Saturday, October 17, 2026

0:00This episode is brought to you by WHOOP, the wearable health and fitness coach that gives you personalized insights into your sleep, recovery, strain, stress, stress, and overall health. so you can finish summer feeling more aware of what you're capable of. With Whoop, you can better understand how your body is responding to travel, training, late nights, warmer weather, and packed weekends. It helps you see what's supporting your energy in recovery and what might be holding you back. Visit join.whoop.com slash SiriusXM. This holiday, all plans, even unlimited, are just$15 a month. A holiday deal this good obviously deserves an enormously expensive holiday song, like All I Want.

0:38Right. Okay, we can afford that. You know what? Forget the music budget. We're going to stick with whatever's in the public domain. Give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of$45 for three months,$90 for six months, or$180 for a 12-month plan required. $15 per month equivalent. Taxes and fees extra. New customer offer for initial plan term only. Greater than 50 gigabytes may slow when network is busy. See terms. This is NBC Nightly News with Jose Diaz-Balart. Good evening. We begin tonight with the investigation into that deadly shooting at an Oregon elementary school. You can see here as police returned to the suspect's home earlier today, searching for clues into why the 16-year-old opened fire at his former school, killing three children and a teacher.

1:21Tonight, in a new interview, this next-door neighbor tells us the suspect seemed like a normal teenager, but heard loud arguments coming from inside his family's apartment. This, as the community mourns the victims. Children aged 5, 8, and 11, as well as a 25-year-old teacher. Liz Kreutz is covering it all for us tonight. Tonight, we're learning more about the victims of the deadly school shooting in a special needs classroom at Silver Rail Elementary. This has been a terrifying and traumatic experience. Officials confirming 5-year-old Rome Summer among the victims, his parent calling Thursday, the worst day of my life.

1:5925-year-old teacher and volleyball coach Megan Lambert also died, according to police. Those who know her describing her as funny, opinionated, and selfless. She was just truly the most loving, kind soul you could have ever been blessed to know. Authorities say an 8 - and 11-year-old also died, and a 7-year-old was injured, along with 54-year-old teacher Becky Drury, both recovering in the hospital. Meanwhile, investigators back at the home of the 16-year-old gunman, identified by Ben Police as Griffin J. John II. What was he like? Seems like just a normal dude. Drew Bernstein lives in the same apartment complex where the shooter lived with his mother.

2:40He says he often heard loud arguments next door. Like my other neighbors, I don't hear a whole lot. So it was kind of notable to hear almost weekly, biweekly arguments coming from their house. But again, I just kind of put it up to family stress. Officials say the gunman had been a special needs student at the school. When he was 10, he was part of this news story where his mother said he was struggling learning from home during COVID. I'm not certified in teaching, you know, a special needs student. And so I think that it'll be great for my son to get back in there and get the help that he needs.

3:18Tonight, questions about whether his mother could face charges for her son's actions. Law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation tell NBC News the long gun the teen used had been purchased by her in August. Former prosecutor Bracken McKee says while Oregon does not have a specific criminal law meant to punish parents of school shooters, if investigators find she ignored signs, she could potentially face a manslaughter charge. If a parent was aware of and ignored a substantial and unjustifiable risk that this result might occur, then they could also be responsible for that crime. NBC News has reached out to the gunman's mom.

3:55She tells The New York Times her son was a good boy and that if I could have prevented this, I would have. Liz Kreutz joins me now from the memorial outside Silver Rail Elementary in Bend. And Liz, there's still no sense of a motive here tonight. Yeah, Jose, that's right. Investigators are going to be looking at the gunman's internet history, any social media posts or text messages to try to get a sense of why he may have done that. The community here is just desperate for answers. You can see this growing memorial here. The district here has announced that schools across the district are going to reopen now on Wednesday, but Silver Rail Elementary remains closed until further notice.

4:33Jose. Liz Kreutz in Bend, Oregon. Thank you. And now to some breaking news that we're following out of France, where organized protests across the country have now descended into violence and looting. Demonstrators in Paris were seen clashing with police all over the French capital, lighting fires, defacing statues and taking part in widespread looting. This emergency vehicle sat ablaze. On the iconic Place de la République, hundreds of protesters squared off with police who fired water cannons as well as tear gas. Watch as the explosions send demonstrators fleeing.

5:12At the old port of Marseille, protesters shot fireworks in the direction of police and set fire to this local business. Firefighters rushing to put out the flames. And take a look at this. This is in the city of Limoges. The roof of the town's historic city hall, totally engulfed in flames, eventually collapsing. Protests were originally about the rising cost of living and the poor conditions at some of the nation's schools. The protests have been spreading beyond France's borders today. Demonstrators took the streets in Milan, bottling police in front of the Duomo, throwing things at police officers.

5:52French officials say more than 1 ,000 people have been arrested. Hundreds of officers have been injured. And now to the hero captain of that Fly Dubai plane speaking out about the attack and the co-pilot now in custody that nearly brought the plane down. Here's Danielle Hammamjian. Tonight, the view from inside the cockpit. New details from the first casualty of Fly Dubai 1073. Captain Smith Machar himself, who's still recovering in hospital. Looking back at this moment, no, I would not say there was anything suspicious. Leading up to that moment, he says, his Omani co-pilot, Hamamel Hamami, who he'd never flown with, had returned from the lavatory and asked the off-duty pilot who'd been chatting with Machar to leave the cockpit so he could pray.

6:42Suddenly there was a very hard hit at the back of my head. My first thought was, OK, there is something which has broken from the aircraft roof and it has been a catastrophic damage. He says he turned around and realized what had just happened. El-Hamami had attacked him with an axe and, according to authorities in the UAE, was intent on seizing control of the plane and flight into Israel's main airport. Machar says within seconds of the attack, he lost part of his vision. I told myself that, do something, you can't die like this. Incredibly, he managed to reach the switch to open the cockpit door, but would then drift in and out of consciousness.

7:29No sleep, don't sleep. By then, there were screams throughout the cabin as passengers saw blood and the aircraft began to plummet. Everyone in the world did the best in their capacity to save the day. Danielle Hamamjian, NBC News. Pope Leo is back at the Vatican tonight, released from the hospital earlier today after surgery for lung cancer. Anne Thompson joins me now from the Vatican. And Anne, we saw the Pope appearing in good spirits and we'll hear from him for the first time since that surgery tomorrow. We will, Jose. In fact, he will offer a prayer and give a blessing right behind me, marking the end to one of the most unsettling weeks in Pope Leo's papacy.

8:11The 71-year-old leader of the Catholic Church smiled and waved as he walked out of that Rome hospital where he underwent lung cancer surgery. He thanked the medical staff who removed the lower lobe of his right lung, and he stopped to talk to a Ukrainian teenager who liked the Pope as a cancer survivor. Yesterday, he called Russian President Vladimir Putin to propose a ceasefire so food and medicine can be delivered to a besieged Ukrainian city. The pope's surgeon says the operation was routine and he sees no reason why the pope can't go through with that planned trip to South America. Jose? To California now and the dangerous fire threat there.

8:51Hot, dry conditions combined with high winds whipped up a wildfire destroying several homes. Dana Griffin has the latest. Tonight, an up-close look at the devastation caused by a ferocious wildfire that consumed multiple homes in Southern California. Here in San Juan Capistrano, smoldering memories of what once stood. File cabinets, tables, and a bed frame. The fire raced across this hillside, burning four homes nearby. Surprisingly, this one is still standing, showing just how quickly and unpredictable fires can spread. The Norte Fire igniting just before noon Friday. Rapidly exploding in size.

9:33Hundreds of firefighters in an intense battle to contain the blaze. This is the view from inside a fire helicopter. It was a long, arduous fight. Basically, it was hot out here, wind-driven fire. They were doing everything they could to protect their home. North of Los Angeles in Santa Clarita, winds gusting around 50 miles an hour, toppling a massive tree across four lanes of traffic onto this vehicle. We hear it and we feel it. And this lady was inside with her car. Thankfully, she wasn't on the right lane because if she was on the right lane, she would have been toast. Authorities telling us one person was taken to a hospital and this tree snapping out of Los Angeles County Middle School.

10:14Officials say more than a dozen children hurt, 12 with minor and one with moderate injuries. Jose, here at the Norte Fire, some families are being let back into their homes as crews work to restore power. Jose? Dana Griffith, thank you. And now to the midterm elections, where the war in Ukraine, the rising price of gas and the November elections are all converging on the campaign trail. Yamiche Alcindor reports. Tonight, President Trump rallying his base in Kentucky in a critical push to the midterms. So we got to get out and vote. And if we do, we're going to win in a landslide. But not discussing his major move overnight, announcing economic relief for Russia, with the president signing an order exempting the Kremlin from sweeping new sanctions passed just weeks ago.

11:02That bipartisan bill named for the late Senator Lindsey Graham taking aim at Russia's biggest buyers of oil and gas as the country forges ahead with its war in Ukraine. President Trump arguing his decision is in the national interest of the United States, while Ukraine's president calls the move wrong, saying it only helps the Russians. President Trump's order also drawing quick backlash from some Republicans. I fully understand the need to get oil and diesel prices down, and we want to do that, but not at the expense of putting money in the pocket of Vladimir Putin. Last week, the president announced a deal with Russia to release Russian diesel into the global market as the war with Iran drives up fuel prices.

11:47We could be there a little bit longer. When it ends, your gas prices are going down to lower than what they were before. High costs, top of mind for voters here in Kentucky. Everything's pretty high, expensive gas prices, food prices. So hoping to bring those down a little bit, I think. And across the country today, people rallying at anti-Trump no-kings protests, urging Americans to vote in the midterms, with early voting already underway in some states. Annie Amish joins me now from Kentucky. And just a day after we saw the new White House press secretary leave her job, President Trump is now pushing back on reports saying his chief of staff might leave the administration too?

12:33That's right. Today in a phone interview with NBC News, President Trump defended White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, saying she's done a great job and plans to remain with him until the end. Jose? Yamiche Alcindor, thank you. Still ahead tonight, the massive 12-foot alligator captured after a man was attacked and killed by a gator in Florida.

12:56My name is Annie Elise, a.k.a. your true crime BFF and host of the podcast Seriallessly. Now, I have been a true crime enthusiast forever, but I wished that somebody would break down the cases for me like a friend, giving me all the details, discussing every twist and turn. So I decided to create a podcast that does just that. Serial Sly with Annie Elise is topping the charts with over 6 million weekly downloads. I do the deep dives in these cases so you don't have to, diving into all the raw details, saying what we all are thinking, and doing it in a conversational way, just like you're talking with your best friend.

13:29So join me and let's talk all things true crime. Serialistly with Annie Elise. New episodes every single week. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube. If you like YouTube, you'll love YouTube Premium. It's destroying athlete, creator, and YouTube Maxer. YouTube Premium enhances how I use YouTube with awesome features like offline downloads so I can download my favorite training videos before I hit the gym. So no Wi-Fi doesn't turn leg day into loading day. Plus, I get ad-free videos, background play, and so much more. YouTube Premium is like YouTube got some extra gains. Try YouTube Premium for two months free at youtube.com slash premium.

14:06Trial eligibility varies. Terms apply. Cancel anytime. Still waiting in line? Again? That's time you'll never get back. Save time and money with Stamps.com. Over 4 million businesses have skipped the line with Stamps.com. Join them to save up to 90 % off carrier rates from your computer or phone right now. Print postage for certified mail, registered mail, and packages in seconds. Then schedule a pickup right from your home or office. For a limited time, go to stamps.com and use code podcast for a free welcome gift. Taxes and fees apply. Now to Florida where a man was dragged into the water and killed by an alligator.

14:45Here's George Solis. The staggering scene at a Florida lake after a deadly alligator attack. Watch as the large alligator is wrangled from the water and onto land outside Orlando. A team of wildlife officers dragging the roughly 12-foot creature, its powerful jaw, open. Here, you can see as it's secured shut. Authorities say it's the same gator that attacked and killed 71-year-old Stephen Hamilton, who was fishing at a retention pond near the lake Friday. They saw one individual that was possibly grabbed by an alligator and pulled into the water. It has not resurfaced. A short time later, wildlife trappers killing the alligator they believe was responsible.

15:27That was the alligator being dispatched. Removed as a danger to the public. Fire officials say active alligators in the area got in the way of rescue efforts. We do, however, have alligators that are confirmed in the vicinity of the body. Connor Kelly, who occasionally fished alongside Hamilton, heartbroken. It instantly just devastated. My stomach dropped because I was so worried that it was Steve. He was a very kind man, very relatable. Florida wildlife officials say alligator attacks are rare and typically occur as gators search for food or protect their nests. It looks like it's docile. It looks like your Florida emblem, but it can be dangerous.

16:07Tonight, the investigation into the tragedy at the lake is ongoing. George Solis, NBC News. My name is Annie Elise, aka your true crime BFF and host of the podcast Seriallessly. Now, I have been a true crime enthusiast forever, but I wished that somebody would break down the cases for me like a friend, giving me all the details, discussing every twist and turn. So I decided to create a podcast that does just that. Seriallessly with Annie Elise is topping the charts with over 6 million weekly downloads. I do the deep dives in these cases, so you don't have to, diving into all the raw details, saying what we all are thinking, and doing it in a conversational way, just like you're talking with your best friend.

16:46So join me and let's talk all things true crime. Serialistly with Annie Elise. New episodes every single week. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube. If you like YouTube, you'll love YouTube Premium. It's destroying athlete, creator, and YouTube Maxer. YouTube Premium enhances how I use YouTube with awesome features like offline downloads so I can download my favorite training videos before I hit the gym. So no Wi-Fi doesn't turn leg day into loading day. Plus, I get ad-free videos, background play, and so much more. YouTube Premium is like YouTube got some extra gains. Try YouTube Premium for two months free at youtube.com slash premium.

17:23Trial eligibility varies. Terms apply. Cancel anytime. To every clinician finishing notes at 9 p.m., there is a faster way. Whisperflow is a voice-to-text app. You talk, it types in your EHR, your email, anywhere you type. Say the progress note, the referral letter, the patient instructions, and it comes out clean and formatted with your terminology spelled right. Four times faster than typing and HIPAA ready. Whisperflow is free. Get it at whisperflow.ai. That's W-I-S-P-R flow dot A-I.

18:01There's good news tonight. So often the good news doesn't get as much attention as the bad. So every Saturday, we highlight the many people who spread joy and love. And these are just some of those stories this week. Let's win an NBA Finals! Come on! For eight-year-old Hudson Butcher, the upcoming NBA season will be a slam dunk. A lifelong Utah Jazz fan, now the ultimate hype man. Come on! Let's go, Jazz! Sending an encouraging message to his team. You can win an NBA Finals if you work together. Okay? But when the team saw it. We need the energy, dog.

18:45He went to the team scrimmage. Meeting his favorite players. Celebrating the season with them. We all think that we have the best fan base in the league. We said all the time, Huston is an example of that. Dr. Yackel, we have a little surprise for you. For Professor John Yackel, one birthday gift just isn't enough.

19:18Student after student. Surprising their beloved art education teacher with new neckties. They showed me their compassionate, loving hearts. They all have the heart of a teacher, and it was just so heartwarming to know that. But these aren't just gifts. We did a lesson about colors and creatures under the sea. So look closely at this one. You see, like, whales and starfish. They have specific designs that tie into the lessons he worked on with his students. He's just like the epitome of what I want to be like as a teacher. He's just the sweetest man in the world and he encourages us every day. But like every work of art, these ties needed a finishing touch.

20:03The students' signatures, turning these ties into a masterpiece.

20:11And this is the heart of Prosper, Texas on full display. The whole town rallying together to support six-year-old Olivia Kuntz as she battles cancer. Olivia couldn't attend this year's homecoming parade. So everyone decided to bring it to her. From the high school band, to the cheerleaders, and even her classmates, all of them, marching by to put a smile on her face. For Olivia's parents, Katie and Joe, that support meant the world. Katie, what is it that made you emotional? Just knowing how many people wanted to support us and support Olivia was really comforting and just made me cry. A reminder of the power of kindness and community.

21:04How much did that have to do with how one keeps going? Yeah, I think it's something to know that you're not in this alone. People can pour out love and support, again, even when they don't even know the individual person. But it's because of the goodness in their heart. They want to help a little girl, which is so cool to see. And hi, Olivia. That's NBC Nightly News for this Saturday. The great Hallie Jackson will be here tomorrow night. I'm Jose Diaz-Balart. Thank you for the privilege of your time and good night.

21:41My name is Annie Elise, a.k.a. your true crime BFF and host of the podcast Serialesly. Now, I have been a true crime enthusiast forever, but I wished that somebody would break down the cases for me like a friend, giving me all the details, discussing every twist and turn. So I decided to create a podcast that does just that. Serialesly with Annie Elise is topping the charts with over 6 million weekly downloads. I do the deep dives in these cases so you don't have to, diving into all the raw details, saying what we all are thinking, and doing it in a conversational way, just like you're talking with your best friend.

22:14So join me and let's talk all things true crime. Serialistly with Annie Elise. New episodes every single week. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube.