Police

Laken Snelling's Snapchat could hold the key to prosecutors securing a conviction in their manslaughter case against her.

Local news station WKYT-TV obtained Snelling's full case file ... and, in it, cops asked a judge to sign off on a warrant for the former University of Kentucky cheerleader's Snapchat account.

When explaining why, cops cited the Snapchat group message the roommates used to communicate ... in which one of the roommates asked about a sound they heard at 4 AM on August 27, 2025 -- and another confirmed they heard it too.

Laken later responded in the chat -- just before 9 AM -- that she passed out and fell, causing the noise. After leaving the house, her roommates told cops they went to her room and found a deceased baby in a bag in the closet.

A Connecticut man named Mike Gerchy appears to have been caught on video beating the crap out of a pit bull ... and now we're told police are investigating.

Check out the dramatic clip posted to Instagram ... which opens with a man body-slamming one of 2 canines in the living room of a house in Glastonbury, CT. You then see the man start kicking the poor pooch while yelling, "What is your f***ing problem?"

A frightened woman is standing in a doorway telling the man to "stop it" ... but he doesn't seem to listen and continues the beatdown, before shooing the dog up the stairs.

11:24 AM PT -- Federal law enforcement tells CNN the suspect is dead.

Cops are responding to reports of an active shooter at a synagogue in the Detroit area.

Local outlet WXYZ-TV reports Temple Israel in West Bloomfield is being surrounded by a heavy police presence, and all schools and places of worship in the area have been advised to shelter in place.

According to WDIV-TV, police sources believe someone intentionally drove a truck into the building, which caught fire.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard gave an update ... "It appears at least one individual came to the temple, security saw him, engaged him in gunfire. ... We’re looking to see if there’s more than one person."

The Jewish Federation of Detroit issued a statement to WXYZ, saying, "We are aware of a security incident at Temple Israel. We are advising all Jewish organizations to go into lockout protocol -- nobody in or out of your building."

Schools in the area were locked down during the investigation.

West Bloomfield Township is located about 25 miles northwest of Detroit.

A nonverbal 7-year-old girl with autism was found dead in a retention pond near her Texas home this week ... and authorities do not suspect foul play, and they expect to close the case shortly.

Pearland PD spokesman Chad Rogers tells TMZ … the death of Skylar Hopson has been determined to be a "tragic accident" -- and unless today's autopsy tells anything different, police will conclude their investigation as far as any criminal component.

Police believe the child left her Pearland home on foot Wednesday, carrying an iPad ... her mother called 911 ... the child's body was located hours later in a nearby retention pond.

Dwight Howard's wife Amber Howard brutally ripped into him during a recent 911 call -- claiming he locked her out of their Georgia mansion ... and telling the dispatcher the home is packed with weapons.

In new 911 audio -- obtained by TMZ -- Amber says she's standing outside in the rain after Dwight locked the gate entrance of their 35,000-square-foot home ... something she claims he frequently does when he gets "upset" following their arguments.

She also name-drops him ... telling the operator her hubby is "Dwight Howard from the Lakers."

Amber also alleges Dwight lost custody of his daughter the night before -- something she also claimed on Instagram, but we have not confirmed -- and says he "took it out on me."

"The Happiest Place on Earth" was the scene of a scary incident Wednesday evening ... when a fleet of police vehicles rushed to Disneyland in Anaheim, California after receiving a flood of bogus calls claiming there was an active mass shooting at the theme park.

According to KTLA-TV, dozens of patrol cruisers descended on the grounds of the theme park ... only to determine the calls to be another instance of "swatting."

"Swatting" is the term commonly used to describe a criminal hoax in which callers report false emergencies that prompt a response from a police department's SWAT Teams.

A nonverbal 7-year-old girl with autism was found dead in a retention pond near her Texas home Wednesday ... just hours after her mom reported her missing.

People reports Skylar Hopson is believed to have left her Pearland home on foot Wednesday, carrying an iPad. It's unclear who was home at the time of Skylar's disappearance or how she got out, but her mother reportedly called police at approximately 9:40 AM.

Police launched a massive search for the girl, with drones, K-9s and search teams. Hours later, the Pearland Police Department -- with help from the Houston Police Department dive team -- recovered Skylar's body from a nearby pond ... she was declared dead at the scene.

The Georgia teen who allegedly ran over and killed a math teacher during a prank gone wrong may get off scot-free thanks to the victim's family, TMZ has learned.

Lee Darragh, Hall County District Attorney, tells TMZ ... he's conferred with the family of the victim, Jason Hughes, and "their desire to have the charges dropped will be given the greatest consideration along with the facts of the case." Darragh also said he will announce his decision soon after he completes his review of the police investigation.

The tragedy occurred in Gainesville, GA, last Friday, when authorities say 18-year-old student Jayden Wallace and his friends went over to Hughes' house and covered it in toilet paper as part of a prank ... taking part in a season of pranking that's become a tradition at their local high school.

But the situation went sideways after cops said Hughes came on the scene and chased after the teens before, slipping on the rain-soaked street. 

TMZ Sports has obtained police bodycam footage from the night cops shut down a bar party thrown by New England Patriots players after earning a trip to the Super Bowl ... showing officers being notified the AFC champs were present.

In the video, cops arrive at an establishment called Estella shortly after 2 AM on Jan. 27. When they make their way downstairs ... they find people gathered in the basement -- which featured hookahs, strippers and a floor filled with dollar bills.

As one of the cops watched people make their way up and down the stairs, a woman approached him and said, "I understand you have a job to do, but do you understand who is in the room?"

So much for the friendly skies! A Southwest Airlines flight from Miami to Denver went completely off the rails before takeoff ... and the whole thing was caught on camera.

Watch the video ... a man -- whom the Miami PD report identifies as 32-year-old Marcial Martinez -- is yelling at someone named Marissa to leave the plane with him as he's being escorted off for being disruptive.

But soon, all hell breaks loose ... Marcial appears to bum-rush a man standing between him and Marissa and a huge fight ensues involving at least one flight attendant and other passengers about the March 6th flight.

Jenelle Evans’ mom, Barbara Evans, called the police to have her grandson Jace committed after he pulled a gun on her, TMZ has learned. 

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Barbara called law enforcement on 16-year-old Jace February 27. We’re told Barbara told Jenelle she also planned on filing paperwork in court for help handling Jace.  

As TMZ first reported, Jace was placed in an involuntary mental facility following an incident where Barbara’s grandson allegedly pulled a gun on her and threatened to kill her as well as himself.

Jeffrey Epstein's once notorious Zorro Ranch in New Mexico is now crawling with investigators -- and TMZ has learned the authorities are trying to see if there's any substance to rumors dead bodies were buried on the property.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... the New Mexico Department of Justice is working in coordination with the ranch's new owner, Don Huffines, a Dallas-based real estate mogul who is currently running for Texas Comptroller.

Huffines and his family purchased the property in 2023 and then renamed it Rancho de San Rafael in honor of the patron saint of healing, promising to turn the land into a Christian retreat.

Anwar Hadid -- the brother of Gigi and Bella Hadid -- claims a woman he blocked online escalated from persistent social media messages to allegedly standing inside his bedroom while he slept ... TMZ has learned.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ, the model filed for a temporary restraining order, claiming the woman has engaged in a "knowing and willful course of conduct" directed at him since at least December 31, 2023.

According to the filing, things began with unwanted online contact. Anwar claims that after he blocked her, the woman created new Instagram accounts throughout 2024 and 2025 to continue messaging him.

Rihanna is not taking any chances following the terrifying shooting at her Los Angeles home because she was photographed getting on a flight and leaving town Monday afternoon.

Photographs show bags being loaded into vehicles and driven to Van Nuys Airport before the plane took off.

As you know ... authorities continue to investigate the shooting that took place at Rihanna's home Sunday while she was inside with her children.

Los Angeles is still reeling from the terrifying shooting at Rihanna's home Sunday ... and we have video of authorities racing to get to the bottom of it.

Yellow caution tape closed off the block today as an officer at the crime scene told us the investigation is still ongoing.

As we reported ... a 35-year-old woman named Ivanna Lisette Ortiz has been booked for attempted murder after allegedly firing multiple rounds into Rihanna's home from her car.

Rihanna was home at the time but it's unclear whether A$AP Rocky or their children were with her.

Dwight Howard and his wife, Amber Howard, have had a chaotic couple of weeks -- and it goes well beyond what’s played out publicly online -- because cops have been called to their Georgia home three separate times in the past two weeks.

A rep for the Gwinnett Police Department tells TMZ ... officers were dispatched to the former NBA star's mansion in Suwanee, GA three times over the past 14 days ... including for a suicide threat call, a domestic incident and a theft report.

The exact circumstances surrounding the three calls remain unclear.