Six law enforcement officers on Friday night were shot -- 1 is confirmed dead -- in three different U.S. cities, their respective agencies have confirmed.
In central Florida, two officers with the Kissimmee Police Department were shot, according to police chief Jeffrey O'Dell.
Officer Matthew Baxter, a three-year veteran, died. The other officer, 10-year veteran Sgt. Sam Howard, remains in "grave critical condition and the prognosis does not look good," O'Dell said at a press conference early Saturday morning.
At a later press conference, the police chief announced they had arrested suspect Everett Glenn Miller for premeditated first degree murder. Miller will be booked at Osceola County Jail in Kissimmee, a city located about 23 miles south of Orlando.
O'Dell said they do not anticipate any other arrests or charges. Earlier, the police chief said offers were investigating several suspicious persons.
President Trump reacted to the Kissimmee shootings early Saturday, tweeting, "My thoughts and prayers are with the @KissimmeePolice and their loved ones. We are with you! #LESM"
My thoughts and prayers are with the @KissimmeePolice and their loved ones. We are with you!#LESM — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2017
Florida Gov. Rick Scott tweeted Saturday morning, saying he was "heartbroken" to learn of the death of one officer and was "praying for a quick recovery" for the other. Earlier, Scott had erroneously tweeted that both officers had died.
UPDATE: Heartbroken to hear loss of @kissimmeepolice officer Matthew Baxter. Praying for a quick recovery for officer in critical condition. https://t.co/BYhUFOe1CJ — Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) August 19, 2017
Meanwhile, in northeastern Florida, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office announced that two of its officers were shot by one suspect with a "high powered rifle" on Friday night.
One officer was shot in both hands, while the other was shot in the stomach. One of them remains in critical condition and the other is in stable condition, according to the sheriff's office.
The suspect was shot and killed by officers, the sheriff's office said.
Two police officers shot: Westside of #Jacksonville. All information will come via Twitter. — Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) August 19, 2017
"Praying for these officers who were shot tonight," Gov. Scott tweeted of the Jacksonville officers.
On the scene where JSO says two officers have been shot @FCN2go pic.twitter.com/ja24ALNkUg — Janny Rodriguez (@JannyReports) August 19, 2017
And in reference to both Florida shootings, Gov. Scott tweeted, "Just learned of two @JSOPIO in danger tonight – we stand with ALL law enforcement in Florida."
No further details about the Florida shooting incidents were yet released.
In Fairchance, Pennsylvania Friday night, two Pennsylvania State Police troopers were shot, officials said. Both troopers are stable and expected to survive. The suspect is dead.
"Two state troopers shot and [the] suspect is deceased," Pennsylvania State Police spokeswoman Melinda Bondarenka told ABC News. "We are not releasing any more details at this time."
Josh Krysak, a spokesman at Uniontown Hospital, told ABC News, "I can confirm that one state police trooper was brought to Uniontown Hospital for treatment of injuries suffered in a shooting incident in Fairchance this evening. The injuries suffered by this officer are not life threatening."
ABC News' Alexandra Faul, Dominick Proto and Benjamin Stein contributed to this report.
walking_dead_girl on August 19th, 2017 at 09:43 UTC »
Looks like Jacksonville officers were responding to alleged suicidal person with 3 people stuck in the home with him. Police rolled up and the suspect started shooting through the door at them.
Kissimmee seems to be police talking to 3 people about about drug activity when a fourth emerged from the shadows and shot the officers.
Pa state trooper may have been serving a warrant when they were shot. But I've also read they were sitting in their car near a supermarket and 10-15 shots rang out and they responded.
I'm sure we'll know more later. Sad for the officer who was killed. Hope the rest make it and recover.
ETA: At least one news source is calling the Kissimmee shooting an ambush. Don't know if they're just assuming because one suspect was hiding, or if there is unreleased info that the 4 suspects called the police for the sole purpose of killing them.
http://www.wesh.com/article/two-officers-possibly-shot-in-kissimmee-authorities-say/12035439
ShoutOutTo_Caboose on August 19th, 2017 at 05:10 UTC »
Two in Pennsylvania, two in Orlando and the two who died were in Kissimmee, FL.
Facts-Before-Feels on August 19th, 2017 at 05:05 UTC »
This is terrible. How does this compare to a typical Friday night?