Latest news with #Fortner
International Business Times
5 days ago
- International Business Times
Arkansas Teenage Girl Mauled to Death as She Tried to Help 'Starving' Pack of Dogs Neglected by Their Owners
An Arkansas teen was fatally mauled by a pack of dogs as she tried to feed the malnourished canines left in neglect by their owners. Makayla Fortner, 15, was killed in an enclosed area at a home in the community of Alexander, as she tried to care for around 30 starving dogs on Wednesday, June 11. Fortner Had Been Trying to Help the Pack of Dogs After Learning About Their State of Neglect, was Trying to Find Them Permanent Homes The teen and her mother, Stephanie Wilkie, was attempting to rescue the dogs after noticing their deteriorating condition, left to die by their owners. Fortner was also working to find them permanent homes, officials said. Deputies from the Saline County Sheriff's Office said they were alerted to the attack around 12:15 p.m. Wednesday and arrived to find the teen already dead. With the assistance of Benton Animal Services, deputies seized multiple dogs from the property. Dogs were a Mix of Pitbulls, Pitbull Crossbreeds, and Hounds; 14 of Them Euthanized in the Wake of the Attack The dogs were a mix of pit bulls, pit bull crossbreeds, and hounds, Benton Animal Services spokesperson Matt Thibault told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Officials told the newspaper that 14 dogs were euthanized in the wake of the incident. Investigators said they are looking into how the "sudden and tragic" attack unfolded. For months, neighbors had complained about how out of control the problem with the pack of dogs had become — with many reporting to Saline County officials that they would sometimes run loose throughout the area. However, county officials had told upset residents on multiple occasions that there was nothing they could do. The Saline County Sheriff's Office is now investigating the incident with the assistance of Benton animal control. Fortner Remembered as 'The Kindest Soul' Fortner, a high schooler at Bryant Public Schools, is remembered as a "beautiful, bright girl with the kindest soul," a GoFundMe set up for the 15-year-old revealed. "Her smile could light up a room, and her laughter was the kind that made others feel instantly at ease," the fundraising page reads."She is deeply loved by her family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing her."
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Teen girl killed by pack of neglected dogs as she tried to help them, neighbors say
A teenage girl was killed in a 'horrific' attack by a pack of neglected dogs she had been caring for, authorities say. Makayla Fortner, 15, was mauled to death 'by multiple dogs' in an enclosed area at a home in the community of Alexander, Arkansas. Around 30 rescues lived on the property. Deputies from the Saline County Sheriff's Office said they were alerted to the attack around 12:15 p.m. Wednesday and arrived to find the teen already dead.n Fortne had previously been helping to care for the animals as well as working to find them permanent homes, officials said. With the assistance of Benton Animal Services, deputies seized multiple dogs from the property. The dogs were a mix of pit bulls, pit bull crossbreeds, and hounds, Benton Animal Services spokesperson Matt Thibault told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Officials told the newspaper that 14 dogs were euthanized in the wake of the incident. Investigators said they are looking into how the 'sudden and tragic' attack unfolded. Neighbors told ABC affiliate KATV said Fortner was attempting to feed the dogs before the deadly attack. Ralph Murphy said that he witnessed a deputy fire two shots from a pistol to disperse some of the animals as he headed towards the victim. 'And then he walked over and looked down and turned around and walked back, and so I moved and I saw a body on the ground,' he said. A friend of the victim's mother, Stephanie Wilkie, launched a GoFundMe page to support the family and help cover funeral expenses. 'On behalf of my dear friend Stephanie Wilkie, I am heartbroken to share the devastating news that her beloved 15-year-old daughter, Makayla Fortner, tragically passed away following a horrific dog attack,' organizer Erin Bowman wrote. 'This unimaginable loss has left her family in deep shock, grief, and emotional pain.' Bowman described Fortner as 'a beautiful, bright girl with the kindest soul who had so much life ahead of her.' Just days before the attack, Wilkie posted on Facebook that she and her daughter were looking after a litter of more than 40 puppies at the home of an elderly couple. 'So like normal, found myself in a hoarding situation of an older couple in their 80s with too many dogs,' she wrote on June 8, adding that there are 'puppies everywhere, 40+ and a litter born today.' Neighbors said that they have complained multiple times about the dogs being uncontrolled and running away from the property. 'These dogs were very vicious at the fence to the point that no one wanted to let their children walk to and from the bus stop,' White Oak Drive resident Heidi Clay said. "And if somebody had done something, then maybe this little girl would be alive.'
Epoch Times
28-05-2025
- Epoch Times
Coroner Releases Names of San Diego Plane Crash Victims as Investigation Continues
The San Diego County coroner has officially released the names of five of the six people who were killed when a The crash ignited cars parked along a neighborhood block and damaged several homes in the U.S. military's largest housing neighborhood. Five people from a single family were hospitalized for smoke inhalation following the crash, and another person was treated at a hospital for injuries sustained while climbing out of a window trying to flee, said San Diego police. According to the San Diego David Shapiro, 42; Emma Huke, 25; and Celina Marie Rose Kenyon, 36, died of multiple blunt force injuries, according to the coroner. The medical examiner's office is still investigating what caused the death of Dominic Christopher Damian, 41, and Kendall Fortner, 24, who were also traveling in the private jet when it crashed, according to the information released. Related Stories 5/24/2025 5/23/2025 Shapiro had been identified by his company, Sound Talent Group, as its cofounder. Fortner and Huke were two of his employees, the music agency said in a statement. Damian was a software engineer, according to his Fortner and Huke had recently joined Shapiro's agency as booking associates after graduating college, according to bios released by Sound Talent Group. 'We are devastated by the loss of our cofounder, colleagues and friends,' the company wrote in the Shapiro also owned Velocity Records. He had a pilot's license and was listed as the owner of the plane. Another passenger on the flight was allegedly Daniel Williams, although the sixth person has not been officially identified. Williams, a former drummer for metal band The Devil Wears Prada, posted on his Instagram before the flight that he was boarding a plane with Shapiro. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading an investigation into the crash. Police officers search the site where a small plane crashed on a San Diego, California, residential street on May 22, 2025. Photo by Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images The flight took off from Teterboro, New Jersey, near Manhattan, at about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday and stopped for fuel in Kansas before continuing to San Diego, according to Elliot Simpson of the NTSB. The plane was arriving at about 3:45 a.m. at the As the pilot approached the runway for an instrument-guided landing, the Cessna Citation hit high-tension power lines about two miles southeast of the airfield, according to the NTSB. 'After impacting the high-tension power lines, the airplane descended and impacted the ground in a residential area,' Dan Baker, senior air safety investigator for the NTSB assigned to the region, Investigators look through the site where a small plane crashed on a San Diego, California, residential street on May 22, 2025. Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images After coming to a rest on Sample Street, the aircraft burst into flames that destroyed it and damaged nearby vehicles and homes, according to Baker. 'The pilot and passengers were fatally injured,' Baker said, but there were no ground fatalities or serious injuries to people nearby. Initial findings revealed the pilot was attempting to land while the runway lighting systems were out of service, according to investigators. Additionally, the airport's Automated Surface Observing System ( The area was experiencing thick fog, but the wind was calm with a half-mile of visibility, investigators said. The pilot communicated with air traffic controllers to get weather information for a location four miles away before descending, he added. The pilot did not report any problems to air traffic control and did not declare an emergency during the landing, according to the NTSB. The aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder, and investigators were still trying to determine if the plane had a cockpit voice recorder. The agency is required to file a preliminary report 30 days after the accident and expects to finalize a report within 12 to 24 months, Baker said.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 more victims of private jet crash in San Diego identified by coroner
The names of two more people who were killed when the small private jet on which they were passengers crashed into a San Diego, California, neighborhood last week were released on Sunday. The San Diego Medical Examiner confirmed that 41-year-old Dominic Christopher Damian and 24-year-old Kendall Fortner were among the six people aboard a Cessna 550 jet that crash and burst into flames early Thursday morning in dense fog near Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport. Everyone aboard the plane died, officials said. Eight people on the ground were injured, including five who were treated for smoke inhalation, officials said. Multiple homes were destroyed and several vehicles were damaged, authorities said. The crash occurred about 3:45 a.m. when the private jet clipped powerlines and crashed in San Diego's Murphy Canyon neighborhood seconds before it was to land at the Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport, according to an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the NTSB. On Friday, the Medical Examiner confirmed the identities of three of the people aboard the aircraft who were killed as 42-year-old David Shapiro, 25-year-old Emma Huke, and 36-year-old Celina Kenyon. MORE: Music agency co-founder among dead in San Diego plane crash The identity of the sixth person killed in the cash has not been publicly confirmed by officials. Shapiro was the co-founder of the music talent agency Sound Talent Group, the company said in an earlier statement. The company's statement identified Fortner as a booking associate with the agency but Fortner's identity wasn't officially confirmed by the medical examiner until Sunday. Huke also worked for the talent agency as a booking associate, according to the agency. The plane was flying from Wichita, Kansas, to San Diego when it crashed, officials said. The plane originated in Teterboro, New Jersey, according to FlightRadar24 records. The plane stopped to refuel in Wichita, Kansas, before flying on to San Diego, according to FlightRadar24. San Diego Assistant Fire Chief of Emergency Operations Dan Eddy said at a news conference on Thursday that there was dense fog in the area at the time of the crash. In air traffic control audio transmissions minutes before the crash, the pilot was recorded asking about the weather conditions, according to The NTSB said that the airport's weather reporting system as well as runway lights were both not functioning at the time of the crash. ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab contributed to this report. 2 more victims of private jet crash in San Diego identified by coroner originally appeared on
25-05-2025
2 more victims of private jet crash in San Diego identified by coroner
The names of two more people who were killed when the small private jet on which they were passengers crashed into a San Diego, California, neighborhood last week were released on Sunday. The San Diego Medical Examiner confirmed that 41-year-old Dominic Christopher Damian and 24-year-old Kendall Fortner were among the six people aboard a Cessna 550 jet that crash and burst into flames early Thursday morning in dense fog near Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport. Everyone aboard the plane died, officials said. Eight people on the ground were injured, including five who were treated for smoke inhalation, officials said. Multiple homes were destroyed and several vehicles were damaged, authorities said. The crash occurred about 3:45 a.m. when the private jet clipped powerlines and crashed in San Diego's Murphy Canyon neighborhood seconds before it was to land at the Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport, according to an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the NTSB. On Friday, the Medical Examiner confirmed the identities of three of the people aboard the aircraft who were killed as 42-year-old David Shapiro, 25-year-old Emma Huke, and 36-year-old Celina Kenyon. The identity of the sixth person killed in the cash has not been publicly confirmed by officials. Shapiro was the co-founder of the music talent agency Sound Talent Group, the company said in an earlier statement. The company's statement identified Fortner as a booking associate with the agency but Fortner's identity wasn't officially confirmed by the medical examiner until Sunday. Huke also worked for the talent agency as a booking associate, according to the agency. The plane was flying from Wichita, Kansas, to San Diego when it crashed, officials said. The plane originated in Teterboro, New Jersey, according to FlightRadar24 records. The plane stopped to refuel in Wichita, Kansas, before flying on to San Diego, according to FlightRadar24. San Diego Assistant Fire Chief of Emergency Operations Dan Eddy said at a news conference on Thursday that there was dense fog in the area at the time of the crash. In air traffic control audio transmissions minutes before the crash, the pilot was recorded asking about the weather conditions, according to The NTSB said that the airport's weather reporting system as well as runway lights were both not functioning at the time of the crash.
