Month: April 2025

A Delta Airlines flight with more than 200 passengers on board caught fire Monday in Florida while on the runway, with the passengers forced to evacuate onto the tarmac at Orlando International Airport after one of the plane’s engines caught fire.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Delta Airlines Flight 1213 was preparing for takeoff from OIA at approximately 11:15 a.m. when the fire broke out in the tailpipe of one of the two engines of the aircraft, an Airbus A330. Following standard safety procedures, the crew initiated the evacuation after the flames were spotted.

Emergency slides were deployed, and all 282 passengers (along with 10 flight attendants and two pilots) exited the aircraft safely. The flight was en route to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta. Delta confirmed there were no immediate reports of injuries, and a replacement aircraft was arranged to complete the journey for affected passengers. An Orlando International Airport spokesperson confirmed the fire was extinguished after emergency crews responded quickly to the scene.

Delta said in a statement Monday: “We are grateful for our customers’ understanding and sincerely apologize for the disruption. We thank our customers for their patience and sincerely apologize for the situation. Safety is our top priority, and our teams are working diligently to ensure passengers reach their destinations as quickly as possible.”

The exact cause of the engine fire is still unknown. Delta stated that its maintenance team would inspect the aircraft, and the FAA has launched an investigation.

Editorial credit: Eliyahu Yosef Parypa / Shutterstock.com

The man responsible for a racially motivated attack that left 23 people dead at a Walmart in El Paso in 2019 entered a guilty plea to capital murder charges in a Texas state courtroom on Monday. His guilty plea means he will receive an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole. At the federal level, he has already been handed 90 consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty to hate crimes and firearms violations.

Patrick Crusius, now 26, formally admitted to the crimes in court on Monday. Crusius admitted to intentionally targeting Hispanic people on August 3, 2019, when he opened fire at a busy Walmart in the border city, filled with shoppers from both the U.S. and Mexico.

Judge Sam Medrano asked Crusius during the proceedings if he was pleading guilty solely because he was indeed guilty; Crusius replied without hesitation: “Yes, your honor.”  Crusius was then directly addressed in court by Judge Medrano, who condemned his actions and emphasized the strength and unity of the El Paso community in the aftermath: “You came here to spread fear and destroy lives, targeting a community that would have embraced you. Instead of sowing division, you brought people together. Instead of silencing them, you amplified their voices. El Paso stood tall — more united, more courageous.”

According to El Paso County District Attorney James Montoya, the death penalty was taken off the table after prosecutors consulted with the victims’ families, many of whom expressed a desire to bring the case to a close. Defense attorney Joe Spencer revealed that Crusius had long struggled with schizoaffective disorder — a condition associated with hallucinations, delusions, and severe mood disturbances — and that he had fallen under the influence of radical content online.

At the time of the shooting, Crusius was a 21-year-old college dropout from near Dallas. Authorities say he drove over 700 miles to El Paso, posted a white supremacist manifesto online referring to a so-called “Hispanic invasion,” and then opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle in and around the Walmart. The victims included a 15-year-old student athlete, elderly grandparents, immigrants, a retired bus driver, a teacher, skilled tradesmen, and multiple Mexican citizens who had crossed the border on everyday shopping trips.

Editorial credit: Grossinger / Shutterstock.com