Cities across the country are putting teens on notice for Halloween weekend, rolling out curfews and crackdowns to head off the kind of chaos that unfolds during so-called teen takeovers.

From the Jersey Shore to suburban Atlanta, officials are setting curfews for teenagers and adding police patrols, many of them in places still reeling from takeovers that drew hundreds of teens and ended in fights and arrests.

In Oak Park, Illinois, the chief of police wrote that her agency is trying to prevent a similar Halloween teen takeover last year from happening again.

INSIDE THE TEEN TAKEOVERS THREATENING TO EXPLODE THIS SUMMER AS CITIES REMAIN ON EDGE: 'VERY WORRIED'

Last Halloween, an estimated 500 teens swarmed downtown Oak Park, where fights and gunshots erupted and police called in help from six neighboring agencies, according to a department memo.

Oak Park Chief of Police Shatonya Johnson said the agency will be increasing the amount of officers on shift during Halloween, as well as several more measures aimed at preventing another teen takeover.

CHICAGO MAYOR WARNS OF ‘TEEN TREND’ AFTER TAKEOVER CHAOS, VIOLENCE CONCERNS GROW

Adults in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago are taking matters into their own hands and plan to show out en masse on the streets to prevent large gatherings by teenagers. The group, called CollaBOOration, was established after a series of large Halloween gatherings from 2016 to 2019 where teen takeovers turned violent, according to Block Club Chicago.

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"What we’re really trying to do is establish a critical mass on the street, possibly before the Halloween festivities even start," the group's founder Bennie Currie said. "So when these large gatherings happen, like we’ve seen every year, we will already have taken over 53rd Street … we’ll be walking up and down in orange shirts and keeping in contact with one another."

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After 7 p.m. on Halloween, those under 16 in Covington, Georgia will be required to go home or have an adult with them if they're in the city's downtown area, which is outside Atlanta, according to CBS News.

According to News 12, the Long Branch, New Jersey, police department plans to strictly enforce a Halloween curfew for those under 17 on Oct. 31, which runs from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

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The curfew was set in response to hundreds of people gathering for a teen takeover in May, resulting in fights breaking out and six arrests.

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National Police Association Spokeswoman Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith said it's a "great idea" for these cities and police departments to be more proactive on Halloween, saying teen takeovers aren't slowing down.

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"On Halloween night, I can tell you from experience, our call volume goes up, you know, four or five, six times because people are calling because they're because of fireworks. They're calling because there's a fight in a schoolyard. They're calling because they can't find their kid. There's so many different things that people are calling the police for, and then you factor in this desire to have these large crowds of teenagers take over and, again, get it on social media," Smith said.

An Oregon elementary school teacher who fought a teenage gunman during a deadly school shooting earlier this month has broken her silence, describing the tragedy as a loss she will carry with her forever.

Cassidy Schutz, a certified learning specialist at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, released her first public statement Friday through Bend-La Pine Schools, just over two weeks after the Oct. 15 attack left three children and a teacher dead.

"There are no words to describe the depth of sadness I am feeling following the events of October 15th. This is not a story. This is a horrific and heartbreaking tragedy, and it is our real lives," Schutz said in the statement.

HERO DAD WHO TOOK DOWN OREGON SCHOOL SHOOTER IDENTIFIED ALONG WITH TEACHER, STUDENT BOTH KILLED IN ATTACK

"My thoughts are with those who were lost, their families, those who were hurt, and those who were there that day. My heart is with you. It all happened so fast, and I wish with everything in me that we had more time. The pain of this loss I will carry with me forever."

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz previously credited Schutz with throwing her cellphone at the shooter and wrestling him for control of his shotgun during the attack.

Schutz also asked for privacy as she continues to heal.

INJURED BEND, OREGON, TEACHER TRIED TO SHUT CLASSROOM DOOR DURING SCHOOL SHOOTING BEFORE PLAYING DEAD

"There are no words for this unimaginable reality we are facing. My focus is on these families, our team, our school, and my own healing," she said. "As I continue to navigate this, I ask that you please give me the time, space, and privacy I need to heal. I will not be making any additional public statements at this time."

The shooting unfolded when a 16-year-old former student entered the school and opened fire inside a classroom serving students with special needs, according to police.

Teacher Megan Lambert, 25, and three students, including 5-year-old Rhoam Summer and two other children, ages 8 and 11, were killed.

DEMOCRATS' LATEST GUN-CONTROL PUSH RUNS INTO INCONVENIENT FACT ABOUT HOW SCHOOL KILLER WAS STOPPED

Another teacher, Becky Drury, and a 7-year-old girl were wounded but survived.

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Drury previously told Fox News Digital she tried to close her classroom door after spotting the gunman but was shot before she could stop him from entering.

She suffered severe injuries to both arms and pretended to be dead to avoid being shot again before hero dad Kaylub Giamanco, 36, shot the attacker dead.

EXCLUSIVE: Federal immigration officers arrested an illegal alien accused of attacking a New York City police officer Friday, ending a manhunt sparked by his release from local custody despite repeated U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests, Fox News Digital has learned.

Alpha Bah, an illegal immigrant from Guinea, was taken into custody at approximately 3:25 p.m. after ICE officers tracked him to a temporary residence in New York City, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official told Fox News Digital.

Officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) developed intelligence about Bah's last known temporary residence Friday and established surveillance in the surrounding area, the official said.

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At approximately 2:22 p.m., officers spotted a man matching Bah's description leaving the residence and meeting several unidentified individuals on a nearby public street. Officers continued monitoring him rather than immediately approaching because several school-aged children were in the area.

About an hour later, officers spotted Bah alone and approached him while displaying police and ICE identification. They confirmed his identity through biographical questions, a photograph and Mobile Fortify, a biometric identification tool.

Officers informed Bah of an administrative immigration arrest warrant and took him into custody without incident. He was transported to 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan for post-arrest processing, according to the official.

The arrest comes after Fox News Digital reported that NYC authorities released Bah despite repeated requests from federal immigration officials to hold him in custody.

EXCLUSIVE: NYC OFFICIALS REFUSE ICE HOLD FOR ILLEGAL ALIEN ACCUSED IN ARSON THAT KILLED 4 AND INJURED 7: DHS

Bah was initially arrested Oct. 7 on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and intent to obtain transportation without paying, according to DHS.

ICE lodged a detainer with Queens Central Booking, but Bah was released without federal immigration authorities being notified, DHS previously said.

The case drew criticism from federal immigration officials who accused New York City's sanctuary policies of allowing Bah to return to the streets despite the pending immigration detainer.

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"This illegal alien from Guinea was arrested for assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon. Despite these violent charges, New York City sanctuary politicians refused to honor ICE’s detainer and RELEASED him back onto the streets, and he remains at large," DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement prior to Friday's arrest.

"DHS is calling on Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani to knock it off with these evil sanctuary policies before another American gets hurt, or worse."

Fox News Digital's Hannah Brennan and Peter D'Abrosca contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Four U.S. cities will share almost $300 million in federal funding after competing to show how they would reduce violent crime and strengthen local law enforcement.

Jacksonville, Florida; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and St. Louis, Missouri, were selected for the Justice Department's new Model Cities Initiative, according to details obtained by Fox News Digital.

The four winners represent markedly different policing environments, from Jacksonville, where murders have fallen sharply in recent years, to Baton Rouge, where officials have struggled with a significant officer shortage, and Jackson, where DOJ says officials proposed a technology-driven strategy to combat persistent violent crime.

Attorney General Todd Blanche and other DOJ leaders will visit each city over the next 10 days to present the awards, when the department plans to reveal the individual funding amounts.

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The DOJ launched the competition in June as part of President Donald Trump's focus on reducing crime in U.S. cities. It invited cities nationwide to submit comprehensive plans for reducing violent crime and improving public safety.

The awards could represent a sizable addition to the cities' existing law enforcement budgets.

Jacksonville budgets about $674 million annually for its sheriff's office, while St. Louis budgeted about $147 million for its police department in fiscal 2026. With nearly $300 million to be divided among just four jurisdictions, each award could amount to tens of millions of dollars, though DOJ has not yet disclosed how the funding will be split.

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"The Model Cities Initiative reflects the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime across the country and ensuring the safety of every American," Blanche said.

"These cities are setting an example of proactive law enforcement that will strengthen the rule of law and improve public safety in their jurisdictions. As violent crime rates continue to fall to historic lows, the Department of Justice is redoubling our efforts to invest in local communities and keep American families safe."

Rather than funding a single policing program, the initiative takes what DOJ describes as a "whole-of-city" approach, bringing together law enforcement, local government officials and community partners to develop strategies tailored to each jurisdiction's public safety challenges.

The money can be used to hire sworn and non-sworn law enforcement personnel and other public safety workers, purchase technology and equipment, expand forensic capabilities and fund programs addressing mental health, substance abuse and recidivism.

Jacksonville's selection comes after a sharp drop in killings. The city recorded 59 murders in 2024, its lowest total since at least 1995 and less than half the number recorded a year earlier, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. DOJ said murders fell 38% between 2023 and 2025, while robberies declined 25% and aggravated assaults fell 21%.

DOJ pointed to Jacksonville's use of advanced training and technology and efforts to strengthen investigative capabilities in selecting the city. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, which has more than 3,600 police, corrections and civilian employees, has an annual budget of roughly $674 million.

FIRST ON FOX: DHS POINTS TO ‘COMMON SENSE’ REASON FOR COLLAPSING CRIME: ‘NO SURPRISE’

St. Louis' selection is particularly notable given the city's long struggle with violent crime. The city recorded 263 homicides in 2020, but that figure fell to 150 in 2024, its lowest total since 2013, as overall crime declined 15% year over year.

The decline continued into 2025, when homicides during the first three months of the year fell another 45% compared with the same period a year earlier.

DOJ said St. Louis' proposal calls for expanding law enforcement personnel by more than 300, modernizing policing technology and strengthening public safety operations.

Baton Rouge is confronting a different challenge: manpower. The Baton Rouge Police Department was roughly 150 officers short earlier this year, prompting officials to approve what they described as the largest police pay raise in department history. Starting salaries increased from $40,000 to $58,000 as part of an effort to recruit and retain officers.

The department also operates a Real Time Crime Center that uses data analytics and other technology to support officers and investigators.

DOJ said East Baton Rouge Parish stood out for its partnerships among law enforcement, local government and community organizations and its broader approach to combating violent crime.

Jackson, Mississippi, meanwhile, was selected for what DOJ described as an ambitious, technology-driven strategy to address persistent violent crime.

The Jackson Police Department already operates a Real Time Command Center and specialized units focused on gun crime, vice and narcotics and other investigations, while assigning officers to outside task forces. Its proposal calls for greater coordination among law enforcement agencies, expanded investigative capabilities and targeted enforcement, according to DOJ.

"President Trump and this Department of Justice have demonstrated that Americans need not accept unsafe streets as a fact of life," Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. said. "We have made tremendous strides in restoring public safety, and the Model Cities Initiative offers an opportunity to build on that progress. These cities have the potential to set a new standard for safer communities across America."

The four winning jurisdictions will now work with DOJ to finalize and implement their public safety plans.

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Blanche and other Justice Department officials will travel to all four jurisdictions over the next 10 days to present the awards in person and reveal how the nearly $300 million will be divided among them.

A true crime influencer has been charged with wiretapping after police say she posted a secret recording of a call with Patrick Clancy's father, who told investigators he accidentally answered the call.

Shawna Gramkow, who operates several true crime accounts on social media and boasts a following of more than 50,000, was charged with felony unlawful wiretapping on Oct. 20 in relation to an incident that happened on Sept. 4 involving Patrick Clancy's father, Christopher Clancy, police said in an incident report obtained by Fox News Digital.

Police said Gramkow posted a video to Instagram on Aug. 30 of an unknown individual calling a phone number she claimed belonged to Patrick Clancy after Lindsay Clancy's attorney, Kevin Reddington, read the number aloud during the murder trial.

LINDSAY CLANCY MURDER TRIAL BECOMES SOCIAL MEDIA OBSESSION AS TIKTOKERS, SLEUTHS DEBATE CONTROVERSIAL CASE

"So, you guys voted and Patrick said yes. So, at the trial Kevin Reddington released Patrick's phone number and one of y'all decided to give him a call. Now on this particular call, Patrick's dad was still on the line, he was kind of mumbling still on the phone, I guess he didn't know that the phone was still going," she said in the video, police wrote in the incident report.

In the video, the detective said, an adult male can be heard speaking, though he was unable to make out what was being said. When Christopher Clancy reported the incident to law enforcement on Sept. 4, he told police he believed the voice was his and came from a phone call he received on Aug. 6.

PATRICK CLANCY IN HIS OWN WORDS: TOP TAKEAWAYS FROM GRIEVING FATHER'S FIRST INTERVIEW

Christopher Clancy said he accidentally answered the call, which came from an unfamiliar number, instead of declining it. Police allege someone recorded the conversation without his consent, saying he was talking about his oldest son Brian. That conversation was then posted to her Instagram, according to the incident report.

"Mr. Clancy recalls while driving in the Town of Scituate sometime around August 6th, 2026 he received a phone call from a telephone number he did not recognize. Instead of declining the incoming call; he believes he accidently answered, creating an open line of communication for the unknown calling party who proceeded to record Mr. Clancy's comments without his knowledge or consent. Mr. Clancy recognized some of his comments as being in regard to his eldest son Brian," police wrote.

Read the complaint here:

While Massachusetts officials have charged Gramkow with wiretapping, officials in Florida confirmed she hasn't been arrested.

Fox News Digital reached out to Gramkow for comment. In a Facebook video that did not specifically address the charges, Gramkow said the "allegations are false. And easy to prove."

"And yes I got all the 'Dirty Deets,'" she wrote.

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The charges come amid an apparent split in legal strategy between Patrick and Lindsay Clancy in their separate lawsuits against her medical providers.

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During a hearing Wednesday in Norfolk County Superior Court, attorney Howard Cooper said he expects Lindsay Clancy to testify in a lawsuit filed by her ex-husband, Patrick Clancy, against her healthcare providers.

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"We believe that Lindsay Clancy, once her Fifth Amendment issues are resolved one way or the other, will testify that she told these defendants explicitly that she had homicidal ideation, that she was worried about something awful happening to her kids," Cooper said in court.

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In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, Reddington said his client has never said she'll testify, adding that she never told her healthcare providers that she had homicidal thoughts toward her children.

"It has come to my attention that counsel for Patrick Clancy represented to the court in his civil case that my client, Lindsay Clancy, will testify about statements she made to her healthcare providers," Reddington said. "Lindsay Clancy never told any of her healthcare providers that she harbored homicidal ideation toward her children. She never indicated that she intended to testify in Mr. Clancy's lawsuit, and no one acting for her ever represented that she would."

LINDSAY CLANCY HIRES KAREN READ ATTORNEY FOR HIGH-STAKES DOUBLE JEOPARDY FIGHT AFTER MURDER MISTRIAL

"Mr. Clancy's counsel does not speak for Lindsay Clancy," he added.

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Lindsay Clancy faced three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children, who were found strangled at the family's home in January 2023.

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Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial on Friday, Sept. 4, after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict, ending in an 11-1 divide.

A woman was shot directly outside the Republican Party of Virginia's headquarters in Richmond on Thursday afternoon, just days before Election Day, according to the state GOP.

The shooting occurred around 1:45 p.m. in front of the Obenshain Center, located in the 100 block of East Grace Street in downtown Richmond, according to local outlet WTVR.

In a post on X, the Virginia GOP said Richmond first responders arrived within minutes and confirmed that all party staff members were safe.

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"Around 1:45 p.m. today, a woman was shot immediately in front of The Obenshain Center, the offices of the Republican Party of Virginia. City of Richmond first responders were at the scene within minutes. All Republican Party of Virginia staff are safe," the post read.

The party also said it had no indication that the shooting was connected to its operations.

"The proximity of this event notwithstanding, we have no indication that the shooting was related to the operations of the Republican Party of Virginia," the X post continued.

EX-CHIEF SAYS CHRISTA PIKE WAS 'ALMOST GIDDY' DESCRIBING MURDER AS GOVERNOR WEIGHS IN AFTER BOTCHED EXECUTION

The shooting comes less than a week before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, as voters prepare to head to the polls in Virginia and across the country.

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The circumstances surrounding the shooting, including what led to the gunfire and the woman's condition, were not immediately clear.

The Richmond Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

This is a developing story; check back later for updates.

A former Tennessee police chief who investigated the murder that sent Christa Pike to death row recalled the convicted killer being "ruthless" and "almost giddy" while describing the crime to investigators, as Gov. Bill Lee signaled her death sentence is unlikely to change after she survived a failed execution.

Pike, 50, survived Tennessee's attempt to execute her by lethal injection on Sept. 30 and has since returned to prison, raising questions about whether the state could attempt to put her to death again.

Lee addressed Pike's fate Wednesday, saying she remains incarcerated under Tennessee law.

CHRISTA PIKE IS BACK BEHIND BARS AFTER BOTCHED EXECUTION, BUT HER ULTIMATE SENTENCE FACES A NEW TEST

"I suspect her sentence will be the same as it was before unless determined otherwise by the courts," Lee said.

The governor's comments come as Pike's attorneys have called on Lee to commute her death sentence to life without parole following the failed execution.

CHRISTA PIKE’S BOTCHED LETHAL INJECTION TAKES FOCUS OFF VICTIM, JEOPARDIZES EXECUTION: FORMER POLICE CHIEF

Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a fellow participant in a federal Job Corps program in Knoxville.

Former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith, who was involved in the investigation, recently recalled Pike's demeanor while she was being questioned about the killing in the New York Post documentary "No Mercy: Christa Pike Unraveled."

FORMER KNOXVILLE POLICE CHIEF SAYS INVESTIGATORS ARE STILL HAUNTED BY COLLEEN SLEMMER'S MURDER 31 YEARS LATER

"I heard somebody that was ruthless, without any remorse, almost giddy," Keith said. "You know, she was describing what took place, like, almost the sense that she was bragging about it."

Keith confirmed the comments to Fox News Digital, calling them "spot on." He described Pike in two words: "Pure evil."

Keith also recalled Pike openly talking about the killing after returning to the Job Corps.

LETHAL INJECTION SURVIVOR CHRISTA PIKE'S FORMER SATANIST BOYFRIEND COULD BE RELEASED IN 5 YEARS

"Pike, when she got back, you know, immediately had to express her joy with killing Colleen," Keith said in the documentary. "And then the very next day in class, she bragged again, talking about how she killed Colleen. She showed her shoes that had blood on them."

Pike was 18 when she, her 17-year-old boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, and 19-year-old Shadolla Peterson were charged in Slemmer's killing. All four were participating in the Job Corps at the time, court records show.

CHRISTA PIKE'S ATTORNEYS SAY SHE'S IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER BOTCHED LETHAL INJECTIONS

The three took Slemmer to a secluded area on the University of Tennessee's Knoxville campus, where her throat was cut multiple times, she was struck in the head with a large piece of asphalt and a pentagram was carved into her chest.

Pike later confessed to her role in the killing, according to court records.

CHRISTA PIKE DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL, RETURNED TO PRISON AFTER BOTCHED EXECUTION, ATTORNEYS SAY

Keith said the brutality of the crime scene shocked even veteran homicide investigators.

"I was accustomed to seeing that kind of gore, if you will. But the brutality was different," Keith said in the Post documentary.

CHRISTA PIKE NOW CONSCIOUS AND TALKING AFTER SURVIVING 2 DOSES OF LETHAL INJECTION DRUG

"You know, the visual scene of it, it was so shocking," he added.

Pike was convicted and sentenced to death in 1996, and the Tennessee Supreme Court later affirmed her convictions and sentence.

CHRISTA PIKE'S ATTORNEY SAYS SHE'S 'UP AND WALKING' MORE THAN A WEEK AFTER BOTCHED EXECUTION

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More than three decades later, Tennessee attempted to carry out that sentence on Sept. 30 after the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a last-minute stay issued by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The execution attempt failed after Pike received two doses of pentobarbital, and she was taken to a hospital.

She remained unconscious for days, and her attorneys at one point believed she was brain-dead and expected her to be taken off life support. Pike later regained consciousness and was discharged from the hospital before being returned to prison.

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Her attorneys have since said she is able to walk and speak in full sentences.

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Following the execution attempt, Lee halted Tennessee's remaining executions for the year and ordered an independent review of what went wrong.

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Pike's attorneys have argued she should not be subjected to another execution attempt.

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The push for commutation predates the failed execution.

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In a 2021 filing with the Tennessee Supreme Court, Pike's attorneys sought a certificate of commutation, pointing to her age at the time of Slemmer's murder as well as her history of childhood trauma, mental illness and brain damage.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Pike's attorneys and Lee's office for additional comment.

Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.