NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Monday, February 12, 2024

Episode Date: February 13, 2024

Officials search for motive in Houston megachurch shooting, a major winter storm targets the Northeast and two Israeli hostages were rescued in a raid.

Tonight, the chilly new details in the shooting at a Texas megachurch. The woman opening fire with an AR-15 rifle at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston. Two off-duty officers returning shots, killing her, her seven-year-old son, critically wounded in the head. Police saying her gun had the word Palestine on it. And the anti-Semitic writings they uncovered, the investigation tonight. Also this evening, the powerful winter storm advancing on the northeast with up to a foot of snow. Al Roker will time it out. The dramatic video, the moment Israeli forces rescued two hostages in a daring raid in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The emotional reunions with their families.

Former President Trump turning to the Supreme Court after an appeals court ruled he doesn't have immunity in his federal election case. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hospitalized again in critical care and transferring his powers, what we know. Our NBC News exclusive, my conversation with Joint Chiefs Chairman General C.Q. Brown as tensions rise in the Middle East. Do you think Iran wants war with the U.S.? This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening, everyone. It has one of the largest congregations in the country. And tonight, after the terrifying shooting inside Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, disturbing clues are emerging about the woman

who carried it out. Police say she brought her seven-year-old son inside the church on Sunday between services and opened fire in the hallway with an AR-15 rifle. Two off-duty officers engaged her in a shootout, ultimately killing her. Her son, critically wounded in the head. And police today revealing a sticker on her gun had the word Palestine on it and that she left behind anti-Semitic writings along with suspicious chemicals found in her home. None of which law enforcement officials say adds up to a conclusive motive. Morgan Shasky is in Houston tonight and starts us off. Tonight, chilling new details about the shooter at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, where Gunfire Sunday sent members running for cover. They were repetitive.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And I yell, Mom! Police identified the shooter as 36-year-old Genesee Yvonne Moreno and say she was carrying an AR-15 with the word Palestine written on it. Police said they also found anti-Semitic writings during a recent search warrant. We have uncovered some items. We do have some anti-Semitic writings that we have uncovered during this process. But like I said, we are 24 hours into it. Investigators say a dispute between Moreno and her ex-husband's family,

some of whom are Jewish, may be related to the shooting. At the church, witnesses say the shooter was wearing a trench coat and opened fire almost immediately after walking inside. The first thing that I thought that I was like I need to hold my kids really hard and I thought that I maybe will die after that. Police confirming Moreno entered the church with her seven-year-old son and was armed with multiple weapons and ammunition. Two off-duty officers returning fire killing the shooter. Her son critically injured in the crossfire. They held their ground in the face of rifle fire at point-blank range. And they continued to fire until the perpetrator was neutralized. And they did not yield. Law enforcement records show the shooter had at least six prior arrests since 2005,

including unlawful carrying of a weapon, which she pleaded guilty to, evading arrest and assault on a public official, which she pleaded to a lesser charge. Bonanno's neighbor, who didn't want to be identified, said she filed a restraining order against her in November. Four years I've been through hell. I have reported this, reported this, reported this, and it's gone on deaf ears. Nobody should have died. Nobody should have been hurt. This should have been handled years ago.

Police adding in 2016, authorities placed Moreno under an emergency detention order. We do believe that she does have a mental health history that is documented through us and through interviews with family members. The shooting Sunday came minutes before the megachurch's Spanish service, where one member was wounded but is expected to make a full recovery. We're devastated. I mean, we've been here 65 years and have somebody shooting in your church. But, you know, we don't understand why these things happen, but we know God's in control. So, Morgan, are officials looking

into this as a possible hate crime? Lester, officials say it is still too early to share any official motive. They have not ruled out a hate crime or even terrorism as motivating causes. In the meantime, despite the suspect making a bomb threat, even owning ingredients to make a bomb, tonight authorities are making it very clear no explosive has been recovered and no one is at risk of any contamination or exposure from a chemical or one of those bomb making materials. Lester. All right, Morgan Chesky, thank you. Joining me now is Carmen Best, former Seattle police chief and NBC News analyst chief. We're glad you're with us today. The officials in Houston are calling this a lone wolf type situation, which generally implies no one could see it coming.

Is there some typical trigger in these kind of cases that you look for? Well, certainly any indication that there's animosity toward the people of the church or the religion or some other thing can often be an indicator. But sometimes there are no obvious indicators of why a person does these types of heinous things. So typically, how do you work a case like this? Well, they're certainly going to look at her history. She has an arrest history, a misdemeanor, of course, some mental history issues,

anything that they can gather or garner from her family. All right. Well, Chief Best, we thank you for coming on, offering some insight tonight. Thank you, Lester. Another major story. We're following the massive winter storm on the move tonight. Heavy snow falling over the weekend in parts of Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. And now that system is pushing into the northeast and it could make for dangerous conditions. Al Roker is here. Al, what's in store?

Well, Lester, we've got 45 million people under winter storm warnings right now and advisories, including New York City. A lot of places closing schools on into tomorrow. You can see this system pushing up. In fact, hurricane hunters from Mobile, Alabama's Keesler Air Force Base are dropping radio signs into this to track it. Heavy snow will change into rain into this. Rain will change into heavy snow into the northeast. Snow and slick conditions for the morning commute.

We're looking at about three to six inches of snow in New York City, Hartford, six to ten in Providence. But Lester, those those levels could come down a little bit just because we've had such warm air in the region. But we're going to continue to track it. All right. Thank you. We'll take a turn out of the Middle East and that daring nighttime mission, Israeli forces rescuing two hostages in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, ahead of an expected ground offensive there. Raf Sanchez reports now from Tel Aviv. Tonight, the emotional reunion the families of two Israeli hostages have been waiting for for months. Luis Har and Fernando Marman back with their loved ones, freed from their Hamas captors by Israeli troops.

They're in good condition despite 129 days of captivity. Hamas kidnapped them from a kibbutz during the October 7th terror attacks. It was very emotional to see them, to hug them, to feel them. It feels almost unreal. This new Israeli drone footage shows the moment commandos stormed an apartment building in southern Gaza, exchanging fire with Hamas gunmen and emerging with Har and Marman. Do you want a blanket? An Israeli Navy SEAL asks. It's warm in our hearts, R replies. The operation was launched at 1.49 a.m. in the heart of the city of Rafah. The hostages held in a second floor apartment by three armed Hamas guards, Israel says.

We penetrated it with explosives. It was a clear and sweep operation, finding the hostages, bringing them both out. Israel pounding the area with airstrikes to cover the commandos' retreat. At least 67 Palestinians, many of them civilians, killed according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Palestinian doctors like Noor El-Wahedi struggling to treat the wounded. The situation is more than catastrophic. We are dealing with a new case every minute.

President Biden tonight once again warning Israel against an all-out assault on Rafah, where half the population of Gaza is seeking refuge. They're packed into Rafah, exposed and vulnerable. They need to be protected. And the CIA director will be in Cairo Tuesday for more negotiations on the hostages. Lester. Raf Sanchez tonight. Thank you. Back home, former President Trump has made a request to the Supreme Court after an appeals court ruled he does not have immunity in his federal election interference case. Garrett Haik is with us. Garrett, what is the Republican frontrunner asking the justices to do?

Well, Lester, Mr. Trump wants the court to rule that he has immunity from prosecution in this case, and the timeline for the justices' decision could determine if there is a trial before the election. All of this as he's embroiled in new controversy over comments about NATO. Tonight, growing backlash on both sides of the Atlantic over Republican frontrunner Donald Trump's controversial comments about NATO. From the White House. You've heard from President Biden, gosh, I don't know how many times. We will defend, if needed, every inch of NATO territory. That's what the commander in chief of the United States ought to be saying when it comes to NATO. To America's closest ally, the UK. I think what was said was not a sensible approach. All after former President Trump recounted talking

to a NATO member suggesting he would encourage Russia to attack a country that had not met its financial obligations to the alliance. If we don't pay and we're attacked by Russia, will you protect us? I said, you didn't pay, you're delinquent. He said, yes, let's say that happened. No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. The NATO treaty requires an attack on one country to be treated as an attack on all. While NATO countries have also pledged to spend 2 percent of their GDP annually on defense, but many don't. And that, Mr. Trump's Republican allies insist, was the point of his remarks.

That's simply the president telling NATO countries they need to come up and play their part. It's that simple. But NATO's secretary general saying Mr. Trump's statement, quote, undermines all of our security. Meanwhile, the White House on offense tonight against the scathing accounts of President Biden's, quote, diminished faculties in that report by special counsel Robert Herr, which described Mr. Biden as, quote, an elderly man with a poor memory. Today, the president laughing it off with supporters. I've been around.

I know I don't look like it, but I've been around a while. I do remember that. And the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, speaking to Lester today, defending the president. He's pretty sharp. You know, he's got a very good grasp of the issues. He asks, I think, very pertinent questions. Were you surprised to hear that dialogue? Yeah, I was. Because it's not characteristic of what I've seen. Garrett Haake, NBC News, Washington. And more concerning health news tonight about Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

He's back in the hospital tonight, weeks after he underwent treatment for prostate cancer. Courtney Kuby is at the Pentagon tonight. Courtney, what do we know? Well, Lester, Secretary Austin underwent non-surgical procedures under general anesthesia to address a bladder issue, according to his doctors. He went to Walter Reed's Sunday afternoon and later was admitted to the critical care unit, transferring his responsibilities to his deputy secretary, Kathleen Hicks. Now, this time around, the Pentagon was quick to notify the White House and U.S. government officials a departure from his last hospitalization on New Year's Day when he did not even tell the president he was in the ICU for days.

Doctors say they anticipate a successful recovery and they expect he will be able to resume his normal duties as early as tomorrow. Lester. All right, Courtney, thank you. In just 60 seconds, our exclusive with the nation's top general on the defense secretary's hospitalization, his response to Donald Trump's NATO controversy, and whether Iran wants a war with the U.S. I have to ask. We're back now with the nightly news exclusive, my interview with

America's top general, Joint Chiefs Chairman C.Q. Brown. He's facing threats to U.S. troops in the Mideast, but I started by asking him if he spoke to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin since his new hospitalization. Not since he went back into the hospital, but over the course of the past month, even while he was in the hospital, had good communications with him. What I will say is I wish him a speedy recovery. Were you personally stung or disappointed by the way it went the first time he was treated and ultimately hospitalized? Well, I know Secretary Austin highlighted that he felt he could have done better in communication. Again, from my perspective, the communication I had, the things I needed to do in my role as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, I didn't have any concerns. And I pressed him about those controversial comments by Republican frontrunner Donald Trump regarding NATO.

What do you take of that? Well, we have an alliance and we have a strong alliance. I think we have a responsibility to uphold those alliances. It's part of your role right now to reassure NATO that despite what they may hear, that the U.S. is still committed. The U.S. is committed. And that's the message I communicate. That's the message that's been received. On Friday, General Brown visiting Navy ships just returning from the Middle East. Part of your job is providing the president military options. When it came to what we're seeing in the Middle East right now,

what was the overriding requirement of the plans you came up with? Well, without getting into details, I'll just say that the broad areas that we focus on is one, to deter any further aggression, not let the conflict broaden, at the same time, protect our forces. Do you think Iran wants war with the U.S.? I don't know that they do. Having watched Iran operate, they will do things through their militia groups and others to put pressure to achieve their objectives, at the same time, not looking for a broader conflict with the United States. And during this Black History Month, I asked America's top general about this video that made headlines where he spoke passionately right after the death of George Floyd. I think about wearing the same flight suit with the same

wings on my chest as my peers. And they mean questioned by another military member. Are you a pilot? And you were in the Pacific Air Force then. What made you do that? Our youngest son on a Sunday called my wife and I, and he was really struggling with the death of George Floyd. And it bothered me as well. And our son asked me, Dad, what is Pacific Air Forces going to say? And at the time, I'm the commander of Pacific Air Forces. So what he was really asking me, Dad, what are you going to say? I had no intent for it to go as far as it did, but I'm glad it did.

I think it gave a voice to many because they were feeling much of the same. And again, I'm glad I was able to do it. And sharing with us his inspiration during his career, the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. You spoke at Shaw Air Force Base about the Tuskegee Airmen. What is it you want, as people look at you and your experience, what do you want us to know and think about? Opportunity.

You know, I think all I've ever wanted throughout my Air Force career is just an equal opportunity to compete and not judge me based on the color of my skin, but based, judge me on the merit of my capability. I think that's what all of our service members want. They just want an opportunity. I'm an ordinary person with an extraordinary opportunity. I want to make sure that I do everything I can to open the door for others. Part of my conversation with General C.Q. Brown today. We're back in a moment with new information about injuries rising for pickleball players. What you need to know to avoid getting hurt.

It's the fastest growing sport in the country, and many pickleball players see it as a great way to get in shape. But a new study finds that the number of injuries is rising. Our Emily Aketa explains. A tamer take on tennis. Pickleball has taken the country by storm. This is pickleball? Even featured in a Super Bowl ad. Pickle!

Yeah! But as the sport soared in popularity, so has the number of serious injuries. Tonight, a first-of-its-kind study revealing bone fractures from pickleball increased more than 250 percent from 2017 to 2022, with most occurring during falls and among players over 60. They haven't necessarily grown up playing it, and so they are, one, physically more susceptible to injury, and then two, there's some issues with balance and coordination. And it's not just fractures. Doctors say sprained ankles, rotator cuff injuries, and Achilles tendon tears are also common. I loved it. David Goldstein has an active lifestyle, but 45 minutes into his first pickleball clinic, tore his Achilles.

When I went to move forward, you know, my shoe didn't move, but my Achilles took the brunt of that kind of, you know, forward motion. And that was it. There's less ground to cover in pickleball versus tennis, and much of the game is played close to the net, what's called the kitchen. But it's still dynamic with lots of starting and stopping. It's about creating an arc. Eric Ho is an instructor and founder of New York City Pickleball.

You have to listen to your body and understand your own body's limitations. So how can you avoid injury? Doctors suggest warming up before playing, investing in lessons to learn the proper mechanics, and taking a break from the sport when soreness lingers. As an increase in injuries is serving up a challenge to America's fastest growing sport. Emily Ikeda, NBC News. And that's nightly news for this Monday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of

yourself and each other. Good night.