Vigil held for 2 brothers killed in Bronx shooting
NEW YORK -- A vigil was held Tuesday for two brothers who were killed in a shooting in the Bronx last week.
Loved ones were joined by neighbors and community members as they released balloons in the air in memory of 24-year-old Jeremiah Smith and 37-year-old Devren Smith.
They were killed when police say two suspects fired several shots outside a fast food restaurant on East Tremont Avenue on Friday afternoon.
READ MORE: At least 1 person killed, 3 wounded in Bronx shooting; 2 arrested
"Our family was broken, our spirits was broken, but our strength, our strength is the reason why we're able to stand here," one woman said. "I have a son to raise alone. He's 6 months old, spitting image of his father and uncle."
Two suspects have been arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder and manslaughter.
Two others were injured in the shooting. They are expected to be OK.
NJ school closure linked to Michigan State University shooting
EWING TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) -- Ewing Township police say all public and private schools were closed Tuesday due to a threat that was connected to the suspect involved in the mass shooting at Michigan State University.
An investigation into the East Lansing, Michigan shooting led to a possible connection between 43-year-old Anthony McRae and Ewing, New Jersey.
Police say a note was found in McRae's pocket "indicating a threat to two Ewing Public Schools." The district said the letter specifically mentioned Ewing High School and Fisher Middle School.
"The shooter had a note on him that specifically said there would violence carried out," Ewing Township Police Chief Al Rhodes said.
Further investigation found the incident was isolated to Michigan and there is no threat at Ewing schools.
Police also say McRae has not lived in the area in several years.
"The shooter apparently had lived in Ewing Township at one time," Rhodes said, "and possibly attended Ewing schools."
McRae reportedly has a history of mental health issues.
Three students were killed and five others were critically wounded in a shooting at Michigan State University Monday night, authorities said.
McRae, who police said was the gunman, was later found dead in Lansing of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Students later recounted the terrifying moments that unfolded on the MSU campus.
All five Ewing Township public schools closed Tuesday morning "out of an abundance of caution," according to police.
Cafeteria worker Diane Turner was heading to Fisher Middle School when she learned of the threat.
"The world is scary. This is scary. I work for the schools," Turner said, "and we talk about all the time because they always have drills, you know shelter in place."
It's a similar feeling for parent Meesha Francis.
"Knowing that it was this close to home, it is pretty scary," Francis said, "and it's scary every day that I send my daughter to school."
Francis' 10-year-old daughter goes to one of the district's elementary schools.
She says she's thankful for the swift response from law enforcement.
"Having my child in school and not being able to know what's happening is even more stressful," Francis said. "I'm glad that they were able to send us an update and that everything is safe."
There are additional officers from Ewing police and other agencies at public and private schools.
"We will update this page as we get more information," the department said in a Facebook post. "The safety and security of our students is always paramount."
Some students were already arriving for the day when school officials made the announcement.
The department requested people stop calling the police seeking information.
The Trenton Public School District posted on its Facebook page early Tuesday morning with an update regarding the alleged safety threat.
The post reads in part, "The Trenton Police Department's Director learned that the alleged threat is not specific to schools in our district; however, additional officers will be patrolling schools throughout the day."
School district officials have been in communication with Trenton Police Department and will continue to work with them to ensure the safety of their students and staff.
The news led to increased security measures at TCNJ as well. The college, which was not named in the threat, briefly required swipe access to academic buildings while the threat was under investigation.
The requirement was lifted after the investigation found no threat to the New Jersey area.
Classes at Ewing schools are expected to resume a normal schedule Wednesday, but not without additional police stationed outside.
Trenton Public School District and Hopewell Valley Regional School District will also have an increased police presence Wednesday.
FDNY: Dozens of lithium-ion batteries sparked Brooklyn house fire that left woman critically injured
NEW YORK -- A 67-year-old woman is in critical condition after an intense fire in Brooklyn on Tuesday.
The FDNY said the cause points to a growing danger in New York City.
CBS2 saw the aftermath of the blaze near Goodwin Place and Green Avenue in the Bushwick section of the borough. Fire investigators found dozens of e-bike batteries inside a home in a three-story building, and said they caused the fire, which broke out at around 1:40 a.m.
The FDNY said the flames engulfed the top floor of the building, trapping the 67-year-old woman. Firefighters rescued her and she is now hospitalized.
People in the neighborhood described the rapidly spreading fire.
"I looked out my window and saw flames ... and then just came out the door and saw the whole house up in smoke," Bushwick resident Allie Olson said.
"There was incredibly heavy fire on arrival," FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said.
Kavanagh said the cause was e-bikes and e-bike batteries -- also known as lithium-ion batteries.
Fire investigators found a total of 50 e-bike batteries inside the home after the fire on Tuesday morning. They believe someone living there was running a battery repair operation, which they said is a major hazard.
"There were also many that were charging at the time that were nobody was watching them charge, so they had charged them overnight," Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn said.
Experts say you should never try to repair batteries, never use a refurbished battery and never charge your batteries overnight.
RELATED STORY: Lithium-ion battery started deadly house fire in Queens, FDNY says
Basheir Babikir, with Propel Electric Bikes in Brooklyn, says a damaged battery should only be replaced.
"If somebody comes in here and says, 'My battery is broken, can you fix it?'" CBS2's Tim McNicholas asked.
"Yeah, I mean, we don't really repair batteries," Babikir said.
He showed McNicholas how some batteries are marked that they're certified by a safety lab and how many batteries even warn people not to open them.
"These fires, I believe, like, mainly it's someone in a garage somewhere put a battery together or tried to fix it," Bibikir said.
That's why Kavanagh wrote a letter to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission asking them to seize "imported devices at the ports that fail minimum industry standards."
That letter also asks the government to ban universal chargers, as experts say you should only use the charger that matches your battery.
RELATED STORY: With lithium ion-related fires on the rise, FDNY offers guidelines for e-bikes and e-scooter users
"When these catch on fire, they burst into flames," Kavanagh said, "and there is almost no way out of your room or out of your apartment."
The problem, itself, has also been spreading rapidly as more people use e-bikes for delivery work and daily commutes.
The FDNY said the batteries caused 220 fires in 2022 and killed six people, adding Tuesday's blaze is already the 24th caused by the batteries so far this year.
"It seems like the number is doubling year by year," Flynn said.
Meanwhile, the New York City Council is considering a bill that would ban the sale of refurbished batteries.
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