President Donald Trump on Monday blamed Democrats for the partial government shutdown, as Republicans and Democrats have yet to reach a deal on Department of Homeland Security funding, while he also touted what he deemed as wins for his administration on issues such as the economy and crime.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump boasted of "great financial numbers" such as low inflation and falling fuel prices.

"Great financial numbers, you saw low inflation, very low inflation. Prices are down. Way down. Gasoline is less than $2 a gallon in many places, which nobody expected to see," Trump said, although the national average for gas is closer to $3 and state averages in areas with the cheapest fuel still remain above $2.

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"But I did this going by the initial expression of drill, baby, drill. Prices are coming down very strongly. And as goes gasoline and oil and gas, so goes the rest of other products that are high … We inherited a mess, and we've brought our country back," he continued.

When asked about the partial shutdown over DHS funding, Trump said it is a "Democrat shutdown" that has "nothing to do with Republicans," accusing Democrats of being upset with falling crime numbers, which he took credit for, even as data shows murder and other violent crime had been on the decline in major cities before his return to the White House.

"This is a Democrat shutdown. This has nothing to do with Republicans, and Democrats shut down. They're upset that the crime numbers are so good. They're very unhappy that there's a movement," he said.

Democrats have demanded stricter oversight and reforms of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the fatal shootings last month of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis.

"They don't want voter ID because they want to cheat in elections," the president added, referring to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act passed by the House that would impose stricter requirements in federal elections for voters to prove citizenship through photo ID and other documentation such as a passport or birth certificate, a measure Democrats have resisted including in long-term funding bills.

"They don't want Mail-In ballots. They want to end mail-in ballots, and one other thing that [Republicans] are insisting on is proof of citizenship. And the Democrats don't want to give proof of citizenship. They don't want to give voter ID," he added.

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Still, Trump said he is willing to meet with Democrats to discuss a plan to end the shutdown, but stressed that "we have to protect our law enforcement" and that immigration officers have "done a great job" in removing "criminals that were brought in."

The president also said he would still give his State of the Union speech scheduled for next week if there is still a shutdown.

One teenager has been arrested in connection with what officials described as a "senseless" shooting that broke out in New York City as crowds of children gathered at the bus stop after school dismissal, killing one 16-year-old boy, police said Sunday. 

The Wednesday incident occurred in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx amid what officials and witnesses characterized as an escalating wave of violence in the borough, prompting affected family members to criticize Mayor Zohran Mamdani and law enforcement for not doing enough to keep New Yorkers safe.

Authorities identified the slain victim as Christopher Redding, an aspiring football player at John F. Kennedy High School, who sustained a gunshot wound to the back. According to a GoFundMe page, Redding was defending his friends who were being targeted by a group of individuals. 

Officials released footage of the suspects and said the group responsible for the escalation that led to the shooting consisted of four people, including three males and one female. 

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A 17-year-old male tied to the incident was arrested Saturday and currently faces multiple charges, including murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, assault and criminal possession of a loaded firearm.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson said the gunfire began as a street dispute while stressing that there has been "too much violence among young adults."

"This started out as some sort of fight on the street, and it escalated," Gibson said. "And, guess what, someone had a gun. That is usually the issue."

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Regional Hall, a nearby resident who saw the aftermath of the shooting through her window, said that after hearing five gunshots, she saw "hundreds and hundreds of kids" waiting for the bus quickly running from the scene. 

Redding reportedly intervened to defend his friends just before the group opened fire, according to a GoFundMe page organized by his coach. 

"Christopher was defending his friends who were being targeted by a group of individuals who then opened fire on them in the Bronx," the page said. "His last act on earth was one of courage and selflessness, protecting those he cared about."

The 16-year-old was reportedly a talented athlete. He was a member of the John F. Kennedy High School tackle football team and the Fastbreak flag football team and previously played for the Bronx Colts and LBX teams, according to the GoFundMe page. 

Two other young teenagers also sustained serious injuries in the chaos, including a 15-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl. Both sustained a gunshot wound to the right leg and were transported to a local hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition.

Hall added that she was terrified that a bullet might go through the window of her first-floor apartment, noting that fear has been widespread in the community due to recent violence in the borough. 

"You can't come to the stores," she said. "I had a friend that went to the drug store, and she had to try to run from across the street there to here to get to her house."

She described a pattern of teenagers gathering at the bus stop, running into the streets and fighting regularly, noting that the violence was not entirely unexpected.

"I used to see a lot of policemen around here," she added. "But it's, you know, can't say anymore."

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Gibson also acknowledged that the borough has recently seen a rise in gun violence, "leaving too many of our families and community members feeling unsafe in their own neighborhoods."

District Council Member Eric Dinowitz added that "guns in the hands of high school students should never be the reality, and we must put an end to this senseless violence," according to a post on X.

The grieving father of the slain teen football player added that he was disappointed by the circumstances surrounding the incident and denounced Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s recent statement Thursday expressing gratitude for the NYPD’s handling of crime in the city.

"They’re still out there, and nothing is really being done," Bryan Corley told the New York Post, referring to the suspects who remain at large. "Mayor Mamdani saying that the police is doing a good job. They’re not doing a good job. It’s disgusting."

When asked whether Mamdani’s office had reached out to the teen’s family, the father reportedly said "no" in frustration. 

Last Thursday, Mamdani addressed the recent shootings in the Bronx, characterizing them as "heartbreaking and horrific."

"I am thankful for the work of the NYPD not only in responding to them but also in the actions they are taking to ensure that we work to prevent them in the future," Mamdani said.

Dinowitz noted that "with a new mayoral administration, we have an opportunity to address this crisis once and for all. My colleagues and I in the City Council will do everything we can to support an anti-gun violence agenda that addresses the root causes and saves lives."