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Remains of young mom Shiri Bibas, taken hostage and killed by Hamas, not returned despite promise, Israel says

The mother of two young boys murdered by Hamas terrorists while in captivity was not among the bodies returned to Israel on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

Before the return of the remains of the four slain hostages, Hamas said the bodies would include Shiri Bibas and her two toddlers, Ariel and Kfir, ages 4 and 10 months, as well as Oded Lifshitz, a retired journalist and activist. However, Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine could only determine the identity of two of the bodies, the young boys.

FATHER OF HAMAS’ YOUNGEST HOSTAGES IS RELEASED — BUT HIS FAMILY REMAINS IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY

L-R: Shiri Bibas, Kfir Bibas, Ariel Bibas, and Oded Lifshitz. (Hostages Family Forum via AP)

“During the identification process, it was determined that the additional body received is not that of Shiri Bibas, and no match was found for any other hostage,” the IDF said. “This is an anonymous, unidentified body.”

“According to the assessment of professional officials, based on the intelligence available to us and forensic findings from the identification process, Ariel and Kfir Bibas were brutally murdered by terrorists in captivity in November 2023,” authorities said.

The family became symbols of the ordeal that has gripped Israel since the war in Gaza began.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Bibas family during this incredibly difficult time and remain committed to doing everything possible to ensure Shiri and all the hostages are brought home at the earliest opportunity,” the IDF said.

It called the deaths a “violation of utmost severity” by Hamas, while also demanding the terror group return the body of Shiri Bibas and all other hostages being held captive.

HAMAS FREES 3 MORE HOSTAGES IN EXCHANGE FOR MORE THAN 300 PRISONERS AS PART OF CEASEFIRE DEAL WITH ISRAEL

Shiri Bibas and her children, Shiri Bibas, Kfir Bibas, Ariel Bibas. Of the four bodies returned to Israel by Hamas on Thursday, two were identified as the two young children. A third was initially presumed to be their mother, but was not, the Israel Defense Forces said. (Courtesy, Hostages Families Forum)

Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, said Hamas continues to “violate every basic moral value,” even after the death of the boys.

“Instead of returning Shiri, the mother of Kfir and Ariel, Hamas returned an unidentified body, as if it were a worthless shipment,” he wrote on X. “This is a new low, an evil and cruelty with no parallel.”

He further said that UN Secretary-General António Guterres, UN the Security Council and the General Assembly continue to remain silent in the face of Hamas’ “barbarity” and demanded Hamas to return the body of Shiri Bibas.

“History will remember well who stood by and remained silent while Hamas trampled on the most basic principles of humanity,” Danon wrote.

The young boys and their mother were abducted in their home by Hamas terrorists during the terror group’s deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Yarden Bibas, Ariel and Kfir’s father, tried to protect them and was abducted prior to the kidnapping of his wife and children, the IDF said.

Yarden returned as part of the agreement for the return of the hostages on Feb. 1.

Thursday’s release is the first one involving the transfer of slain hostages since the ceasefire deal went into effect last month.

Hamas militants take pictures as fellow masked Palestinian fighters carry one of the coffins during the handover of the bodies of four Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza in Thursday. Hamas handed over on February 20 coffins believed to contain the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including those of the Bibas family who became symbols of the ordeal that has gripped Israel since the Gaza war began. The transfer of the bodies is the first by Hamas since its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war, and is taking place under a fragile ceasefire that has seen living hostages exchanged for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. (EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images)

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About 70 hostages remain in Hamas custody. Nearly all the remaining hostages, including Israeli soldiers, are men and about half are believed to be dead.

February 21, 2025
Trump congratulates US military after airstrike that killed official of Al-Qaeda affiliate: ‘Dealt Justice’

President Donald Trump congratulated U.S. forces following an airstrike over the weekend that targeted an official of Hurras al-Din, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, in Syria.

“US forces conducted a precision airstrike against a member of al-Qaeda in Syria this weekend,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The terrorist leader was working with al-Qaeda across the region.”

“Congratulations to CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla, and the US warfighters who dealt Justice to another Jihadi threatening America and our allies and partners,” he continued.

AUSTRIA STABBING SUSPECT IS SYRIAN MIGRANT WHO PLEDGED ALLEGIANCE TO ISLAMIC STATE, OFFICIALS SAY

U.S. President Donald Trump signs a series of executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House on February 10, 2025, in Washington, D.C. ((Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images))

On Saturday, U.S. forces “conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria targeting and killing a senior finance and logistics official in the terrorist organization Hurras al-Din (HaD), an Al-Qaeda affiliate,” U.S. Central Command said in a press release.

CENTCOM said the airstrike was part of its “ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.”

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on February 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

“We will continue to relentlessly pursue terrorists in order to defend our homeland, and U.S., allied, and partner personnel in the region,” Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement.

Hurras al-Din was formed in 2018 after the Nusrah Front terror group broke off from Al-Qaeda. The group operates primarily in Syria’s Idlib Province and could have as many as 2,500 members, according to the National Counterterrorism Center.

TOP RUSSIAN, US OFFICIALS MEET IN SAUDI ARABIA TO BEGIN TALKS ON UKRAINE WAR WITHOUT OFFICIALS FROM KYIV

Gen. Michael Kurilla, commanding general of U.S. Central Command, addresses the attendees during Army Day at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, May 19, 2023. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Latasha Price)

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The center said Hurras al-Din “advocates attacks against the West and Israel to expel foreign influence from Muslim lands, and it seeks to set the conditions necessary to form a new caliphate across the Levant and the broader Middle East.”

“Hurras al-Din maintains access to several longtime al-Qa‘ida members who could enable the group to pose a threat to US and other Western interests outside of Syria, despite its weakened state following successive personnel losses since 2019 that have removed many of the group’s veteran leaders,” the center said.

February 18, 2025
Muhsin Hendricks, world’s first openly gay imam, killed in shooting in South Africa

Muhsin Hendricks, known as the world’s first openly gay imam, was shot and killed in South Africa over the weekend, as authorities investigate whether the murder was a hate crime.

In a statement obtained by the BBC, police said that Hendricks was killed Saturday morning while traveling near the city of Gqeberha in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. His car was reportedly ambushed.

“Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle,” authorities said.

Hendricks founded the Inner Circle, a safe haven for gay Muslims, shortly after coming out as an openly gay imam in 1996. He was previously married to a woman before divorcing her the same year that he came out.

TRUMP FREEZES AID TO SOUTH AFRICA, PROMOTES RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES FACING RACE DISCRIMINATION

Imam Muhsin Hendricks gets ready for the start of the Jumu’ah prayer at the Inner Circle Mosque, in Wynberg, in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2016. (Rodger Bosch/AFP via Getty Images)

“The Inner Circle is the longest standing, largest and most influential human rights organization in the world that deals with Islam, gender and sexual diversity from an Islamic theological perspective,” the organization’s website reads. “The Inner Circle works internationally and supports international affiliate organizations to do similar work, within an Islamic framework.”

In a statement, the Cape Town Ulama Board – an organization of Sunni leaders – condemned the murder but said its views do “not align with the views of the deceased.”

“We maintain that Islamic teachings firmly condemn violence, murder or such actions that undermine the rule of law and destabilize society,” the statement read. “Thus, the Cape Town Ulama Board urges our communities to allow the law to investigate the incident, and by following due process, we hope to maintain peace and order.”

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) said in a statement that they believe the killing “may be a hate crime.”

SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL LAND SEIZURE BILL, ERODING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS

Imam Muhsin Hendricks leads the start of the Jumu’ah prayer at the Inner Circle Mosque, in Wynberg, in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2016. (Rodger Bosch/AFP via Getty Images)

“He supported and mentored so many people in South Africa and around the world in their journey to reconcile with their faith, and his life has been a testament to the healing that solidarity across communities can bring in everyone’s lives,” ILGA Executive Director Julia Ehrt said. “Our condolences go out to all who have been touched by his presence in all these years.”

In 2022, Hendricks raised concerns about a fatwa condemning homosexuality issued by the Muslim Judicial Council. The ruling found that homosexuality is incompatible with Islam, and said that gay Muslims “have taken themselves out of the fold of Islam.”

An aerial shot of Pollok Beach in Port Elizabeth, a city on Algoa Bay in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. (iStock)

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“While it did not come as a complete shock, it has left me sore considering that it was released when we just had Pride Month,” Hendricks said at the time. “The phrase homosexual was only coined in the 18th century and the Qu’ran has been around way longer before that, so how can there be scriptures condemning same-sex relationships?”

Authorities are actively investigating the incident. No additional details are known at this time.

Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to [email protected].

February 17, 2025
Woman killed in Valentine’s Day shooting outside pub in UK’s Kent | World News

In a shooting on Vallentine’s Day outside a village pub in Kent, a woman in her 40s died as the police continued to search for the accused involved in the incident.

Kent Police stated that it was treating the shooting of a woman as a murder inquiry. The shooting took place at three horseshoes on main road, Knockholt, just after 7pm GMT on 14 February.

Police said that the suspect, who is being considered a man, was known to the victim and added that the woman, who had gunshot wounds, died at the incident site itself.

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While the investigation was ongoing, the police found a gun inside a stranded vehicle on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which crosses the River Thames at nearby Dartford.

Detective Chief Inspector David Higham said that a call was received by the handlers about a man at the wrong side of the barrier on the bridge.

Higham said, “We are not ruling out the possibility that he may have entered the water. We are currently only looking for one suspect and do not believe there to be an ongoing risk to the public. Specialist officers continue to work with the families of both parties involved to support them following this tragic incident,” quoted BBC.

The Guardian reported that neither the victim nor the accused belonged to Kent but had local connections to the area.

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February 16, 2025
Dem mayor blasted for extending sympathy to suspect killed in officer-involved shooting: ‘Lack of leadership’

Milwaukee’s Democratic Mayor Cavalier Johnson deleted a social media post following an officer-involved shooting that said the suspect’s death was also a “tragedy,” leading to criticism from the Milwaukee Police Association.

“My thoughts are with the [Milwaukee Police] officer shot in the line of duty today,” the original X post stated. “The entire incident, including the death of the suspect, is a tragedy.”

The new version of the post only includes the first line expressing concern for the police officer.

NEW YORK STATE PRISON PLACED ON LOCKDOWN AFTER INMATES TAKE OVER, INJURE THREE CORRECTIONS OFFICERS

The officer was allegedly shot by a suspect carrying a rifle before the suspect was slain by another officer, Fox 6 Milwaukee reported.

As of 2024, Milwaukee is considered one of the most dangerous cities in Wisconsin, according to SafeHome.org (Fox News)

“The original social media post was put up by a staff member. When the Mayor saw it, he immediately insisted it be taken down. His sentiments are accurately expressed in the video that was posted,” the mayor’s office told Fox News Digital in an email.

“My thoughts are with that officer. My thoughts are with that officer’s family. My thoughts are with the Milwaukee Police Department,” Johnson said in the video referenced in his office’s statement. “I’m grateful, and I know that the people of Milwaukee are grateful as well that there are so many brave men and women who are part of this force who put their own selves in the line of danger in order to make sure we have safety in this community.”

A Johnson spokesperson told Wisconsin Right Now that “an appropriate reprimand is forthcoming” for the staffer who allegedly posted the original comment.

The Milwaukee Police Association said Johnson’s original post was insulting to law enforcement.

“MPA President Alexander Ayala contacted the Mayor’s office after seeing a social media post calling the death of a criminal who nearly killed one of our police officers today, a ‘tragedy,’” the association wrote on Facebook. “While we accept the Mayor’s apology that he made in a call to President Ayala, we must make it clear that this sentiment, even in error, insults every Milwaukee Police officer who puts their life on the line for the city.”

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Officials and popular voices in the region also blasted the deleted post.

“Law Enforcement’s jobs are made harder by leaders like you who insult their service and sacrifice. A police officer almost didn’t go home today because he was shot by someone endangering his community. That is a tragedy, [mayor],” Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann posted.

“Your lack of leadership has created the environment for this to happen,” he added.

“Yes, he really did call the death of a lowlife thug who shot and very nearly killed a Milwaukee Police officer a ‘tragedy,’” Wisconsin-based radio personality Dan O’Donnell posted.

The Milwaukee skyline is seen on July 31, 2018. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

As of 2024, Milwaukee is considered one of the most dangerous cities in Wisconsin, according to SafeHome.org. Statistics from last year indicate that the murder rate in the city had a decline, but carjackings did see an increase, Fox 6 Milwaukee reported.

WISCONSIN MAN, DOG FOUND STABBED TO DEATH AT HOME HOURS AFTER POLICE RESPONDED TO POSSIBLE BREAK-IN

Cameron Arcand is a politics writer at Fox News Digital in Washington D.C. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @cameron_arcand

February 14, 2025
Australian health care workers threaten Israeli man, claim to have killed Jews in their care

Two Australian healthcare workers are being investigated after threatening to kill an Israeli man on camera, claiming they had previously killed Jews in their care.

The man and woman, who said they were doctors, spoke with the man via Chatrouletka, a website where strangers are matched internationally to have conversations.

After the Israeli man revealed his nationality, the female worker said “it’s Palentine’s country, not your country you piece of s—,” according to the video.

Skyline of Sydney, Australia, which is the capital of New South Wales (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images) (Getty )

JEWISH CHILDREN, TEENS VIOLENTLY ATTACKED IN LONDON: ‘STREETS ARE NO LONGER SAFE’

As the Israeli man asked for peace, the conversation escalated, and the woman said “when the time comes, I want you to remember my face, so you can understand that you will die the most disgusting death.”

The pair went on to say they wouldn’t treat the man, and would kill him if he came to their hospital.

The man in scrubs said “you have no idea how many Israelis came to this hospital and…,” while sliding his arm across his neck in a throat slashing motion.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (centre) gives an address to the Leaders’ Plenary during the 2024 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in Melbourne, Australia, March 6, 2024. (Joel Carrett/Pool via Reuters/ File Photo)

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns confirmed the two individuals are workers at Bankstown Hospital.

Minns and Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the pair were identified quickly and were “stood down” by NSW authorities.

“They have rightly been referred to the NSW Police for criminal investigation,” Albanese wrote in a statement Tuesday on X. “Individuals found to have committed criminal antisemitic acts will face the full force of our laws.”

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 06: Members of the Synagogue recover items from the Adass Israel Synagogue on December 06, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. An arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne forced congregants to flee as flames engulfed the building early on Friday morning. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident as an antisemitic act, emphasizing that such violence at a place of worship is unacceptable in Australia. (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

Albanese described the comments as “vile,” and condemned the healthcare workers’ actions.

“The antisemitic video circulating today is disgusting,” he wrote. “The footage is sickening and shameful. These antisemitic comments, driven by hate, have no place in our health system and no place anywhere in Australia.”

A synagogue was fire-bombed in Melbourne on Dec. 6, which authorities are now investigating as a likely terrorist attack. Other reports indicate cars have been set aflame and buildings have been vandalized in Sydney Jewish communities.

A member of the Jewish community recovers an item from the Adass Israel Synagogue on December 06, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. An arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne forced congregants to flee as flames engulfed the building early on Friday morning. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident as an antisemitic act, emphasizing that such violence at a place of worship is unacceptable in Australia. (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images) (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images))

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) reported more than 2,000 antisemitic incidents in Australia since Palestinian militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Data was collected between Oct. 1, 2023 and Sept. 30, 2024.

In a news conference on Tuesday, Alexander Ryvchin, ECAJ co-chief executive officer, said members of the community have felt unsafe at Australian hospitals.

COLUMBIA GROUP’S ANTISEMITIC NEWSPAPER DRAWS OUTRAGE FROM NY LAWMAKER, AS UNIVERSITY INVESTIGATES

“Hospitals are a place where people should never feel unsafe,” Ryvchin said. “It’s the exact contrary. People should feel entirely comfortable that they’ll be treated based on their condition and humanity, not in the way that we saw in that video.”

He added the incident was the “tip of the iceberg,” and he believes there are many Australians with the same ideology.

Members of the local Jewish community look at the damage of the arson attack at the Adass Israel Synagogue on December 06, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. An arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne forced congregants to flee as flames engulfed the building early on Friday morning. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident as an antisemitic act, emphasizing that such violence at a place of worship is unacceptable in Australia. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

“Antisemitism has sadly taken root in Australia, and we need to expunge it root and branch,” Ryvchin said. “There need to be consequences.”

On Wednesday, Australia enacted a hate crimes bill imposing minimum mandatory penalties for certain hate-related crimes, including six years for terrorist offenses, three years for financing terrorism and one year for displaying hate symbols.

“There have been similar instances of such behavior in Sydney and Perth where perpetrators have been convicted and given only a token fine,” the ECAJ wrote in a statement posted on its website. “That is also unacceptable because perpetrators come to regard such fines as merely the cost of “doing business” and not as a real deterrent.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese posted on X after the video went viral online. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)

Though it has faced more intolerance, the Jewish population of Australia is substantially smaller than the Muslim population, which accounts for 3.2%, according to previous reporting. Jews account for just 0.4% of the population.

The Australian Federal Police was previously tasked with conducting an operation that would “focus on threats, violence, and hatred” targeting the Jewish community, Fox News Digital reported.

In addition, the Prime Minister allocated $25 million, about $15 million in the U.S., beginning in 2022 to increase security for Jewish organizations, according to a Reuters report. He also took a stand against hate speech and banned the Nazi salute.

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Fox News’ Beth Bailey contributed to this story.

Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.

February 12, 2025
TCU star whose brother was killed in New Orleans terror attack catches game-winning touchdown in Senior Bowl

A month to the day that Tiger Bech was killed in the New Orleans terror attack, his brother etched his name in Senior Bowl history.

Jack Bech, a wide receiver at TCU, caught the game-winning touchdown in Saturday’s Senior Bowl as time expired and was named the game’s MVP.

“My brother has some wings on me. He gave them to me, and he let that all take place. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Tiger, nothing else but them. They’re the reason I did what I did today. I attribute it all to them,” Jack said after the game.

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Jack Bech of TCU during Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium Jan. 29, 2025, in Mobile, Ala. (Derick E. Hingle/Getty Images)

Tiger, who played college football at Princeton, was one of the 14 victims killed in the early hours of New Year’s Day on Bourbon Street.

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The New Orleans native played for Princeton from 2016-2018 and was an All-Ivy League kick returner. During his three-year career, he caught 53 passes for 825 yards with three touchdowns. He graduated from the university in 2021 and pursued a career in finance.

He was working as a stockbroker in New York City but traveled back home to Louisiana for the holidays.

Former Princeton football player Tiger Bech, 27, was killed in the Bourbon Street attack. (2018 Beverly Schaefer via Princeton Athletics)

Jack said while his success this week will hopefully improve his draft stock, he’d trade it all for a brotherly hug.

DEION SANDERS’ SON LIKENS HIMSELF TO TRUMP WHEN DISCUSSING PEOPLE WHO ‘ALWAYS JUST TRY TO DESTROY YOU’

“It’s been surreal just to be able to come and be in this game. It’s a goal you set for yourself. But if I had the option if I came here, had the worst week ever, ruin my draft stock, but that means I could hug my brother right now, I would take that.

“But, on the flip side of that, I don’t think I could have had the week that I had if all that wouldn’t have happened. His wings were on my side. Him and Jesus Christ are the reasons I was able to do all of this,” he said.

Ex-Princeton football player Tiger Bech pictured alongside family. (Fox News )

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“All the big brother does in life is want to see his little brother succeed. He’s been my role model my whole life, the person I looked up to, the person I wanted to be. He was the best big brother I could ever ask for. My whole goal in the rest of my life is to live his legacy on.”

Jack was part of the American team that earned the 22-19 victory.

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February 2, 2025
Young figure skating sisters from Virginia among victims killed in DC plane crash

Alydia and Everly Livingston, who were known as the “Ice Skating Sisters,” were identified as victims of the deadly plane crash in Washington, D.C., that claimed the lives of 67 people when an American Airlines plane collided with an Army helicopter Wednesday night.

Eleven-year-old Alydia and 14-year-old Everly, were killed in the crash along with their parents, Peter and Donna Livingston.

Everly and Alydia Livingston were killed in a crash involving an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., Wednesday, Jan., 29, 2025. All 67 people aboard the two aircraft are presumed dead. (Facebook/Peter Livingston)

The girls were members of the Washington Figure Skating Club in D.C., which is affiliated with U.S. Figure Skating.

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The club released a joint statement with the Skating Club of Northern Virginia after several of the victims were linked to the clubs.

“This heartbreaking accident has shaken the local skating community in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia — as well as in Boston and across the nation. Our hearts go out to families, friends, and loved ones mourning this unimaginable grief.

Everly and Alydia Livingston were killed in a crash involving an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. All 67 people aboard the two aircraft are presumed dead. (Instagram/@ice_skating_sisters)

WIFE OF DELAWARE SKATING COACH KILLED IN DC PLANE CRASH LEFT DEVASTATED BY TRAGEDY: ‘I LOST EVERYTHING’

“As we continue to process this tragedy, we honor the memories of those who we have lost — their passion for the sport, the friendships they cultivated, and the joy they brought to the ice. Their presence at our rinks and in our community is deeply felt, and their absence is indescribable.”

In a tribute posted to The Skating Lesson Facebook page, Alydia was described as having a “vivacious personality” and a true passion for the sport. Her older sister, Everly, was said to be more “shy,” but that changed when she was on the ice.

Donna Smojice Livingston was killed in the crash involving an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. All 67 people aboard the two aircraft are presumed dead. (Facebook/Donna Smojice Livingston)

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In a final post shared to the girls’ joint Instagram, the sisters posed for a picture at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, which concluded Sunday. According to a statement from U.S. Figure Skating, several of its members were aboard the American Airlines flight after a development camp held after the championships.

Peter Livingston was killed in a crash involving an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. All 67 people aboard the two aircraft are presumed dead. (Facebook/Peter Livingston)

Several victims have been identified in the days since the accident. Officials say 14 of the 67 victims belonged to the skating community.

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January 31, 2025
Wife of Delaware skating coach killed in DC plane crash left devastated by tragedy: ‘I lost everything’

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The wife of a Delaware skating coach says she has “lost everything” after learning that her husband was one of the victims killed when an American Airlines plane collided midair with an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., late Wednesday night.

Natalya Gudin told WPVI that she and her husband, Alexandr “Sasha” Kirsanov, were both skating coaches in Delaware. She recalled the now heartbreaking decision that she and her husband made that Kirsanov would travel to Wichita, Kansas, for a development camp.

Rescuers on boats work as the sun rises at the site of the crash after a Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Eagle Flight 5342, which was approaching Reagan Washington National Airport, and crashed into the Potomac River, outside of Washington, D.C., on Jan. 30, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

“We are husband and wife,” she told the station. “We decided who’s going, who’s staying home,” she said. “We decided he would go to the development camp.”

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Kirsanov, 46, was one of 67 people killed when American Airlines Flight 5342 and a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided near Reagan Washington National Airport at around 9 p.m. local time.

What began as a search and rescue effort turned to a recovery operation after officials said they believed there were no survivors.

Among the victims included several members of the figure skating community. U.S. Figure Skating released a statement confirming that the victims were returning home from a development camp being held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, which concluded on Sunday.

“I lost everything. I lost my husband. I lost my students. I lost my friends,” Gudin told the station.

University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis released a statement Thursday confirming that Kirsanov, a former figure skating coach with the university, was one of the victims in Wednesday’s crash.

Photos of victims following the collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter. (Getty Images)

OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATER TONYA HARDING CALLS LOSS IN AIRLINE COLLISION ‘ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING’

“I am incredibly saddened to share the news that several members of the figure skating community connected to the University of Delaware were among those who tragically lost their lives in an aircraft collision last night in Washington, DC,” his statement read.

“Kirsanov and the skaters trained at the University’s High Performance Training Center, which uses UD ice rink facilities and has been the training home for many years of multiple world-class skating champions and competitors. The figure skating community is tight-knit, and many of our students and coaches have trained and competed alongside those who were lost.”

Assanis also confirmed that Kirsanov was with “two young skaters” on the flight. He identified them only as members of the UD Figure Skating Club, but Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., later identified them as Sean Kay and Angela Yang.

“I’m devastated to hear the news that at least three Delawareans died during last night’s air collision. Sasha Kirsanov, Sean Kay, and Angela Yang went to Wichita to pursue their passion for figure skating. It is a tragedy that none of them returned home to our state,” his post on X read.

Part of the wreckage is seen as rescue boats search the waters of the Potomac River after a plane on approach to Reagan National Airport crashed into the river near Washington, D.C., on Jan. 30, 2025. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

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“Delaware is a state of neighbors, and tonight we hold all of our neighbors a little closer. My heart goes out to Sasha’s wife Natalia, the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club, and every other Delawarean touched by the three of them.”

Kirsanov’s daughter, Nicole, also posted a tribute on social media following the loss of her father.

“I miss you Dad, I would do anything to bring you back and tell you that I loved you one more time,” she wrote in a post on Instagram.

Kirsanov was an eight-time national coach and a three-time international junior world coach with nearly a decade of experience.

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January 31, 2025
Skaters killed in plane crash were Olympic hopefuls, peers say: ‘Absolutely remarkable’

Emotions were running high at The Skating Club of Boston Thursday after six people with ties to the organization died in a plane crash near Reagan International Airport Wednesday night.

Among those who spoke were Olympic silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan, who couldn’t hold back tears while talking about the crash.

President Donald Trump said there were no survivors after an American Airlines jet collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter.

The plane was carrying 64 people, among them teenage skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers Jin Han and Christine Lane and their coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.

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Spencer Lane was a figure skater at The Skating Club of Boston. (Imagn)

Three members of The Skating Club of Boston — Misha Mitrofanov, Jimmy Ma and Alisa Efimova — also spoke of their peers, who they say were the next generation of hopeful U.S. Olympians.

“The potential that they showed on the ice and the capabilities they had at such a young age showed that they had promise for the future of this sport,” Mitrofanov, whose partner is Efimova, told reporters Thursday.

Mitrofanov and Efimova had just won the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, in the pairs discipline. That’s where the American Airlines flight was coming from. Han and Lane were returning from a developmental camp over the weekend.

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“The camp basically brings them in for the championships so that they can watch, for example, Jimmy, or at least an ice skate at a championship level,” Mitrofanov said. “Afterwards, they are part of a fairly strict routine. … Lot of training, lots of drills and exercises that the U.S. Figure Skating wants to see.”

Han, 13, and Lane, 16, were chosen for the developmental camp because of the promise they showed, and Ma was blunt about just how promising these two skaters were.

“Absolutely phenomenal,” Ma said. “If I was their age back when I was their age, they would blow me out of the water. Even Jinna, at 13 years old, I couldn’t do anything. She was already 10 times better than me at such a young age.

Jimmy Ma skates during the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Intrust Bank Arena. (William Purnell.Imagn Images)

“They showed championship-level skating. It would take time for them to develop to maximize their full potential. But the amount they were able to achieve in such a short amount of time was absolutely remarkable.”

Efimova said the campers were spotted in the crowd in the red jackets they would wear, and as she worked along with Mitrofanov to win in pairs, she used their cheering as motivation.

“They all have these red jackets, so you can really, really identify this community during the competition, which helps me personally a lot to bring a lot of joy into skating,” Efimova said.

Ma also pointed out how great Shishkova and Naumov, winners at the 1994 world championships in pairs while competing in two Olympic Games, were as coaches.

“Their meticulousness in developing young skaters is almost unparalleled,” Ma explained. “You could tell by their son, Max, who I consider not just a friend, but a fierce competitor. I look at him every day, I’m like, ‘Damn, I got to do better.’ That was all them.”

Evgenia Shishkova (left), Vadim Naumov (center) and Spencer Lane (right) were victims of the collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter. (Instagram/annehgoldbergbaldwin)

The Skating Club of Boston wasn’t the only figure skating community that was hit by this. The Philadelphia Skating Club & Humane Society posted on social media that “beloved members” of its team were on the flight. Skating coach Alexandr Kirsanov and two of his youth skaters were also aboard the fight, according to Kirsanov’s wife, per ABC News.

“U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”

As the figure skating world and others affected by the crash mourn the losses of loved ones, Mitrofanov said skaters will continue to train and compete with their “family” in mind.

Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov receive scores during the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Intrust Bank Arena. (William Purnell/Imagn Images)

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“Watching these kids skate and watching their fire and love for the sport, that’s what helped us to, honestly, continue training,” Mitrofanov said. “Watching these kids develop helps us want to push ourselves as well. It’s a two-way street that they look up to us, but we also look up to them.”

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 31, 2025