Nightly News Full Episode - Aug. 27

Tonight, the school children praying in the middle of mass when a gunman opened fire on their church. The deadly shooting during the first week of school in Minneapolis. At least two students being called angels tonight, killed and 17 injured, including other children and parishioners in their 80s. The shooter fired through stained glass windows during a morning mass. Kids hiding under pews from gunfire. You'll hear from a fifth grader describing how the friend who protected him ended up being shot. Police identifying the lone shooter. Investigators still working to determine a motive. The arsenal that shooter carried and what appears to be the sketch of a church that was in what police call a disturbing manifesto, partially written in another language. The FBI now investigating this as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime. And I'll talk to the mayor of Minneapolis the moment he arrived to the school and his emotional promise to the parents who lost their children. Also breaking tonight, the CDC director just fired barely a month on the job with the agency under heavy pressure and scrutiny. Why now? And will more follow. The new video as rescuers save a pilot whose plane started sinking following a crash landing on the ocean. Tonight, you'll hear from the first responders who rescued him. And the time capsule sealed and buried by Princess Diana from 1991 now unveiled what was inside. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas. And good evening. They were there to start a new year of school. They were there to pray. And when a gunman started shooting through the stained glass windows during mass, dozens of kids took cover under the pews of their sanctuary. Tonight in Minneapolis, two children are dead as well as the gunman who injured 17 more. Kids as young as six and adults in their 80s. The stories coming in paint a scene of absolute horror and nothing can describe what happened inside Annunciation Catholic School with greater clarity than a 10-year-old boy named Weston in his first week of the fifth grade. I think I got like gunpowder on my neck. Yeah. When you heard the shots, what went through your head? I was like, the first one, I was like, what is that? I thought it was just something and then I heard it again. I just ran under the pew and then I covered my head. My friend Victor like saved me though because he laid on top of me, but he got hit. Your friend laid on top of you? Yeah. And he got hit. Is this something that you've practiced before? Yeah, we practice it like every month or I don't know. But yeah, we've never practiced it in the church though. Only in school. So it was way different. Was your mom super happy to see you? Yeah. Give you a big hug? Mm-hmm. What was that hug like? I just felt like relieved, kinda. Yeah. I was very happy. A fifth grader describing a church shooting. In a moment, we'll hear more about the suspect police are calling a coward tonight and the FBI's announcement that this will be a domestic terrorism investigation. We have uncovered online postings investigators call disturbing. They include lengthy videos and elaborate plans and even this right here, a sketch of a church. And we've just learned an important new detail. The shooter's mother had a connection with that very church where the shooting took place. And we'll also talk with Minneapolis' mayor about his message to the parents who lost their precious children. We start tonight with Shaquille Brewster on the ground in Minneapolis. Minneapolis grieving tonight after a morning of horror. They pulled over in a hurry, got out of the car, screaming, asking where their kids are. A shooter opening fire on children at Annunciation Catholic School during a morning worship service marking the first week of school. Dozens of students were inside the church. Two young children, ages eight and 10, were killed where they sat in the pews. 17 others, mostly children, were rushed to the hospital, parents frantically racing to the scene. This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible. Police say the gunfire started just before 8.30 a.m. local time when the 23-year-old shooter wearing black approached the church armed with a shotgun, rifle, and pistol. After using a two-by-four to block two of the exits, they say the shooter fired dozens of shots through the church windows and toward children sitting in the pews using all three weapons. The coward that shot these victims took his own life in the rear of the church. That coward has been identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman. No prior criminal history. 10-year-old Weston Halsney was hiding inside the church. I was like two seats away from the stained glass windows. So they were like, the shots were like right next to me. I just ran under the pew and then I covered my head. My friend Victor like saved me though because he laid on top of me, but he got hit. Your friend laid on top of you? Yeah, and he got hit. Is this something that you've practiced before? Yeah, we practice it like every month or I don't know, but yeah, we've never practiced it in the church though, only in school. Weston says his friend was taken to the hospital. He's really brave and I hope he's good in the hospital. Tonight, Vice President Vance calling Weston a very brave little boy. President Trump ordering flags to be flown at half staff after speaking with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on the phone offering condolences. It's my strongest desire that no state, no community, no school ever experiences a day like this. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frye outraged. Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. The school's principal emotional. I love you. You're so brave. Within seconds of this situation beginning, our teachers were heroes. Heroes of all ages stepping up in the wake of an unspeakable tragedy. I did cry my kids. I know seeing the parents there, not as fortunate as these, so. And with that, Shaquille Brees joins us tonight live. Shaq, this shooting at a Catholic school in the middle of a mass sending shockwaves around the world. That's right, Tom. And you're even hearing comments from Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. He's saying he was profoundly saddened by this shooting, also sending his condolences. Meanwhile, the Minneapolis community is starting to grieve with three separate vigils scheduled for later this evening. Tom. All right, Shaq, we thank you for that. Let's talk about the investigation to this horrific shooting now. Police identifying the shooter and saying they're poring over disturbing videos posted just before the massacre. Plus, we have new reporting about the shooter's connection to that very church. Here's Maggie Vespa. Tonight, we're learning more about the killer who went on that twisted rampage, gunning down children as they prayed in their church pews. Police identifying the shooter as 23-year-old Robin Westman with no criminal history. At this stage, we believe that the shooter had acted alone. There is no indication of other suspects directly involved in carrying out this attack. Police say they're executing search warrants at four locations tied to the shooter. As to the weapons used to perpetrate this horrific attack, there was a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol. All three had been lawfully purchased by the shooter. The FBI saying it's investigating the mass shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics. According to court documents obtained by NBC News, the shooter was granted a legal name change to Robin in 2020. The document saying Westman identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification. Her mother appeared to sign those documents. Police say before carrying out the massacre, Robin Westman posted a series of disturbing videos. We're also aware of a manifesto that the shooter had timed to be released on YouTube. This manifesto appeared to show him at the scene and included some disturbing writings. One video showing a handwritten floor plan of a church and several weapons. On one of them, a message threatening to kill President Trump, plus many anti-Semitic slogans and references to the Catholic Church. Police say they have not identified a motive but are studying those videos. It's been taken down and our investigators are going through that to try and develop a motive from that. Maggie joins us now and Maggie, police still don't know a motive but we have late reporting tonight that there is a connection between the shooter and that Catholic Church. Yeah, Tom, that's right. It appears the shooter's mother used to work here. The Church of Annunciation posting on Facebook back in 2021 congratulating Mary Grace Westman on her retirement after five years here. NBC News has reached out to her as well as other family members of the shooter. So far, no response. Tom. Maggie Vespa with that new reporting tonight. And joining us now is Minneapolis' Mayor Jacob Fry. Mayor, I am so sorry for what you and your community are going through right now. I can't imagine that type of trauma. When you first got that call, what did you think? You first get these calls, you don't know exactly what to think because you don't have all of the information. And then as the information reveals itself, what's clear is that it's an unspeakable tragedy. We obviously need thoughts and prayers, but good Lord, we need a whole hell of a lot more than thoughts and prayers. The kids impacted were literally praying at the time of this tragic and horrible shooting. As I was running up, I saw dads and moms that were terrified, didn't know where their kids were. Didn't know whether they were hurt or not. And that's what's so horrific in all of this is there are these just beautiful commonplace rituals that you should be able to engage in on a daily basis and know that your kid is gonna get home safely. As the principle of annunciation said, two angels lost their lives today. I'm not sure if you had a chance to speak to their parents just yet, but what is your message to those parents tonight? We have a whole Minneapolis family that will be there for you. We're gonna wrap our arms around you. We will do everything possible to help. We are so deeply sorry for your loss. And at the same time, none of these words are gonna make it better. How many times have people said something like this should never happen again? And I'm about to say it myself. It's gotta be action. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frye right there, and we're gonna have much more on this shooting later in the broadcast. But right now, we do wanna turn to Tumult at the CDC as the Department of Health and Human Services announces the director of the CDC is out. Anne Thompson is with us now. And Anne, you have some late-breaking details here. Do we know what happened? Tom, it is a mess. HHS says Susan Menard is out as director of the CDC, but her attorneys say she has not resigned and has not received notification from the White House that she has been fired. In a statement, her attorneys also say that she refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directors, and fire dedicated health experts. NBC News is also reporting that four other top CDC leaders are resigning. Menard, who was appointed by President Trump, spent just a few weeks in office, weeks that were marked by that horrific shooting at the Atlanta headquarters. Tom, back to you. All right, Anne Thompson on that breaking news. Anne, we thank you. We turn now to the Darien Water Rescue in North Carolina. Officials releasing drone video, first responders saving a pilot from this plane after it crashed into the ocean. Jesse Kerr spoke with the men who made the rescue and has that incredible video. Harrowing moments when this single-engine airplane crashed into the Atlantic. Newly released video showing the moment firefighters pulled pilot Mark Finkelstein out of the plane's windshield feet first earlier this month. I was just reaching around, trying to go in there and see if there was anybody in the plane. First responders Chris Dunham, Chad Buccello, and Austin Lancaster say the pilot was trapped, but still breathing, thanks to a pocket of air in the back of the cabin. They cleared a wire from around Finkelstein's leg and got him to the surface in less than 30 seconds, with only a small cut on his leg. Rolled him over, and that's when he opened his eyes and took a breath and was talking to us. The frightening scene unfolded August 2nd. Authorities say Finkelstein's small plane began experiencing engine failure. Unable to get back to the airport, they say Finkelstein saw the beach was crowded and decided to make an emergency water landing. What does it mean to you that someone going through this kind of distress made the conscious decision to avoid a crowded area? You know, it's wonderful. I'm happy he thought that way, because there's no telling what the outcome would have been if he would have landed on the beach. Instead, that splashed out, with firefighters reacting immediately. There's zero hesitation. We all took oath to save life and property, and that's what we're gonna do. Jesse Kirsch, NBC News. Amazing he made it out alive. All right, we're gonna be right back with our series, The Cost of Denial. Two brothers with the same deadly genetic disorder, one approved for a groundbreaking gene therapy treatment, the other denied, and their parents left asking why. Tonight in our series, The Cost of Denial, two brothers with the same genetic disorder, both seeking the same gene therapy. Their insurance company approved the treatment for one boy, but then just a little while later, denied the other. Here again tonight is Maggie Vespa. Ready, go. Chicago area dad, William Small, strives to care for his three sons equally, but says he and his wife, Allison, can't. Your insurance company is denying one son. The same treatment your other son has received and seems to be thriving after receiving. Yes, it's baffling. It's the exact same diagnosis. That diagnosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, a genetic disorder that progressively attacks a person's muscles. Experts say most are in a wheelchair around 12 and don't live to see 30. Parents all the time think about like, oh, when my kid goes to high school or college or gets married. You can't dream about those things. Yeah, you can't dream about them. Noah and Hunter Small, now nine and 10, were diagnosed as toddlers. Only their oldest brother, Carter, doesn't have it. Doctors telling Allison she had passed DMD down as a carrier. A lot of guilt, but I had no idea. So, I mean, I just, I had no idea. Hunter may look healthy, but his legs are failing. His larger calf muscles layered with scar tissue as DMD attacks. How does it make you feel? Tired a lot. It makes you feel tired a lot? After doing what kinds of things? Sports. But these days, Noah is having an easier time, able to pedal alongside Carter. At least I got the medicine. You got the medicine. Yeah. He's talking about a state-of-the-art gene therapy shown to slow DMD's progress. Known as a Levitas, it costs $3.2 million. Noah received the treatment earlier this year covered by the family's insurance provider, Blue Cross Blue Shield's Federal Employee Program. The family initially hesitated with Hunter, whose DMD had been causing heart issues, but doctors soon signed off only to have Blue Cross Blue Shield deny Hunter's coverage twice, listing the treatment as not medically necessary. What are the details of that? What are the specifics? But you get none. It's very frustrating. Citing patient privacy, Blue Cross Blue Shield declined to discuss the brothers' specific cases, but said its decisions are guided by nationwide best practices for care, helping to identify what has proven successful for members in the past. A Levitas has been under scrutiny, with the FDA in June announcing two boys had died after getting it, though when they received the treatment, their DMD was so far along, they already could no longer walk. A physician herself, Allison, understands the risks, but argues DMD already guarantees an early death. Their only hope, to pray for a cure and stall the disease while their sons can still walk, run, even swim. Hunter is declining. We don't have days, weeks, months to wait. We need this done as soon as possible. Do you feel like your insurance company is wasting that precious time? Yes. Yes. With this process? Yes. Yes. And you're watching your son deteriorate before our eyes? He did. Maggie Vesca, NBC News, Winnetka, Illinois. And when we return, what was inside a Princess Diana time capsule left in a hospital wall in the 90s? The blast from the past, next. Welcome back, a California man accused of killing his wife and fleeing the U.S. with their children has been charged with murder after he turned himself in in Peru. 36-year-old Josimar Cabrera-Cornejo was caught on camera dragging a large bag. His wife was later found dead in Angeles National Forest. It comes after their three children were found safe and taken into protective custody. And check this out, a time capsule that was sealed by Princess Diana 34 years ago has been opened. It was placed inside the wall of a London hospital back in 1991, and it had a bunch of stuff from the 90s in there, including an early pocket TV, a solar power calculator, and a Kylie Minogue CD. Okay, when we come back, a moving postcard from Minneapolis and our Joe Fryer. Finally tonight, we wanna return to Minneapolis, a city shattered tonight. Our own Joe Fryer knows that city and that community so well, and he tells us hope remains. In this South Minneapolis neighborhood, Annunciation Church has deep roots with the first mass celebrated more than 100 years ago. It's a very close-knit neighborhood. Which is why the anguish felt here is echoing down every single block. My heart goes out to all the Annunciation families, all of us that know all those families. When Annunciation's school year began Monday, the theme was a future filled with hope, words inspired by scripture, Jeremiah chapter 29, words then shattered by reality. There's nothing about today that can fill us with hope. And yet the school's values, like be kind and be brave, were on full display in their darkest hour. My friend Victor saved me though, because he laid on top of me, but he got hit. You're really brave, you know that? Yeah. Bravery from the kids and from the adults who protected those kids. This is a nightmare, but we call our staff the dream team, and we will recover from this. We will rebuild from this. Despite everything, their faith still guides them to see a future filled with hope. Joe Fryer, NBC News. Joe Fryer, reflecting on that community he knows so well. That's nightly news for this Wednesday. I'm Tom Yamas. We thank you so much for watching. Tonight and always, we're here for you. Good night. We thank you for watching, and remember, stay updated on breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or watch live on our YouTube channel.