President Biden renewed a push for a ban on assault weapons on Wednesday as he spoke to survivors and families impacted by gun violence.

The president delivered the remarks at the 10th Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence.

Biden spoke about meeting and praying with families who suffered during the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, adding that they were able to turn pain into purpose.

BIDEN PITCHES BANNING ASSAULT WEAPONS AT DEM FUNDRAISER: ‘I DON’T KNOW MANY DEER WEARING KEVLAR VESTS'

Specifically, he said he was able to get "the most significant gun law passed in 30 years," but it was not enough.

"...Our work continues to limit the number of bullets that can be in a cartridge, the type of weapon that can be purchased and sold, the attempt to ban assault weapons, a whole range of things that are just common sense, just simple common sense," Biden said. "But you know, we did it before, you may remember, in the nineties we did it…And guess what, it worked. The number of violent mass murders reduced were significant, a lot of people’s lives were saved. You know, we can do it again."

In 1994, lawmakers approved the assault weapons ban as a standalone bill, which was authored by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who was a congressman from Brooklyn at the time.

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY POPS BIDEN'S HOPES FOR ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN, SAYS THE VOTES AREN'T THERE

Schumer said then that the assault weapons were not made for hunting or target practice. Instead, he said, "they are made simply to kill as many people, people, people as possible. As fast as possible."

The impact of the assault weapons prohibition was mixed.

The federal assault weapons ban was originally in effect between 1994 and 2004 as part of former President Clinton's crime bill. Since its expiration, Democrats have been actively pushing for the ban to be reinstated.

The California Highway Patrol announced the arrests of 27 people Wednesday in connection with a massive "fix-it" ticket scheme related to illegal street races that have plagued parts of Southern California.

The accused ringleader, 21-year-old Angel Zahid Sanchez-Peralta, a Los Angeles resident, allegedly forged the signatures of current and retired CHP officers on the tickets. 

The tickets were issued for violations such as unlawful modifications to a vehicle or if a part is missing. Drivers can fix the issue and have an officer sign off that the violation has been corrected to avoid any penalties. 

LA SHERIFF VILLANUEVA CONCEDES RACE FOR REELECTION

Sanchez-Peralta sold the forged signatures for $300 each, officials said Wednesday. Authorities said about 250 citations issued during street racing events were signed off.

Many of the tickets were for the modification of engines and motors to make them more powerful and louder, CHP said. Others were for emissions, which allowed motorists to avoid having to get vehicles smog tested, a requirement in California. 

Sanchez-Peralta was arrested in August and was released when he posted $20,000 bail, according to court records, Fox Los Angeles reported. He is also charged with driving without a valid driver's license and reckless driving. In October, he was charged with 33 counts of attempting to file a false or forged instrument and a count of attempting to procure or offer a false or forged instrument, all felonies, according to court records.

He pleaded not guilty Nov. 16 and is next due in court for a pretrial hearing Dec. 21.

On Tuesday, authorities arrested 27 others in Orange County allegedly involved in the scheme following a two-year investigation. All attempted to get their tickets signed off illegally, CHP said. 

Street racing and street takeovers where crowds and motorists take over an intersection have plagued certain neighborhoods in and around Los Angeles. Videos of some of the gatherings have captured shootings and cars striking onlookers. 

"Street racing is always illegal and extremely dangerous," a CHP statement said. "Participants and onlookers could be killed or seriously injured because of street racing activities."

Cities in which some of the illegal gatherings occurred have passed ordinances allowing the police to tow cars involved and other measures. 

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for damaging two power substations in Moore County.

The state’s reward brings the total combined amount being offered to find the culprit(s) to $75,000, with Duke Energy and Moore County offering $25,000 each.

"An attack on our critical infrastructure will not be tolerated," Cooper said. "I appreciate the coordinated efforts of law enforcement to leave no stone unturned in finding the criminals who did this, and I thank Moore County and Duke Energy for matching the state’s reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible."

NORTH CAROLINA POWER OUTAGE: DUKE ENERGY SAYS ALL EQUIPMENT DAMAGE FIXED

Two substations operated by Duke Energy were taken out by gunfire on Saturday night at approximately 7 p.m., leaving over 40,000 people without electricity.

Federal, state and local officials have said the attack was intentional, and no motive had been revealed as of Wednesday.

Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields described the incident as something the county had never faced before, saying there was extensive damage found at two substations caused by gunshots. 

NORTH CAROLINA SHERIFF SAYS ‘INTENTIONAL VANDALISM’ AT SUBSTATIONS CAUSED POWER OUTAGES FOR 40K CUSTOMERS

On Monday, the FBI joined the investigation into the incident, which was already being investigated by county law enforcement and the State Bureau of Investigations, or SBI.

Fields said on Sunday he had no information about there being truth to rumors that the outages were somehow linked to a protest at a drag show. "No, none that I’m aware of. Is it possible? Yes, anything’s possible. But we have not been able to tie anything back to the drag show," Fields told reporters Sunday.

NORTH CAROLINA POWER OUTAGE: FEDERAL MEMO FLAGS WASHINGTON, OREGON SUBSTATION ATTACKS SIMILAR TO MOORE COUNTY

Jeff Brooks, from Duke Energy, originally expected the outages to last until Thursday, but restoration times were bumped up to Wednesday.

"During our investigation of the outage, we did determine that there had been intentional impact on the substation, damaging multiple pieces of equipment in the substation and causing power to go out there," Brooks said. "Unlike, perhaps a storm, where you could go in and reroute power somewhere else, that was not an option in this case, so repair has to be completed. In many cases, some of that equipment will have to be replaced, and our crews are currently working on the repair plan."

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As of 8 p.m. on Wednesday, only one person was listed without electricity in Moore County, according to PowerOutage.us.

Thousands of Texas drivers were hit with high toll bills after they used transponders to pay their tolls and were charged late fees, despite paying their bills on time.

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is taking responsibility for a glitch that caused about 1,200 TxTag and CTRMA customers to be charged late fees.

 CTRMA manages toll roads like 183A, 290, 71 and the Mopac express lanes throughout Texas. 

"Our vendor alerted us on November 9, 2022, to an issue that delayed the posting of certain payments," CTRMA said in a statement on Wednesday. "This issue impacted a very small subset of the payments processed between October 21 and November 14, 2022."

Officials say they are working with the vendors and their payment processing company to fix the glitch, and come up with a solution.

TEXAS GIRL ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY FEDEX DRIVER REMEMBERED BY MOTHER IN EMOTIONAL MESSAGE: 'KEEP HER STORY ALIVE'

The agency says those incorrect charges have already been reversed, but refunds for drivers who already paid the fees are still processing and may take a couple of weeks to go through. 

Once refunds are processed, the money will be sent by mail. You can check your account online to make sure the charge was reversed at mobilityauthority.com.

TEXAS SMUGGLER LEADS DPS OFFICERS ON HIGH-SPEED CHASE, IMMIGRANTS BAIL FROM VEHICLE IN DRAMATIC VIDEO

Customers should expect to receive letters in the coming week explaining the situation.

This isn't the first time the Texas Department of Transportation’s tolling system has faced billing problems with customers. 

In 2015, the agency gave back about $1.7 million to tollway users who had been overcharged. It is unclear how much money the state will owe drivers who were wrongfully charged in this recent debacle. 

A Connecticut woman died in an axe attack Tuesday, days after being granted a full no-contact restraining order against her suspected killer while warning authorities of the danger she faced, police said Wednesday. 

Julie Minogue, 40, said the suspect, Ewen Dewitt, sent her harassing text messages when she asked for protection. 

"I don't feel I should be subjected to this abuse any longer," she wrote in a Nov. 17 affidavit, the Connecticut Post reported. "I am scared for the safety of my children and I. Ewen has got himself into a lot of trouble with drugs and alcohol, and I'm scared he's going to kill me."

CONNECTICUT MOTHER HAILED AS A HERO FOR SAVING DAUGHTER FROM RACOON ATTACK: ‘I JUMPED INTO ACTION’

Dewitt, 42, has been charged with murder, risk of injury, reckless endangerment and criminal violations of a standing protective order and a restraining order, the Milford Police Department said. He appeared in court Wednesday and was ordered held on a $5 million bond. 

Authorities said Minogue's 17-year-old son called 911 on Tuesday to report his mother was being assaulted by a man inside their home. 

"The first arriving officers cleared the residence and discovered that the suspect had fled prior to their arrival. The victim was found deceased inside the home," a police statement said.

Investigators believe an axe was used during the attack but that has not yet been confirmed by a medical examiner, police said. A 3-year-old child was inside the home and found unharmed.

He was arrested in 2019 for assaulting Minogue and a standing protective order was issued at the time. On Dec. 1, Minogue was granted a full, no-contact restraining order after she complained about the text messages. 

Investigators said the pair had been in a prior relationship. 

The Moscow (Idaho) Police Department said Wednesday that detectives want to speak with occupants of a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra that was near the off-campus home where four college students were brutally murdered on Nov. 13. 

 "Tips and leads have led investigators to look for additional information about a vehicle being in the immediate area of the King Street residence during the early morning hours of November 13th. Investigators believe the occupant(s) of this vehicle may have critical information to share regarding this case," police said in a news release. 

"If you know of or own a vehicle matching this description, or know of anyone who may have been driving this vehicle on the days preceding or the day of the murders, please forward that information to the Tip Line."

The car's license plate is unknown. 

UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO MURDERS TIMELINE: WHAT WE KNOW

Authorities have received 2,645 emailed tips, 2,770 phone tips and 1,084 digital media submissions during the investigation thus far, but still have not identified a suspect or located a murder weapon. 

Xana Kernodle, 20; Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were stabbed to death at the off-campus residence in the early morning hours of Nov. 13. 

Moscow Police Department Chief James Fry and other law enforcement officers were at the home on Wednesday packing up some of the personal belongings of the victims. 

"It's time for us to get those things back that really mean something to those families and hopefully help with some of their healing," he said. 

IDAHO MURDERS: 25% TO 40% OF STUDENTS CHOSE NOT TO RETURN TO CAMPUS

Five vehicles that were previously parked outside of the home were removed last week and taken to a city-owned lot for further evidence gathering. 

Investigators have appealed to the college town of about 25,000 to report anything out of the ordinary that could be related to the murders. 

"Your information, whether you believe it is significant or not, might be the piece of the puzzle that helps investigators solve these murders," the Moscow Police Department said in a statement.

The public can call in tips at 208-883-7180, email tipline@ci.moscow.id.us or submit digital media here.

Five men allegedly involved in the failed plot by the Wolverine Watchmen militia group and its associates to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were ordered to stand trial Wednesday.

Michael Null, William Null, Eric Molitor and Shawn Fix, all from Michigan, are accused of providing material support for terrorist acts as well as a gun crime. Brian Higgins of Wisconsin Dells, a Wisconsin resident, was charged with providing material support for terrorist acts.

District Judge Michael Stepka ruled that evidence presented in a preliminary hearing justified a trial in Antrim County, where Whitmer’s vacation home is located and prosecutors say the abduction was slated to take place. Prosecutors say four of the defendants scouted the house and surroundings, and there was talk of blowing up a bridge to keep police from responding.

MICHIGAN GOV. WHITMER KIDNAPPING PLOT: 3 MEN CONVICTED OF SUPPORT FOR TERRORIST ACT

"They knew what they were doing," Stepka said. "They were all involved in the plot to kidnap the governor."

He entered not guilty pleas on behalf of the five men. In a statement, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said the ruling "sends a clear message that acts of domestic terrorism will not be tolerated."

"Those who threaten our law enforcement agents and public officials endanger our entire state and must be held accountable," she said. 

The suspects were part of a plot targeting law enforcement, elected officials and Whitmer, prosecutors said. Authorities have described the participants as militia members who favored a violent rebellion against the government. 

Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., described as ringleaders, were convicted of conspiracy in federal court on Aug. 23. Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks pleaded guilty, while Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were acquitted at trial in April.

A pre-trial court hearing for the five suspects is scheduled for Dec. 19 at 8 a.m. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A bat-wielding suspect who attacked a man on a New York City street in broad daylight has been arrested, authorities said Wednesday. 

The suspect, identified as Karim Azizi, 36, is charged with assault, attempted assault and criminal possession of a weapon for the Nov. 29 attack on Amsterdam Avenue and West 148th Street in Harlem, the New York Police Department told Fox News Digital. 

NYC CRIME CRISIS: SUSPECT STRIKES MAN IN HEAD WITH BASEBALL BAT, POLICE STILL SEARCHING FOR SUSPECT

Azizi was arrested around 8 a.m. Wednesday, the NYPD said. 

Video footage of the attack shows a man dressed in all black with his face covered pulling a bat from his pants and hitting a 47-year-old man in the back of the head as he walks down the street. 

NYC WOMAN TRIES TO KIDNAP 5-YEAR-OLD BOY IN FRONT OF PARENTS ON BROOKLYN STREET, POLICE SAY

The victim falls to the ground and rolls around in pain. The suspect walks away and then comes back where he appears to yell and stomps on the man. 

The victim was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition. Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the attack. The New York Post reported that the suspect and victim had a verbal argument before the attack, citing police sources.

MOSCOW, Idaho – Police spent over two hours Wednesday packing up the belongings of four murdered Idaho college students – including one victim's pink cowboy boots that had been displayed in her window. 

Moscow Police Department Chief James Fry and at least six other officers entered the King Road home at about 9:43 a.m. with packages of cardboard boxes.

Madison Mogen, 21, her best friend Kaylee Goncalves,21, Ethan Chapin 20, and his girlfriend, Xana Kernodle, 20, were stabbed to death in the early morning hours of Nov. 13 inside th rental home near campus.

UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO MURDERS TIMELINE: WHAT WE KNOW

Mogen's pink cowboy boots had sat on the ledge of the third story window next to a large, decorative letter "M."

IF IDAHO MURDER VICTIMS ‘WERE GOING TO GO, THEY WERE GOING TO GO TOGETHER,’ FRIEND SAYS

Officers could be seen loading a 10-foot U-Haul with plastic bins, boxes, a white office chair and artwork. 

Fry told reporters at the scene that they had removed "some of the things the family wanted and other belongings that were there."

He was asked if it was difficult for him to return to the crime scene. "We have a job to do," he replied." We owe this to the families, we owe this to the victims, we owe this to our community." 

The packed U-Haul, driven by Fry, was taken to a city lot in downtown Moscow shortly after noon. Family members are expected to retrieve the personal belongings in the coming days.

IDAHO MURDERS: 25% TO 40% OF STUDENTS CHOSE NOT TO RETURN TO CAMPUS

"It's time for us to get those things back that really mean something to those families and hopefully help with some of their healing," Fry said Tuesday.

It has been more than three weeks since the horrific slayings and police have yet to publicly announce a suspect or motive.

Fry told Fox News Tuesday that the police department would do everything in its power to solve the case.

"This case is not going cold. We have tips coming in. We have investigators out every day interviewing people. We’re still reviewing evidence, we’re still looking at all aspects of this," Fry said. "I said early on that no stone will go unturned, and I mean that." 

Local police are working with the Idaho State Police and the FBI. 

Kaylee Goncalves' grieving father, Steve Goncalves, previously told Fox News that he had lost confidence in the Moscow Police Department.

"They’ve messed up a million times. But I don’t get to say that because what experience does Steve have? He doesn’t know. He’s just a dad who woke up one day and had his life turned upside down," he said.

The Moscow Police Department is asking that the public call in tips at 208-883-7180, email tipline@ci.moscow.id.us or submit digital media here.

A Border Patrol union turned to Twitter on Wednesday and blasted President Biden’s policies regarding the southern border of the U.S. and his refusal to visit the area.

"Joe Biden created this massive, chaotic mess at our border with his policies," Border Patrol Union – NBPC said on Twitter. "That is a straight up fact. And now he refuses to even look at the damage he’s done while he hides behind his slick WH propaganda team. This is not leadership, it’s cowardice."

The comment comes a day after Biden defended his decision to skip visiting the U.S.-Mexico border while in Arizona, saying, "There are more important things."

BIDEN DEFENDS SKIPPING BORDER VISIT WHILE IN ARIZONA, SAYS THERE ARE 'MORE IMPORTANT THINGS'

Biden has not visited the border during his presidency, despite an ongoing crisis with the number of illegal immigrants entering the U.S. from Mexico.

On Tuesday, White House officials even fired back at critics who attacked Biden for saying he had "more important things" to do.

ARIZONA SHERIFFS FIRE BACK AFTER BIDEN SCOFFS AT BORDER VISIT: 'SLAP IN THE FACE TO EVERY AMERICAN'

In a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, a White House spokesperson said the president’s top priority is to invest in the American economy and in American communities, along with outcompeting China and bringing jobs back from overseas.

"Of course, the President is also taking action to secure our border and build a fair, orderly, and humane immigration system," the spokesman’s statement continued, adding that Biden has secured increased funding for the Department of Homeland Security. "President Biden is focused on real solutions, not political stunts. And if border security is such a top priority for Republican officials, voting against President Biden’s request for record funding for the Department of Homeland Security, as Representative [Chip] Roy did, is an odd way to show it."

BIDEN NOT SCHEDULED FOR FIRST BORDER VISIT DESPITE BEING JUST 100 MILES AWAY

In September, statistics showed there were 2,378,944 migrant encounters, which was the highest-ever recorded in a fiscal year. The figure does not include the 599,000 known "gotaways" reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) who evaded capture.

The following month, CBP reported 230,000 border encounters, an all-time monthly record that broke the previous mark set in September.

A venue in Texas has canceled its remaining drag show performances for the rest of the year after claiming it was "bullied" with threats when footage went viral of one of their shows being attended by a child.

"The Island of Misfit Toys Drive and Drag Show" event that took place Dec. 2 at The Starlighter, a live music venue in San Antonio, was put on by the BIPOC alternative drag troupe House of Eternas and hosted by someone named "Miss Taint," according to an advertisement.

The event welcomed all ages and featured a screening of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," according to extensive footage recorded by journalist Tayler Hansen (WARNING: Graphic footage).

A rainbow flag emblazoned with "666" hung on the walls during the event, where performers danced suggestively to songs with lyrics such as "Under the mistletoe/ Yes, everybody knows/ We will take off our clothes." One of the performers was decked out in an apparent horned devil outfit.

VIDEO OF ALL-AGES DRAG SHOW IN FRONT OF CHILDREN IGNITES OUTRAGE: ‘THIS IS CLEAR CHILD ABUSE’

Hansen's footage also depicted a young girl in attendance, who was seemingly by herself. Video shows one of the performers stroking the girl's hair, and audio has the sound of the girl interacting with one of the drag queens and saying her name is May.

The footage went viral and was met with backlash online, including from South Dakota State Republican Executive Committeewoman Christin Bentley, who tweeted that it was "one of the sickest, most difficult videos to watch of them all."

TEXAS LAWMAKER PLANNING BILL TO BAN CHILDREN FROM DRAG SHOWS: ‘NOT APPROPRIATE AT ALL’

The Starlighter released a statement on Instagram earlier this week following the backlash, explaining how an inundation of threats has led it to cancel any additional all-ages drag show toy drives this year.

"The Starlighter's goal has always been to provide a safe all ages space for entertainment," the establishment said in the statement. "Unfortunately, we're now being made to feel unsafe in our own space. We're being bullied and threatened by both online and comments, reviews [and] tweets.

"For the safety of our queen staff and patrons we're canceling all of the drag events for the remainder of the year. This was a decision made between the queens and the Starlighter owners as a safety measure [and] nothing more," the venue's statement added.

"The child in question was never left unattended or in any danger," the venue further explained. "They are the child of our food vendor that night who was right outside the door. This vendor and their child are very familiar with both staff and queens, and even posted a picture thanking the queens for treating her ‘like a niece’ at the end of the event."

The venue further maintained that the event "was being twisted into something disgusting to fit a political narrative."

TEXAS LAWMAKER ON ARMED ANTIFA MEMBERS SHOWING UP AT ‘KID-FRIENDLY’ DRAG SHOW: ‘THEY WANT TO INTIMIDATE’

Hansen also recorded viral footage in August of a drag show in Roanoke, Texas, that was guarded by armed members of Antifa.

In June, a similar event at a gay bar in Dallas prompted Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton to propose legislation banning children from drag shows.

"We have a lot of laws to protect kids in Texas," Slaton told "Fox & Friends First" at the time. "We don't let them get tattoos. They can't go in sexually oriented businesses. They can't go in liquor stores. And then, of course, children need to just grow up and be children. They don't need to be sexualized. They don't need to be presented with this where they're putting money into men's underwear. It's just not appropriate for children at all."

New York Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday that she moved quickly to address sexual harassment allegations leveled against her then-chief of staff after his accusers came forward. 

In a statement, James publicly named Ibrahim Khan as the staffer who resigned last week amid a third-party probe into the matter. 

"First and foremost, I thank the women who came forward, and I want to assure them that they were heard and that I believe them," she said. 

TRUMP SUES NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL, CLAIMS HER 'WAR OF INTIMIDATION' AND 'OBSESSIVE PURSUIT' IS ILLEGAL

"My office treated this matter as aggressively as every other matter that has come before our office. Within 24 hours, our office took disciplinary action and put Ibrahim Khan under restrictions, and within 72 hours, we engaged an outside law firm that began an impartial and exhaustive review of the allegations," James added. "Mr. Khan resigned while the process was still ongoing."

Media reports last week said Khan had been accused of inappropriate touching and unwanted kissing by at least one woman. 

James said her office spoke with each woman and informed them that their allegations had been substantiated. She said she was "confident in the steps that were taken to swiftly review the allegations and in the integrity of the investigation."

Fox News Digital has reached out to Khan. Khan worked as a spokesperson for James' campaign for New York City public advocate in 2013 before becoming her chief of staff. Before that, he worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign.

James was elected to a second term in November. Khan's resignation came about a year after James' office issued a scathing report on former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s alleged misconduct with women. He was accused of sexually harassing at least 11 women, but he has denied any wrongdoing. 

Cuomo resigned over the scandal and has accused James of politicizing the investigation.

The ex-boyfriend of a woman who was found dead in a shallow grave inside an Alabama barn earlier this year was indicted on one count of abuse of a corpse on Tuesday. 

Marcus Spanevelo, 35, was arrested in Tennessee in April. He was originally charged with tampering with evidence and lying to law enforcement in Santa Rosa County, Florida, but those charges were dropped in October and he was extradited to St. Clair County in Alabama to face the abuse of a corpse charge. 

His ex-girlfriend, 37-year-old Cassie Carli, disappeared on March 27 after the former couple met in the parking lot of a Florida restaurant for a custody exchange of their 4-year-old daughter.

Carli's father reported her missing the next day and her remains were found on April 2 in a shallow grave on a property in Springville, Alabama, that authorities have said is connected to Spanevelo. 

SLAIN FLORIDA MOM CASSIE CARLI'S EX THREW EVIDENCE OUT WINDOW OF TRUCK BEFORE COPS CAUGHT UP WITH HIM: POLICE

The former couple had been in the midst of a years-long custody battle over their daughter. Just 9 days before Carli disappeared, a judge ordered Spanevelo to pay her $5,920 in legal fees associated with the court battle. 

Evidence was scheduled to be presented in a preliminary hearing on the abuse of a corpse count on Tuesday, but the hearing was canceled and Spanevelo was instead served with the indictment in jail, according to AL.com. 

Carli's cause and manner of death was ruled "undetermined" with no obvious signs of trauma, according to St. Clair County Coroner Dennis Russel. Spanevelo is not currently facing any other charges in Carli's death. 

The St. Clair County District Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday about whether additional charges would be filed. 

Jail records did not indicate if Spanevelo has an attorney who could speak on his behalf. 

The mother of Athena Strand – a 7-year-old Texas girl who was found dead last week after being missing for several days – has spoken in public for the first time since her daughter’s passing, saying she wants to "keep her face and her story alive."

Maitlyn Gandy made the remarks Tuesday during a candlelight vigil at the First Baptist Church of Cottondale that was attended by thousands of people in Paradise, Texas, according to Fox4.

"I just want you all to know that she was amazing, and she would truthfully love every single one of you because she loves every human that she has ever met and every animal that she has ever met," Gandy said.

"And I just wanted to say thank you to all the volunteers and just coming out and supporting her. Even if you guys did not look for her, I know people were sharing her story all over social media," Gandy continued. "I just want to keep her face and her story alive because I want everyone to know Athena for Athena, and not for what someone tried to make her out to be, because she's the best little girl."

MOTHER OF ATHENA STRAND POSTS EMOTIONAL TRIBUTES: ‘NO ONE DESERVES THIS’ 

Athena Strand was found dead in Boyd, Texas, on Friday, outside the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Tanner Lynn Horner, a 30-year-old contract driver for FedEx, is charged with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping in connection to Strand’s death.

Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin described the girl’s abduction as a "crime of opportunity," explaining that Horner allegedly admitted to abducting Strand while delivering a package to her North Texas home on Wednesday. The girl’s stepmother reported her missing. Two days later, the girl’s body was found less than 10 miles from her father’s home. The suspect reportedly did not know the victim or the girl’s family.

Strand was reportedly staying with her father and stepmother in Texas before she was to return to her mother, Maitlyn Gandy, in Oklahoma around Christmas. 

The motive for the crime has not been disclosed.

"I don't care if it is five years from now, 10 years from now, 20 years from now — remember Athena Strand," Gandy said Tuesday. 

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.

Inmates at the violent West Virginia prison where infamous gangster James "Whitey" Bulger was brutally murdered in 2018 were tipped off he would be transferred there, according to a Justice Department watchdog tasked with reviewing the killing. 

Though Bureau of Prison employees did not act with "malicious intent or an improper purpose," there were "serious job performance and management failures" that compromised Bulger's safety at Hazelton prison in West Virginia, the DOJ Inspector General's office said in a new report. 

He had been housed in the general population at Hazelton for less than 12 hours before he was found beaten to death Oct. 30, 2018. Three Hazelton inmates, including a Mafia hitman, were charged in his death Aug. 18, 2022.

The DOJ Office of the Inspector General opened an investigation due to "unusual" circumstances in Bulger's transfer to Hazelton. His age, his ailing health and his notoriety as an FBI informant each gave rise to questions over his transfer to one of the most violent prisons in America, nicknamed "Misery Mountain." 

SLAIN MOBSTER WHITEY BULGER WAS BEATEN BY INMATES FOR 7 MINUTES – BUT WASN'T FOUND UNTIL 2 HOURS LATER: FEDS

The 99-page report details how federal prison officials had approved Bulger's transfer from a Florida prison — Coleman II — even though he had known health problems. It also presents troubling evidence that BOP officials had let slip to inmates that Bulger would soon arrive at the prison, apparently unaware of the obvious threat to Bulger's life that information would cause. 

More than 100 BOP officials were made known of Bulger's upcoming transfer to Hazelton. Some of those officials had openly discussed the transfer in the presence of Hazelton inmates. Additionally, news stories were reporting the details of Bulger's impending transfer. "Everyone knew" Bulger would be killed because he was a "rat," one inmate told prison officials, according to the report. 

JAMES ‘WHITEY’ BULGER KILLING: SON OF BOSTON MOBSTER'S ACCUSED HITMAN SEEKING ANSWERS FOR DELAY IN CHARGES

The report indicated that prison officials decided to send Bulger to Hazelton because it was closer to his family in Boston, had appropriate medical care facilities and "took good care of the inmates." But investigators found the steps BOP personnel took to assess the threat to Bulger from other inmates were "lacking." Several BOP officials said they were unaware of Bulger's notoriety or did not consider his identity in making decisions about his transfer, the report said. 

Investigators found that officials at the Florida prison, supported by the Bureau of Prisons medical director, had downgraded Bulger's health assessment, which cleared the way for his transfer to Hazelton. 

"Our investigation revealed serious BOP staff and management performance failures at multiple levels; bureaucratic incompetence; and flawed, confusing and insufficient BOP policies and procedures," Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said in a video statement. 

"We found it particularly troubling that Coleman personnel placed Bulger, an 89-year-old inmate who used a wheelchair and had serious heart conditions, in a single cell in Coleman’s special housing unit, or SHU, for eight months while Coleman staff bureaucratically struggled with how to transfer him to a new facility." 

FBI FILES ON MURDERED BOSTON MOB BOSS ‘WHITEY’ BULGER DECLASSIFED

Bulger, 89 at the time of his death, ran the largely Irish mob in Boston in the 1970s and ’80s, and served as an FBI informant who ratted on his gang’s main rival, according to the bureau. He later became one of the nation’s most wanted fugitives before his arrest in 2011 and conviction in 2013 on numerous violent crimes, including his role in the murder of 11 people. 

Despite his violent criminal history, the FBI recruited Bulger as an informant in 1975. Bulger committed numerous other crimes, and his handler, FBI Special Agent John Connolly, was later convicted on corruption charges. 

Bulger strongly denied ever being a government informant. An intake screening form Bulger signed after his arrival at Hazelton said he answered "no" when asked if there were any reasons he should be kept out of the general population and if he ever assisted law enforcement in any way.

"The fact that these serious deficiencies occurred in connection with a high-profile inmate like Bulger was especially concerning given that the BOP would presumably take particular care in handling such an inmate’s case," Horowitz said. "In our view, no BOP inmate’s transfer, whether they are a notorious offender or a non-violent offender, should be handled like Bulger’s transfer was in this instance." 

Fox News' Stephanie Pagones contributed to this report.

Nantucket has approved a bylaw amendment that will allow people to go topless on beaches regardless of gender. 

"In order to promote equality for all persons, any person shall be allowed to be topless on any public or private beach within the Town of Nantucket," the new amendment to the Protection of Coastal Areas and Open Spaces bylaw states. 

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey approved the bylaw on Tuesday, but it will only go into effect once the town meets appropriate posting and publishing requirements, according to Boston’s regional website. 

The town back in May passed the bylaw with 327 votes in support against 242 votes against – a fraction of the roughly 11,000-person population of the town. The Town Board noted that it received "numerous communications from citizens raising various challenges." 

RED BULL CAN LEFT IN MASSACHUSETTS CASINO LEADS FBI TO MAN SUSPECTED IN 14 BANK ROBBERIES

The board also stressed that approval of a law "in no way implies any agreement or disagreement with any policy views that may have led to the passage of the bylaw," and that approval merely looked at consistency between the new bylaw and existing state law. 

The law previously only allowed men to go topless, with a punishment of up to three years in jail along with a $300 fine for a topless woman. 

RED BULL CAN LEFT IN MASSACHUSETTS CASINO LEADS FBI TO MAN SUSPECTED IN 14 BANK ROBBERIES

Nantucket resident Dorothy Stover proposed the law, which gained support among residents. She noted in an interview with the Boston Globe that other communities had similar laws already in place. 

"I’m not saying that everybody has to be topless," Stover said at the time. "I want to support the love of the body."

MARYLAND BUSINESSMAN, HARVARD FENCING COACH FACE JURY IN COLLEGE BRIBERY SCANDAL

Stover recognized negative reactions to the proposal while also stating she has received an overwhelming number of positive responses.

Healey said that her office could "discern no conflict between the vote and the Constitution or laws of the Commonwealth." 

In a letter from Healey on the subject of the bylaw, Healy did not provide any specific deadline by which posting and publishing requirements must be met, but stressed that the law would only apply to specific beaches and not surrounding areas.

An attempt to exempt certain beaches from the bylaw did not succeed. 

The Town Board proposed a phased implementation of the new law in order to help people acclimate to it. 

Fox News’ Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report. 

Sgt. Frank Gualdino of Yonkers, New York, was laid to rest on Wednesday after being killed in the line of duty in a car crash.

Gualdino, 53, was killed in the multi-vehicle wreck on Dec. 1. He served with the Yonkers Police Department for 24 years and was only nine months away from retiring at the time of the fatal crash, the department said.

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"There's a sea of blue, cops are standing patch to patch to support the family, and I'm getting calls, I'm getting emails, letters of condolences from all over the country right now because everyone wanted to do this for Frank," Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza said, according to local outlet ABC 7.

Gualdino's body was carried in a procession to Sacred Heart Church with dozens of officers in formal uniform attending.

Gualdino was on duty in an unmarked 2012 Chevy Impala when the driver of a BMW sedan lost control of the car and crossed into the opposite lane.

NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH

The BMW crashed head-on into Gualdino's car and a Westchester County Bee-Line bus. The bus driver and several bus passengers were also injured.

Police say the driver of the BMW was a 16-year-old who had obtained a learner's permit less than three weeks earlier. The teen was hospitalized in critical condition after the crash with extensive blunt-force injuries.

Gualdino is survived by his wife and his two children, ages 20 and 14.

Organizers are resubmitting an application to establish an After School Satan Club (ASSC) at a Virginia elementary school after the original sponsor withdrew her name.

Chesapeake Public Schools Superintendent Jared A. Cotton said the initial application for the club was withdrawn as of Tuesday, according to an email sent to parents that was provided to Fox News Digital.

"Today, the Chesapeake citizen requesting to use the facility on behalf of the ASSC has officially withdrawn their request," Cotton wrote in part. "As such, the application no longer meets the requirements of School Board Policy. At this point, the approval for building use has been canceled."

Cotton noted the item will still be on the agenda for discussion at the school board’s regular meeting on Dec. 12, when he said citizens were free to attend to voice their opinions. The school district approved the building use request but emphasized that the club is not affiliated with the school.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HOSTS ‘AFTER SCHOOL SATAN CLUB,’ INFURIATES PARENTS: ‘ABOMINATION AGAINST GOD’

Hours after the initial application was canceled, local club volunteer Rose Bastet said a new application had already been submitted to the school district, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

The ASSC was scheduled to start convening in the library at B.M. Williams Primary School in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Dec. 15, according to a flyer circulating locally that was first reported by The Spectator World.

"Due to the heightened emotional situation in our city following the recent tragic mass shooting at the Walmart off of Battlefield, I am removing my name from the lease agreement for the After School Satan Club," the unidentified initial sponsor wrote, according to The Virginia-Pilot. "I do not want more division in our city as we strive to heal and are still reeling from this great loss of life."

"We are expecting the district to have enough time to approve our newly submitted application for our scheduled first club meeting of 12/15," ASSC organizer June Everett told local 13News Now.

The club is reportedly a place where young students can learn about benevolence and empathy, critical thinking, problem-solving, creative expression, personal sovereignty and compassion.

CALIFORNIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO ALLOW ‘AFTER SCHOOL SATAN CLUB’

"The Satanic Temple is a non-theistic religion that views Satan as a literary figure who represents a metaphorical construct of rejecting tyranny and championing the human mind and spirit," the local flyer said. "After School Satan Club does not attempt to convert children to any religious ideology. Instead, the Satanic Temple supports children to think for themselves."

The push to set up an ASSC has stoked backlash from local parents. Aspen Nolette, who is the founder of Chesapeake Parents for Freedom, told "Fox & Friends First" on Tuesday that parents like her are planning to fight back against its presence at the elementary school.

"They're liars straight from the pit of hell," Nolette told co-anchor Griff Jenkins. "We're not believing anything that they're saying. We know that this is all targeted towards children in the cartoon figures. It's a way for them to get in indoctrinating."

Fox News' Greg Wehner and Bailee Hill contributed to this report.

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

The Illinois man accused of murdering his mother, wife and their two young daughters inside their million-dollar suburban Chicago home had reportedly been barred from the house after abusing drugs, bringing home prostitutes, and threatening to kill or disfigure his spouse just months before. 

In a news release Tuesday, Buffalo Grove Police Chief Brian Budds announced that the evidence obtained to date indicates 39-year-old Andrei Kisliak is responsible for the deaths of himself and his four family members who were found deceased in their home on Acacia Terrace on Nov. 30. 

The victims were 4-year-old Amilia Kisliak, 6-year-old Vivian Kisliak, 36-year-old Vera Kisliak and 67-year-old Lilia Kisliak. Budds cited "evidence collected at the scene, information obtained by investigators and the Lake County Coroner’s examination," in asserting that Andrei Kisliak carried out the four homicides before he "then inflicted wounds on himself and succumbed to those wounds."

ILLINOIS POLICE SAYS EVIDENCE POINTS TO MURDER-SUICIDE AFTER 5 FAMILY MEMBERS FOUND DEAD IN HOME

Autopsies of the five deceased showed the cause of death for all to be from sharp force injuries. 

Just weeks before being brutally stabbed to death, court records show Vera Kisliak made the decision to allow her estranged husband and would-be alleged killer to move back into their family home, WLS-TV reported. Court documents detail increasingly menacing behavior from Andrei Kisliak toward his wife dating back to at least July, when the couple began contentious divorce proceedings.

Before she finally sought out of the marriage, Vera Kisliak alleged that her husband began abusing drugs, including smoking marijuana daily and using cocaine, bringing prostitutes to the family home and blasting music late at night, according to court filings viewed by the outlet. 

The woman also alleged Andrei Kisliak followed her as she took their children to school, stole her car, and threatened to kill her "and disfigure her in a way that no one will recognize her."

In August, the father allegedly refused to hand over keys to any of the couple's four BMW vehicles so that his wife could drop their daughters at school and refused to take the girls himself. 

When Vera Kisliak arranged for a neighbor to drive them, she claimed her husband followed, "recording them, berating them, and yelling at them to take the Uber," according to court records.

The court ordered him to give his wife the keys to their BMW sedan in September, but he allegedly left her a broken key and the vehicle mysteriously malfunctioned soon after starting. 

Two weeks later, Vera Kisliak asked the court for sole access to the house and children, and Judge Marnie Slavin ordered Andrei Kisliak jailed for contempt for repeatedly disrupting a hearing with profane outbursts. 

Vera Kisliak’s lawyer wrote in court documents that the woman’s husband threatened to kill and disfigure her, then afterward threatened to kill her family in Belarus and then her sister in Poland.

But by a Nov. 1 hearing, the couple asked the judge to lift the protective order, as Vera Kisliak would allow her husband to move back into the home and see their children. 

Slavin reluctantly agreed, and a handwritten note on the order read, "The court strongly advised against this arrangement, but the parties wish to proceed by agreement."

At 11:12 a.m. Nov. 30, Buffalo Grove police were dispatched to a single-family residence in the 2800 block of Acacia Terrace following a call for a well-being check on an adult female. Upon arrival, police were unable to make contact with anyone inside the home. Forced entry was deemed necessary, and a sweep of the home was conducted. 

Five deceased individuals were found. The preliminary investigation indicated this was a domestic-related incident, and there was no threat to the public. The investigation remains active and ongoing.

"Our community is mourning, and I hope these findings help bring some closure as we continue to process this terrible tragedy," Budds added in a statement. 

A Florida mother of five died after a backyard firepit accident that severely injured her 11-year-old son. 

Nicole Foltz, 38, reportedly suffered burns on 95% of her body during a firepit accident in the backyard of her home in Tarpon Springs in Pinella County, Florida, last month. 

The mother died at the hospital three days after the incident, and now the community is rallying around her family as they prepare for Christmas without the woman they described as their "ray of sunshine" 

The woman’s husband, Jeffrey Foltz, recalled how they had a fire going in the backyard while spending time outdoors with their children and friends on Nov. 14. 

CALIFORNIA WOMAN MISSING IN MEXICO, POSSIBLY KIDNAPPED WHILE WALKING DOG: REPORTS

"I had just gone inside and to my knowledge, she decided to try to keep the fire going, keep the fun going, and she put another log on it and there wasn’t much flame at all," he told FOX 13 Tampa. "But, she just, I guess felt to pour a little gas on it, and it would reignite, and it did. I guess it must’ve traveled the gas stream up to the gas can, and it exploded in her hands."

The explosion also struck Foltz’ 11-year-old son, and they were both transported to Tampa General Hospital. 

Jeffrey Foltz said the boy has second-degree burns on close to 40%of his body. 

He was hospitalized for 12 days and recently returned home. 

"He’s staying pretty strong. I’m sure the whole crew there was really surprised to hear that two days after we got home he was walking," Jeffrey Foltz told FOX 13. 

"I never left his side in the hospital, which is difficult, especially because I feel bad for other children there. I can see how it is to not have somebody that can be there for ya by your bedside 24-7," the dad and now widower also told WFTS-TV.

"It’s just one of those senseless acts you don’t expect to happen in your family," Jeffrey Foltz added. "Gasoline is not a joke when it comes to fire. You have to be careful or just don’t do it at all." 

"I don't want to read about somebody else's family having to go through this. It's unimaginable," he said. 

The family plans to turn the fire pit into a birdbath, something the mom had always wanted. 

"Accidents do happen, and they can ruin your life," Jeffrey Foltz told FOX 13. "She touched people in ways that I can’t even grasp." 

"Just all around, one of the best, genuine people. She had a fierceness to her. Everybody loved her," he said. 

Nicole Foltz was a manager and server at Tarpon Tavern, which started a fundraiser to for her family. 

"She always put a smile on everyone’s face," Ania Bozena, owner of Tarpon Tavern, said. "She absolutely loved her work where everybody adored her not just for her hard work, but also personality and friendship."

"She was a devoted wife to her amazing husband Jeff. But most of all, she was a great mother who always put her family first," Bozena added. "Here at Tarpon Tavern and our sister restaurant The Bistro which is located next door, we miss her terribly."