The 10 most-read stories of 2023

DALLAS - Millions of people read stories on Fox4News.com in 2023.

Our most-read stories of the year include stories of a tragic mass shooting in North Texas, an unexpected celebrity death, severe weather, and a video of the "cutest thing ever."

Here are the top 10 stories on our site for the year.

1. Allen Outlets Shooting

The biggest story for 2023 in North Texas was the tragic mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets. A gunman killed eight people who were at the mall on a busy Saturday afternoon. Follow-up stories shared details about the victims and body camera video from the Allen police officer who "neutralized" the shooter.

• Allen Outlets Shooting: 8 victims killed, 7 injured; shooter 'neutralized'
• Allen Outlets Shooting Victims: What we know
• Allen Outlets shooting suspect had Nazi tattoos, all guns purchased legally, Texas DPS says
• Allen Outlets Shooting: Police body camera video shows officer confronting gunman
• Medics saved every ‘recoverable’ victim in Allen outlet mall shooting, report says

2. Matthew Perry Dies

Fans were shocked in October by the news of "Friends" star Matthew Perry’s death. The 54-year-old actor was found dead from an apparent drowning at a home in Los Angeles. His "Friends" cast members said they were utterly devastated. His final cause of death was released in a report in December.

• Matthew Perry, star of 'Friends,' dies after apparent drowning
• 'Friends' cast remembers Matthew Perry: ‘We are all so utterly devastated’
• Matthew Perry cause of death: Final coroner report released

3. Austin Teacher’s Viral TikTok Video

Sophia DeLoretto-Chudy, a first-year elementary school teacher in Austin, said she was in disbelief after a demoralizing meeting with administrators. She went on TikTok to vent her frustrations. The next morning, the video had 1.5 million views and she was out of a job.

• Austin ISD teacher fired over viral TikTok video
• Viral TikTok teacher's firing upheld by Austin ISD school board

4. Texas Dollar Tree Fined

The U.S. Department of Labor ordered Dollar Tree to pay a quarter of a million dollars in fines after workplace safety inspectors made a trip to the company’s store in Mount Pleasant, Texas. Among other safety concerns, there were piles of boxes "high enough to fall on workers."

• Dollar Tree fined $254,478 by feds after what they found in this East Texas store

5. Cute Orangutan Video

A curious orangutan at the Louisville, Kentucky zoo captured the hearts of millions after it knocked on its enclosure to further inspect a baby who was visiting the zoo. Video of the encounter shows the orangutan taking a closer look at the 3-month-old, then kiss the glass.

• Watch: Orangutan at Kentucky zoo asks to see 3-month-old baby: 'Cutest thing ever'

6. Severe Storms in North Texas

North Texas was hit by several severe storms with tornado warnings this spring. This particular storm in March forced several school districts to cancel after-school activities. It dropped hail as big as baseballs, knocked out power for many, triggered tornado warnings in Dallas County, and caused a significant amount of damage to an apartment complex in Hurst.

• Strong winds leave trail of damage in North Texas
• Severe weather video and photos from around North Texas
• North Texas school districts cancel after-school activities due to severe weather

7. 1,000-Pound Meteor Hits Texas

Search crews in South Texas found part of a meteor that was estimated to be about 2 feet wide and roughly 1,000 pounds when it hit the atmosphere. Video from home security cameras in the area captured a loud sonic boom and residents described feeling their windows rattle and an earthquake-like shake. The National Weather Service said the accompanying fireball was bright enough for satellites to detect.

• NASA confirms 1,000-pound meteor hit the ground in Texas
• Piece of 1,000-pound meteor that hit the Earth found in Texas

8. Frisco First Day of School Tragedy

Friends said 15-year-old Landon Bourque rode his bike everywhere in their Frisco neighborhood. Their hearts broke after learning he was hit by a car and killed on his first day of the 10th grade at Heritage High School. Some even passed the accident scene on the first day of school.

• 15-year-old hit, killed near Frisco school on first day of classes
• Community mourning loss of 15-year-old hit, killed in Frisco on first day of school

9. Rent-Free Airbnb Stay

When a Los Angeles woman’s long-term Airbnb stay ended in April 2022, she simply didn’t move out and refused to pay rent. She then went a step further and asked the homeowner to pay her a $100,000 relocation fee. The baffled homeowner turned to the media after Los Angeles officials sided with the woman and said he could not evict her because of violations and new housing ordinances.   

• Airbnb guest stays at rental for 500+ days without paying, refuses to leave
• 'Tenant from Hell' moves out of Airbnb rental after 500+ days of not paying rent

10. New Texas Laws for 2024

A total of 31 new bills and new sections for 13 other bills will go into effect in Texas on New Year’s Day. Many of the new laws have to deal with taxes. There are also new laws regarding limits on appraisal increases, an online database for appraisal districts, restrictions on e-cigarette marketing, new license plates, a cost-of-living adjustment for retired teachers, and funding for state universities. But school districts in Texas won’t see any funding increases this year thanks to a school voucher stalemate between lawmakers and the governor.

• Texas laws going into effect on January 1, 2024
• Texas public schools prepare for no increase in funding as voucher stalemate continues

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