On Friday, all of the broadcast networks' evening newscasts covered the Thursday night ICE-involved shooting in New York City, heavily focusing on ensuing protests and New York City’s Democratic Socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, calling for ICE’s abolition.
ABC World News Tonight featured the ICE shooting in a report from Aaron Katerksy, in a break from Cornell and Lindsay Clancy reporting duties, focusing heavily on the suspect’s son in the car as the shooting occurred, while describing the suspect as just a “man”:
Tonight we're seeing ICE agents draw their guns on the man inside this SUV in New York City, smashing his window as he tried to get away with his five-year-old on the back seat.
Later, after the alarm fiasco and weather reports, ABC World News Tonight moved to cover the NYC ICE-involved shooting, only briefly mentioning that DHS said the “man” was in the US illegally and had previous convictions, along with “suspected gang ties.”
The rest of the… pic.twitter.com/vfxpZmITQd— Nick (@nspin310) October 10, 2026
After playing audio amidst the report, he turned to finally detail the reasoning behind the suspect’s attempted apprehension: his criminal history and illegal status:
The Department of Homeland Security says Oscar Belgal is a Dominican national living in the U.S. Illegally, with a prior grand larceny conviction and suspected gang ties.
Then, Katerksy noted protestors and played Mayor Mamdani, who he described as “calling for ICE to leave the city.”
Katerksy’s report on ABC’s Good Morning America earlier in the day also featured a Mamdani focus on the shooting, as he called Mamdani “livid.”
Following the ICE shooting talk, ABC moved to lambast the execution plans for the Fort Hood shooter, which Matha Raddatz described as receiving “shock and disgust across the political spectrum.” All of the network focused on the execution story as well on Friday, similar to Thursday’s newscasts.
Both CBS and NBC gave decent detail in their reports on the suspect’s criminal history in the NYC ICE shooting
NBC even initially labeled the man as a suspect in its introduction, rather than calling him just “a man.” The report also mentioned that the suspect had an “extensive… https://t.co/3Mf5eKhCP3 pic.twitter.com/zsgjSNec7f— Nick (@nspin310) October 10, 2026
Furthermore, on NBC Nightly News, there was more willingness to describe the man shot by ICE as a “suspect” with a criminal record, as the opening tease for the show even noted his alleged criminality.
Host Tom Llamas teased, “New surveillance video of an ICE shooting in New York City. The chaotic moments after a man in his car was shot, his five-year-old reportedly asking if his dad was dead. The multiple crimes he's wanted for.”
After detailing the scene amid the shooting with bodycam footage, NBC detailed protests and showcased Mamdani, as Erin McLaughlin said, “Zohran Mamdani joined other top Democrats calling for ICE to be abolished.”
In the clip, Mamdani said, “There was no reasonable way to identify them as ICE agents. We know that ICE is rotten to its core.” Mullin response calling Mamdani “shameful” was also played before McLaughin detailed the criminal history:
DHS says Belgal was in the U.S. illegally from the Dominican Republic, associated with a violent gang and has an extensive criminal record, including a conviction for grand larceny and arrests for assault and robbery.
CBS mentioned ICE said the “man… weaponized his vehicle” and mentioned his “criminal record” in its full report, which also featured Mayor Mamdani, who “called for ICE to be abolished.” pic.twitter.com/HHzdQRpwk7
— Nick (@nspin310) October 10, 2026
Additionally, CBS immigration reporter Camilo Montoya Galvez continued and also mentioned the criminal record, and played a government official to note the alleged gang ties.
He then added more Mamdani talk, and said, “New York City's mayor called for ICE to be abolished, a call echoed by scores of protesters.”
The networks all decided to feature Mamdani as a new Democrat hero for his calls to abolish ICE, while some, especially ABC, made the suspect’s criminal record just a footnote.
The transcript is below. Click "expand":
ABC World News Tonight
October 9, 2026
6:38:49 PM Eastern
DAVID MUIR: Here in New York City tonight, the ICE shooting of a man with his five-year-old son in the car. Several rounds fired into that car. The NYPD now releasing body camera video tonight. The man raced to the hospital. Protests erupting. Homeland Security is now defending the ICE agents.
ABC's chief investigative correspondent Aaron Katersky tonight.
AARON KATERSKY: Tonight we're seeing ICE agents draw their guns on the man inside this SUV in New York City, smashing his window as he tried to get away with his five-year-old on the back seat. Moments later, officials say ICE agents fired seven rounds into the car, striking the man seen here face down and handcuffed. His son just feet away before he was carried to safety.
RESIDENT 1: The streets were full of children coming out of school.
KATERSKY: The NYPD releasing video of officers responding to the chaotic scene. One ice agent in a construction vest holding a long gun.
Another holding the man's wounded neck. [Body cam audio] NYPD officers load the man, still cuffed into their patrol car. [Body cam audio] Telling officers in the back seat to put pressure on the wound. [Body cam audio] Then backing the car down the street and racing over a bridge to the nearest hospital. [Body cam audio] And rushing him inside
The Department of Homeland Security says Oscar Belgal is a Dominican national living in the U.S. Illegally, with a prior grand larceny conviction and suspected gang ties.
Overnight, the neighborhood erupted. Clashes in the Street.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani calling for ICE to leave the city.
MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D-NY): There is no explanation for these tactics. There is no explanation for federal officials firing this many rounds into a car that has a five-year-old in the car.
KATERSKY: The Secretary of Homeland Security says the man weaponized his vehicle.
SEC. MARKWAYNE MULLIN: We wasn't aware the child was in the car, I can tell you that. But do you know who was? Oscar. Oscar knew he had a child in his car.
(...)
6:41:21 PM Eastern
MUIR: Tonight, the growing backlash after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. Will livestream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter tonight. Many Republicans and Democrats reacting with disgust. And President Trump was asked about this just a short time ago. Here's Martha Raddatz tonight.
MARTHA RADDATZ: Tonight, shock and disgust across the political spectrum after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the execution by firing squad of former Army Major Nidal Hasan would be live-streamed.
SEC. PETE HEGSETH: We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public, because people need to understand there’s serious consequences for these types of things.
(...)
6:43:45 PM Eastern
RADDATZ: David, it's unclear tonight whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acted on his own when he announced the live stream execution. One thing we do know, according to Amnesty International, is that only two countries carried out public executions in the last year: the Taliban in Afghanistan and Iran. David?
(...)
CBS Evening News
October 9, 2026
6:35:49 PM Eastern
TONY DOKOUPIL: Thank you. In other news, the day after a federal immigration officer shot a man in New York City with his young son nearby, ICE is saying it was the man who, quote, weaponized his vehicle, forcing the officer to open fire. CBS immigration correspondent Camilo Montoya-Galvez reports.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: Surveillance video shows two ICE officers approaching Oscar Bergal's SUV before Bergal drives away. Nearby, people are seen ducking for cover.
Today, the NYPD released body camera footage showing officers driving up to the scene minutes after the shooting. As the officers exit the car, a federal agent can be seen wearing a reflective vest and holding an assault-style weapon. The driver, Oscar Bergal, is sitting on the ground in handcuffs, shot once in the neck by an ICE agent, who according to the NYPD fired seven times into his car, with Bergal's 5-year-old child sitting in the back seat.
The officers then carry Bergal to a patrol car … and took him to a hospital. Authorities say his child was unharmed.
DHS identified Bergal as a Dominican national living in the U.S. Illegally and with a criminal record, including a larceny conviction.
MARCOS CHARLES: Mr. Bergal was a target of an HSI investigation. Mr. Bergal is assocaited with a gang.
MONTOYA GALVEZ: Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin admitted agents did not know a child was in the car.
SEC. MARKWAYNE MULLIN: Oscar knew he had a child in his car. Oscar chose to accelerate at a high rate of speed and rammed two different vehicles.
MONTOYA GALVEZ: New York City's mayor called for ICE to be abolished, a call echoed by scores of protesters.
(...)
NBC Nightly News
October 9, 2026
6:31:21 PM Eastern
[Opening Tease]
TOM LLAMAS: New surveillance video of an ICE shooting in New York City. The chaotic moments after a man in his car was shot, his five-year-old reportedly asking if his dad was dead. The multiple crimes he's wanted for.
(...)
LLAMAS: Back here at home and to New York, where the growing fallout over an ICE-involved shooting is showing the moments just before agents opened fire with the suspect's five-year-old inside. Erin McLaughlin has that new surveillance video.
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN: NYPD video shows the moments before the ICE-involved shooting. An ICE officer runs up, banging on a driver's side window. Another officer running with him when the car speeds out of view. Police say the shooting was not seen on the video. DHS says the suspect ignored orders to stop and weaponized his vehicle, leading the officer to fire.[Audio from video]This eyewitness video, obtained by NBC News, shows the chaos afterwards.
28-year-old suspect Oscar Belgal, wounded on the ground next to a car with the windows blown out witnesses say the suspect's five-year-old was looking on.
An eyewitness tells us the boy was crying, asking if his dad was dead. NYPD body camera footage shows them arriving after the shooting. New York City officials say at least one plainclothed ICE officer fired seven rounds at Belgal's car, striking him superficially in the neck. The boy who'd been in the back seat was physically unharmed. Overnight, protesters clashed with police. Zohran Mamdani joined other top Democrats calling for ICE to be abolished.
MAMDANI: There was no reasonable way to identify them as ICE agents. We know that ICE is rotten to its core.
MCLAUGHIN: Today, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin firing back.
MULLIN: It's shameful that you have a mayor that goes out there and puts criminals over law-abiding citizens.
MCLAUHGLIN: DHS says Belgal was in the U.S. illegally from the Dominican Republic associated with a violent gang and has an extensive criminal record, including a conviction for grand larceny and arrests for assault and robbery.
MULLIN: This individual is a threat to our community.
(...)
