Pittsburgh ramps up security as NFL draft draws 700,000 visitors
THIS BAYLEE. BRIAN LOWRY 501. IS OPEN BACK UP NOW AND THE SCENE HAS CLEARED. BUT THAT HOMEOWNER JUST ARRIVED TO SEE HER HOME WITH A TRUCK PULLED OUT OF THE SIDE OF IT AGAIN. THAT TRUCK IS NOW GONE. THEY DID PULL THAT OUT JUST MOMENTS AGO, BUT SHE’S LOOKING AT THE AFTERMATH OF THE CRASH. SHE JUST ARRIVED HOME AND WHEN SHE PULLED UP, SHE SAID, OH, THIS IS MY HOUSE. BUT THIS IS A LOOK AT THE SCENE FROM EARLIER. THERE WERE ACTUALLY THREE VEHICLES INVOLVED. ONE TRUCK COMPLETELY FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN. THERE WAS ALSO AN SUV INVOLVED. WE DID SPEAK TO SOME FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE DRIVER OF THAT SUV, WHO TOLD US THAT SHE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. WE DON’T KNOW THE EXTENT OF ANY INJURIES OR IF ANYONE ELSE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AT THIS POINT. AGAIN, THREE VEHICLES INVOLVED. ONE WAS THAT UTILITY TRUCK THAT WENT INTO THE HOME. A TRUCK FLIPPED OVER, AND AN SUV THAT WAS INVOLVED. NOW THAT SCENE HAS PRETTY MUCH CLEARED NOW AND THE ROAD IS BACK OPEN. WE’LL CONTINUE LEARNING MORE ABOUT ANY INJURIES HERE AND ANY MORE DETAILS THAT WE GET ABOUT HOW THIS CRASH ACTUALLY HAPPENED AND THE AFTERMATH OF IT. BUT FOR NOW, LIVE IN WARWICK TOWNSHIP. BAYLEE MARTIN, WGAL NEWS EIGHT. AND WE’RE ALSO FOLLOWING MORE BREAKING NEWS HERE. A SCHOOL BUS WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH IN LANCASTER TOWNSHIP. THIS HAPPENED JUST AFTER 330 ON ABBEYVILLE ROAD. THE TWO VEHICLES IN THE BUS WERE INVOLVED. WE DON’T KNOW IF ANY CHILDREN WERE ON THAT BUS OR WHAT SCHOOL THAT BUS WAS SERVICING. NEWS EIGHT WAS THERE, THOUGH AT LEAST ONE PERSON WAS PUT ON A STRETCHER WITH EMERGENCY DISPATCHERS CONFIRMING THAT ONE PERSON WAS INJURED. NO DETAILS YET ON THE CAUSE OR DAMAGE ON THE BUS. WE JUST TOLD YOU ABOUT TWO ACCIDENTS. ANOTHER ONE BECAUSE IT’S BEEN A TROUBLESOME DAY ON THE ROADS IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY, A TRIPLE TRACTOR TRAILER CRASH ON I-81 IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY THIS MORNING LEFT RAW CHICKEN AND SCATTERED MAIL ON THE ROAD, SHUTTING THE HIGHWAY DOWN FOR HOURS DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE. PENNDOT CREWS REOPENED THAT ROAD AFTER MORE THAN SIX HOURS. TOOK SOME TIME THERE. LET’S GO TO AJ SISSON. HE’S LIVE FOR US IN SOUTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP WITH MORE ON THIS TONIGHT. AJ. BRIAN LAURIE JUST HOURS AGO AROUND EXIT 29 HERE ON I-81 NORTHBOUND. THE ROAD WAS COVERED WITH RAW CHICKEN AND MAIL FROM THAT TRIPLE TRACTOR TRAILER CRASH. THOSE WHO WORK NEARBY SAY THAT THERE WAS A FUNKY SMELL IN THE AIR FROM THE RAW CHICKEN. THEY SAID THAT’S WHAT EXPLAINED THAT SMELL. NOW, I DID REACH OUT TO THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE AND THE POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE ABOUT THE IMPACTED MAIL AND THE ANSWER ON WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR IMPACTED MAIL RIGHT NOW. STILL UNCLEAR. IT INVOLVED THREE TRACTOR TRAILERS. WE KNOW THAT ONE WAS CARRYING RAW CHICKEN AND ONE WAS CARRYING MAIL, SHUTTING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 330 UNTIL 930 THIS MORNING, IMPACTING COMMUTERS LIKE GREG WHITE. IT TAKES ME ABOUT 15 MINUTES NORMALLY AND WE WERE 35 MINUTES THIS MORNING. THE CRASH HAPPENED AT I-81 NORTHBOUND EXIT 29 IN SOUTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP, PENNDOT DETOURED TRAFFIC SEVEN MILES DOWN THE ROAD AT EXIT 24, CAUSING BACKUPS IN SHIPPENSBURG. WE DID HAVE ABOUT A 5 TO 6 MILE BACKLOG, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TRUCKS AND THINGS MAY NOT CHOOSE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY. I KNOW ROUTE 11 WAS VERY, VERY SLOW, AND THEY MAY HAVE OPTED TO JUST WAIT. YOU’RE GOING TO DIRECT TRAFFIC AROUND INTERSTATE 81, CONSIDERING WE SIT ON 81, ROUTE 11 BACKS UP REAL QUICK. EMS TRANSPORTED ONE PERSON TO THE HOSPITAL. PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE DID NOT SHARE THE EXTENT OF THOSE INJURIES. IN THE WAKE, RAW CHICKEN AND MAIL SCATTERED ALONG THE HIGHWAY FOR HOURS. THERE OBVIOUSLY WAS A LARGE DEBRIS FIELD, SO THERE WAS A LOT OF CLEANUP THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. WE’RE TOLD CREWS BROUGHT THAT RAW CHICKEN TO A LANDFILL. AFTER THE CLEANUP. WE DID JUST HEAR BACK FROM THE POSTAL SERVICE JUST MOMENTS AGO. THEY SAID THE MAIL FROM THE SCENE IS WITH THE TOWING COMPANY. RIGHT NOW, THE USPS IS WORKING ON GETTING THAT MAIL BACK AND THEN EVALUATING IT. WE’LL CONTINUE TO BRING YOU UPDATES BOTH ON AIR AND ONLINE AT WGAL.COM, WITH THE MAIL QUESTIONS IN SOUTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP AJ WGAL NEWS 8. STATE POLICE SAY A MAN LINKED TO BANK ROBBERIES IN MASSACHUSETTS ROBBED A BANK AT GUNPOINT IN PERRY COUNTY. TROOPERS SAY 38 YEAR OLD CHRISTOPHER GRANNIS OF WORCESTER CUT OFF HIS ANKLE MONITOR AT HIS HOME ON SATURDAY AND WAS DRIVING A STOLEN CAR, THEY SAY ON MONDAY, JUST BEFORE 1:00, HE DEMANDED MONEY FROM THE TELLER AT THE PENNY AND BANK ON RED HILL ROAD, NEAR NEWPORT BOROUGH. TROOPERS SAY HE SHOWED THE TELLER THAT HE HAD A HANDGUN IN HIS WAISTBAND. THEN YESTERDAY, JUST BEFORE 6 P.M., TROOPERS SAY THEY FOUND GRANNIS AND THE STOLEN CAR AT A MAKESHIFT CAMPSITE NEAR THE JUNIATA RIVER IN FERMANAGH TOWNSHIP IN JUNIATA COUNTY. RIGHT NOW, A WOMAN IS WANTED OUT OF DAUPHIN COUNTY IN A CASE OF GRAND THEFT AUTO LOWER PAXTON TOWNSHIP POLICE HAVE A WARRANT OUT FOR 52 YEAR OLD DIANA ROSSMAN, WHO IS CHARGED WITH UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON ROSSMAN’S WHEREABOUTS, YOU’RE ASKED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH POLICE. LANCASTER TOWNSHIP POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A THREAT CALLED INTO AN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY AROUND NOON TODAY. POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE RED ROSE MANOR ASSISTED LIVING CENTER AFTER SOMEONE CALLED THE FACILITY REQUESTING TO SPEAK WITH A SPECIFIC RESIDENT AND TOLD THEM THEY WERE GOING TO BLOW UP THE BUILDING. THAT CENTER WAS EVACUATED AS A PRECAUTION, AND POLICE FOUND NO SUSPICIOUS OR EXPLOSIVE DEVICES. LANCASTER TOWNSHIP POLICE ARE ASKING ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TO GIVE THEM A CALL. POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING INVOLVED, I SHOULD SAY AN INVESTIGATION INTO A FIRE IN HANOVER, YORK COUNTY AROUND THREE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. CREWS WERE CALLED TO THE BUILDING ON WEST MIDDLE STREET. WE’RE TOLD PEOPLE WERE TRAPPED INSIDE. FIREFIGHTERS WERE ABLE TO RESCUE TWO PEOPLE WHO WERE STRANDED ON A BALCONY AND ON ONE SIDE, AND THEN A THIRD THROUGH A SECOND FLOOR WINDOW. A FOURTH PERSON WAS ABLE TO GET OUT WITHOUT ANY HELP. TWO DOGS AND THREE CATS WERE ALSO RESCUED, BUT ONE FIREFIGHTER DID GET BIT IN THE PROCESS. INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE THE FIRE STARTED IN THE BASEMENT, BUT THEY’RE STILL NOT SURE ABOUT THE CAUSE. A FIRE THIS MORNING DESTROYED A HOME IN JUNIATA COUNTY AND SENT TWO PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL. LOOK AT THIS PICTURE. A LOT OF FIRE THERE. THE FIRE STARTED JUST AFTER 430 IN A MOBILE HOME ON CABIN LANE. THIS IS IN MILFORD TOWNSHIP, JUST SOUTHWEST OF MIFFLIN TOWNSHIP. FIREFIGHTERS TELL US THAT ONE PERSON WAS FLOWN FROM THE SCENE AND ANOTHER WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO A HOSPITAL. NO CAUSE SO FAR FOR THIS FIRE. WE HAVE AN UPDATE TONIGHT ON A DEADLY SHOOTING INVOLVING A HARRISBURG MAN AND SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THE DEPUTY, SHOT BY 32 YEAR OLD AUSTIN ROBERTSON DURING A TRAFFIC STOP, GONE WRONG MONDAY, IS RECOVERING FROM SURGERY TONIGHT. THE DEPUTY WAS HIT RIGHT HERE. SO IT WAS HE WAS HIT RIGHT HERE. AND IT AND IT EXITED HIS BACK. SO BY THE GRACE OF GOD A LOT OF VITALS RIGHT IN HERE ESPECIALLY YOUR HEART WAS WAS MISSED BARELY. THE ANDERSON COUNTY SHERIFF SAYS THE DEPUTY WAS WEARING PROTECTIVE GEAR WHEN ROBERTSON SHOT HIM DURING THE TRAFFIC STOP. THE BULLET FROM ROBERTSON’S MODIFIED VERSION OF A HIGH POWERED RIFLE HIT THE DEPUTY IN THE CHEST, WENT THROUGH HIS BODY AND OUT OF HIS BACK. ANOTHER DEPUTY FIRED BACK AT ROBERTSON, ULTIMATELY KILLING HIM. ROBERTSON HAD SEVERAL PREVIOUS DRUG CHARGES, INCLUDING DRUG POSSESSION AND INTENT TO MANUFACTURE OR DELIVER, WITH THE SHERIFF SAYING THAT’S THE REASON HE WAS INITIALLY PULLED OVER. THOUGH THEY DIDN’T CLARIFY HOW THEY KNEW ROBERTSON WAS IN THAT CAR. AND WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A LIVE LOOK OVER HARRISBURG THIS EVENING. JUST ENDED UP BEING A BEAUTIFUL DAY. WARMER AS WELL. THOSE TEMPERATURES ONLY GOING UP FROM HERE TODAY. I WOULD CALL THIS A JACKET ON IN THE MORNING, JACKET OFF IN THE AFTERNOON KIND OF DAY. HERE’S METEOROLOGIST MIKE SUSKO. GOOD EVENING, BRIAN AND LAURA. IT WAS ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHERE YOU HAD SOME WINTER LIKE OR HEAVIER CLOTHING IN THE MORNING, AND THEN YOU COULD BRING OUT THE SPRING CLOTHING IN THE AFTERNOON. TOMORROW GOING TO BE VERY SIMILAR AS WE’LL SEE THOSE TEMPERATURES GET BACK INTO THE 70S. AS WE GO INTO YOUR THURSDAY. AND THEN FOR THE WEEKEND, IT’S GOING TO START OFF WITH SOME RAIN, BUT WE WILL HAVE A DRY. AND YOU’RE LOOKING OUTSIDE OUR HARRISBURG, SKY CAM RIGHT NOW, LOOKING GOOD THERE IN THE CAPITAL THIS EVENING. AND TEMPERATURES 70 DEGREES IN HARRISBURG, BUT 69 THERE IN LEBANON, 72 FOR YORK, GETTYSBURG AT 79, 66 IN LANCASTER. AND THIS TIME YESTERDAY WE WERE ABOUT 10 TO 15 DEGREES COOLER. SO WE ARE IN A WARMING TREND. AND LIKE I MENTIONED, THAT WILL CONTINUE AS WE GO INTO TOMORROW. SO LIVE RADAR SHOWING A FEW POP UP SHOWERS HERE, ONE THERE RIGHT NEAR GETTYSBURG. SO YOU MAY SEE A FEW ISOLATED SPRINKLES IN ADAMS COUNTY. THERE’S ALSO ONE IN NORTHERN DAUPHIN COUNTY THAT’S TRYING TO GET GOING AS A LITTLE BIT OF MOISTURE COMES ON BY. THERE ARE SOME FRONTS THERE TO THE NORTH, AND THAT’S GOING TO HANG OUT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AND ULTIMATELY BRING US THE RAIN AS WE HEAD LATER IN THE WEEK. BUT FOR THIS EVENING, 62 DEGREES WITH A FEW CLOUDS AND ISOLATED SPRINKLES. NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR SOME, BUT MOST OF US ARE DRY. WE’LL DROP BACK TO 50 DEGREES TONIGHT AND THEN 76 TOMORROW BEFORE WE SEE SOME COOLER WEATHER COME BACK INTO
Pittsburgh ramps up security as NFL draft draws 700,000 visitors
Updated: 6:36 PM EDT Apr 22, 2026
Pittsburgh city leaders are taking significant steps to ensure public safety as an estimated 700,000 people are expected to attend the NFL draft and related events. “We’ve rehearsed, we’ve exercised, we’ve trained, we practiced,” said Cathy L. Lanier, chief security officer for the NFL. Authorities have announced an increased police presence beyond the draft perimeters, which will include drones, K-9 teams, bicycle officers, tactical teams, maritime units, and motorcycle medics. “This presence is bolstered by a host of assets that the public won’t see, including, but not limited to, undercover law enforcement and a variety of public safety technology,” said Commander Anthony Palermo of the Pittsburgh police. “We ask that anybody attending the draft, or one of the many draft-related events throughout the city, assists law enforcement by remaining aware, at all times, of anything suspicious and reporting that suspicious behavior.” The FBI has stated it is not aware of any credible threat of violence targeting the NFL draft.Additional measures include flight restrictions for drones and boat restrictions on the rivers.
PITTSBURGH —
Pittsburgh city leaders are taking significant steps to ensure public safety as an estimated 700,000 people are expected to attend the NFL draft and related events.
“We’ve rehearsed, we’ve exercised, we’ve trained, we practiced,” said Cathy L. Lanier, chief security officer for the NFL.
Authorities have announced an increased police presence beyond the draft perimeters, which will include drones, K-9 teams, bicycle officers, tactical teams, maritime units, and motorcycle medics.
“This presence is bolstered by a host of assets that the public won’t see, including, but not limited to, undercover law enforcement and a variety of public safety technology,” said Commander Anthony Palermo of the Pittsburgh police. “We ask that anybody attending the draft, or one of the many draft-related events throughout the city, assists law enforcement by remaining aware, at all times, of anything suspicious and reporting that suspicious behavior.”
The FBI has stated it is not aware of any credible threat of violence targeting the NFL draft.
Additional measures include flight restrictions for drones and boat restrictions on the rivers.