A person of interest is in custody after two Kentucky bank employees were fatally shot during a robbery Thursday, the Associated Press reported, citing state police.

The individual is “believed to be involved” in the robbery of a U.S. Bank in Berea, the AP said, citing state police. Berea is about 45 minutes south of Lexington.

'We’re deeply saddened by the tragic event that took the lives of two of our employees at our Berea, Kentucky, branch earlier today.'

A man wearing a gray-white hoodie, gloves, and a mask entered the bank and shot a male employee and a female employee, the outlet said, citing state police.

State police during a news conference late Thursday night identified the victims as 35-year-old Breanna Edwards and 42-year-old Brian Switzer, WLEX-TV reported.

State police announced the apprehension of the person of interest Friday morning.

CBS News said it's unclear if the suspect fled from the bank with anything. The robbery and shooting happened just after 2 p.m., WLEX said, adding that state police confirmed that members of the public were in the Chestnut Street bank at the time.

State police told WLEX that the search for the suspect took officials throughout central Kentucky.

Law enforcement officers searched for the suspect driving a silver BMW with Alabama plates, WLEX said. State police told the station the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed Thursday evening before a chase ended in the area of Johnston Road in Fayette County, after which the suspect reportedly was on foot.

U.S. Bank told the AP it was working closely with law enforcement and is committed to supporting the victims’ families and bank colleagues.

“We’re deeply saddened by the tragic event that took the lives of two of our employees at our Berea, Kentucky, branch earlier today,” the company said in a statement, according to the outlet. “Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, our colleagues, and the entire Berea community.”

Berea is about 36 miles south of Lexington, the AP added.

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Masked men open fire after storming into Chick-fil-A; 1 dead, 6 injured; manhunt underway

One person is dead and six others were injured after masked men stormed into a New Jersey Chick-fil-A on Saturday night and opened fire, WNYW-TV reported.

Police said the shooting began around 9 p.m. at the restaurant on Route 22 in Union Township, the station said.

Democrat New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said in a statement posted to X that 'our hearts go out to the victim’s loved ones, and we are hoping for the full recovery of those who were injured.'

Responding officers found seven victims at the scene, WNYW reported, citing the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.

The six surviving victims all suffered non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to recover, the station added.

Investigators told WNYW the masked men went behind the restaurant's counter before opening fire.

Dashcam video recorded what appeared to be a masked individual running from the restaurant with a gun.

Authorities believe the shooting was targeted and not a random act of violence, the station said, adding that officials have not released the identity of the person who was killed, and it remains unclear whether the victims were employees or customers.

The suspects remain at large, and a manhunt is underway, WNYW said.

One worker’s father described the scene as a “war zone," the New York Post reported.

Democrat New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said in a statement posted to X that "our hearts go out to the victim’s loved ones, and we are hoping for the full recovery of those who were injured," WNYW noted.

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office is asking the public to submit tips by phone at 908-654-TIPS (8477) or online at www.uctip.org — noting that tips resulting in an indictment and conviction can be eligible for a reward of up to $10,000 via Union County Crime Stoppers, the Post reported.

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Tucker Carlson's nicotine shipment hijacked, prompting manhunt, 6-figure bounty

Tucker Carlson's nicotine pouch company has announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of a multimillion-dollar shipment of product that was reportedly hijacked in Southern California.

ALP Supply Co., the brand Carlson launched in 2024 with Turning Point Brands, noted on Wednesday that the shipment contained roughly 378,000 tins of the nicotine product and was headed for a warehouse in Kentucky.

'Redistribute their booty.'

While tracking data initially indicated that the truck was progressing eastbound toward its destination, "communication was suddenly lost," ALP said. Investigators are looking into whether the vehicle's location system was modified to provide false positioning data.

The company — which stressed that the delay of its product was temporary — claimed that the driver of the missing truck had "presented what looked like legitimate credentials at pickup, but those documents have since been determined to be fake."

The Fullerton Police Department told TMZ that a report was taken with regard to the hijacking on Feb. 23.

ALP — short for American Lip Pillow — claimed in a release that it has been working closely with law enforcement authorities and has been in contact with the FBI.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Blaze News has reached out to the FBI for comment.

"We know what it feels like to want an Alp so badly that you could hijack a truck full of it. But come on. That's illegal," Carlson said in a statement. "We're going to find the people who did this and redistribute their booty. Alp for the people."

Amid wild speculation about the motivation of the hijacker and a deluge of related memes, the company shared a playful, AI-generated video with a '90s action-movie aesthetic in which Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — all sporting mullets — discuss the heist, with Kennedy warning that "you're going to f**king die" if you steal someone's ALP pouches.

ALP noted that its $100,000 reward is also good for tips of "credible information" leading to the conviction of those behind the hijacking.

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Wisconsin woman flies overseas to meet love interest, later plots to assassinate his rival — and international manhunt begins

Aimee Betro — a 45-year-old from West Allis, Wisconsin — in September 2018 met a 31-year-old British man who used the name "Dr. Ice" on a dating app, according to the Daily Mail.

Betro traveled to London on Christmas Day 2018, where she met that man — Mohammed Nazir — and reportedly spent a night with him. While Betro left the U.K. and returned to the United States, the pair continued to communicate.

'Where are you hiding? Stop playing hide and seek, you are lucky it jammed.'

Betro returned to Great Britain in August 2019, according to reports.

During a trial that ended Tuesday, a defense lawyer asked Betro what she thought of Nazir, and she responded, "He was very charming, and I did like him. He was sweet, and I did have feelings for him."

Nazir reportedly was able to convince the American woman to do his "bidding."

BBC News reported that Nazir and his 59-year-old father, Mohammed Aslam, had a dispute with Birmingham businessman Aslat Mahumad.

The British outlet reported that the father and son were injured during a physical confrontation with Mahumad at his clothing store in July 2018.

Nazir and Aslam reportedly hatched a scheme against Mahumad and planned to use Betro in their plot.

The Daily Mail reported that Betro called Mahumad on Sept. 7, 2019, and said she wanted to purchase a car he was selling online.

Prosecutor Tom Walkling told the court, "Mr. Mahumad recalls being called by a woman with an American accent. ... He was confused, as he hadn't listed his number online. The woman said she wanted to buy the car today, but Mr. Mahumad said she could see it tomorrow."

Betro's alleged plot to lure Mahumad to her failed, so she reportedly purchased a Mercedes E240 from another seller.

Walkling said the man who sold the car to Betro indicated that he "sold it to someone he described, perhaps unkindly, as a short, fat woman who spoke with an American accent, wore a summer dress, and had a bag over her shoulder."

Police say Betro drove to Mahumad's family home on the night of Sept. 7, 2019, in her newly purchased Mercedes.

While Betro reportedly was lying in wait with a gun, Mahumad's 33-year-old son Sikander Ali returned home around 9:10 p.m.

Jurors at the Birmingham Crown Court were shown surveillance video of a figure with a covered face approaching Ali and attempting to fire at him at point-blank range. However, police said the gun jammed, and Ali escaped by speeding away in his SUV.

'I think she was fatally flawed.'

While Ali was fleeing, his vehicle allegedly clipped the Mercedes and damaged the car's door so severely that it wouldn't close.

Investigators said Betro ditched the Mercedes, but left a black glove — which had her DNA on it — in the vehicle.

Jurors were shown screenshots of text messages Betro purportedly sent to Mahumad after the attempted killing, and she allegedly told her intended target, "Where are you hiding? Stop playing hide and seek, you are lucky it jammed."

Betro took a taxi to return to the Mahumad's home just hours after the first alleged assassination attempt, police stated. CCTV showed a figure firing three shots through the windows of the home in the early hours of Sept. 8, 2019. However, there was no one home at the time.

Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Orencas claimed Betro used a niqab in an attempt to hide her face, but it "didn't work very well."

"It was a fairly poor attempt [at disguise], and again, whether or not the attitude was that the British police wouldn't be up to it, I think she was fatally flawed, if that was ever the consideration in her mind," Orencas explained.

Orencas claimed Betro's motivation for the attempted murder was because she was "in love or infatuated with Nazir."

The Daily Mail reported that Betro flew to the U.S. the day after the shooting, and Nazir did the same three days later.

While on the lam for nearly six years, Betro reportedly fled the U.S. and traveled to Armenia — but was soon tracked down by an unlikely source.

The Daily Mail said it found Betro in Armenia and informed the West Midlands Police about her location on June 15, 2024. The Daily Mail agreed to withhold publishing the news until she was arrested.

"I would like to put it on formal record and thank the Daily Mail for the information that they kindly shared with us," Orencas stated before adding that "there were parallel inquiries going on, but without a doubt, the Daily Mail were of great assistance."

Armenian authorities detained Betro and extradited her to the U.K. to face trial.

On Tuesday, jurors convicted Betro of conspiracy to murder, possessing a self-loading pistol with intent to cause fear of violence, and illegally importing ammunition.

Betro is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday.

According to GB News, Specialist Prosecutor Hannah Sidaway stated, "This prosecution is a culmination of years of hard work doggedly pursuing Aimee Betro across countries and borders while she remained relentless in her bid to escape justice. Betro tried to kill a man in a Birmingham street at point-blank range. It is sheer luck that he managed to get away unscathed."

Meanwhile, Nazir and Aslam were arrested last year and convicted of conspiracy to murder.

Nazir was sentenced to 32 years in prison, and Aslam was sentenced to 10 years behind bars.

Walkling insisted that "revenge was the motive" for the assassination attempt, BBC News said in a separate story.

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Florida thug accused of locking woman in container after sexually abusing her charged with murdering victim's mother-in-law

A Florida male who's accused of locking a woman in a container after beating and sexually abusing her has been charged with murdering the victim's mother-in-law, WMBB-TV reported.

David Earl Gipson, 40, faced a judge Thursday morning in connection with six felony charges, the station said:

Murder (no bond)
Aggravated battery on person 65 years of age or older (no bond)
Sexual assault with weapon or force (no bond)
Aggravated battery with a deadly weapon ($250,000 bond)
Abuse of a dead human body ($250,000 bond)
Kidnapping/false imprisonment of an adult ($250,000 bond)

'He got down in a mud hole and tried to cover himself in mud. He was just trying to throw the scent off. But it didn’t work, and we got him.'

Investigators with the Washington County Sheriff's Office told WMBB that Gipson planned a savage physical attack that took place Monday in Vernon, which is about a half hour north of Panama City Beach in the Florida panhandle.

Investigators told the station that Gipson entered the home of 74-year-old Lettie Cooper Collins and her daughter-in-law demanding repayment for a debt he claimed their family members owed him.

"[Gipson] stated, 'Your husband and brother-in-law are thieves and owe me money, and I’m here to take it,'" Sheriff Kevin Crews recounted, according to WMBB. "He beat Ms. Collins to a pulp."

Around 5:20 p.m. a passerby discovered the injured daughter-in-law walking along Douglas Ferry Road, the station said. She had escaped after allegedly being abused and placed in a container in Gipson’s yard, with her legs bound and plywood weighing down the box, WMBB said.

Indeed, the sheriff's office early Tuesday asked for the public's help in finding Gipson, noting that he bound and gagged the victim, sexually battered her, threatened her with a handgun, and beat her with a blunt object.

Gibson then took the victim to his residence, continued to abuse her in his home, and then put her in a container in his yard, officials said.

The victim was able to escape and then made her way to Douglas Ferry Road where the passing motorist spotted her, officials said.

The victim was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition, officials said.

Mother notices son is sweaty — then she makes grisly discovery on her property that makes her cry out, 'What have you done?'

Authorities caught a registered sex offender from Texas on Saturday after an intense and massive manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies. As it turns out, the suspect's parents tipped off authorities after his mother made a horrifying discovery on her property.

The mother told deputies with the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office that she walked out of her home and noticed her son standing looking “very sweaty,” as reported by KWTX-TV.

'This guy who we believe committed this horrible and brutal murder was sentenced to 40 years. He served approximately 10 years, was paroled out, and then committed this horrible crime. He never should have gotten out, but he did.'

The woman said she attempted to walk around her son — 36-year-old Richard Tanner Ozment — but he stood in her way. The mother claimed she had to push him out of her way.

But that was far from the worst of it.

The affidavit states that the woman spotted a human foot behind a recreational vehicle on her property in China Springs. As the mother walked to the area behind the RV, she reportedly discovered a severely wounded woman.

According to court documents, the mother asked Ozment, “What have you done?”

He reportedly replied, “She tried to stab me.”

The mother frantically ran inside her home, and Ozment’s father called 911.

China Spring firefighters were the first to arrive at the grisly crime scene and noticed a man running away from the home.

First responders treated 38-year-old Michaela Brooker, who was suffering from “extensive injuries, mainly, to her head,” according to the affidavit. Brooker was airlifted to a hospital where she was pronounced dead as a result of her injuries.

McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said Ozment used a machete-like weapon to kill Brooker.

By the time police arrived, Ozment had fled the crime scene.

Law enforcement assembled a major manhunt to track down Ozment, which included the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office’s SWAT Team, the Waco Police Department’s K9 unit and drone support, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Game Wardens, and Texas Department of Criminal Justice Tracking K9.

Roughly 10 hours later, deputies riding on horseback and accompanied by K9s tracked down Ozment. He reportedly was hiding in a stock tank about a football field away from the bloody crime scene.

McNamara said he believed Brooker’s murder arose from a “domestic disturbance” but did not reveal the exact relationship between the victim and Ozment.

Ozment was charged with murder and is being held at the McLennan County Jail on a $1 million bond.

“This is one of the most horrific, brutal, and senseless attacks that we have seen in a long time,” McNamara said, “It never should have happened. This guy who we believe committed this horrible and brutal murder was sentenced to 40 years. He served approximately 10 years, was paroled out, and then committed this horrible crime. He never should have gotten out, but he did.”

A Waco Tribune-Herald article published in March 2015 reported that Ozment, then 26 years old, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to burglarizing five area churches and two homes.

The outlet noted, "The charges against Ozment were enhanced to first-degree felonies because of a juvenile adjudication for aggravated sexual assault in 2004 and a felony terroristic threat conviction in 2007."

In 2013, Ozment was arrested after complaints that he was taking pictures outside China Spring Elementary School. While in custody, authorities discovered Ozment was not in compliance with sex offender registration requirements.

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Former MTV star arrested for grooming in Florida after nationwide manhunt initiated over a year ago in Illinois

Following a nationwide manhunt that was initiated in Illinois and lasted more than a year, a former MTV star has been arrested in Florida for child sex crime accusations.

On Thursday afternoon, law enforcement tracked down Connor Smith at a residence in Clearwater, Florida.

Smith, 33, was arrested by officers with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on an open warrant originating from Lake County, Illinois. The warrant was issued in February 2023.

Smith, from Orland Park, Illinois, was booked into the Pinellas County Jail – where he is being held without bond. Smith is awaiting extradition to Illinois.

As Blaze News previously reported, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office announced that detectives obtained a nationwide arrest warrant for Smith.

The former MTV star was accused of committing three felonies: traveling to meet a minor, grooming, and disseminating harmful material.

Authorities said Smith attempted to groom a girl under the age of 15 and meet her for sex in Illinois.

Smith communicated with someone who he believed was a girl under the age of 15 for several weeks, according to police. However, the girl was actually an undercover detective.

The catfish was part of an undercover sting to catch child predators that was executed by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division in collaboration with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Smith reportedly sent the "girl" sexually explicit photos and videos of himself.

Smith allegedly attempted to meet the "child" for sex on Feb. 9, 2023. When Smith went to visit the "girl," detectives attempted to arrest him, but he was able to escape the authorities.

In December 2021, Smith was arrested for an alleged rape and assault of a 16-year-old girl in Indiana. Smith was charged with felony rape, sexual battery, and two counts of criminal confinement.

However, the charges were dropped after the alleged victim stopped cooperating with investigators and prosecutors said they didn't have enough evidence to convict him.

Smith's claim to fame is appearing on the third season of the MTV reality series "Are You The One?" in 2015. The dating show features single contestants competing to find their perfect match.

Smith found his "perfect match," but the couple split up after filming the reality TV show.

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Teen makes grisly find of mother's body stuffed in duffle bag; multi-state manhunt launched to nab squatters in alleged murder

Two squatters are suspected of carrying out a brutal murder of a woman in New York City, according to police. A multi-state manhunt has been launched to catch the suspected killers.

Nadia Vitel flew from Spain to New York City to prep the Manhattan apartment of her late mother so a family friend could move in, according to the New York Post. Vitel's mother passed away months ago, and her apartment had been vacant for about three to four months.

Investigators say Vitel went to her mother's apartment and was ambushed by two squatters living inside the unit. The suspects — a man and a woman — allegedly threw Vitel into a sheetrock wall.

"We believe that some squatters took the apartment over and this woman came home ... and walked in on the squatters that were there," said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.

Kenny noted that the apartment in the Kips Bay neighborhood is "upscale."

"The apartment itself is very unique in that there’s no front door to apartment. You take an elevator up and then you key your way in. The elevator is actually your front door,” Kenny stated.

Paramedics pronounced Vitel dead at the scene.

The suspects allegedly stole Vitel's Lexus and drove to New Jersey and then Pennsylvania. Police located the crashed Lexus in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Vitel's teen son became worried about his mother after not hearing from his mother for two days and went to his grandmother's apartment on March 14. He believed his mother was at the apartment because they tracked each other's locations via a cellphone app.

Michael Medvedev, 19, went to the apartment with the building's superintendent and family members. Suddenly, the son made a grisly discovery.

Kenny explained, "As they’re getting ready to leave, the son opens up the closet door near the front door and discovers the duffel bag with a foot sticking out."

Inside the duffle bag was the dead body of Medvedev's mother.

Jean Pompee, the building's superintendent, told WCBS-TV, "The male pointed to the closet, he said he believed that there's a body in the bag. And all of her clothes were down, so you really couldn't see the bag. You could see partially, a little bit."

Officials said Vitel died from blunt force trauma to the head, suffered multiple facial fractures, a brain bleed, and two broken ribs.

A multi-state manhunt is underway to find the squatter suspects.

Police said the suspects visited several car dealerships in Pennsylvania after wrecking the Lexus and attempted to purchase a new vehicle for $1,000.

The NYPD said the suspects are a man and woman in their 20s. One of the squatters allegedly has a prior arrest.

"As of right now, we have probable cause, we have two subjects, we have the Regional Fugitive Task Force actively hunting as we speak,” Kenny said.

Squatters suspected of murder in luxury NYC building, putting woman in duffle bag | NBC New York www.youtube.com

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1 dead, 5 injured in shooting at Indianapolis bar, suspect is on the loose

A person is dead and five others were injured from a shooting at a bar in Indianapolis early Saturday morning, according to police.

The shooting happened shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Saturday at a bar in the Broad Ripple neighborhood of Indianapolis. Officers in the area responded quickly after hearing gunshots being fired. However, the gunman had already fled the crime scene by the time officers got to the bar. Police administered first aid to the victims.

Indianapolis Metro Police Department Commander Matthew Thomas confirmed the death and the injuries that occurred at the Landsharks bar and nightclub.

The fatal shooting victim was rushed to a local hospital, but he was later pronounced dead.

The Marion County Coroner's Office will release the deceased victim's name once his family has been notified of his death.

One of the shooting victims drove himself to the hospital.

The hospitalized shooting victims are said to be in stable condition.

All of the victims in the Indianapolis shooting were men.

Police do not have any suspects in custody as of Saturday morning.

Thomas declared, "Violence in our community is absolutely unacceptable."

"Deeply disturbed by the tragic incident early this morning that resulted in one life lost and others injured. Proud of the of the good work done by IMPD officers who responded quickly and provided aid. This morning, detectives continue to actively investigate, "stated Chris Bailey – Chief of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

WTHR reported, "IMPD said they have not yet located a suspect, but are working to interview witnesses and review video that was recorded by cameras in the area."

Police did not immediately share the circumstances or motive of the shooting. Authorities have yet to provide a description of the suspect or suspects.

Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to call IMPD Detective Steven Gray at 317-327-3475 or by email at Steven.Gray@indy.gov. Tips can also be made anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-TIPS.

Last month, one woman was killed and five others were wounded from a shooting at a Waffle House on the west side of Indianapolis.

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Shooting at Broad Ripple bar in Indy leaves 1 dead, 5 wounded www.youtube.com

Person of interest in custody after 2 Kentucky bank employees fatally shot during robbery: Report

Masked men open fire after storming into Chick-fil-A; 1 dead, 6 injured; manhunt underway

Tucker Carlson's nicotine shipment hijacked, prompting manhunt, 6-figure bounty

Wisconsin woman flies overseas to meet love interest, later plots to assassinate his rival — and international manhunt begins

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Mother notices son is sweaty — then she makes grisly discovery on her property that makes her cry out, 'What have you done?'

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Teen makes grisly find of mother's body stuffed in duffle bag; multi-state manhunt launched to nab squatters in alleged murder

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