NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Episode Date: April 17, 2025

Judge finds “probable cause” Trump administration is in criminal contempt; Dallas school shooting suspect arrested on felony charge; Investigators say arson attack on Gov. Shapiro’s home was politically motivated; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the new escalation in President Trump's deportation standoff with the courts, the arrests and takedowns happening across the country. But has the White House's tactics gone too far? A judge saying the Trump administration crossed a major legal line when it sent those flights to El Salvador, finding probable cause to hold Trump officials in contempt of court. Plus, the new reporting tonight on that undocumented father deported from Maryland to El Salvador. The documents the Trump administration say show he was a gang member. Disturbing new video of the shooting inside a Dallas high school as it happens.

A teenage suspect now behind bars. What we're learning about how the gun got inside. The nation's top health official speaking out on autism. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. contradicting a new CDC report about the cause behind the rise in rates, suggesting environmental toxins may be to blame. Is now the best time to buy a car? How tariffs could soon be driving up the cost at dealerships nationwide. Are Tom Costello out on the lot asking about the best deals amid shrinking inventories?

The new pill that could help your dog live longer. We're inside the clinic testing the longevity drug that could give your dog more good years. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. And good evening. I'm Tom Yamas in for Lester. There are several breaking developments tonight on the president's mass deportation plans and the way they're being carried out from courtrooms to the streets, including this one near Boston. We're seeing dramatic tactics from ICE agents making arrests, part of the administration's intensifying approach to immigration. And it comes as President Trump's standoff with the courts took a high stakes turn

today. The administration coming out swinging after a federal judge said it likely acted in contempt by sending deportation flights to El Salvador, despite an order to keep them grounded. The judge threatening to begin criminal contempt proceedings if the administration doesn't give the men a chance to challenge their deportation. Among them, an undocumented man who has been living in Maryland. And tonight, we have the documents the administration says prove he's a gang member. Gabe Gutierrez with those documents at the White House starting us off tonight. Tonight, with immigration arrests like these playing out across the country,

a federal judge now says the Trump administration is crossing a line with its mass deportations. After those controversial removal flights to El Salvador last month, Judge James Boesberg slamming the government for failing to comply with his court order to temporarily halt the planes, writing, probable cause exists to find the government in criminal contempt. The idea that one branch of government would ignore the orders of another is something we haven't seen in our nation's history. The judge writing, the Constitution does not tolerate willful disobedience of judicial orders. Adding that disobedience would make a solemn mockery of the Constitution itself. The White House says it will appeal. A separate legal case involves one of those deportees, Kilmar Obrego-Garcia, the man the Justice Department initially acknowledged was mistakenly sent to El Salvador. The Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration should facilitate

Obrego-Garcia's return to the U.S. But today, after days of requests, the administration released a document from 2019 stating how an informant allegedly identified Abrego Garcia as a member of the violent gang MS-13, even giving his rank and nickname. When Kilmar Abrego Garcia was originally arrested, he was wearing a sweatshirt with rolls of money covering the ears, mouth, and eyes of presidents on various currency denominations. This is a known MS-13 gang symbol. Abrego Garcia's family denies he's a gang member, and he's never been criminally convicted. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland went to El Salvador today to push for Abrego Garcia's release, but was denied a meeting with him.

This is about due process. This is about not letting people be just whisked off the street, which the Trump administration admits was done in error. Late today, the White House highlighting the story of Patty Morin, whose daughter Rachel was killed by an undocumented immigrant. These are the kind of criminals President Trump wants to remove from our country. The Trump administration is promising deportations will ramp up. Outside Boston, the woman inside this car says ICE officers used a hammer to break a window in order to drag out her husband, an undocumented immigrant who has no criminal record. This surveillance video shows

plainclothes officers tackling a Venezuelan man as he arrives in a New Hampshire courthouse, knocking over another man in the process. Hey, excuse me. Outrage over immigration now spilling into contentious town halls, including one held by Chuck Grassley, the most powerful senator on the Judiciary Committee. Are you going to bring that guy back from El Salvador? committee. While in Georgia, police tasered two protesters at an event held by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Bye. Just like that illegal alien. Bye. All right, Gabe joins us now live. Gabe, let's go back to that man deported to El Salvador. I know you have new reporting tonight on his past. Yes, Tom. In 2021, a protection order was issued against him in a domestic violence case. The case

was closed when his wife did not show up for court. As for the gang allegations, his attorneys have repeatedly questioned the credibility of that confidential informant. Tom. All right, Gabe, we thank you for that. We want to stay on this breaking news and all the legal developments. So how would a judge put the Trump administration in contempt of court? Laura Jarrett joins us now. So, Laura, what are the realistic scenarios? This is an inflection point, Tom. The judge today essentially saying he is giving the Justice Department one last chance to comply with his original order. Find those people he says were wrongly put on planes last month. But if the administration does not comply, then the judge plans to escalate this further and figure out who's to blame.

The final step here would be referring this matter for criminal prosecution by the DOJ. But what if DOJ won't prosecute? Well, the judge could appoint an outsider. But that person still answers to the Justice Department, all illustrating just how quickly this could potentially turn into a remarkable confrontation. And still so many steps. All right, Laura, we thank you for that. We want to turn now to that shooting that happened yesterday at a high school in Dallas. New surveillance video showing the terrifying moments. Shots rang out, sending students scrambling. Hours later, the teenage suspect turning himself into police. Jesse Kirsch with that new video. Overnight, 17-year-old Tracy

Haynes Jr. surrendered to police hours after he allegedly went on a shooting rampage at a Dallas high school. Don't talk to nobody. Shocking new surveillance video showing the moment investigators say Haynes opened fire. According to an arrest affidavit, an unidentified student let the suspect into the school through an unsecured door around 1 p.m. Tuesday. The affidavit says Haynes struck multiple students, adding he approached one student and appeared to take a point-blank shot. The teenager booked on a felony charge of aggravated assault, mass shooting. Under Texas law, he's considered an adult. One thing he said when we were in my office was, I don't want to get killed. Anton Lucky, who leads an anti-violence community organization,

says he met with the alleged shooter and helped facilitate the teen's surrender. Did you get any sense of remorse or responsibility? Yes, I did. I did get that. It was obvious that he had some sense of fear, whether it was from the people he had had the altercation with or whether it was from law enforcement. Jamiah was in English class when chaos broke out. I was scared. She says a wounded student walked into her classroom and collapsed. I'm on the phone with her while she's screaming, and I'm about to cry because I don't know what to tell her.

Meanwhile, earlier today, Dallas Fire Rescue said at least two injured students remained hospitalized for observation. Tom? All right, Jesse Kirsch for us. Jesse, we thank you for that. One day after the CDC released new data on autism, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is challenging it, making questionable claims along the way. Ann Thompson reports. Today, the nation's top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., doubling down on his claim that there is an autism epidemic.

Year by year, there is a steady, relentless increase. The Health and Human Services Secretary pointed to the CDC's own data showing autism prevalence increased from one in 158-year-olds in 2000 to one in 31 in 2022. Then he offered his own theory for the rise without proof. This is a preventable disease. We know it's an environmental exposure. It has to be. Genes do not cause epidemics. Dr. Zach Warren, one of the authors of the CDC report, says there is no one answer, but the best science so far points to genetics. We have data that a certain percentage of some types of autism can be clearly explained by genetic differences. We have other evidence suggesting that actually it's the complex

interplay of environmental factors and all of those things that can influence brain development that we'll need to understand as well. Is it a preventable disease? I think it's really challenging to answer that question because autism isn't actually a single thing, right? Autism is a word that we use as a best attempt to capture a wide variety of wonderfully unique children with strengths, developmental vulnerabilities. Kennedy painted a bleak picture for those with autism. And these are kids who will never pay taxes. They'll never hold a job. They'll never play

baseball. They'll never write a poem. They'll never go out on a date. Sam Branson has a PhD in physics and is an autism researcher. Both Sam and his seven-year-old son have autism. We have, I think, vibrant futures. And yeah, to hear someone who's a government official, you know, calling us an epidemic and, yeah, essentially labeling us as negative outcomes is quite harmful. Secretary Kennedy says the government will study what he says are potential factors such as mold, pesticides and food additives. He promises to follow the science and says he expects to have some answers by September. Tom. And so many families following this back and forth. All right, man. We thank you for that.

We want to turn out of that arson attack inside the Pennsylvania governor's home. New court documents revealing chilling details. Shaq Brewster joins us tonight. And Shaq, what are we learning about a possible motive? Well, Tom, in newly released search warrants, police say that that suspect, Cody Bomber, was politically motivated when he allegedly firebombed the home of Governor Josh Shapiro. According to those documents, Bomber called 911 minutes after the attack, telling dispatchers Shapiro needs to know that, quote, he will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.

Bomber is accused of attacking the governor's residence with Molotov cocktails early Sunday morning as Shapiro, his family and some guests were sleeping. The public defender's office saying the allegations, if true, demonstrate the devastating consequences of severe mental illness. And tonight we're learning that Pennsylvania State Police are using an outside expert to investigate the attack. Tom. All right, Shaq, we thank you for that. Tonight, the family of American Baptist pastor telling NBC News it's a miracle he's alive after his kidnappers were killed in a dramatic shootout in South Africa. Keir Simmons reports. This is your missionary Josh Sullivan here. Tennessee

pastor Josh Sullivan is safe tonight after a deadly shootout between his abductors and police. He was kidnapped last Thursday in front of his wife and six children, the youngest two years old. His relieved father-in-law telling NBC News tonight he got a phone call from a family member following five frightening days. So I answered it immediately and basically just dropped to my knees. His words were, we got him. And I just thank God. Police today still searching the house where Pastor Sullivan was rescued. Outside, three abductors were killed as they tried to escape with Sullivan in a vehicle. Three came out dead. Josh came out alive. He was in the same vehicle that was filled with bullets. So there's a hundred percent God.

I hope you can see the sign here of our church. This gang in a township in Eastern Cape had been demanding a ransom after pulling Sullivan from the pulpit of the Baptist church he had founded and filmed in this YouTube video. I spoke with him last night. I'm very, very extremely brief. And his words were that he loved me. My words to him were that I loved him. Tonight, Josh Sullivan's family say he is unharmed and reunited with his wife and children. The prayers of his community answered. Tom. Keir Simmons for us. Keir, we thank you. And in 60 seconds, back here at home, the car supply is shrinking fast. Fears of price hikes is now the best time to buy. That's next.

Tech stocks plunged after chip giant Nvidia said tariffs could impact demand. Meanwhile, car dealerships report shrinking inventories with Americans racing to buy new cars before new tariffs kick in. Here's Tom Costello. At car dealerships across the country, the rush to beat the tariffs is on. Even customers who really don't need a car are buying now before prices could rise by as much as 25 percent. In Maryland, Christine Dooley was car shopping today, eager to replace the 12-year-old family van. I'm trying to buy a car before the tariffs kick in, but I want to buy a car that I love because it's a big purchase and it has to last me 10 years. Kelly Blue Book reports dealers had a 91-day supply of cars at the start of March, but by thest of April, it was down to 70 days. And used car inventory is also shrinking, with buyers shopping for cheaper options than new cars, with prices sure to rise.

Used car sales up 12% compared to a year ago. Rob Smith is the president of Fitzgerald Auto Mall in Rockville, Maryland. April sales up a stunning 24%. Regardless of who makes the car, whether you're the dealer or not, regardless of the brand, your recommendation right now is to do what? My recommendation is to buy a car now so you can get the car you want with the right equipment and the right model. Depending on the model you choose, Consumer Reports says the Toyota RAV4 starts at roughly $31,000 today. Same with the Honda CR-V.

The Ford F-150, about $39,000. That's the same as the Chevy Silverado. But those prices could go up depending on how many foreign parts are included. How much? A lot of them are trying to guarantee the prices that the cars have now through maybe April, end of April, May.

But there's a lot of uncertainty. Nobody really knows when the supply is going to run out. Not even you. Not even me. I can't predict that. Experts say if you're likely to need a car in the next six months, the time to buy a pre-tariff car could be now. Tom. Tom Costello, we thank you for that. And up next, a medical breakthrough for dogs. The new pill to help man's best friend live longer when it might be available. Stay with us. We are back now with news every dog owner needs to hear. There's a pill being studied in a clinical trial that hopes to expand the life of your beloved pet.

Imagine keeping your dog alive and healthy for a little longer. Sam Brock explains. For John Young and his 10-year-old dog Reggie, there's no illusion the spaniel-collie mix will live forever, but a longer, healthier life with a pill a day would mean everything. He's been my co-pilot. He's been with me every step of the way. He's my best friend. Young is one of more than a thousand dog owners participating in a first-of-its-kind clinical trial at facilities like this one in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, spearheaded by a Bay Area biotech company, Loyal. We're going to be following these dogs for over five years. Come here! Founder Celine Haliwa carries a clear mission. I think we're working

on one of the most fundamental and touching problems that most people have felt in their life, right? Everyone has felt the pain of losing an animal. But I guess the expectation would be, you don't think you're going to add more than five years to an animal's life. No, this is not Immortal Dogs. I'm sorry to disappoint everyone. We're going for one healthier year of dog life. Hopefully more, maybe less.

After one year of the trial, the FDA gave it a stamp of reasonable expectation of effectiveness, the first for a longevity drug. Loyal is looking to improve metabolic fitness, which Hollywood says historically has impacted bigger dogs more severely. Will it help larger dogs more? It's hard to know. There's more to achieve with larger dogs because they have such an artificially short lifespan, but I think it could also really benefit a smaller breed dog too. For now, the trial is only for dogs that are at least 10 years old and a certain size. The minimum weight to participate is 14 pounds because dosing is so much harder for really

small dogs. So these two are out for now, but that could change over time. In the meantime, owners like John don't know if their dog is on the real drug or a placebo beef pill, but he's okay with being a part of history either way. If you were to tell me, hey, he's getting the placebo, you know, I would be shocked. Just because it feels like you're seeing changes in his behavior. I am, yeah. I really am. Hope on the horizon.

Good boy. For man's best friend. And some more good news here. Loyal right now trying to get the drugs to market within the next year or so at a price point of less than $100 a month. But it's going to vary, of course, based on the size of the dog. But the point here, Tom, is they're trying to make these drugs as accessible as possible to all families. A lot of owners are going to be following that news. And those palms look great on you, by the way. All right, Sam, that's nightly news

for this Wednesday. I'm Tom Yamas. Have a great night.