NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Monday, October 6, 2025

Episode Date: October 7, 2025

DOJ: Alleged gang member arrested in murder-for-hire plot against Chicago immigration officer; High-stakes talks over Trump’s Gaza peace plan; Massive fire engulfs home of South Carolina judge; and more on tonight’s broadcast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tonight, the violent attack on ice agents in the streets as Democratic governors battle the Trump administration in the courts over national guard troops in their cities. A driver slamming into an ice vehicle in Chicago, police also apparently tear gassed, immigration raid protests ramping up, and now an alleged murder-for-hire plot targeting an immigration enforcement officer. Plus, the face-off today over federal troops deploying to Democratic cities. The former NFL quarterback accused of attacking a 69-year-old over a parking spot, what Sanchez's family is saying. Plus, what the prosecutor in the case just told me about the permanent injuries the victim is likely facing. Could the surviving Israeli hostages soon be free? The negotiations happening right now to end the war. What President Trump just said about pardoning Galane Maxwell.

This, says the Supreme Court just dealt the imprisoned Epstein associate a major blow. Buried in snow, dodging lightning strikes, the all-out race to rescue stranded hikers on Mount Everest, 16,000 feet in the air. The blizzard that hit already turning deadly, horses and drones now being deployed. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening, tension is growing tonight as hundreds of federal troops prepare to enter Chicago. Illinois' Democratic leaders suing to try and stop it from happening. It is the latest legal battle as the Trump administration works to send more troops into more American cities. And in some places, the confrontations are turning violent.

Authorities looking for the driver of this truck take a close look that was caught on camera ramming into ICE agents. And this just did. The DOJ arresting an alleged Chicago street gang member, they say was part of a murder-for-hire plot to kill a top immigration officer who, our Chicago station reports, was a border patrol commander there. President Trump now saying he'd consider invoking the Insurrection Act, quote, if it was necessary. That's a law that allows the president to deploy U.S. military forces or national guard

troops to put down an insurrection in the U.S. Maggie Vespas in Chicago, she leads us off tonight. With protests over immigration raids escalating in Chicago, tonight federal prosecutors charging an alleged gang member with soliciting the murder of an unnamed senior law enforcement official taking part in immigration enforcement there, saying Juan Espinoza Martinez posted in Snapchat, 10K if you take him down. Authorities tonight also searching for the driver of this black SUV that the Department of Homeland Security says repeatedly rammed into ice agents in the white truck. While at a separate event, police appearing to be tear gassed, though not injured,

all as President Trump faces new legal battles in his efforts to deploy National Guard troops to two more cities. Donald Trump's deranged depiction of Chicago as a hellhole was just complete BS. After a federal judge blocked the president from deploying Oregon's National Guard to Portland, where protests against ICE have been escalating, tonight Chicago and the state of Illinois suing to try and prevent President Trump's deployment of troops there. There was never an insurrection or an invasion on the ground that justified the deployment of the military to our American city. Though tonight, the president saying he'd consider invoking the Insurrection Act.

Well, I'd do it if it was necessary. So far it hasn't been necessary. We have to make sure that our cities are safe. As the White House blasts Democratic officials, noting there were four homicides and 29 people shot in Chicago this weekend. Why should they be concerned about the federal government offering help to make their cities a safer place? They should be concerned about the fact that people in their cities right now are being gunned down every single night. And the president, all he's trying to do is fix it.

Cook County Commissioner, Sean Morrison, supports President Trump's move. We've had federal agents attacked, and unfortunately they've had to push back. But the governor saying ICE is the one escalating tensions, pointing to this dramatic DHS video of a recent late-night raid, saying children were zip-tied, which the agency denies. Having more federal agents on the streets in full military gear is not necessarily going to create a call. All right, Maggie joins us now live outside an iced detention facility near Chicago.

And Maggie, I know you have new reporting about who was being targeted in this alleged murder for hire plot you reported on? Yeah, Tom, that's right. According to our Chicago affiliate WMAQ, it's a U.S. Border Patrol commander at large, Gregory Bevino. In the meantime, attorneys in court today tied to that lawsuit said National Guard troops could be in their words in position in Chicago as early as tomorrow. Tom. All right, Maggie Vespa from Chicago as the rain is coming down tonight. And we have new charges now against former NFL star and Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez. Indianapolis police now charging the veteran quarterback with a felony, accusing him of assaulting a delivery driver while intoxicated.

Stephanie Gossack is in Indianapolis. And Stephanie, I know we've now just heard for the first time from the Sanchez family. Yeah, that's right, Tom. The family says that he is still getting medical care for the injuries. he's sustained in this alley and that he's focused on his recovery as this legal process plays out. Mark Sanchez, NFL analyst

and former pro quarterback tonight charged with felony battery after allegedly attacking a 69-year-old delivery driver in downtown Indianapolis. We are literally talking about people fighting over a parking space and or a dispute about where people

are parking and it resulted in someone receiving just incredibly significant injuries. Sanchez was in town to call Sunday's Colts Raiders game, but now faces multiple criminal charges. The felony battery charge carrying a one to six year prison sentence. He has not entered a plea. NBC News reached out to his attorney and has not heard back. The driver, Perry Toll, was collecting used cooking oil at a hotel loading dock.

According to court documents, he told police the 38-year-old Sanchez smelled of alcohol and his speech was slurred. It was just after midnight in this alley, surveillance. video shows Sanchez grabbing the driver and throwing him towards a wall, according to the affidavit. The driver then grabbed pepper spray and a knife. He told authorities he thought Sanchez was, quote, trying to kill him. There's been some reporting that Mark Sanchez was doing wind sprints in the alley where the 69-year-old delivery driver was parked. Is that your understanding? Well, the good thing about this case is that there is surveillance footage all up and down that alley. Certainly you do see Mr. Sanchez running it.

times before he makes contact with the victim. Both men ended up in the hospital. Sanchez was treated for several stab wounds to his upper right torso. Toll was slashed in the face and left with a deep gash. These images shared by the family. The family's attorney speaking with NBC News. Mr. Toll's a 69-year-old senior citizen, about 5-8-165 pounds, and Mark Sanchez, by all accounts, is 6-2-335.

and you can see the devastation and the injuries. On Sunday, Fox Sports had to find a last-minute alternate to call the game. And I'm Chris Myers along with Brady Quinn, who is stepping in for Mark Sanchez. But this morning in Indianapolis, the police chief making clear Sanchez didn't just miss a game. The charges he faces are serious. I don't care what you do for a living. I don't care where you live. If you come into our city, commit violence, we will use all the,

the tools at our disposal to hold you accountable. Stephanie, back with us live now. And Stephanie, the driver is now suing Mark Sanchez? Yeah, he is, Tom. He accuses Sanchez of causing him permanent disfigurement along with other injuries. He called Sanchez's actions malicious in this lawsuit. All right, Stephanie, Goss for us. Stephanie, thank you.

Now to the high stakes talks in the Mideast over President Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza. Moments ago, the president announcing there's been tremendous progress. Richard Engel is in Israel with the latest. On the eve of the second anniversary of the Hamas attack that started the war in Gaza, President Trump's envoy, Steve Whitkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner, arrived in Egypt for talks to implement President Trump's plan to end the war. I think we've made tremendous progress. Two years ago, Hamas killed more than 1,200 Israelis and took about 250 hostages,

including women, children, and babies. Of all the Israeli communities attacked by Hamas on October 7th, two years ago, this was the hardest hit. There were around 1,000 people living here at the time. 102 of them were killed and more than 30 kidnapped. It remains frozen in time, and many of the residents say they're not sure if they'll ever come back. Too many memories, too much sadness. Ohad Benami showed me what's left of his home, where he was kidnapped along with his wife.

here on my bed, and my wife was here on the ground with a blanket on her. Ben Ami was kept in a tunnel where he was fed a single piece of bread a day. Hostages would sometimes pass out from malnourishment and had to revive each other. He was freed after 491 days of captivity. Last month, he met President Trump. And I said to him, I'm here thanks to you knocking on the table. So he said to me, I'm on a deal. it will be okay, I will bring them home, all of them.

The White House tonight said it wants Hamas to release all of its hostages quickly. Tom. Richard Engel following those talks tonight, and back here at home, a major setback for Epstein accomplice, Galane Maxwell. The Supreme Court today declining to take up Maxwell's appeal of her sex trafficking conviction. Laura Jarrett joins us now live, and Laura, does she have any more ways to challenge that conviction? So the high court certainly dealt her a blow today, Tom, but the president may say, still offer her a lifeline. As we know, she's been challenging her conviction for quite a while, but it's taken on all this renewed attention, given all the focus recently on the DOJ files

connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Now, Maxwell's attorneys had argued she, too, should have been covered by that infamous plea deal that prosecutors in Florida struck with Epstein years ago. That's the one that helped him avoid more charges. But today, the Supreme Court refused to take up her case, making a presidential pardon her only avenue for release. And when As today, if he would be open to one, the president said this. You know, I haven't heard the name in so long. I can say this, that I'd have to take a look at it. I would have to take a look.

I will speak to the DAJ. Meantime, the family of at least one of Epstein's most prominent accusers, praising the justice's decision today, Tom. All right, Laura, thank you for that. Now to a fire in South Carolina that engulfed the home of a longtime judge. People inside escape by jumping out of windows, then getting into kayaks that rescued them. Aaron Gilchrest is there and has new details about this investigation.

You didn't hear the St. Barnet. Tonight, the cause of this massive blaze that destroyed the home of a South Carolina judge is under investigation. The house in Edisto Beach, an hour from Charleston, went up in flames on Saturday. Crews from several fire departments raced to get it under control. We saw the black smoke and knew that was a house, but I didn't know if it was something that was spreading down here or further up or if it was isolated. Fire officials say three people escaped through an elevated first floor window. That house sat inside a gated community here, and as you can see, it is surrounded by marshland. Those three people who escaped the fire had to be rescued by kayak and canoe.

One survivor was airlifted to a Charleston hospital. The home is owned by Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein and her husband, a former Democratic state senator. Judge Goodstein was recently involved in a high-profile ruling, temporarily blocking South Carolina, from turning over voter information to the Department of Justice. State investigators haven't said how the fire started, but late today released a statement saying in part, at this time, there is no evidence to indicate the fire was intentionally set. Still, earlier today, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham expressed concerns about political violence. No matter what your beefs are, violence is an unacceptable response to political differences. So if it is arson, I hope to find them and put them in jail.

Tonight, a local official telling NBC News the state law enforcement division took over the fire investigation at the request of the homeowner. The agency says it will share more information when the investigation concludes. Aaron Gilchrist, NBC News, Edisto Beach, South Carolina. And we are also tracking news from Mount Everest tonight where rescuers are struggling to reach hundreds of climbers trapped 16,000 feet in the air. Janice Mackey Freyer now with video of those dire conditions. A shock blizzard and an all-out race to reach hikers stranded on the Tibet side of Mount Everest. Chinese rescue teams and villagers using horses, yaks, and drones at 16,000 feet. Videos on Chinese social media showing guides and campers digging around their tents to avoid being buried.

Hiker Chen Gushwang told us it was a nerve-wracking night of lightning strikes and strong winds. lines of trekkers seen walking in deep snow to get off the mountain. Extreme weather also pounding the other side of Mount Everest in Nepal. Full wide-out conditions. We've turned back. Where Jason Wardle was forced to give up on a trek to Everest base camp. All night long, there was just thunder and lightning right on top of us. And the rain turned to snow.

We're glad that we turned around when we did. Severe storms are unusual in the Himalayas this time of year. The Tibetan slopes busy with tourists during a national holiday in China. There are roughly 200 people still stuck facing treacherous conditions and hypothermia. Rescue officials say they've made contact with the hikers, but the challenge is reaching them. State media here says one hiker died in another area hit by the storm, while in Tibet, 350 hikers have made it to safety with rescuers working through the night. Tom?

Janice, thank you, and we'll be right back with a deadly skydiving accident, a student on a tandem jump, finally rescued after dangling for hours in a tree in Tennessee. And the new details on what happened to the instructor who was originally strapped to him. That's next. We are back now with new details in a deadly skydiving accident in Tennessee. an instructor and his students separating mid-air, leaving one of them without a parachute. Jesse Kirsch picks up the story from there. This is the moment a skydiver was finally rescued after dangling for hours in a tree over Nashville.

It's glad that he got down safe. He just said it was his first jump and it was going to be his last. The Nashville Fire Department says the man needed to be helped down with a pulley system. The terrain was what you imagine if you were to go hiking in the woods. there was not a clear path here. But while the 46-year-old man survived, police say Saturday's tandem jump turned deadly for his instructor. Police identifying the instructor as 35-year-old Justin Robert Fuller,

who was killed when he fell from the sky without a parachute. The harness got stuck on the side of the step. Then I had to shake and move the rudders around a bit, maneuver them, and then they were able to get free. According to officials, Fuller and the student became stuck on the side of the of the plane in a tandem rig. The student's emergency parachute deployed, but Fuller was separated from the rig and fell to his death.

I saw a reserve shoot deploy, and it is probably a mile and a half northwest of the field. Police say helicopter crews later spotted the student and the instructor, who friends say lived life to the fullest. Jesse Kirsch, NBC News. All right, we're back in a moment with what you need to know about the new guidance on COVID vaccines. what the CDC is now saying about who is eligible. We are back now with an update on the COVID vaccine.

Today, the CDC shifting its guidance, recommending the shot for people 65 years and older only after they consult a doctor or pharmacist. The change comes after some states have announced their own recommendations and could make it more difficult for people to get the shots this season. And an update tonight on a wild story we brought you last week. Those two trained hawks, Alice and Bubba, were stolen outside SoFi stadium during a Rams game last weekend. They fly above NFL games to keep other birds away.

Well, now their falconer tells us Bubba was recovered about 30 miles away. He says he's hopeful they'll find Alice soon. All right, that's nightly news for this Monday. I'm Tom Yamas. Thanks so much for watching tonight and always. We're here for you. Good night. It's a movie.

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