(JACKSON COUNTY, Miss.) -- Authorities are asking for the public's help as they investigate the mysterious death of Mississippi teen Nolan Xavier Wells.

Wells, 18, went missing on the 4th of July after going on a boat trip with friends to Horn Island, a barrier island about 10 miles from the Gulf Coast, officials said.

"[The friends] left [Horn Island] and went back without Nolan," Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said. "From what we understand, he chose to stay there."

A body believed to be the teenager was recovered on Monday, officials said

Authorities said they believe Wells drowned and don't suspect foul play, but the sheriff's office stressed in a new statement Wednesday that investigators are "working diligently to determine exactly what occurred."

The sheriff's office said it urges anyone who was on or near the northwest tip of Horn Island on Saturday to come forward with photos or videos, "particularly those depicting alleged altercations or containing images of, or believed to include Nolan Wells."

The sheriff's office said it's also looking for anyone who may have seen Wells or "observed or heard an argument, disturbance, or other unusual activity while on the island."

"Even information that may seem insignificant could prove valuable to investigators," the department said.

Wells' mother, Christine Wonsley, wrote on social media on Wednesday, "Missing our Nolan so much every second of everyday. This has been the worst time in our lives."

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, said Tuesday that his team will conduct an independent review to determine how Wells died.

"We will not rest until every fact about what happened to Nolan on Horn Island is brought into the light, and we call on investigators to pursue this case with the urgency and transparency this family deserves," Crump said.

Authorities said anyone with information can call the sheriff's department at 228-769-3065 during regular business hours or at 228-769-3063 after hours.

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(WASHINGTON) -- A panel of D.C. Circuit appeals court judges on Wednesday rejected a request by President Donald Trump and fellow members of the Kennedy Center's board to stay a lower court's order that Trump's name be removed from the building.

The unsigned order from the appellate panel noted that the president's name has already been taken off the facade of the building, and found that center officials "have failed to show how they will be irreparably injured absent a stay."

The panel of judges, which includes Trump appointee Gregory Katsas, also shrugged off the board's argument that taking Trump's name off of the Kennedy Center could negatively affect its fundraising and "contribute to the financial decline of the Center."

The judges said Trump and his fellow board members "failed to support this assertion with any specific facts or evidence."

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in May that Trump's name had to come down after the new Trump-controlled board voted in December to rename the building the "Trump-Kennedy Center."

Cooper also voided a vote of the board to close the center for renovations, starting this month.

He has since directed the center's leadership to provide him with an update on any programming and renovation plans that might come out of a board meeting expected in mid-July.

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(BOSTON) --Nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Mass General Brigham home care clinicians took to the streets Wednesday morning for a strike set to involve roughly 4,500 workers, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

The strike would be the largest nurse and healthcare professional strike in Massachusetts history, according to a Massachusetts Nurses Association press release.

"At both bargaining tables, the nurses and clinicians made significant efforts to compromise and offered to continue negotiating to avoid a strike," the association wrote in a statement. "MGB refused to improve its proposals and declined opportunities to continue bargaining."

The nurses' strike, which was scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Wednesday, is set to last one day and be followed by a lockout imposed by Mass General Brigham, the association said.

The work stoppage is now expected to last until 7:59 a.m. on July 15, according to the hospital.

Mass General Brigham home care clinicians plan to strike for seven days beginning at 8 a.m. on the same day, according to the union.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital said it will continue to provide high-quality patient care throughout the work stoppage, along with its outpatient centers, though picketing may cause heavier traffic than normal.

Temporary clinicians are being brought in to support patients during the work stoppage, and patients should keep their scheduled appointments unless advised otherwise by their care teams, the hospital said.

The union said it is seeking more competitive wage increases that keep pace with the rising cost of living, among other demands. It cited data from the MassINC Policy Center, which said the income needed to maintain a middle-class standard of living for a family of four in Massachusetts jumped 50% from 2020 to 2024.

Brigham and Women's Hospital said in a statement that Brigham nurses are "among the highest compensated in the market."

Scott Sperling, Mass General Brigham board chair and co-CEO of a private equity firm, wrote to the association in an email on Sunday night, stating that a "substantial effort" has been made to find common ground, according to the association's press release.

On Tuesday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey released a joint statement encouraging both sides to resume negotiations.

"A strike and lockout of this scale would cause serious disruption across the Greater Boston region, and the possibility that patient care could be impacted through diversions, delays, or other emergency measures is deeply concerning to the communities we represent," the statement said.

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(WASHINGTON)  -- A federal judge on Tuesday quashed a DOJ subpoena seeking the names and personal information of Fulton County's 2020 election workers as part of the Trump administration's ongoing election probe.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(PROVO, Utah) -- A video compilation that prosecutors say shows conservative activist Charlie Kirk's alleged killer's movements on the campus of Utah Valley University before and after the shooting played in court on Tuesday over the vigorous objections of defense attorneys.

Attorneys for the defendant, Tyler James Robinson, 23, argued that the video footage Judge Tony Graf allowed prosecutors to play publicly at Robinson's preliminary hearing will likely taint a potential jury pool.

"We think this video is going to play a big role in the trial," Robinson's lead attorney, Kathryn Nester, told Graf during the second day of the multi-day hearing.

Defense attorney Michael Burt argued that making the video compilation public will likely prevent Robinson from getting a fair trial.

But prosecutors prevailed in their argument that the public had the right to see the video to get a clear understanding of the evidence Graf had reviewed in private.

The video compilation not only appears to put Robinson at the scene of the crime, but it also appears to track nearly every movement he allegedly made on campus, including climbing on and jumping off the roof where the fatal shot was fired, according to prosecutors.

Graf will decide if prosecutors have established probable cause to warrant a trial for Robinson. Prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty if Robinson goes to trial and is convicted in the September 2025 killing of Kirk during an open-air rally on the Orem, Utah, campus.

The compilation of raw video footage was taken from security cameras on the university campus, Sgt. David Hull of the Utah Department of Public Safety testified on Tuesday.

Graf also ruled that an enhanced version of the same video compilation featuring zoomed-in portions allegedly showing Robinson lying in a prone position on the roof of the UVU Losee Center, where the shot was fired, would not be made public at the preliminary hearing.

Utah prosecutors said the video is part of a mountain of evidence against Robinson

Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of the conservative youth movement Turning Point USA and a strong ally of President Donald Trump, was fatally shot on Sept. 10, 2025, while holding the first stop of his "The American Comeback Tour."

Kirk was at an amphitheater on the UVU campus taking a question about gun violence in America when a single shot rang out from a distance away, hitting him in the left side of his neck.

For the second day in a row, Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, and his parents, Robert and Kathryn Kirk, attended the hearing, along with President Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., who was friends with Kirk.

During his testimony on Tuesday, Sgt. Hull said that on the day of the shooting, Robinson was seen on video making at least three visits to the campus in a car and on foot.

Hull testified that the campus officer, using what he described as "cop intuition," took down the license plate number of Robinson's car, which he said later helped investigators identify Robinson as the suspect in the shooting.

Hull testified that the campus officer, using what he described as "cop intuition," took down the license plate number of Robinson's car, which later helped investigators identify Robinson as the suspect in the shooting.

One of the videos in the compilation allegedly showed Robinson walking into a wooded area near the campus and reemerging on campus, apparently after changing his clothes, Hull testified. Police later said they discovered the rifle used in the shooting, a Mauser .30-06, in the same wooded area where Robinson was seen going to and from.

Another video apparently captured Robinson walking with a limp up a staircase leading to the roof of the Losee Center. Investigators have previously alleged that Robinson had concealed the weapon in his pant leg as he headed to where he allegedly shot Kirk.

Robinson surrendered to authorities on the night of Sept. 11, 2025, after his father contacted law enforcement officials and told them he recognized his son in photographs of the suspect released by authorities, officials said.

The defendant has been charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.

Robinson has yet to enter a plea to the charges, and his attorneys have not issued any statements on his guilt or innocence.

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(NEW YORK) -- A Mississippi community is mourning the death of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells, whose body was believed to be recovered after going missing over the weekend.

Wells vanished after going on a boat trip with friends on the 4th of July, officials said. He was last seen on Horn Island, a barrier island about 10 miles from the Gulf Coast, officials said.

"[The friends] left [Horn Island] and went back without Nolan," Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said. "From what we understand, he chose to stay there."

Wells' mother reported him missing and took to social media, pleading for help.

The sheriff's department said it launched a search on Horn Island with officials from the Coast Guard, Department of Marine Resources and Gulf Islands National Seashore.

A body was recovered Monday morning, according to family attorney Ben Crump.

On Monday, Ledbetter told ABC News the coroner was still waiting on a DNA test, but said the body matches the description and is likely Wells.

Authorities said they suspect Wells drowned, but are still investigating.

The sheriff said investigators do not suspect foul play.

"There's no information that we have right now that would lead us to believe that a crime has occurred," he said.

Wells' mother, Christine Wonsley, wrote on social media on Monday that she was "absolutely devastated."

"My heart is broken for our sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others," she said. "Nolan was a special soul."

Wells' family "is calling for a thorough and transparent investigation into how Nolan died," according to a statement from Crump's practice.

"We will not rest until every fact about what happened to Nolan on Horn Island is brought into the light, and we call on investigators to pursue this case with the urgency and transparency this family deserves," Crump said in a statement.

The Ocean Springs School District said in a statement that it's "shocked and heartbroken."

Wells graduated last year from Ocean Springs High School, where he was a multi-sport athlete, and he went on to play football at Southwest Mississippi Community College, the district said.

"We are devastated by Nolan's passing. He was the kind of son, teammate, friend, and student that every coach hopes to have in a program," the high school's football coach Jake Bramlett said in a statement. "Nolan was so much more than an outstanding football player. He carried himself with humility, treated others with respect, worked hard, and led by example. His character spoke louder than his accomplishments, and he was loved deeply by his teammates and coaches."

Principal Jacob Dykes added, "He will be remembered as an extremely kind and hardworking young man who left a lasting impression on his teachers, coaches, teammates, and community. Our thoughts are with his family and the many people he made a lasting impact on."

ABC News' Mark Guarino and Joy Piazza-Ruppert contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) -- Several Midtown Manhattan blocks were evacuated Tuesday morning after construction workers discovered the structure of a massive office building being converted into residential housing was compromised on the 21st floor, officials said.

The building at 235 E. 42nd Street has continued to move as engineers and first responders work to secure the site, with fears there could be a partial collapse, officials said at a press conference.

The city established a frozen zone for several blocks surrounding the building following the 911 calls that were made around 8:00 a.m. after workers "observed structural support beams beginning to buckle," the NYPD said.

That caused the 21st through 26th floors of the building to start caving under the stress, officials from FDNY and the city's Department of Buildings said.

The fear, officials said, is a partial collapse, which could be internal. A full collapse onto the street is less likely, Fire Chief John Esposito said at Tuesday's news conference. 

"The building has continued to move since we have been on scene," Esposito told reporters. "It does mean it is not yet stable."

Esposito said that when first responders arrived, the building had moved, but a city official told ABC News around 2:45 p.m. that the building had not moved for two hours.

A team of six people was able to enter the building around 3 p.m. to determine if it was safe to begin shoring efforts, according to the official.

There were no reported injuries and all construction workers were safely evacuated, according to police.

Structural engineers monitored the building's movement from the outside, New York City Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani told reporters.

"There is extensive work going on now to evaluate the situation," he said.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that a frozen zone was set up between 40th and 45th Streets and 1st and 3rd Avenues. Those streets are closed to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

The 37-story commercial building, formerly the Pfizer headquarters, is currently undergoing renovations to convert it into a residential building, according to the DOB. It is one of the largest office-to-apartment conversion projects in city history, officials said.

Metro Loft, the developer of the conversion project, said in a statement that it is working with the Department of Buildings as it investigates the situation.

"The safety of our workers and the public has always been, and remains, our top priority," the developer said.

This building has seven violations between July and December 2025, resulting in more than $32,000 in fines issued, according to DOB records.

The mayor said that seven other buildings near 235 East 42nd Street were also evacuated, including a nearby Hampton Inn, according to officials.

Mamdani said at an unrelated news conference earlier Tuesday morning that among the evacuated locations was a school with 400 students.

"I want to be honest with New Yorkers that this is a fast-developing situation. We are taking it minute by minute," he told reporters.

The mayor added that the people living and working in the frozen zone will get updates and thanked them for cooperating with the evacuations.

Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement, saying she is in contact with city officials and state building inspectors are also on the scene.

ABC News' Nicole Katchis and Tonya Simpson contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) -- The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging the Trump administration has been sharing confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government.

According to the complaint filed in Washington, D.C., many Iranian asylum seekers are pro-democracy protesters, members of religious minorities, or members of the LGBTQ community who seek refuge in the U.S. "because of the grave dangers they face in Iran."

"Disclosing their confidential information to the Iranian Government violates the asylum seekers' confidentiality rights, puts those who are subject to removal to Iran, directly or through chain refoulement via third countries, at risk of persecution, torture, and death following their arrival in Iran, and endangers their family members and acquaintances who may still be residing in Iran," the group said in the complaint.

More than 100 people have been deported to Iran during the Trump administration, according to the IALDF.

The group wrote in the complaint that while the U.S. government may coordinate logistics with receiving countries, federal regulations prohibit the sharing of information that would "reveal or infer that the individual to be removed had applied for asylum."

"Disclosing their confidential information to the Iranian government violates federal regulations requiring confidentiality, endangers their family members and acquaintances who may still be residing in Iran, and puts those who are subject to removal to Iran at risk of persecution, torture, and death following their arrival in Iran," said Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group that is representing the IALDF. 

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which operates Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in a statement to ABC News, "These allegations that ICE shared asylum application records with the Iranian government are FALSE."

"ICE meets and works to get travel documents for detainees with every country. ICE is committed to ensuring that illegal aliens are informed of their right to communicate with their consular representatives," the statement said. "Consistent with established protocols, ICE provides illegal aliens the opportunity to contact their consular post and facilitates consular access to detained individuals, in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and agency policy."

A representative of the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

The IALDF complaint alleges that the Trump administration has continued to share confidential information during the current war between the U.S. and Iran. The group claims the two governments held monthly meetings to share the immigration files of Iranians in ICE custody, including final orders of removal and applications for asylum.

While the monthly in-person meetings reportedly stopped before the war began on Feb. 28, the group alleges that ICE has "continued to mail or hand deliver document packages to the Iranian Interest Section."

The complaint also alleges that Iranian officials have met with dozens of detainees at ICE facilities. 

"Many of the Iranian detainees did not consent to meet with the Iranian Interest Section officials but were required to do so by ICE," the filing says.

"According to Iranian detainees who met with an Iranian Interest Section official, the official had knowledge of their immigration cases, including the details of their asylum applications," the suit said. "These nonconsensual meetings with the Interest Section official solidified the detainees' belief that they had been identified to the very same repressive government that they had fled."

The IALDF is asking a federal judge in Washington to block the government from providing confidential information to the Iranian government and to appoint a special master to review the files of Iranian detainees that have already been shared.

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A 2-year-old girl has died after being left in a hot minivan while in the care of a babysitter, police in Florida said.

Officers found the little girl when they responded to a home around 1:35 p.m. Sunday in Hallandale Beach, about 20 miles north of Miami, Hallandale Beach police said.

The heat index – what the temperature it feels like with humidity – soared to 101 degrees on Sunday in Hallandale Beach.

The 2-year-old was taken to a hospital and later declared dead, authorities said.

It's not clear how long she was in the car. Police said prosecutors are reviewing the case and "no charging decision has been made at this time."

"This is a heartbreaking loss, and our thoughts are with the child's family, and everyone affected by this tragedy," the Hallandale Beach Police Department said in a statement. "We also want to use this moment to remind every parent, guardian, and caregiver in our community: Always check the back seat before locking your vehicle and walking away."

This is at least the 10th child to die in a hot car in the U.S. this year, according to national nonprofit KidsAndCars.org. Last year, at least 37 children died in hot cars across the country, KidsAndCars.org said.

Click here for what to know to keep your children safe from hot car dangers.

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(NEW YORK) -- Health officials in New York City said they are investigating a cluster of Legionnaires' disease.

As of July 6, 23 cases of Legionnaires' disease have been confirmed in two of Manhattan's Upper East Side neighborhoods, according to the New York City Department of Health. So far, no deaths have been associated with the cluster.

In a notice to the two neighborhoods -- Carnegie Hill and Yorkville -- the department said it believes the likely source of the bacteria is a cooling tower in the area, which sprays a mist that contains the bacteria.

The health department said there is no issue with any building's plumbing system and that residents in the affected areas can continue to drink tap water, bathe, shower, cook and use their air conditioners.

"All cooling towers in [the] area are being sampled and tested in the NYC Public Health Lab," Mark Levine, the city's comptroller, wrote in a post on X on Sunday evening. "It unfortunately takes several weeks for cultures to grow."

Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling the Legionella bacteria in small droplets of water mixed in the air or contaminated water accidentally going into the lungs.

The bacteria are found naturally in freshwater but amounts generally don't lead to disease. The bacteria typically grow best in warm water and in warm to hot temperatures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The disease does not generally spread from person to person, but infections can occur if the bacteria get into a building's water supply, including in shower heads, sink faucets, hot water tanks, heaters, cooling towers and other plumbing systems.

Legionnaires' disease has increased in prevalence over the last decade, reaching a peak of 2.71 cases per 100,000 in 2018, the CDC said. Cases dropped during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and then rebounded in 2021.

Although most people recover from Legionnaires' disease with antibiotics, certain patients -- including those who are immunocompromised or who suffer from chronic lung diseases -- can develop complications that can be fatal.

About one out of every 10 people who develop Legionnaires' disease will die due to complications, according to the CDC. Among those who develop Legionnaires' disease during a stay in a healthcare facility, about one out of every four people will die, the federal health agency added.

The NYC health department said anyone who lives or works in the affected areas -- or has visited since late June -- and is experiencing flu-like symptoms should contact a healthcare provider immediately. The ZIP codes for the areas are 10028, 10128, and 10075.

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(OCEAN TOWNSHIP, N.J.) -- The roof of a BJ's Wholesale Club in New Jersey partially collapsed during heavy rain on Monday, temporarily entrapping two people who were able to safely escape, authorities said.

No injuries have been reported following the incident at the big-box store in Ocean Township, authorities said.

Video from the store's security camera captured the collapse, showing a portion of the roof fall near the bakery section as a deluge of water flooded the interior. Local officials have confirmed they are looking at the video as part of an investigation into the incident.

Multiple agencies responded to the store around 11:16 a.m. ET following reports of the partial roof collapse, authorities said. There were 27 people inside the store at the time, including two who became partially entrapped but were able to free themselves and safely leave, according to local authorities.  

First responders conducted a "comprehensive search" of the building, and a drone and K-9 teams were also involved in the search effort to ensure no one remained inside, the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office and Ocean Township Police Department said in a joint statement.

The collapse occurred as heavy rain pummeled the area, resulting in "extreme flooding," the sheriff's office said. Up to six inches of rain was reported in the area over the past 24 hours, with most of the rain falling since early Monday morning. 

"This incident is another reminder of how quickly severe weather can create dangerous and unpredictable conditions," Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said in a statement about the collapse. "We commend all first responders who worked with urgency under challenging circumstances. Despite the ongoing flooding and severe weather affecting our communities, all worked seamlessly together to ensure everyone was safely accounted for."

ABC News has reached out to BJ's Wholesale Club for comment.

Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners Director Thomas Arnone commended the "swift response" by agencies in the incident while urging residents to stay alert for updates regarding flash flooding and other storm-related damage in the area. 

The heavy rain that was occurring at the time of the roof collapse has since ended, though additional rounds of rain are possible through the evening hours.

A flood watch remains in effect until 8 p.m. ET Monday in Monmouth County, according to the National Weather Service.

ABC News' Daniel Peck contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) -- More than 60 million people from Ohio to Massachusetts and Virginia are bracing for possible flash flooding on Monday following a deadly holiday weekend heat wave that left much of the East Coast sweltering in triple-digit temperatures.

New York City and Long Island appear to be in the center of the storm zone, with a level 3 out of 4 threat for flash flooding. Southern Connecticut, Rhode Island and southeast Massachusetts are also expected to get heavy rain.

Up to 3 inches of rain per hour is possible in some parts of the Northeast, and some areas could receive up to 8 inches.

A flood watch is in effect for the entire New York City metropolitan area through Monday night.

A flash-flood warning has been issued for more than 2.5 million people in the Philadelphia area, where flooding was already reported Monday, including in the Lemon Hill Park neighborhood in North Philadelphia.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani released an online video statement on Sunday, advising New Yorkers to take precautions.

"We ask New Yorkers in this time to stay safe, stay prepared, and to keep an eye out for one another," said Mamdani, adding that city workers were out over the weekend clearing catch basins and preparing neighborhoods that are historically flood-prone for the impending storm.

The mayor asked New Yorkers who live in basement apartments to plan to evacuate.

"If you see water rising around you, move to higher ground," Mamdani said.

The storms expected on Monday follow a multi-day heat wave. Parts of the mid-Atlantic and South saw heavy rain on Sunday night.

At one point, more than 800,000 utility customers from Oklahoma to Connecticut lost electricity on Sunday, including 85,000 in New York, according to the website PowerOutage.com.

In New Jersey, Gov. Mikie Sherrill said that thunderstorms on Friday night and over the weekend knocked out power to nearly 300,000 utility customers and that wind gusts of up to 80 mph toppled trees and power lines.

At least 25 people are suspected to have died in New Jersey from the sweltering heat wave that had enveloped a large portion of the country, officials said.

At least 60,424 utility customers in New Jersey, 43,664 in New York, more than 95,000 across Pennsylvania and at least 100,000 in Michigan remained without power on Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.com.

New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Raynard Washington told reporters at the news conference on Saturday that many of the people who perished in the heat in New Jersey were found in homes without air conditioning.

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(CHINO, Calif.) --A man has been arrested for involuntary manslaughter after a woman died and three people were injured from a fireworks explosion in Southern California over the weekend, authorities said.

Investigators believe a large quantity of fireworks ignited, prompting an explosion during 4th of July celebrations Saturday night in Chino, about 35 miles east of Los Angeles, Chino police said. The blast also engulfed a car in flames, police said.

Derion Tradon James Jr., 28, was detained at the scene and later booked on an involuntary manslaughter charge, police said.

"There was a humongous explosion. The explosion was so loud, it's what I would assume a gas line in a house blew up," witness Gabriel Gilmore told ABC Los Angeles station KABC. "... The plume of smoke that rose from the floor was equivalent to the size of the house."

One victim, a woman in her 20s, was taken to a hospital where she died from her injuries, police said on Sunday.

Two other adults suffered serious injuries but are expected to survive, according to police, who said a child was also injured and has since been released from the hospital.

A spokesperson for the Chino police department told ABC News that the investigation into the incident is "active and ongoing," and that "detectives are continuing to work closely with the Ontario [California] Fire Department's bomb squad to determine exactly what occurred."

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(PROVO, Utah) -- A crucial court hearing is expected to get underway on Monday to determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to warrant a murder trial for the alleged assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Utah prosecutors have said they have a mountain of evidence against the suspect, 23-year-old Tyler James Robinson, and plan to seek the death penalty.

The state is expected to begin presenting its evidence on Monday at a preliminary hearing in the 4th District Court in Provo, Utah. The hearing is expected to last up to five days.

Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, and his parents, Robert and Kathryn Kirk, are expected to attend the suspect's preliminary hearing, according to The Associated Press.

The Kirk family released a statement Monday morning, saying, "Charlie was a beloved husband, son, brother, friend, and father."

"Every court proceeding serves as a painful reminder of his death and the loss that has irrevocably impacted our lives and the lives of his children," the family said. "We remain deeply grateful for the support, prayers, and kindness we have received. This outpouring has sustained us during the darkest days of our lives."

The family said it will not be commenting further on the case: "We ask for continued privacy as we navigate this process and immense grief."

District Judge Tony Graf will weigh the evidence presented by prosecutors and decide if there is enough to hold Robinson over for trial and whether prosecutors can proceed in seeking the death penalty.

Prosecutors need only to demonstrate that there are reasonable grounds to warrant a trial for Robinson. If Graf orders Robinson to proceed to trial, prosecutors must then prove beyond a reasonable doubt at a trial that the defendant is guilty of killing the 31-year-old Kirk.

Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.

Robinson has yet to enter a plea to the charges, and his attorneys have not issued any statements on his guilt or innocence.

The fatal shooting of Kirk, who was the founder of the conservative youth movement Turning Point USA and a strong ally of President Donald Trump, occurred in September 2025 at an outdoor rally at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

On Sept. 10, 2025, Kirk was holding the first stop of his "The American Comeback Tour," which invited students on college campuses to debate hot-button issues. He was at an amphitheater on the campus of Utah Valley University taking a question about gun violence in America when a single shot rang out from a distance away, hitting him in the left side of his neck.

Kirk's security team immediately carried him to a vehicle and rushed him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police investigators have said the shot that killed Kirk was fired from the rooftop of a building about 200 feet from where Kirk was speaking.

Robinson allegedly fled the scene on foot, prompting a massive manhunt. He surrendered to authorities on the night of Sept. 11, 2025, after his father contacted law enforcement officials and told them he recognized his son in photographs of the suspect released by authorities, officials said.

According to court documents, Robinson allegedly confessed in a note left for his roommate, who was also his romantic partner, that read, "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it."

On the day of the shooting, Robinson allegedly sent his boyfriend a text message that said, "Drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard," Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said at a news conference following Robinson's arrest.

Robinson's boyfriend told police that he found a handwritten letter under the keyboard, according to Gray, who said the note read in part, "If you are reading this per my text, then I am so sorry. I left the house this morning on a mission, and set an auto text."

Gray said Robinson allegedly sent another message to his boyfriend, in which he allegedly said of Kirk, "I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out."

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(NEW YORK) -- A daredevil couple who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building on Wednesday appeared to have broken through a door to get to the antenna, investigators revealed Thursday before the pair was given a supervised release.

Officers could not go up to the couple during their stunt, which ended with one of the climbers proposing to the other, because they had to power the antenna down for safety, investigators said.

Angelina Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, both Russians with a current address in East Orange, New Jersey, were charged with multiple felonies in Manhattan Criminal Court including reckless endangerment, burglary and other charges. They did not enter a plea.

"We will do supervised release. We will do it at a low level," a judge said Thursday.

Still despite the serious charges and dangerous aspects of their stunt, the two were all smiles and kissed for cameras on Thursday as the newly engaged pair left court.

"We love New York," Kuznetsov said after the court appearance.

Kuznetsov told detectives he had to "do something special for his engagement," according to the complaint.

Jason Krinsky, an attorney who is representing the couple, said the district attorney's office "overcharged" the case.

"They are trying to send a message," Krinsky said after the court appearance about the prosecutors' charges. 

"As far as what I've seen, and I'm sure you have all seen, It was a message of love. You know, that's a nice thing."

Krinsky told ABC News' Kyra Phillips Thursday afternoon that a plea negotiation could be a "possibility" and that the threat of deportation for the couple is a concern.

He added that to his understanding the couple is in the U.S. legally.

The couple appeared in court wearing the same black outfits they had during their stunt. Their next court appearance is August 24.

They held hands and smiled after they left court and barely spoke to reporters who asked questions about the stunt and their wedding plans.

Just before the couple entered a subway, they posed for cameras with a long kiss.

The DA's criminal complaint provided more details on how the couple allegedly climbed their way to the 1,454 foot peak of the building.

The complaint alleges that a lock on the security door to the Empire State Building's 104th floor, which provides access to the building's broadcast antenna, was broken.

An officer told prosecutors that there was an additional safety risk for the couple and first responders as the antenna "emits high-frequency radio signals that are powerful enough to cause harm to the human body," the criminal complaint said.

"As a result, the antenna was powered down before members of the NYPD Emergency Services Unit could approach the two individuals on and around the broadcast antenna," the criminal complaint said.

First responders had to wait 30 minutes while the antenna powered down before they could approach the couple, according to the complaint.

Nikolau and Kuznetsov, who have gained an online following for their death-defying skyscraper climbs around the world, stayed on top of the structure for several minutes as cameras rolled on the action before they came down the spire, the New York Police Department said.

They unfurled a black banner with an apparent reference to a Jimi Hendrix quote and said in white letters, "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace."

Kuznetsov, who is also known as Ivan Beerkus, appeared to propose to his longtime girlfriend before they were taken into custody.

They posted close up photos of the proposal and the ring on social media before they were taken into custody.

Nikolau's father, Dmitry Nikolau, claimed to ABC News that the couple were already married. He said the stunt was a "performance."

Security was supposed to have been strengthened following previous attempts by trespassers to take selfies near the spire.

Officials said they believe the two may have observed building employees and used a worker entrance to get around the screening.

-ABC News' Tanya X. Stukalova contributed to this report.

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(VINTON COUNTY, Ohio) -- Four people have been charged with child endangerment after 16 children were removed from a home in Ohio where officials say they were living in "deplorable conditions."

Authorities executed a search warrant at the home in Hamden in Vinton County on Tuesday, where they say they found the children and four suspects inside.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the evidence in the case is "beyond comprehension."

"I think if they would have waited another 24 hours, that there was a very high probability that we'd be dealing with a death or multiple deaths of these children," he said during a press briefing on Wednesday.

Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer said this is not a case of human trafficking, but an "intra-family situation."

He described the suspects as being the "grandma, grandpa, father and mother" during Wednesday's press briefing.

The four suspects -- Gary Siders Sr., 73; Christina Siders, 67; Gary Siders II, 36; and Elizabeth Siders, 33 -- have each been charged with 16 counts of endangering children, a second-degree felony, according to officials. They pleaded not guilty during their arraignment Wednesday morning and their bond was set at $300,000 each. They will likely request court-appointed counsel, officials said.

The charges allege the four suspects abused the children, resulting in "serious physical harm."  

The children range in age from 1 ½ to 18, according to Wilson. He did not go into the nature of the injuries but said seven of the children were transported to the hospital on Tuesday, including two who were airlifted there. One of the children was in critical condition, Wilson said.

Archer said the children are safe and officials are working to have them placed in temporary custody.

"They are currently in a good situation and are being protected," he said.

Wilson said the investigation has been ongoing for some time, and that a separate but "parallel" investigation led law enforcement to execute the search warrant on Tuesday.

The family had lived in Vinton County for the past four years and were "clearly bouncing around," according to Wilson.

"They were pretty adept at keeping these kids out of sight and out of investigative eyes," he said.

The children were not enrolled in school, according to Wilson. The eldest child is included among the charges because the 18-year-old is believed to developmentally still be a minor, officials said.

"Some of these children couldn't even speak," Wilson said. "It was terrible."

Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain described the condition of the house as "disgusting," including the presence of human feces, and said the children were largely confined to a small area.

"Most of our livestock is kept in better condition than the children," Cain said during Wednesday's briefing.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called the situation "tragic."

"It is heartbreaking to learn the conditions that these children were living in, and to learn of their medical conditions," DeWine said in a statement, which also thanked those helping them.

An attorney for one of the suspects said that the case is in an "extremely preliminary stage."

Gary Siders Sr. is "entitled to the same presumption of innocence that every person charged in this county should and does enjoy," his attorney, Dorian Keith Baum, said in a statement on Thursday, in part.

"So while there is little ability to stop all speculation, conjecture, or uncorroborated guess-work from taking place, I would ask that we all let the process play out, irrespective of the sensationalist underpinnings of the allegations against Mr. Siders, so that we as his defense counsel can be provided with whatever evidence the State allegedly has in order to give it a thorough review and determine if the State can meet their burden of proof; or, alternatively, if Mr. Siders is actually not guilty of what is being alleged," the statement continued.

ABC News' Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) -- A dangerous heat wave is bringing prolonged extreme heat to more than two dozen states across the Midwest, the South and the East Coast.

The heat wave began in the Midwest on Monday and has since spread east, where it's set to last into the Fourth of July weekend.

With holiday travel in full effect, Amtrak canceled over a dozen trains in the Northeast Thursday due to the heat.

On Thursday, the heat index -- what temperature it feels like with humidity -- is expected to hit a scorching 111 degrees in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., 106 in Boston, 102 in Chicago, 108 in Detroit, and 110 in Nashville, Tennessee.

New York City's heat index reached 106 degrees on Thursday. The actual temperature in Central Park hit 100 degrees, marking the first triple-digit day there since 2012.

The city has activated its heat emergency plan and is opening hundreds of cooling centers.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul are also urging New Yorkers to conserve power "due to the increase in energy demand and unexpected load challenges."

"Proactively conserve electricity if safe to do so by setting air conditioning units between 75 - 78 degrees and avoiding unnecessary appliance use," Hochul said.

"I thank New Yorkers for taking these steps to reduce their usage and helping us keep the power on and protect the most vulnerable in our community," she said.

On Friday, the heat index is forecast to hit 108 degrees in New York, 105 in Boston, 112 in Washington, D.C., and 111 in Memphis, Tennessee.

There will be minimal relief overnight, which makes the heat even more dangerous.

On the Fourth of July on Saturday, the heat will improve slightly for the Northeast, but will still feel like the triple digits, with the heat index expected to reach 103 degrees in New York and 107 in D.C.

By Sunday and Monday, the strongest heat and humidity will settle over the Southeast. Raleigh, North Carolina, is expected to feel like 107 degrees and Savannah, Georgia, will feel like 105 degrees.

Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the U.S. At least 13,000 Americans have died from the heat since 2018, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Click here for tips on how to stay safe.

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(CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, S.C.) -- Two people have been charged in a drive-by shooting that killed a South Carolina 13-year-old over two years ago.

Caleb Garcia, 23, has been charged with murder, seven counts of assault and battery, possession of a weapon while committing a violent crime and breach of peace, according to the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office.

Garcia is currently incarcerated in North Carolina, where he's serving a sentence for an attempted murder conviction in connection with a shooting that occurred seven days after the shooting that killed Jacob Duncan, according to the sheriff’s office.

"Arrangements will be made for Garcia to answer these charges in Chesterfield County at the appropriate time," the sheriff’s office said in a statement Wednesday.

Amber Moree, 21, was arrested on Tuesday and has been charged with accessory after the fact of murder, obstruction of justice and misprision, according to the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office.

On Jan. 26, 2024, deputies responded to the scene to find Duncan suffering a gunshot wound. He later died of his injuries, the sheriff’s office told ABC News.

The boy was not the target of the shooting and was hit by a stray bullet while he was in the barn on the property where he lived, according to the sheriff's office. The shooter was targeting another individual at the location when the boy was shot, the sheriff's office said.

Investigators anticipate additional charges being filed, according to the sheriff’s office.

"For two years and five months, Jacob's family has waited for answers while our investigators worked tirelessly to uncover the truth. This case has weighed heavily on our community and, most importantly, on Jacob's loved ones," Sheriff Cambo Streater said in a statement Tuesday.

"While today's announcement will never bring Jacob back, we hope it provides his family with some measure of comfort knowing that those believed to be responsible are being held accountable," he said.

Streater said he was proud of the dedication and persistence shown by investigators.

"This case serves as a reminder that time does not diminish our commitment to seeking justice. No matter how long an investigation takes, we will continue pursuing the truth and holding those responsible accountable," Streater said.

An attorney for Garcia did not immediately respond to an ABC News request for comment. Attorney information for Moree was not immediately available.

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(KATY, Texas) -- A Texas man has been arrested on a manslaughter charge after his Tesla crashed into a home last month while he claimed it was in self-driving mode, killing a woman inside the residence, authorities said.

The driver, Michael Butler, was arrested on Wednesday and booked at the Harris County Jail, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

Butler is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on July 6, according to online jail records. He remained in custody on Thursday morning, according to jail records.

The fatal crash allegedly involving Butler unfolded on June 19 in the Houston suburb of Katy, Texas, according to the sheriff's office.

Butler was traveling in his Tesla Model 3 around 8 p.m. local time and claimed the vehicle was operating "with an automated driving assistance system," the Harris County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

Butler allegedly failed to drive in a single lane, left the roadway and crashed through the front of a two-story brick residence, according to the sheriff's office.

Butler's car allegedly drove into the front room of the home, pinning 76-year-old Martha Avila, the sheriff's office said.

Avila was airlifted to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the sheriff's office said.

Avila's family filed a $1 million wrongful death lawsuit last month in Harris County District Court, alleging Tesla and Butler were negligent.

"So, what we have is a horrific and what we believe will be proven to show preventable crash amidst a rising number of autonomous vehicle crashes, particularly including Tesla. And in this particular situation, a 76-year-old grandmother who was tragically, preventively and needlessly killed while in her own residence," Ryan Zehl, an attorney for Avila's family, told ABC News in an interview last month.

Investigators said Butler, who was injured, showed no signs of intoxication and was cooperating with investigators.

It was unclear on Thursday if Butler had hired an attorney.

Investigators said Butler claimed his car was in self-driving mode, but Tesla disputed that and alleged he overrode the feature.

Following the crash, Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of Tesla, posted a response on social media, saying Butler's account of the crash "makes no sense."

"FSD [full self-driving] drives slowly through neighborhood streets and this was a high-speed crash!" Musk said in his post.

In a separate online post, Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's head of artificial intelligence, responded to Musk, alleging that the self-driving mode on Butler's vehicle was manually overridden.

"Yup. In this case, the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% of the accel pedal in this residential area," Eluswamy claimed in his post. "They reached a speed of 73 mph during the crash, and had the accelerator pressed even after the crash."

Zehl said that Tesla has a system called a collision snapshot that sends data to its servers during significant crashes.

"So they clearly have the data because they're talking about accelerator data. We would like to see it. We don't have it. We will request it," Zehl said.

The crash is being investigated by local authorities, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Transportation Safety Board.

ABC News' Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.

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(PHILADELPHIA) -- One of the teen suspects in the fatal shooting of a Penn State University student was arrested in Colorado after the Philadelphia Police Department said it had obtained arrest warrants for two 16-year-old boys.

Azzubair Outen-Fleming was arrested in Colorado Springs at a distant relative's home, the U.S. Marshals Service of Philadelphia said in a social media post.

Outen-Fleming and Kaiseem Smith are wanted for murder and related offenses for the June 6 slaying of 22-year-old William "Billy" Schmidt, police announced on Tuesday.

Billy Schmidt had been watching the NBA Finals with his friends at a bar and was walking home when he was shot in the chest in an apparent robbery, according to police and his family.

Schmidt was studying digital journalism and media at Penn State World Campus, the university said.

He was set to graduate in December and hoped to work in sports broadcasting, his sister, Anna Schmidt, told ABC News.

She said her brother "was one of the nicest, most genuine and honestly, goofiest, people there is."

Outen-Fleming was arrested by the U.S. Marshals' Colorado Violent Offender Task Force, officials said.

"He was arrested at a distant relatives home after attempting to deny his identity," the U.S. Marshals of Philadelphia said. "He is housed at the Zebulon Pike Youth Center waiting extradition back to" Philadelphia.

Police ask anyone with information on the suspects' whereabouts to call the department's tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477).

ABC News' Jessica Gorman contributed to this report.

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