Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Episode Date: June 8, 2023

Apocalyptic scenes up and down the East Coast with 90 million under air quality alerts, former Vice President Mike Pence officially launching his presidential bid, a Florida woman now charged with manslaughter after shooting her neighbor through a closed door, Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupting for the first time in months, the scary moment a rollercoaster got stuck upside down, and soccer superstar Lionel Messi announcing he is joining Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami.

Tonight, breaking news, danger in the air. We're outside in New York, mask in hand. The city choked by some of the worst air quality in the entire world. Apocalyptic scenes up and down the East Coast. Skylines disappearing behind a yellow and orange haze. 90 million under air quality alerts, blanketed in smoke, billowing in from Canada, where wildfires are raging out of control.

Significant delays reported at LaGuardia and Newark Airport. Major League Baseball games canceled in Philadelphia and New York. As people are urged to stay inside, we will have full team coverage on this tonight, including what you need to know to stay safe, who is at the highest risk and how soon we could see clear skies. Also breaking tonight former Vice President Mike Pence officially launching his bid for the top job in the White House. Pence, with his sharpest words yet for his former boss, Donald Trump, calling his actions on January 6th, reckless, saying he endangered Pence's life, but will that message break through? Plus, where Florida

Governor Ron DeSantis made a surprise campaign visit today. A new development on a story we brought you last night, a Florida woman now charged with manslaughter after shooting her neighbor, a mother of four through a closed door, what we're hearing from the victim's family tonight, roaring back to life stunning new images showing Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupting for the first time in months. The new threat level just issued. Plus, don't leave me hanging. The scary moment a roller coaster got stuck upside down, how long it took to get those dangling riders to safety.

And messy to Miami, the soccer superstar is heading to South Florida, the blockbuster deal that convinced one of the greatest players of all time to come stateside. And the major surge in ticket prices already taking effect. Top story starts right now. and good evening welcome the top story tonight we are outside on the 33rd floor here at rockefeller center in new york the air around us is thick with smoke pouring in from those wildfires that are raging up in canada and to give you an idea of what it looks and feels like here in new york city just 15 blocks away that's the empire state building just behind me usually on a clear day you

can see that perfectly but you can see the haze that is sort of enveloped all of midtown manhattan and it's really surrounded the entire island. A lot of New Yorkers today are pulling these out, their masks, as the air quality levels dip to dangerous lows. And this just in, New York's governor announcing that starting tomorrow, 1 million N95 masks will be distributed at subway stations and bus stops and state parks. We're up here just briefly to show you the severity of the situation.

Down on the ground, truly apocalyptic scenes throughout the day. This time lapse showing the New York City skyline disappearing behind a thick veil of smoke, turning from gray to yellow to bright orange. To put some numbers to what you just saw there, on an average day here in New York, right, there are 35 micrograms of fine particles per cubic meter of air. Those are tiny particles like dust and soot. By 6 a.m. yesterday, that number shot up to 160. Then by 6 p.m., that number had more than doubled again to 350 micrograms.

The smoke choking 90 million Americans from New England down to the Carolinas, New York and several cities in the northeast, reaching the hazardous air quality level. That's the highest it can go to stand outside in those conditions for 24 hours. Get this. It would be the same as smoking 17 cigarettes. We've got our weather team all over this tonight. Meteorologist Bill Cairns is on the ground here in New York. Al Roker down in D.C. where they're seeing the effects of this as well. We will break down all of this for you, what it means.

do to stay safe and the precautions you should be taking right now. But first, here's Emily Aketa, who leads us off from across the river in New Jersey. Tonight, cityscapes unrecognizable in much of the country. An eerie glow disguising Manhattan, the Washington monument practically hidden, and a haze over Detroit as warnings of worsening air quality blanket newscasts. Dry conditions are causing more wildfires to spark around the region. Outside right now, a picture that is simply otherworldly. My goodness, it's heavy, smoke in the sky. The smoke today, clouding sky so much, the FAA issued a ground stop, temporarily pausing

all flights into LaGuardia and slowing air travel into Newark and Philadelphia. From the Midwest to the northeast and down the east coasts, 90 million Americans are under air quality alerts from wildfire smoke. The dangerous plumes are funneling into 16 states from fires in Canada, where more than 400 are burning, 239 of them remain out of control. the U.S. with help on the ground. We have already deployed over 600 U.S. firefighters and personnel, as well as equipment like water bombers to help Canada battle for fires. Exposure to poor air quality can lead to headaches, irritated eyes, coughing, and difficulty breathing,

especially for those with respiratory conditions like asthma. In Hackensack, New Jersey, Dr. Ida Capo is seeing a rush of patients. They could become extremely short of breath and have difficulty breathing in a very short. a period of time by being exposed to this. For the second day in a row, New York City recorded the worst air quality in the world among major cities. Its air quality index, or aQI today, reaching hazardous levels and nearly doubling that of Delhi India.

Any AQI above 150 is considered unhealthy, higher than 300 is hazardous. New York City today hit 342. The city's iconic skyline today transformed into frightening shades of color. The apocalyptic-like scenes reminiscent of West Coast. wildfires that cast an eerie hue over the San Francisco Bay area in 2020. It looks different. You can see the small. Major League Baseball and the WMBA postponing games in Philly and New York as New York City and Buffalo Public Schools canceled all outdoor activities. The state's governor calling the air quality an emergency situation. The bottom line is this.

If you can stay indoors, stay indoors. This is detrimental to people's health. Young children, seniors and pregnant women are also at a higher risk. That's why expecting mother Michelle Maves Delagenio is teaching piano remotely today. I'm not going anywhere. I was supposed to teach in Manhattan. It just didn't seem worth it today, especially with a baby on the way. To stay safe, experts say check air quality alerts regularly on the EPA's website, air now.gov. If you have a portable filtration unit, run it on high. Clean your air conditioner filter and run that unit's fan on high as well to move as much air as possible through the filter and limit your time outside.

When people do head out, should they wear masks? I would. It's safer. It's going to take a lot of those larger particles out. And with that, Emily Aketa joins Top Story tonight. Emily, you're joining us now from Hoboken, New Jersey. And if you're not familiar with sort of the tri-state area that's just across the Hudson River. And Emily, tell our viewers, what's that behind you?

Because as I've seen this shot, I can't believe that we cannot make out the skyline. Tom, this is what we mean when we say the smoke is really. obscuring skylines because just about right here, that's where the Empire State Building sits. Up north of me, we should be able to see the George Washington Bridge. And so, but right now that visibility is just completely nothing at this hour. And believe it or not, this is actually an improvement compared to several hours ago, Tom. It's all so wild. You know, Emily, I want to go back to your report. You touched upon this there and your story. It's really bad for everyone, but there's certain people, certain residents where they're really

at danger right now. Yeah, absolutely, Tom. When we see hazardous levels of pollutants and air quality, that impacts just about everyone. But there are vulnerable groups who will start experiencing symptoms at an earlier rate, at lower levels of pollutants. And that includes seniors, really young children who lungs haven't developed yet, expecting mothers. And of course, people with preexisting conditions, especially respiratory conditions. And so that is why officials tonight are urging people, those more at-risk groups to really stay home. and limit their time outside, Tom. Yeah, they have to be really, really careful.

Before you go, Emily, just to give people a sense of how serious the situation is, here in New York, sporting events, both outside and even some inside, are being canceled now? That's right. We started seeing some sporting events being affected last night. Several minor league baseball games impacted. Well, now major league baseball is also taking action, postponing games in the New York City area in Philadelphia. the WMBA also postponing a game in Brooklyn

because reportedly smoke entering the arena and then the National Women's Soccer League also taking action, canceling a game in New Jersey, all out of safety concerns as we continue you to see this dangerous smoke linger, Tom. Emily Aketa leading us off tonight here. New York City entirely engulfed in smoke today as the thick haze casted an eerie orange glow across the city.

The normally bustling downtown streets quieter now as many people stayed indoors. many wearing masks outside for the first time in years. For more on this, I want to bring an NBC meteorologist, Bill Cairns. He's been on the ground in New York all day for us, covering this part of the story. He joins us now from just outside our studio, so just below where we are at 30 Rock. Bill, the smoke is such a serious danger. Talk to us about the air quality and why it's so poor right now coming off those wildfires in Canada.

Yeah, it's important to kind of give us some context of just how bad the air quality is. I mean, we've been measuring the air quality in our country reliably since the late 90s. And this will be by far the worst wildfire, smoke, air pollution problem that we've had going back 25 years. And we're just breaking records from central New York, the New York City area. We've already broken our record two days in a row, by the way, for the worst air quality in New York City's history, let alone you mention two days in row, the worst in the world. But it's these fine particles that are in the air that we are breathing in. And to give you an idea, you know, they are roughly about 1.30th of the size of a piece of sand. Think of a grain of sand at the beach.

That's how small these particles are that are making it look hazy. And you're breathing those in. That's why your eyes start watering. That's why people are coughing when they're going outside. And their particles are so small that they're easily getting inside buildings, inside homes. And that's why people are starting to smell smoke in their workplaces. Kids at school were smelling the smoke and putting masks on today in the region. So that's the problem with these particles.

And this fire is not ending. The only thing that's going to improve the situation is once the winds finally shift. But that's going to be a while. It's going to take a couple days. Yeah, you know, Bill, you were mentioning the masks. And just so people understand, I mean, you walk around New York City and you can feel this. I mean, this is not being hyped up at all. You actually feel this just being outside for as little as five minutes.

We have our mask in our hands here. We're obviously not going to be out here for a long time. Talk to us about the types of masks people should wear that are living in this area. area and do all masks give some type of protection? Yeah, I mean, Tom, you know I'm a runner. I don't want to wear this, but I want to protect my lungs. So that's why I'm wearing my mask. And what's changed out here in the last three hours is the number of people wearing masks.

Word is getting around New York about how bad the air is. More and more people are wearing masks before with hardly anyone. And now I'd say about 25, 30 percent of the people are and that number is continuing to grow. But we did talk to doctors and they said it has to be the N95s. These particles are so small, the cotton mask and also the surgical mass. are not going to help you at all. So it's N95s or nothing.

And I know the governor of New York State said they're hoping the handout, possibly as many as a million of them come tomorrow. Bill Cairns for us tonight here on Top Story. He's been out reporting on the streets of New York. We want to continue our coverage now of the severe air quality threat. Al Roker is down in Washington, D.C., where that hazardous air has spread. Al, what's it like down there?

Walk us through this. Well, you know, the interesting thing, Tom, their air right now compared to New York is not. not quite as bad. It's unhealthy. However, tomorrow, the brunt of that smoke is going to get back down here again. So we're in this soup, really, for the next 72 hours. Let's show you what's happening. As you look on the visible satellite picture, you can see that pinkish gray cloud wrapping around the low pressure system. That's pushing the smoke into the northeast and also into the Great Lakes. Now, here's what we're looking at. We're talking about unhealthy air.

I mean, really unhealthy air for 90 million people. And especially in the northeast and mid-Atlantic, it's especially bad. The worst airs from Lake Ontario to Delaware. For example, Allentown, Harrisburg, both hazardous conditions, same for New York, very unhealthy in Philadelphia, Albany unhealthy, Syracuse, extremely unhealthy. So here's our issue. We've got that low pressure system. It's going to be backing up. It's going to be bringing more smoke down here to Washington, and the smoke is going to spread

as far south and west as Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Buffalo, down to Salisbury, Maryland, and New York. We're not going to see a break, though, Tom, until sometime Saturday when air quality conditions will slowly start to improve. And if you want to check the air quality for your area, you can download an app from the EPA. It's called Air Now, and that will give you the air quality in your neighborhood. Tom? That's a great tip, Al. And people are just going to have to be patient if they live up here in the Northeast, because as you mentioned, this unhealthy weather is going to stick around for the next several days. All right, Al Roker for us tonight here on Top Story.

And as we mentioned, health officials are warning not to stay outside for too long. So I have to move back inside. But first, we want to turn to the other major headline of the day, former Vice President Mike Pence, officially entering the 2024 presidential race. Here's NBC's Dasher Burns. He was former President Trump's running mate, but tonight he's a rival. Mike Pence throwing his hat in the 2024 ring and taking direct aim at his former boss. We cannot expect to unite the nation around an agenda of a politics based on grudges and grievances. And Pence unleashing his sharpest criticism yet of the former president's actions on January 6th,

when he refused Trump's push to overturn election. results. The American people deserve to know that on that day, President Trump also demanded that I choose between him and the Constitution. Now voters will be faced with the same choice. I chose the Constitution, and I always will. Pence today embracing Trump administration achievements. I was proud to stand by President Donald Trump every single day when we made America great again. But questioning the Republican frontrunners conservative bona fides on issues like abortion. Now he treats it as an inconvenience, even blaming our election losses in 2022 on overturning Roe v. Wade.

The former vice president facing an uphill climb, polls showed Trump with a large lead with another GOP candidate, North Dakota Governor Doug Bergham, also jumping in. Tonight, Iowa voters weighing in on Pence. He was more critical of Trump in his speech than he normally is. How did you feel about that? Honestly, I don't really care for that. When you're running against someone who is ahead in the polls, you've got to take him on. I wore a Trump hat for seven years. Today, I'm wearing Second Amendment, and my mind is open.

All right, with that, Dasha Burns joins Top Story Live, just outside of Desha, of Desha. I'm curious, how much of Pence's speech was about Biden and how much of it was about Trump. Well, here's where things got interesting, Tom, because he certainly went after President Biden, but he directed most of his attacks at former President Trump. And this was a spicier speech than you would expect out of Mike Pence. This was his most direct, most sharpest shot at his former boss, not only on January 6, but on issues of abortion. He set up his contrast on Ukraine. This was a question I had going into today was how different would the tone be? Because he's been out here. He has been in Iowa. He's been in Ohio. He's been visiting some of those critical

early states in the run-up to this announcement. And that when I sat down with him a few weeks ago, he didn't really take the opportunities to go after his former boss. Well, the tone really changed in this announcement speech today, where he made his sharpest, clearest contrast yet, his clearest attacks yet. And we'll see how that plays with the voters here, Tom. Yeah, no, I picked up on that as well. We're going to get into that with the panel just after we wrap up with you. I do have another question for you. I know you've been talking to voters, and as you cover these campaign announcements, do you think Republican voters want an alternative candidate to Trump, or is this growing field only helping the former president?

Well, that's a really critical question. And let's be clear. There is certainly still a large part of the GOP primary electorate that is still with the former president. That's likely going to remain with the former president, maybe a little bit of room to chip away there. But as I go around and I talk to Republican voters, there are plenty of people who say, listen, I like what the former president did. I liked his policies, but he's got a whole ton of baggage. He's older. He can only serve one more term. Let's find some new fresh blood for the Republican Party. The challenge is There are now nine additional candidates in addition to former President Trump. So there are plenty of politicos who will say that that alternate to Trump field is going to split the vote, right?

There are others who say let them battle it out to see who the strongest alternative to Trump really is. And I think voters are waiting to see who really comes out on top. Right now the strongest rival is Ron DeSantis, but it's very, very early. And voters, especially in critical early states like Iowa, where voters know that. that they have a really big responsibility. They're going out to everyone's events. They're going to Pence. They're going to Haley.

They're going to Scott. They're going to desantis. They're going to size everybody up, Tom. Yeah, those Iowa and New Hampshire voters, they'd like to see all the candidates. Dasha Burns from the campaign trail for us. Dasha, we appreciate it. With such a crowded field of 2024, GOP hopefuls, could it come down to the former vice president versus his old boss?

I want to bring in our panel tonight, Mark Lodder. He is the former director of strategic communications for the 2020 Trump Pence campaign and press secretary to former vice president, Mike Pence. Steve Hayes, NBC News political contributor and editor and CEO of the dispatch, and our good friend Eugene Scott, Axio, Senior Politics Reporter. We thank you all for joining. We have a great panel tonight, as we always do. Mark, I'm obviously starting with you because you have the history here, right?

I want to play some more of Pence's remarks today going after his former boss and get your opinion on the other end. Let's listen. I believe that anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States. And anyone who asks someone else to put them over the Constitution should never be president of the United States again. The former vice president has sort of amplified his attacks little by little, first in his book and now here. You know, Dasha said it was a spicier speech than some expected.

I've got to tell you, I've interviewed former vice president Mike Pence several times. I was a little bit surprised as well. But my question to you, Mark, is do you think he'd be willing to say that on stage to Donald Trump's? face. Well, I think one thing is absolutely clear. He is going to take that message to the voters, and I think if they end up on a stage together and that topic comes up, that's a point he will make. Mike Pence is a very skilled debater. I mean, he easily handled Tim Cain and Kamala Harris in the 16 and the 20 races, so don't underestimate his ability to get his point across. And what you're going to see is him trying to dance on this line where many of the other candidates will, which is,

Trump policies, but with a hopeful, optimistic tone, I think the exceptions to that will be Ron DeSantis and Chris Christie. Mark, but you didn't really answer my question, right? Because the former vice president is known, at least in conservative circles, to be, if you will, a gentleman. He doesn't like to sort of go after people, if you will. Do you think he would use this type of language to Donald Trump when he's standing next to him on a debate stage? Absolutely, I think he will, because I think this is a genuine policy difference that he views between himself and the former president. So it's not necessarily a personal attack.

It is an attack on the actions that were taken during that time frame at the end of their service. But then he's also quick to turn around and point out all of the great work they did together. So it's a very tight rope he's walking, and we'll see if it starts to resonate. It's a big uphill climb. Steve, today things got more interesting and more complicated, I would argue, for voters, right? Choices are always great. But you have a candidate like Pence going after Trump's choice. you have a candidate like Christie willing to attack Trump's character.

Will this race, at least the primary race, become a referendum on former President Trump and not on the current President Joe Biden? Yeah, I mean, I think you're going to hear Republicans like Christie did last night, like Mike Pence did today, take aim at both Joe Biden and Donald Trump, but not all of them with the vigor that Chris Christie did last night. But I think what we've learned about Mike Pence in these early days is that he's going to run as a Reagan conservative, sort of unapologetically, and that he's not afraid to take positions that might not poll well with voters.

And this is interesting. I mean, I think people look at Mike Pence's career and think of him as a careful politician, a calculating politician, a principled politician, but not somebody who sort of charges forward and is willing to make big arguments that might not be popular with Republican primary voters. He did that on Trump today, as you and Dasha discussed. He did that — he's done that on abortion, where he's defended his position. This is a position of conviction for Mike Pence. When we interviewed him on the dispatch podcast a couple weeks ago, I was pressing him on the Trump

administration's irresponsible spending, $7.8 trillion over four years, expecting him to push back on the framing of my question. And instead, he acknowledged it. He said, yeah, we spent way too much. It was bad. This wasn't good. Not the answer that I expected to get from Mike Pence. We seem to be getting sort of an unplugged Mike Pence.

And I think that makes for an interesting primary debate. It does. But Eugene, and I will say this, you know, I think Americans right now, they do have sort of a short attention span. They tend to forget things. I'm not saying because of anything else. I just think that we're inundated with so much media and information now. But do you think that voters, I'm not sure if the word is forgive, but they forget Vice President Mike Pence's role as being the number two in the Trump administration? I think that's going to be difficult. I mean, we've seen Democratic strategists already be very vocal and prolificant trying to remind voters of what happened during what they're calling the Trump-Pence presidency. And so Pence is trying to take credit for the good parts while distancing himself from the person who was in the actual Oval Office. And I don't know that that is a message that's going to resonate with many voters who are still required. covering from what they consider a very unpopular presidency. Eugene, what is the thinking among political reporters on who's going to make that

first debate? We know the threshold of donors required has to be, I think, 40,000 unique donors. Your polling has to be at least 1%. I know there's some sort of back and forth on which polls they're going to use. But at any point, are there any big names they think aren't going to make the main stage in August? Well, questions still remain for. some of the names that people are familiar with, like Nikki Haley.

I mean, the reality is that people are still trying to make a case for themselves, Aza Hutchinson. These are governors that people are familiar with and who were obviously executives in their respective states. But whether they have been able to get the popularity needed outside of their fan basis, still it's not yet clear. And so that's why you see so many of them in Iowa working very hard to convince voters that they have what it takes. I think people will be surprised at who ends up making it and who does not. As we've seen in some of the polling, many people are still really struggling, not just to put a dent in Trump support, but just to convince voters that they have what it takes to even be, you know, and the 20% numbers. And so quite a bit can happen in a couple of months, but right now there still seems to be quite a bit of work to do.

Mark, speaking of poll numbers, right? Pence's poll numbers, terrible. Favorability among Republican voters? Terrible. What is he seen that we're not seen? Well, I think, first off, he views that if you don't run, you can't win. And we have seen candidates who were not expected to make a dent in the race, get the nomination, or go far in the nomination, and things can and do change over the course

of the next 18 months. So you've got to have your name in the hat if you want to actually be considered. for it. That's going to be the tough case for all of them. Look, this is a, you know, this is a one-person race right now. Donald Trump is sitting, according to the real clear politics average, at 53 percent. His closest competitors, 30 points behind. And then 40 points behind for the other candidates. So it's a Mount Everest to climb to try to take down Donald Trump and the Republican primary right now. And I think many of these other candidates are really hoping that Chris Christie is going to throw the haymakers that they don't want to have to

throw in order to try to do it. Steve, you know, the former vice president didn't shy away from his Christian faith in his announcement, especially in Iowa, invoking God often. I want to play some of that right now for our viewers. You know, we don't know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. The Bible says where the spirit of the Lord is, there's liberty. And I believe with all my heart, God is not done with America yet. And if we turn our hearts back to the author and finisher of our faith and freedom, freedom story, the American story, has only just begun.

So, Steve, you know, what we've seen in the history of Iowa recently, right? You have a Senator Ted Cruz win, you have a Rick Santorum win, you have Governor Huckabee winning the Iowa caucuses. People sometimes forget this. I like to remind our viewers that sometimes, at least recently, the Christian-centered candidate, will win the Iowa caucus. Senator Tim Scott's going to make the same argument. Will it help Mike Pence in Iowa? Yeah, I think it will. I mean, I think Mark is right. This is an uphill climb for Mike Pence, as it is for all these other candidates in Iowa and elsewhere. But there are a couple reasons that I think that that argument works for Mike Pence. One, he's a man of

faith. He makes these arguments from conviction, and I think he makes them in an authentic way. And that is something I think that matters to voters. On a practical level, you look at that Northwest corner of Iowa, and it is populated heavily with Christian conservatives who will be very receptive to the kinds of messages, I think, that Mike Pence and Tim Scott and others will be making. Eugene, I want to ask you, we put up that graphic, and I just sort of took a step back, because I had forgotten how many people have already declared, right, and there's still potential people running. We have two there in the side, Governor Yonkin and Mayor of the City of Miami, Francis Suarez.

Any other names out there, Eugene, you think people that may enter this race and do we We expect those other two candidates to potentially get in. I know with Governor Yonkin, it's kind of back and forth every day. There's a new report. I was going to say, it depends on the week when we're talking about Yonkin. I haven't heard any other names yet that we are for sure going to get in that people recognize. But it's very possible that there are individuals still considering it who believe that they somehow would provide the best alternative to Trump. I don't know how anyone is going to do that, considering right now his popularity with the base, and how many Republican primary voters really do want to see a repeat of what the president, the former president, delivered in its first term.

And so it'll be an uphill climb for anyone. That does not mean that other people are not considering getting into it. Eugene, what do you think this all means, if you can briefly, because we need to wrap this up? What do you think this all means for Governor DeSantis right now with the field expanding? Well, I think it communicates to him that he is not as popular of an alternative as perhaps he thought maybe six months to a year ago and that there is a lane that other people in his party believe that they can own and maybe occupy better than he in terms of providing an alternative to Trump. And they're going to take a shot at it. And they very well may be effective. Eugene Scott, Steve Hayes, Mark Lauder, a really smart and great conversation tonight.

We thank you all for joining Top Story. We do want to turn, though, to another story we've been following that broke last night, that latest in that deadly shooting at a high school graduation in Virginia. One of the dead of graduate killed just moments after he walked across the stage. Witnesses describing the horror as they watched him take his final breaths. Aaron Gilchrist on the ground in Richmond. 18-year-old Sean Jackson and his family cheered as he walked the stage on graduation day, but the joyous day ended in tragedy.

at a graduation. A gunman opening fire while hundreds of graduates and their families gathered at the Altria theater after Huguenot High School's commencement ceremony. Everybody started running and it's just chaos from there. You just kept hurting shots. The gunshots killing Jackson and his 36-year-old stepfather, Renzo Smith, and injuring five others ranging in age from 14 to 58. Jackson's nine-year-old sister hit by a car as people ran.

She's okay. Police arresting 19-year-old Amari Tajan Pollard. Police say he and Jackson had exchanged words outside the theater. They say Pollard got a gun from his car and opened fire before calmly surrendering to officers at the scene. This was targeted at one individual, so they knew each other and had an ongoing dispute. Witnesses in the school community are still in shock. Seared in my mind is the image of our graduate. Who walked across the stage who I shook his hand, literally 15 minutes.

before on the ground in his gown getting CPR. How do you explain that to kids? I saw the young man who passed away, breathing, what I think are very much his last breaths. I saw him, and he was a child. Tonight, the suspect is being held without bond after pleading not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. He's due back before a judge in two weeks.

Tom? Okay, Aaron Go-Krest for us, Aaron, we appreciate it. When we come back, a major update on a story we brought you last night, A Florida woman now charged with manslaughter. You see her here after shooting her neighbor, a mother of four, through a closed door, killing her. What the victim's family is saying about those charges. Plus, the new images showing one of Hawaii's volcanoes erupting again. Look at that.

Is there a threat to the public? We'll explain it all. And a health update on the Pope after he underwent surgery today, how he's doing and the changes to his schedule over the next few weeks. Stay with us. We're just getting started. We're back now with an update to a story. We brought you last night, a Florida mother of four, fatally shot through a door she knocked on.

Her neighbor allegedly firing after a feud. Now that neighbor has been arrested. NBC Stephen Romo has the latest, including the charges. The suspect is now facing. Tonight, Susan Lawrence behind bars charged with manslaughter after police say she killed her neighbor by shooting through her front door. We have arrested 58-year-old Susan Lawrence for the killing of Ms. A.J. Owens, a mother of four, killed in front of one of her children on Friday. That incident coming after a longstanding

neighborhood feud, according to police. Witnesses say it escalated with a dispute over an iPad, leaving a family motherless. I am grateful for an arrest. Very disappointed that it took four days, honestly. When is it okay in America to shoot someone behind a locked door? Some community members outraged that Lorenz wasn't arrested earlier. Charger. You know who did it? Charger. Attorney for the Owens family, the high-profile civil rights activist Ben Crump, appearing on top story last night.

How much time are you going to give police before you take to the streets? The activists who have seen this before are going to be demanding arrest. Just four hours later, police making the arrest, explaining the legality of the standard ground law caused the delay. My detectives cannot complete an investigation without getting all sides of a story. And that night, all we had was one person's story, and that was the shooter story. Detectives ultimately concluding the shooter's self-defense claim did not justify her actions. Who found the activist, we are mighty afraid.

been swept under the rug. The family now calling on the state attorney to consider increasing that charge to murder. We want him to zealously prosecute the killer of AJ Owens just like he would do if the rolls had been reversed and you had a black woman shoot a white woman through a locked metal door and kill her in front of her children. Owens family shattered by by this unimaginable loss. You may look at her and say she didn't have much. She had it all. Yes.

She had love. She had compassion. Her children now grappling with guilt over the moments surrounding their mother's death. One of them had told his mom about Lorenz throwing a roller skate at them and swinging at them with an umbrella. In his soul, in his heart, it's his fault because he went home and told his mother what this woman did to him. Our 12-year-old blames himself for the death of his mother. His words was, Grandma, Grandma, I couldn't save her. I tried to give her CPR.

I tried to give her CPR. So heartbreaking, Tom. And Ben Crump actually says one of the main reasons that he's glad that arrest came last night is because it tells the children that they are not at fault and that the law says they are not at fault. Meanwhile, of course, A.J.'s mom, Pamela just devastated over this saying that she's hoping and praying that she is able to raise these children now in a way that will make her daughter proud. Tom. Okay. Stephen Rubble for us.

Stephen, we appreciate that when we come back. An actor you might recognize from your favorite show has been arrested. The comedian known for his roles on Bob's Burgers and Arrested Development, charged with a felony. What investigators say he was doing on January 6th. That's next. All right, we are back now with Top Stories News Feed. We begin tonight with the arrest of actor Jay Johnston in connection with the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Johnston, known for his roles in Bob's Burgers, Arrested Development,

an anchorman, facing charges of felony obstruction of officers as well as several misdemeanors. Poor documents allegeing he helped pass out stolen Capitol police shields to other rioters and then try to block officers from getting through one of the surrounding tunnels. Okay, we head to Hawaii. The Killowail Volcano. It began erupting again. These are the pictures, new videos showing lava, spewing from a crater on the volcano summit. geologists saying they've been on alert for weeks because of increased seismic activity in the area.

Emergency management officials do not believe there's any threat to the public at this time, but will continue to keep an eye on potential hazards. The pro wrestling legend known as the Iron Sheik has died at 81. His team made the announcement today in a statement on Twitter, a platform where he had gained a cult fan following. They did not share any details on the cause of his death. The Iranian-born athlete was one of the most popular personalities in televised. wrestling matches of the 70s and the 80s being one of Hulk Hogan's biggest rivals in the

ring. And rapper Tupac Shakur getting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 26 years after his death. Crowds of people, including other hit rappers, gathering to watch the event just outside the popular Amoeba record store on Hollywood Boulevard. The star was presented to Tupac's sister. He has sold more than 75 million records worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 2017. Okay, we want to turn now to the alleged old-school mob heist right here in New York City. A group of suspected gangsters now under arrest after posing as construction workers targeting a high-end jeweler to the stars.

NBC News chief investigative reporter Jonathan Deans has this report. Reputed Lucchese crime associate Frank Skip DiPietro was the first alleged jewel bandit led out of the 13th precinct. He soon was followed by Vincent Spagnullo. Then came Michael Selleck, who apparently was not happy to see our camera. Next was Vincent Sertio. I'm so much feet. I got no shots on, right?

Followed by Samuel Source. All were led away by NYPD Major K-Squod detectives and FBI agents. This alleged crew of Likaze and Gambino Associates are accused of targeting a jeweler to the stars, Baker Jules, along Madison Avenue and East 61st Street. Their jewels worn by stars like Beyond. Beyonce, and Rihanna, who wore $2.6 million worth of diamonds at Beyonce's post-Oscar party. To get into Baco's penthouse, you need an appointment and have to pass a credit check. But investigators say this crew decided to use construction outfits and forced their way in,

just as Baco workers were loading up the ground floor display case. This is just one of two holdups the FBI says the men were involved in, one back on January 3,000. 3rd, another on May 20th. The police commissioner says the gunpoint holdups showed a callous disregard for life. The FBI says the robberies netted about 2 million worth of jewels in all. Prosecutors say this image shows DiPietro holding the gun and warning the clerk to, quote, Give it to me. Selik allegedly Nexus heard saying, turn around and get in the closet.

The cameras in the store is not the only evidence. Police say they have images of the men getting. dressed nearby in construction gear and then heading to the location. They say they also have phone records linking several of the suspects to one another before, during, and after the holdup. And there are images of the vehicles allegedly used to get to and from the locations. After this morning's arrests, the men were taken to federal court for appearances on the armed robbery conspiracy counts.

NBC New York's Jonathan Deans joins us now in studio here on Top Story. So Jonathan, I got to ask you, you know, this feels like, that sort of old school mafia jewelry heist. But these guys from some of those shots, those mug shots, they look a little older, too. It's pretty extraordinary. Four to the five suspects, a range in age from 65 to 69 years old to think that suspected associates of the Gambino and Lucchese crime families themselves would allegedly go out with handguns and attempt to hold up a jewelry store along Madison Avenue in broad daylight at that age. I think they could run away, get away with it. It's a pretty incredible.

It sounds like the next De Niro movie, maybe, right? A comedy. But this is serious. So I do want to ask you, what are the lawyers saying about the people that were arrested, the men that have been arrested? Yeah, most of the lawyers we reached out to did not comment, but one to get back to us, the lawyer for Michael Seleck. And that lawyer said, it's a case of mistaken identity, that they want vindication,

that he said, quote, his lawyer, I mean, his client was under the Verrazano Bridge, painting bridges. He gets paid $55 an hour painting those bridges. He doesn't need to be doing these little jewelry heists. For now, all the suspects remain behind bars without bail. Jonathan, Deans, for us tonight. Jonathan, we appreciate that. Now to California where violence broke out during a school board meeting.

Protesters clashing with LGBTQ advocates over school curriculum. The troubling scene just the latest violent confrontation in the L.A. area during Pride Month. Miguel Almagir has this one. The melee between protesters and LGBTQ advocates. It's erupted as tempers flare, steps outside the Glendale Unified School District Board meeting. If you do not disperse, you will be arrested. As police near Los Angeles declared an unlawful assembly arresting those who became violent,

inside district leaders were forced to take a recess. We are going to need to pause for a moment. The board met to approve a resolution recognizing Pride Month as it's done for years, officials saying intentional and harmful disinformation has been circulating about what is being taught in our district. Parents want transparency and then parents want the option to opt out. I think the curriculum is fairly well designed. I know the teachers put a lot of work into it.

This week's skirmish, which California's governor called an organized campaign of hate, is just the latest in a series of violent confrontations during Pride Month. Just days ago, protesters clashed outside an L.A. elementary. school where a pride flag was burned. This week, the human rights campaign declared a state of emergency for the LGBT community, sounding the alarm over the current political climate and culture wars. Tragically, this has come to our district, but we're really seeing this all over the place. Tonight, a month of celebration turning into days of confrontations.

Miguel Al-Migair, NBC News, Los Angeles. All right. Coming up, left-hanging. hard-stopping video showing the moment. Look at that. Wow, a roller coaster in China gets stuck upside down, just how long all those riders were dangling there. We'll tell you. Okay, back down on top story here. It is time for our global watch, and we start with a wild one, a U.S.-bound passenger plane stranded in Russia at this hour. Hundreds of people aboard an Air India flight from Delhi to San Francisco forced to make an emergency landing.

in Siberia. The airline says it's now sending a plane to retrieve all of those passengers. Pope Francis is hospitalized today for an abdominal surgery. The pontiff undergoing a three-hour operation to remove scar tissues from his intestines and repair a hernia. The Vatican says the Pope will stay in the hospital for a few days, canceling all of his audiences through June 18th. And a terrifying ride for tourists on a roller coaster in northeast China. New video showing the moment that roller coaster stopped, leaving me. nearly a dozen riders dangling upside down. Forget this, 20 minutes. Officials say the coaster suffered a power outage, backup power was turned on, and all riders made it back to the ground

safely. Wow. Okay, now of news rocking the sports world today. Messy, regarded as one of the best soccer players of all time, confirming he will play in the U.S. The star player reportedly turning down a blockbuster deal from Saudi Arabia to come to South Florida. Sam Brock has the details. Tonight, it's a soccer shocker. Superstar forward Lionel Messi confirming in an interview with Spanish language outlets Mundo di Portivo and sport that will be playing for Major League Soccer's Inter-Miami. Messi adding, the details of the deal are still in the works.

But the announcement comes after reports he rejected a nine-figure deal from Saudi Arabia that would have seen him join soccer greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Kareem Benzima. It's the largest shake-up in American soccer since global icon David Beckham's arrival to the league in 2007. Beckham, now the owner of Inter-M Miami, hoping to bring back that excitement to the MLS. Even before the news was confirmed, social media erupted, and ticket prices did too. Miami summer games soaring more than 1,000 percent. According to Tick Pick, the average ticket price for their August 26th game against New York going from $30 to $401. From Barcelona to Paris, Messi has been scoring goals and winning championships for decades, arguably the greatest player of all time.

The Argentinian grade has already won a record-setting seven Balloon Diorse and brought victory to his home country of Argentina, leading them to their third world cup win last year. Now, the so-called little magician. taking his talents to Magic City. Sam Brock, NBC News, Miami. And the people of Miami, I can report, are very, very exciting. More headlines from the sports world when we come back. The Summer Olympics, just one year away. Our team in Paris, including Keir Simmons, with what to watch.

Stay with us. Back now with the Paris Olympics. It's hard to believe, but they are almost here. We're about a little more than a year away until next summer when the Paris Olympics kick off. and the stakes could not be higher, right? Both on and off the field. The games are said to be the first post-COVID worldwide pandemic, and tension still running high between protesters and the country's president.

Keir Simmons is there and explains it all for us. Tonight's Paris preparing to welcome the world. With just over a year until the Olympics, the famous chancelises getting a makeover. Many events held at iconic locations, archery at Laus en Valides, the new sport of breakdancing at Place de la Concorde, beach volleyball, under the Eiffel Tower. And for the first time, an open-air opening ceremony along the river. Benjamin and his sister Sarah own a boat that will take part.

This opening ceremony on the river with your boat and other boats never happened. Never, never, never, never, never. How special is that? It's just amazing for us. More than 10,000 athletes will compete in the games. We're going to rock the boat. We're going to have the left side jump and then the right side jump. You're going to have the biggest party.

And the Eiffel Tower will be at the center of it all. You'll get a spectacular view of the opening ceremony from here, starting from behind Notre Dame Cathedral in the distance there, 160 boats carrying thousands of athletes along the sand. Paris has spent more than a billion dollars cleaning up the river and says it's now safe for swimming events. This will be the first post-COVID games, while tensions are escalating in France with protests against. the president. We know that there are challenges in our society, there are challenges in the world, but let's celebrate sport and the best success of the world. And for Team USA, the excitement is really building now. I'm just excited to come next year and be able to represent our country.

Hoping for sparkling performances in the city of light. Kier Simmons joins us tonight from Paris. Kier, we can just feel that excitement across the Atlantic. I know you're excited. Talk to us about three athletes we should at least start reading up on. Athletes we should start watching now that you think are going to explode in the Olympics. We know, Tom, I like Sidney McLaughlin, who you saw in my piece there, the Team USA sprinter, won gold in Rio, age just 17. A little bit more tricky in Tokyo, but she's been doing really well. I think people are really excited to see what she can do here in Paris, then a name that everyone will recognize,

Katie Ledecki. Now, you won't see her swimming in the sand next year, but I think you will see her in the pool winning more gold medals. A name that, you know, is familiar to so many. She's going to be a star at the Olympics, I think. And then how about the break dancers, Tom? You know, America is the home of breakdancing.

It's where breakdancing was born. There are a lot of good breakdancers around the world these days, including the French, the Japanese. You've got to think that Team USA is going to get some gold medals, some silver medals, some bronze medals in the breakdancing Olympics. I used to be a breakdancing, my friend, when I was a teenager. How about that? Kear, not only do I know that you were a breakdance, or I also know there's a bigger story that involves an injury, which we will maybe save when we're both together in Paris. We can tell the viewers that story, because I know there's a story involving your breakdancing and an injury, but again, we'll say that, we'll call that a tease.

It'll be a tease that we'll see in two summers from now. A embarrassing story. Keir Simmons, for us from the City of Light. You bet. I can't wait. We are so excited. All right, Kier, thank you. And we thank you for watching Top Story Tonight. I'm Tom Yamous in New York.

Stay right there. More news on the way.