A Philadelphia police officer is dead, and a second is in critical condition, after a gunman ambushed them on a porch just after midnight on Saturday, then kept shooting as he ran and hid in a tree.
The Inquirer, citing law enforcement sources, identified the alleged shooter as Eric Lewis, an employee of the Philadelphia Water Department.
Officers were called just after midnight to the 100 block of North 52nd Street for a man with a gun on a porch.
They arrived around 12:50 a.m.
As soon as they stepped onto the porch, they were hit with a hail of gunfire, according to Commissioner Kevin Bethel.
One officer, a 33-year-old father of five, was shot 12 times.
The other, a 40-year-old father of two, was shot three times.
Both were rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and taken into surgery, but one of them did not make it, according to a report from the New York Post.
The suspect fled the scene and continued firing at officers in a nearby alley. No other officers were hit.
He climbed a tree and surrendered after a SWAT unit arrived, according to Fox 29.
Officers recovered three firearms, two handguns and a shotgun.
Two polices officers were shot in West Philadelphia and were in surgery as of the time of this reporting. One was shot 3 times and one was shot 12 times. In Philadelphia, shooting a victim over and over again is done as a type of ritual. | Via @6abc https://t.co/iKlky0h0SD
A mayor’s office spokesman declined to comment on Lewis’ employment and deferred to police.
The department had not named either the officers or the suspect as of Saturday morning.
Bethel, in a statement on X, said two officers had been shot, and a suspect was in custody.
Early this morning, two of our officers were shot in West Philadelphia. Please pray for them and their families. The suspect is in custody. To our officers and their families: we are with you, every step of the way.
Christa Pike was discharged from the hospital and moved back to prison following a botched execution, her attorneys said.
Earlier this week Christa Pike regained consciousness and began speaking speaking several days after she survived two doses of pentobarbital.
“Against all odds, Christa Pike is conscious, speaking, and continues to receive critical medical care,” her attorneys said earlier this week.
“Despite the severe damage she endured to her arms, she is still handcuffed and shackled to the bed. Her recovery is medically unprecedented. Her prognosis remains unclear but, at a minimum, we expect a long recovery,” attorneys for Pike said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.
Christa Pike’s attorneys thanked the first responders and the medical team at the hospital “who treated Christa like a human and have provided exceptional care to her.”
Christa Pike, 50, was sentenced to death for a 1995 fatal stabbing, torture and beating of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer.
Christa Pike, who survived Tennessee’s attempt to execute her by lethal injection, has been moved back to prison, according to a statement released by her attorneys.
Pike, 50, was discharged from the hospital and is back at the Deborah K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center, the women’s prison where she was housed for 30 years, her attorneys said in a statement.
“She is grateful to the first responders and her medical team for their care in these extraordinary circumstances. She is continuing to receive medical care at the prison, and we will continue to track her recovery,” her attorneys said in a statement released Saturday.
When you see the video below, you will understand why. Zacharia is as sharp as a knife and obviously understands what the country is facing if far left Democrats return to power.
We all knew that Karoline Leavitt was going to be extremely difficult to replace, but Zacharia will do just fine.
As RedState shared earlier, the White House has announced President Trump’s pick for the new Press Secretary in place of Karoline Leavitt, and her name is Katie Zacharia.
We wrote that she is no stranger to the White House, as one of her previous roles was as a spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
My colleague Teri Christoph also wrote that “Zacharia recently left DHS after a short stint in the agency’s communications shop and returned to the worlds of media commentary and advocacy,” while adding that “…she appeared alongside our own Jennifer Van Laar on an episode of The Sean Spicer Show not too long ago…” More on that in a minute.
Now, our sister site Townhall has just unveiled a stupendous supercut video showing Katie Zacharia in action – on everything from how big a failure Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom has been for California – and that he would be even worse for the country, to a spot-on slam of Kamala Harris’ lack of support during the 2024 election, and more.
Now check out this highlight reel. It’s amazing.
Meet Katie Zacharia, who’s reportedly been offered the job of Trump’s next Press Secretary.
On Democrats: “Weak, whiny, woke, and they’re now broke.”
Crazed liberal protester interrupts Trump’s Syracuse, New York rally – October 9, 2026
A leftist agitator got thrown out of President Trump’s rally in Syracuse, New York, last night, and Trump roasted her as she made her way through the crowd, embarrassing herself.
Rallygoers began chanting USA as she was escorted out of the building.
Meanwhile, she was seen attempting to taunt supporters, throwing her middle finger around and saying “f*ck you.”
At one point, she even acted like she was going to attack one of the attendees, approaching him and acting like she was going to throw a punch. “F*ck you,” she could be seen telling him after jumping toward him while pumping her fist.
Trump roasted her from the stage as she was taken out by police.
“You know they’re all paid protesters, right? You know, they’re all paid by the radical left scum. They’re all paid,” he said.
“You ever see these people with the signs? They’re all beautiful, like you know, totally professionally made. They’re the same print, the same color.”
“No, those are all paid, political actors. Losers, all! Every one of them is a loser,” he added.
WATCH:
This comes after several protesters were taken out of Trump’s San Antonio, Texas, rally the day before, after interrupting his speech and agitating Trump supporters.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said this morning that nearly half a million homes are without power after Hurricane Isaias hit land in the Florida Panhandle last night.
Isaias made landfall in Destin, Florida, last night as a Category 2 hurricane, bringing powerful winds of up to 105 miles per hour and heavy rain. The storm has since been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone as it heads north.
Fox Weather correspondent Robert Ray was seen fighting to stand up as the winds nearly took him down.
“Stand by, guys. I’m just going to catch my breath, and by the way, I’ve got a mouthful of water. That’s another thing that continues to happen when we try to report here,” he told the camera as the high winds pushed him back.
“This is a fight. It’s going to be a fight all night. Isaias, it’s a dragon; it’s got teeth!” he added as another powerful gust came his way.
WATCH:
During a press conference this morning, DeSantis provided an update on the aftermath of Isaias making landfall, revealing that hundreds of thousands are without power.
“448,000 accounts are without power, including 323,000 customers from FPL and 110,000 from various co-ops throughout northwest Florida,” DeSantis said.
WATCH:
FEMA announced on Friday that President Trump has approved an emergency declaration to make federal assistance available for the hurricane response.
It weakened overnight to a post-tropical cyclone as it moved inland, but it continues to bring heavy rain to the Florida Panhandle.
As of 5 a.m., Isaias’s center was about 25 miles south-southwest of Montgomery, Alabama, and about 105 miles south of Birmingham.
The system was moving north at 14 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.
Continued weakening is expected, but Isaias is expected to continue producing gusty winds well inland through Saturday even after it becomes post-tropical.
President Trump speaks to reporters at the White House
President Trump reacted to the death of Chicago Bears legend Mike Ditka on Friday while speaking to reporters and in a statement on Saturday, writing that he “will be missed.”
Ditka passed away at 86 on Friday.
The legendary coach played 12 seasons with the Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Dallas Cowboys before he was head coach of the Bears for ten seasons from 1982 to 1992.
Trump first reacted to the news on Friday while departing the White House en route to New York, telling reporters, “He was a great guy. He was with me all the way. He was tough.”
“That’s a sad one. You’re just telling me that now for the first time,” Trump added. “Wow, he was great. He was great. He was a big supporter of mine… he was a winner, he was a tough cookie, he was great.”
WATCH:
Ditka was also a vocal supporter and friend of President Trump. “He was MAGA all the way, and he will be missed,” Trump said on Truth Social this morning.
Mike Ditka was a great champion, both as a player and a Coach. He was MAGA all the way, and he will be missed. Rest in Peace, Mike! President DONALD J. TRUMP
The Gateway Pundit reported on Ditka’s passing and his legacy as one of the greats.
A recent event was set up at the University of Texas at Austin which featured far left, communist influencer Hasan Piker.
Thousands of people signed up to attend the event, but when the day came, only 300 people showed up.
What’s going on here? Were people on the left trying to inflate his numbers to make him look more popular than he really is? How else can this be explained?
Thousands signed up for Hasan Piker UT Austin event, only 300 attended
Left-wing political streamer Hasan Piker drew roughly 300 people to a highly publicized event at the University of Texas at Austin despite more than 2,400 people previously signing up or joining a waitlist.
Piker appeared at UT Austin on Sept. 30 at an event hosted by the university’s College Democrats chapter. The Austin American-Statesmanreported that the event attracted about 300 attendees to the William C. Powers Jr. Student Activity Center, which has a capacity of roughly 460 people.
At least two rows of seats remained empty, according to the newspaper.
An X post from DSA Watch also highlighted the disparity between the number of people who RSVP’d to attend and the crowd that ultimately showed up.
Benjamin Shrader, president of the Austin Young Republicans, helped organize a coalition of conservative groups that protested outside the event.
In an exclusive interview, Shrader told Campus Reform that he first learned of Piker’s visit through an Eventbrite notification and subsequently contacted the Texas College Republicans, UT College Republicans, High School Conservatives of America, Reawaken USA, Young Americans for Liberty, and other organizations.
“I see a lot of people complaining about this, but I don’t see anybody taking action,” Shrader said. “When nobody else is doing something, you’ve got to do something.”
Shrader said the protesters deliberately did not seek to prevent Piker from speaking.
“We made no move to cancel the event,” Shrader told Campus Reform. “We believe in Hasan Piker’s right to say his crazy stuff, and we believe that it’s critically important that our voices were heard as well.”
Look at the empty seats.
Hasan Piker was invited to do a speech at a University
100% of MAGA voters approve of President Donald John Trump!
CNN’s Harry Enton breaks liberal hearts with his latest set of Trump approval numbers.
Here is the transcript from CNN:
Harry Enten: MAGA GOP view of Trump: approve 100%. 100%. If you are a member of MAGA and the GOP, you approve of Donald John Trump. 0% say that they disapprove. You don’t have to be a mathematical genius to know you can’t go higher than 100%. He is the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Now, there are some Republicans who disapprove of Donald John Trump, but they are not members of the Make America Great Again movement. The bottom line is this: if you are a member of MAGA, you approve of Donald Trump.
But, some people never learn.
According to Newsmax, FOX News is reportedly turning away from President Trump prior to the midterm elections.
This comes from CNN’s “media analyst” Brian Stelter, who apparently still draws a paycheck from the leftist outlet.
Stelter is certain that FOX News is abandoning Trump because GOP candidates are fretting over President Trump hurting their chances in the election.
Of course, that is insane. Any Republican running for office today would be wise to tie themselves to America’s most legendary president alive today.
Stelter noted that Fox largely bypassed five recent Trump rallies, including an event in San Antonio, Texas.
According to Stelter, the decision carries enormous political consequences for Trump, who has repeatedly demonstrated his frustration when the conservative network declines to broadcast his speeches.
“For Trump, it’s like being deprived of oxygen,” Stelter wrote.
Stelter suggested Fox executives may believe the president has become a political liability, particularly as his approval ratings decline and Republicans worry about maintaining congressional control.
“Perhaps the Murdochs believe the network’s opinion hosts are better messengers for the party than the president himself,” Stelter wrote.
FOX News is quickly losing trust from its most devoted audience base, the MAGA voters.
This mistake will only hurt FOX News. Donald Trump will be fine.
Tony Shaffer weighs in.
Fox News is CNN lite…
We do everything we can to fairly cover @realDonaldTrump and provide real news on @NEWSMAX – just leave Fox News now…
Commie Democrat Darializa Avila Chevalier was pushed to the ground during an anti-ICE protest in New York City. She blamed the police.
Another Democrat winner who will soon be causing chaos in Washington DC…
Commie Democrat Darializa Avila Chevalier was pushed to the ground by police officers on Thursday during a violent anti-ICE protest in New York City.
Darializa was seen screaming at police and getting in their face.
Of course, she claimed she was innocent as a flower.
She discussed this alleged “abuse” on CNN on Friday. She pretends to be so innocent but you can see her rushing police and getting in their faces – like a true communist.
She admitted that she has been to several anti-ICE protests.
Watch the video below and then count the lies by Darializa that are highlighted.
CNN Host Erin Burnett: So I want to talk about ICE. I want to talk about the shooting. I want to begin with the video, though, that I just showed. It captures the chaos of that moment in the Bronx last night. People are pushing. People are shoving. Some police officers are pushed to the ground. And then you are shoved to the pavement by a police officer. So can you tell me exactly what happened in that moment?
Darializa Avila Chevalier: At that point in the evening, we had already, you know, left the scene where the incident had occurred. Where Oscar Belgal (violent illegal alien gang member) had been shot, where, you know, so many families were traumatized by the incident with ICE.
And we were outside of the hospital, standing with protesters. And before I even arrived, I could see from a distance that, you know, there was police already pushing people aside to make room for a law enforcement vehicle that was unmarked.
The only reason I knew it was a law enforcement vehicle was because of the lights, that, you know, These NYPD officers were pushing people aside to make way for that vehicle.
I don’t know who was in that vehicle. I don’t know whether it was ICE or whether, you know, Oscar himself was in that vehicle. But what I do know was what I saw and the kind of conduct that I saw the NYPD engaging in. When I was trying to de-escalate the situation, as police were putting up barricades, which were completely unnecessary, you know, they were pushing people to make space for the barricades and were getting in tug-of-wars with people. escalating the situation every moment.
And when I would try to reason with them to, you know, de-escalate the situation, to create a safer space for people to express their rightful outrage at what was happening, you know, they continued to just simply escalate to the point where, you know, myself and others were pushed to the ground. And it was just a very all-around concerning situation. And for me, as someone who is not new to protests, as someone who is not new to these— this kind of chaos, this was particularly alarming. I have never been thrown to the ground. I have been arrested 3 times in protest, and not once have I been slammed to the ground by a police officer.
What a perfect communist to represent New York City in the halls of Congress! Darializa earlier said she was excited to bring “black socialism” to Congress.
God help us!
The Corporate Fake News Media has reached a brand-new, shameful low, and this time, Disney-owned ABC News needs to be sued straight into bankruptcy.
On Wednesday, the radical hacks at ABC News published a completely fabricated, malicious hit piece targeting Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.
The mainstream media propaganda outlet falsely claimed that the Trump brothers’ conservative venture capital firm, 1789 Capital, had taken a massive, multi-billion dollar stake in the defense technology company Anduril.
On Wednesday, October 7, ABC published a story under the headline “Trump sons’ investments have won billions in Pentagon contracts since his election.”
The hit piece claimed that 1789 Capital, the venture firm where Donald Trump Jr. is one of six partners, had taken a “major stake” in defense tech company Anduril out of a $2.5 billion funding round.
It further asserted that Anduril went on to score more than $6 billion in lucrative Pentagon contracts directly tied to this investment, including a massive new shipyard deal, implying pay-to-play favoritism under the Trump administration.
“The company is one of the largest manufacturers to receive an investment from Donald Trump Jr. and his brother Eric Trump, but they are not the only one,” according to the now-deleted article.
“An ABC News analysis found defense companies backed by the president’s sons, including Anduril, have now raked in more than $6 billion dollars in active or promised government contracts since those investments were made, according to the government’s official contract reporting,” the outlet said.
Naturally, the Far-Left smear machine immediately went into overdrive. Radical California Governor Gavin Newsom and a army of unhinged Democrats quickly weaponized ABC’s outright lies, pushing the viral hit piece across social media to frame the First Family.
Screenshot
There was just one giant problem for ABC News: The numbers were wrong.
Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, the entrepreneur who created Oculus and later built one of America’s fastest-growing defense companies specializing in autonomous drones and AI military systems, said Anduril gave the ABC reporter the correct figures before publication.
Luckey stated that 1789 Capital invested $50 million, not a controlling or “major” stake, in a company now valued at more than $60 billion. That is roughly one one-thousandth of Anduril. He also explained that most of the $6 billion figure consisted of contract ceilings (the maximum the government is authorized to spend), not money actually committed or paid out. These facts would have gutted the story’s premise.
ABC’s editors reviewed the piece, made only a minor edit, and stood by the reporting. Then the page disappeared. No correction note. No explanation. The link went dead.
Brian Stelter and other media figures later cited a source claiming the story was “published prematurely.” Luckey rejected that as a cover story. He described a timeline in which Anduril immediately contacted ABC, the network refused meaningful corrections, editors insisted the claims were accurate, the author went quiet (and reportedly deleted his X account), and the story was wiped without explanation. Luckey called it a coordinated influence operation rather than an innocent CMS error.
Luckey wrote on X:
ABC News continues to lie, this time privately to their friends in the press. This was a coordinated influence operation planted by our competition, not “premature publication”.
7:01 AM October 7th, story goes live. Within minutes, dozens of high-profile commentators, politicians, and news outlets are sharing it with tens of millions of followers. We immediately contact ABC and demand they correct their false claims – after multiple rounds of refusal, they finally make a single one-word grammar edit. The editors stand by the reporting and insist the false claims are true.
Finally, eight hours after I was forced to call them out publicly, they delete everything. The editors hide all the comments, the author deletes his X account, and the story is completely wiped from their website without any explanation, directly violating SPJ ethics standards and ABC’s own internal rules.
ABC is currently running a coverup operation, ignoring all of our requests for correction/retraction while telling their buddies to spread the word that this was nothing more than a CMS publication timeline error.
Late Wednesday, 1789 Capital spokeswoman Alexa Henning replied to former Wall Street executive Amy Siskind’s X post sharing the report, saying, “This post shows you have literally zero financial literacy. 1789 Capital does not have a ‘major stake’ in Anduril. It’s false to say Vulcan, Firehawk, and PsiQuantum are ‘backed by Don Jr and Eric Trump.’”
Vulcan Elements, Firehawk Aerospace, and PsiQuantum that Henning referred to were other companies mentioned in the ABC News report.
“Here’s a small lesson, that I also explained to ABC, the ‘reporter’ who is a complete idiot conflated raising funds with investment by 1789. Those are two separate actions. Meaning the ‘investments’ mentioned were actually the total number raised for a funding round, that MANY companies contribute to,” Henning continued.
“Another thing that the reporter buried the lead on was that many of these companies have gotten government contracts during Biden AND Trump, which completely negates the assertion by ABC that Don Jr and Eric Trump are doing anything wrong. Total biased hit piece that is not being regurgitated by dumb trolls on the internet.”
Donald Trump Jr. publicly noted the deletion, telling Newsom the article lasted “about as long as your presidential campaign would last.”
ABC deleted this article in less than 24 hours because it’s false. Sounds about as long as your presidential campaign would last.
On Friday, ABC posted a revised version under a softer headline about the new Maryland shipyard project and “earlier Democratic concerns about potential conflicts of interest.”
An editor’s note admits the original “contained errors in the description of certain company investments, government contracts and event chronologies.”
The corrected article now states that 1789 invested $50 million as part of the larger round, that this represented a relatively small stake in the $60-billion-plus company, and that Trump Jr. is not on the three-person committee that makes investment decisions. It also notes that Anduril and other firms have won contracts across administrations.
The story, which was originally bylined by Nathan Lee, now has a “By ABC NEWS” byline https://t.co/J0TbinMUNi
People are now openly calling for ABC to be sued. On X and elsewhere, users are urging Palmer Luckey, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and 1789 Capital to take legal action and hold the network accountable for the false claims that were amplified before the quiet deletion.
(@tspooky) 
