NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Episode Date: December 5, 2024

CEO of UnitedHealthcare shot and killed in New York; More snow predicted for hard-hit Great Lakes region; New study compares the effectiveness of popular weight loss drugs; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the urgent manhunt in New York City after the CEO of one of America's largest health insurers was fatally shot in a brazen targeted attack caught on disturbing video. The chilling scene playing out on surveillance camera. The masked gunman lying in wait, shooting the victim on the sidewalk, then escaping on an e-bike. Last seen in Central Park. The victim, the CEO of UnitedHealth Healthcare, struck at least twice outside a hotel. The threats his wife says he recently received just blocks away the high security for tonight's Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting and the NYPD's public plea for help. Also tonight, Pete Hegseth defiant. The president-elect's pick to lead the Pentagon, saying Mr. Trump told him to keep fighting,

as allegations threatened to sink his nomination. Could he be replaced by former Trump rival Ron DeSantis? The shooting at an elementary school in California. Two students injured. What we know about the gunman. The new Arctic blast threatening millions from North Dakota to Maine. Bursts of heavy snow and powerful winds. The desperate sinkhole search for the grandmother believed to have plunged down it while looking for her cat.

And counting down to tonight's lighting of the world's most famous Christmas tree and the moving story about the family behind it. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. There are chilling new details tonight following what police say was the premeditated murder of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare on the busy streets of Midtown Manhattan early today. A warning, the images we're about to show you are graphic and you may find them upsetting. Surveillance video capturing the moment Brian Thompson was approached from behind by the shooter. His outstretched arms leveling a handgun at the victim's back. Police say Thompson was shot at least twice. The Minnesota man was

pronounced dead at the hospital. The suspect taking off on an e-bike and remains at large. Thompson's wife telling NBC News her husband had recently received threats, but police say the motive for the attack is unknown. The brazen murder taking place only a few blocks from where thousands are gathered tonight for the Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Plaza. Police promising there will be high security. Stephanie Goss joins us now from the crime scene. Stephanie, what more do we know tonight? Well, Lester, Brian Thompson was walking down this city block at roughly 630 this morning. He was expected to speak an hour and a half later at UnitedHealthcare's conference here at the

Hilton Hotel. He never made it. Tonight in New York City, a manhunt is underway and a shooter is on the loose. It was a brazen attack on the busy streets of Midtown Manhattan, just as the workday was beginning. The NYPD says that gunman was laying in wait for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Every indication is that this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack. NBC News obtained this video from a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. According to police, Thompson was shot in the back and in the leg. At the scene, we recover three live 9mm rounds and three discharged 9mm shell casings. The motive for this murder currently is unknown. Emergency responders couldn't save the 50-year-old father of two,

who was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The Minnesota native was in town for a United Healthcare conference being held at the Hilton Hotel. Police say at 6.44 a.m., Thompson was walking to the Hilton from a different hotel where he was staying. The shooter, wearing a black ski mask and hoodie, was already there, according to the NYPD, arriving minutes before. He stepped out from behind a car and started shooting, walking and firing multiple times. At one point, the gun appeared to jam. It does seem that he's proficient in the use of firearms, as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly. The NYPD says at 6.48, officers arrived at the scene, but the gunman had already fled. An eyewitness watched it happen. I saw him after he shot him. He ran across the street.

This way. Tried to take a picture, but he's too far away. He's not that clean. According to the NYPD, the shooter took off through an alley, grabbing an e-bike and riding it into Central Park, which at that time was filled with morning runners and walkers. That's when the timeline police are publicly sharing ends. The full investigative efforts of the New York City Police Department are well underway, and we will not rest until we identify and apprehend the shooter in this case. A law enforcement source briefed on the investigation tells NBC News these photos were taken before the shooting. We are seeking information from the public to help identify the shooter. As the commissioner said, we have up the reward of up to $10,000 for information. In Minnesota, Thompson's wife and family in shock.

Brian was a wonderful person with a big heart and who lived life to the fullest. He will be greatly missed by everybody. Our hearts are broken and we are completely devastated by this news. In a separate phone conversation with NBC News, his wife expressed some concern. There had been some threats, basically. I don't know. A lack of coverage, she said, adding, I don't know the A lack of coverage, she said, adding, I don't know the details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him. Despite the threats, she says her husband did not change his travel habits. Today, the head of pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly spoke out about the shooting.

I mean, it's shocking. Yeah. He was assassinated, essentially, in the street going to his investor conference. UnitedHealthcare is the largest private health insurer in the country, part of UnitedHealth Group. In a statement, a spokesperson writes in part, we are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague. The company says it is working closely with the NYPD. The scheduled conference has been canceled. Tonight, just blocks away from where the shooting took place, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be lit in the annual celebration, an event that is always tightly secured by the NYPD,

officials assuring the public there will be a massive presence there tonight. This is a terrible event, but we're going to go on, and people are going to enjoy the tree lighting tonight. And Stephanie, in the video, we can see Brian Thompson walking along before the attack occurs. And there doesn't appear to be security personnel with him. What do we know about that? Well, Lester, a recent stockholder report from United Health Group doesn't suggest that they provide that security for their executives. Other insurance companies, Cigna and Humana, in their reports to stockholders suggest that they provide that security for their executives. Other insurance companies, Cigna and Humana, in their reports to stockholders, suggest that they do.

All right, Stephanie Goss, thank you. We'll take a turn now to the confirmation challenges for President-elect Trump's choice for defense secretary. Pete Hegseth speaking out, as we've also learned Trump may be eyeing a former primary rival to replace him. Here's Garrett Haig. Tonight, President-elect Trump's selection for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, facing what may be a make-or-break moment for his nomination amid wavering GOP support. Hegseth defiant, saying Trump told him today, Hey Pete, I got your back. It's a fight. They're coming after you. Get after it. The former Fox News host and decorated combat veteran speaking to Megyn Kelly, pushing back on damaging stories about his background.

What has been said about me, it was so ridiculous and all anonymous that we didn't want to give it oxygen. What you're seeing right now with me is the art of the smear. NBC News has reported 10 current and former Fox News employees say he drank in ways that concern them. First of all, I've never had a drinking problem. But, you know, what do guys do when they come back from war? Oftentimes have some beers. Hegseth adding, if confirmed, he would stop drinking entirely. So this is the biggest deployment of my life.

And there won't be a drop of alcohol on my lips while I'm doing it. And addressing why he paid a settlement to a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, an allegation he denies. Police investigated, and Hegseth was not charged. I did it to protect my wife, I did it to protect my family, and I did it to protect my job. But multiple Republicans have told NBC News at least six GOP senators are not comfortable supporting Hegseth. He can only afford three Republican no votes. Meeting with Iowa's Joni Ernst today. It was a great conversation.

Did he ask you for your vote specifically? Thank you. And the president-elect may already be preparing a backup plan. Two sources tell NBC News Trump is considering other options for the Pentagon if Hegseth falters, including Florida Governor and Navy veteran Ron DeSantis. Trump talked to the governor and wants him to do it, a source familiar with the conversation told NBC News. Trump and DeSantis wants primary rivals. I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star. And it's time for Ron DeSantis to hang it up. But DeSantis ultimately endorsing Trump. He's been prosecuted and he nearly lost his life. We cannot let him down and we cannot let America down. Some top Trump allies now in a holding pattern.

My presumption is I'll support whoever he wants. It's not 100% clear to me who he wants as Secretary of Defense right now. And Garrett, despite the challenges for Hegseth, President-elect Trump is moving quickly to fill a lot of his administration posts. That's right, Lester. He's named at least 13 picks so far today, including Peter Navarro to be an advisor on trade. Navarro served four months in prison for defying a subpoena from the January 6th committee. Today, Trump touting his support for tariffs. Lester. Garrett Haig, thank you. There is breaking news from Northern California where there was a shooting at an elementary school today. Sheriff's deputies say two students were injured and the gunman is dead. Liz Kreutz is following this. Liz, what are police telling you?

Well, Lester, the sheriff says around 1 p.m. law enforcement responded to reports of an active shooting at a small private elementary school near Oroville, California, about an hour north of Sacramento. They say two students have been shot and injured. Both have been taken to local hospitals. One of them was airlifted. Their conditions right now are unknown. The sheriff says that when they arrived in adult male, the suspected gunman appeared to have a self-inflicted gunshot wound and that he has now died. Authorities do not believe that he has a connection to the school.

Investigators are still looking into the motive. The school is on lockdown right now and police say they are working with the FBI and other agencies as they continue the investigation tonight. Lester. Okay, Liz, thanks for that update. Millions of people are under winter alerts again in the northeast and midwest for a dangerous arctic blast and a lot more snow. Erin McLaughlin is following it all from snowy Erie, Pennsylvania. Tonight from Michigan to North Dakota, snow misery strikes the midwest. Part of a fast-moving clipper system also taking aim at hard-hit Erie, Pennsylvania, where there's a state of emergency and all hands on deck.

The National Guard knocking on doors, digging residents out, and delivering critical supplies. Thanks a lot. Merry Christmas to you. Making sure folks are okay ahead of the next big storm, expected in a matter of hours. It's definitely a race against time. How many folks out here need help? I'm going to say everybody.

If you don't have your own snow plow, I'm pretty sure everybody needs a little bit of assistance in one way or another. Erie comes together? Oh, absolutely. Erie definitely comes together. We're going to keep working on mobilizing. Not far away, the County Storm Command Center, dealing with the five feet of snow already on the ground, and now more than a foot in the forecast.

Can this region handle that additional snowfall? We don't have a choice, right? You know, we have to handle that. With the region reeling from last weekend's wipeout, 21 million remain on winter alert. Tonight, across the Midwest and Northeast, they're getting ready for another round against Mother Nature. They say it's going to snow some more and I'm afraid of that. Yeah, you're bracing big time? Yeah. Erin McLaughlin, NBC News, Erie, Pennsylvania. And also in western Pennsylvania, the search for a grandmother who apparently fell into a sinkhole has gone from a rescue mission to a recovery effort. Priya Sridhar is there for us tonight. Priya.

That's right, Lester. Authorities here say that as time went on, the chances of finding Elizabeth Pollard alive just kept dwindling. Combine that with how dangerous the rescue efforts were. They say they had to shift to a recovery mode. Pollard went missing around 5 p.m. on Monday when she went looking for her cat, Pepper. Her family reported her missing at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, and authorities found her car near this sinkhole. Her five-year-old granddaughter was found inside the car unharmed. They believe she was in the car for around 10 hours. This sinkhole is above an expansive abandoned mine, which is what has made this effort so difficult. State police have said that they're suspending their operations here tonight and will resume their efforts tomorrow morning, vowing to do right by her family. Lester. All right, Priya,

thank you. Now to the potential landmark case before the Supreme Court concerning transgender rights and one state's law banning transition-related care for minors. Hallie Jackson now on today's arguments and how the justices signal they may rule. The so-called culture wars colliding with the Supreme Court tonight. I'm not against trans rights. I'm against it on minors. As the justices consider whether states can restrict gender-affirming care for kids and teens. And the signal so far? Support for letting those bans continue. Some conservative justices concerned the court would be second-guessing states if it stepped in. The Constitution leaves that question to the people's representatives rather than to nine people, none of whom is a doctor.

At issue, a Tennessee law that bans puberty blockers and hormone therapy for trans youth, but it allows those treatments for other reasons. That's why opponents argue the law discriminates on the basis of sex. Liberal Justice Elena Kagan. One of the articulated purposes of this law is essentially to encourage gender conformity and to discourage anything other than gender conformity. Sounds to me like we want boys to be boys and we want girls to be girls. But others pointing to places in Europe putting restrictions on gender-affirming care. The countries that have been at the forefront of this are pumping the brakes on this kind of treatment because of concerns about the risks. The Biden administration pushing back, pointing to how the treatments have saved lives.

Atlas McGinnis and his mom, Courtney, traveling from Delaware just to be at court today. As a parent, you just automatically go through, how am I going to make sure that my child gets the care that they need? What would you want the justices to know about you if you could give them a message? I'm human. I'm just the same as any other kid, other than the fact that I identify differently. Any impact would stretch far beyond Tennessee. More than 20 other states have similar laws in place, part of an intense debate nationally over trans rights. Any decision probably won't come until closer to the end of the court's term in June. Lester. Hallie Jackson, thanks. In 60 seconds, airline executives on the defensive over those annoying seat and bag fees.

It is something frustrating. A lot of travelers this holiday season, so-called junk fees, tacked onto your plane ticket. Today, executives in the major airlines had to answer for them. But will they change? Here is Brian Chung. As Americans scrambled home for the holiday last week, some frustrated travelers giving no thanks to the airlines. Why am I paying to sit in the aisle or window in row 24?

A record three million passengers traveled through TSA checkpoints the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, some turning to creative ways to avoid those bag fees. And today on Capitol Hill, senators took the airlines to task, fuming over things like seat fees, which generated more than $12 billion in revenue over a six-year period. Nobody enjoys flying in your airlines. It's a disaster. Executives from five airlines testified to a Senate subcommittee following a report accusing low-cost carriers Frontier and Spirit of paying gate agents $26 million in incentives between 2022 and 2023 for stopping customers violating their bank policies, $5 to $10 for each catch. That seems like a bounty.

Spirit Airlines said it ended that policy in September, but Frontier... Will you commit to ending it? I wouldn't characterize it as a bounty program. It's not something I'm able to commit to. The committee also taking aim at the major airlines, asking why they can't share profitability metrics on their bank policies. We routinely do not look at it that way. You don't look at the number? We look at our profitability very carefully by flight and by market and by region,

but we do not look at our profitability by baggage. It defies imagination. A turbulent ride for the airlines ahead of what could be another record-breaking holiday later this month. Brian Chung, NBC News. And coming up as we continue here tonight, which of those hugely popular weight loss drugs works best? We'll tell you what a new study found next. And we're back now with the battle of the weight loss drugs and a new study comparing two of those popular medications to find out which one is more effective. Anne Thompson is here.

Anne, I think a lot of folks would be curious to know which one was better. Well, Lester, this is the first head-to-head clinical trial of Zepbound and Wagovi. It was funded by Eli Lilly, the maker of Zepbound. And like other studies before it, it shows people taking Zepbound lost more weight. On average, after 72 weeks, Zepbound patients lost 20.2% of their body weight. That's about 50 pounds, while those treated with Wigovi took off 13.7% or some 33 pounds. Now, these drugs have different active ingredients. ZetBound targets two hormone receptors to make you feel full. Wigovi just one. In response, Wagovi's maker, Novo Nordisk,

pointed to a study that shows Wagovi reduces the risk of heart attack and strokes. We keep learning more about these. All right. Thank you, Anne. Up next, the moving story behind this year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and the family for whom it means so much. Finally, there's good news tonight as we count down to the lighting of that famous Christmas tree just behind me. Joe Fryer now with a touching story of the family playing a big role in tonight's celebration.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has embarked on quite the journey this year, much like the family donating it. Well, I consider it probably one of the greatest honors of my life. Earl Albert and his wife Leslie planted the tree in their Massachusetts yard in 1967. We first used to decorate it when it was small, and then it got so big that I couldn't decorate it. When this Norway spruce caught the attention of Rock Center's head gardener in 2020, well, it felt like an angel swooped in. You see, Leslie had just passed away. This is definitely her, her handiwork. What do you think she's thinking?

I'm thinking she's thrilled. Every Christmas was family. Everything we did was family. When we visited in October, the 74-foot tree was still firmly rooted in the ground, but not for long. It was cut down early last month, a community celebration that was cut short. That night, Earl suffered a stroke and was airlifted to the hospital. He's got some medical hurdles to get over. But he is recovering, bolstered by thousands of get- well wishes. Everybody's praying for my dad and the family. It's just been, it's been a magical experience. Every card

says they're going to be thinking of him. I mean, you just feel it. And while Earl will have to watch the tree lighting on TV instead of in person, what he told me in October still holds true. What do you think you'll be thinking of in that moment? Leslie, how much she enjoyed trees. You know, how much she enjoyed Christmas. This year, this rock center icon is truly a family tree. Joe Fryer, NBC News. And that is nightly news for this Wednesday.

Join us for the spectacular lighting of the tree tonight at 8 o'clock with Kelly Clarkson here on NBC. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.