NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, June 21, 2024

Episode Date: June 22, 2024

Gunman kills 3 and wounds 10 at Arkansas grocery store, police say; High court upholds law barring domestic abusers from owning guns; New Stonewall National Monument visitor center marks uprising 55 years ago; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the deadly shooting erupting at a grocery store in Arkansas. The gunman captured on cell phone video opening fire outside the store about 70 miles south of Little Rock. Three people killed, 10 wounded, including two law enforcement officers. The suspect also shot and in custody. What we're learning. And that shooting coming as the Supreme Court makes a major ruling on guns. The 8-1 decision involving domestic violence and why Justice Clarence Thomas was the sole dissenter. Also tonight, the dangerous heat on both coasts. 90 million under alerts and the two new tropical disturbances.

We're tracking them. Joe Biden and Donald Trump entering the final weekend before their first presidential debate, now just six days out. And in the battle for big money, which candidate is winning? Plus, our new reporting, the top three names on Mr. Trump's VP list. The horrifying murder in Houston, a 12-year-old girl killed, the two undocumented migrants now charged after being released into the U.S. The summer travel season in high gear and some potential good news about the cost of your getaway.

And Stonewall, 55 years later, the new space immortalizing the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening. Life in another American town has been brutally and tragically upended by a mass shooting. Just a short time ago, authorities updating reporters in Fort Ice, Arkansas, where 13 people have been shot, three of them killed, when a gunman opened fire at a grocery store.

This video capturing a man with a long gun in the parking lot, but police have not confirmed who he is. Among the many wounded are two law enforcement officers. One witness on the scene describing people lying in the parking lot and not knowing if they were dead or not. State police say the suspect was struck in a shootout with officers. He is alive and in custody tonight. Our Sam Brock has late details on this breaking story. The sounds of gunfire tonight erupting by an Arkansas

gas station as police confirm a mass shooting at a Fordyce grocery store an hour's drive from Little Rock, claiming the lives of three people. This situation is secure and it's contained. There are no active threats to the community. One video shows a man walking through the parking lot with a long gun, pointing and firing, although police have not confirmed who that is. Oh my God, man. There's somebody over there. State police say eight other civilians were injured, their conditions ranging from non-life-threatening to extremely critical. Two members of law enforcement were also shot, but police say will survive. The volley of bullets nearly taking more lives. I was crying. I was nervous. I was having a

breakdown, and I heard, and he had shot at my mom in the car, and it was the tire, and you know, he missed us by like an inch. And, you know, I was just sitting there. I was praying, holding my sister's hand, because I was scared, you know. Mom was scared. Police also saying the shooter tonight critically injured and in custody. This says the U.S. has experienced more than 230 mass shootings this year, documented by the Gun Violence Archive, including nine just over the weekend. From two killed at a Juneteenth celebration in Round Rock, Texas, to 36 rounds fired at a splash pad in Michigan, injuring nine, including an eight-year-old child. Tonight, Arkansas officials

trying to console yet another community in mourning. It's tragic. Our hearts are broken. Sam, what do we know about the victims in this case? So, Lester, right now, police are not providing any details, but our affiliate there reports one of the victims was a 23-year-old nurse. On her day off, just out for grocery shopping, she leaves behind a 10-month-old child. Lester. All right, Sam Brock tonight starting us off. Thank you. That shooting comes on the same day the Supreme Court issued a major decision on guns upholding a federal law that bans domestic abusers from having them. Laura Jarrett has more. Tonight, the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the federal law that bans domestic abusers from owning firearms. This is a powerful step. In a nearly unanimous eight to one ruling,

both conservative and liberal justices finding that barring people with restraining orders from possessing guns is consistent with the Second Amendment. Chief Justice John Roberts adding since the founding, our nation's firearm laws have included provisions preventing individuals who threaten physical harm to others from misusing firearms. The case was brought by Zaki Rahimi, ordered to stay away from his then-girlfriend in 2020 after he physically assaulted her and threatened to shoot her. A Texas court found he posed a credible threat to her physical safety. He's still behind bars.

Justice Sotomayor today pointing to estimates showing a woman who lives in a house with a domestic abuser is five times more in a house with a domestic abuser is five times more likely to be murdered if the abuser has access to a gun. Justice Thomas, the lone dissenter not disputing the danger posed by Rahimi, instead arguing in the interest of ensuring the government can regulate one subset of society, today's decision puts at risk the Second Amendment rights of many more. I was in an abusive relationship. But domestic abuse survivor Audria Maltzberger is praising the court's decision.

She and her three children escaped her abuser nearly 20 years ago. I get choked up. Today, emotional at the thought of what could have been her fate. Sadly to an abuser, this is just a piece of paper. But to victims of domestic violence, it's peace of mind. It's a sigh of relief that we can move on and we don't have to look over our shoulders. And Laura, we are still waiting on some big rulings from this court. Yes, Lester, the justices still have more than a dozen cases left outstanding this term, including whether the former president is immune from any prosecution at all,

one that could upend hundreds of cases against January 6th rioters, and yet another significant abortion-related case, Lester. All right, Laura Jarrett, thank you. We'll turn now to the dangerous heat wave that is headed right into the weekend for tens of millions. Here's Erin McLaughlin. Tonight, over 90 million Americans are under heat alerts as the thermal dome tightens its grip. From the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic, scorching temps 10 to 20 degrees above average. When you go outside, I feel like I'm melting.

Extreme temps causing travel chaos. Today in Philadelphia, dozens of firefighters battled flames near train tracks. And at New York's Penn Station, more delays. Amtrak trains slowed down due to the heat. The same thing happened on Monday. It was delayed. I got to work 45 minutes late. Down south, as families look for relief from the heat tragedy.

In Florida, a couple died after getting caught in a rip current, leaving their six children behind. In Minnesota, flooding after a severe thunderstorm dumped up to 10 inches of rain in a matter of hours. And in California, an early start to the fire season. The number of acres burned so far is up almost 1,500 percent compared to last year. According to NASA, the number of summer heat waves in the U.S. has roughly doubled over the last four decades. So far this year, they've recorded more than 12,000 record highs at weather stations across the country, and this is just the first full day of summer. With more triple-dig digit temps in the forecast for the weekend, officials warning stay inside and stay hydrated.

Erin McLaughlin, NBC News, New York. All right, let's bring in Bill Karens. You're tracking a pair of tropical threats tonight. Lester, the first threat is right along the Georgia-Florida coast. It has not strengthened today, which is great, but it is bringing rip current threats up and down the southeast coast. The red flags are flying, and that'll be the big story as we go through the weekend, the rough surf at the beaches and that rip current threat. The other area is going to be similar to Alberto.

It's going to be in the southern Gulf of Mexico, and it does have about a 60 percent chance of developing. This should not bring the heavy rain and flooding threat to Texas like the last storm. This one's going to be a little further to the south. And then the other thing we have to watch over the weekend, severe storms. We're going to have significant storms from Des Moines and towards Milwaukee and Green Bay, possibly heading towards Chicago tomorrow night and also in the northeast. Numerous storms as we head through the weekend. All right, Bill, thank you. Let's turn to the race for president now with just six days until the first Biden-Trump debate. The former president seeing a surge in campaign contributions

as both men go after a key group of voters. Dasha Burns is in Pennsylvania. Tonight, former President Trump eroding President Biden's lead in the campaign cash race. A post-conviction windfall bringing in $141 million since May for the Trump campaign, outpacing President Biden's $85 million in the same period. It comes with the first presidential debate less than a week away. I look forward to the debate on Thursday night, and we have to show that the man is grossly incompetent. Mr. Trump holding informal policy sessions with advisers. President Biden hunkered down at Camp

David for intensive prep. Tonight, the vice president weighing in during an exclusive MSNBC interview. I think that the debate is going to make clear the contrast between our president, the current president, who works on behalf of the American people, fights for the American people, and the former president, who pretty much spends full time fighting for himself. A strong performance could help win over voters like Kurt, a Republican who voted for Nikki Haley in the GOP primary. You voted in the Pennsylvania primary for a candidate that wasn't in the race anymore.

Right. Why? I just felt it was important that my voice was heard. And I think to really send a message that there are others out there like me, you know, that would prefer an alternative to President Trump. Nikki Haley won 20 percent of Republican primary voters in his home county of Erie, Pennsylvania, after leaving the race. The Biden campaign targeting these voters with ads and staff, while Haley has since endorsed Trump. The question now,

where do these voters go in November? My vote would probably be between a Biden and a protest vote. The debate will be a major moment for undecided voters. David Langdon says he isn't sold on either candidate, but is eager to watch. A 90-minute debate on his feet with no notes is going to tell the nation whether Biden's able to run for another four years or not. And Dasha, you're learning more about Mr. Trump's search for a running mate. Yeah, Lester, that's right. Another debate for Team Trump, the who and the when for this major announcement. But tonight, sources tell us that the field has winnowed to three top contenders, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance and Florida Senator

Marco Rubio. Lester. All right, Dasha, thank you. You can watch that first presidential debate Thursday night right here on NBC. In the race for the White House, the immigration debate is being fueled by a string of high profile crimes police say were committed by migrants. The latest involving two men charged with murdering a 12 year old girl in Texas. Here's Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, two Venezuelan migrants are under arrest in Houston, charged with murdering 12-year-old Jocelyn Nongaray. He took away my firstborn. I was a teen mom. She's who helped me grow, mature.

Immigration authorities say the suspects crossed the border illegally earlier this year and were released into the U.S. by the Border Patrol. Police say the men strangled Jocelyn and dumped her body in a creek. Her mother is devastated. Nobody deserves to lose a child. No one deserves to bury their child. It's hard. Just days ago, another undocumented immigrant from Ecuador was arrested in New York City, accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in broad daylight. And last week, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador was arrested in Oklahoma. Police say he raped and murdered Rachel Morin, a mother of five, from Maryland. I just want to take this time to thank all of the law enforcement for all their hard work. Former President Trump blames the Biden administration's border policies. This monster

should never have been allowed into our country and if I was president he would never have been able to come in. Still, studies suggest immigrants are actually less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born citizens. And an NBC News review of available 2024 crime data shows overall crime levels dropping in cities that have received the most migrants. The Biden campaign has repeatedly criticized the charged language Mr. Trump has used to describe undocumented immigrants. They're poisoning the blood of our country. That's what they've done. And the president has called out Republicans for tanking a bipartisan border funding bill earlier this year. It's outrageous. Folks, I'm not interested in playing politics with the border or immigration.

I'm interested in fixing it. Polls show immigration is a top issue for voters. It's likely to be a major topic in next week's debate. Lester. Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. We'll take a break, and in 60 seconds, an American long held in Turks and Caicos learns his fate. And with record numbers of Americans expected to hit the road this summer, the good news about travel prices. Stay with us. Another American tourist is headed home after avoiding a possible 12-year prison sentence for bringing ammunition to Turks

and Caicos. Ryan Watson, a father of two from Oklahoma, was fined $2,000 and allowed to leave the islands. Two other Americans facing similar charges were freed last month, and two more still face sentencing. Also tonight, now that summer is officially here, some welcome news if you're hoping to take a vacation. Brian Chung explains why this season travel is getting cheaper. Christine Ashby's family of six loves taking outdoor vacations. As long as I can keep them occupied to where they collapse into bed at the end of the day, I call that a win. Now she's getting ready for this summer's getaway.

I'm up for pretty much anything as long as it doesn't cost very much. Good news. This year, it'll actually cost less. This summer is absolutely the best summer for domestic and international travel post-pandemic. We've seen a full recovery in prices across flights, accommodations, and rental cars. For example, domestic airfares are down 6% by an average of almost $20 compared to last year. Same with rental car prices at your destination. In Orlando, daily rate down $10 per day. Fueling that car cheaper too, with gas prices down over 12 cents nationwide. Hotel rates, meanwhile, in line with last year. Those savings helping to pay for fun that may be more expensive. Dining out as well as concert and movie tickets all pricier than this time last year.

Ashby choosing to road trip to take advantage of those gas prices. And because of a love of the outdoors and a tight budget, choosing to camp and cook. The restaurants, even fast food, the prices are astronomical right now. Experts say for those still planning, avoid the peak holidays like July 4th and Labor Day and try to travel midweek. If you're going somewhere domestic, you'll save about $50 per ticket if you can fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Cooling travel prices, a welcome reprieve in a hot, hot summer. Brian Chung, NBC News. Up next for us here tonight, two airmen are now speaking out why they say they want to leave the U.S. military over the war in Gaza.

Back now with the war in Gaza and its impact here at home. Two airmen say that morally they can no longer serve in the U.S. military over its support for Israel's war effort, citing the deaths of Palestinian civilians. Courtney Kuby spoke with them. Juan Betancourt could not wait to serve his country. So you were anxious to be an airman? I was. I was. Joining the Air Force two years ago. I wanted to serve fellow Americans and I also wanted to further my professional career. But he now says he wants out of the military that he was so eager to be a part of. Saying his attitude changed when fellow airman Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy to protest Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza. Moment in which I began to

question my participation in the military. And it also emboldened me to speak out against the atrocities that were taking place in Palestine. Larry Iber says his turning point was the death of a six-year-old Palestinian girl, Hind Rajab. She looks almost just like my daughter. Rajab was killed while fleeing the fighting in Gaza City. The U.S. and Israel say Hamas purposely operates in civilian areas. Seeing some of those images and seeing these families suffer as a result of U.S. weapons. America provides weapons to Israel, one of its closest allies, as it fights its war against Hamas following the October 7th terror attacks. The Biden administration has

criticized Israel over civilian deaths. Ibear works as a mechanic, maintaining planes that can deliver weapons to Israel, which he opposes. I felt extremely guilty about my position and my role. Now, both men are taking the rare step of applying to be conscientious objectors and leave the Air Force. Tens of thousands applied to be conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War, but it's much more unusual today. According to the Air Force, 29 airmen have separated as conscientious objectors since January 2021. In a statement, the Air Force said it supports airmen and guardians' right through the existing conscientious objector process and make every effort to respect their deeply held beliefs.

Are you breaking your oath by doing this? I'm not. The oath is to serve and protect the American people. However, I can no longer in good conscience continue to do so. It could be months before these airmen get a hearing. And late tonight, we learned at least one other airman opposed to the war in Gaza has already been approved as a conscientious objector. Lester. Courtney Kuby, thank you. Up next for us, we're inside the newest project marking the pivotal Stonewall uprising 55 years later. Finally, it was where the modern gay rights movement began more than half a century ago. Joe Fryer now on the new space commemorating the Stonewall uprising.

55 years ago, it was the scene of an uprising. Now, it's where that history is immortalized. When I came in here and touched this wall, I had chills. Mark Siegel was 18 years old when police raided a popular gay bar called the Stonewall Inn, sparking a riot that he says some falsely characterized as theatrical. There was violence going on out that street. It wasn't theatrical. What was it? What was it? It was us finally fighting back. It was us saying we want to be treated equally.

It was a turning point in the battle for LGBTQ plus rights, a movement now chronicled here at the new Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center. How are you feeling right now? Incredibly excited. It's half of the original Stonewall Inn, which is still open next door, though the two are separate entities. Across the street is a park that became a national monument in 2016, but didn't have a visitor center until Anne-Marie Gothard and Diana Rodriguez took the lead. They raised funds, then convinced Siegel to curate panels about Stonewall's legacy. Mark and so many like Mark are the reason we can do things like this. And I don't think the man's ever been truly given his credit.

What you have here is a firsthand account of Stonewall. For Mark, do you feel proud? Yes. The emotions have not faded. I'm proud of where we've come, but I also realize the difficulty of the road we've traveled. I also think of the people who didn't make it. This is a tribute to them, a space that will open its doors next Friday, exactly 55 years after Stonewall changed the world.

Joe Fryer, NBC News. And that's nightly news for this Friday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.