Latest news with #ChrisHansen
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
He was called a hero during Pulse, but he wants to remember the music instead
Chris Hansen said he was ready to re-enter the Pulse Nightclub, nine long years after his life changed in a barrage of bullets. He saw it as a means to an end. 'I actually want to feel the letting go,' Hansen said when WFTV first met up with him Wednesday. 'I want to feel the if I feel anything at all when I walk in, see if I can feel eerie, or if I can still remember the dancing and then hear the music and hear the laughter of everything before the chaos.' Most of all, he said he wanted to find the wall where he hid from the gunman, and if possible, touch the bullet hole on the other side. After his visit on Friday, he had many things to say about the 30 minutes he had months to anticipate. 'Confused,' he described. 'Emotional.' Hansen said he walked through Pulse as he did on June 12, 2016. He pretended to pay a cover at the door. He went to the bar and bought his final drink. Memories began flooding in of victims and survivors dancing. 'The [dance] floor is gone. The bar is still there, but I thought the wall was missing' he said. 'I went to the wall, and I leaned up against it, and I'm like, 'Maybe this was the wall.' And I felt like, was I hiding from it all? The whole time? Was I in the corner?' Hansen said the building felt smaller than before, noting that time slows down in moments of chaos. He said he stuck his hand into the fountain where police busted through the wall, naming it a 'fountain of life.' He couldn't remember what happened after he escaped, when he jumped into action to carry other survivors to get help and triage some of the wounded. His actions had him branded a hero. 'I tried, but I couldn't, I couldn't get past the beauty behind my pain,' he said, tearing up. 'I still remember the dancing, the laughter, the joy, and I think that's where I want to leave it.' He quoted song lyrics several times during his interview, and pulled in the woman who he credited with saving him: Michelle Rampone, a counselor who drove to Orlando after hearing about the Pulse attack and allowed Hansen to stay in her hotel room because his car keys and credit cards were locked inside the club. The two have been friends ever since. Hansen asked her to accompany him and his father into the club. 'It was very emotional, especially the floor, you know?' she recalled. 'There were certain things that were very difficult to see and imagine what went on, and I've heard a lot of different stories from different people. I was just happy I could be here.' Hansen said he would turn his focus to the future and to his Rainbow Remembrance project that displays flags and messages of hope in honor of violence victims. He said he didn't think he'd return for the 10th anniversary next year but planned to come back for the 11th to see the finished permanent memorial. 'I'm ready to move forward,' he said. 'I'm not going to forget [Pulse], but… I'm going to put a period at the end of that chapter and move to the next chapter. It's time for a change. It's time for a transition. It's time to move forward from Orlando.' Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Genesee County Sheriff hosts town hall tackling human trafficking with Chris Hansen
The Brief The Genesee County Sheriff hosted a star-powered town hall tackling sex trafficking. To Catch a Predator's Chris Hansen and actress turned human trafficking advocate Marisol Nichols were part of the meeting. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson says there's no community that's immune from it. HOLLY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A battle is raging in Genesee County and across the nation as predators target and traffic children, sometimes in plain sight. Local perspective The Genesee County Sheriff hosted a star-powered town hall tackling that threat, with To Catch a Predator's Chris Hansen and actress turned human trafficking advocate Marisol Nichols. With predators shifting their tactics, Genesee County's G.H.O.S.T. team has had to shift, focusing more on tracking offenders hiding out online. It's a silent threat many families don't even realize is happening until it's too late. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson says there's no community that's immune from it. That reminder hit home during an intimate town hall in Holly on Thursday. Renowned journalist Chris Hansen and actress and advocate Marisol Nichols joined the sheriff, warning families of the growing human trafficking crisis and fight against predators. "Why would you think a school teacher or a gym teacher or another father or a coach is going after your kid?" said Marisol Nichols. "Because of the Internet, because of games, apps, social media, any part of it they can reach their child, period." Dig deeper The trio shared details of a G.H.O.S.T. sting they went on Wednesday night in Genesee County, exposing three predators now behind bars. "One drove an hour and a half to our operation here in Genesee County," said Swanson. "We are seeing people come from other countries that are here either illegally or, in last night's case, on a work visa since 1994 out of El Salvador. These people that do this are doing it because it's premeditated, it's intentional, and to that point, that's what needs to catch people's attention." The panel discussed the reality of more children and teens being groomed online, becoming victims of sextortion. "I've sat with multiple sets of parents who've lost their children to suicide because of this," Chris Hansen told FOX 2. "The problem's not going away, so a big part of the solution is the relationship between parents and their children." What's next Sheriff Swanson hopes this will help start those conversations at home. "The game has changed, but we've changed with it," Swanson said. The G.H.O.S.T. team says taking down just one predator can save at least 25 victims. If you or someone you know needs help, contact your local police. The Source FOX 2 visited the town hall hosted by Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, joined by Chris Hansen and Marisol Nichols.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Nine years later, famed Pulse survivor searches for closure
As the sun set behind a cloudy sky Wednesday, a small group of people set up flags, lit candles and strummed a guitar while the Lake Eola fountain splashed behind them. At the center of the group was Chris Hansen, a man with a near-constant smile on his face, but whose eyes occasionally flash signs of a deeper pain. Hansen became well known during the night of the 2016 mass shooting as being one of the first to escape Pulse nightclub, and who went back in to help pull others out. Now he works across the country to give victims and allies of violence spaces to be together. 'I woke up from a dream, and I thought I was in a crowd of people in my dream, and I was wondering what it was about,' Hansen said. 'I don't remember, except for the fact that I brought a lot of people together.' Hansen spoke of his struggle to move on from that night, describing the process as glacial. His project, called the Rainbow Remembrance, centers on affirmation, love and hope. It's also personal for him. He pointed to one lantern in honor of a 17-year-old from his hometown who was shot by a police officer. Hansen will take his own turn going through Pulse Friday morning, where he said he will be focused on the wall that saved his life. 'I want to touch that bullet hole. I want to see the that I saved my own life, or that my life was saved for some reason,' he said. 'Through every storm as a rainbow. Who knows why I'm still here or what message I'm supposed to perceive, but I know that I'm here for a reason, and I'm not going to be quiet.' Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Chris Hansen speaks on Alabama sting operation resulting in arrests
BLOUNT COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — A recent Blount County undercover operation to catch online predators landed two men behind bars. The Blount County Sheriff's Office arrested Chase Andrew Abercrombie and Kody Ray Smith. Investigators said they were working with Chris Hansen. He hosts 'Takedown with Chris Hansen' and was the face of 'To Catch a Predator.' Abercrombie and Smith were charged with human trafficking, electronic solicitation, sex offenses involving minors and traveling to meet a child to perform a sexual act. Woman found dead outside Birmingham residence The men thought they were speaking with an underage child online. When they arrived at a sting house, however, deputies met them. Hansen said he found one detail of the sting disturbing. 'What surprises me about this particular sting is that one of the men, who is 30 years old, Kody Ray Smith, had just gotten married two weeks before he showed up at the sting house to try to sexually exploit, allegedly, a 15-year-old girl,' Hansen said. Abercrombie posted bond, while Smith was in custody as of Tuesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Livingston Parish deputies arrest 9 accused of internet crimes against children
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Detectives arrested nine suspects accused of targeting children on social media platforms. All suspects were arrested and booked into jail. The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office said all cases will be featured on 'Takedown with Chris Hansen' on TruBlu. Kevin Hamby, 31, of Denham Springs, was charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Shengjie Cheng, 32, of Baton Rouge, was charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Deputies identified Cheng as an LSU student. Kleider Enrique Garcia-Ochoa, 29, of Walker, was charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Cameron Varnado, 27, of Amite, was charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Anthony Farr Junior, 31, of Little Rock, Arkansas, was charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Matthew Totaro, 36, of Metairie, was charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Tytus Miles, 34, of Livingston, was charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Devin Alipio, 25, of Denham Springs, was charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Matthew Traub, 25, of Metairie, was charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile, computer-aided solicitation of a minor, possession of marijuana under 14 grams and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles. Livingston Parish school janitor accused of molesting child at school Republicans to watch on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' 'Shocking device' found during X-ray at Boise Airport Possible measles exposure reported at Shakira concert in New Jersey Police arrest man accused of armed robbery in Baton Rouge Livingston Parish deputies arrest 9 accused of internet crimes against children Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
