ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 11pm - March 1, 2026

Episode Date: March 2, 2026

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Right now, live coverage from your local news leader, preparing you for tomorrow starting tonight and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11 eyewitness news. All right now on eyewitness news as we near day three of the U.S. Israeli strikes on Iran, three American service members are dead. The president declaring this is just the beginning. Sadly, there will likely be more. before it ends, that's the way it is, likely be more, but we'll do everything possible, where that won't be the case. Iran firing back in retaliation, hitting Israel and U.S. bases in the region.

You're watching Iowa News at 11 o'clock this Sunday evening. I'm Dwan Hogarth. Thank you so much for choosing us tonight. Now, the world is on high alert following the U.S. Israeli military attack on Iran. President Donald Trump now warning the joint attack inside Iran could last for a week. So let's go ahead and walk you through what we know at this hour. More missiles have been intercepted in Kuwait following the Iranian attack that killed three service members and seriously hurt five others. We know those soldiers were part of the logistics unit in Kuwait.

Israel has launched multiple strikes on Lebanon's capital of Beirut. Meanwhile in Israel, nine people were killed from a strike outside of Jerusalem. And back here in the U.S., President Trump telling ABC news the attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates to lead Iran. A number of cities across the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Philadelphia are all increasing their security in response to the military strikes on Iran. Tonight, here's ABC's Johnny Fernandez with the latest on the conflict there. Tonight, the first American casualties in the U.S. Israeli War on Iran. U.S. officials confirming three service members killed and five more seriously wounded

in an Iranian attack in Kuwait, retaliation for the assassination, of the country's supreme leader. Late today, President Trump releasing a video from Mar-a-Lago, honoring the fallen and warning there will likely be more. As one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, and sadly, there will likely be more. U.S. forces striking more than a thousand targets.

Israel says the joint operation has crippled nearly all of Iran's defenses the president posting on social media that nine Iranian naval ships have been destroyed or sunk, claiming Iran's top military leaders want to surrender. Sources telling ABC News, the CIA tracked the Supreme Leader for months. All in a matter of literally minutes. Iran's formerly Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini is dead. Iranian leaders now threatening American forces and allies, As the president warns, if Iran strikes the U.S., it will respond with the force never been seen before.

Iran's foreign minister responding. What the United States is doing is an act of aggression. What we are doing is the act of self-defense. Across the Gulf countries reporting Iranian drone and missile attacks, many aimed at U.S. bases across the region. In Israel, nine people were killed from a strike outside Jerusalem as protests erupt in cities across Europe and the U.S. Now is Johnny Fernandez with that report for us tonight. Meanwhile, local leaders in the U.S. are reacting to the deaths of those three soldiers in Kuwait. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein reacting in a statement on X calling the fallen soldiers heroes, saying in part, I join all of North Carolina in mourning the three American service members who died in the Iran attacks.

May the memories of these heroes be a blessing. And Governor Stein is not the only North Carolina leader reacting to the attacks on Iran. Members of the state delegation on both sides of the aisle are also sharing their thoughts tonight. about the rising tensions in the Middle East and what it could mean for us here at home. ABC 11's Michael Perchukes joining us live tonight in Durham with their reaction. Michael, good evening to you. What are these delegation leaders sharing with you? Good evening, Dewan.

The Trump administration set to provide classified briefings to lawmakers on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Tonight, they are closely tracking those developments from overseas. Several key members of Iran's hierarchy, including Ayatollah Ali-Khamenei, killed across a series of airstrikes led by the U.S. and Israel as forces continue to target the leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. I think there's no question that Iran has been the single greatest state sponsor of terrorism over the last 50 years in the entirety of the world. They've impacted thousands of American lives and have just caused a whole lot of havoc for our strategic interests and security of... Congressman Pat Harrigan, who served in the U.S. Army Special Forces, believes these actions could play a major role in lessening the influence of countries such as Russia and China globally, but as the operation cannot become prolonged. This has to stay limited. And as somebody who is a veteran of the global war on terror, I am happy to see that the administration has said there will be no boots on the ground.

No occupation, no nation building, no endless troop deployments. The end goal, a question raised by several lawmakers in the immediate aftermath of those strikes. that Congress should have been considered and that this act, if not approved by Congress, should not have happened. Representative Valerie Fushi, addressing the Military Action Sunday, in which three U.S. troops have been killed, as the President acknowledges more American deaths are likely. Now being involved in a war, people are anxious about the leadership of this country, and they want us to do right by them. We have also learned tonight to want five U.S. troops seriously injured from those attacks by Iran. All casualties happened in Kuwait as a result of this military conflict.

All military bases in the U.S. are on high security. That includes right here in North Carolina at Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune. In Durham, I'm Michael Purch. ABC 11, eyewitness news. All right, Michael again. Thank you for your reporting. We'll have much more of the latest on the attack. I'm beginning to get 4.30 tomorrow morning right here on ABC 11.

All right's go ahead and take you outside now. This is a view of the Raleigh sky line here, high atop the sky on the Pendo Sky Camp. And if you happen to spend any time outside today, then you just know how much of a spring flirt today was. But there is a huge drop in temperatures on the way. And I was just kind of looking at some pictures I took with the kids earlier, just how like no clouds in the sky or anything,

they're wearing shorts like we're all feeling good. But can't do that tomorrow. No, you absolutely can't. You're breaking out the winter jackets once again, and I know we put those away because this weekend all around was nice. But yeah, tomorrow's cloudy and cool. Let's get into the details in the first alert forecast center. So tomorrow's highs are only going to top out in the mid-40s for reference. Our average high this time of the month is about 59 degrees. So we're going to be significantly below average, but there is some relief in sight and it comes by midweek. So as we get into Wednesday, we're already in the 70s. Thursday, we could be closer to 80. And spoiler. There could be some 80s in the seven day forecast that we'll talk about a little later in the show. But for tonight, that front has moved through so it is quiet, it is dry, cloud cover is going to increase throughout the night.

That's gonna keep temperatures right around 40 degrees for that low in Raleigh. Stepping out the door tomorrow, obviously gonna be pretty chilly. Like I said, you're gonna need your winter coat. Tipters will only top out in the mid 40s for tomorrow. It's a mostly cloudy day. There could be a few showers,

especially if you're north of the triangle. That'll be during the afternoon and evening, but even in the triangle, wouldn't be surprised to see a few sprinkles at some point during the early evening hours. Now, as we go throughout the rest of the week, it's actually drier and much warmer. So we'll talk about that warm seven-day forecast coming up in just a few minutes. DeWan. All right, we'll go ahead and see you again shortly.

Now it would be a good time to download the ABC 11 mobile app. We will send you all of the weather headlines directly to your devices. You can also check the first alert Doppler net and the seven-day forecast anytime you'd like. We're also learning tonight more about a North Carolina State Highway Patrol. who was struck and killed in a head-on crash while on duty this morning. It happened around 2.45 this morning. Officials say 30-year-old trooper Stephen Perry was driving on NC-147 near Anderson Street in Durham when he was hit head-on by another car traveling in the wrong direction.

That car was being driven by 39-year-old Melchon Moore. Both men died during the crash. ABC-11's Michael Perjuk also reporting on this big story for us tonight. He spoke with friends and family of Perry earlier about his... impact on the community. He would give shirt off his back to his teammates. Smiling and surrounded by teammates. That is how David Hackney will remember his former star lineman Stephen Perry.

He defied the odds through determination and discipline. Hackman coach Perry here at Riverside High before he continued his playing career down the road at NC Central. That path ultimately followed by Perry's younger brother, Eli. Following his footsteps and being the best man that, he has led me to be, has got me here. Like Hackney, Perry joined Omega Sci-5 Fraternity Incorporated. I think all of us can speak to Perry's character as being someone who always served others,

you know, and always having your back. He always gave you confidence as a friend that, you know, if you're with him, you're good in any situation. It's that ethos that made him a perfect fit to join State Highway Patrol. She always jumped in when nobody else wanted to. And so just to think that he took the opportunity to do. to be a state trooper was just something that was so Perry like. A member of the 148th Basic Patrol School, he served Durham County throughout his entire seven-year career.

He was the living embodiment of Durham and what you would want in a player, what you would want just in a young man. It makes his loss all the more senseless. I don't know what to do without him right now. Early Sunday morning Perry was driving a state highway patrol Dodge Charter northbound on N. C-147 when he was hit head on by a Nissan Ultima, which was traveling the wrong way. The driver of that vehicle, Melchon Moore of Kinston, also died in the crash. In a statement, Highway Patrol says impairment on the part of Moore is suspected as a factor. To lose somebody that held the community together like that, somebody that wanted to serve

without being asked to, it hurt. And so when we got that call in the morning, I wasn't able to go back to sleep. Like, I, I just, it's still unreal to me right now. Today, his loved ones gathering back on campus, leaning on each other for support. As a chapter, you know, this is going to bring us closer, going to bring us together, so that way we can take care of everything that he's, you know, taught us and just move forward with what he's, what he's accomplished so far. In Durham, I'm Michael Perchick, ABC 11, eyewitness news.

And Michael, thank you. Next 11, a Raleigh nonprofit takes a major hit. after their building caught fire. Tonight, we're talking with the Helping Hand Mission as they work to recover from a devastating blaze there. And oil prices surge after the U.S. Israeli strikes on Iran will have the impact that you could see at the gas pump. And Mirajus, Krismundee, in the back with a check of our attempts tonight.

Well, temperatures range from the 40s to low 50s right now. As we go into tomorrow, that's about where our highs are going to top out. But through the middle of the week, a huge warm-up is on the way. It's going to stick around for quite some time. The details coming up on the other side of this break. The EBS. Where are my gloves? Come on, heat.

Winter is hard, but your groceries don't have to be. This winter, stay warm. Tap the banner to order your groceries online at voila.ca. Enjoy in-store prices without leaving your home. You'll find the same regular prices online as in-store. Many promotions are available both in-store and online, though some may vary. Well, new tonight, a building for a well-known nonprofit on fire. Helping Hand Mission has supported the community in Raleigh for more than 50 years,

and an early morning fire impacted their office and storage facility right there on Rock Quarry Road. There were no injuries, but their operations have taken a major hit. Bianca Holman, sharing the latest update from officials as well as from CEO and founder, Sylvia Wiggins. It's just been rough for us today, devastating to me. Sylvia Wiggins, the CEO and founder of Helping Hand's mission, waking up to tragic news of a fire. Fire was almost up in there, almost 50 pete in the air. Raleigh fire crews were called to the building on Rock Quarry Road in Raleigh around 630 Sunday morning. The battalion chiefs sharing 40 firefighters responded, and because of the size of the building, she says another 25 were brought in.

It's a pretty large building and the amount of property on site, so we called for a second alarm. Because of the quick response, they were able to clear the fire. quickly. There's a lot of damage to the front of the building, but fortunately, the first arriving crews did a really good job and prevented the fire from really getting inside. Wiggins tells eyewitness news her team was at the facility just the other day, boxing up items for families in need. The areas impacted are essential to their operations. Some of the stuff that we was working on has been burned down. The inside of my building is major. We just going to take a lot of work to get it back up and running. It's now considered an unsafe building, all about

and people that we was had on our list to work with and help. All that's gone, all that, everything in the office, where stuff was just burned up. While this is a big hit to the group, Wigan says the mission will never waver. We would never let this go. This is bigger than me. It's bigger than a building, the whole program. And we are very resilient, and we're going to continue.

A group that always rallies for others, hoping the community will rally around them during this time of need. In Raleigh, Bianca Holman, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Also in Wake County, officials investigating a deadly fire at a townhome in Kerry. It happened Saturday night just before 11 o'clock on Anniston Court right off of Morrisville Parkway. Authorities say the fire was coming from the garage. One person was found dead inside of the garage. Tonight, we're still working to learn more about the person killed as well as the cause of the fire.

Also new details in that deadly mass shooting in Austin, Texas, investigators identifying this man right here, 53-year-old Ndiga Diagnay as the possible gunman. He was born in Senegal, but was a naturalized U.S. citizen. Investigators say he opened fire at a bar in the city's entertainment district. Two people died, 14 others injured before police shot and killed him. Authorities say he was wearing a hoodie with the words, property of Allah on it, and had an undershirt with the Iranian flag on it. They say they are still trying to determine if the U.S. military strikes in Iran have, may have motivated that attack. And meanwhile, the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran are expected to have an impact on oil prices,

and oil futures surged in the first trades since the attacks began this weekend. U.S. crude rising about $8 a barrel or 12 percent to around $75 a barrel. Brent Crude, the international benchmark, jumped more than 12 percent to about $82 a barrel. And stock futures fell sharply with the Dow, S&P 500, and the U.S.N. 5 hundred, and the NASDAQ all down about 1%. And let's say gas prices could rise more than 25 cents a gallon because of the mid-east conflict. All right again, let's go ahead and talk first alert, weather. This is a live look now at your Durham skyline at this hour. And we enjoyed a wonderful day today and Cruz. We've got a full work week ahead of us where it almost feels like we're pulling

out just a little bit of everything from the closet just about. That's a great way to put it. I don't think North Carolina knows what season it wants to be in. No. It's going to give us a little bit of everything. But I can tell you, you know, today was so nice. Tomorrow is going to start off pretty cold. It's going to be cloudy. Some of you will see showers tomorrow.

Overall, just a raw kind of start to the week. So not a pleasant day for tomorrow. Just plan on those cloudy conditions. You'll definitely want your winter coat with highs only in the 40s for tomorrow. By the time we get to Tuesday, it's warming up into the 50s. And then from there, it's 70s all the way through next weekend. And in the mix, there could even be our first. 80s of the year on Friday and Saturday.

So we'll break those details here in just a moment. Let's revisit today. So Dewan was talking about how nice it was. I hope you had the opportunity to get outside. We were 19 degrees above average at RDU today, hitting 78 for that high. Wasn't quite record high. Our record is 82, but it was certainly warm all across Central North Carolina

before that front came through. Now that the front has passed, our winds are actually going to be out of the northeast for the foreseeable future. And so what that's going to do is bring in a cold air mask It's going to bank up against the Appalachian Mountains has nowhere to go. And so anytime we're in that setup, it's what we call cold air damming. And this leads to lots of cloud cover filtering in. Once again, some showers can't be rolled out.

It's going to be cooler than average even for this time of the year. Tipcher's only reaching those 40s for highs. And it stays pretty cloudy overnight and into early Tuesday. So on Tuesday, you might see a shower there as well, or at least a sprinkled throughout your morning commute. By the afternoon, notice there will be some late day clearing, but really the best chance for that is down. in the sand hills Tuesday slightly better with those tipters once again highs in the 50s but for tomorrow since it's going to be so chilly it's going to truly shock your system especially after we were so warm today you were outside probably had shorts and short sleeve shirts on today that is definitely not going to be the

case for tomorrow so it doesn't matter if you're in our northern counties the sand hills it's going to be chilly all over I will say it's slightly milder down in the sand hills and it's because it'll take a while for those thicker clouds to arrive in that region so 50s for highs there 40s for the rest of us. Now if you're going out to the Lenovo center tomorrow night for the Duke NC State game, tipters will be in the 40s before the game. Could be a few showers around and then pretty much the same idea as the game is wrapping up. Low 40s then and it'll stay cloudy with a sprinkle maybe as you're leaving the Lenovo center. Now for tomorrow high tipters about 11 degrees below average at RDU as we go into Tuesday you can see we're approaching our

average for this time of the year so only one degree below average and then here comes the big time warmth by Wednesday we're already 15 degrees above average and from there it's going to keep getting warmer as a big dome of high pressure starts to build across the southeast so going into Wednesday that warm air starts to settle in and with that south wind not going anywhere fast that's going to stick around with us even as we go into next weekend you can see all the details here in your first alert seven day forecast so warm by Wednesday Thursday Friday look at that we're approaching 80s on Thursday Friday Friday and Saturday and Saturday day, those days could both hit 80 degrees. So that would be our first time for this year. And just a

reminder, we actually spring our clocks forward an hour Saturday night into Sunday. That marks the beginning of daylight saving time, which is a telltale sign that spring is indeed on the way. DeWan. I look forward to spring crews. Many thanks. Our next one I went to snoo. Election day is just days away and we're getting you ready to head to the polls. After the break, we will tell you everything you need to know before you cast your vote. In your voice, your vote tonight, we are just two days away from the primary election. So here's what you need to know if you're planning on casting your ballot there on election day. Polls will hope open at 6.30 in the morning. You'll have until 6.30 p.m. to vote. You must vote at your assigned polling place. And all absentee ballots

must be returned by 7.30. And you can look for up to the minute results from the election right on ABC11.com. We'll also have special streaming coverage throughout the evening on Tuesday. Well, the Lake County Animal Center is reopening tomorrow after being closed for six weeks to make repairs. It's to celebrate the center is launching an adoption campaign from tomorrow through March the 22nd. During the three-week event, dog and cat adoption fees are just $5. Right now, the Animal Center has more than 100 dogs and two cats available for adoption. All right, let's go ahead and talk sports with the hardest working sports woman here in the triangle. Look, it's always good to chat with you, and we had some pretty good basketball to talk about today as well.

Pretty good basketball in today is March 1st, so that means it's time for the tournament. Coming up in sports, we're talking women's basketball. We got the seating for the ACC tournament. We're talking Duke, UNC and NC State, plus a little bit of the Carolina Hurricanes when we come back after this. With Reverend Jesse Jackson after they opened their home to him during his 1984 presidential campaign.