Transcripts For WCAU Today 20180215

Announcer from nbc news, this is a special edition of today, Florida School shooting, with Savannah Guthrie and hoda kotb, live from pyeongchang, south korea. Welcome to today on this thursday morning. We are here in olympic park in pyeongchang, south korea, but it goes without saying that our hearts are definitely back home. Theyre back home and our hearts are heavy. Its hard to even imagine that this has happened again. Again. Its happened again. And we want to get right to the latest overnight. The death toll, in a word, is st shootings in american history. At least 14 others were wounded, some of them are in Critical Condition this morning. The suspected gunman is in custody. Officials identifying him as 19yearold nikolas cruz, a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who had recently been expelled. We are also seeing disturbing images recorded and shared by frightened students as they barricaded themselves in classrooms. Thache went through. This is how it looked, how it sounded and how it felt for them. We are going to show you one of those videos now. We should warn you it is disturbing. Holy [ gunfire oh, my god oh, my god [ gunfire ] [ screaming ] theres something about seeing that video that puts you exactly where those kids were. And we cannot become numb to this. We cant. We have complete coverage for you this morning and were going to talk to one of the students who was wounded. We will begin, though, with nbcs Gabe Gutierrez. He is at the scene in parkland, florida. Gabe, good morning. Reporter hoda, good morning. It is so difficult to watch that video. Just a short time ago the suspect was booked into jail and he is now facing 17 counts of premeditated murder. Authorities say the young gunman began his rampage here outside the school killing three people before going inside through School Security killing 12 more, two later died at the hospital. Students and teachers huddled inside classrooms, recording some of the carnage on social media. Some of them didnt know what to make of this at first because they had a fire drill earlier in the day. But unfortunately, this time it was no drill. Lets go reporter these are the unforgettable images of the horror inside the nations latest school massacre. Authorities say the lone gunman, 19yearold nikolas cruz, was a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in parkland, florida. Just after 2 30 wednesday afternoon, investigators say he stormed in with an ar15 rifle and magazines of ammunition. We hear gunshots. Reporter freshman brandon corasco is just 14 and yet he saw the unthinkable. I saw two girls dead next to each other holding hands. There was another body in front of me. There was three on the bathroom door. Reporter s. W. A. T. Teams swarmed the building, racing from one classroom of terrified children to the next. Weve got the patient loaded. Were going to get him out of here. Be advised he is stating there are multiple people shot inside the building. Reporter from students barricaded inside came heartbreaking messages to parents and loved ones. She was sending us texts saying i love you, im sorry, because she didnt think she was going to make it. Reporter overnight the fbi interviewed eyewitnesses including senior julian de costi, he and 15 other students crammed into a closet. I cant run i just had surgery. Im hopping to her. I hear gunshots to my. Reporter as authorities cleared sections of the students were marched out of the building. We didnt know what was going on. Once we saw the students running, i started to think whats happening. Then i heard the gunshots and i was like oh, my god. I just ran. I just hope all the other kids are okay. Oh, my god. Reporter President Trump, not speaking on camera but tweeting my prayers and condolences to the families of the victims. No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an american school. Among the 17 people killed, a football coach. 14 others were injured. Not all of the victims have been identified. Some of these children had no i. D. , they had no they left their backpacks, there were no cell phones. Reporter investigators say the alleged gunman slipped off campus by mixing in with crowds of students. Police tracked him down to a neighboring city and took him into custody about an hour later. No parent should ever have to send their kids to school and have them not return. Reporter Florida Governor rick scott calling this pure evil. Now, there are no classes here for the rest of the week. Today grief counselors will be on hand at a site nearby. Hoda and savannah, it seems like we say this so often now, but this is now among the Deadliest School shootings in u. S. History. That is heart breaking, gabe, thank you. We turn now to a young woman named samantha grady, a junior in that high school. Samantha was hiding in the classroom and was actually grazed by bullets during that shooting. Samantha, good morning. Its good to see your face. Thank you for being with us. Any time. Thank you for having me. Samantha, first, i want to know how youre feeling. I know you did get some Bullet Wounds and i know your best friend was shot right next to you. Yeah. Do you know how shes doing . Have you been able to hear what happened samantha, we are so were so sorry about that, samantha. So sorry. Are you okay, honey . Im okay. Thank you. Were sending love and prayers to you right now. Thank you. Tell us, if you can, what it was what it was like in that classroom during those moments. Did you hear the gunfire first . What happened . Well, i was doing an assignment for my holocaust class. We were like i was typing. I took my phone out because i wanted to show my friend something. And then i heard two shots. My friend pushed me and said, sma sam, and i ran to the left side of the classroom. Thats where there was a big bookshelf. We all kind of huddled there together. We were all like we call clamped really close tightly together and then students in front of me, there was this cabinet. They pushed it in front of them so that it would deter some of the bullets. And the gunman like there was two people in the hallway that i know, and i believe they were shot. And after those two after i heard those two gunshots, then we started running. Then he came for our classroom. So he came after he shot those other two people. Samantha, as i understood it, the door to your classroom was actually locked but he shot through the glass. Is that what happened . Yeah. Yeah. The door was locked thankfully, but like he shot quite a few bullets into the glass and it hit a few people behind me. Yeah. Sometimes you put anything in front of you that you can to try to protect yourself. We are reading that your friend suggested to you just get a book, hold up a book. Yeah. My friend. Tell me about that. She was she was the one who pushed me. And we were running, like we were already situated in the by the bookshelf. Shes like grab a book, grab a book. So i took a book, it was a tiny book, but i held it up. And i believe maybe the book kind of deterred some of the bullets so it didnt hit me so badly, but she was the one who gave me the idea. She definitely helped a lot. Samantha, i know you were able to get out of the school. You went over to where it was safer by the ambulance. At some point you were able to call your parents and see your parents. They must have been so happy to see you. What was that reunion like . Well, when i first left the school, they didnt know anything happened, so i hid behind a truck and i called them. And i made sure i was kind of calm because i didnt want them to go crazy. So after that i after a long story short, i went to the ambulance and then while i was in the ambulance, they rushed down to the school but their phone died so they borrowed someone elses phone and then i told them, im in the ambulance and im on my way to north broward and i will try and come there and then just ask for me, ill tell them your names. Thats what happened. So they rushed there. I was already taken care of, i was already in the hospital bed. They walked in and my dad was really worried. Like it was etched all over his face and my mom, she was like bawling. As you can imagine, it was pretty scary for both of them. Well, you are such a brave, young woman. Just the fact that you were in that classroom, you had the presence of mind to call 911 and youre worried about your parents feelings. Thats what youre thinking about. Tell us what happened when you got home. Were you able to talk it out with your family . Did you feel like discussing it . Well, we did have i mean a lot of people asked actually at the hospital someone came in and they told me talk about it as much as you can so it can get out of your brain and so we dont have like nightmares about it. So whenever the opportunity came, like whenever someone asked, i freely talked about it because i dont want nightmares. And so like my family, we talked about it at the hospital and then we came back. We had discussions. I told them different Little Details that i didnt tell like other people. I told them specific details, and they like it was an intense moment. My whole family like we came together. It was pretty it was bad. But the support was nice. Samantha, you have been through too much, way too much for a young woman your age, but what bravery you showed. Our hearts are with you and were sending you our love. Thank you for being with us. Thank you. Any time. Thank you for having me. Thanks, samantha. As we said, we are now learning more about the suspected shooter. This is new video of 19yearold nikolas cruz. He was arriving at jail this morning. Tom costello has that part of the story. Reporter good morning. Police say the picture thats emerging of the suspect is of a troubled teenager who had a preoccupation with guns. Both of his parents had died. He had been kicked out of the high school last year and then wednesday came to school with a semiautomatic weapon. This morning it appears 19yearold nikolas cruz meticulously planned the attack on his former high school. He had countless magazines, multiple magazines, and at this point we believe he had one ar15 rifle. I dont know if he had a second weapon right now. Reporter his intention, Authorities Say, to cause chaos and kill as many people as possible. He wore a gas mask and smoke grenades. He set off the fire alarm so the kids would come out into the hallways. Reporter investigators say cruz had been expelled from the same school last year for behavioral issues, including threatening other students. According to the miami herald Cruzs Instagram page underscored his love of weapons and contained images of cruz wielding knives and showing off a gun. This morning buzzfeed is reporting the fbi was warned last year about the youtube post from a user named nikolas cruz who wrote im going to be a professional school shooter. According to buzzfeed agents with the bureaus Mississippi Field Office spoke with the person who alerted them back in september and asked to follow up once again after yesterdays shooting. Fellow students say cruz was a socially awkward kid who had a preoccupation with guns. I was in the vocational school, the alternate school. He went ahead and showed me his layout of guns and said how hed shoot them for fun. Hes always been a really crazy kid. I heard some people say one day he would have done this. Unfortunately, i think that was today. Reporter since his mother died in november, cruz has been staying with the family of a friend. A lawyer for the family says this all came as a shock. He was a very mildmannered kid, going through some tough times with losing his mom. Reporter the question for investigators, was anyone aware of what he was planning . Veteran fbi agents and Police Chiefs say the m. O. Is all too common. Oftentimes in these incidents that you have a disenfranchised young man who is really outside just to make a name for himself . Theres multiple motivations. Reporter this morning yet another mass murder at an american school. Yet another heavily armed angry young man determined to kill. This is the 18th School Shooting this year alone. Since the sandy hook massacre in 2012 when 26 were killed, there have been 273 more School Shootings. Fbi profilers say there are signs of danger to look for among a potential shooter. Somebody who is brooding, depressed, disenfranchised from other students, making remarks about others online, maybe drawn to firearms and previous mass murders and almost always, say investigators, there are warning signs on social media if anybody is paying attention. Savannah and hoda, back to you. All right, tom costello. Tom, thank you. As we mentioned, the president tweeted about this. He offered his prayers and condolences and hes tweeting again this morning. Lets go right to nbcs national correspondent, peter alexander, who is at the white house. Peter, good morning. Reporter savannah, good morning to you. A Senior Administration official telling me this morning there is a strong chance that President Trump will publicly address this tragedy at some point today, but for the moment there are no Public Events on his schedule. On wednesday the president didnt make any oncamera remarks. An aide tells me some advisers recommended he Say Something but he opted not to. You talked about him on twitter. Just moments ago literally the president this morning tweeting so many signs that the Florida Shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior. Neighbors and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities again and again. With parkland, three of the top ten deadliest shootings in u. S. History have now happened during President Trumps time in office. Officials here this morning saying since the shooting the president and staff have been speaking directly with Law Enforcement and local leaders, including floridas governor, rick scott. Connecticut senator chris murphy, an outspoken advocate for gun law reform, especially in the wake of the sandy hook massacre, tweeted this. He wrote dont tell me this isnt the appropriate time to debate gun violence. If youre a political leader doing nothing about this slaughter, you are an accomplice. An interesting note here, the school where the shooting occurred is actually about 40 miles away from the president s maralago estate. This morning a Senior Administration official tells me advisers are discussing whether the president might visit the area when hes scheduled to be in florida this weekend. Savannah and hoda. Peter alexander at the white house, thank you. We will of course continue to cover this throughout the morning. But 7 17, we should get our first check of the weather. Good morning, al. Good morning, guys, on a very difficult morning. Well show you whats happening. First of all, weve got foggy conditions stretching from the gulf coast on into northern florida. Sunshine through southern florida. Foggy and wet conditions through the upper ohio and Mississippi River valleys. Snowy through the northern rockies. Record highs in the Central Plains and heavy rain making its way into the southwest. Were going to get to your local forecast c good morning. Im meteorologist bill henley. Lots of clouds and warm air, too. Philadelphia, cloudy, mild, 63 degrees this afternoon. 64 in the suburbs and new jersey. Up to 65 degrees. I think its going to be dry during the day. Theres a chance well see a light shower, maybe even a sprinkle in delaware this afternoon. High of 62. And plenty of clouds in the Lehigh Valley. But into the 60s with a chance of rain returning tonight. And that is your latest weather. Hoda. All right, al, thanks so much. Just ahead well have much more on the investigation and the victims of that tragic shooting in florida. And then we are going to talk to one of the teachers whos being hailed as a hero this morning. She hid her students in a closet as the gunfire rang out. Well talk to her just ahead. First, this is today on nbc. Just ahead from here in south korea, were going to have more of our visit to the dmz, exclusive access to the areas that are rarely seen by the outside world. After your local news and weather. 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Its got the Google Assistant in it, so its super helpful. Watch this hey google, good morning. Gh good morning, claire. Its 52 degrees with a chance of rain, so you might want an umbrella. Oh, thats thoughtful. Itll also read you the news, look up traffic, and tell you. Gh your first meeting is at 9am. And you know how sometimes youre in bed and you cant get out of it until you hear that one song that gh ok, playing your get out of bed playlist. Yeah, it can do that too. Its google home mini, now only 39. 7 26. Im tracy davidson. Starting out with clouds. Well find out whats to come with meteorologist bill henley and the most accurate neighborhood weather forecast. Bill . Fog, too. Camelback, socked in there, too. Thats not the only spot. Seeing thick fog in coatesville. Zero visibility. Its down to a quarter mile, dense fog at pottstown, too. It will take time, but fog will disappear. The temperatures, the cold has disappeared. Doesnt look anything like february. 48 right now in northeast philadelphia. 50 degrees in dover. Well hit the 60s later today. Thanks. Now lets check with Jessica Boyington and first alert traffic for you this morning. Focus on the problem youve been watching for a while. Yeah, a few things happening now. To start, were on the schuylkill expressway. Cameras at girard avenue. Eastbound, huge delays. 56 minutes for the total trip on the eastbound route from the blue route to the vine. To the teens with the crash here and only the righthand shoulder moving through. And closed 73 southbound near 295. Back to you. Fire tore through a twin home in darby this morning spreading to one other house and sending one person to the hospital. Flames broke out after 2 00 a. M. On fern street. Neighbors tell us they helped a woman escape the flames. Red cross is on scene helping people who were forced out of their homes by the fire. Pennsylvanias first medical Marijuana Dispensary opens today in western pennsylvania, another opens in bethlehem and in sellersville and devon on saturday. Join us weekday mornings for nbc10 news today from 4 00 to 7 00 a. M. Im tracy davidson. The today show continues in a moment. Good morning, everybody. 7 30 on a thursday morning. Its the 15th of february, 2018, and its a hard morning, a day when sadly our country is mourning and coming to grips with yet another School Shooting. This time it was parkland, florida, which is near ft. Lauderdale. The 19yearold suspect was taken into custody, into jail earlier this morning where he has now been booked on 17 counts of premeditated murder, 14 others were wounded in that rampage. In a moment we are going to talk to a very brave teacher whose action may have saved some lives. But first, nbcs Tammy Leitner has the latest on the investigation. Tammy, good morning. Reporter good morning, guys. This community is waking up realizing that 17 members of their community are dead. While police are searching the gunmans house trying to find answers as to why this shooter has opened up and fired on this community in yet another deadly School Shooting. Now, this morning we are getting our first look at the shooter, 19yearold nikolas cruz. He has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder. We now know cruz entered the school yesterday just after 2 00 p. M. He had an ar15, multiple magazines. Gunfire rang out. Students took cover running, barricading themselves inside classrooms wherever they could. This went on for more than an hour. Cruz was somehow able to slip outside of the school but not before killing 17 and injuring 14. Police tell us they were able to look at Surveillance Video from the school to determine who cruz was. They located him less than a mile from the school. They picked him up, took him to a nearby hospital and then booked him into the jail. Now, yesterday we spent afternoon speaking with students, teachers and parents. Most of them said that there were warning signs. They tell us that cruz was a troubled individual, that he had shown other students pictures of guns that one day he had even brought bullets to the schools. And so the big question today is could this School Shooting that is now being called one of the deadliest mass School Shootings have been prevented. Guys. All right, tammy, thank you so much. Melissa falkowski teaches journalism at Douglas High School. She hid with 19 students in the closet during the shooting. All of them made it out safely. Melissa, good morning to you. Good morning. I know you had such a long night. Just let us know how youre feeling this morning. Im not really sure. I didnt sleep very well last night. Mostly i just feel grateful that i got to go home to my family when many others didnt get to do that. You had such a presence of mind to get your children and put them in a closet. Was that just instinct . I think that that really speaks to the training that we had. We had a training about a month ago. You know, we talked about these different scenarios and what to do. And so, you know, once we made helicopters, it was very obvious based on the time that it was happening that it wasnt a drill. I just made the decision that that was another layer between us and whoever was the active shooter. And so we just moved into the closet and we were there for a while, until the s. W. A. T. Team came to get us. Melissa, its 19 students and you in a small closet and youre hearing gunfire and helicopters and sirens. I cant imagine what those moments were like. How were the Students Holding up . How were you holding up . I mean we were we were on the opposite side of the building from where the shooting was happening, so we didnt hear any gunfire, but we could hear the helicopters and, you know, the kids, some of them, they were hysterical from moment one. And so its just, you know, trying to keep them calm and telling them that theyre going to be okay and everything is going to be okay. Just knowing that it doesnt really matter like what im feeling in that moment, but they need to be calm and feel like theyre going to be okay. You know, thats my thats my job. I just did my job. You did your job, but i know there was a moment when you called your mom. That must have been heart wrenching. Yeah. My mom actually, she called me. You know, when i picked it up, then in that moment i sort of lost my composure. I told her i was okay but i had to get off the phone because i didnt she needed to know i was okay but the kids needed me to be composed and so, you know, its hard to in that moment to stay composed so i sort of got off the phone with her and then recomposed and carried on. There were so many casualties in this. I was just wondering if you knew any of the students who passed away . Were you close with any of them . You know, they havent really released the names, so i only know kind of what im hearing, you know, through rumors and the grapevine, so i know that there are some former students and current students that i have that may have had siblings that they that they lost in the shooting. I dont think that theres any one of us at the school in this community that isnt going to be affected, know someone whos affected, know a student, know one of the faculty members and feel that sense of loss. Melissa, you did everything right. You did exactly what they told you. You knew the drills, you put the kids in the right place, and yet this happened anyway. So what what message do you have given all that . I just think, you know, ive seen this on tv, we all have, you know, this shooting after shooting. Theres always the same thing is said. Its not the time to talk about gun control. Its not the time. Its time to pray for the families. I just think that that hasnt gotten us anywhere. Here we are and were the latest statistic on school violence. As a society, you know, as americans were failing our children. Were not keeping them safe. Congress is failing us and the government is failing us and something has to be done. Melissa falkowski, a teacher at Douglas High School, as hoda said, melissa, you did it all right yesterday. Thank you for your bravery. Our hearts are with you. Thank you. All right. Lets switch gears now and go to mr. Roker. Hey, al. All right, guys. As we talk about whats happening, as far as our weather is concerned were looking ahead to the weekend. Early saturday low pressure in the southeast brings heavy rain, moderate rain across the region. A secondary storm forms off the southeastern coast and merges, bringing snow with it saturday night, depending on where that storm forms and how far off the coast, we could see heavier snow along the coast. Right now we think the heaviest amounts will be up into parts of coastal connecticut and on into new england. Snowfall amounts about 4 to 6 inches. The rest of the country today heavy rain in the southwest, record highs in the central part of the country, and weve got plenty of sunshine in Central California down into the southwest and a few showers move into the pac good morning. Im meteorologist bill henley. Lots of clouds and warm air, too. Look at these temperatures this afternoon. Philadelphia, cloudy, mild, 63 degrees this afternoon. 64 in the suburbs and new jersey. Up to 65 degrees. I think its going to be dry during the day. Theres a chance well see a light shower, maybe even a sprinkle in delaware this afternoon. High of 62. And plenty of clouds in the Lehigh Valley. But into the 60s with a chance of rain returning tonight. And thats your latest weather. Savannah. All all right, al, thank you so much. When we come back, well turn to the competition here at the Winter Olympics. Mikaela shiffrin, she had a delayed debut but it was worth the wait. She grabs gold overnight. Could it be the first of many for her here in pyeongchang . Were going to catch up with her in a little bit right after this. Im singing in the rain, just singing in the rain what a glorious feeling im happy again, just singing, singing in the rain. Everyone wants to be cthe Cadbury Bunny because only he brings delicious cadbury creme eggs. While others may keep trying, nobunny knows easter better than cadbury. When you said youe, sir. Were at the doctor, but your shirt says you were at a steakhouse. Thats when you know its halfwashed. Add downy odor protect with 24hour odor protection. Downy and its done. Feel like this. Allinone cold symptom relief from tylenol®, the 1 doctor recommended pain relief brand. Tylenol®. Progresso soup with 100 antibiotic and hormone free chicken is perfect for a luxurious trip. 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Proud sponsor of team usa. Welcome back. Were live in south korea, and of course our thoughts remain back home this morning, but we do want to turn our attention to the Winter Olympics and our american athletes who are competing here. Indeed. Todays craig melvin joins us now with the latest. Good morning to you. For the fifth night in a row, team usa struck gold after a string of weather delays, Mikaela Shiffrin making that debut here in pyeongchang and promptly won the giant slalom. Now one of the worlds biggest skiing stars hopes more gold is in her future. Giant slalom gold for Mikaela Shiffrin in pyeongchang. With the fierce winds on the mountain finally settling down, american skier Mikaela Shiffrin blowing the competition away, grabbing gold in the womens giant slalom. After bad weather postponed the event for several days, shiffrin got her first chance at a medal. Finally down goes shiffrin in search of more olympic history here in south korea. After putting up the second fastest time on her first run not the kind of run that she was capable of, but certainly enough to put her in contention. The 22yearold shiffrin glided through gates to a gold medal finish. These games could not set up any better for 22yearold Mikaela Shiffrin. That second run, i really i risked everything that i could. Its an incredible feeling right now. From the top of the mountain to a showdown on the ice, the u. S. Womens hockey team battling what may be their toughest competition, canada. The two teams pushing and shoving each other, mask to mask in a rivalry that dates back two decades. Score 20 scan today. The canadians taking a 20 lead into the third period. The u. S. Quickly scoring a goal of their own. 23 seconds into the third period, the United States is on the board. Then a lastsecond shot leading to a scramble in front of the canadian net. The puck is under there somewhere. The question is did it cross the line. Following a lengthy review by the referees, the answer the americans did not want to hear, no goal. So the game is over. Canada officially wins it 21. And finally, another first for team usa. Married figure skaters alexa and Chris Knierim becoming the only u. S. Pair to execute a quadruple twist in olympic competition. Beautifully done. The duo, who won a bronze in a team event, finished in 15th place in the pairs free skate. They say despite their score, they skated from the heart. We wanted to skate for the 17 children that died in the florida shooting. Today was much more than about us. We had a lot of mistakes, but i think, you know, our motivation was to skate for those who were lost today. As for the overall medal count this morning, norway and germany are still battling for the top spot. The United States is still in fifth. And heres what to watch for today. Mikaela skiing for gold number two in her signature event, the slalom. The mens competition will start with nathan chen, adam rippon and vincent zhou. Medals will be handed out in the always entertaining snowboard cross as well, guys. All right, craig, thank you so much. Lots to look forward to. Coming up, some new insight into north korea as we dur the dmz. First these real energy. Harnessed from the earth. Nature valley. Ifwhat would it say . Ash tag 80 glowing 50 freckles no matter your skin type, all skin deserves gentleness. Thats why dove is sulfate free. The 1 body wash recommended by dermatologists. phone maddie. You have everything you need right inside you. 9 out of 10 u. S. Olympians grew up drinking milk. Its got natural protein and balanced nutrition to help your kids grow strong and milk life. But one blows themisturizer all out of the water. Hydro boost from neutrogena®. With hyaluronic acid to plump skin cells so it bounces back. Neutrogena® us. Its what this country is made of. But right now, our bond is fraying. How do we get back to us . The y fills the gaps. And bridges our divides. Donate to your local y today. Because where theres a y, theres an us. Im going on a targetrun. You need anything . Pers. Toilet paper, cereal. Maybe some chew toys . [ dog barks ] got it get low prices today and every day. Targetrun and done. Which is Breast Cancer metastatthat has spreadr, to other parts of her body. Shes also taking prescription ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor, which is for postmenopausal women with hormone receptorpositive her2 metastatic Breast Cancer as the first hormonal based therapy. Ibrance plus letrozole was significantly more effective at delaying disease progression versus letrozole. Patients taking ibrance can develop low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infections that can lead to death. Before taking ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. Common side effects include low red blood cell and low platelet counts, infections, tiredness, nausea, sore mouth, abnormalities in liver blood tests, diarrhea, hair thinning or loss, vomiting, rash, and loss of appetite. Alice calls it her new normal because a lot has changed, but a lot hasnt. Ask your doctor about ibrance. The 1 prescribed fdaapproved oral Combination Treatment for hr her2 mbc. Theres a Common Thread i see every time im in the field. While this was burning, you were saving other homes. Neighbors helping neighbors and strangers alike. This is what americas about. Sometimes its nice to see all the good thats out there. Bringing folks out, we have seen it in community after community. Coming up, we are going to have the very latest on that tragic School Shooting in florida. This morning, new information on the suspect, the victims and the stories of bravery emerging. Life goes on, yes, life goes on. Ive always wanted to share a special moment with my mom. I think surprising her with a night ski trip would just be the biggest gift i could give her. Lets make that happen. Shes gonna be so excited. Take me where i want to be. Let me dream, oh, let me dream. Fortified. Tored. Replenished. Emerge everyday with emergenc packed with b vitamins, antioxidants, electrolytes plus more vitamin c than 10 oranges. Why not feel this good everyday . Emerge and see. Powerful skincare,s now lightasair a breakthrough moisturizer delightfully whipped for instant absorption feel a lightasair finish in a flash new olay whips ageless discover organic ancient grains, like barley or quinoa. Just add protein and vegetables to create delicious new flavours. New knorr one skillet meals dont just eat, discover. A couple minutes before 8 00. Good morning, im tracy davidson. Lets get to meteorologist bill henley with the most accurate neighborhood weather forecast. Bill . A cloudy day, foggy, too. Temperatures are certainly not cold. Starting off in the 40s. 45 now in philadelphia. Might see a few breaks of sunshine that could really help boost temperatures during the day. 44 degrees right now in the suburbs. This afternoon, mostly cloudy skies, you might see a sprinkle in a few neighborhoods, but you can leave the umbrella at home and the heavy coat, too. Temperatures will warm into the 60s and stay nice and mild when showers return this evening. Thanks. Now lets check the roads with Jessica Boyington. Watching the schuylkill expressway still, and cameras around girard avenue with a crash off into the shoulder. But the delays remain and are worse than last time. Over an hour for what should take you 25 minutes or so from the blue route to the vine. Average speeds into and below the teens, as well, eastbound. Still watching 295, blocked on the southbound side diverting traffic around the scene. This morning weve learned the flu has killed the first person in delaware who didnt have an underlying illness. The 47yearold woman died this week. The Delaware Division of Public Health says the number of flu cases continues to rise. Everything must go today at the holiday inn at the stadium complex in south30 days. You can buy pretty much everything that you can find in a hotel room. And singlegame tickets for the Philadelphia Phillies go on sale today at 9 00 a. M. First home game is april 5th against the florida day mfrom 4. Coming up, high school horror. We hear gunshots like that. A Florida Community reeling after 17 people are killed in a tragic School Shooting. 14 others wounded as new details emerge about the suspected gunman, a 19yearold former student. He had countless magazines. Hes just always been a really crazy kid. I heard people say one day he would have done this. Were live on the scene. Plus, inside the dmz. Thats the north korean guard tower. We take you on an exclusive tour of one of the worlds hot spots, the Demilitarized Zone between north and south korea, as we hear from the soldiers north korea . Right. And that guard post there, that is a north korean guard post and you are being observed at. An skier Mikaela Shiffrin earns her first gold medal of the pyeongchang games, but she says shes not done yet as she looks to defend her title in the slalom. Today, thursday, february 15th, 2018. Welcome back to pyeongchang, south korea, on this thursday. It is 10 00 p. M. Here, 8 00 a. M. Back home. And we want to get right to the news. The very latest on that tragic School Shooting in florida. Survivors are describing how they endured this latest tragedy, and theyre talking about all kinds of warning signs that weve also heard before. Nbcs Gabe Gutierrez is outside the school in parkland, floridaa eo [ trying to find out why the gunman opened fire. Within minutes after the shooting started, s. W. A. T. Teams swarmed Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in fauparkland, florida, racing from one terrified classroom of cld to the next, marching students out of the school with the irbe one tclassmatesay troublemaker. He always talked about guns and stuff like that. So you would say at least to yeah, not at all. I heard some people say that one day he would have done this. Unfortunately, i think that was today. Reporter this morning, Authorities Say cruz carefully planned his attack. He had countless magazines, point we believe he had one ar15 rifle. Reporter florida senator bill nelson says cruz came armed with smoke grenades and a gas mask, all designed to kill as many peoe as possible. We didnt really know what was going on. Once we saw the students running, then i started to think whats happening. Then i heard the gunshots and i was like oh, my god. I just ran. Reporter students barricaded inside sent heartbreaking messages to parents and loved ones. She was sending us texts like saying i love you, im sorry and all that because she didnt think she was going to make it. He was a very mildmannered kid. Reporter since his mother died cruz had been staying with a local family, according to a lawyer for thatnd he said cruz obeyed all the house rules. He lived here without any concerns or issues for almost three months. They are shocked and horrified by the allegations that are being made. Reporter Florida Governor rick scott has a different take. This is just absolutely pure evil. Reporter floridas governor also says that the focus of this investigation a key part of it will be to find out if there were any missed warning signs here. The Florida State attorney general says that the state will today. Hoda. Gabe gutierrez, gabe, thank you. This mass shooting means three of the ten deadliest shootings in modern u. S. History have taken place in just the last five months. Nbcs lester holt is here with us in pyeongchang with more on that. Lester, thats a staggering number. Heres another staggering number, 18. This is the 18th shooting on a School Campus in the United States this year. A tragedy that has unfortunately become disturbingly common. Its an image that should be shocking, but become heartied i shooting, their hands high in the air. Oh, my god [ gunfire ] it happened again wednesday in parkland, florida. The latest shooting taking even more lives than columbine. Now more than 19 years ago. Since then, the tragedies in the small towns where they happened have become just names. Columbine, virginia tech, sandy hook. This town was once voted one of the safest places in america, but in an instant that sense of peace was stolen forever from this idyllic community. And now Douglas High School. Troubling mileposts along a road of unspeakable loss, anguish, and questions we can never seem to truly answer. In this country where the frequency of the shootings makes us all a little less shocked each time, and we are left to simply ask how many, as if any comfort can be found in knowing it is not the most. Its devastating. I never want to its the worst feeling for a parent to go through. Like the communities before it, parkland, florida, was immune to this kind of horror until it wasnt, and the parents and children who would never have to meet in a field or parking lot like this until they did. By now we all know the rituals of these tragedies, the candles, the flowers, the makeshift memorials. Our president s comforting a grieving community and nation. And, yes, the inevitable talk about guns. The third rail of mass murder. No matter how many social media postings or histories we examine for clues, we never quite know why the shooters shoot, but we keep asking in hopes that one day the answer will reveal itself to ending this recurring and uniquely american nightmare. Savannah and hoda, we hear a lot of people say were becoming numb to these things. I hope we are not becoming numb to them. They do happen disturbingly often, but these are real lives, these are families that are impacted and we cant lose sight of that. Lester, thank you so much. I know youll have a lot more tonight on nbc nightly news. And we have much more for you just ahead. Were going to take a turn and get you caught up on whats been happening here at the olympics. But first, these messages. Each unique piece comes to life in the same way. Ands. A messy, sloppy, splattery way. But now shes found a way to keep her receipts tidy, even when nothing else is. Brand vo snap and sort your expenses with quickbooks and find, on average, 4,340 in tax savings. Smarter Business Tools for the worlds hardest workers. Quickbooks. Backing you. If youre anything like me, your todo list just keeps growing. laughs desperately it never stops. Which is why the online financing application at carmax. Com is so convenient. Get some of that finance stuff out of the way from wherever you are, at the doctors office, karate practice or my favorite. Back at the doctors office. Knowing before you go means more quality time sewing a costume for the school play that is not going to look anything like a frog. Just a little headsup, mrs. Davis. Ha ha ha, yay kids i thought i was endorsing hersheys. You are. But this isnt chocolate. Thats right. Its gold. You know how much i like gold. [24k magic plays] you really are fast. Welcome back to today and our coverage of the Winter Olympics from pyeongchang, south korea. Willie geist is in the mountains where all eyes are on a certain skiing star for team usa. Willie, good morning. Good morning, hoda, good morning, savannah. Yeah, Mikaela Shiffrin really had to hate for this one. The race scheduled for monday delayed again and again because of the high winds and the weather up on that mountain. Today she finally got her chance, and it was worth the wait. Way. It looks like shes coming out very aggressive. The american skiing star taking home gold in the giant slalom after strong winds had postponed the race. To be able to put down a run that was really taking risks and fighting for it. Im so happy for that. Shiffrins first run, a good one, positioning her 0. 2 seconds behind the leader. With all eyes on her second and final trip down the mountain, the 22yearold taking a deep breath. Skier having a shot at dethroning the american. And giant slalom gold for Mikaela Shiffrin in pyeongchang. For shiffrin, a quick turnaround. Confirming to nbc she will not race in the superg saturday, which would have made it three Straight Days of racing. Instead, putting into her signature event later today, the slalom. Shell attempt to defend her 2014 gold medal. We had these races postponed and the Mental Energy were spending just trying to be race ready every day. We had this race boost, a littl meanwhile a heavyweight showdown in womens ice hockey. The United States and canada facing off in a potential preview of the gold medal game. In the second period, canada taking a 20 lead. In the final period, the u. S. Got on the board. Here comes a shot, score with just seconds to go, the u. S. Had a shot to send the game into overtime. And that will do it. But came up just short. No goal. The canadians winning 21. In curling, the american women bouncing back after a tough loss to japan, defeating medal favorite Great Britain to raise their record to 11. Great shot. Were just out there having a good time and being comfortable. It feels good to come out on top of them for sure. In the pairs free skate, husband and wife figure skating duo, alexa and Chris Knierim becoming the First Americans to competition. Beautifully done. But later admitting they took the ice with heavy hearts. Today was much more than about us. Saying the victims of the School Shooting in south florida were on their minds. Our motivation was to skate for those who were lost on the minds of a lot of the american athletes here in pyeongchang. Lets take a look at the medal board right now as it stands. Norway and germany battling near the top with team usa in fifth place for the moment. They still got a lot of opportunity to make up that ground. The schedule today, Mikaela Shiffrin skiing her signature event backtoback days on the slopes for her. Shell be in the slalom. Figure skating, the Mens Short Program featuring 18yearold american phenom nathan chen and womens snowboard cross. So, guys, Mikaela Shiffrin had to wait about a week to get up on the hill and now well see her in consecutive days here in pyeongchang. Its going to be good. Yeah, the wait didnt seem to affect her performance. And now to more on Mikaela Shiffrin and her golden debut at these games. Keir simmons was there, he talked to her. Hes with us this morning. Hi, ikaela shiffrin now is. At the last olympics she came fifth in the giant slalom. Today as willie said, she took the gold, and its not even her best event. Yet, she still admits even today she had to battle to stay confident. With breat run in the giant sla today to win a second gold medal in just two olympics. Giant slalom gold for Mikaela Shiffrin in pyeongchang. Her battle, she says, with the mountain and inside her own head. I risked everything that i could. Its an incredible feeling right now. Did you have any doubts in the starting gate . Just talk me down. You were worried even then . I am always having doubts. Every minute i have a million feelings of doubt but also have a million feelings of confidence and inspiration. Mikaela feeling the pressure, becoming at 18 the youngest ever olympic slalom champion and americas skiing sweetheart. The expectation building after 41 world cup wins since the sochi games in russia. For sure i thought maybe i cant do it. What if i cant. And then i thought, well, who cares . The biggest thing is that you have to try. Her family, especially mom eileen, a vital source of support teaching her to ski at a young age. Her dad embracing her after this mornings race. I was trying to watch your dad and watch you. He was so calm all the way down. At the end he leapt up and was hugging everyone around. When you have the option, always watch my dad. Were you nervous . No. You didnt look nervous. Was i excited . Yes. You looked excited. I was. Congratulations. Thank you. Appreciate it. And what about your mom, what did your mom say to you just before the race . Before she was talking to me about some technical things with my skiing and also saying like you can do this. So, you know, dont back off. And theres now another support in her life. Mikaela interpreti interrupting this mornings interviews to climb over two gates. We just watched you climb over two gates to hug him. Hes not just support, hes one of my favorite gs skiers so its like a twoedge sword. Hes my boyfriend and i love him but im also in awe of him a bit. Mikaela shiffrin. But now the worlds attention very much on her, poised to break more records. She could be thewoman, to win backtoback gold medals in slalom. And again, shes in the slalom tonight. That is her signature event, as willie said. So she may say that she has doubts, but theres no doubt that her eyes are firmly fixed on more medals. Shes on top of the world right now, winning gold and in love. Yeah, shes quite the hurdler. Thats right. Right in the middle of those interviews, she just climbed over those fences, got to him, gave him a big hug, climbed back again. Hes a french guy and i think we may be hearing more of him. A french guy. She said shes in awe of him. She won the gold medal today. I bet hes in awe of her too. Keir, thank you so much. Now to something we always look forward to and always need. Hoda, do you have an olympic boost . Its been a long and emotional journey for figure skate skate er sevchenko. She has won five World Championships but never won an olympic gold. Today alongside her partner, bruno masso, she did just that. The couple earned the highest score ever recorded. That combined with their Short Program won the germans a gold. Youve got to check out the reaction when they found out. At the end of this long journey in her fifth olympics, she wins a gold medal. Oh, my word. Look at that outpouring of emotion. Its joy, its 20 years in the making. She won bronze in 2010 and 2014. But youve got to win an olympic gold that was decades in the making. Oh, shes going to be reliving that moment for a long, long time. She had all of the feels, as the millenials say. Al, whats going on . Lets check your weather. First of all, show you what weve got happening starting with the radar. You can see a lot of wet weather making its way through the outhwest, some snow in the norther rockies and wet weather in the ohio river valley. Temperaturewise eastern twothirds of the country and down through the gulf coast were looking at temperatures in the 80s and 70s throughout a good portion of that part of the country. But much chillier through the plains. Afternoon highs today as we look at sky conditions, we do expect some light snow making its way through the northern plains. Record highs in the central part up oe country, foggy along the good morning. Im meteorologist, bill henley. Lots of clouds and plenty of warm air, too. Look at these temperatures this afternoon. Philadelphia, cloudy and mild, 63 degrees this afternoon. 64 in the suburbs of new jersey. Up to 65 degrees. I think it will be dry during the day. Theres a chance we will see a light shower, maybe a sprinkle in delaware with a high of 62. Plenty of clouds in Lehigh Valley into the 60s with a chance of rain returning tonight. Have a great day and thats your latest weather. Guys. All right, al, thank you so much. And look whos here to say hello to us, four women who represent team usa in bobsledding. They are getting ready to compete next week. Jamie groupel poser, Elana Meyers Taylor and olympic rookie lauren gibbs is in the house too. How are you guys doing . Great, how are you . Hows the waiting . Your event hasnt happened yet, how are you feeling . Mixed emotions. Weve been having hufun hanging out and watching our friends compete but now were anticipating our time. You guys posted a cute pic on valentines day. Is it nice having your husband here . Yes, its awesome. To go out and see shaun white win halfpipe, what greater valentines day. Look how cute you two are. You seem like youre having fun, youre not sitting around stressing out. Youre taking in the olympic experience. Im taking selfies. Selfies everywhere. Youre the rookie, lauren, how does that feel . Im 33 and at the olympics for the first time. Its everything i could have imagined and more. Are you guys getting to meet the other athletes and do a little hang . Yeah. No, go ahead. Thats the fun part about living the village. You get to meet so many other athletes from our own team as well as other countries, so its been fun to mingle. We have two teams here. You seem tight, but when push comes to shove, pun intended, you are going to have to compete against each other. Is there a rivalry there or is it just like were all on the same team . Well, its been a great dynamic. You know, we are the best team in the world, team usa in bobsled, because we have such great athletes and because we push each other to be our best. We have to Work Together. Our sled is like 365 pounds, you cant move that thing by yourself so we all Work Together to get everything done. At the end of the day we do have two teams competing for gold. And weve seen a double gold medal in bobsled before. Exactly. Youre optimistic. So what happens, because your event is next week. We talked about the waiting. Do you get to practice . We know youre having fun. How are you spending your time . But this is serious business. Get your game face on. Were doing our lifting and running and sprinting off the ice. We had four runs before opening ceremony. Well get back on ice on the 17th before competition starts on the 20th. Who are you eyeballing as your competition . Who is it . Besides jamie is like i know where you sleep. Yeah, we all live in the same apartment, so we have a lot of fun. What about the nigerian bobsled team, how cool is that . Its pretty cool. The driver for nigeria, we were high school rivals growing up. We used to battle out in track and field and to see us now compete together in Winter Olympics is crazy. We love it. Well we love you guys. May the best team win. You guys are already winners. Thank you so much. Come back and see us. Good luck, guys. Thank you. Weve got a lot more ahead on a busy thursday morning, including our rare access to areas of the dmz between north korea and south korea. Few people get to see it. But first on a thursday morning, a check of your local news, your weather and these messages. When you wake up, its where you turn. Welcome to today. And its the start of a big and busy day. To find understanding. [child yells]. Hope, a smile. [woman laughs] welcome to all the possibilities the morning can bring. Welcome to today. Good morning. Im rosemary connors. A few minutes before 8 30 o this thursday. Lets look at our forecast with meteorologist. A bit foggy. A little foggy, you can see at the stadium. Still looking at zero visibility in coatesville, improving now in pottstown and pocono mountains. Fog is starting to disappear. The fog will be out of the picture as temperatures climb. They are already warm. Near 50 degrees in northeast philadelphia, 51 in dover and expecting temperatures in the 60s today. All right. Jessica keeping an eye on the roads. What are you seeing . We are seeing a crash all morning long on route 73 on the southbound side. This is our camera from the 295 side. Just near that area here diverting traffic and causing huge delays and newcastle on 95 northbound because of a crash near 141. This morning, new jersey governor will make an announcement about the transit. New comments showing the Transit Agency is having a difficult time making the fleet run on schedule. You can watch those comments live on the nbc10 app. A medical Marijuana Dispensary opening in western pennsylvania will be the first to deliver the drug to the state. Others will be developing patients through the weekend and in sellersville it opens saturday and bethlehem. Back to today. [narrator] look around. If our world isnt stuck in the past, why is Higher Education . We say, if theres a better path, you should take it. And when there isnt, well, you know where im going with that. Dont do things by the book if the book cant keep up. Take your page from one that hasnt been written. We took two renowned universities, including a premiere medical school, and created a Single University that defies convention. At jefferson, were making modern look old and making old look new and making sure new is not enough. Were adding more weight to your degrees and more meaning to your careers, going where others wouldnt dare, making connections few think to make, and setting tomorrows standards by breaking todays, because we believe the lines that are drawn are meant to be crossed. Thats where the future is born. And once you realize youre not limited to whats possible, guess what . You redefine all that will be. And good morning, everybody it is 10 30 at night, 8 30 back home in the usa. And were so happy to be out here amongst all these team usa fans, members of team usa. Weve got people from all around the world right here. Happy birthday, hannah. And well help you get to know this region were in a little bit better. Well have our trip to the dmz, the exclusive sights and sounds as we got access to that border area between north and south korea. Plus from the big city of seoul to a remote island, south korea has a Little Something for everybody and well highlight the most popular Tourist Attractions if the olympics have you dreaming about coming to visit here. But first its so pleasant out here. It really is. The wind is not that cold. I wish id gone with you on that trip because i need to get my license reviewed. Al was like how was the dmv . She saw harvey levin there. Anyway, ill show you whats going on as far as your weather is concerned. We look ahead toward the weekend. Tomorrow very mild but wet, Midatlantic States back into the gulf coast. Sharper cooler in the plains. More snow making its way into the pacific northwest. On saturday we are looking for snow overnight in the northeast. Heavy rain, possibly flooding down through the central gulf. The mild weather continues in the southwest. Snowy and wet in the pacific northwest. Sunday, sunday, sunshine along the east coast, warming up in the plains. Heavy snow in the northern plains. Hoda is telling me to wish a happy 90th birthday. Thatsright. Th at good morning. Im meteorologist, bill henley. Warm and mild. Cloudy and mild, 63 degrees this afternoon. 64 in the suburbs in new jersey, up to 65 degrees. I think it will be dry during the day. Theres a chance we will see a slight shower, maybe a sprinkle in delaware, high of 62. Into the 60s with a chance of rain returning tonight. Have a great day. And thats your latest weather. Guys. Al, that was perfection. All right, savannah shared some of her visit to the dmz on wednesday. And theres more you want to share today. Thats right. As you know, the dmz, the Demilitarized Zone between north and south korea, its about 40 miles from here where we are. U. S. Army colonel steven lee gave us an exclusive tour of this special shared area of the dmz where soldiers from both nations stand guard just feet apart. Its called the joint security area. We were given rare access to places reporters have not seen in years. The tour begins on the Southern Side with a rare look out from the balcony of the freedom house. Thats the north korean guard tower . Yes. Theyll also be looking at us from that building right here. North korean guard tower. Do you think theyre looking at us right now . Im sure they are. Its unusual to have people up here on this balcony. Sure enough north korean binoculars peek at us through a window. We then head back down and out to the plaza. Welcome. This is the place where dialogue between the United Nations command and the north korean army. In front of you in between the two blue buildings is a concrete slab. That separates north korea and south korea and that is called the milar demarcation forces from bothh korea stan head into one of the u. N. Buildings. Welcome to building t2. This building has been decades. This is where the North Koreans are supposed to regularly meet with u. N. Command, but they havent sat down at these conference tables in nine years. The microphones that you see on the table here, they denote the military demarcation line, the line that actually separates north korea and south korea. This is the border . E a few steps border, ye im standing in now youre in north korea. Im in north korea. Yes. Wow. Does it ever just hit you how kind of surreal it is . Yeah. You know, thats one of the things that we have to overcome every day. Like you said, sort of surreal that theyre that close to the North Koreans but the important thing is they have to constantly be vigilant and be ready, no matter what happens. We then head to a hillside checkpoint and take in a panoramic view of one of the most dangerous countries in the world. On three sides youre going to be surrounded by north korea. This is all north korea . Right. And that guard post there, that is a north korean guard post and you are being observed at this point. Observed indeed. Our cameras grabbing their attention. A north korean soldier briefly steps out for a closer look. Straight ahead where that big north korean flag is flying is a north korean propaganda village. That is a huge flag pole. It is. Its considered one of the biggest in the world. But again, no one really lives there. Pretty much a prop clearly hear music drifting over from the north korean side. Why are they playing that music . So its not just music. But also they broadcast their propaganda to our side, part of psychological operations if you will. And the south Korean Military on the front lines are authorized to play our own music to help drown that out. So when you play something back, what do you play from the south korean side . So sometimes its anything from what you probably heard korean popular music to just very generic news about the world. Finally, we drive down to the socalled bridge of no return. Crew members walked in single file across thethe sailors from captured ship, the uss alone to close, for good reason as it turns out. So back in august 2016 we observed the North Koreans putting some land mines on the other side. Thats why youve got that big yellow sign there now. If it went off now, we would hear it but its not going to hurt us. But they recently are putting land mines right there. Right. So we dont want to get any closer. No, no. A stark reminder that this last bastion of the cold war is as hot as ever. Wow. So fascinating and surreal is the word that keeps popping into mind when youre there, because youre so close yet so far. Our two countries obviously are literally trading nuclear threats, and yet this dmz, there are public tours. People come to see you can buy a dmz button at the souvenir shop. I bought two. Sorry, ai i didnt knowhat oka one for well have to go back. Well go back. So tourism i the north korea give tours on their side too. Mostly its people from other countries who want who come to north korea and want to see the dmz. On one hand you hear about the land mines and on the other hand you hear about the wh strange. Theres the propaganda village, which is a fake village, nobody lives there. They have a humongous flag pole, they blair north korean propaganda and our side is authorized to play stuff back, kpop. How was the land mine worry . It was real. They dont let people out of that bus. They did let us out but the colonel kept saying dont walk off the road. Dont walk off the road because the land mines from the korean war and the North Koreans are still up to it, still putting land mines there. And see eyeballing the people with the binoculars. I have to give a shoutout to our camera operator, kyle. Hes been to the dmz 15 or 20 times. I didnt see it when we were there. He noticed the North Koreans checking it out. Wow, that was great. Coming up, something you have got to see, youre going to freak when you see this story. Keir dives in with south koreas modern day mermaids. Mermaids . Yes, there are mermaids. But first, this is today on nbc. I was in my third tour in iraq when my vehicle was hit by an ied. I looked down and i knew i was out of the fight. That, yeah, i might have been knocked down, but im up, and im honored to be able to represent the flag. Comcast is grateful to all who have served our country, and were proud to bring the 2018 olympic and Paralympic Winter Games home to everyone. And welcome back to pyeongchang. Keir simmons has joined us. Hes been eating, singing, even meditating his way around town. And he is back you are backh a Remarkable Group of women who do these crazy like free dives. Thats right. For treasures. Thats right. We all have daughters. Were all looking for those examples of proud powerful women to tell our daughters about. Well, how about this. They are known as women of the sea. Some of them even are called modern mermaids of korea. The story behind this group of amazing women is just simply inspiring. At the southernmost tip of south korea, a tiny island populated by a powerful female clan known as the henyo or women of the mo without air tanks holding their breath for up to two minutes at a time. These women collect sea weed, shellfish and octopus from the sea bed. A local photographer broht here to meet one extraordinary family who follow a tradition that goes back hundreds of years. At 41, kim is the youngest on the island. All year round she, her mother and aunt dive together in these treacherous waters. How dangerous is it . Translator if youre thinking, its really dangerous. Last year one woman was swept away. Is there a risk from sharks . Translator yes, a lot. A lot of sharks . Translator yes. With a handful of sea weed, kim demonstrates how to keep the mask from fogging and the whistling that helps the their breathing. Few get the chance to dive with the henio. To start with, i wasnt very good. With a little help from my friends, i began to get the hang of it. I just got one. Keep working she says. Stop talking, keep working. This is a tough living. The women having a saying, one breath, one shellfish. I want people know about henio. They have been documenting these amazing women in a book of extraordinary photographs. Shes 94. 94. This is kims grandmother. After 80 years, she still dives almost every day. As night falls, its time to cook up the catch. Is this the octopus that you caught today . We saw you grabbing it out of the rock. The words of the song are why was i born. The life of a henio is so hard and the water is so calm. To the henio. Henio but at dawn, another day brings another dive. Aspirin to thin the blood, chewing gum in the ears to protect against the pressure, secrets that may one day be forgotten, their daughters lured to more modern careers. Only four and a half thousand are left in the whole of korea. How long do you hope this tradition continues for . Just keep going, she says. Just keep going. And were here celebrating olympic athletes, these are olympic level athletes. They are extraordinary. 94 . Shes 94. Thats amazing. You saw the shot of her going down and grabbing an octopus. They dont have oxygen. If that octopus grabs onto something and her, shes stuck. Thats how dangerous it is. Incredible the way they just grab that. Ill tell you a secret. The shellfish that i caught, they kind of put them there. They salted the sea for you . Just a little bit. You still did it. Thats impressive. And you worry about whether youre going to get back up again. Youre down. Youre thinking how high is it, do i have enough breath left. Youre brave you have the greatest job in the world. Brave and honest. Coming up next, a mustsee place to visit in south korea if the olympics have inspired you to plan a trip here. First, this is today on nbc. We are loving our time here in south korea. If the olympics have you dreaming about maybe visiting this place, we do have just the thing. Thats right. We have just the person, contributing editor at traveler with mustsees for visitors. Five of them. Five amazing places. Are they in any particular order . We can take them in an order. Okay. How about seoul, obviously big city, lots to see. The place really the thing you want to see in seoul is like the forbidden city for beijing or versailles for paris, its the palace. You can go inside. Theres amazing history. 143acre gardens, beautiful secret garden out back you have to book a tour of. How far is that from the actual city of seoul . Its right in the city so its very accessible. Lets talk about if we want some Traditional Old School korean culture, you say theres something we should visit called bookchong hanok village. Thats pretty good. That was good. Well done. Its basically a bit like the west village in new york. Imagine an old neighborhood, very historic, near the palace built initially as imperial housing for wealthy people. Fell into a little disrepair and has boomed with lovely boutiques, restaurants. People still live there so its a living part of seoul but history as well. And do you have to know the language . Because weve been Walking Around and sometimes i wonder, we have people who are helping us with that, but do you think a tourist could warned arounder a enjoy . Instead of saying do you speak english, you can say im sorry, i dont speak korean and thats a really good open. What about the marketplaces, the oldest marketplace in seoul . I love that you asked this. You read my mind. This is guangjung. If you want to try all those delicious korean tidbits, which is like a fritatta or maybe live squid, which will still be squirming keir tasted it, right . You have to chew really carefully to make sure that it goes down. But its very fresh. Have you done that . I would. Lets go outside the city for a second. The island that a lot of people call south koreas hawaii. We were just there with the mermaids. But if youre not going to go free diving, if thats a little too much, its like a honeymoon destination. Its a volcanic island like hawaii, 360 volcanos, but it is idyllic. You cant fail. It looks buceautiful. There is a place for foodies if youre into the gourmet. Jeongju. If youve ever tried bibimbop which is basically the worlds best leftovers, its where it was invented. Youve got to have it. Youve got to have the version which is like a guacamole pot but its cooked in a stone pot and crisps up like paella and its basically like the best kind of foods all in a single bowl. I love it. Thank you for this tour. Yes. Exactly. Thank you so much, mark, glad to have you with us here. Were back in a moment. This is today on nbc. We are back with a look at the olympic cauldron, the olympic flame burning brightly on day eight of these games. We have a lot of great events coming up this evening. Big night in primetime. We have the mens figure skating, so nathan chen, the quad king. And Mikaela Shiffrin. Kaela shiffrin will be here. Megyn kelly is coming up next. Before that lets take a look at these images. When you wake up, its where you turn. Welcome to today. And its the start of a big and busy day. To find understanding. [child yells]. Hope, a smile. [woman laughs] welcome to all the possibilities the morning can bring. Welcome to today. Nbc10 news starts now. Good morning. Im rosemary connors. Its a few minutes before 9 00 on this thursday, dreary day out there but it is warm. Meteorologist, bill henley is tracking it all in the neighborhood forecast. Bill. Itphiladelphia, and low 50s for millville. Temperatures are climbing and we will see them warm into the 60s this afternoon. Mostly cloudy, yes. We could get breaks in sunshine. If woe e do, temperatures go higher. Better chance of showers and we could see showers return this evening. Same trouble spot, jess . Aim trouble spot all morning wrong, a pedestrian at maple shade. I was just looking a second ago. This is causing huge delays on secondary roads all around here and the turnpike because people cant get off the ramp. Waverley avenue h Single Game Tickets for the phillies go on sale in a few minutes at 9 00. First time home game april 5th, against the florida marlins. Triplea p for regular unleaded because of the rising cost of crude oil. Right now, theyre paying an average of 2. 85 a gallon. Nbc10 is your home for the Winter Olympics. You will find the top five moments to look out for today on our app. Megyn kelly is next and i will see you right back here at 11 00. Good morning, er im megyn kelly. We begin today with yet another mass shooting in america. Yet againtnd Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in florida, and that number may yet rise. The latest in a shameful string of School Shootings in our country. Nbcs gabescene. The School Superintendent tells me that the gunman showed up here by taking an uber car, shot peoe outside the school, then went inside the school, shot and killed 12