Crime
Trans Member National Guard Pilot Jo Ellis Falsely Accused of Flying Black Hawk Helicopter
A transgender National Guard pilot has spoken out after being falsely accused on social media of piloting the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the fatal midair collision with a passenger jet near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, which claimed 67 lives.
Jo Ellis, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot for the Virginia Army National Guard, addressed the misinformation in a Facebook post on Friday, denouncing the baseless claims that had gained traction online.
The false allegations echoed unsubstantiated rhetoric from former President Donald Trump, who suggested diversity initiatives were to blame for the tragedy.
“Some craziness has happened on the internet, and Iโm being named as one of the pilots of the D.C. crash,” Ellis wrote. “Itโs insulting to the victims and families of those lost, and they deserve better than this BS from the bots and trolls of the internet.”
Ellis included screenshots of posts on X (formerly Twitter) that attempted to link her gender identity to the catastrophic crash.
One post speculated, โWouldnโt be surprised if the pilot was trans,โ while another falsely claimed Ellis had made โradicalized anti-Trump statementsโ on social media. The latter post was later deleted, and the account issued an apology.
Despite these corrections, Ellisโ name trended on X, accumulating over 19,400 mentions.
Even after she publicly refuted the claimsโincluding in a follow-up video titled “Proof of Life”โfar-right accounts continued to circulate misinformation and hate speech targeting her.
The National Guard has not commented on the allegations, and official investigations into the crash remain ongoing.
Crime
16-year-old Khyon Smith-Tate found shot to death inside Chipotle bathroom on edge of Temple University’s campus in North Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA โ A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot inside the bathroom of a Chipotle restaurant near Temple Universityโs campus in North Philadelphia on Monday afternoon, police said, as students and staff returned for the first day of the Spring 2026 semester.
The shooting occurred at approximately 5:00 p.m. inside the Chipotle located in the 1100 block of West Montgomery Avenue, on the ground floor of The View at Montgomery apartment complex. The building is situated near Temple Universityโs Student Center and TECH Center.
Police later identified the victim as Khyon Smith-Tate, a North Philadelphia resident. Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said Smith-Tate was found with a gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at 5:24 p.m.
Temple University President John Fry and Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police Jennifer Griffin issued a joint statement following the incident:
โThe loss of life to gun violence is a profound tragedy, and there are no words that can make sense of it. Our thoughts are with the victimโs family and loved ones.โ
According to investigators, Smith-Tate and another minor entered the restaurant and requested access to the restroom. Chief Inspector Small said the shooting is believed to have occurred inside the bathroom.
Moments later, employees discovered Smith-Tate suffering from a gunshot wound. Police recovered one spent shell casing from a semiautomatic weapon inside the restroom.
Although the victimโs last known address was approximately eight blocks from the scene, authorities have not indicated what brought him to the location or what led to the shooting.
At the time of the incident, the restaurant was crowded, and multiple individuals inside the business were detained briefly for questioning. However, police said they have not yet obtained any statements from witnesses who reported hearing a gunshot.
A person of interest was taken into custody several blocks from the scene shortly after the shooting, but Chief Inspector Small said that individualโs involvement remains unclear.
As of Tuesday, police confirmed that no arrests have been made and no motive has been established.
Investigators believe Smith-Tate entered the restroom with another minor, though the whereabouts of that individual remain unknown.
Police are also seeking information about three possible suspects, described as teenagers carrying backpacks.
Chief Inspector Small noted that the area is equipped with numerous surveillance cameras, which detectives are reviewing as part of the ongoing investigation.
Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the incident to contact the Philadelphia Police Department.