Six months after they first learned they would have to move out of their homes, half of the residents at Hartford’s Barbour Garden Apartments are still waiting to be permanently relocated.

One man who has been through the process after his apartment complex lost its HUD contract said the system is plagued with problems and is forcing people like himself to end up in a similar situation to the one they started in.

“I left from Clay Arsenal, did a whole 360 on my search and was forced back to these same conditions as Clay Arsenal,” said Joshua Serrano.

Serrano said when he found out he would have to be relocated after his landlord lost his million-dollar HUD contract for unsafe living conditions at the Clay Arsenal Renaissance Apartments, he had hope that he would be able to move his son to a better neighborhood.

“It was chaos. It was chaos,” Serrano recalled.

Serrano said the clock started ticking before he even received his voucher for a new living situation.

“What mattered to HUD was that we find another place as quickly as possible,” he said.

Serrano explained that during the frustrating relocation process he felt rushed and now rents an apartment a half block away from the one he left.

“We fearing losing relocation benefits so I start looking for the closest thing in Hartford,” said Serrano.

He said those relocation benefits included money for application fees. However, with each application fees costing $50, the $100 he received didn’t go very far. Credit checks and down payments created more obstacles for the financially struggling father. He said his voucher would have covered his entire rent, so he doesn’t understand why he needed a down payment of three-months’ rent.

The biggest barrier of all was acceptance from the communities he wanted to live in.

“No community wanted me or my son,” said Serrano during a press conference, highlighting the need to change the federal relocation process. “Everybody talks about the wall at the border right but nobody wants to talk about this invisible wall that Hartford residents face when they try to better themselves and go into other communities.”

During the press conference at the Christian Activities Center, which Serrano is a member of, US Sen. Richard Blumenthal said the contractor HUD uses for the relocation process lacks readiness and a commitment to the tenants they are helping. He said he plans to demand more oversight from HUD.

“These families qualify for a government program that is failing them with our tax dollars going into the pockets of contractors, landlords, that are failing to fulfill their commitment,” Blumenthal said.

In a statement a HUD Spokesperson told NBC Connecticut News, “HUD continues to work with the families of Barbour Gardens and Infill apartments to secure their successful relocation to permanent apartments.”

After multiple rejections, former Barbour Gardens resident Tasha Jordan says she was worried she wouldn’t find a place by HUD’s original August 19 deadline.

“With a voucher we thought it was going to be easy but it was not easy at all,” said Jordan, who moved to Vernon three weeks ago.

She says she submitted a doctor’s note to the property manager two years ago, urging them to find her a new place to live. She says doctors told her the mice and mold in her apartment were causing her daughter serious health problems. Jordan says the letters were ignored.

“It was making me very sick and sometimes it made my sister sick, which made me feel sad,” said her 9-year-old daughter, Kwain’Asia Levine.

When HUD pulled the property owner’s federal housing contract due to the complex’s deteriorating conditions, she thought her relocation would be sped up. Instead, she says the process to find a new home was slow and frustrating.

“It was unorganized. It was not helpful at all,” she recalled.

Unlike Serrano, Jordan says her new apartment is an improvement from her place at Barbour Gardens.

“It is lovely. It’s quiet. It’s peaceful,” Jordan described.

In February, Barbour Garden Apartments’ owner Martin Rothman of ADAR Hartford Realty, LLC lost his HUD contract for safety code violations and unlivable conditions. The city of Hartford issued a warrant for his arrest but he has failed to show up for court.

Darlene Childs, the city’s housing code enforcement supervisor, said Hartford is redoing their housing code to get to the root of the issue and hold absentee landlords accountable.

“We need to have concrete information on how to get a hold of them,” Childs said of the changes which are still a work in progress.

Rothman is trying to sell the dilapidated property. HUD confirmed it has received an application from the prospective new owner.

For the first time in its 43 year history, the PGA Junior Championship was played in Connecticut.

“There were so many parties that came together to make this happen, obviously the city of Hartford, the Connecticut PGA,” said PGA director of golf at Keney Park Golf Course, Peter Seaman.

Connecticut was well represented in the field. Ben James of Milford shot six under in the third round to move to minus ten on the tournament.

It's probably not going to be in Connecticut again for a long time,” said James. “Great for the community, great course. I like it.”

Middlefield's Chris Fosdick, who's at five under for the tournament, is enjoying playing so close to home.

“It's nice having support and knowing a lot of people around,” Fosdick said. “A lot of the volunteers are from the area congratulating me.”

Players have been tearing up the course, including a PGA Junior Championship record on Tuesday from current leader Jake Beber Frankel.

“It's incredibly impressive,” said Suzy Whaley, president of the PGA America. “I'm here to tell you, I've never shot 60. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody went a little lower than that which would be really exciting.”

This tournament has a rich history with multiple tour players coming through, including Tiger Woods and Jordan Speith who both finished as runners up.

“Many of these kids in five years or so will probably be on the PGA tour,” Seaman said.

“The game is growing amongst girls and boys right now in junior golf,” said Whaley. “The fields are stronger than ever but more importantly than that, these are the elite of the elite that are here today.”

The final round finished up at Keney Park on Friday.

Jack Heath shot a 30 on the back nine and finished with back to back birdies to win the Junior Boys PGA Championship at Keney Park Golf Course in Hartford.

“I looked at the leader board and I was only three or four back and then it was kind of all gas, no brake the rest of the way,” said Heath. “I played well.”

Heath finished 21-under par, holding off Canon Claycomb who missed a birdie putt on 18. Claycomb finished in second place and Andy Mao took third. Jake Beber-Frankel, who led the tournament heading into the final round, shot 1-over par on Friday and finished in 5th place. Milford’s Ben James cracked the top ten with a 9th place finish.

“It was a good tournament,” said James. “It means a lot to finish pretty well so it was good. It was a good couple of days.”

James was one of four players from Connecticut to make the cut. Hamden’s Alex Aurora finished tied for 59th place. Chris Fosdick of Middlefield tied for 28th place at 5-under par. Darien’s Will Lodge also finished tied for 28th place.

With headstones overgrown with weeds, some broken and in disrepair, Meriden’s East Cemetery is in desperate need of maintenance.

Within the coming weeks, Meriden will submit a request for proposal (RFP) to freshen up the property and repair at least a dozen headstones.

East Cemetery is one of Connecticut’s oldest cemeteries, with grave sites dating back hundreds of years.

It is the final resting place for some of the city’s most historical figures, including war veteran’s dating back to the French and Indian War. It is hallowed ground and City Manager Tim Coon wants to treat it with appropriate respect.

Coon will oversee the RFP process and has inspected the property closely analyzing the needs, “It’s not bad for a cemetery that old,” he said.

In recent years, the city has budgeted $5,000 for basic lawn care but the property needs much more. The cemetery has not had a full time caretaker since the 1960s and the property requires extensive clean up.

As for becoming a fully active cemetery again, that does not appear likely.

“It doesn’t look like it’s economically feasible to reopen it for burials because of all the expenses required to bring it up to modern standards,” explained Coon.

The town of East Windsor budget did not pass for the upcoming school year and the Board of Education had to cut $1 million, including the junior varsity sports programs.

Students and parents have started a fundraiser with the goal of raising $20,000 to bring it back.

“Us being a small town, we heavily rely on these sports every day, coming after school, playing with the same group of guys or girls,” said East Windsor basketball player and cross country runner Josh Maddox. “Taking away those sports will really mess up some of those bonds.”

“We need our sons and daughters to have this physical outlet,” said East Windsor parent Chandra Campanelli. “Everything that is good and academic that comes out of our schools is so much less without the character behind it and that’s what sports provides.”

“When everyone comes together like that, it shows we have power and we can achieve things if we try,” said East Windsor soccer player Luke Ragaglia.

“I’m thrilled that we have a group of active and dedicated parents who really want to make this happen,” said East Windsor Board of Education Chair Cathy Simonelli.

The Board of Education supports the fundraiser and has agreed to accept a donation to fund the junior varsity sports programs for 2019-2020.

“We’re here to show the kids that we care,” added Campanelli. “We’re here to show them that you have to work together, that you have to use strategy and that you have to go for the ‘W’ and that’s what we’re doing.”

A 24-year-old man was shot in New Haven Friday.

Police said it happened on Waverly Street between Gilbert Avenue and Day street.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates.

On The Water, a popular New London restaurant on 250 Pequot Ave, temporarily closed its doors without warning on Friday.

The unexpected closure being attributed to “a structural weakness on their sea wall” according to a sign posted on the restaurant doors. 

In a Facebook post the restaurant said “It is with extremely heavy hearts and much internal sadness that we have to announce the temporary closure of On The Waterfront. Recent tides have caused damage to the structural integrity of the building, and we have to think first and foremost about the safety of all of you, the most loyal and compassionate patrons."

Over the phone, owner Stash Schiavone said that just days ago he was hoping to expand, planning to add more outdoor seating and a bar. An engineer brought in to help on the project noticed the structural damage and the decision was made to shut down. A large crack can be seen in the building's back wall.

The news sparked an outpour of supportive comments on Facebook from locals.

Don Macrino lives across the street and said he is good friends with Schiavone.

"He’s distraught, mostly because of his staff and the impact it will have on them and their families and certainly the customers he’s grown to love over the years," Macrino said.

It is unclear when the establishment will reopen at this time.

Two top aides to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are leaving her congressional office, the freshman lawmaker said in a statement Friday.

Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff, Saikat Chakrabarti, and Corbin Trent, her communications director, are departing, her statement said. Trent is joining the congresswoman’s campaign and Chakrabarti plans to join New Consensus, a non-profit that is promoting Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal proposal, NBC News reports.

“With the Ocasio2020 campaign beginning to ramp up, I’ve asked Corbin to transition to the campaign full-time and he has agreed to do so. I’m looking forward to growing the movement with him in Queens and the Bronx and across the country,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

She also said she was grateful to Chakrabarti for his work in her office and on her campaign.

Emergency crews responded to a crash involving a motorcycle in East Haven Friday night.

Police said a motorcycle and a car collided on Benjamin Road near the intersection with Josie Drive. Details on injuries were not immediately clear.

The road was closed for investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Save the Sound has released its 2019 Long Island Sound Beach Report and has rankings for the best beaches in Connecticut based on their water quality.

Connecticut's 10 Top Beaches

Surf Club Beach, Madison
Quigley Beach, Stamford
Eastern Point Beach, Groton
Esker Point Beach, Groton
East (Cove Island) Beach, Stamford
McCook Point Beach, East Lyme
White Sands Beach*, Old Lyme
Pleasure Beach, Waterford
East Warf Beach, Madsion
Pear Tree Point Beach*, Darien

*These beaches are limited access for local residents only.

For grades on all Connecticut beaches in the report, see below.

New Haven County Beaches

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New London County Beaches

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Middlesex County Beaches

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Fairfield County Beaches

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The Trump administration is weighing a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan if the Taliban meet certain conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire and entering into peace talks with the Afghan government, U.S. and Western officials told NBC News.

The tentative plan would involve initially pulling out nearly half of the current 14,000-strong force if the Taliban make good on key commitments, two U.S. defense officials and a Western official said. That would involve withdrawing mainly troops assigned to the training and advising mission, the officials said. 

But that scenario will hinge on the outcome of crucial talks starting this weekend in Doha, the latest in a series of face-to-face meetings between U.S. presidential envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban representatives. The Washington Post first reported the troop withdrawal plans. 

President Donald Trump has made clear he wants to end the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday said he had orders to scale back American forces by the 2020 election.

North Carolina on Friday became the first Southern state to ban the use of state funds for “conversion therapy” for minors, NBC News reported. 

Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, signed the executive order, which noted that North Carolina is home to approximately 320,000 adults who identify as LGBTQ. The order also noted that suicide rates and ideation are high among the nearly 700,000 people nationwide who have undergone conversion therapy, a widely condemned practice that attempts to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. 

“The American Medical Association has concluded that ‘it is clinically and ethically inappropriate for health care providers to direct mental or behavioral health interventions … with a prescriptive goal aimed at achieving a fixed developmental outcome of a child's or adolescents sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression,’” the order stated.

After he signed the executive order, Cooper shared a tweet stating, “Conversion therapy has been shown to pose serious health risks, and we should be protecting all of our children, including those who identify as LGBTQ, instead of subjecting them to a dangerous practice."

Three people were killed and two others were injured when a cliff collapsed feet away from a lifeguard tower at a beach in Leucadia, California, Friday afternoon, officials confirmed.

San Diego County Sheriff's Department Lt. Greenwald said deputies were called to the 1700 block of Neptune Avenue at around 3 p.m. to help victims trapped in the collapse. The area is north of Grandview Surf Beach, in north San Diego County.

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Grandview Beach – an access point to Leucadia State Beach – is a popular spot among local surfers. The beach was filled with people at the time of the cliff collapse. SkyRanger 7 captured footage of beach chairs, towels, surf boards and beach toys strewn about the sand near the fallen cliff.

First responders, including lifeguards, rushed to dig the victims out from the rubble and debris.

Officials said one woman died at the scene, while four other victims were injured by the toppling terrain. Two of those people sent to local hospitals later succumbed to their injuries. One other victim is still at the hospital, the fifth and final victim was treated at the scene for minor injuries and was not taken to the hospital.

The cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner's Office.

No children were injured according to SDSO.

Officials said the cliff was unstable; they cordoned the area in order to keep people out of harm's way.

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The debris was “extremely dense,” and crews will need special equipment to clear the scene, according to a spokesperson with the Encinitas Lifeguards.

After a few hours into the rescue operations, officials had to stop searching for additional victims because it was too dangerous and they feared a second collapse. K-9's were called to help and search for potential victims before the high tide.

For safety reasons city officials have closed the beach from Ponto Beach in Carlsbad to the area south of Grandview Beach. The public is asked to avoid the area. 

The city is recommending that beachgoers continue to exercise caution while visiting beach areas. Given the apparent natural instability, beachgoers should avoid areas near or under the bluffs and keep a recommended safe distance of 25 to 40 feet away.

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“It was horrible. I can’t imagine being at the beach and your life changing in the blink of an eye,” said Jackie Benedict, who lives in the area and saw the aftermath of the collapse.

Benedict said a group of people began digging, removing rocks, and trying to help free the trapped victims before first responders arrived.

One of the boulders that fell was described as seven to eight feet by four feet.

“It’s just sad. I imagine what my family would be going through, and it brings you to tears. You don’t – just sitting there watching, knowing you’re helpless, you know, while someone’s trapped under there is gut-wrenching,” Benedict told NBC 7.

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Benedict said she hadn’t seen anything like the cliff collapse before and she hoped to “not see it again.”

Dozens of firefighters surrounded the scene as beachgoers looked on in shock. Investigators could be seen speaking with witnesses. At one point, some beachgoers could be seen hugging, trying to find comfort in one another.

A long wooden staircase sits on the cliffs, which provides beach access from the street above. The staircase was not impacted in the collapse. There are also homes atop the bluffs. There is no threat or damage to those homes, officials confirmed.

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Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear released a statement Friday saying:

“We are devastated by the tragedy today and our hearts go out to the victims and their families. We stand ready to help in any way possible. Our engineers and the public safety team are diligently working to assess bluff conditions.”

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The cliffs and bluffs in this area at Neptune Avenue and Grandview Street have been at the center of controversy for years.

The U.S. Geological Survey mapped out high-risk areas for landslides and cliff collapses in Southern California. The organization divided the susceptibility of an incident into eight categories, ranging from 0, low, to X, high.

Where the cliff collapsed near Neptune Avenue, the U.S. Geological Survey rated the area as V111 or medium, which is the third-highest risk area.

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According to court documents filed in the Supreme Court of the State of California, there was a “significant” cliff collapse in 2010 near the scene of Friday’s cliff collapse.

After that 2010 collapse, Leucadia homeowner Barbara Lynch went to the Coastal Commission for permission to fix the bluff that runs along the back of her home at Grandview Street and Neptune Avenue.

When Lynch spoke with NBC 7 in December 2010, she said she had been trying for a decade to get approval from the Coastal Commission to build a seawall or something that would better restrain the bluff from collapsing.

Lynch and neighbor Tom Frick applied to the City of Encinitas for a permit to replace a seawall that eroded over time. The permit was approved, and construction took two years.

In December 2014, Frick showed NBC 7 the seawall constructed to protect his property.

In July 2017, the California Supreme Court ruled that property owners can’t file lawsuits challenging restrictions in building permits once they construct the project.

At that time, the court ruled that Lynch and Frick effectively waived their right to challenge the conditions of their seawall permit. The ruling was a victory for the California Coastal Commission and cities throughout the state, but an attorney for Lynch and Frick said the ruling was particularly bad for small property owners.

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No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

The U.S. government warned Sweden of “negative consequences” as it advocated for rapper A$AP Rocky during his trial on assault charges in Stockholm this week, according to a pair of letters released by the Swedish Prosecution Authority and obtained by NBC News partner Aftonbladet. The U.S. special presidential envoy for hostage affairs wrote to Swedish prosecutors urging them to release Rocky. "The government of the United States of America wants to resolve this case as soon as possible to avoid potentially negative consequences to the U.S.-Swedish bilateral relationship," Ambassador Robert O'Brien wrote in the letter, dated Wednesday. Rocky was released from jail on Friday pending the verdict, with President Donald Trump celebrating the news on Twitter. "It was a Rocky Week, get home ASAP A$AP!" Trump said. The rapper landed back on U.S. soil Saturday.

The death of Saoirse Kennedy Hill this week was a reminder that America's preeminent dynasty, for all of its glamour and political might, has faced heartbreaks and struggles familiar to families across the country. "The humanity of their story is what keeps us engaged," said J. Randy Taraborrelli, the author of four books about the Kennedy family. "They have the mystique of the British royal family, but they're at one with the public and, in some ways, quite relatable." Hill, one of Robert and Ethel Kennedy's 35 grandchildren, wrote of her depression and mental illness, describing "deep bouts of sadness that felt like a heavy boulder on my chest." The New York Times reported that she died of an apparent overdose, which NBC News has not confirmed.

Hartford Police are investigating the city's 18th homicide of the year.

According to police, shots were fired in the area of 279 Farmington Ave. just before 3 a.m. Saturday.

When police arrived, they located 23-year-old Roberto Vargas of Hartford with several gunshot wounds to the chest. He was rushed to St. Francis Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"There are cameras on the streets so we're hoping that they prove useful. Obviously, as always, we're asking anybody that has any information to call our anonymous tip line," said Hartford Police Lt. Aaron Boisvert.

This marks the city's 18th homicide of the year. At this time last year, there were 14. The shooting comes on the heels of the deadliest July in the Capital City in the past four years.

"Last month was one of the worst months that we had in Hartford in a while. And now you're telling me we're starting off August the same way," said Rev. Henry Brown, of Mothers United Against Violence.

Given the spike in violence, Mayor Luke Bronin and the police chief have launched a summer violence intitative.

"Extra patrols," added Lt. Boisvert. "It changes a lot of the officers’ hours from working dayshift to maybe a later shift, evening shift or even an overnight shift to combat the highest time we see violent incidents.”

There are no suspects at this time.

To help keep you informed on the most shared and talked about stories, each Saturday and Sunday we'll revisit five stories from the previous week, including the most recent updates.

Bagging Plastic Bags

Connecticut's new surcharge on single-use plastic bags went into effect on Thursday. Stores using the bags are now required to charge customers 10-cents per bag. Some grocery stores, such as Stop & Shop and Big Y, did away with the plastic bags altogether and will now offer paper bags. See more on the new law here.

Shooting Video Released

The state's attorney released video this week of a fatal officer-involved shooting in Hartford. Body cam footage from three officers was made public, showing an attempted traffic stop that ended with an officer shooting and killing 41-year-old Alphonso Zaporta on July 26. Zaporta's family said they believe his live was taken in vain. For more on the circumstances surrounding the shooting, click here.

Vaping Investigation

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced Thursday that he is launching an investigation into e-cigarette maker Juul. He said he wants to determine if Juul is illegally marketing its products as smoking-cessation devices and whether it has properly limited its marketing to adults. See more on the investigation here.

Summer of the Shark

In recent years, great white shark sightings in the summer have become almost routine off Cape Cod. Already this year, more than 150 of the sharks have been spotted off of Massachusetts. Most of the sightings are on the outer Cape, from Chatham to Provincetown. But there have also been many sightings in Cape Cod Bay, where research scientists have been focusing much of their efforts this year. For more on the shark sightings, click here.

'Pee' is for Potato

A woman is under arrest after allegedly being caught on camera urinating on potatoes at a Walmart in Pennsylvania. Police were called to the Walmart in West Mifflin to review surveillance video depicting a woman relieving herself in the potato bins. The woman turned herself in after police posted photos of her on Twitter. Walmart says it immediately disposed of the potatoes and sanitized the area. See more on the incident here.

NBC Connecticut First Alert Meteorologists are tracking some storms that will be moving in on Saturday afternoon.

An approaching cold front, along with higher humidity will combine to develop scattered afternoon thunderstorms.

The storms will mainly be focused inland and may contain briefly heavy rain and gusty winds.

The storms will tend to weaken as they try to work south and will weaken through the evening.

The rest of the weekend will feature less humid air moving in behind the front along with plenty of sunshine for Monday and Tuesday.

More showers, storms and humidity are in the forecast starting Tuesday through Friday.

Get the forecast in your area anytime here.

A shark spotted near Nauset Public Beach on Saturday closed the beach from 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

This was the fourth confirmed shark sighting in Cape Cod on Saturday.

A Saturday morning shark sighting closed the south shore beaches at Cisco Beach for two hours.

Another Saturday morning shark sighting closed the south shore beaches at Cisco Beach for two hours. 

The Nantucket harbormaster tweeted the alert out at 9:40 a.m. 

Another shark was spotted off of the coast of the Nauset Public Beach around 10:45 a.m. That beach was closed from 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

A white shark was spotted by a spotter pilot 50 yards off of Ballston Beach in Truro around 11:30 a.m. For the second time in as many days, a shark was spotted at Longnook Beach in Truro, closing that beach from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

August is officially "Seal and Shark Awareness Month" on Cape Cod this year after county officials approved the declaration Wednesday amid a busy season for shark sightings.

The Cape has already seen a record number of shark taggings this far into summer and beaches are being temporarily closed for shark sightings on an almost daily basis, including five straight days this week.

There have already been 180 shark sightings of the coast of Cape Cod this summer, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Sharktivity app. That doesn't account for multiple sightings of the same shark, however.

Multiple people were killed at a shooting in an El Paso mall Saturday afternoon, according to police and the mayor, causing chaos among shoppers and workers. Some victims were brought to hospitals in the area, and one suspect was in police custody.

"There is no danger at this moment," El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said. "Our hearts go out to those that have been injured … families of those who may have been killed.”

Earlier the mayor had said police had captured three suspects.

"We can confirm there were multiple victims," El Paso Police Department Sgt. Robert Gomez said.

Gomez said first reports were of a shooting at a Walmart and the Cielo Vista Mall around 10 a.m. local time. 

A Walmart SuperCenter is located to the west of the mall, just across a parking lot. Photos and videos on social media showed victims both inside and outside the Walmart.

Walmart tweeted Saturday afternoon, "We're in shock over the tragic events at Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, where store 2201 & club 6502 are located. We’re praying for the victims, the community & our associates, as well as the first responders. We’re working closely with law enforcement & will update as appropriate."

The shooting happened near the Cielo Vista Mall, the El Paso Police Department tweeted. It was not immediately clear how many people may have been injured. Photos and videos posted on social media appeared to show victims on the ground both inside and outside the mall. 

The department warned people to stay away from roads near the mall, Airway to Hawkins boulevards north of Interstate 10.

Video provided to Telemundo 48 showed a large police presence in the area. Ambulances were also responding to the scene.

KTSM.com published video from inside a JC Penney showing an employee preparing customers for a possible evacuation.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted that law enforcement was working to bring the tragedy to an end.

"Utterly heartbroken by the developing news in El Paso," Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar tweeted. "Monitoring the situation and in communication with our law enforcement. Please stay safe."

Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke tweeted: "Truly heartbreaking. Stay safe, El Paso. Please follow all directions of emergency personnel as we continue to get more updates."

This is a developing story and will be updated.