ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 11pm - April 17, 2026

Episode Date: April 18, 2026

Eyewitness News at 11pm - April 17, 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Right now, live coverage from your local news leader, preparing you for tomorrow starting tonight and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11 eyewitness news. Right now at 11, chaos inside Raleigh's Triangle Town Center Mall. It just sounded like, you know, pop, pop, pop, pop, and we just, we knew right away where it was. Tonight, several people are hurt after a fight leads to shots fired. Eyewitness News talking to the people inside who did everything they could to get out of the mall alive. I ran. I had a client in the chair. I heard the shots. My first instinct is to get lower. Today's shooting comes after several incidents of violence citywide. A trend, Raleigh, police say, has to get under control.

I mean, we've got to do a better job of intervening before these things turn violent. Tonight, the latest from Raleigh and an investigation that's just getting started. Hi, everyone. Thanks for joining us here for the News at 11. I'm Steve Daniels. Lauren Johnson has the night off. scared and confused and concerned. Those are just three of the many emotions. People describe feeling inside the mall as they heard those shots being fired this afternoon. It's a breaking story we've been covering

since eyewitness news at four. First here tonight, let's get you caught up on what we know at this hour. Three people are recovering after the shooting inside the Triangle Town Center Mall and Raleigh. It started this afternoon near the express door. That's when police say two groups met up at the mall. They got into an argument and it turned violent.

Shoppers ran for cover, some hiding in bathrooms until it was safe to. to come out. John Dowding joins us live from the mall now. John, fortunately all three of those victims are expected to be okay, but certainly a very frightening situation for everyone involved. And Steve, you just mentioned that earlier as well. For those who were inside the mall today and those in the nearby community and the neighborhoods nearby, it's been a very scary and chaotic day. Now also right now here on the scene, it is still a much different scene from earlier today. You still have a very small police presence from Riley police on scene here. That's just

after we're learning here that Raleigh police say that forensics is done with the investigation inside the mall but still a lot of questions left tonight we heard of like 10 most shots so we we knew it was gunshots then a shooting Friday afternoon inside triangle town center mall sent people running for cover inside it just sounded like you know pop pop pop pop and we just we knew right away what it was so we just grabbed everybody went to the back close the back locked the bathroom door and just stayed in there. I called 911. Raleigh Police and other first responders rushed inside the mall just after 3.30 this afternoon. Witnesses reported that two small groups had met up at that location, exchanged words.

Those words became physical and then a shooting occurred. Following the shooting, several individuals had fled the store on foot. Chopper 11 captured the moments when first responders brought a victim out on a stretcher into an ambulance. Three people suffered non-life-threatening injuries. But the search for the suspects branched out into nearby names. neighborhoods. IWitness news crew spotted police in tactical gear with a canine searching a wooded area near a Hilton Garden Inn and a drone up in the sky. That search with armed officers happening next to apartments as children came home from school. Juliet Munoz lives in the complex where police searched for a suspect.

She told us she was scared and unsure of what was going on. She says this all happened as the kids came home. So we were all worried at first because we didn't know what was happening. The alert on her phone told us we were. in danger, but I was really worried for the kids outside. From the neighborhoods nearby to inside the mall, several people tonight telling us they're still on edge over what happened. I'm very shook up because I wasn't expecting this, you know, here.

But things happen everywhere, but I'm very shucking up because I have my grandson with me. And right now on screen, you're seeing that sole Raleigh police car here, a much different scene from what we heard and saw earlier today. We also heard on scene here, Steve, from several different people talking about some of the chaos inside after those shots broke out with young children who were separated from their parents, the fear that they had. Thankfully, they have been reunited with their loved ones. But again, just all the chaos and fear that broke out earlier today. And the biggest question on everyone's minds tonight, who the suspects are and where they are at this time. Again, I'm Riley police.

We're going to find them. And we'll make sure to keep you updated on air and online as this investigation continues. Live here in Raleigh, I'm John Douting. eyewitness news. The RPD said they were reviewing surveillance video from there at the mall, but so far no description of who they're looking for. We'll keep an eye on it. John, thanks very much. And today's shooting is one of several incidents of violence that happened within the city of Raleigh in the past week.

On Saturday, six people were hurt and a stabbing following a fight on Fayetteville Street outside a bar. On Monday night, a man was killed after getting shot on Thelma Street just off Newburn Avenue. On Tuesday, an argument led to a shootout in the parking lot of a food line. Several people were hurt there on Creedmoor Road. And then there was today's incident inside triangle town center. For more on today's investigation and a timeline, exactly what happened. You can look for the article on ABC11.com. It's right there on the homepage.

All right, let's switch gears here and talk about the weather. This was a little taste of summer. It's still going strong out there this evening. Our cameras capture people enjoying a really warm night out in downtown Durham. And Cruz Medina is here talking about the 90s that will continue this heat wave tomorrow. Yeah, it's going to be a very warm start to the weekend, Steve. Some might even say hot with tipter soaring back into the low and middle 90s on Saturday. So it won't quite reach records, but we'll only follow a degree or too short for tomorrow in Raleigh.

And then as we go into Sunday, this 71 that you see there, that temperature is going to occur sometime in the morning before lunch. And then as we go throughout the afternoon, the temperatures will fall very quickly and we could even see a few showers. Back to today, we only got up to 88 in Raleigh. And so it was kind of a break from the 90s that we've been having so far this week. We've already had two days where we've tied the record. Tonight we only cooled down to 59, so we're going to see the temperatures rise very quickly throughout the day tomorrow. By the time we get into 1 p.m., you can see we're already approaching 90 degrees, and then we're in the 90s for tomorrow afternoon with a lot of sunshine. So tomorrow's the day to get outside.

Once again, Sunday will be a different kind of day. But throughout this weekend, even though we have a little bit of a rain chance on Sunday, it's not going to be drop busting rain. We need nine and in some cases even 10 inches to close the gap and get rid of the drought. But Steve's got some more context on what the drought is doing to us right now. That's right, Cruz. Yeah, businesses and people across Wake County are bracing for the start of water restrictions. They go into effect on Monday for Raleighwater customers. So that includes people in Garner, Nightdale, Rollsville, Wake Forest, Wendell, and Zebulin.

People who live in odd-numbered addresses can water on Tuesdays and in even-numbered addresses on Wednesdays. For full details on those restrictions, you can go to ABC11.com. New here at 11. A man is dead after a shooting in Fayetteville. County deputies responded to the 100 block of Jacqueline Road just after 3 o'clock. And they found the victim there with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene so far. No one has been arrested. New at 11 in Raleigh tonight, friends and family and co-workers are coming together to support an NC state student who was badly injured by a hit and run driver.

Last night we told you the story of Braden Bulger. He was in South Carolina in Hilton Head with his fraternity brothers when he was hit by a car. Braden has a traumatic brain injury. But tonight we have some encouraging news. He is responsive and he's even sending snapchats to his buddies back here at home. Tonight the North Street beer station where Braden works in Raleigh had a fundraiser and the bar also selling t-shirts with 15% of all the proceeds going to help pay his medical bills. Braden is a finance major and a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at NC State.

Tonight we talked to his older brother who says the community support has really been overwhelming. I mean the money that's coming in for him it's more than we could have ever asked for and he's going to love that when he sees that. I look forward to seeing him back better than ever. We'll get back out there on the golf course. He's gonna be good. I just can't wait to be back to our normal life

from my brother. IWitness also talked to Braden's best friend to describe what it was like to hear Braden's voice earlier today. He was on his phone earlier. He was able to Snapchat some of us, get on his phone. He had a difficulty opening his phone yesterday. So for him to be able to get on it,

put in his password, open Snapchat, and be able to answer us and be coherent about it. It's awesome to see. I truly could get emotional talking about it because like I said, he shouldn't be alive today. The North Street Beer Station in Raleigh is open until 2 a.m. tonight, and we'll be sure to update you on how much money they raise both on air and online. The man charged in last month's deadly shooting at a Raleigh nightclub made his first court appearance in Wake County. Today Giovanni Hernandez Haramio is accused of shooting and killing 33-year-old Horteur d'Aurante's Caranza at the patio nightclub on Newburn Avenue back in March.

Federal agents later found him hiding out at a home in Houston. He was given no bond. His next court date is May the 7th. A single engine plane made an emergency landing at the RDU airport this afternoon. The airport says, as you can see here, the plane landed safely. And from our breaking news crew there on the scene, you can see there was some kind of a landing gear issue. We do know the pilot of the plane is doing okay after those frightening moments at RDU. Still to come here on eyewitness News at 11, it was a record day on Wall Street. We'll show you what had the stock markets hitting some new fresh highs today.

And enough is enough. That's the message from students in Durham who are frustrated by gun violence that's taken in far too many lives. And Cruz is back checking on those warm temperatures outside tonight. Yeah, it's still pretty mild, well into the 60s at this time. Get ready for it to be in the 90s tomorrow. Fayetteville, you could possibly break your record tomorrow,

but then we're gonna cool down into the start of the next week. You'll see all of those details coming up in your seven day forecast after this break. New here at 11, young people in Durham are taking a stand against gun violence. Teens directly impacted by the rise in gun violence, sitting face to face with policy makers, hoping to spark change in their community.

Akila Davis sitting in on that conversation, and she has more now on this really powerful discussion. I don't want no one else to go through what I went through. I first met Jamaica Smith in November of 2024, just weeks after her first homecoming as a freshman at NCCU. She was shot unknowingly in the hip while walking back to a friend's dorm room. And today she's still living with the impacts of nerve damage. I have to take medicine three times a day just so I can function with having nerve pain and, you know, get through the day. but it also has a lot of side effects like brain fog.

Just a few weeks ago, 12-year-old Kadija Jarbuckle told me as she was leaving the park in the Cornwallis community where she lives, she witnessed a drive-by shooting. A white car had drove past and started shooting out the window and a young male had sat like kind of on the window looking around, like kind of shooting down the park lot, and there was a whole bunch of kids outside. These are just a few of the stories shared

at the youth leaders against gun violence symposium. The event is Tiffany Swope's brainchild. We are hoping that our policy makers, that our community leaders, our elected officials, that they will listen to our children, they will hear the cries from the community, and they will take some of the solutions that are being presented today and come up with a plan. At-risk Youth Mentorship Organization, Grace Inc., in partnership with NCCU's Psychology Department, organized four panel discussions, focused on workforce and education, as tools for gun violence prevention, along with the mental health impact of community violence. This comes as Durham rolls out its violence reduction plan. So far, the city has hosted three community listening sessions. Really excited about that work, and I think making sure that we incorporate that youth voice is going to be critical to our success. These are the kids who are in our schools,

in our neighborhoods. Teens like Adija hoped to see more police officers patrolling Cornwallis. She told me she often hears gunshots while she's trying to sleep at night, hoping her story reaches the mayor and spurs action. I don't think he understands how serious the situation can get if he doesn't put his foot down in the community. In Durham, Akila Davis, ABC 11, eyewitness news. And organizers say this is the first youth leaders against gun violence symposium, but given today's turnout, it won't be the last. The U.S. and Iran are still at the negotiating table tonight, but the two sides are telling very different stories about how close they actually. to a deal to end the war. Today, President Trump said Iran has agreed to everything, but Iran's top negotiator fired back on social media, calling Trump's claims false.

The key sticking point is there's no agreement on how long Iran would suspend uranium enrichment or the terms surrounding that. The Strait of Hormuz is at the center of the standoff in the Persian Gulf there. The White House says it's completely open for business, but ship tracking data shows vessels that started moving toward the straight today actually turned around and headed back. Trump says the U.S. Navy blockade of Iranian ports ends the moment a deal is signed. A second round of talks could happen as early as Monday. The stock markets rocketed higher today. Following news, the street has reopened. Oil prices also dropped. The S&P 500 jumped 1.2% crossing the 7100 mark for the first time ever, and you can see the Dow was up 1.8%. New tonight, American Airlines

says it is not interested in a merger with United Airlines after reports emerged this week that United was pursuing a merger. The United CEO, Scott Kirby, reportedly floated the idea of a potential merger of the country's two largest airlines to the Trump administration earlier this year. Americans says a merger with United would be negative for competition and for consumers, but acknowledged changes in the broader airline industry may be necessary. New here at 11, Raleigh's Dix Park once again getting some national attention. The park was voted the fifth best city park in the USA Today ranking of 10 best city parks. That's up from the 10th spot last year.

The Gibson Play Plaza in Dick's Park was also voted the third best public playground and the USA Today 10 best ranking. Coming up on Sunday in Durham, it's the annual Earth Day Festival put on by the Parks and Rec Department. It runs from noon until 5 at Durham Central Park. They'll have music and an Earth Day parade. Cruz Medina will be there serving as the MC from noon until 2. New here at 11, the Make a Wish community coming together for World Wish Months to help bring joy to children with critical illnesses. and that includes a 14-year-old boy from Durham who's battling lymphoma. Jimmy from Durham is one of 26 kids who are in Las Vegas right now for WrestleMania weekend.

Each Wish kid is getting their own private shopping experience at the WWE World Superstore. They also get their own superstar entrance where each child is surprised and announced there by WWE stars. Good for Jimmy. Hope you's having a great weekend there on his visit to Vegas from Durham. Just more great stuff from the Make a Wish Foundation. All right, cruise back with us right now. We've got this day in the 90s tomorrow, but then things kind of cool off a little bit around here. Yeah, they do. And I think for some people, it's welcome.

And then there's people who probably wish that it would stay. That's right. And that's me. Okay. The heat will be back, but we know that, right? It's coming back next week. So you'll see it back in the seven-day forecast. But yes, as we start off this weekend, 90s are in the forecast.

So we can challenge some records throughout the day tomorrow. By Sunday, we will see our warmest temperature in the morning. A few showers as we go into midday as of, front moves in and behind that front that's going to cool us down into the start of next week. So early next week is more seasonable. High tipters will be in the lower 70s and that's kind of what we expect for this time of the month. But tonight we are still in the 60s. It's still mild. And look at this. People are out enjoying the night. This is level 7 rooftop bar in North Hills where it is 69 degrees right now. But some of you north of Raleigh have cooled down into the 50s like

Roxborough and Lewisburg at 59. By the time you wake up tomorrow morning, that's where most of us should be in those middle to upper 50s. We will have a few clouds around in the morning, but just fair weather clouds, not expecting any rain throughout the day tomorrow. The afternoon, very, very warm. Upper 80s, low 90s across the region, and it stays mild even as we go into the evening.

This is showing 10 o'clock tomorrow night, and we're still close to 80 degrees. So from start to finish, it's going to be a warm day. The morning time, you're waking up to tipters near 60 degrees. So upper 50s for most of us. A morning walk would be refreshing tomorrow by noon already at 86. degrees and then for the afternoon, many of you are going to be tailgating the Canes games. They've got a home game at the Lenovo Center. Three o'clock is that start time, 89 degrees before the game after the

game's wrapping up, very similar temperatures. And it's going to be mostly sunny, so really nothing to slow you down. Now, as we look at first alert predictor, this is showing Sunday's rain chance. It's spotty at best. It will favor those northern counties. And then those of you right along the I-95 corridor, that'll be out of here as we go into the evening. Now, if you're not staying local, to expect at the coast on Sunday there will be a rain chance so that same front is going to push toward the coast that rain chance is highest at the coast during the afternoon and evening hours. For the mountains, it's actually going to be dry and very warm for most locations until Sunday. That's when that cooler air starts to rush in.

Your first alert seven-day forecast shows the 70s as we go into Monday and Tuesday. So once again, seasonable days. By the time we get into Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, we're back into the middle and upper 80s, tipters-wise. It's going to eventually warm back up, but we've got a brief cool down ahead as well. And also make sure that you check out our first alert to severe weather. This is our special that we're airing tomorrow at 7 p.m. And if you miss it, then it'll be back on air as we go into Sunday at noon. Steve, back to you.

You are going to help us get severe weather aware. That is correct. All right. Cruz, thank you. Still ahead here on Iowa News News News. A Fayetteville program is giving adults with disabilities a place where they finally feel like they belong. What you can do to get involved coming up next. New tonight, we're taking you inside a program in Fayetteville called the Friendship House that helps adults with developmental disabilities live an independent life.

Penelope Lopez shows us how the nonprofit is helping build inclusive communities right now in the sandhills. For 31-year-old Michael Patrick Brown. This is going to be my room. Moving into a new home has changed his life. It was amazing. Like I won the lottery. Michael is part of Friendship House Fayetteville, a program that helps adults with developmental disabilities gain independent. I'm what it's called high-functioning autism. There are people who can be just like me.

We're able to be just functioning society just as well. But this is because you're disabled, it doesn't mean you still can't make something of yourself. He says the goal is simple, to build a true sense of community. For schools, I wasn't exactly the average normal kid there. So it did get kind of lonely. And I did feel isolated at times, which is why this is community so important. to me. Employment source, the nonprofit behind these homes, believes this approach helps build community, breakdown stigma, and teach important life skills. For program director,

Kylie Barlett, this mission is deeply personal. Her aunt lived with Down syndrome. It's just important for them to kind of get that sense of independence away from having so much support. These new homes add to an already thriving inclusive community. In each house we have two apartments and so six apartments total in each apartment we have four people living together three what we call like our young or student professionals as the demand for inclusive housing grows kiley emphasizes that community support is essential to meet this need but we've struggled to get people in community we provide a lot of support employment source does for our student professionals and our friends so kind of just teaching everybody how to live together and what it means to be out

on their own. Each resident will pay $650 a month as part of their path to independent living. For Michael, this is only the beginning. Your disability doesn't have to find how you're able to live your life. You can still make the best of things, no matter what people try to say to you. That was Penelope Lopez reporting. And looking ahead, Kylie says the team is hoping to build six more of those homes in the next few years. Coming up next here on eyewitness news, we're looking ahead to the Cains. They begin their Stanley Cup playoff run tomorrow. Tomorrow and Raleigh, the details next. Now, ABC 11, I Witness News, sports, sponsored by Crossroads Infinity of Raleigh, where all roads lead to luxury.

Four rounds, 16 wins. That's all it takes to win the Stanley Cup. Tomorrow, the Carolina Hurricanes will meet the Ottawa Senators in round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The canes enter the postseason as the top seat in the east for the first time since 2006. Yes, the same year and only year they won the Cup. Ottawa is a wild card team on the bracket, but not on the ice. Brady Kachuk is a menace in front of the net, tallying 59 points and 60 games. Linus Allmark has been a beast in the net, recording a 891 save percentage.

Rod Brindamore calls facing the Senators a huge challenge. When he was asked if the Keynes feel any sort of extra pressure entering the 2026 playoffs, Brindamore's response, it never goes away. It's always there. I don't know how it can get anymore when you're trying to be the best team. That's your goal. The pressure is always going to be there. So whether you'd wanted or not or didn't, like, nobody's wanted this year yet. That's the biggest thing, you know, I think we got definitely hunger, you know,

and throughout all the years, how about we want to win it, you know? And it's been eight years, and, you know, hopefully this is going to be the year. Game one puck drop is set for tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock. The Charlotte Hornets season is officially over. In tonight's playing game for the eight-seed, the Orlando Magic's fast star and physical play was too much for the Hornets to overcome. They fall 121 to 90. Former Duky Palo Bunkero led the magic with 25 points.

The Hornets, they didn't shoot the ball well. Lemello Ball finished with 23 points, but Concanipal shooting slump continued on the worst possible night. The Hornets haven't made the playoffs since 2016. That 10-season drought is the longest in the NBA. And on the diamond, tonight two of college baseball's top three teams met in Chapel Hill,

number three UNC, going up against number two, Georgia Tech. In the first inning, Macon Winslow went 367 feet out of the park. A two-run shot gave the heels a 3-0 lead and put everybody in the Bosch on their feet. And if you thought that swing was good, just wait. Colin Hineck's solo shot in the bottom of the second might have been even better. This was UNC's first top three matchup since 2008. And boy, did they deliver, great pitching. And those home runs give the heels a 5-2 series opening dub over the yellow jackets.

Those teams will meet all week and long at the Bosch. That is a great place, of course, for baseball. So we got baseball going on. We got hockey. Steve, it's always something here in the triangle. Busy weekend. All right, Kay, thanks. We hope you have a great weekend.

And we'll see you back here Monday at 11. Good night. ABC 11 eyewitness News is sponsored by Capitol Chevrolet. Together, let's drive.