New details on deadly AZ helicopter crash; man hurt in Phoenix road-rage shooting l Morning News Brief
The Morning News Brief on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
From new details on the investigation into a helicopter crash outside the Valley that left a man and his three nieces dead to a suspected road-rage shooting in Phoenix that sent one person to the hospital, here's a look at some of your top headlines for the morning of January 6.
1. Superior helicopter crash latest
Expert: NTSB to likely review slackline alert in Superior helicopter crash
Federal investigators will examine if a slackline was properly authorized after initial findings suggest the pilot of a helicopter struck the hit, crashing and killing all four people on board. FOX 10's Steve Nielsen reports.
The backstory:
A helicopter crash near Superior killed four people, including an experienced pilot and his three nieces, after allegedly striking a kilometer-long slackline.
Dig deeper:
The FAA had issued a safety alert for the line, but the warning was linked to Superior Airport rather than the helicopter’s point of origin in Queen Creek. Federal investigators are examining if the slackline was properly authorized and how the pilot’s flight plan affected his ability to see the warning.
2. Road-rage shooting
Man hurt during suspected road-rage shooting
A suspected road-rage shooting on Jan. 5 in Phoenix left a man hospitalized. The shooting suspect is not in custody.
What we know:
A man was hospitalized following an apparent road-rage shooting in Phoenix near 67th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard.
What we don't know:
The shooting suspect is currently unknown as the other vehicle involved fled the scene before officers arrived.
3. Valley principal, athletic director facing charges
Mesa HS officials accused of not reporting student assault involving gun
Two Mesa High School administrators have been placed on administrative leave following allegations they failed to comply with mandatory reporting laws after a campus assault involving a firearm.
What we know:
Mesa High’s principal and athletic director are on administrative leave after failing to report an aggravated assault on campus involving a firearm last year.
The backstory:
The charges stem from a February 2025 incident where three men allegedly assaulted a student following an after-school soccer game.
4. Arizona parents arrested
(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gustavo Castillo/Released)
What we know:
Two parents were arrested after authorities say their children were found alone on New Year's Eve inside a cold Arizona home that had no power.
Dig deeper:
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office says when a deputy got to the home, he found the 1-year-old children strapped to car seats, in front of a space heater. No adults were home.
5. Inmate deaths spark calls for prison funding
Inmate deaths spark calls for prison oversight funding
With the 2026 Arizona legislative session set to begin in one week, lawmakers and advocates are pushing to secure $1.5 million in funding for an independent prison oversight office that currently exists only on paper. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean reports.
Local perspective:
Rep. Walt Blackman and Sen. Shawna Bolick have introduced identical bills to secure $1.5 million for an independent prison oversight office. Although Gov. Katie Hobbs signed the office into existence last year, it remains unstaffed and inactive because no funding was allocated for its operations.
Dig deeper:
The push for oversight follows a violent December in which three inmates within the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) were killed by other prisoners.
A look at today's weather
Morning Weather Forecast - 1/6/26
We should stay dry on Tuesday in the Valley, but incoming storms will soon bring big changes.