NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, September 8, 2024

Episode Date: September 9, 2024

Urgent manhunt for Kentucky highway shooter; Southern California wildfire forces thousands to evacuate; Three Israelis killed on Jordanian border, Israeli army says; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, we're tracking two fast-moving stories. The manhunt for somebody accused of opening fire on a Kentucky highway and the mass evacuations from this California wildfire as it explodes in size. The terrifying scene as the gunman fired on cars speeding by. Nine of them hit. At least five people seriously hurt. The major highway shut down. Police now searching these woods. They're warning to people nearby.

Stay vigilant and stay aware. Thousands evacuated outside Los Angeles after this wildfire doubled in size overnight. Some cabins already burned. 35,000 other buildings now at risk. While another fire sends these horses, look at that, racing to safety. The presidential debate now just two days away, new polling showing a dead heat, and our new reporting on how both candidates are gearing up for the campaign's biggest primetime moment yet.

Chilling new details, why the mother of the Georgia school shooter called with a warning just minutes before he allegedly opened fire. College football tradition, the wave of hope from the heartland. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. We're coming on the air with an urgent manhunt tonight. The race to find whoever randomly shot up cars on a highway in Kentucky, according to officials, in what they call a sniper-like situation. Multiple people hurt, with police describing the chaotic scene. You can see some of the aftermath here.

They say it is now this man who's on the run, the suspect, believed to be armed and dangerous. All of it happening near the town of London on this stretch of interstate between Lexington and Knoxville, Tennessee. And now tonight, dozens of law enforcement officials, plus dogs, a drone, a helicopter, all joining the hunt to try to bring this suspect to justice. Priya Shrether is on the scene for us with the late-breaking developments. An urgent manhunt ramping up in Kentucky for an alleged gunman considered armed and dangerous by police, who's now on the run. Multiple gunshot victims, the shooter, they don't know exactly where he is. Multiple law enforcement agencies searching a

remote wooded area all day. Hours after officials say gunfire erupted off an exit near Interstate 75 in Laurel County, Kentucky. We've got drones, we've got helicopters, we've got dogs. We're doing the best we can. That shooting leaving five people seriously injured after nine vehicles were shot at according to authorities. Officials say all five of the injured are expected to survive. No one was killed from this, thankfully. Authorities identifying 32-year-old Joseph Couch as a suspect after finding his car parked near where the shooting took place and today recovering an AR-15 that Couch allegedly used in the shooting. He's had to walk on over toward the interstate, which is where we recovered the weapon at. Christina Donato was with her friend driving

on I-75 when they heard a loud noise. I would assume that the white truck that was next to us got shot and then the bullet ricocheted off and hit my vehicle. What went through your head? It was very scary and surreal. In nearby London, Kentucky, the community on edge. Officials urging people in the area to stay home and not approach the suspect if he's spotted. Ophelia Riley is visiting her hometown. How do you feel right now? Oh my god, I'm scared. I'm going to be praying for the community and our first responders. Priya is joining us now from London, Kentucky. And Priya, at this point, it's visibility becoming a concern in this search.

That's right, Hallie. The terrain in this area is really rugged, so the spokesperson for the Sheriff's Department tells me they will be suspending their search operations when the sun goes down to protect the safety of their law enforcement officers. Hallie. Priya Sharif, thank you. A state of emergency in Southern California as thousands of people race to evacuate from a fast-moving wildfire. Tens of thousands of buildings and homes now at risk. Dana Griffin is there. Tonight, thousands forced to evacuate as the Lime Fire burning in San Bernardino County threatens 35,000 homes and buildings. So as far as fires this summer, this one ranks up there because of the unpredictability.

It might not be the biggest in acreage, but we have people in front of it, and it's very unpredictable, making it that much more dangerous. The area under a state of emergency located in the mountains 60 miles east of Los Angeles. The fire, fueled by unpredictable thunderstorms, steep terrain and scorching temperatures, with 300 lightning strikes Saturday alone. Rain in the area has helped a bit, but the threat is not over. In Nevada, the Davis Fire also forcing hundreds to evacuate. Keep going, guys. Keep going. Dozens of horses seen here running alongside a crowded, smoky roadway in Washoe County.

Flames there burning 1,500 acres, setting ablaze homes and other structures. Meanwhile, 30 million are under heat alerts across the West. A three-year-old died in Anaheim, California, while inside a hot car with her mother, also found unconscious in the vehicle. Back here in the fire zone, officials say they are lining crews on all sides of the flames because they just don't know where it'll spread next. Hallie? Dana Griffin there for us in California.

A potential make or break moment in this presidential race, now just 48 hours away with new polling showing a dead heat. And the debate stage now set as our team gets an inside look at how former President Trump and Vice President Harris are preparing for their first ever face-off. Erin Gilchrist reports from Battleground, Pennsylvania. Vice President Kamala Harris taking a break from debate prep, going for a walk with her husband late today.

Are you ready, Madam Vice President? Ready. Harris hunkered down in Pittsburgh for debate prep, also emerging briefly on Saturday to visit a spice shop and hinting at how she plans to handle her opponent. Look, it's time to turn the page on the divisiveness. It's time to bring our country together, chart a new way forward. Sources tell NBC News she began running mock debates on Thursday, complete with a stand-in for Donald Trump. Prep work expected to continue through debate day.

President Donald J. Trump. Trump's style, markedly different. We're run by stupid people, and we found that out at the debate with Joe. How did that work out? And we're going to find it out again on Tuesday night. Trump holding a rally on Saturday in Wisconsin and preparing for the debate by having meetings and conversations as opposed to study sessions. Today, one of the most closely watched polls in the nation dropped, showing Trump with a one point lead nationally well within the margin of error. We got to stop the cheating. And in a new social media post drawing fire from critics who believe he plans to retaliate against political enemies if elected, the former president vowed that when he wins, anyone who cheated in the 2020 election or this year's will be prosecuted to the

fullest extent of the law, which will include long-term prison sentences. Aaron joins us now from Pittsburgh, where the vice president is getting ready. And Aaron, the Harris team is still hoping that the microphones end up not muted during the debate at times, right? Yeah, Hallie, both campaigns finally agreed to muted mics when the recognized candidate is speaking. But the Harris campaign is still urging ABC to unmute both mics if there's significant crosstalk. Hallie? Aaron Gilchrist there for us in Pittsburgh tonight. We will have live coverage of the debate right here on NBC and on our streaming channel NBC News Now starting at 8 o'clock Eastern Tuesday. I'll see you then.

To the Middle East now, where Israel says three citizens are dead after an attack at a key border crossing. Raf Sanchez is in Tel Aviv. And Raf, Israeli officials are calling this a terrorist attack. That's right, Hallie. This attack happened at a major border crossing between Jordan and the occupied West Bank. Israeli authorities say the shooter, a Jordanian national, arrived in a truck and then opened fire with a handgun. He killed three Israeli workers before he was shot dead. And this comes two days after the killing of American activist Aishanor Ege during a West Bank protest. Eyewitnesses say

the 26-year-old from Seattle was killed by Israeli troops and was not armed. Israel's military says it's looking into the shooting, but Egy's family is now calling for an independent American investigation. Hallie. Raf Sanchez, thank you. We're learning more tonight about the crucial minutes just before last week's deadly school shooting in Georgia and the urgent warning from the suspect's mother in the minutes before it all happened. Priscilla Thompson has the new details. Tonight, troubling new details about the deadly mass shooting at Appalachee High School on Wednesday. The Washington Post reporting that Marcy Gray, the mother of the suspected gunman, tried to warn authorities, making a 10-minute call to the school at 9.50 a.m., half an hour

before the gunfire erupted. Gray writing in text messages to her sister Annie Brown, I was the one that notified the school counselor at the high school and I told them it was an extreme emergency and for them to go immediately and find my son to check on him. NBC News confirmed the call with Brown but has not seen or verified the text messages. One of the students in Gray's class reportedly saw an official looking for Gray moments before the shooting began. She thought that he was another kid with a very similar name. And then about 10 to 15 minutes later, that's when the one they were looking for came shooting.

If they would have acted in the beginning, maybe some of the lives could have been saved today. In all, two students and two teachers were killed. Nine others were injured. In a statement to NBC News, Barrow County school system says they are not commenting on specific details. With the shooter and his father in police custody, both pleading not guilty to multiple counts of felony murder, investigators are now working to uncover a motive as the community grapples with unspeakable loss. Priscilla joins us now from Georgia. And Priscilla, we understand the father of the shooter could face even more charges soon?

That's right, Hallie. The district attorney says as this investigation continues, the father could soon face additional charges for their surviving victims. Meanwhile, the high school there remains closed. Hallie, back in a moment with the mystery illnesses in one small Texas town. Why some folks there blame Bitcoin and a wave of hope. The college football tradition letting these kids know they will never fight alone. Also marking the spectacular closing ceremonies of the Paris Paralympics. It's been a summer of sports in the City of Light.

Tonight, the games coming to a close with the stadium lit up in the colors of the French national flag. Look at that. And Paralympians from around the world carrying their flags to the sounds of chariots of fire. It's such a proud time for the U.S. Our athletes taking home 36 gold medals. You know what's up next? Los Angeles is set to host the next Summer Olympics in 2028. Now to a mystery brewing in a small Texas town, people there getting sick with some

now blaming it on a nearby Bitcoin mine. Our Kathy Park headed there to investigate. My daughter had a seizure on the 4th of July. In the small town of Granbury, Texas. Our grandson was one of them. He started having fluid leak out of his ears, had four ear infections in four months. People reported they were getting sick. I was walking to my barn, and it felt like I got hit in the chest by a baseball. Deanna Lakey, a nurse, says she ended up being the patient. And then I started becoming sick.

Sorry, sweetheart. I just felt like that I was going to die. Then at a town meeting where she heard other people blame a nearby Bitcoin mine for their illnesses, it clicked. We live very close to the Bitcoin farm and we are definitely subject to the sounds that are going on 24 hours a day. Marathon Digital owns and operates this Bitcoin mine here in Granbury. A massive network of fans cooling off thousands of computers, creating cryptocurrency.

And how loud is this noise? Describe it to me. So it's like sleeping with a vacuum cleaner in your bed. Cheryl Shadden lives across the street. This is the noise at my barn, which is just a couple hundred yards away from my house. And believes the noise is making her sick. My ears buzz 24-7. I've got headaches. I've got dizziness. Residents say it's even affecting the animals.

I had a dog that, last year, she was ripping her fur out. While there's no direct evidence linking the crypto mine to these ailments, Dr. Michael Osborne, a researcher and doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital, says there is research showing there could be a correlation between persistent noise and health impacts. It's certainly possible and plausible that long-term exposure to these sort of stressful insults could lead to adverse health consequences. A clinical audiologist in Granbury says more patients are seeking his help. This summer we've probably seen a significant increase of 100 to 150 percent more patients complaining about noise exposure. Six tenths, I measured it.

During our recent visit to Granbury, we checked out the noise for ourselves. Still audible, but lower than what residents say they're used to. We're still getting readings up close to 70. Members of the community are demanding that Marathon turn down the volume. In a statement to NBC News, Marathon said it holds itself to the highest health and safety standards. Marathon saying they recently broke ground on a sound wall and are expecting to transition 50% of the mine to quieter cooling technologies by the end of the year. The company also says it's investing millions of dollars to reduce the perceived loudness of the facility. As a result, all levels measured around the facility are well below state and county law sound limits.

There is no established link, medical or otherwise, between Marathon's operations and the ailments that are being alleged. Back at the Lakeys, they say their dream home has turned into a nightmare. We are not complaining. We are not fighting it. We are asking for help to save our lives. Kathy Park, NBC News, Granbury, Texas. Up next, there is good news tonight. The college football tradition in the heartland showing the world who the real all-stars are. Mom, look at this guy. Oh, look at all the players waving.

Oh, even you guys. There's good news tonight about a college football tradition, the Iowa Hawkeyes Wave. 70,000 fans rooting on kids going through a tough time, letting them know they are part of the team, too. It doesn't last long, only about a minute. But for these kids at the University of Iowa's Stead Family Children's Hospital, this is the thrill of a lifetime. Woohoo! Go Hawks! time. The Hawkeye wave, a that started back in 207

of the heartland at every 70,000 fans and players i turn and wave at the pati the hospital windows next experience that love and Patients watching from the hospital windows next door. It's just an amazing experience. That love and support, a joy for the kids and a lifeline for families. Good job, buddy. Good job. Go Hawks. Go Hawks. Stacey and Neil Coleman's son, Atlas, was a patient there.

But now he's cancer-free. And one of this season's kid captains helping lead the wave. What is that like to know that you are on the receiving end of that kind of cheerleading from the community? It is an absolutely amazing gesture that says we are 70,000 people and we see you and we are sending you everything we have so that you can be strong and get through whatever challenges you're facing. Do you want a hat? Rachel Neenstead is the hospital's Child Life Program Manager. It makes them feel that they're part of the community and that people are rallying behind them. Go, go, go, go, go, go! A stunning show of unity

where for a few brief moments, everyone is on the same team. If there's one message you could give to the Hawkeye community, what would you say? Thank you. Thanks.

You don't know how important it is to the families that are there who are looking for hope. It really does mean the world to them. Go Atlas. You know, they for hope. It really does mean the world to them. Go Atlas. You know, they do that for the kids at every home game,

which is a win for everyone. We are also, of course, excited for Sunday night football up next on NBC, the Lions and the Rams in just a bit. But for now, that's nightly news for this Sunday. Lester will be in tomorrow. I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us here at NBC News, have a great night and a great week.