RED HOOK, Brooklyn (WABC) — The Tunnel to Towers Foundation kicked off its 24th annual “5K Run and Walk” on Sunday honoring the fallen first responders of 9/11.
Nearly 40,000 people are expected to participate in the event, which takes place each year on the last Sunday of September.
What began with 1,500 people in 2002, one year after the terror attacks, is now considered by many to be one of the top 5K runs in America.
The event retraces the final footsteps of FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller on Sept. 11, 2001, from the foot of the Battery Tunnel in Brooklyn to the Twin Towers in Lower Manhattan.
Assigned to FDNY’s First Squad, Siller had just finished his shift and was on his way to play golf with his brothers when he heard over the radio that a plane hit the north tower of the World Trade Center.
Photograph of 9/11 first responder and FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller.
Tunnel to Towers Foundation
In response, he drove his truck to the entrance of the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, formerly known as the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, but found out it had closed. Siller then strapped 60 pounds of gear to his back and raced on foot to the Twin Towers, where he sacrificed his life to save others in the terror attacks.
Ahead of the race, Eyewitness News caught up with his son, Stephen Siller Jr., who described his father’s legacy.
“I feel like I hit the lottery in terms of a dad. You know, I didn’t get much time with him, but he gave me an example of how to live the rest of my life and what my priorities should be,” Siller Jr. said. “To see this and the legacy he left behind with his sacrifice and what he did for other people, it’s motivation to just make sure I’m living for other people too.”
Chantee Lans speaks with Stephen Siller Jr. about the event and his father’s legacy.
Sunday’s run and walk pays homages to more than 340 FDNY firefighters, law enforcement officers and thousands of civilians who lost their lives on September 11. Proceeds from the event support the foundation’s programs, including those benefitting first responders and service members injured in the line of duty.
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Shane Tamura, the gunman who killed four people in July’s deadly Midtown Manhattan shooting, had low-stage CTE, officials said Friday.
New York’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner revealed the results Friday.
“Following a thorough assessment and extensive analysis by our neuropathology experts, OCME has found unambiguous diagnostic evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE, in the brain tissue of the decedent. The findings correspond with the classification of low-stage CTE, according to current consensus criteria,” OCME said in a statement.
Though Tamura never played in the NFL, investigators believe he was targeting the NFL offices inside the office building where he killed four people.
“The League knowingly concealed the dangers to our brains to maximize profits,” Tamura wrote.
The three-page note found in Tamura’s pocket said that he wanted to have his brain donated to science so it could be researched, according to law enforcement sources.
Tamura’s family previously said he suffered from migraines and mental illness, as well as multiple concussions.
What is CTE?
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, is a brain disease that is most common in athletes who play contact sports, such as football players, ice hockey players and boxers. It is a degenerative disease, occurring after repeated head injuries cause cells in the brain to die. It can only be diagnosed in brain tissue after death.
“He played for 12 years. I think that’s one of the more important points, is that 12 years absolutely puts you at risk for developing CTE,” Nowinski said. “Low-stage CTE does represent significant changes to the brain. Brain cell death in the frontal lobes, which will affect judgment and behavior. There’s no question about that.”
The medical examiner’s office said “the physical and mental manifestations of CTE remain under study.”
Nowinski said the four victims of the shooting must remain the focus, but says this incident is a wake-up call.
“We shouldn’t look at this and say ‘this is why he did it,’” Nowinski said. “This hopefully is a wake-up call that we need to do more to prevent brain trauma in young athletes, because there are consequences for some of these people.”
What are the symptoms of CTE?
There can be a variety of symptoms of CTE, including behavioral changes like aggression and impulsivity, irritability and inattention.
“There are people who have been diagnosed with CTE who have engaged in violent acts. It is not accurate, I don’t think, to say that CTE causes violence,” said Dr. Kristen Dams-O’Connor, director of the Brain Injury Research Center at Mount Sinai.
While damage may begin in the frontal lobes of the brain, over time it can affect widespread regions, causing memory loss and dementia.
Symptoms of CTE do not typically appear right after someone receives a head injury, but rather develop as time goes on, according to the Mayo Clinic.
O’Connor said CTE is rare in people with limited head trauma exposure, but she stresses a major takeaway in this incident is that anyone experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, or having suicidal or homicidal thoughts should seek care.
“The NFL does acknowledge CTE and will tell you the 100 things they’re doing to try to prevent it,” Nowinski said.
“We continue to grieve the senseless loss of lives, and our hearts remain with the victims’ families and our dedicated employees,” the NFL said in a statement Friday. “There is no justification for the horrific acts that took place. As the medical examiner notes, ‘the science around this condition continues to evolve, and the physical and mental manifestations of CTE remain under study’.”
Shane Tamura, the gunman that killed four people in the deadly Midtown Manhattan shooting, had low-stage CTE, officials said Friday.
New York’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner revealed the results Friday.
“Following a thorough assessment and extensive analysis by our neuropathology experts, OCME has found unambiguous diagnostic evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE, in the brain tissue of the decedent. The findings correspond with the classification of low-stage CTE, according to current consensus criteria,” OCME said in a statement.
Though Tamura never played in the NFL, investigators believe he was targeting the NFL offices inside the office building where he killed four people.
“The League knowingly concealed the dangers to our brains to maximize profits,” Tamura wrote.
The three-page note found in Tamura’s pocket said that he wanted to have his brain donated to science so it could be researched, according to law enforcement sources.
Tamura’s final note also included the name of Chris Nowinski, a leading CTE expert. CBS News New York’s Mahsa Saeidi recently spoke with him.
What is CTE?
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, is a brain disease that is most common in athletes who play contact sports, such as football players, ice hockey players and boxers. It is a degenerative disease, occurring after repeated head injuries cause cells in the brain to die.
“The most likely place it shows up in everybody at the beginning is the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, so … behind the forehead, basically with the idea that when your brain twists violently, that part of your brain is moving the most,” Nowinski said. “It is killing you cell by cell. When you lose enough neurons in certain places, you will change as a person.”
Nowinski said, however, a CTE finding would not explain the shooting.
“Whatever’s in his brain is never going to be the reason for what happened. Human behavior is far too complex for that,” he said.
Tamura played high school football in California in 2014, according to articles from the Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
“Being a high school football player is certainly a possibility for CTE,” Dr. McKee said. “We have a recent study where we found about 30% of former high school players had CTE. Now that’s a very select group of people. It doesn’t mean 30% of the general population of high school football players have CTE, but it’s a distinct possibility.”
She said that CTE can occur without someone receiving a concussion, but rather, “It’s the hits that don’t cause any symptoms, the hits that we consider minor hits that the player plays right through, asymptomatic hits, but those hits can be very substantial.”
What are the symptoms of CTE?
Irritability, inattention, and behavioral changes such as aggression or impulsivity are common first indicators of CTE, according to Dr. McKee.
The damage “usually begins in small spots in the frontal lobes,” she explained. “But over time, with aging, it starts affecting widespread regions of the brain and can cause profound memory loss and even dementia.”
Symptoms of CTE do not typically appear right after someone receives a head injury, but rather develop as time goes on, according to the Mayo Clinic. The hospital says additional symptoms of CTE can include trouble thinking and planning, mood changes, suicidal thoughts and substance misuse. Patients may also have trouble with balance and walking, and may develop shaking and trouble speaking.
“We have seen individuals with CTE that have had substantial breaks with reality,” Dr. McKee added. “There’s precedence where a former football player has a break of homicidal violence and this kind of behavior is obviously something we need to prevent.”
“The NFL has definitely made rule changes to the play of the game that make the game safer for the players, but they haven’t done enough, and they really set the stage for all high school and even college football players,” Dr. McKee said.
In 2024, the league announced that it will allow players to wear special head protection called Guardian Caps to give more protection against head injuries. Guardian Caps are soft coverings that wrap around the NFL hard-shell helmets, reducing the impact from head injuries.
The NFL also changed kickoffs to reduce full-speed tackles. But Dr. McKee said she believes the organization should be doing more.
“They need to do much more than just the helmet design, which is never going to prevent CTE. It’s really rules of play and styles of play, eliminating the hits to the head that occur in practice as well as games, paying attention to the players, monitoring the players for the number of hits they’ve sustained and actually keep track of the players over time,” she said.
Only the victim’s torso was discovered about 100 feet south of the intersection of 149th Avenue and Brookville Boulevard, near Idlewild Park, on Sept. 22. New York City sanitation workers performing a roadside cleanup around 8 a.m. that morning when they noticed a foul smell and made the grisly find.
“It had several unique and identifiable tattoos which were not visible and not decomposed,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said of the torso. “The autopsy was done, and the doctor basically tells us, at this point, the torso itself does not have any wounds or injuries that would indicate any cause of death. The forensic anthropologist is still walking through it.”
Victim’s tattoos may offer clues
While authorities say they have yet to determine how the woman lost her life, they say the torso had a broken rib that most likely stemmed from the remains being dropped.
Several tattoos depicted a flower and three names, Chief Kenny said, adding that police are working through missing person reports in an attempt to match up the names.
“The doctor further states that he believes that straight edge instruments, such as a knife, were used to cut through the soft tissue, and some sort of saw was used to cut through the bone,” Chief Kenny said.
Police say the victim is believed to be of Guyanese descent, but her age has not yet been established.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding these remains can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
An off-duty NYPD officer allegedly shot a man who attempted to rob her in Midtown on Wednesday night, sources reported.
While details are still emerging, sources familiar with the apparent police shooting say a female off-duty cop was traveling home after her shift with her husband — also an off-duty officer — inside the transit hub at around 7:05 p.m. on Sept. 24 when a man attempted to rob them.
The robbery attempt happened on the platform between tracks 18 and 19 of the Long Island Rail Road, according to information on the Citizen app.
During the robbery, sources said, the female officer fired her handgun, striking the suspect. His condition is not immediately known.
Neither the officer nor her husband was believed to have been injured, it was reported. An investigation is underway.
This is a breaking story, check back later for updates.
Before he died, 15-year-old Zackery Nazario was captured on video riding on top of a New York City subway train — a dangerous activity known around the country as “subway surfing.”
Nazario died in February 2023 while attempting the stunt with his girlfriend atop a train crossing the Williamsburg Bridge between Brooklyn and Manhattan.
For his mother, Norma Nazario, the death was as much of a shock as her son’s involvement in subway surfing.
“When I saw him at the funeral, I just fell on my knees,” she recalled. “I couldn’t even get up.”
In the past three years, 16 people have died and 21 have been injured from subway surfing in New York City, according to data from the New York City Police Department.
The problem also extends beyond New York, with fatal subway surfing incidents reported in San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
In 2022, the NYPD Transit Bureau and Mayor Eric Adams’ office started using drones to canvass moving trains for subway surfers. Once someone is spotted on top of a train, a field team will hold the train at the next station and remove the individual.
“With this technology, we’re making our transit systems safer, preventing injuries, and ensuring New Yorkers can travel with peace of mind,” Adams said in a statement to CBS News.
Since the program’s inception, the NYPD says it has saved more than 200 people.
NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta says that his officers save teens and young adults every week, saying his department is “seeing children subway surfing in the hour before school and then right after school.”
The average subway surfer is just 14 years old, and the youngest child who died was 11, data shows.
“So it became apparent to me that we had to do more,” Gulatta said. “And the drones were the right answer.”
For Gulotta, if “we can change one child from getting on top of the train, this is well worth it.”
One of the drones deployed carries an image of Zackery, allowing him to be a part of the solution.
Social media’s role
After Zackery’s death, Nazario gained access to her son’s phone. She discovered dozens of videos of Zackery riding atop trains, many of which were posted on social media by his friends.
Nazario said she believes her son first discovered subway surfing through trending videos on social media.
“Maybe he watched one video,” she said. “Then he was bombarded with all that.”
Nazario is now suing ByteDance and Meta, the parent companies of TikTok and Instagram, for wrongful death and allowing the trend to go viral.
The suit was filed a year after Zackery’s death and claims that “as a result of the unreasonably dangerous design of Social Media Defendants’ products,” he “was targeted, goaded and encouraged to engage in Subway Surfing.”
Spokespeople for both ByteDance and Meta told CBS News that videos encouraging subway surfing violate the platforms’ policies and are removed.
A Meta spokesperson added the company “will vigorously defend ourselves against this suit.”
Nazario also brought a claim against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which was dismissed in June 2025 by Judge Paul Goetz, who ruled that the “risk and danger” of subway surfing “are obvious as a matter of common sense.”
The NYPD is facing a historic rate of attrition, as amNewYork reported in August. An average of 300 cops per month have quit or retired this year. But rank-and-file members still on the job tell this publication that the mass exodus is also causing slow response times, according to reports, while battling an overwhelming workload.
According to the Mayor’s Management Report, which was released last week, the current average response time is 14 minutes and 53 seconds — which is a 90-second improvement from the average of 15 minutes and 23 seconds in fiscal year (FY) 2024. But over the last half-decade, according to the same report, response times have steadily grown longer by a large margin.
Between FY2021 and FY2025, police response times lengthened by three minutes and 13 seconds — roughly 27.6% higher than the 11-minute, 40-second response time reported four fiscal years ago.
The document also shows that response times to non-critical crimes in progress have jumped by an extra nine minutes since 2021, making the average response time a whopping 28 minutes and 28 seconds. Serious crimes leapt to almost three minutes longer.
An NYPD spokesperson responded by noting the response time decline between 2025 and 2024, which they said was due to the department’s strategy of personnel development while also bolstering its numbers.
“In August, the NYPD hired nearly 1,100 police officer recruits, marking the largest class of officers sworn in by the NYPD since January 2016. Including this class, already this year, the NYPD has hired 2,911 recruits — the highest number since 2006 — with another class still scheduled for this year. The NYPD remains laser-focused on continuing our recruitment efforts and bringing in the next generation of officers,” a spokesperson said.
Still, those on the job today say the impact of months of attrition is evident to their observant eyes.
Sean, an officer from Brooklyn with a decade of experience who spoke to amNewYork on Tuesday under the promise of anonymity, said that his stationhouse has lost about 30% of cops since he got on the job, leading him and his colleagues to struggle to do more with less.
“Ten years ago, we would have had more resources working in the precinct, with more physical cars. So, there would be, literally, instead of one car patrolling one area, it would be two, which is a total of four officers,” Sean said. “Let’s say you have to get there quickly, you try to assess the situation. ‘Okay, this doesn’t really need police.’ And then you’re kind of rushing, you know, you try to analyze, try to determine, Okay, do they really need me right here?”
NYPD cops ‘are not getting a break … literally’
Sean says with fewer cops on the beat, people not only have to wait longer when they dial 911, but the cops themselves work hours of overtime without even getting a lunch break, forcing them to eat while inside their squad cars.
“Guys are not getting a break. It’s literally, ’oh, I’m sorry, check back in an hour, or check back when this person comes back from the transport.’ Or ‘check back, maybe we’ll have more guys at a certain time.’ And then sometimes it doesn’t happen,” Sean railed. “So, you’re literally eating in the car. You’re eating on the run, you know? And so the public may see a cop literally sitting in the car eating and say: ‘Oh, this guy isn’t doing anything,’ but they don’t know that I didn’t even get a break.”
Sean charged that situations like these are why many of his colleagues are calling it quits and taking jobs in other jurisdictions due to what he called quality-of-life issues within the NYPD. Exhaustive overtime, missed lunch breaks, excessive workloads, and disrespect at work have all contributed to an average of 300 cops calling it quits each month and, in turn, racking up response times.
Cops say the public is being made to wait longer for help.Photo by Dean MosesA Police officer at a crime scene.Photo by Dean Moses
Next one out the door
James, another cop working in Brooklyn with two decades on the force, stated that help can’t come soon enough, going as far as to say the public deserves better than what the NYPD is currently providing.
“We’re out here to do the best job we can. It’s just the circumstances that we’ve been presented with. I think we’re doing the best we can, but it’s frustrating for all parties involved. This is not the police department the city deserves. You know, they deserve the best we can give them, and right now, this is the best,” James told amNewYork. “It’s rough keeping pace with everything going on.”
James presented a similar story to Sean’s, explaining that his precinct lacks the manpower it had just two years prior, leaving the public waiting for what he says can be hours.
“We just don’t have the officers to get there and then, as we’re battling through normal calls, now a priority comes over. So, if I’m at your house to deal with a report that somebody broke into your car, now mid-job, I’m rerouted to another priority, and now I’m going to finish that and hopefully get back to you eventually,” James said. “The biggest frustration, I think the public has is for what the department deems is a non priority call, you could be waiting two hours just to get an accident report done, and I’m going to spend the first five minutes of our interaction trying to apologize and explain that it wasn’t just I didn’t want to come, it’s every time I get close by I get rerouted.”
James said that veteran cops are taking these frustrations from both the public and their supervisors and hanging up their uniforms for greener pastures, whether that be Suffolk County or elsewhere. He added that he would also be leaving in the near future.
“I don’t want to say it’s always financial, but a lot of times it’s more about the quality of life. So, if you could offer me a position doing reasonably the same amount of work and my days off are going to be my days off, and where I’m not always ordered for mandatory overtime to just cover the loss of personnel that we have, I might jump,” James said. “At this point, when it is my chance at the turnstile, I’ll be the next one out the door.”
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry charged that the staffing crisis in the department is not only making the cops suffer, but the public’s life-or-death cries for help could go unanswered for longer because of it.
“When New Yorkers need help, every minute spent waiting for police to arrive can feel like an eternity. The NYPD’s staffing crisis has extended those agonizing wait times to unacceptable levels. Police officers are already under enormous pressure. They are being deprived of meal breaks and days off to cover for short-staffing, and that strain is driving even more talented cops out the door. Response times won’t meaningfully improve without improvements to police officers’ quality of life and compensation to help keep them on the job,” Hendry said.
The man behind a shooting near the Mexican Day Parade route in Midtown Manhattan on Sunday, injuring a 17-year-old girl, could only muster up a “My bad” after officially being charged Monday.
Photo by Dean Moses
The man behind a shooting near the Mexican Day Parade route in Midtown Manhattan on Sunday, injuring a 17-year-old girl, could only muster up a “My bad” after officially being charged Monday.
Cops say 35-year-old Joel Nieves of the Bronx opened fire on 27th Street and Park Avenue at around 5:01 p.m. on Sept. 21, a minute after a 24-year-old man was stabbed on 28th Street and Madison Avenue.
According to sources familiar with the investigation, the stabbing occurred after two different groups — believed to be affiliated with gangs — got into some kind of argument that resulted in a 14-year-old brandishing a knife and stabbing the victim in the back.
After the melee, an eyewitness said she was walking to CVS with her dog when she spotted two men passing off a gun. “I was standing here, and I turned around, I saw someone pull out a gun and give it to another guy,” the woman, who did not provide her name, said. “I saw ten guys start running. I just wanted to buy some hand soap.”
Sources report that Nieves allegedly looked to get revenge for the knife attack and opened fire in the direction of one of the aggressive groups, but missed and struck a 17-year-old girl in the shoulder, leaving her severely injured.
The stabbing victim was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, along with the teen girl. Both were listed in stable condition.
Nieves was walked out of the 13th Precinct in cuffs by detectives on Monday afternoon to await arraignment. amNewYork asked if he had a message for the wounded teen he responded by stating: ‘My bad.” When asked why he shot her he said “accident.”Photo by Dean Moses
A 14-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the stabbing and charged with criminal possession of a weapon while Nieves was cuffed on 26th Street and 3rd Avenue. He was charged with attempted murder, criminal possession of a loaded firearm, and assault.
Detectives walked a handcuffed Nieves out of the 13th Precinct stationhouse on Monday afternoon to await arraignment. amNewYork asked if he had a message for the wounded teen he responded by stating: ‘My bad.”
When asked why he shot her, he merely replied, “Accident.”
Police sources report that Nieves has a criminal record dating back to 2008, with another source stating his rap sheet goes back into his teens. He was most recently cuffed for reckless endangerment in 2023. Assault and robbery are also among his priors.
Several shell casings were recovered at the scene. authorities say they have yet to recover a firearm.
A teenage girl was shot and a man was stabbed just a minute apart off the route of Manhattan’s Mexican Day Parade on Sunday afternoon, police reported.
Photo by Dean Moses
A teenage girl was shot and a man was stabbed just a minute apart off the route of Manhattan’s Mexican Day Parade on Sunday afternoon, police reported.
Law enforcement sources said the mayhem unfolded near the corner of 28th Street and Madison Avenue, near where the parade came to its conclusion, at around 5 p.m. on Sept. 21.
Police sources said one victim, a 24-year-old man was stabbed in the back. EMS rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, where he is listed in stable condition.
A minute later and a block over, authorities said, gunfire erupted on 27th Street and Park Avenue — sending revelers running for their lives.
Amid the chaos, police reported, a 17-year-old girl sustained a gunshot wound to her left shoulder.
An eyewitness said she was walking to CVS with her dog when she spotted two men with a gun minutes before the shooting.
“I was standing here, and I turned around, I saw someone pull out a gun and give it to another guy,” the woman, who did not provide her name, said. “I saw ten guys start running. I just wanted to buy some handsoap.”
EMS rushed the wounded teen to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.
“I was standing here, and I turned around, I saw someone pull out a gun and give it to another guy,” the woman, who did not provide her name, said.Photo by Dean MosesA bullet at the crime scene.Photo by Dean Moses
Another eyewitness responded to a video of the crime scene that amNewYork posted on X.
“Was right beside the shooting when it happened. I saw a group of people who were yelling at each other, and the next thing I knew, gunshots were flying and people were running,” Prisha Dev said.
It is unclear what sparked both incidents or if the wounded een was the intended target. Police created two separate crime scenes on either side of Park Ave. where cups were used to maker shell casings found at the scene.
While the stabbing suspect remains at large, a person of interest was taken into custody in regard to the shooting on 26th Street and 3rd Avenue. amNewYork observed a man being placed into a police van. Charges are pending.
person of interest was taken into custody in regard to the shooting on 26 Street and 3rd Avenue. amNewYork observed a man being placed into a police van. Charges are pending.Photo by Dean Moses
Two people were shot in Harlem on Monday evening, one of whom was possibly struck by a police officer.
Photo by Dean Moses
Two people were shot in Harlem on Monday evening, including a teen who was struck by a police officer’s bullet, sources said.
The wounded include a 15-year-old boy currently undergoing treatment at Harlem Hospital; the other is an 18-year-old man also shot in the leg.
According to eyewitnesses, gunfire erupted at around 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 15 on East 123rd Street and 2nd Avenue in what escalated into an apparent broad daylight firefight.
“I heard the shooting. I was sitting down in front of my house,” one woman said. It was really loud, it was scary.”
Another man said he heard about ten shots in rapid succession and saw a young teen being loaded into an ambulance.
Two people were shot in Harlem on Monday evening, one of whom was possibly struck by a police officer.Photo by Dean MosesTwo people were shot in Harlem on Monday evening, one of whom was possibly struck by a police officer.Photo by Dean Moses
“I was still at the window, once the firing finished, that’s when I looked out. I saw them escort a young boy on a stretcher,” a man who gave his name as Steve said.
Sources familiar with the investigation report that cops came upon two people shooting at one another and fired themselves, striking a teen in the leg. Both individuals wounded in the shooting are expected to survive, sources said.
Shell casings could be observed littering both sides of 123 Street taking to more than 20 shots being fired, a car window was also left shattered by a stray round. Police confirmed a firearm was recovered.Photo by Dean Moses
Shell casings could be observed littering both sides of 123rd Street taking to more than 20 shots being fired, a car window was also left shattered by a stray round. Police confirmed a firearm was recovered but it is unclear to whom it belonged.
Police officials are expected to provide an update in the coming hours.
This is a developing story; check with amNY.com for further updates.
It’s a somber ceremony when New Yorkers and the nation vow to “never forget” what happened on that day.
What happened on 9/11
New York City firefighters work at the World Trade Center after two hijacked planes crashed into the Twin Towers September 11, 2001.
Ron Agam / Getty Images
The shorthand “9/11” stands for September 11th, when terrorist carried out coordinated attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and on the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
Nineteen terrorists from the Islamist extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four planes, deliberately crashing two of them into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers and another into the Pentagon.
A fourth hijacked plane was headed for the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., but passengers and crew members fought back, and it crashed into an empty field in Pennsylvania.
While many remember the horrific images of that day, we also share the harrowing stories of first responders and volunteers who rushed to help with the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero.
Looking back at 9/11, 24 years ago
U.S. President George W. Bush sits at his desk in the Oval Office after addressing the nation about the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, DC September11, 2001 in Washington, DC.
Mark Wilson / Getty Images
The 9/11 terror attacks took place 24 years ago on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001.
George W. Bush was nine months into his first term in office, and Rudy Giuliani was in his final months as mayor of New York City.
Derek Jeter was still the Yankees’ captain, “I’m Real” by Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule was atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and Gary Condit and Chandra Levy were a top news story of the day.
The attacks happened on Primary Election Day in the city, less than a week after students went back to school for the year. Polls opened at 6 a.m. that morning, just hours before tragedy struck.
Moments of silence mark when the planes hit the Twin Towers
In this Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 file photo, the remains of the World Trade Center stand amid other debris following the terrorist attack on the buildings in New York.
Alexandre Fuchs / AP
Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower at 8:46 a.m., then Flight 175 struck the South Tower 17 minutes later at 9:03 a.m.
The hijacked planes burst into flames upon impact, and the intensity of their burning jet fuel caused both towers to collapse.
Thursday’s memorial ceremony will pause for six moments of silence to mark when the planes crashed and when each tower fell.
7:59 a.m. — American Airlines Flight 11 takes off from Logan International Airport in Boston with 76 passengers, 11 crew members and five hijackers on board
8:15 a.m. — United Airlines Flight 175 takes off in Boston with 51 passengers, nine crew members and five hijackers
8:20 a.m. — American Airlines Flight 77 takes off from Washington Dulles International Airport in D.C. with 53 passengers, six crew members and five hijackers
8:42 a.m. — United Airlines Flight 93 takes off from Newark Liberty International Airport with 33 passengers, seven crew members and four hijackers
8:46 a.m. — Flight 11 crashes into the North Tower in Lower Manhattan
9:03 a.m. — Flight 175 crashes into the South Tower
9:37 a.m. — Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon in D.C.
9:59 a.m. — South Tower collapses
10:03 a.m. — Flight 93 crashes into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after the passengers and crew stormed the cockpit
10:28 a.m. — North Tower collapses
In addition to the Twin Towers, five other buildings were destroyed by the damage at the World Trade Center. The cleanup efforts took months, and the last piece of steel was ceremonially removed on May 30, 2002.
Number of people killed on 9/11 was highest death toll on U.S. soil
Firefighter Gerard McGibbon, of Engine 283 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, prays after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed September 11, 2001.
Mario Tama / Getty Images
The attacks killed 2,977 people from 90 different countries.
Most of them — 2,753 — were killed in New York, while 184 were killed at the Pentagon and 40 were killed on board Flight 93.
The World Trade Center stood as a symbol of America’s global economic power, and the Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in the city. Somewhere between 16,400 and 18,000 people were inside the complex at the time.
These were the deadliest attacks ever on U.S. soil, following the more than 2,400 Americans killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Only pandemics or natural disasters have claimed more U.S. lives.
The World Trade Center was also attacked in 1993, when terrorists detonated a van underground, killing six people and injuring thousands.
Renee Anderson is a digital producer at CBS New York, where she covers breaking news and other local stories. Before joining the team in 2016, Renee worked at WMUR-TV.
NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, in announcing the arrest, said the suspect — identified as Jamel McGriff — had been apprehended in Midtown Manhattan after being spotted by officers in the area.
NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, in announcing the arrest, said the suspect — identified as Jamel McGriff — had been apprehended in Midtown Manhattan after being spotted by officers in the area.
“Jamel McGriff was taken into custody a short time ago by the NYPD. He was spotted in Midtown Manhattan by eagle-eyed cops who didn’t hesitate before jumping into action,” Tisch wrote.
Police sources say cops were able to track his movement using a department app known as the domain awareness system after it pinged that he had used the victims’ credit cards. He was arrested in Times Square around 5:40 p.m. on 44th Street and Seventh Avenue.
A citywide manhunt had been underway for McGriff since Tuesday, a day after he allegedly knocked on the door to the Bellerose, Queens home of Frank and Maureen Olton on 254th Street at around 3:20 p.m. on Sept. 8 and asked to charge his phone.
According to authorities, the inferno engulfed a home located at 87-86 254th St. in Bellerose around 3:20 p.m. on Sept. 8. When firefighters arrived, they put out the blaze but found two seniors dead.Photo via Google Maps
Police believe he spent the next five hours torturing 77-year-old Frank Olton and 78-year-old Maureen Olton before he set fires to their bodies.
Frank Olton was later found tied to a support beam in the basement with a bungee cord, while his wife was discovered severely burned on the first floor.
Police tied McGriff to the killing after obtaining surveillance camera footage from the scene; his parole officer had made the positive identification, sources familiar with the case said.
On Tuesday, Tisch noted that McGriff had been out on parole for a first-degree robbery conviction dating back to 2006.
“After serving more than 16 years on that conviction, he then failed to register as a sex offender in November of 2024, which should have violated his parole,” the commissioner added. “He is also wanted by the NYPD for two other recent robberies committed in Manhattan.”
Sources close to the investigation said McGriff had visited a nearby home in Bellerose asking to charge his phone, but was turned away. Then he visited the Olton residence.
Police believe the horrendous crime was motivated by robbery. He was caught on surveillance video on Monday pawning two cellphones in the Bronx.
This is a breaking news story; check with amNewYork for updates.
The NYPD Crime Scene Unit processes a fatal double stabbing at Ridgewood Avenue and Cresent Street.
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
A double stabbing in Brooklyn’s Cypress Hills neighborhood early Friday left a 30-year-old man dead and another man hospitalized, police said.
Officers from the 102nd Precinct in Queens responded just before 1 a.m. to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center after two men arrived there by private transportation with stab wounds, according to the NYPD.
A 30-year-old man who had been stabbed in the armpit was later pronounced dead, police said, noting that a 25-year-old man who suffered a stab wound to the stomach was listed in stable condition.
Investigators later determined the stabbings took place near Ridgewood Avenue and Crescent Street, within the 75th Precinct, in Cypress Hills.
So far, police have yet to ascertain a possible motive for the stabbing or a suspect’s description. Sources familiar with the case said the 25-year-old victim has been highly uncooperative.
Police cordon off Ridgewood Avenue in Brooklyn’s Cypress Hills on Friday following a double stabbing that killed a 30-year-old man and injured another.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
The identity of the man who died is being withheld pending family notification.
As the Crime Scene Unit processed the scene early Friday, onlookers wondered what had led up to the situation, but said it was not an unfamiliar scene in the area.
“There is always something going on over here; it never fails,” said Crystal Rodriguez, who has lived in the neighborhood for eight years. “This is my third or fourth time seeing the crime scene unit here.”
Barry King, another long-time resident, said the area needs a stronger police presence. “There is always senseless violence here. We are tired of it.”
A pair of glasses lays on the ground near an evidence marker.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
The 75th Precinct has seen a 29.6% uptick in homicides year-to-date through Aug. 31, according to the most recent CompStat report. As of the end of August, the Cypress Hills precinct had logged 9 homicides, up from 7 during the same period last year
As of Aug. 31, homicides in the 75th Precinct were up nearly 29% compared with the same period last year, according to police data.
No arrests have been made in this case, and anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
Detectives have yet to determine how the incident unfolded, as the surviving victim has reportedly been uncooperative.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
Seven people were shot, and one person was slashed in the area surrounding Brooklyn’s West Indian Day Parade on Labor Day despite a surge of cops along the route.
Photo by Dean Moses
Seven people were shot, and one person was slashed in the area surrounding Brooklyn’s West Indian Day Parade on Labor Day despite a surge of cops along the route.
“They’re working around the clock to ensure that all New Yorkers who visit and participate will do so in a safe way,” Mayor Eric Adams said of authorities last week, leading up to the notoriously troubled parade. Although Adams and police brass said they strove to stave off dangers this year as the celebrations wore on, violence marred the festivities.
The first incident occurred around 5:35 p.m. on Sept. 1 as the parade was still in full swing. Police say shots erupted on Eastern Parkway and Utica Avenue and injured two people.
Law enforcement sources said a man in his 20s was struck by a bullet in the leg, while a 42-year-old woman was left with a graze wound to her buttocks. Both victims were rushed to Kings County Hospital in stable condition.
Just after 6 p.m. Monday, authorities said, a man was attacked with a knife and slashed across his face on Eastern Parkway and Nostrand Avenue, cops said. He fled into a nearby train station and was treated by cops, but refused further medical attention and was uncooperative with police.
Just before 7 p.m. on Sept. 1, police reported that two people were shot along Eastern Parkway and Classon Avenue: a 36-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the shoulder and a 21-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the chest. Both were taken to Kings Country Hospital in stable condition.
Around the same time on Nostrand Avenue and Sterling Street, a 53-year-old man was shot in the neck and right leg, while a 40-year-old man was hit in the left ankle. Both were treated at Kings County Hospital and listed in stable condition. In this incident, police cuffed 31-year-old Dashawn Fleming and charged him with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm.
Finally, the carnage ended in Brooklyn when a young teen was shot at around 9:38 p.m. on Sept. 1 along Rochester Avenue near Eastern Parkway. Cops say a 14-year-old boy was shot in the left hand and back. He was rushed to Maimonides Medical Center in stable condition.
“After a day of celebration for the community and city, the plague of gun violence struck. I pray for the swift recoveries of the New Yorkers injured in these separate attacks, and am relieved that all appear to be in stable condition,” Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said in a statement.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
Upper Manhattan detectives are looking for a hateful robber who assaulted a man on a subway train on Sunday morning after threatening to call ICE on him.
According to police sources, the disturbing incident unfolded at around 03:39 a.m. on Aug. 31 aboard a northbound 1 train as it pulled into the 86th Street station on the Upper West Side.
Cops say a man approached a 23-year-old Hispanic straphanger and started a verbal dispute.
Sources with knowledge of the incident reported that the suspect threatened the victim, telling him, “You don’t belong in this country,” before adding, “I’m going to call ICE on you.”
Cops say things escalated when the perpetrator launched an attack, punching the commuter some six times about the head. During the assault, he grabbed the victim’s duffel bag and threw it before snatching his iPhone and fleeing.
While the victim was not able to recover his cellphone, he was able to retrieve his bag, police said. He refused medical treatment.
A description of the suspect was not immediately available. No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
This comes amid escalating tensions over President Donald Trump’s weeping immigration agenda that has many in the immigrant community fearful of ICE, as well as families detained by federal agents as they attended routine immigration hearings.
Caribbean Americans celebrated their culture as they paraded up Eastern Parkway at the West Indian Day Parade. File Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
At a press conference at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch outlined the NYPD’s security measures for one of the city’s largest annual events, J’Ouvert and the West Indian American Day Parade on Aug. 29.
Mayor Eric Adams held a security briefing ahead of J’Ouvert and the West Indian Day Parade on Labor Day. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
The vibrant traditions draw hundreds of thousands of spectators every year. While Adams and Tisch announced that, at this time, there were no known specific, credible threats to the J’Ouvert Festival or the West Indian American Day Parade, both emphasized that thousands of NYPD officers would be out in full force to ensure “safe, secure, and peaceful celebrations.”
“There is nothing like Carnival,” Adams said. “We’re excited about the music, the energy, the fashion, and fun that is associated with it. And this community knows how to throw on a great party, and we want to make sure that everyone can enjoy it in a very safe way.”
“This will be the largest police deployment of the year, even bigger than our deployments for New Year’s Eve in Times Square, even bigger than our deployments for July 4,” Tisch noted.
NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch shared the security and safety measures the NYPD put in place for J’Ouvert and the West Indian Day Parade on Labor Day. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
Spectator access to J’Ouvert, the pre-dawn celebration marking the start of Carnival, will begin at 2 a.m. — four hours before the event kicks off at 6 a.m.
Tisch announced that there will be 13 security checkpoints along Empire Boulevard and Nostrand Avenue, where all spectators will be screened with handheld metal detectors by NYPD personnel before entering the viewing areas. Street closures in the area will begin at 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31, and will remain in effect until 11 a.m. on Monday.
Flatbush Avenue will be closed from Grand Army Plaza to Empire Boulevard. Empire will be closed from Flatbush across to Nostrand; Nostrand Avenue will be closed from Empire Boulevard down to Rutland Road.
Some of the security measures for the West Indian American Day Parade, which kicks off at 11 a.m. at Rochester Avenue and Eastern Parkway, include the NYPD’s Emergency Services, Counterterrorism, Bomb Squad, canine units, and field intelligence officers. Additionally, helicopters and drones will surveil the parade route, assisting NYPD officers on the ground. The Joint Operations Center will monitor fixed and mobile cameras along the route and surrounding areas, while intelligence teams will monitor social media for potential threats.
“Response units will be deployed to investigate any reports in real time,” Tisch said. “As always, there will be assets that you will see and others that you will not see. While cops will be out there to keep you safe, we ask everyone to stay alert. If you see something suspicious or something doesn’t feel right, tell a uniformed officer or call 911.”
Past celebrations, however, have been marred by violence. Last year, a gunman opened fire along the parade route, killing one person and wounding four others.
Tisch announced that this year, the NYPD will install two rows of barricades, as opposed to just one, along the parade route.
“Spectators may not jump barricades to join performers or marchers, and any unauthorized individuals on the route will be removed and may be subject to arrest,” Tisch warned.
The commissioner also urged spectators to use public transportation due to street closures, which will begin at 6 a.m. when Eastern Parkway will be shut down between Ralph Avenue and Utica Avenue, as well as the surrounding side streets. Rockaway Parkway, Buffalo Avenue, East New York Avenue, Portal Street, Rochester Avenue, and Union Street will also be closed. At approximately 10:30 a.m., Eastern Parkway will be fully closed from Utica down to Grand Army Plaza. All northbound and southbound streets feeding into the Parkway will also be closed.
Tisch and Adams further announced the deployment of 2,500 police officers to keep New Yorkers safe over the Labor Day weekend.
Building on the mayor’s effort to take guns off New York City streets and combat gang violence, the NYPD has identified parks where gang violence occurs.
“Those parks will have 24/7 police presence,” Tisch announced. “2,500 uniformed members of service who are going to be walking foot posts, both on our streets and importantly, in our parks.”
When asked about the mayor’s announcement to deploy 1,000 additional NYPD officers to patrol the Bronx, Adams wouldn’t provide any details on which areas of the Bronx the officers would be policing.
Mayor Eric Adams held a security briefing ahead of J’Ouvert and the West Indian Day Parade on Labor Day. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
“If we tell you where they’re located, then the bad guys will know where [the cops] are located. That’s the purpose of not broadcasting exactly how we’re going to implement our enforcement,” Adams said. “They’re going to be doing foot patrol. They’re going to be on the ground, interacting with the public, addressing quality of life issues, making sure our parks are safe.”
NEW YORK (WABC) — Visitors to the nation’s capital this week are seeing armed National Guard troops – 2,200 of them – and while no such order has been given to deploy troops in New York City so far, a big question is whether or not the Trump administration could see a need to do so.
National Guard troops have been deployed, not to high crime areas of Washington, D.C., but instead at national monuments and in train stations.
“They’re armed, capable of defending themselves and others, if need be, supporting law enforcement,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said.
But Commissioner Jessica Tisch says the NYPD doesn’t need that kind of support, telling Attorney General Pam Bondi in a sit-down meeting on Monday that the department can handle the city’s crime, and that gun violence is down so far this year.
Bondi appeared publicly at Brooklyn Federal on Monday before the meeting with Tisch.
According to a source, the two also discussed drones.
The commissioner has made no secret that the NYPD would like the authority to take down drones suspected in criminal activity, authority only the federal government currently has.
The Trump administration is now flexing the federal muscle of the National Guard or considering it in other major cities.
Violent crime is also down in Chicago in the last four years, and the governor of Illinois says National Guard troops aren’t needed.
“This is about Donald Trump searching for any justification to deploy the military in a blue city, in a blue state, to try and intimidate his political rivals,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said.
The cities with the highest violent crime rates are in red states: St. Louis and New Orleans. They have Democratic mayors, but are in states with Republican governors, and it’s governors that can decide whether to deploy National Guard troops.
On Monday, ABC News’ Rachel Scott asked the president if he would consider sending them to cities with high crime in red states.
“Sure. But there aren’t that many of them. If you look at the top 25 cities for crime, just about every one of those cities is run by Democrats,” President Donald Trump said.
President Trump also signed an order on Monday that would strip federal funding from states and cities that use cashless bail. That also involves Attorney General Bondi, who will have 30 days to create a list of jurisdictions that have eliminated it.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a statement on Monday, calling it reckless to withhold federal funds, saying it would only undercut law enforcement and make communities less safe.
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
David Luciano, 27, was arrested after police said he attacked two men in Central Park in the early hours of Monday morning.
Photo by GettyImages/JayLazarin
Police arrested a 27-year-old man for allegedly assaulting two men in random attacks in the early hours of Monday morning inside Central Park, authorities said.
David Luciano was taken into custody after police said he attacked an 18-year-old and a 37-year-old in separate incidents minutes apart on the morning of Aug. 25.
The first assault happened around 1:20 a.m. near 8201 East Drive, where Luciano allegedly punched, kicked, and choked the 18-year-old victim, police said.
A short time later, Luciano allegedly attacked the 37-year-old near West 93rd Street, throwing him to the ground and biting his ear, according to police.
Both victims were taken to Lincoln Hospital for treatment.
A witness who tried to intervene during one of the attacks had his bicycle stolen, though officers later recovered it, police said.
Luciano faces two counts each of assault and criminal obstruction of breathing, along with a petit larceny charge, authorities said. He was taken to an area hospital for a psych evaluation following the arrest.
Police said it was not immediately clear where Luciano lives. Reports that he may be homeless have not been confirmed.
As of Aug. 17, assaults in the Central Park Precinct have risen to 13 from 11 during the same period last year, while reports of petit larceny have dropped to 19 from 34.
Citywide, assaults are slightly down, with 18,603 reported so far this year compared with 18,814 in 2024, per the latest NYPD statistics.
A New York City Police Department officer was shot while responding to an attempted carjacking, officials confirm. CBS News New York’s Natalie Duddridge reports.
Surveillance images released by the NYPD on Aug. 21 show three of six suspects wanted in connection with the July 4 robbery in Brooklyn
Photo by NYPD/Crimestoppers
Six people are wanted in connection with a robbery last month in Brooklyn in which a 50-year-old man was beaten with an iron stick and had about $800 stolen, the NYPD said Thursday.
The incident occurred on Friday, July 4, at approximately 4:30 a.m. in front of 827 59th Street, a residential building on the border of Borough Park and Sunset Park.
Officers from the 66th Precinct allege that the suspects struck the victim multiple times with an iron stick, causing pain and swelling, and took his wallet containing about $800.
EMS transported the 50-year-old to Maimonides Medical Center in stable condition after the violent robbery.
The six suspects were last seen fleeing in a dark-colored Mercedes-Benz SUV westbound on 59th Street toward 8th Avenue, according to authorities.
Police released surveillance images of the group on Thursday, Aug. 21, and are asking the public for help identifying them.
The first suspect is a light-complexioned male last seen wearing a white hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black slippers with white socks, and carrying a black backpack. The second is a light-complexioned male with black hair, last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black pants, and black sneakers.
Surveillance images released by the NYPD on Aug. 21 show the other three suspects wanted in connection with the July 4 robberyPhoto by NYPD/Crimestoppers
The third suspect is a light-complexioned female, last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black shorts, and white sneakers. The fourth is a light-complexioned male, last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black shorts, and white sneakers.
The fifth suspect is a light-complexioned male with a heavy build who wears glasses. He was last seen wearing a black shirt over a gray t-shirt, black shorts, and white sneakers. The sixth is a light-complexioned male, last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black pants, and white sneakers.
The 66th Precinct, covering Borough Park and Kensington has recorded 63 robberies so far this year, down from 74 during the same period last year. The nearby 72nd Precinct in Sunset Park has seen 59 robberies this year, a decline of more than 50% from 122 at the same time in 2024, per the latest NYPD data.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or on X @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential.
