NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, March 9, 2025

Episode Date: March 9, 2025

Small plane crashes into residential area in Pennsylvania with 5 on board; Firefighters rush to contain massive brush fire on Long Island; Secret Service shoots armed man in confrontation near White House; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Breaking news tonight, the search for survivors after a small plane crash in Pennsylvania. Look at these intense flames there in Lancaster after the plane with five people on board went down in a parking lot. On the ground, this fire burning out of control, engulfing cars nearby. The latest on the response. The race to contain brush fires in New York State. Hundreds of acres burned. Huge smoke clouds. The biggest fire still going.

Another being investigated as arson. And the risk also in the Plains tonight, where some 9 million people are now under fire alerts. The Secret Service opening fire near the White House, shooting a man who traveled here from Indiana. And in Ohio, Vice President Vance, confronted by protesters near his home. The urgent search for a college student missing during spring break in the Dominican Republic. A Palestinian activist who helped organize protests at Columbia University, now arrested by ICE, according to his lawyer, as the school loses millions in government funding. Terrifying moments in California. Watch.

Several people hurt as a customer plows into this dealership. A driving nightmare, a plank of wood flying out of nowhere, suddenly smashing right there into the windshield of that car. 60 years since the Selma to Montgomery marches, the major milestone for the civil rights movement. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. Good evening. We are following breaking news as we come on the air tonight. The urgent search for any survivors in Pennsylvania as a small plane crashes into a parking lot and erupts into flames. Take a look at this. You can see what it looked like on the ground with the fire engulfing this line of cars. And here on the far side of the screen, the tail of the plane sticking out of that wreckage. Now, tonight, we are tracking the push to respond with crews

working fast to put out the flames. and you can see what's left behind. Marissa Parra is following it all and starts us off tonight. Terrifying moments tonight in southern Pennsylvania, where the governor says a small private plane crashed near Lancaster Airport. They're receiving multiple calls for a aircraft crash at the airport. The FAA says the plane, known as a Beechcraft Bonanza, crashed around 3 p.m. local time. Authorities say five people were on board. Air traffic control indicating there may have been a serious incident in the lead-up.

Lancaster Tower, Bonanza 347, Mike, has an open door. We need to return for landing. Mike, pull up. Rescue 1, Lancaster Tower, the aircraft is down just behind the terminal on the Parkland Street area. Dramatic video shows thick smoke and flames billowing out of cars. The governor says the Pennsylvania State Police is on the ground to assist first responders. This video showing part of the plane lying on top of cars near this building. This crash coming after a string of aviation crashes and close calls in the last two months. Marissa Parra is joining us now.

And Marissa, I understand we have an update in just the last couple of minutes now. Hallie, we are just now learning from authorities that five people were taken to the hospital, but they did not give an update on their current status. We do know that the FAA and the NTSB are on their way to the scene now to begin that investigation. Hallie. Marissa Parra, thank you very much. Now to the race to contain those massive brush fires happening tonight in New York State. Hundreds of acres already burned, and tonight millions are also under fire alerts across the plains. Maya Eaglin is there. An around-the-clock battle on New York's Long Island.

Crews in desperate race to contain these massive wildfires sparked yesterday, ripping across hundreds of acres. Officials finally getting the upper hand today, but worried the worst could still be ahead. We are concerned because the winds are still blowing that it might spark up again. The area, a tinderbox with drought-like conditions. Thousands of trees were destroyed. Buildings burned too. My God!

Mark Cirillo's business is one of them. When you see this destruction, how does it make you feel? It's upsetting. I watched flames go up to our property, up to the building, and up and over the top of the building, and I watched it like there was a giant hand. Across the country, 9 million on alert for fires today and into tomorrow. In the bullseye, the plains states expecting punishing winds up to 65 miles an hour. While down south, Texas reeling from severe storms that battered the state yesterday with a mix of rain and hail,

even snow. The storm turning deadly near Dallas, winds ripping this building apart. But back in Long Island, crews keeping an eye on hot spots while the search for answers has already begun. It's too early to tell whether or not this fire was started naturally or there's some nefarious origin. But we are going to get to that. And we should have an answer within the next couple of days. Maya Eaglin is on New York's Long Island Forest tonight. So, Maya, what are investigators doing to try to get those answers, as they say, sometime soon? Hallie, they're going to be using drone surveillance to search for clues.

Meanwhile, all of the flames are completely out right now. Officials are cautioning, though, that the fire is only 40 percent contained, so there's still a high risk that it could flare up again. Hallie. Maya Eaglin, thank you. Here in Washington, new concerns after the Secret Service opened fire during a confrontation with an armed man who they say traveled hundreds of miles to the White House. Vaughn Hilliard has the details. Tonight, troubling questions after a shooting overnight near the White House. Vaughn Hilliard has the details. Tonight, troubling questions after a shooting overnight near the White House. Respond for the shooting, 17th East Street, Northwest.

Just after midnight, Secret Service saying their agents shot a man after an armed confrontation with law enforcement after they were notified yesterday of a suicidal individual traveling to D.C. According to two senior law enforcement officials, the suspect is 27-year-old Andrew Dawson driving this white Chrysler sedan from Indiana. Units approach from the 18th Street side. That's when just one block from here, authorities found the man's parked vehicle and then spotted somebody who matched the man's description here, and that's when shots ensued. The close proximity of the gunshots to the White House, heightening new concerns about security around the president,

who spent the weekend in Palm Beach. President Trump survived an assassination attempt last year at a Pennsylvania campaign rally, and then while golfing on his West Palm Beach course two months later. Sean Curran, who was the Secret Service Special Agent in charge of his detail during the Butler attack, is now the agency's director. The security of the president and vice president Vance of pinnacle concern. Vance with his three year old daughter approached on the sidewalks of Cincinnati on Saturday by protesters supportive of Ukraine. Vance posting that the protesters followed us around

and shouted as my daughter grew increasingly anxious and scared, though noting it was a mostly respectful conversation. I said, if I talk to you for a few minutes, we leave my three-year-old daughter alone and you sit here. Vaughn Hilliard is joining us now from the White House. Vaughn, what else are we learning about that suspect tonight? Hallie, the Secret Service says that Dawson was transported to a nearby hospital, though his condition at this hour is still unclear.

Authorities also, though, said that they did, in fact, recover a gun from the scene. Hallie. Vaughn Hilliard, thank you. In New York, the attorney for a Palestinian activist who helped to organize protests at Columbia University says he was arrested by ICE. It comes after the Trump administration cut back on how much federal money the school receives. Camila Bernal reports. Ironically, tonight, a Palestinian activist who helped lead the protest at Columbia University is in ICE custody. Mahmoud Khalil's attorney saying in a statement that he was wrongfully arrested by immigration agents, claiming his student visa was revoked, even though Mahmoud is a legal permanent resident and not in the U.S. on a student visa.

Trying to clarify this with the university. Khalil was one of the few protesters who shared his name during the protests last year. We want a divestment from the Israeli occupation. In a statement, Columbia University acknowledging reports of ICE around campus. This reported arrest coming on the heels of the Trump administration canceling about $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University. Earlier last week, the president writing agitators will be imprisoned or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. NBC News has reached out to the State Department,

the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. The State Department says they cannot comment on individual visa cases. Khalil's attorney says they are unaware of his whereabouts right now. Hallie. Camilla Bernal, thank you. To politics and the clock now ticking for Congress to avoid a government shutdown soon. Republicans revealing their new plan to keep things up and running, but it's not clear if they actually have the votes to pass it. Here's Yamiche Alcindor. Tonight, the countdown to a potential government shutdown is on as a Friday night deadline looms large.

House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiling a new bill that would fund the government through the end of September. But it's not clear whether Johnson has the votes to pass it, with some Republicans already criticizing the legislation. The CR is terrible on defense and the border. The so-called clean continuing resolution does include an increase in defense spending while reducing non-defense spending. President Trump urging his party to support the bill, writing online, all Republicans should vote please, yes, next week. And though Republicans control the House and Senate, the slim majority in the House means just two Republican defections there could derail the bill. And there's already

trouble with two GOP congressmen. Thomas Massey is a no, and Brian Fitzpatrick is undecided. I think we're really going to be learning over the next 24 hours what's in it and what's not in it. The bill would also require Democratic votes in the Senate, and many in that party are accusing Republicans of recklessly cutting things like health care and nutritional assistance. I would argue we are already in a partial government shutdown, and that's because of what Elon Musk and his Doge frat bros are doing. And amid increased economic uncertainty about federal cuts and a possible shutdown, President Trump saying this when questioned about whether he is expecting a recession this year. I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition because what we're doing is very big.

Yamiche is traveling with the president in Florida tonight. And Yamiche, the House is expected to vote on this new bill early this week. That's right. House Speaker Mike Johnson says he plans to bring the bill to a vote as early as Tuesday. It's a crucial test for the new Republican majority in Washington as both parties trade blame. Hallie? Yamiche Alcindor, thank you for that. And of course, the economy could be affected by any new tariffs on Canadian products, a challenge for the next leader of Canada. And tonight, a critical election there to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Molly Hunter is following that race and joins us now with more. And Molly, we have just learned in the last couple of minutes

who the winner is. Hallie, that's right. Minutes ago, we have learned there is a new incoming Canadian prime minister. It is Mark Carney who won the leadership contest tonight by a landslide, Hallie, getting 85.9 percent of the vote. He's the former governor of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England. And Canadians tonight, Hallie, are hopeful that Carney will steady the ship and offer a reset in their relationship with President Trump amid the trade war and threats about annexing Canada. Following the announcement of tariffs earlier this year, Carney said in a rare interview, President Trump probably thinks Canada will cave in, but we are going to stand up to a bully. We're not going to back down. Now, Carney's platform centered on boosting Canada's economy.

He will likely be sworn in this week. Hallie. A lot to watch on that new relationship there. Molly Hunter, thank you very much. Still ahead for us tonight, the search for a missing college student on spring break in the Dominican Republic and a scary scene in California, a driver plowing into that CarMax dealership there. Why police are saying it might have been intentional. Back now with the scary scene out of California, look at this, where a customer at a CarMax dealership smashed his car into this store in Inglewood, hurting at least eight people.

The driver turned himself in to police, and it's now being investigated as intentional. CarMax says the driver had his SUV appraised before he got in the car and smashed into the building. Police also say what they call a business dispute may have been part of the motive here. And another dramatic moment caught on camera, this one out of New York. Look at this, a wooden plank going airborne and right there smashing into that driver's windshield. It happened on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Incredibly, the driver managed to keep their cool and keep control and no one was seriously hurt. Also tonight, a major search happening now

for a missing University of Pittsburgh student who disappeared on a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic. Here's Adrienne Broadus. Tonight, a desperate search is underway in the Dominican Republic resort town of Punta Cana. Authorities looking for 20-year-old college student Sudiksha Kanaki, who attends the University of Pittsburgh

and vanished thursday while on spring break helicopters in the sky and teams on the beach combing for clues missing persons flyers circulating saying she was last seen on the beach at the rio republica resort march 6th the time 4 50 a.m sudiska on vacation with friends. In a statement posted online, the local Dominican Republic emergency operation says it's coordinating an extensive search, adding, quote, several brigades have been deployed by sea and land to find the whereabouts of a foreigner. Retired FBI supervisor Rob D'Amico says time is critical. The more time that goes by, it gets worse off because then you're not on a hot lead.

They have to really throw everything at it now. Can you talk about how the U.S. government gets involved when something happens in another country? So anytime a threat or something happens, a crime happens to a U.S. citizen, the FBI still has jurisdiction, even if they're overseas. A University of Pittsburgh spokesperson said they're in contact with authorities in Virginia and her family who lives there, saying, quote, we have offered our full support in their efforts to find her and bring her home safely. As search teams cover the coastline, her family waits for answers. Adrienne Broadus, NBC News. We are back in a moment with a milestone for the civil rights movement, 60 years since Bloody Sunday and that infamous attack in Selma, Alabama,

the emotional ceremony and why some say they're still concerned about the future. We are back with big news out of the world of sports and a new career record for Steph Curry. He is now officially only the 26th player in NBA history to reach 25,000 career points. It's a big deal. It happened last night when the Golden State Warriors beat the Detroit Pistons. Curry is also set to become the first player in NBA history to reach 4,000 career three-pointers. And if you're watching, it could happen tomorrow night. To Alabama now, where it has been 60 years since that confrontation between civil rights leaders and police in Selma. And as the town commemorates Bloody Sunday,

some are concerned civil rights may be heading in the wrong direction. George Solis is in Selma. Slowly, hundreds marched and sang over the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Under cold gray skies, they gathered to remember 60 years since Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama, a monumental day in the civil rights movement. The world watching in 1965 as activists marched that day, brutally beaten and tear gassed by Alabama state troopers. 82 year old Andrew Rives was there just seven years old when he ran from dogs that were set loose on demonstrators. 60 years later, is that memory still vivid of being on this bridge? Oh, yes, yes, whenever I walk it. I walk it and look and think about what I came through.

Today, a reminder, too, of the changing political landscape, as some Americans feel the country is slipping on the civil rights that were fought for here. Courtney Walker and her young family here to make sure that doesn't happen. How important is passing that torch of information? I think that it's extremely important because I personally feel like we're living in a time where they're trying to erase history. Bridging that gap between past and present, so important for so many here in Selma today, the resounding message, we're not going back. Hallie?

George Solis, thank you. That's nightly news for this Sunday. Lester will be back tomorrow. I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us here at NBC, thanks for watching and have a great week.