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Man steals nearly $160K from Tyler ATM, gets 14-months

TYLER — According to our news partner KETK, a Houston man was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring with others to burglarize ATMs in Tyler.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Texas, Julius Lawan Lockett, Jr., 30 of Houston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank theft and was ordered to pay restitution of $243,540.85 and forfeiture of $79,850 on Thursday. Officials said on March 28, 2021, Lockett and Jerome Christopher Mayes, Jr. drove from Houston to Tyler to steal money from ATMs in the area. They used a stolen Ford F-250 truck from Smith County, attached chains to the truck and to an ATM at Chase Bank at Southwest Loop 323 in Tyler to pull the ATM open and steal around $159,700.

On Jan. 29, Mayes was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for his role in the ATM conspiracy.

Judge blocks administration from deporting noncitizens to 3rd countries without due process

(WASHINGTON) -- A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from deporting noncitizens to countries other than their place of origin without due process.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued an injunction that bars the Trump administration from deporting any noncitizen to a country not explicitly mentioned in their order or removal without first allowing them to raise concerns about their safety.

"Defendants argue that the United States may send a deportable alien to a country not of their origin, not where an immigration judge has ordered, where they may be immediately tortured and killed, without providing that person any opportunity to tell the deporting authorities that they face grave danger or death because of such a deportation," Judge Murphy wrote.

"All nine sitting justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, the Assistant Solicitor General of the United States, Congress, common sense, basic decency, and this Court all disagree."

The ruling throws a roadblock in the Trump administration's policy of removing noncitizens to countries like El Salvador, Honduras, or Panama, even if the noncitizens lack an order of removal to those countries.

The Trump administration last month invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport two planeloads of alleged Venezuelan gang members to the CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador with little-to-no due process.

Judge Murphy noted that the Trump administration officials "have applied and will continue to apply the alleged policy of removing aliens to third countries without notice and an opportunity to be heard on fear-based claims -- in other words, without due process."

He said his order prevents the irreparable harm of noncitizens being sent to countries where they might face persecution, torture, or death without having the chance to challenge their removal in court.

"The irreparable harm factor likewise weighs in Plaintiffs' favor. Here, the threatened harm is clear and simple: persecution, torture, and death. It is hard to imagine harm more irreparable," he wrote.

Judge Murphy's order requires that the Trump administration provide noncitizens written notice before they are removed to a third country, as well as a "meaningful opportunity" to raise concerns about their safety, including providing at least 15 days to reopen their immigration proceedings.

He also certified a class -- meaning the order applies not only to the plaintiffs in the case, but also any noncitizen with a final order of removal.

Separately, Judge Murphy is considering whether the Trump administration violated his temporary order when it removed at least three men to El Salvador without allowing them to raise concerns about their safety. He is still considering that issue.

Texas Senate approves $500 million for film incentives

AUSTIN (AP) – The Texas Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would more than double the amount of money the state spends to lure film and television production to Texas.

Senate Bill 22, filed by Houston Republican Sen. Joan Huffman, would direct the comptroller to deposit $500 million into a new Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Fund every two years until 2035. That figure is more than state lawmakers have ever allocated for media production since they first started funding a film incentive grant in 2007.

The bill received heavy praise from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and passed with a 23-8 vote. Those who opposed the bill raised concerns about how the governor’s office will determine which productions to fund. The bill gives the governor’s office complete discretion over which projects receive grant funding.

The bill now moves to the House for consideration.

Since 2007, lawmakers have funded the film incentive program at varying levels, with $50 million during one legislative session followed by $45 million the next. A then-historic $200 million came during the most recent session.

The variability has left producers tentative to film in Texas for fear that the money might vanish at the whims of lawmakers.

The program has boosted economic activity in Texas, producing a 469% return on investment, according to the Texas Film Commission, though economists and some House lawmakers have criticized that metric and denounced film incentives as wasteful spending.

Huffman successfully pushed through an amendment that would give an additional 2.5% incentive to faith-based productions, despite some strong objections from Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, and Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin. The bill already directs the Texas Film Commission to offer extra grant funding to films labeled “Texas Heritage Projects,” as determined by the governor’s office. The law would ask the office to consider whether the project promotes “family values” and “portrays Texas and Texans in a positive fashion.”

Eckhardt said that while she supports the bill’s goal, she worries about the subjectivity of terms like “faith-based” and “family values.”

“Adding subjective criteria would tilt this away from the realm of economic development and into the realm of non-neutral subject matter propaganda,” Eckhardt said on the Senate floor.

“I don’t think the promotion of family values would be propaganda,” Huffman responded.

“Of course, ‘whose family values?’ would be the question,” Eckhardt rebutted.

Texas is one of 37 states to offer a film incentive program, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Industry insiders and Hollywood producers have for years lamented that Texas’ program is not as robust as that of some other states, including Georgia and New Mexico.

SB 22 would make Texas more attractive to producers who have opted to film their projects in other states that have historically offered larger and more stable incentives, Huffman said during a Senate Finance Committee hearing last month attended by Texas-born actors Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.

“Producers who want to film in Texas often have difficulty convincing the capital management side of film production companies to allow filming here when presented with more robust and consistent incentives being offered in other states,” Huffman said.

Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, echoed that sentiment Wednesday, noting that the Netflix series about Selena, the beloved Texas singer, was shot in California instead of Texas. “That should never happen again,” Alvarado said. “We should be the default choice.”

Fueled by endorsements from famous names in Hollywood, SB 22 appears to have widespread support. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have praised the film commission for what they said is a rigorous program that audits film production’s spending and only offers rebates on money spent within Texas. Eligible expenses include Texas workers’ wages, meals purchased from local restaurants, and airfare on Texas-based airlines.

Flanked by Harrelson, McConaughey told lawmakers during last month’s hearing that increased funding would allow them and other actors to tell Texas stories in Texas. Seated behind the duo was Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has declared SB 22 one of his top pieces of legislation.

“All of the filmmakers in the faith and family category say we will become the leader in the world for faith-based and family movies for all faiths and all families,” Patrick said after the Senate voted on the bill. “It’s always a good thing to sell our Texas values, our faith values, and our family values to the world.”

By committing to 10 years of sizable funding, McConaughey said, Texas could grow into a media hub with facilities dedicated to post-production editing, along with a pipeline of film crew, including makeup artists, hair stylists, lighting experts and set designers.

“There’s going to be a point where we are not going to need financial incentives from the state because the infrastructure will be in place, and that will be a major game changer,” McConaughey said.

Despite showing overall support for boosting Texas filmmaking, some lawmakers have questioned whether productions that aren’t “family-friendly” should be supported by taxpayer dollars.

Both Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, suggested shows and movies that use profanities be ineligible for grants. Bettencourt singled out “Landman,” a popular television series centering a West Texas oil company executive played by Billy Bob Thornton.

“It’s not functionally correct, it doesn’t explain what a landman does, and no offense, having Billy Bob Thornton f-bomb every sentence is not Texas values,” Bettencourt said of the show produced by Taylor Sheridan whose second season is expected next year. “It simply is a bad product and not something the Texas taxpayers would want to be supporting.”

The Texas Film Commission limits what types of projects are eligible for funding, and SB 22 would codify additional rules into statute. The bill would prohibit, for example, funding pornography or obscene material, local events or religious services, and casino-type video games. The law does not propose specific rules about foul language, but the governor’s office has broad discretion to designate a project as ineligible for a grant.

Adriana Cruz, executive director of the Texas Economic Development and Tourism office, said in response to Bettencourt that the office would look to state law and its own rules to determine whether to approve a project.

Stephanie Whallon, the director of the Texas Film Commission, previously told The Texas Tribune that some projects had been rejected but didn’t specify why.

In addition to pumping more money into film incentives, SB 22 would make smaller films eligible for larger grants. Currently, projects that spend between $1 million and $3.5 million in Texas are eligible for a 10% rebate, and projects with a greater than $3.5 million spend can receive a 20% grant. The bill proposes a larger, 25% grant for feature films and television programs that spend at least $1.5 million.

“I’m excited about lowering some of these sliding scale boundaries or limitations because I think a lot of family-friendly, faith-based projects fall into that tier,” said Chad Gundersen, producer of “The Chosen,” a television show about the life of Jesus Christ and his disciples that is mostly shot in the town of Midlothian, about 25 miles southwest of Dallas.

Gundersen said during the hearing that his project was not initially eligible for a grant because it was too small. He added that it has since grown and resulted in more than $75 million spent in Texas.

Campbell urged lawmakers and the film commission approving projects to remember that Texas is “still in the Bible Belt,” and she praised “The Chosen” as “the greatest story ever told.”

Texas’ film incentive program offers an additional 2.5% incentive to productions that are shot in certain “underutilized” or “economically distressed areas,” as well as those that hire veterans as 5% of their total paid crew.

Identical legislation, House Bill 4568, filed by Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi has not yet received a committee hearing.

716,000 meals canceled for Austin-area food bank as federal funding is cut

AUSTIN – KUT reports the Central Texas Food Bank is feeling the effects of the Trump administration’s funding cuts after the U.S. Department of Agriculture slashed more than a billion dollars in funding for programs that support food banks and help schools buy goods from local farmers. Within two weeks following the decision, 39 loads of food were canceled, said Beth Corbett, Central Texas Food Bank’s vice president of government affairs and advocacy. Those deliveries included pantry staples, dairy products and vegetables, as well as turkey, pork and chicken. “That equates to nearly 913,000 pounds of food. For perspective, that’s the equivalent of about 716,000 meals,” she said. The cuts are happening as demand for food assistance grows and grocery prices remain high.

The Central Texas Food Bank, which is headquartered in Austin, serves more than 93,000 families each month within a 21-county region. Corbett said the organization expects demand to rise. “We’re actually serving more people now than we did at the peak of the pandemic and really don’t see any signs of that slowing,” she said. In Texas, the food insecurity rate is 16.9%. That is the second highest rate of food insecurity in the U.S. and nearly 5% higher than the national average. According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, the state lost more than $107 million for programs that allowed food banks and schools to buy food locally. Corbett said these changes and cuts could mean people who visit a food pantry see less variety in the products available. “We’re currently spending about a million dollars a month to purchase food to make up for where we have shortfalls,” she said.

Judge orders halt to mass firings at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

(WASHINGTON) -- A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has ordered an immediate halt to the planned firings of nearly 1,500 employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and is ordering the Trump administration to hand over communications and make top officials available for testimony to determine whether they deliberately violated one of her court orders.

District Judge Amy Berman Jackson told attorneys for the government she was "deeply concerned" about the apparently rushed efforts to implement a Reduction In Force, or RIF, of approximately 1483 employees at the CFPB which was set to take effect at 6 pm tonight.

Jackson said the moves by CFPB leadership, including Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and general counsel of the OMB Mark Paoletta, in apparent coordination with a staffer from Elon Musk's DOGE operation, Gavin Kliger, may be in direct violation of a preliminary injunction she had put in place -- which the D.C. Circuit upheld in part. That injunction required terminations at the agency to be carried out only after "particularized assessments" of individual employees' performance.

She told attorneys from the Justice Department the reductions in force were "not going to happen in the meantime" and ordered them to advise the agency leadership to make that clear to employees who had been informed they would be ousted. Many of those employees sat in her courtroom Friday, and several broke into tears following the hearing.

Jackson further ordered a hearing for April 28 where she said Paoletta should be prepared to testify under oath, and Kliger should also plan to be in attendance to potentially provide testimony. She also said the government should retain and be prepared to provide any communications between Paoletta, Vought and Kliger in advance of the hearing to help her determine whether her preliminary injunction was deliberately violated.

The Trump administration had begun the process this week of firing 1,474 employees at the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, according to a sworn declaration from Paoletta, the agency's chief legal officer.

The administration plans to run the agency with a 206-person staff, according to court filings Friday morning, a steep decrease from the 1,680 employees who previously worked for the consumer-protection agency. Some departments within the CFPB were cut entirely or reduced to a single employee, according to Paoletta.

"An approximately 200-person agency allows the Bureau to fulfill its statutory duties and better aligns with the new leadership's priorities and management philosophy," Paoletta wrote.

According to Paoletta, agency leadership conducted a "particularized assessment" of each department to determine how to run the CFPB with the "smaller, more efficient operation."

"Leadership has discovered many instances in which the Bureau's activities have pushed well beyond the limits of the law," he wrote.

The CFPB, created by Congress to safeguard Americans against unfair business practices in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, has been targeted for elimination by President Donald Trump as part of his efforts to slash the federal government.

Trump has said the CFPB is "very important to get rid of" and that the organization was "set up to destroy some very good people."

Its oversight applies to everything from mortgages to credit cards to bank fees to student loans to data collection. By law, the CFPB has the rare ability to issue new rules and to impose fines against companies who break them.

Since its establishment in 2011 through last June, the CFPB said it has clawed back $20.7 billion for American consumers.

Trump administration eliminates AmeriCorps

WASHINGTON (AP) – A community service program that sends young adults across the U.S. to respond to natural disasters and help with community projects was the latest target of the Trump administration’s campaign to slash government spending.

AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps informed volunteers Tuesday that they would exit the program early “due to programmatic circumstances beyond your control,” according to an email obtained by The Associated Press.

The unsigned memo to corps members said NCCC’s “ability to sustain program operations” was impacted by the Trump administration’s priorities. The federal agency’s budget showed NCCC funding amounted to nearly $38 million last fiscal year.

AmeriCorps NCCC, which completed its 30th year last year, employs more than 2,000 people ages 18 to 26 participating for a roughly 10-month service term, according to the program’s website. The teams of corps members are tasked with working on several projects related to education, housing, urban and rural development, land conservation, and disaster relief, driving from one assignment to another across the country.

The agency pays for volunteers’ basic expenses, including housing, meals and a “limited health benefit,” as well as a “modest” living allowance and an education stipend for those who complete their full service term, according to the program.

AmeriCorps programs in Texas can be found in various locations, including major cities like Austin and Houston, as well as smaller communities across the state. Organizations involved in AmeriCorps service in Texas range from public agencies and non-profit organizations to tribal governments.

FSU student survives shooting after losing sister in Parkland: ‘Something has to change’

Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images

(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) -- When a gunman opened fire near the student union at Florida State University on Thursday, killing two and wounding six, for student Robbie Alhadeff, the tragedy on his Tallahassee campus brought him back to another school shooting.

Alhadeff's sister, 14-year-old Alyssa, was one of the 17 people killed in the 2018 Parkland high school massacre in South Florida.

Alhadeff told ABC News Live he was really close to Alyssa, who was a freshman on track to play college soccer when she was gunned down on Valentine's Day.

On Thursday, Alhadeff said he was walking to his apartment when friends started to text him about the gunfire.

"I ran right back into my apartment because I was scared about the whole situation," he said.

Alhadeff said he took off at least two weeks of school after his sister was killed. In the wake of Thursday's shooting, he said his friends are "terrified" to return to class.

"A lot of the people I'm friends with are from Parkland and a lot them go to FSU," he said. "This is the second time it's happened -- and no one I know wants to go back to school."

"You could end up being killed just going to learn," he added.

"I thought this would never happen again," Alhadeff said, "but it continuously keeps happening -- and something has to change."

Manuel Oliver, whose 17-year-old son, Joaquin, was killed in Parkland, told ABC News Live, "I don’t understand how anyone could be surprised" by another school shooting "if we haven’t done anything to stop it."

"We will continue to fight -- these kinds of events empower us to do more, different things, because whatever we’ve been trying is not enough," said Oliver, who has become an advocate for gun control.

"You don’t want to be me ... so you better get involved," he said. "You better choose better leaders and ask and demand the safety of your kids."

Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was killed in Parkland, said some of Jaime's former classmates were at the FSU student union when the gunfire broke out.

"As a father, all I ever wanted after the Parkland shooting was to help our children be safe," Guttenberg, who has become a gun reform supporter, wrote on social media. "Sadly, because of the many people who refuse to do the right things about reducing gun violence, I am not surprised by what happened today."

The suspect in Thursday's shooting, 20-year-old FSU student Phoenix Ikner, was shot by officers and is expected to survive, authorities said.

A motive is not known.

The six injured victims are all expected to survive, hospital officials said.

Police have not identified the two people killed but said they were not students.

FSU has canceled classes and sporting events through the weekend. A vigil is set for Friday at 5 p.m.

David Rancken’s App of the Day 04/18/25 – PulsePoint!

Do you need an all-in-one medical app? Go get David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called PulsePoint. You can find PulsePoint in the Apple Store and Google Play below.

Escaped California inmate wanted for killing Mexican police commander caught, officials say

Abigail Esparza Reyes was killed in a shootout while trying to arrest an escaped inmate from California on Wednesday, officials said. ABC News

(TIJUANA, Mexico) -- An escaped U.S. inmate, who was wanted for killing a Mexican police commander — or a "Gringo Hunter" — during a shootout last week, has been caught in Tijuana, officials said.

Cesar Hernandez, who had been convicted and sentenced for murder in California, allegedly killed Abigail Esparza Reyes, who was part of a specialized Mexican state police unit responsible for locating foreign fugitives who cross the border, during a shootout on April 9, officials said.

Surveillance footage reviewed by ABC News showed an individual, who authorities identified as Hernandez, changing into bright yellow worker's clothing, seeming to blend in after the shooting in Mexico.

In a statement released on Friday, the Baja California State Prosecutor General's Office confirmed Hernandez was arrested on Thursday evening.

"These actions reflect the outstanding intelligence and investigative work carried out by personnel from the State Attorney General's Office, whose coordinated efforts, tactical analysis strategies and data collection made it possible to accurately locate the person arrested today," the Baja California prosecutor's office said.

Officials in Mexico said Hernandez is currently facing criminal proceedings and "his legal situation will be determined in accordance with the law."

Hernandez escaped from custody on Dec. 2, shortly after arriving for a court appearance in Delano, California, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Upon arrival, Hernandez "evaded staff custody, jumped out of the van and is currently at large," officials said at the time.

He had been arrested in 2019 for murder in Los Angeles County and sentenced to 80 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole, officials said. He received 25 years for first-degree murder, a sentence "doubled because it was a second strike," and discharging a firearm during the crime, officials said. Hernandez also received five years for a prior offense, officials said.

Reyes and the team of "Gringo Hunters" were featured in a "Nightline x Impact" episode in 2024 that highlighted their work to catch fugitives who evade law enforcement by fleeing to Mexico.

In the episode, Reyes is seen leading a mission to arrest a fugitive charged with murder who was found in Tijuana.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment regarding Hernandez's arrest.

ABC News' Sara Sandrick, Ellie Kaufman, Jen Watts and Alondra De La Cruz contributed to this report.

‘9-1-1’ star Peter Krause speaks out after character’s shocking twist

(SPOILER ALERT) 9-1-1 star Peter Krause is speaking out after his character, Capt. Bobby Nash, was killed off after eight seasons.

Nash's heroic and tearful end in the episode "Lab Rats" was a twist fans of the hit ABC drama series likely never saw coming.

"It would come as no surprise to the viewing audience that Bobby chooses to save Chimney and stoically contains himself in the lab," Krause told Good Morning America.

The veteran actor opened up about his character's fatal decision and what he will miss about the long-running show.

"He was willing to sacrifice himself so that others could see another day. And I will miss everybody dearly," Krause continued. "This was my workplace, for eight years, eight seasons. And I am really going to miss everybody: Angela and the fire team and the crew."

For Krause's character, Nash, it has been a wild ride as the captain of Station 118, navigating disasters at sea aboard a cruise ship to disasters in the sky with the "Bee-nado" episode and even a run-in with a rooster.

Krause said one of the people he'll miss the most on set is his co-star Angela Bassett, who portrays Nash's wife, police Sgt. Athena Grant. He previously told GMA it was a "blast" working with the Emmy-winning actress.

"I won't have a relationship like that again on TV," Krause said. "It's been a fantastic eight years. I'm going to miss her a lot."

Wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia says seeing photo of him alive is ‘very overwhelming’

(NEW YORK) -- Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, spoke exclusively on ABC's "Good Morning America" Friday morning in her first interview since Sen. Chris Van Hollen met with her husband in El Salvador Thursday.

Van Hollen late Thursday released a photo of himself with Abrego Garcia, which was the first time Vasquez Sura had seen him since spotting him in a photo among several other migrants being brought into El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison last month.

"It was very overwhelming," Vasquez Sura said of seeing the image Thursday night.

"The most important thing for me, my children, his mom, his brother, his sibling, was to see him alive, and we saw him alive," she told GMA's Michael Strahan.

Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran native who has been living with his wife and children in Maryland, was deported in March to El Salvador's CECOT prison -- despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to that country due to fear of persecution -- after the Trump administration claimed he was a member of the criminal gang MS-13.

The Trump administration, while acknowledging that Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador in error, has said that his alleged MS-13 affiliation makes him ineligible to return to the United States.

After a federal judge ruled earlier this month that the Trump administration must "facilitate" Abrego Garcia's return, and the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that ruling, the polarizing case has become a test of the power of the executive branch versus the courts.

Vasquez Sura, speaking to GMA, denied that her husband is a member of MS-13 or any other gang.

"I won't stop fighting until he returns home, until I know that he's safe," Vasquez Sura told Strahan.

"It's been 37 days since March 12, since my husband was abducted," said Vasquez Sura. "It's been an emotional, emotional rollercoaster, honestly."

"We've been together over seven years. It's been amazing. He is very a loving husband, and amazing father. We were just young parents trying to live the American dream," said Vasquez Sura, who is a U.S. citizen, along with the couple's children.

"Our faith has grown, and I keep him in my prayers to bring him back home," she said.

Strahan questioned Vasquez Sura about her filing for an order of protection from her husband in 2021, in which she cited being slapped, hit with an object, and being detained against her will. The case was closed about a month later when she failed to appear for a court hearing.

"You did take out a temporary order of protection against your husband in 2021. Were you in fear of your husband?" Strahan asked.

"My husband is alive," Vasquez Sura responded. "That's all I can say."

Earlier this week, in a statement released to ABC News through her attorney, Vasquez Sura said, "After surviving domestic violence in a previous relationship, I acted out of caution after a disagreement with Kilmar by seeking a protective order in case things escalated. We were able to work through this situation privately as a family, including by going to counseling. Kilmar has always been a loving partner and father, and I will continue to stand by him and demand justice for him."

Van Hollen, a Democratic senator from Vasquez Sura's home state of Maryland, flew to El Salvador on Wednesday to try to meet with Abrego Garcia.

"I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance," Van Hollen said in the social media post in which he shared the photo of him with Abrego Garcia. "I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return."

Vasquez Sura was told that the meeting between Van Hollen and Abrego Garcia was set up by El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, a source close to the family told ABC News.

The source said Abrego Garcia and Vasquez Sura were not able to speak.

Middle school student dies after school bus overturns on South Carolina highway

(CHESTER COUNTY, S.C.) -- A middle school student is dead after his school bus blew a tire and overturned on a South Carolina highway, officials said.

The collision happened Thursday afternoon on Interstate 77 in Chester County. The bus was carrying students from Pine Ridge Middle School back from a field trip outside Charlotte, North Carolina, school officials said.

The boy who died was an eighth grader at Pine Ridge and 13 years old, according to Chester County Coroner Terry Tinker.

There were two adults and approximately 35 students on the bus, the school district, Lexington School District Two, said in an updated statement Thursday night.

A spokesperson for the Chester County Sheriff's Office said there were "multiple injuries" in the crash, but that there is no confirmed number or information on the nature of the injuries at this time. The victims were transported to multiple hospitals.
The crash was reported around 1:47 p.m., the sheriff's office said.

The bus was traveling southbound on I-77 when it "traveled off of the road to the right, struck a guard rail and overturned," South Carolina Highway Patrol Sgt. Tyler Tidwell said. The bus was the only vehicle involved in the incident, he said.

Footage from the scene showed the school bus overturned, with part of the bus on top of a guardrail.

Two additional buses that were traveling back from the field trip maneuvered to avoid the accident, the school district said.

Multiple agencies, emergency responders and school personnel were on the scene, with EMS assessing all the occupants on the buses, school officials said.

"We are grateful for the support of our EMS, first responder, and law enforcement partners, both those based here locally and those up the road at the affected Interstate 77 sites," the school district said in a statement. "They worked tirelessly today to assist our Lexington Two students, families and employees."

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the collision.

"Today’s school bus accident in Chester County is a tragedy no family should ever have to endure," South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said in a statement. "Please join us in praying for the victim, their family, a speedy recovery for those injured, and the entire Lexington Two community. All of South Carolina is with you."

Between the three buses, an estimated 35 students and four adults were transported for further medical evaluation, the school district said.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the collision.

ABC News' Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.

Michael B. Jordan explains why ‘Sinners’ is a ‘truly unique and special’ experience for him

Michael B. Jordan gets double the trouble in Ryan Coogler's latest movie, Sinners. He plays twin brothers Smoke and Stack, World War I veterans who go back to their Mississippi hometown to open a juke joint — but are met with vampires and the harsh reality of the Jim Crow laws in their community. MBJ tells ABC News the film was a first for him in many ways.

"I never did a horror film before and playing two characters, and twins at that ... I think the combination of all those things makes this experience like truly, truly unique and special for me," he says.

Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Mary, one of Jordan's love interests in Sinners, praises his performance in the film.

"I was so in awe the entire time of Michael and his ability to so seamlessly go between the two all while keeping a smile on his face and setting the tone for the rest of us," she says.

Sinners, out now in theaters worldwide, marks the fifth film Jordan and Coogler have worked on together. Their previous collaborations are Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Schools react to the passage of school vouchers

TYLER – School leaders in East Texas share their opinions following the Texas House’s passage of the private school voucher program early Thursday morning.

The Texas House and Senate have each passed different versions of the bill and will now need to negotiate a compromise. Once an agreement is reached, the final version will be sent to Gov. Abbott’s desk.

Joel Enge, Director of Kingdom Life Academy, is a vocal advocate for the proposed bill, which he believes empowers families with greater educational choice .“Parents now have the opportunity to choose,” Enge said. “They have educational freedom.”

Kingdom Life Academy, a project-based micro-Christian school in Tyler, sees education savings accounts as a game-changer—one that could open doors for more students to access schools like theirs. Continue reading Schools react to the passage of school vouchers

FSU shooting latest: Victims identified, police release timeline

(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) -- The Florida State University community is reeling and police are searching for a motive after a gunman opened fire on the Tallahassee campus on Thursday, killing two and injuring six.

Tallahassee police have laid out how the shooting unfolded.

The suspect, 20-year-old FSU student Phoenix Ikner, arrived at a campus parking garage at about 11 a.m. and stayed in the area for around an hour, moving in and out of his car, police said.

Ikner left the garage at 11:51 a.m., police said, and then between 11:56 and 11:57 a.m. he started firing a handgun, police said. The shooting was reported to 911 by 11:58 a.m., police said.

At noon, Ikner was shot by officers and taken into custody, police said. He's expected to survive and remains hospitalized as of Saturday morning.

"When I heard what had happened, I was frantic -- thought he might be the one hurt. And then when I found out it was him I just collapsed at work," Ikner's biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, told ABC News on Friday in her first comments since the shooting. "There's so much that needs to be said about this, but I just can't talk without crying. We need time to process all this."

One slain victim was identified as Tiru Chabba, a 45-year-old husband and father of two who was an employee of a campus vendor.

"Chabba's family is going through the unimaginable now," their family attorney Bakari Sellers said in a statement. "Instead of hiding Easter eggs and visiting with friends and family, they're living a nightmare."

The other victim was identified as Robert Morales.

Morales was formerly an assistant football coach at Leon High School, where he demonstrated "dedication, integrity, and a true passion for mentoring young athletes," Leon High Athletics said in a statement.

"His commitment to the game and to shaping the lives of his players extended far beyond the field," the statement said. "His legacy of leadership, compassion, and service will forever remain a part of the Leon Lions tradition."

Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare officials said the hospital received six patients, all in stable condition.

All six are expected to make full recoveries and two of them may be released on Friday, officials said.

Officials revealed that the suspect's stepmother, Jessica Ikner, is a current deputy with the local Leon County Sheriff's Office. While authorities identified Jessica Ikner as the suspect's mother, court documents indicate she is his stepmother.

Phoenix Ikner had access to one of his stepmother's personal guns, which was one of the weapons found at the scene, Sheriff Walter McNeil said. He is still in the hospital and will not be charged or arraigned until he is discharged, police said. He's also invoked his right to remain silent.

Jessica Ikner -- who was on duty as a school resource officer at a middle school at the time of the shooting -- has taken an indefinite personal leave of absence, the sheriff's office said.

The sheriff's office said it's launched an internal investigation, but so far has not found any signs that the veteran deputy violated any policies.

In a statement to the Florida State University community, President Richard McCullough called the shooting a "tragic and senseless act of violence."

FSU canceled classes and sporting events through the weekend, but said classes and business operations will resume Monday.

"Our hearts are heavy after the tragedy that took place April 17," McCullough said in a statement Saturday. "We are grieving with the families and friends who lost someone they love. And we are with all those who were injured and are now recovering. This has shaken all of us, and I want you to know: We are here for you."

The university said it was offering mental health support services and other counseling services for students and employees.

President Donald Trump said Thursday he has an "obligation to protect" the Second Amendment when asked by a reporter in the Oval Office if he sees anything "broken" with America's current gun laws.

"Look, I'm a big advocate of the Second Amendment. I have been from the beginning. I protected it, and these things are terrible, but the gun doesn't do the shooting. The people do. It's a phrase that's used probably too often," Trump said.

"I will tell you that it's a shame," he said of the shooting.

ABC News' Alex Faul, Faith Abubey and Fritz Farrow contributed to this report.