Brevard County Shooting Suspect Attended Victim's Bible Study
(Palm Bay, FL)-- Those who lived near a priest in Brevard County are struggling to figure out why someone would have shot him. Palm Bay's Robert Hoeffner [[HOFF-ner]] was shot to death Sunday, and police have not revealed a motive. The suspected shooter was identified as 24-year-old Brandon Kapas. He was killed by officers in a shootout. The 76-year-old Hoeffner was a retired priest, and neighbors say he still held Bible studies at his home. In fact, one neighbor remembers seeing Kapas at Hoeffner's Bible studies. A longtime friend of Hoeffner's tells Fox 35 he was the very last person she would expect someone would want to harm.
California Teen Accused Of Swatting Seminole County Mosque
(Sanford, FL) -- A teenager from California is accused of swatting a mosque in Seminole County. The sheriff's office announced yesterday a 17-year-old in Lancaster, California was arrested two weeks ago for an incident targeting a mosque in Sanford. He allegedly called the sheriff's office in May and claimed he was going to carry out a mass shooting at the mosque on Myrtle Street. About 30 law enforcement officers responded to the mosque before realizing the threat was a hoax. The teen was extradited to Seminole County yesterday, and he's being charged as an adult. Investigators believe he may be responsible for other swatting incidents around the country.
Child Hurt In Tampa Shooting
(Tampa, FL) -- A child is hurt after a shooting in Tampa. It happened last night on North 50th Street. Police say a four-year-old girl was shot during a road rage incident. She was taken to the hospital, and she's in stable condition. No one else was hurt. The alleged shooter fled the scene but was caught about 90 minutes later. The TPD identifies him as 34-year-old James Jackson. No charges have been announced yet.
Brightline Train Hits Car In Broward County
(Pompano Beach, FL)-- A car is damaged, but somehow, no one was hurt when a Brightline train hit a car in Broward County. It happened last night in Pompano Beach in the area of Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and Dixie Highway. There's no word on how it happened.
X Followers Tell Elmo They Are Stressed, Depressed
(New York, NY)-- An online question by a Sesame Street muppet is shedding some light on the amount of stress that's currently in the U.S. On Monday, the X account for Elmo wrote, "Just checking in -- how is everybody doing?" Unexpectedly, the post got thousands of responses from followers who told Elmo they were depressed and anxious, including from people who had just lost their jobs or who were worried about the upcoming presidential election. A spokesperson for Sesame Workshop told the New York Times, "I don't think anyone anticipated how deeply this particular question would resonate." Elmo has over 450-thousand followers on X.
Today in History
1997, the classic 1977 film "Star Wars" was re-released as "Star Wars Special Edition" in theaters across the U.S. The film grossed nearly 36-million dollars its first weekend.
1958, the Explorer One satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch marked the United States' entry into the Space Age.
1930, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Ralph Barnaby became the first glider pilot to have his plane released from a blimp.
1865, General Robert E. Lee was named commander-in-chief of the Confederate armies.
1865, Congress approved the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment abolished slavery in the U.S.