-boasberg-da282511ac6f5c8dd19af620995ca440">Trump administration</a>&nbsp;in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return. <a href="https://t.co/U9y2gZpxCb">pic.twitter.com/U9y2gZpxCb</a>&mdash; Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisVanHollen/status/1913034619710034094?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Van Hollen posted a photo of the meeting on X, saying he also called Abrego Garcia's wife “to pass along his message of love.” The lawmaker did not provide an update on the status of Abrego Garcia, whose attorneys are fighting to force the Trump administration to facilitate his return to the U.S.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the “death camps” &amp; “torture”, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!🍹 <a href="https://t.co/r6VWc6Fjtn">pic.twitter.com/r6VWc6Fjtn</a>&mdash; Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) <a href="https://twitter.com/nayibbukele/status/1913028548001923259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>El Salvador’s Presidnet Nayib Bukele posted images of the meeting minutes before Van Hollen shared his post, saying “Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ &amp; ‘torture’, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!”The meeting came hours after Van Hollen said he was denied entry into an high-security El Salvador prison Thursday while he was trying to check on Abrego Garcia's well-being and push for his release.The Democratic senator said at a news conference in San Salvador that his car was stopped by soldiers at a checkpoint about 3 kilometers (about 2 miles) from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">Terrorism Confinement Center</a>, or CECOT, even as they let other cars go on.“They stopped us because they are under orders not to allow us to proceed," Van Hollen said.U.S. President Donald Trump and Bukele&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-white-house-el-salvador-kilmar-abrego-garcia-ad338d6b4558a6aba80e8290fd3eece9">said this week</a>&nbsp;that they have no basis to send Abrego Garcia back, even as the Trump administration has called his deportation a mistake and the U.S. Supreme Court has called on the administration to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-maryland-deportation-trump-9f46dd62890befdc321ed1ab56107470">facilitate his return</a>. Trump officials have said that Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who was living in Maryland, has ties to the MS-13 gang, but his attorneys say the government has provided no evidence of that and Abrego Garcia has never been charged with any crime related to such activity.Van Hollen’s trip has become a partisan flashpoint in the U.S. as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abrego-garcia-trump-salvador-due-process-a1265923d0188dc375b01205a0742ac2">Democrats have seized on</a>&nbsp;Abrego Garcia's deportation as what they say is a cruel consequence of Trump's disregard for the courts. Republicans have criticized Democrats for defending him and argued that his deportation is part of a larger effort to reduce crime. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt held a news conference Wednesday with the mother of a Maryland woman who was killed by a fugitive from El Salvador in 2023.The Maryland senator told reporters Wednesday that he met with Salvadoran Vice President Félix Ulloa, who said his government could not return Abrego Garcia to the United States.“So today, I tried again to make contact with Mr. Abrego Garcia by driving to the CECOT prison,” Van Hollen said Thursday.Van Hollen said Abrego Garcia has not had any contact with his family or his lawyers. “There has been no ability to find out anything about his health and well-being," Van Hollen said. He said Abrego Garcia should be able to have contact with his lawyers under international law.“We won’t give up until Kilmar has his due process rights respected,” Van Hollen said. He said there would be “many more” lawmakers coming to El Salvador.New Jersey Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cory-booker-new-jersey-senator-speech-ab573bb7c3c76fa107cacac7136d3823">Cory Booker</a>, D-N.J., is also considering a trip to El Salvador, as are some House Democrats.While Van Hollen was denied entry, several House Republicans have visited the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">notorious gang prison</a>&nbsp;in support of the Trump administration's efforts. Rep. Riley Moore, a West Virginia Republican, posted Tuesday evening that he’d visited the prison where Abrego Garcia is being held. He did not mention Abrego Garcia but said the facility “houses the country’s most brutal criminals.”“I leave now even more determined to support President Trump’s efforts to secure our homeland,” Moore wrote on&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RepRileyMoore/status/1912289444863828144">social media</a>.Missouri Republican Rep. Jason Smith, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, also visited the prison. He posted on X that “thanks to President Trump" the facility “now includes illegal immigrants who broke into our country and committed violent acts against Americans.”The fight over Abrego Garcia has also played out in contentious court filings, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abrego-garcia-maryland-father-deported-el-salvador-6de340ac95f2abb5fd3688fc1679fd66">repeated refusals</a>&nbsp;from the government to tell a judge what it plans to do, if anything, to repatriate him.Since March, El Salvador has accepted from the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-el-salvador-immigration-dd4f61999f85c4dd8bcaba7d4fc7c9af">more than 200 Venezuelan immigrants</a>&nbsp;— whom Trump administration officials have accused of gang activity and violent crimes — and placed them inside the country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">maximum-security gang prison</a>&nbsp;just outside San Salvador. That prison is part of Bukele’s broader effort to crack down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-bukele-central-america-crime-gangs-60c3a34c571dfdbdf0a203deb85abf71">on the country’s powerful street gangs</a>, which has put 84,000 people behind bars and made Bukele extremely popular at home.Human rights groups have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-human-rights-abuses-amnesty-international-bukele-9e6df04aed5b8a21b02e8614b345105a">accused</a>&nbsp;Bukele's government of subjecting those jailed to “systematic use of torture and other mistreatment." Officials there deny wrongdoing.

Senator meets with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador amid fight over US return

WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas woman with illegally collecting more than $100,000 by defrauding a federal program aimed at helping people who lost their livelihoods during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to court documents, Kylie Charles, 35, of Wichita is charged with 17 counts of wire fraud and 17 counts of aggravated identity theft, according to the United State's Attorney.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) provided financial relief to Americans dealing with the economic impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. The program expanded unemployment benefits to some people who would not typically qualify such as business owners, self-employed workers, independent contractors, those with a limited work history, and people who lost their business as a result of the pandemic.

Between May 2020 and August 2021, Charles is accused of stealing the identities of people she knew and using their information without their knowledge or consent to file false claims in multiple states for unemployment benefits under the CARES Act program.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744821348694.png" alt="Charles is being held in Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Charles is being held in Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas woman with illegally collecting more than $100,000 by defrauding a federal program aimed at helping people who lost their livelihoods during the COVID-19 pandemic.According to court documents, Kylie Charles, 35, of Wichita is charged with 17 counts of wire fraud and 17 counts of aggravated identity theft, according to the United State's Attorney.The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) provided financial relief to Americans dealing with the economic impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. The program expanded unemployment benefits to some people who would not typically qualify such as business owners, self-employed workers, independent contractors, those with a limited work history, and people who lost their business as a result of the pandemic.Between May 2020 and August 2021, Charles is accused of stealing the identities of people she knew and using their information without their knowledge or consent to file false claims in multiple states for unemployment benefits under the CARES Act program.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

Indictment: Kan. woman collected $100K using stolen IDs

ELLIS COUNTY —Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Ian&nbsp;is training his new K9 partner and says that everything is going well, according to social media post from Trooper Tod Hileman.

Ian and the K9 partner have about four weeks training to finish.&nbsp; Ian is trying to find just the right name for his partner and would love your input.&nbsp; &nbsp;Follow Trooper Tod on X and help name Ian's partner.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744932945747.png" alt="-Photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>-Photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLIS COUNTY —Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Ian&nbsp;is training his new K9 partner and says that everything is going well, according to social media post from Trooper Tod Hileman.Ian and the K9 partner have about four weeks training to finish.&nbsp; Ian is trying to find just the right name for his partner and would love your input.&nbsp; &nbsp;Follow Trooper Tod on X and help name Ian's partner.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">OK, everybody, Trooper Ian is training his new partner and says that everything is going well and they have about four weeks to go. He is trying to pick a name for him and would love your input. Todro was already rejected 🤷‍♂️ Throw out your best suggestions. <a href="https://t.co/EP1Uz6yhva">pic.twitter.com/EP1Uz6yhva</a>&mdash; Trooper Tod (@TrooperTodKHP) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrooperTodKHP/status/1912990084065849627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

KHP Trooper needs your help naming his K9 partner

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Thursday kept on hold President Donald Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship but agreed to hear arguments on the issue in May.

Trump’s executive order to end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-immigration-trump-20919d26029cf0f98ecb0dc7f90a066b">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;for the children of people who are in the U.S. illegally has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-birthright-citizenship-ruling-boston-3e442a97de8398dc4faf691857ea48ea">halted nationwide</a>&nbsp;by three district courts around the country. Appeals courts have declined to disturb those rulings.

The Republican administration had sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-nationwide-injunction-birthright-citizenship-4a3fa58bbec96d4d6b21e0f89a36e30a">narrow those orders</a>&nbsp;to allow for the policy to take effect in parts or most of the country while court challenges play out. That is expected to be the focus of the high court arguments on May 15.

Birthright citizenship automatically makes anyone born in the United States an American citizen, including children born to mothers in the country illegally. The right was enshrined soon after the Civil War in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/800b0a2005254ec58369b9564f53be8f?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">the Constitution’s 14th Amendment</a>.

Trump and his supporters have argued that there should be tougher standards for becoming an American citizen, which he called “a priceless and profound gift” in the executive order he signed soon after becoming president again in January.

The Trump administration has asserted that children of noncitizens are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States, a phrase used in the amendment, and therefore are not entitled to citizenship.

Trump said he is “so happy” the Supreme Court will hear arguments.

“I think the case has been so misunderstood,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

He noted that the 14th Amendment, granting automatic citizenship to people born in the U.S., was ratified right after the Civil War. He suggested that means it is “all about slavery.”

“If you look at it that way, we would win that case,” Trump said.

But states, immigrants and rights groups that have sued to block the executive order have accused the administration of trying to unsettle the broader understanding of birthright citizenship that has been accepted since the amendment’s adoption.

Reacting to the court's order Thursday, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, leading one of the lawsuits, said birthright citizenship "cannot be turned on or off at the whims of a single man."

Judges so far have uniformly ruled against the administration.

The Justice Department argues that individual judges lack the power to give nationwide effect to their rulings.

The administration instead wants the justices to allow Trump’s plan to go into effect for everyone except the handful of people and groups that sued. Failing that, the administration says that the plan could remain blocked for now in the 22 states that sued. New Hampshire is covered by a separate order that is not at issue in this case.

As a further fallback, the administration asked “at a minimum” to be allowed to make public announcements about how it plans to carry out the policy if it eventually is allowed to take effect.

However, while the emergency appeal is not directly focused on the validity of the order, the justices probably will find it hard to avoid that underlying issue.

If the court is inclined to agree with the administration, it risks creating a confusing patchwork of rules in which the state in which a child is born could determine whether citizenship is granted automatically.

Several justices have raised concerns in the past about nationwide, or universal, injunctions, but the court has never ruled on the matter.

The administration made a similar argument in Trump’s first term, including in the Supreme Court fight over his ban on travel to the U.S. from several Muslim majority countries.

The court eventually upheld Trump’s policy, but did not take up the issue of nationwide injunctions.

The Justice Department has complained that the use of these broad court orders “thwart the Executive Branch’s crucial policies on matters ranging from border security, to international relations, to national security, to military readiness.”

The administration faces more than 150 lawsuits over Trump's fast-paced efforts to reshape the federal government. Judges have issued dozens of orders delaying the president's agenda.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Thursday kept on hold President Donald Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship but agreed to hear arguments on the issue in May.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">REPORTER: A short time ago the Supreme Court agreed to hear oral arguments in the case about ending birthright citizenship. How confident are you that the court will rule in your favor?<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;I am so happy. I think the case has been so misunderstood... birthright citizenship… <a href="https://t.co/GIhuPQBAZ0">pic.twitter.com/GIhuPQBAZ0</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1912970351329628309?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump’s executive order to end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-immigration-trump-20919d26029cf0f98ecb0dc7f90a066b">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;for the children of people who are in the U.S. illegally has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-birthright-citizenship-ruling-boston-3e442a97de8398dc4faf691857ea48ea">halted nationwide</a>&nbsp;by three district courts around the country. Appeals courts have declined to disturb those rulings.The Republican administration had sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-nationwide-injunction-birthright-citizenship-4a3fa58bbec96d4d6b21e0f89a36e30a">narrow those orders</a>&nbsp;to allow for the policy to take effect in parts or most of the country while court challenges play out. That is expected to be the focus of the high court arguments on May 15.Birthright citizenship automatically makes anyone born in the United States an American citizen, including children born to mothers in the country illegally. The right was enshrined soon after the Civil War in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/800b0a2005254ec58369b9564f53be8f?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">the Constitution’s 14th Amendment</a>.Trump and his supporters have argued that there should be tougher standards for becoming an American citizen, which he called “a priceless and profound gift” in the executive order he signed soon after becoming president again in January.The Trump administration has asserted that children of noncitizens are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States, a phrase used in the amendment, and therefore are not entitled to citizenship.Trump said he is “so happy” the Supreme Court will hear arguments.“I think the case has been so misunderstood,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.He noted that the 14th Amendment, granting automatic citizenship to people born in the U.S., was ratified right after the Civil War. He suggested that means it is “all about slavery.”“If you look at it that way, we would win that case,” Trump said.But states, immigrants and rights groups that have sued to block the executive order have accused the administration of trying to unsettle the broader understanding of birthright citizenship that has been accepted since the amendment’s adoption.Reacting to the court's order Thursday, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, leading one of the lawsuits, said birthright citizenship "cannot be turned on or off at the whims of a single man."Judges so far have uniformly ruled against the administration.The Justice Department argues that individual judges lack the power to give nationwide effect to their rulings.The administration instead wants the justices to allow Trump’s plan to go into effect for everyone except the handful of people and groups that sued. Failing that, the administration says that the plan could remain blocked for now in the 22 states that sued. New Hampshire is covered by a separate order that is not at issue in this case.As a further fallback, the administration asked “at a minimum” to be allowed to make public announcements about how it plans to carry out the policy if it eventually is allowed to take effect.However, while the emergency appeal is not directly focused on the validity of the order, the justices probably will find it hard to avoid that underlying issue.If the court is inclined to agree with the administration, it risks creating a confusing patchwork of rules in which the state in which a child is born could determine whether citizenship is granted automatically.Several justices have raised concerns in the past about nationwide, or universal, injunctions, but the court has never ruled on the matter.The administration made a similar argument in Trump’s first term, including in the Supreme Court fight over his ban on travel to the U.S. from several Muslim majority countries.The court eventually upheld Trump’s policy, but did not take up the issue of nationwide injunctions.The Justice Department has complained that the use of these broad court orders “thwart the Executive Branch’s crucial policies on matters ranging from border security, to international relations, to national security, to military readiness.”The administration faces more than 150 lawsuits over Trump's fast-paced efforts to reshape the federal government. Judges have issued dozens of orders delaying the president's agenda.___

🎥Supreme Court agrees to hear arguments on birthright citizenship 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The 20-year-old son of a sheriff’s deputy opened fire Thursday at Florida State University with his mother’s former service weapon, killing two people and wounding at least six others, investigators said.

Officers quickly arrived and shot and wounded the shooter after he refused to comply with commands, said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell.

Authorities have not yet revealed a motive for the shooting, which began around lunch time just outside the student union, sending students and frightened parents hiding for cover in a bowling alley and a freight elevator inside the building.

The shooter, identified by police as Phoenix Ikner, is believed to be a Florida State student, investigators said.

He had obtained access to a weapon that belongs to his mother, who has been with the sheriff’s office for over 18 years, said Walt McNeil, Sheriff of Leon County. Police said they believed Ikner shot the victims using his mother's former service handgun.

The two people who died were not students at the university, said Florida State University Police Chief Jason Trumbower, adding that he would not release additional information about the victims.

Tallahassee Memorial Hospital confirmed it was treating six patients wounded from in the shooting, one in critical condition.

Ambulances, fire trucks and patrol vehicles from multiple law enforcement agencies raced toward the campus just west of Florida's capital after the university issued an active shooter alert Thursday.

Ryan Cedergren, a 21-year-old communications student, said he and about 30 others hid in the bowling alley in the union's lower level after seeing students running from a nearby bar.

“In that moment, it was survival,” he said.

Chris Pento said he and his twins were getting lunch at the student union during a campus tour when they heard gunshots. “It was surreal. And people just started running,” he told WCTV in Tallahassee.

They crammed into a service elevator after encountering locked doors at the end of a hallway. “That was probably the scariest point because we didn’t know. It could get worse, right?” he said. “The doors opened and two officers were there, guns drawn.”

Dozens of patrol vehicles, including a forensics van, were parked outside the student union hours after the shooting. Officers blocked off the area with crime scene tape.

Students and staff who left behind phones, keys and other items in the rush to evacuate waited in the shade and prayed for the victims.

President Donald Trump said from the Oval Office that he had been fully briefed on the shooting. “It’s a horrible thing. It’s horrible that things like this take place,” he said.

After receiving warnings of an active shooter, students and faculty took cover and waited in classrooms, offices and dorms across campus.

The first thing you think of is just, ‘This can’t be true,’ right?” said Kai McGalla, a sophomore who spoke by phone while locked down at a campus testing center.

Junior Joshua Sirmans, 20, was in the main library when alarms went off. Law enforcement officers escorted him and other students from the library with their hands over their heads, he said.

Florida State University is one of Florida’s 12 public universities, with its main campus in Tallahassee. About 44,000 students are enrolled in the university, per the school’s 2024 fact sheet.

In 2014, the main library was the site of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/1be5cc23a6bf497baaf76e3928145c8e">shooting that wounded three people</a>. Officers shot and killed the gunman, 31-year-old Myron May.

The university canceled all classes and events for Thursday. It also canceled home athletic events through Sunday.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A gunman opened fire Thursday at Florida State University, killing two people and wounded at least five others, police said. The 20-year-old gunman was the son of a sheriff’s deputy whose former service weapon was used in the shooting, authorities said.

The two people who died were not students at the university, but the shooter is believed to be a student, Florida State University Police Chief Jason Trumbower.

Five people were being treated at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Trumbower said, and the shooter was also receiving medical attention.

Students and frightened parents hid in a bowling alley and crammed into a freight elevator inside the student union after hearing gunshots outside the building.

Ambulances, fire trucks and patrol vehicles from multiple law enforcement agencies raced toward the campus just west of Florida's capital after the university issued an active shooter alert midday Thursday, saying police were responding near the student union.

After about 15 minutes, university police escorted the students out of the building and he saw a person getting emergency treatment on the lawn, he said.

Chris Pento told WCTV in Tallahassee that he and his twins were getting lunch at the student union during a campus tour when they heard gunshots.

“It was surreal. And people just started running,” he told the TV station.

They packed into a service elevator after encountering locked doors at the end of a hallway. “That was probably the scariest point because we didn’t know. It could get worse, right?” he said. “The doors opened and two officers were there, guns drawn.”

Florida State’s alert system announced about three hours after the shooting that law enforcement had "neutralized the threat." Officials asked students and faculty to avoid the student union and other areas still considered an active crime scene.

Dozens of patrol vehicles, including a forensics van, were parked outside the student union. Officers blocked off the area with crime scene tape.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Multiple victims were reported in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-state-university-shooter-alert-bf66a24ea91959697c7138089b2ef6fb">a shooting Thursday at Florida State University</a>&nbsp;and a suspect was taken into police custody, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The extent of the victims’ injuries was not immediately known and there were no additional details about the person who was in custody.

The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-state-shooting-what-to-know-d444a6ee8f31024f83f0ee320acf7339">Police and FBI were on scene at the university.</a>

Florida State University is canceling classes through Friday, which is two weeks before the university’s scheduled commencement ceremony for graduates on May 2 to 3.

The university’s official finals week per its academic calendar are scheduled to start April 28.

FSU’s alert system announced shortly after 3 p.m. that law enforcement had “neutralized the threat."

Officials are asking students and faculty to avoid the Student Union and several other areas that are still considered an active crime scene. People are otherwise free to move about the campus.

Jake Nair, a senior at Florida State University, was studying in the library when a police officer dashed out of the building, yelling for everyone to stay in place.

“He ran outside with his gun out,” Nair said. “Not all the students heard him, and some of them ran out the back of the library.”

Nair said an alarm in the library then went off and a recorded message warned students to shelter in place because of an active shooter on campus.

Then about five officers came into the library and escorted the students out with their hands up.

“I think they just wanted to make sure none of us had a weapon on us,” Nair said. “To be honest, it was a bit of a surreal moment. It’s the kind of thing you only see on the news.”

The county medical examiner’s office has no updates at this time

An office employee for the Leon County Medical Examiner’s office declined to release information on whether any deaths had been reported to their office at this time, noting that the investigation is still ongoing.

For some Florida State University faculty and staffers who have been on campus for the past dozen years, Thursday’s events brought back memories of another shooting at the school’s main library more than a decade ago.

Three people in 2014 were shot just outside and inside the entrance of Strozier Library in the middle of FSU’s campus. Officers who arrived within two minutes of the first call shot and killed the gunman, 31-year-old Myron May.

Three bullets struck 21-year-old student Farhan “Ronny” Ahmed, including a shot that severely damaged his spine and left him paralyzed from the waist down. The other two victims were library employee Nathan Scott who was shot in the leg and later released from the hospital and a student who was grazed by a bullet.

May, a 2005 FSU graduate and an attorney, reloaded at least once and tried to enter the library, but was blocked by lobby security barriers. Police responded and fired off a barrage of bullets that killed him.

Videos and a journal obtained by police indicate May thought he was being watched and targeted by the government.

Nearby Florida A&amp;M University cancels classes

Florida A&amp;M University, a university minutes away from Florida State University in Tallahassee,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/FAMU_1887/status/1912936344105410841">announced Thursday afternoon</a>&nbsp;that classes and student activities are canceled for the rest of the day, in response to the shooting.

Employees have the option to work remotely for the rest of the day.

‘We didn’t know — it could get worse, right?’

Chris Pento told Tallahassee TV station WCTV that he was on campus Thursday for a tour with his twins and that they were inside the student union getting lunch when they heard gunshots.

Pento said he and several others crammed into a service elevator after first encountering locked doors at the end of a hallway.

“That was probably the scariest point because we didn’t know — it could get worse, right?” he said. “The doors opened, and two officers were there, guns drawn.”

He said the officers asked if they’d seen anything and then pointed them to safety.

Kai McGalla, an FSU sophomore studying finance and Spanish, was taking a test on Excel spreadsheets at a testing center on campus when he started to hear sirens headed to the student union about a 20-minute walk away. The test proctor told them they were being locked down at the center because of the shooting.

“I’m in shock, you know, it’s so hard to believe,” McGalla said by phone while still locked down at the testing center. “The first thing you think of is just, ‘This can’t be true,’ right?”

Florida State cancels all home athletic events through Sunday

The canceled events include three baseball and three softball games.

It’s not immediately clear if FSU teams scheduled for road events will also see their games canceled or postponed.

Ryan Cedergren, a 21-year-old communications student, said he and about 30 others hid in the bowling alley in the lower level of the student union after seeing students running from a nearby bar.

“In that moment, it was survival,” Cedergren said.

After about 15 minutes of hiding, university police escorted the students out of the union, and Cedergren said he saw a person receiving emergency treatment on the lawn.

The president opened his Oval Office meeting with the Italian prime minister with comments on the shooting at Florida State University.

Trump said he had been “fully briefed.”

“It’s a horrible thing. It’s horrible that things like this take place,” he said.

Florida State University is one of Florida’s 12 public universities, with its main campus located in Tallahassee, where the shooting occurred, just minutes from the state Capitol building. About 44,300 students are enrolled in the university, per the school’s 2024 fact sheet.

At least six people have been hospitalized

One person is in critical condition, a spokesperson for Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said. The other patients are in serious condition, the spokesperson said.

A suspect has been taken into police custody

Florida State gunman used deputy mom's former service weapon to kill 

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 38-year-old Terry Jones, according to KCPD Officer Phil DiMartino.

Just after 3:30a.m. April 14, East Patrol officers were dispatched to a shooting in the area of Independence Avenue and Lawndale Avenue, according to KCPD officer&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

First responders located Jones on a sidewalk suffering from apparent gunshot trauma and unresponsive. EMS responded to the scene and declared him deceased.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a vehicle may have been driving through the area and began firing shots, ultimately striking Jones.&nbsp; Police have not identified&nbsp; a suspect vehicle or a person of interest in the killing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744899464654.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 38-year-old Terry Jones, according to KCPD Officer Phil DiMartino.Just after 3:30a.m. April 14, East Patrol officers were dispatched to a shooting in the area of Independence Avenue and Lawndale Avenue, according to KCPD officer&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.First responders located Jones on a sidewalk suffering from apparent gunshot trauma and unresponsive. EMS responded to the scene and declared him deceased.Preliminary investigation indicates that a vehicle may have been driving through the area and began firing shots, ultimately striking Jones.&nbsp; Police have not identified&nbsp; a suspect vehicle or a person of interest in the killing.

Police ID victim in Kansas City drive-by killing 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansans can expect to see more of their tax dollars at work within local communities when new rules go into effect next year at the agency in charge of investing state funds.

It’s a version of the “Shop Local” concept in the investment world, said Alex Orel, spokesman for the Kansas Bankers Association, one of the major backers of&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/HB2152/" target="_blank">House Bill 2152</a>, which makes multiple changes affecting banks statewide.

“I think long-term, this is going to be a proposal that’s going to benefit the local governments, our local communities and the state,” Orel said. “Our taxes should be invested here, or as much of them as we can anyway.”

The Pooled Money Investment Board is responsible for investing state general fund dollars and other money deposited with the state treasurer’s office. Among its programs is the Kansas Bank CD Program, which offers Kansas banks the opportunity to invest in certificates of deposit. Depending on the interest rate, which is set weekly, banks can determine whether they want to buy a CD and use those dollars to make loans in their local communities, said Mark Schifferdecker, chairman, president and CEO of GNBank in Girard.

PMIB has been required to get the highest rate of return possible for its CDs, Orel said.

While that makes good investment sense for state dollars, the CD rate was typically set using high-yielding investments, which are above U.S. treasuries, he said. That left Kansas banks no incentive to participate when they could get lower rates elsewhere.

As a result, the Kansas Bank CD Program began to disappear from PMIB’s investment portfolio. As of March 31, it was only 0.48% of the $8.5 billion invested by PMIB, meaning that most of the state’s funds are being invested outside the state.

Schifferdecker said a decade ago, the CD program investment was 10 to 15% of the portfolio.

New regulations included in HB 2152, in effect Jan. 1, 2026, will allow PMIB to offer a more competitive rate, as much as 2% lower, which is expected to increase program participation and bring tax dollars to local banks, which will then distribute them through loans to their customers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744833918938.png" alt="The Kansas Bankers Association was one of the lead proponents of a bill that aims to put more Kansas taxpayer dollars to work in local communities. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas Bankers Association was one of the lead proponents of a bill that aims to put more Kansas taxpayer dollars to work in local communities. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansans can expect to see more of their tax dollars at work within local communities when new rules go into effect next year at the agency in charge of investing state funds.It’s a version of the “Shop Local” concept in the investment world, said Alex Orel, spokesman for the Kansas Bankers Association, one of the major backers of&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/HB2152/" target="_blank">House Bill 2152</a>, which makes multiple changes affecting banks statewide.“I think long-term, this is going to be a proposal that’s going to benefit the local governments, our local communities and the state,” Orel said. “Our taxes should be invested here, or as much of them as we can anyway.”The Pooled Money Investment Board is responsible for investing state general fund dollars and other money deposited with the state treasurer’s office. Among its programs is the Kansas Bank CD Program, which offers Kansas banks the opportunity to invest in certificates of deposit. Depending on the interest rate, which is set weekly, banks can determine whether they want to buy a CD and use those dollars to make loans in their local communities, said Mark Schifferdecker, chairman, president and CEO of GNBank in Girard.PMIB has been required to get the highest rate of return possible for its CDs, Orel said.While that makes good investment sense for state dollars, the CD rate was typically set using high-yielding investments, which are above U.S. treasuries, he said. That left Kansas banks no incentive to participate when they could get lower rates elsewhere.As a result, the Kansas Bank CD Program began to disappear from PMIB’s investment portfolio. As of March 31, it was only 0.48% of the $8.5 billion invested by PMIB, meaning that most of the state’s funds are being invested outside the state.Schifferdecker said a decade ago, the CD program investment was 10 to 15% of the portfolio.New regulations included in HB 2152, in effect Jan. 1, 2026, will allow PMIB to offer a more competitive rate, as much as 2% lower, which is expected to increase program participation and bring tax dollars to local banks, which will then distribute them through loans to their customers.<h2>At the county level</h2>Brent Shelton, Sedgwick County’s deputy chief financial officer, said HB 2152 has an impact on counties.Portions of the bill addressed ways to make it easier for banks to hold deposits of county money, along with the increased access to capital through the CD program, he said.“We give our local banks the first opportunity to keep that money local,” Shelton said. “It also preserves our ability to get a market rate on that money. That helps economic development efforts, makes more money available for lending to local business. All in all, (HB 2152) was a great compromise. Everybody won.”The “compromise” Shelton referred to was disagreement between county officials and the banking industry on the first version of the bill. In fact, there were about 20 opponents when it was first presented.Schifferdecker said the Kansas Bankers Association led the charge to draw all the parties to the table and work out the issues. The result was that opponents either switched to becoming proponents or took a neutral stance, he said.“How often do you see that at the federal and state government anymore?” Schifferdecker said. “I think we made it better. We didn’t everything we wanted — Kansas Bankers Association and me as a banker. They didn’t get everything they wanted. We met in the middle.”<h2>The challenges</h2>Both county officials and PMIB officials were concerned the bill could potentially decrease their investment income. The&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2152_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">fiscal note on the bill</a>&nbsp;once it was amended points to decreased revenue for the Kansas Bank CD Program, adding that increased participation in the program is expected.State General Fund revenues are estimated to decrease by $4.5 million in FY 2026 and by $9 million in FY 2027.“This analysis only details the impact to the PMIB and does not consider any potential benefits that may be realized from money deposited,” the supplemental note said.Such longer-term benefits that bankers like Schifferdecker are excited about. A Fort Hays State study, funded by the Kansas Bankers Association, explained the ripple effect seen in communities when banks invest locally.Specifically, this study considered that when dollars are deposited in a local bank, which can then loan them out repeatedly, their impact on the community will multiply by as much as seven times through increased economic activities.The study, completed by Emily Breit, policy fellow at the Docking Institute of Public Affairs, found that with the impact of increased income, property and other taxes earned when investments are made in Kansas, out-of-state investments would need to offer rates 3.15% higher than local rates to make the state better off. For example, if a local bank is offering a rate of 5%, then the decision to invest outside the state instead would only generate more value if the outside investment was 8.15% or higher.“As a community bank, we can loan that money back out to businesses and farmers and consumers,” Schifferdecker said. “We’re not looking at 80% of Kansas money going to be invested in CDs — just to get that back to 10% would be respectable.”<h2>A ‘game-changer’ for rural banks</h2>Additional money being invested through rural banks like Schifferbecker’s is another important factor for the state, he said.“It’s a game changer. Our little bank, we’re in 15 rural markets across Kansas and eastern Colorado. In some of those we’re the only bank in town,” he said. “We can take that money and loan that money back out. We’ve got lots of loan demand, particularly in this ag economy right now, and it’s really critical for us in order for us to grow. There’s only a certain amount of deposits in our little communities. The counties and school districts, they keep quite a bit of money on hand, and if we can attract more of that money, 100% of that money is going to be lent back out to the community.”Schifferbecker understands why the state invests money outside of its borders to get a higher rate of return. Still, he was glad Kansas lawmakers recognized that long-term benefits will build from what they want to accomplish with HB 2152.“Money invested locally truly has the multiplier effect; it’s going to raise your tax revenues. Farmers, businesses can expand and grow,” he said. “You make more money and that’s going to create tax revenue.”Orel at KBA said the banking landscape has changed. This type of support is meaningful for all banks, but especially those in more sparsely populated areas.“Our community banks don’t have the necessary liquidity they used to have,” he said. “This bill will allow them another liquidity option.”The banking challenges are reflected in the data from Breit’s study. In 1984, there were 690 FDIC-insured banks and thrifts in Kansas, a number that dropped to 204 by the end of 2023. Number of bank locations grew from 216 to 1,100 in that same time period. Community banks play an important role, Breit’s research said, by maintaining banking services in rural areas where larger banking businesses don’t typically locate.“We’re so happy,” Schifferdecker said. “I was just tickled when it passed the Senate overwhelmingly and then the House.”The bill passed the Senate 40-0 and the House 117-5.