NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, October 15, 2026

Episode Date: October 16, 2026

Multiple people killed in Oregon school shooting; Five hospitalized, including 3 kids, after car crashes into Florida daycare; Trump cancels Hegseth's plan to livestream Fort Hood shooter's execution; 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.

Breaking news as we come on the air, the deadly shooting at an elementary school in Oregon. Multiple students injured tonight. A gunman opening fire in Bend, Oregon in the middle of the school day. Children injured rushed to the hospital. The gunman may have been taken out by a civilian. Parents waiting for their children to get off buses, evacuating students from the school. The details coming into our newsroom right now. Also breaking tonight dangerous flash flooding, triggering urgent rescues in Texas.

One first responder carrying a man on his back, while in Colorado, rare October thunderstorms and the evacuations tonight in California as wildfires flare up. This just in the terrifying images after an SUV slams into a Florida daycare with children inside. Multiple victims rushed to the hospital. The stunning overruling from President Trump to, his own defense secretary, our new reporting on why the firing squad execution of a mass killer won't be live streamed. The new security threat just weeks ahead of the midterms, mail with suspicious substance inside, sent to top lawmakers. Ukraine's President Zelensky defined President Trump,

launching new strikes on Russian oil refineries, while in the Strait of Hormuz, these images of a cargo ship sinking, debris floating in the water as gas prices. hit a new record. The new White House press secretary under fire, she calls herself a lawyer, but our new reporting, she never passed the bar. Billy Joel's new health update saying he's not sure if he'll ever be able to tour again. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. We are coming on the air tonight with breaking news. A shooter has opened fire at an elementary school in Ben, Oregon, and we're looking at a learning, there were multiple fatalities. We have new images just coming into our newsroom from

Silver Rail Elementary. This is the moment some of the students were let off a bus to be reunited with their families. And here are those parents in what has become a familiar and torturous ritual in this country, waiting for word of their child safety. The police response was massive. Authorities say that the shooter was shot and killed. Police say that they evacuated the school going classroom to classroom to get all the children, hundreds of them. out safely. Erin McLaughlin has the latest. For an active shooter at Silverdale Elementary. Tonight in Bend, Oregon, police say a 16-year-old gunman forced his way into this elementary school

and opened fire, killing four before the teenage shooter was shot and killed by a member of the community. Suspect had been shot by a community member who had seen the suspect enter the school and pursued him into the school and engaged him. Those killed include three children, ages 5, 8, and 11, and a teacher. Two other victims, a 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were critically injured and taken to a local hospital. We won't need additional ambulances. We don't have a firm patient count yet. Police say the rampage began at around 1259 local time.

Dispatch received a 911 call from a person in a vehicle who reported being shot at multiple times by a person with a long gun. Then, according to police, dozens of calls reporting that a shooter had entered the school. Officers responded within minutes. By the time police entered the school, the teen shooter was dead. Images show the heavy police presence and students huddling on the ground. This is a very, very, very big police presence. It's a very serious situation. Authorities say first responders went room by room, evacuating students and staff,

bringing them by buses to a nearby reunification center. This is the kind of thing you hear about in other places and pray that it never happens here. And it has happened here. Tonight authorities say they're withholding the identity of the teenage shooter. It's unclear if the shooter was in any way affiliated with the school. Federal authorities are assisting with the ongoing investigation. Tom. Aaron McLaughlin for us, Aaron, we appreciate it.

We turn to another developing story tonight, dangerous flooding and now fire threats. High water rescues already unfolding in Texas. We're going to show you them, and we are tracking evacuations in Los Angeles County for a wildfire now igniting there. Priscilla Thompson is tracking it all for us tonight. Urgent rescues in West Texas tonight amid dangerous flash flooding in Midland. Firefighters seen here carrying a woman out of raging water. Another wading through knee-deep flooding with this man on his back. Midland fire says they responded to more than two dozen rescue calls today.

as rushing water swamps roadways, leaving stalled out cars stranded in the streets. At one point, firefighters appearing to tether a stranded vehicle to their truck. Millions of people from Texas to Oklahoma are under flood alerts. In Colorado, west of Denver, thunder snow. Snow falling during this thunderstorm rather than rain on Wednesday. And in Southern California, crews battling the peak fire igniting in Los Angeles County today. evacuation orders and warnings issued. Red flag warnings now in effect across California, some up through Saturday night.

Low humidity and gusty winds are forecast, meaning any fires that start will spread very quickly. Priscilla Thompson joins us tonight from Houston and Priscilla. You mentioned those alerts from Texas to Oklahoma. What has authorities most concerned tonight? Tom, the greatest threat is in the red area of this map that could see five inches or more of rain on already saturated ground, which could lead to flash flooding very quickly, as tonight millions are at risk from here to Oklahoma. Tom? Priscilla, thank you, to Florida now, where several children and adults were hospitalized after a car slammed into a daycare there. George Solis with the images tonight.

Tonight, the startling images at a Florida daycare, an SUV barreling into a building just outside Orlando with children inside. We have a count for all the children. Right now, we have From above, you can see the car. The wall completely smashed. What you see right there now what the SUV is, it's a classroom. We have kids in there. So some of the kids were transported. First responders arriving on the scene and shutting down the road.

Kids are sitting at a table right after snack time, and that was where they were impacted. Fire officials say three, four-year-old children and two adults, including the driver, were injured. Authorities say the 79-year-old driver ran off the road, traveling across lanes of traffic before striking the daycare. For whatever reason, he attempted to make, I don't know if he was making a left turn or U-turn, but I end up hitting the structure at the time that he struck the building. In a statement to NBC News, the hospital system that's treating the patients confirming they're all in good condition. Tonight, the investigation into the crash is ongoing. The fact that there are no fatalities here today is a blessing. I'm very shocked.

George Solis, NBC News. We have new reporting tonight on that major reversal from President Trump today. Now overruling his defense secretary's plan to live stream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter. Courtney Cuby now with what changed his mind. President Trump overruling his defense secretary today, halting plans by Pete Haguezeth to live stream the execution of convicted U.S. soldier Nadal Hassan. The president posting on social media that Hassan will die as scheduled by fire squad, but this event will not be streamed. A White House and U.S. officials say Hegseth surprised Trump administration officials with this announcement last week. And so he's going to get a firing

squad of soldiers, as it should be. And we'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public, because people need to understand that this is a, there's serious consequence for these types of things. Hegsets planned to live stream the execution faced bipartisan opposition. The concern would be that you would create a video, that they wouldn't be a recruiting tool for future terrorists. I wouldn't be watching it if it was aired. And skepticism from within the Trump administration. I don't know that that's actually going to happen. If it's ultimately live stream, I'm not going to be watching it.

Hassan, a former Army major, open fire at Fort Hood in 2009, killing 13 and wounding 32 more. He was convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to death. A U.S. official says that while the president initially liked the idea to stream his execution, did I approve? Absolutely. He decided against it after learning more about the case. Hassan was shot during the attack and paralyzed from the waist down. White House officials say President Trump did not know Hassan was in a wheelchair

and that factored into the decision not to air the execution. Courtney joins us now live. And Courtney, I know you have some new reporting. The live stream element isn't the only thing that surprised military officials? Yeah, that's right, Tom. Army officials spent months planning for an execution by lethal injection at a federal facility in Indiana, according to a U.S. official. But Heg says surprise them when he recommended Hassan be executed by firing squad and at Fort Hood. That's still set to happen on December 3rd. Tom.

Okay, according, thank you for that. Now, are those suspicious letters sent to lawmakers and election officials across the country containing a mysterious substance? Ryan Nobles joins us now tonight live. And Ryan, you have some new reporting on the testing of those letters? Yeah, that's right, Tom. The FBI is tracking dozens of letters sent to public officials, all across the country containing a suspicious substance and three law enforcement officials that were briefed on the matter tell NBC News tonight that the initial testing of that white powder reveals

that it is not hazardous. Now, among the targets, the top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, and at least four other Democratic Senate offices, these letters were also sent to secretaries of states, Republican offices in Ohio, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. In some cases, the letter sent directly to their elections offices. Now, in many of these cases, the United States Postal Service was able to intercept these letters before they made it to their intended destination.

Tom, Ryan Nobles on Capitol Hill for us. Ukraine's President Zelensky tonight declaring President Trump's energy ceasefire is over. With Russia never stopping its attacks, Ukraine saying it will resume striking Russian refineries which could keep diesel prices rising. Here's Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, what President Trump called an energy ceasefire has collapsed. Ukraine, rattled by days of Russian strikes, has resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries. President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring the ceasefire over.

That's it. Block is out. Zelensky now posting this satellite image showing what he says is a damaged airfield in Russia. But Russian President Vladimir Putin today saying there was no major damage to his country's refineries. Also today, a Ukrainian defense ministry source says, Starshield Internet Service inside Ukraine is being restored. Ford, critical for air defenses. We understand what's going on because it was everywhere. The territory of the capital of all the Ukraine.

Starshield is the military version of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite network. Musk has denied any involvement in the temporary outage. Tensions between the U.S. and Ukraine have been growing since last week when President Trump struck a deal with Russia to purchase diesel and lower prices at the pump for Americans ahead of the midterms. Gas prices now setting a record for the highest number of days above $4 a gallon in a calendar year. All amid the ongoing Iranian attacks on unarmed commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. This Singapore flagged cargo ships sinking near the strait.

Singapore says it was hit by an unknown projectile. Iran says it hit a mine. Iran has attacked multiple ships in the last week, threatening the flow of oil worldwide, all as the U.S. has been successfully shepherding more tankers through the strait. Gabe, back to that temporary outage of the Star Shield Internet Service in Ukraine. You have some new reporting tonight on whether President Trump was involved? Yes, Tom.

A senior administration official tells NBC News that the president made no such request. This comes after Elon Musk said any decision to reduce Star Shield speed would have to come from the president or the Pentagon, Tom. Gabe, thank you. We're back in 60 seconds with the new controversy over the White House press secretary, is she really a lawyer like she's claimed? Plus, the major update after an ICE officer struck a suspect with his vehicle. Plus, will Billy Joel ever tour again?

The new health update from the Piano Man himself. That's coming up. We're back now with the questions the new White House press secretary is facing about herself. Katie Zachariah speaking out tonight about revelations she called herself a lawyer despite never passing the bar exam. Here's Monica Alba. Tonight, new White House press secretary Katie Zachariah facing questions, not just about the president's record, but her own. I am so honored to work for President Trump.

When the president announced her hiring, he referred to her as an attorney. But a senior administration official tells NBC News she did not pass the California bar exam in 2011 after graduating from Pepperdine Law School. Legal experts say lawyer and attorney are widely understood to refer to someone who has pepidivist. passed the exam and is licensed to practice law. But Zachariah has repeatedly described herself as a lawyer. I am a lawyer and I'm a rigorous researcher. As a lawyer, the procedural steps are absolutely critical. That's what we do as lawyers. In a new interview, Zachariah saying she had asked experts for advice. I consulted for a very long time. Many people in the field, is it okay and acceptable if I label myself lawyer, not attorney at law, not Katie Zachariah Esquire, but lawyer, and provide

legal analysis, not legal advice. And they said absolutely across the board. The controversy escalated Tuesday after this exchange with reporters. Where did she pass the bar exam? Which state? What did she say? Tell us. Zachariah now telling the New York Times she misunderstood, due to the loud Marine One helicopter, saying, I assume the question was, where were you after? law school. The White House tonight saying she is whip smart and will do an incredible job as press secretary. I'm not being hired as White House counsel and that's along and the short of that. All right, Monica joins us now live from the White House. She also addressed a surprisingly rapid hiring process when she got the job. Yeah, Tom, it was very fast. She accepted the job on a Friday,

received her briefing materials late Monday and then had her first public press briefing on Tuesday morning, which lasted just under 15 minutes. Tom. Monica, thank you. And for more of NBC's political reporting and big exclusives, you can scan the QR code

on your screen and subscribe right now. Okay, we're back in a moment with a new health update from music superstar Billy Joel opening up about whether he'll ever

return to the stage. And the update on the cold case we told you about last night, the suspect going from the people's court to criminal court. Stay with us.

We want to update you now on an incident we reported earlier this week where an ICE officer in Houston struck a man with the vehicle during what DHS described as a targeted enforcement operation. You can see the moment of impact right here.

A DHS official now says that the officer driving the vehicle is now on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. And another update, this story we brought you yesterday about the 2011 disappearance of Michelle Parker. You see her here after she and her ex-fiance

Dale Smith Jr. appeared on the courtroom TV show The People's court. Smith Jr. appearing in court today in Orlando, criminal court where he was charged with second-degree murder after new evidence led to his arrest. Smith Jr. has denied having anything to do with her disappearance. And we have a health update tonight for our music legend, Billy Joel, the piano man tells the Hollywood reporter he doesn't know if he'll ever tour again. He says his health is good, but he still needs to take a series of tests before he can return to the stage or even drive. The 77-year-old performer abruptly canceled his concert.

last year after being diagnosed with a neurological disorder that affects hearing, vision, and balance. That's nightly news for this Thursday. I'm Tom Yamas. We thank you so much for watching. Tonight and always, we're here for you. Good night.