A massive manhunt for three armed men who fatally shot a police officer in far north suburban Fox Lake, Illinois, continued Wednesday, nearly 24 hours after the shooting. 

Authorities say search crews will continue around the clock to find the suspects who are believed to be responsible for the killing of Lieutenant Charles "Joe" Gliniewicz, a 30-year-veteran of the police force.

"Search teams will work 24/7 to apprehend [the suspects]," said Joe Ahern, CEO of the 100 Club of Chicago, late Tuesday.

In addition to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Fox Lake Police Department, search teams include numerous local law enforcement officers from northern Illinois, Illinois State Police, and federal agencies, according to officials. Multiple local and federal SWAT Teams, 48 canine units, and six air support units were also dispatched for more than 14 hours Tuesday.

Authorities are said to be using a grid system to cover the area in the manhunt.

Fox Lake and several surrounding districts canceled school for Wednesday in response to the ongoing search. 

"As a result of those reports and deliberations, we have all decided that it is in the best interests of our students, the community, and law enforcement, to cancel school for tomorrow, Wednesday, September 2, 2015," school officials said in a statement just after 10 p.m.

Gliniewicz, who went by "Joe" and was affectionately called "G.I. Joe" by residents, dedicated his life to serving his community. He leaves behind a wife of 30 years, Melodie, and four sons.

Just after 8 a.m., Gliniewicz was investigating three suspicious suspects near Route 12 and Sayton Road in north suburban Fox Lake. Upon arrival, Gliniewicz was led on a foot pursuit by the men, according to Detective Christopher Covelli with the Lake County Sheriff's office, and soon after used his radio to call for backup.

A responding backup officer found Gliniewicz in a marshy area with a gunshot wound. Gliniewicz was pronounced dead shortly after.

The gunmen are described as two white men and one black man, but further details on their descriptions have not been made available.

Chief Doug Larsson with the Lake County Sheriff's office said the department, along with several other suburban departments, are using canines and helicopters to search for the suspects. The suspects are armed with a pistol, Larsson said.

During an 11:30 a.m. press conference residents in the area were told to stay indoors and report any suspicious activity as the investigation continued.

Rescuers have called off the search for a 19-year-old Connecticut native believed to have drowned while studying abroad in South Africa, according to his mother.

Nicholas Upton, 19, a junior at George Washington University and a graduate of Joel Barlow High School in Redding, was last seen Sunday when he disappeared into the surf while swimming in the East Cape Province around 10:30 p.m. local time, or 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time, according to a statement from the university.

Rescue crews sent out divers and helicopters in an effort to find him but called off the search Tuesday, according to Upton's mother, Margaret Mirowski.

Mirowski said she and her husband will fly to South Africa tomorrow and launch a search of her own. A GoFundMe page has been set up to fund their trip.

Upton has been studying abroad at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and was traveling with five other people during a break from classes when he was lost at sea, according to the National Sea Rescue Institute.

Rescuers have lost hope of finding him alive.

"The teenager is missing and he is now presumed to have drowned," the NSRI said in a news release Monday.

Upton interned with the office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who released a statement Monday on the young man's disappearance.

"We are working with the family trying to determine more of the facts in a very difficult situation," Blumenthal said. "Our hearts and prayers are with them for Nick, who is a remarkable young man."

Upton is a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity and the GW men's rowing team, according to Kappa Alpha's Facebook page and the GW Hatchet.

Two Texas police officers were recorded on a cellphone video shooting and killing a man who appeared to have his arms raised, NBC News reported.

The footage shows the fatal shooting of 41-year-old Gilbert Flores, 41, by Bexar County sheriff’s deputies Greg Vasquez and Robert Sanchez just before noon on Aug. 28 in San Antonio.

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office said in an initial statement Flores was armed with a knife and resisting arrest when the officers responded to a domestic disturbance call. Neither deputy was wearing a body camera.

However, cellphone video captured by a bystander appears to shows deputies approaching a shirtless Flores as he puts his hands up to surrender before he is shot multiple times and falls to the ground, motionless. One of Flores' arms is obscured by a light post. It is not possible to see if he had a weapon in the hand which is not visible in the video.

It was not clear what occurred before the recording began.

State and local authorities are investigating hazing allegations involving members of the Cromwell-Portland football team, according to the superintendent in neighboring Portland.

NBC Connecticut received emails from concerned parents claiming that Cromwell High School football players were hazing other teammates. A source within the police department said a minor has been arrested in connection with the case.

Parents who chose to remain anonymous, fearing retaliation against their children, said the alleged hazing occurred in the boys' locker room.

According parents, one senior lined up freshmen and hit them with a belt, while others blocked the doors and windows and turned off the lights.

Dr. Philip B. O'Reilly, superintendent of Portland Public Schools, said in a letter to parents and staff members Tuesday "the allegations do involve several underclassmen from both Portland and Cromwell who may have been hazing targets."

Cromwell police are investigating alongside the Cromwell High School administration and the state Department of Children and Families, according to O'Reilly, who said the principal and athletic director at Portland High School have contacted players' parents and launched an investigation of their own.

Cromwell superintendent Dr. Paula M. Talty said the school district "will not tolerate harassment" and is cooperating with investigators.

"Cromwell community members should be reassured that the safety of our children is the district’s foremost concern and there are many policies and procedures in place to ensure the wellbeing of all our children. If we find after an investigation that any student has in fact been harassed, or has been treated inappropriately in any other way, we will take appropriate action to address the matter," Talty said in a statement Tuesday.

She declined to say whether any staff members were involved but added that the school system "will take action as we deem appropriate" if the investigation reveals any employees behaved inappropriately.

The football coach could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The high-speed lane of Interstate 395 North has reopened in Putnam after a box truck fire.

The highway was closed for around an hour and traffic was taken off the highway at exit 95 and the detour was Route 12.

No injuries are reported and delays are now easing.
 

American Catholics are markedly tolerant of non-traditional families, with large majorities open to divorced, single, unmarried and gay parents, according to a Pew Research Center survey released Wednesday in advance of Pope Francis’ visit to the United States for a meeting on families.

Although nine in 10 U.S. Catholics say a family headed by a married mother and father is ideal, most say other types of families are acceptable. Eighty-seven percent are okay with single parents, 83 percent with divorced parents, 84 percent with unmarried parents and 66 percent with gay parents.

The findings, many out of step with church teachings, come as Francis tries to change the tone of the 1.2 billion-member church that he leads. He has refused to judge gay priests, called for a larger role for women, and though not approving of contraception has said that being a good Catholic does not mean “you have to be like rabbits.” He has criticized what he called an obsession with abortion, gay marriage and contraception and wants the Catholic church to be a home for all.

In the latest break with tradition, the Vatican announced on Tuesday that Francis would allow all priests to forgive women who have had an abortion during the church’s upcoming Holy Year of Mercy, which begins Dec. 8. A woman who has had an abortion is usually excommunicated unless she confesses and receives absolution, typically from a bishop.

Six in 10 Catholics say abortion is a sin, according to the report.

The survey examined topics that could be discussed at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia later this month and at the October Synod of Bishops in Rome, among them family life and sexuality. It also looked at Americans' connection to the Catholic church, whether as their religion, culture or ancestry. Most of the question in the survey are new, said Jessica Hamar Martinez, a senior researcher in Religion & Public Life for the Pew Research Center.

Forty-five percent of Americans are Catholic or are in some way connected to Catholicism. One fifth say it is their religion now, while one tenth say they were raised as Catholics but have fallen away from the church, according to the survey. A similar share say they still have a cultural connection to Catholicism. Of those cultural Catholics who were raised in the church, four in 10 say they could imagine returning one day.

But many views expressed by Catholics are not in accordance with the church’s beliefs.

Fewer than half say homosexual behavior, remarriage without annulment, living with a romantic partner and contraception are sins, the report found. Seven in 10 Catholics support married couples who choose not to have children.

Many Catholics say they would like their church to be more flexible toward those who are divorced, who are living with a partner without marriage or who are in same-sex relationships. Six in 10 think Catholics living together or divorced and remarried without an annulment should be allowed to receive Communion. Nearly half, 46 percent, say the church should recognize same-sex marriages.

On many of the questions, Catholics resemble the general public in their views. But there were significant differences in the responses to some questions, Martinez noted. For example Catholics are about as likely as Protestants to say that having an abortion is a sin, 57 percent of Catholics to 60 percent of Protestants, but less likely than Protestants to say engaging in homosexual behavior is sinful, 44 percent of Catholics to 62 percent of Protestants. And Catholics are more likely to say it is acceptable for a man and woman to live together without being married, 55 percent, than white evangelical Protestants, 27 percent, or black Protestants, 42 percent, but less likely than those who are religiously unaffiliated, 81 percent.

The report notes that Catholics’ own experiences may be influencing their attitudes toward families and sexuality. One in four Catholics has divorced, and one in 10 has also remarried. One in 10 is living with a partner and more than four in 10 have done so at some time.

As with other views on families, Catholics who say they attend Mass regularly, about four in 10, were more in agreement with church teachings than others. Many Catholics remain dedicated to their church and seven in 10 say they cannot imagine ever leaving it.

As for some of the beliefs Francis has focused on, six in 10 say working with the poor is essential to their Catholic identity. But only half as many say the same about working to address climate change, the report noted. Hispanic Catholics are more likely to be concerned about the morality of excessive consumption, the report found.

Among ex-Catholics, more than half have a positive view of Francis. And among all Catholics nine out of 10 view him positively, according to a Pew poll in February.

A different poll, done by Gallup in July, found that Francis' popularity in the United States had dropped dramatically, especially among Conservatives. Fifty-nine percent had a favorable view of the pope, down from 76 percent a year ago.

The 2015 Survey of U.S. Catholics and Family Life was conducted among 5,122 adults, among them 1,016 self-identified Catholics, from May 5 to June 7. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for Catholics and 1.6 percentage points for the full sample.

A 67-year-old man was beaten and robbed in Bristol on Tuesday night and police are looking for the group of youths who did it.

Officers found the man bleeding from the face when they responded to a disturbance at Summer and Federal streets just after 10 p.m. on Tuesday and learned that several youths had beaten the man, stolen his wallet and run north on Summer Street after the crime, police said.

The victim was taken to Bristol Hospital to be treated.

In addition to Bristol police officers, the department’s K-9 officer and detectives from the Criminal Investigation Division were also brought in.

Anyone with information about the beating and robbery should call the Bristol Police Department at 860-584-3011.
 

Bridgeport Police have arrested two suspects in the shooting at Trumbull Gardens Housing Project in June that killed one man and injured eight other people, including three women, on June 11.

Police have arrested Jamal “Moo Moo” Hamilton, 24, and Kevan “Web” Bennett, 24, who are both in prison on unrelated charges.

“For months, police officers and others have worked tirelessly to solve this heinous crime. Now we’re taking another step forward,” Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch said.

A group of people were in the parking lot at 468 Trumbull Avenue around 1 am. on June 11 when shots rang out.

Hamilton and Bennett had parked on Sunshine Circle, which is adjacent to the complex, split up, attacked from several positions and sprayed bullets on the crowd, police said.

Police who responded to the chaotic scene found six men and three women, between the ages of 27 and 59.

The man killed was identified as Savonnie McNeil, a 38-year-old father of three from Shelton. He was the nephew of a security officer, according to Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch.

The injured included a school custodian and two sisters, as well as a a woman who was shot in the back by a stray bullet as she was taking a shower in her apartment, police said in June.

Hamilton and Web will appear in court today to face charges including murder, eight counts of assault in the first degree and weapons charges. They are being held on a $1 million bond.

“I want to thank all of the officers involved for their great work,” Police Chief Joseph Gaudett Jr. said. “I know there are those in the community who have been pushing for us to find justice in this case, but rest assured our officers have been putting in the time day-in-and-day-out since this tragic incident occurred. I’m proud of our department, and hope that kids and families across our city can sleep a little easier tonight.”

During a news conference after the shooting, Mayor Finch said he is "outraged" by the violence and called the shooting "senseless violence."

Weeks later,  a 26-year-old man was shot at the same complex.

Bridgeport Police added walking patrols to the housing project because of the shooting and opened a police substation. The city’s housing authority also installed cameras there.
 

Manchester police have arrested two women after an alleged shoplifting that led to a bystander holding onto the hood of a moving car "for dear life" and punching out a window, then a high-speed highway pursuit that ended in Hartford, police said.

Police originally received a shoplifting complaint at the Stop & Shop at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday after store security saw a woman hiding items in her purse.

Once the woman, identified as Barbara Jackson, 52, was outside of the store, security staff approached her and they got into a brief altercation.

Then Jackson ran to her car, but a customer who was just arriving tried to stop her, police said. He stood in front of her car to keep her from leaving, but Jackson drove toward the man, hit him and he ended stayed on hood of her car, holding on "for dear life," as Jackson tried to get away, court documents state.

The man later said Jackson did some kind of "James Bond (expletive,)" diving into the open passenger window and crawling into the passenger seat.

As the man was on the hood, he punched a hole through the windshield.

When police arrived at 286 Broad Street, they saw a chaotic scene, with a tan Buick going 35 to 45 miles per hour, with a man spread across the hood, holding on.

Jackson proceeded to leave the parking lot and the man hung on to the hood until jumping off near Meineke Muffler on Broad Street, police said. He sustained a minor injury to his wrist and leg.

Jackson kept going. Police said she went through red lights and narrowly avoided a crash while  leading police on a chase through several Manchester streets before getting onto Interstate 84 West off of West Middle Turnpike, police said.

At one point the car stalled, but Jackson kept one the car started back up and the chase then continued into Hartford until Jackson got off the highway at exit 50 and Connecticut State Police who closed the ramp and police took her and her passenger, Mary Jordan, 49, of Bloomfield, into custody.

Police noted that that Jackson reached 82 miles per hour during the chase.

Jackson was charged with reckless driving, engaging police in pursuit, evading responsibility, sixth-degree larceny, first-degree criminal attempt/assault and first-degree reckless endangerment.

She was held on a $200,000 and is due in court on Wednesday.

Police said Jordan admitted to knowing Jackson was going to the store to steal merchandise, according to court paperwork.

Jordan was charged with sixth-degree conspiracy to commit larceny and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was held on a $5,000 surety bond.
 

Two North Carolina brothers are finally receiving compensation, three decades after they were wrongfully convicted in the killing of an 11-year-old girl. They were awarded $750,000 each on Wednesday by the North Carolina Industrial Commission. Henry McCollum, 51, was given the money on behalf of himself and his half-brother, Leon Brown, 47, who is in the hospital and could not attend.

McCollum and Brown were released in September 2014 after a judge vacated their convictions, citing new DNA evidence that points to another man in the killing and raping of 11-year-old Sabrina Buie in 1983. McCollum had been the longest-serving inmate on North Carolina's death row. Brown had been sentenced to life in prison.

In the months since their release, both men have had trouble adjusting to the outside world after spending most of their adult lives in prison. Money has been a problem, but McCollum told The Associated Press in June that the most important part of the pardon was having his name cleared. 

Someone smashed the front door of a Shelton gun shop and stole three semi-automatic handguns early Wednesday morning, according to police.

The burglar threw a brick through the glass front door of Valley Firearms, at 549 Howe Ave. in Shelton around 4:30 a.m., stole the three guns and escaped through the front door, police said.

Shelton detectives are investigating and ask anyone with information about the burglary and theft of the guns to call the Shelton police Department at 203-924-1544.

They said all calls will be kept confidential.
 

U.S. stocks closed sharply higher Wednesday, trying to recover from the worst start to a September in 13 years, NBC News reported. 

The Dow Jones industrial average quickly gained 293 points as the major averages advanced more than 1 percent to bring the S&P 500 out of correction, or less than 10 percent away from its 52-week high.

U.S. stocks closed nearly 3 percent lower on Tuesday for the worst first day of September trade since 2002.

A motorcyclist was taken to the hospital after a crash on Route 1 in Waterford on Wednesday afternoon. Police said the injuries are not life-threatening.

Traffic was rerouted and moved onto Willets Avenue, but the road has reopened.
 

More Americans will take to the streets and skies this Labor Day weekend than last year, in a continuation of recent travel trends.

According to the AAA Labor Day Holiday Travel Forecast, 35.5 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Labor Day weekend, a 1 percent increase from 2014 and the fourth consecutive year of growth in Labor Day travel.

The report cites the current labor market as a factor in the increased number of travelers this year. Its strength "has helped increase personal income, which, combined with flat prices, has resulted in a boost to disposable income, which is expected to increase 3.5 percent compared to last year."

Drivers can also expect to pay less at the pump this holiday weekend than they have in more than a decade. The average gas price earlier this week was $2.47 nationally, the lowest since 2004. Approximately 30.4 million Americans, or 85.8 percent of all travelers, are expected to jump behind the wheel this weekend. An additional 2.64 million people will travel by air, and 2.4 million will travel by train, bus, watercraft or another mode of transportation.

Americans are expected to pour $13.5 billion into the economy this weekend, up 2 percent over 2014, according to a survey by TNS for U.S. Travel.

The travel industry group also made the case, however, that failing surface and air travel infrastructure will keep 4.1 million potential travelers at home, costing the economy $1.4 billion in spending. U.S. Travel's analysis concluded that the inability of Congress to pass long-term bills on the nation's highways and air travel system will contribute to and worsen Americans' travel woes.

Though consumers appear to be willing to shell out some extra travel money this year, the slight increase in travel is likely because cautious consumers are foregoing travel in order to save or pay off debt, according to AAA. 

—Damian Geminder contributed to this report.

Monroe police charged one person with prostitution and another with drug possession and unlicensed massage therapy after raiding the Red Wine Day Spa massage parlor on Tuesday.

Monroe police detectives and the Statewide Organized Crime Task Force raided Red Wine Day Spa, at 696 Route 25 in Monroe to investigate allegations of illegal activity and seized 7.7 grams of crystal methamphetamine, a smoking pipe, business records, equipment believed to be used in connection with prostitution, all recorded video from the parlor's video recording system and $2,800 in cash.

Police arrested Shunna Zhang, 53, of Flushing, New York and charged her with prostitution and unlicensed practice of massage therapy. Bond was set at $1,500 and she is due in court on Sept. 9.

Lan Ying Jin, 41, of Flushing, New York was charged with unlicensed practice of massage therapy, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond was set at $1,500 and a court date of Sept. 9 was set.

The head football coach of the Cromwell High School football team has been placed on leave amid an investigation into hazing allegations, according to a district source close to the investigation.

State and local authorities are investigating hazing allegations involving members of the Cromwell-Portland football team, the superintendent in neighboring Portland said on Tuesday.

NBC Connecticut received emails from concerned parents claiming that Cromwell High School football players were hazing other teammates and a source within the police department said a minor has been arrested in connection with the case.

Parents who chose to remain anonymous, fearing retaliation against their children, said yesterday that the alleged hazing occurred in the boys' locker room.

According parents, one senior lined up freshmen and hit them with a belt, while others blocked the doors and windows and turned off the lights.

Dr. Philip B. O'Reilly, superintendent of Portland Public Schools, said in a letter to parents and staff members on Tuesday "the allegations do involve several underclassmen from both Portland and Cromwell who may have been hazing targets."

Cromwell police are investigating alongside the Cromwell High School administration and the state Department of Children and Families, according to O'Reilly, who said the principal and athletic director at Portland High School have contacted players' parents and launched an investigation of their own.

When NBC Connecticut reached out to Cromwell superintendent Dr. Paula M. Talty on Tuesday, she said the school district "will not tolerate harassment" and is cooperating with investigators.

"Cromwell community members should be reassured that the safety of our children is the district’s foremost concern and there are many policies and procedures in place to ensure the wellbeing of all our children. If we find after an investigation that any student has in fact been harassed, or has been treated inappropriately in any other way, we will take appropriate action to address the matter," Talty said in a statement on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, a district source close to the investigation said Cromwell High School Coach Chris Eckert has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

A person was shot in the back of the head at Trumbull Gardens in Bridgeport on Tuesday night.

The victim was conscious and alert when police arrived, police said.

The shooting happened at Trumbull Avenue and Terrace Circle around 9:25 p.m. and the victim was transported to St. Vincent's Hospital in a private vehicle.

No additional information has been released.
 

Students from the Asian Studies Academy at Bellizzi School in Hartford were dismissed at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday and will have a half-day schedule for the next four school days because of heat and the lack of air conditioning in the school.

During the half days, students will go to school from 8:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. They will be allowed to modify their school uniforms and wear shorts, T-shirts and other light clothing, according to a statement from the school district.

The school day is supposed to go until 3:55 p.m. Students whose parents were unable to pick them up at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday were moved to the few areas in the school that have air conditioning until the regular dismissal time.

Juno the beluga stole the show Wednesday at a press event with Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy.

The governor visited Mystic Aquarium to discuss travel in Connecticut ahead of Labor Day Weekend, touring the facility's Animal Rescue Clinic, Arctic Coast and Pacific Northwest exhibits before addressing the crowd in front of Juno's tank.

As the governor speaks, Juno appears behind him, swimming up to the governor and hovering over his shoulder. At one point, the beloved beluga presses his forehead to the glass, seeming to know he has an audience.

It's not the first time Juno has been playful with visitors or the camera.  He interacted with a mariachi band in 2011 and checked out the work of a sketch artist in 2012.

Watch Juno ham it up for the camera in the video above.

State police are investigating the "medical untimely" death of a 26-year-old man on Pond Road in Franklin.

Little additional information was immediately available, but police said this does not seem to be a crime.

Major crimes has not been called to this location.