New York's incoming archbishop will focus on evangelizing and reengagement

The incoming archbishop of New York said Thursday that he plans to emphasize the importance of evangelizing as he takes charge of one of the biggest U.S. archdioceses.

“How do we be actually be disciples, who do we make disciples?” Ronald Hicks said during a news conference at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where his installation ceremony will be held Friday. “People who have been a part of the church but maybe not so much — How do we reengage? How do we pass the faith on to the next generation? How do we be a church that is thriving and relevant?”

Hicks — who worked for five years in El Salvador heading a church-run orphanage program that operated in nine Latin American and Caribbean countries — said his message for immigrants emphasizes the church’s teachings on social justice and human dignity.

“How do we see each other as brothers and sisters and use that as a foundation for everything else?” he asked. Hicks has requested that the liturgy at his installation also be said in Spanish.

The change in leadership represents a significant new chapter for the U.S. Catholic Church, which is forging a new era with the Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV as the first American pope. Leo and the U.S. hierarchy have already shown willingness to challenge the Trump administration on immigration and other issues, and Hicks is seen as very much a Leo-style bishop.

The current bishop of Joliet, Illinois, Hicks was chosen by Leo in December to replace the retiring Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a prominent conservative figure in the U.S. Catholic hierarchy. Dolan had submitted his resignation in February, as required when he turned 75.

Hicks' appointment came shortly after Dolan finalized a plan to establish a $300 million fund to compensate victims of sexual abuse who had sued the archdiocese.

During his homily Friday, Hicks highlighted a vision for the archdiocese based in gratitude and the mission of the church.

“You are going to notice that I am going to reference a number of times Pope Leo the 14th,” Hicks said. “I will strive always to be obedient and respectful to him and also collaborate with his vision.”

The New York archdiocese is among the largest in the nation, serving roughly 2.5 million Catholics in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island in New York City, as well as seven counties to the north.

Hicks said he has not yet spoken with New York's new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, but said he looks forward to meeting him and getting to know him.

“What I’d like to do as archbishop is understand that in politics, in government, there are going to be things that we disagree on, but I’d also like to make sure we pay attention to what are those things we can work on together for the common good,” Hicks said.

Archbishop-designate Ronald Hicks greets journalists before a news conference at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Archbishop-designate Ronald Hicks talks to reporters during a news conference at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Archbishop-designate Ronald Hicks talks to reporters during a news conference at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Archbishop-designate Ronald Hicks talks to reporters during a news conference at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Archbishop-designate Ronald Hicks talks to reporters during a news conference at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter crashed in an accident that killed the pilot and a trooper on board, after they responded to a gunbattle between police and a suspect who fired on officers from multiple rooftops over almost two hours, authorities said Thursday.

The confrontation began when law enforcement officers responded to a domestic violence call around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Flagstaff Police Chief Sean Connolly said during a news conference. As the officers spoke with the victim in the front yard, the suspect opened fire on them from the back of the residence with a semiautomatic long rifle.

A protracted gunbattle ensued, with the unidentified suspect “hopping from roof to roof” in the neighborhood while shooting at officers, Connolly said. The police chief described the neighborhood as “under siege” while the suspect shot on officers and into homes.

The suspect was brought into custody at about 10:20 p.m., around the time the helicopter accident occurred, Connolly said. He did not give information on how the helicopter crashed and said it had been providing officers on the ground with an aerial view of what was happening.

“Our city and our state have experienced a significant loss. We are part of this community,” Connolly said. He referred to the suspect as a career criminal but gave no further details.

The suspect suffered nonfatal gunshot wounds and was being treated at Flagstaff Medical Center, officials said. No one else was injured.

Pilot Robert Skansky was a longtime resident of Kingman, Arizona, city officials said in a statement. Skansky had been hired in May 2021 and previously served 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, according to a Fraternal Order of Police organization in Arizona.

The name of trooper, who was also a paramedic, was not immediately released. He had joined the Department of Public Safety in 2022.

“Both the paramedic, and the pilot, a military veteran, made the ultimate sacrifice while supporting the mission,” said Michael Hunt, president of Arizona Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 32. He called the deaths a “devastating moment” for Arizona’s law enforcement community.

Amanda Brewer of Flagstaff said she heard close to 100 gunshots fired in her neighborhood beginning at around 8:40 p.m. As bursts of fire continued, she said her husband grabbed their guns and they closed their blinds, keeping watch over what was happening outside via cameras at the front and back of their house.

The couple heard police on a loudspeaker tell the suspect to put his weapon down and end the situation peacefully shortly before the helicopter arrived. Brewer heard three rounds of shots soon after the helicopter arrived, including shots as the aircraft was over her house.

Then she could no longer hear the helicopter, there was a “giant boom”, and their house shook. “It was so powerful and so loud,” she said.

The Bell 407 helicopter crashed on Flagstaff's west side, a few miles from Route 66 in a less densely populated area to the north of Brewer's neighborhood. There was a fire afterward, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Earlier in the night, an emergency alert went out to mobile phones warning of an active shooter and urging people to stay clear of the area. People gathered outside of a gas station watching as dozens of police vehicles lined the streets.

Jasmin Parra, 32, was at home nearby with her family when police told them to stay inside, lock their doors and windows and not answer if anybody knocked, she said.

As the family kept low inside the house, the sound of gunfire got closer and they could hear police trying to talk the suspect down from a rooftop, Parra said.

There were several gunshots just before the house shook with what she thought was the helicopter crash, Parra said.

“Just all these emotions just flooded us because we didn’t know” what was happening, she said.

The helicopter crashed about 50 feet (15 meters) from a BNSF Railway line and spread debris across the tracks, according to the railway. Train traffic was halted overnight at the request of police and resumed Thursday morning, the railway said.

Registration records show the helicopter was built in 2004. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were investigating. Four investigators were headed to the scene Thursday, the NTSB said.

The state Department of Public Safety's Air Rescue Unit is trained for various high-risk situations, including mountain and water rescues.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett and members of the state's congressional delegation expressed sympathy for the families of the pilot and trooper.

“Their bravery will never be forgotten. We stand with their families, loved ones, and DPS colleagues,” Hobbs said.

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Associated Press reporters Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, Colleen Slevin in Denver and Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado contributed to this story.

The blocked road to a neighborhood in Flagstaff, Arizona, where police say a man opened fire at officers is seen Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Cheyanne Mumphrey)

Law enforcement respond to aneighborhood in Flagstaff, Ariz. ,where police say a man opened fire on officers on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Cheyanne Mumphrey)

In this grab taken from video, emergency cervices work at a scene of Police Helicopter Crash in Flagstaff, Arizona, the night from Feb. 4 to 5, 2026. (ABC15 Arizona via AP)