Nightly news begins right now. Announcer from nbc news World Headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. Good evening. We have reported so many senseless acts of violence but never have we seen tun fold on Live Television as we did in roanoke virginia this morning. Two young journalists murdered and a woman they were interviewing injured in a hail of bullets by a man with a gun in one hand and a rolling video camera in the other. Anyone who saw it live or later on the internet has been left shaken to the core. And yes, it hits close to home. Were going to be very careful about what images we show you tonight as we take you through what happened, describe the killers twisted social media postings and tell you about the lives he took or left shattered. Lets begin with nbcs hallie jackson. Reporter a Live Television interview that started like any other ended in horror. Gunshots, screams, then silence. The broadcast quickly cutting to a stunned anchor. Okay. Not sure what happened there. We will of course let you know as soon as we find out what those sounds were from. Reporter hurt in the shooting, vicki gardner. She survived. 24yearold Alison Parker, the reporter, and her photographer, 27yearold adam ward, did not. Were all in a state of shock here. You can hear people behind us in the newsroom crying. Reporter wards camera capturing this final image of the shooter, gun in hand. My fellow employee said thats it, thats him, thats vester. Reporter vester flanagan, a former reporter at the tv station, wbdj 7, known on air as bryce williams. The suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous. Use caution. Reporter in the hours that followed a chaotic manhunt to find flanagan. Police first tracking his ford mustang to the roanoke regional airport, then using a license plate tracker spotting him in a chevy sonic in northern virginia. As officers pursue flanagan he appears to post messages and even videos of the shooting to his social media pages showing how close he got to the journalists. Nbc news is not airing his videos. By 11 30, with Police Closing in he drives off the road and shoots himself. First responders take him to a d. C. Area hospital where hes pronounced dead at 1 30. Sheriff, why do you think the suspect did this . What was the motive for this shooting . Im not sure. Were looking into that. Its obvious that there was this gentleman disturbed in some way of the way things had transpired at some point in his life. It would appear things were spiraling out of control. Reporter now abc news is reporting it received a 23page fax from someone claiming to be flanagan two hours after the shooting complaining of racism and bullying, referencing shoot athz columbine, Virginia Tech, and in charleston. The Church Shooting was the tipping point, he writes, but my anger has been building steadily. Ive been a human powder keg for a while, just waiting to go boom. Flanagan had been fired from wbdj 7 two years ago taking the news so badly police had to be called. He was sort of looking out for people to say things that he could take offense to. And eventually, after many incidents of his anger coming to the fore, we dismissed him. Reporter nbc news has obtained Court Documents showing adam ward, one of the victims, videotaped part of flanagans violent outburst the day he was fired. For investigators here this hits home. The local sheriff had been watching this mornings broadcast when the shooting happened and had just been interviewed by alison and adam a few weeks ago. Lester . Hallie jackson tonight, thanks. We are learning a lot more about these two young victims killed. Many of the details coming from their coworkers, friends, and loved ones who watched in horror, then somehow found the strength to report on a tragedy involving their own. Nbcs Stephanie Gosk has that story. Reporter Alison Parker and adam ward were a team, working together every morning. If i walked into the office in the morning and the first person i saw was either adam or alison, i got a smile on my face because they were always that way. Hey, everyone. Im Alison Parker. Reporter they were both virginia natives, both former interns at wbdj 7, and both found love at work. Alisons boyfriend of nine months, chris hurst, is an anchor at the station. They had just moved into this apartment together. She wanted to do journalism that mattered, journalism that made people stand up and take notice, and she had already done that in her short time at channel 7. Reporter in a Facebook Post he said hes numb and called alison the most radiant woman i ever met, and for some reason she loved me back. Alison had just turned 24. A rising star at the station who loved the outdoors and theater. When i was younger, i wanted to either become a doctor or become a pharmacist. But as a journalist i get to cover those types of fields. So its close enough. Reporter she joined wbdj 7 in 2014. This was her first broadcast. Thank you so much for waking up with me in advance. Reporter adam ward was 27. A Virginia Tech grad and huge hokies fan. In salem, adam ward, news 7 sports. Reporter he was engaged to the stations morning producer, melissa ott, who was watching at the station live. Shes of course trying to text him, trying to get through to him. Everybody trying to reach adam, trying to reach adam. Reporter today was supposed to be a celebration. It was his fiances last day of work at the station. Shed taken a new job in charlotte, and adam planned to follow soon. Were in shock, were devastated, weve been crying, weve been hugging. Reporter the third victim, 61yearold chamber of commerce member vicki gardner, is in stable condition tonight at the hospital. A Community Leader who is passionate about her job. If there is a glimmer of good news, it looks like vicki is going to be out of the woods. Reporter a growing memorial at this station in shock remembering two of their own. Wbdj went live tonight at 5 00 like it always does. The general manager says they will tell their story the best. But inside the newsroom they are struggling to understand how they went from the ones who normally cover tragic events to suddenly becoming the victims of one themselves. Lester . All right, stephanie, thank you. What happened today was unlike anything so many of us can remember. A murder on live tv. The video almost immediately surfacing online and then compounded by shocking videos of the incident from the killer himself, posted on social media while he was on the run. So many people now trying to come to grips with what they saw and where we as a society draw the line. Nbcs Anne Thompson on a shared national trauma. Reporter as shocking as this angle was of todays shooting, it is this perspective, the shooters perspective, that horrified social media. Were only showing you a freeze frame. Vester flanagan wore a camera when he shot his former colleagues and posted the video on twitter and facebook. It was just utterly terr terrorizing, paralyzing, chilling. Reporter one of the many who watched it, Washington Post media critic eric wemple. As twisted as tt sounds, social media savvy on the part of this killer. That is a terrible, terrible thing to consider. Reporter instantly on twitter users demanded the video be taken down. Stephanie haberman writing, do not retweet. Do not touch. Go hug someone you love instead. Is that e best way to police this . No. We constantly struggle with the reality of something thats been posted. Unfortunately, this video was true. Reporter twitter and other platforms pulled the video down. Facebook saying the page and profile violated its community standards, which prohibits celebrating any crimes posters have committed. Social media is a reflection of who we are. And sometimes thats not a very flattering picture. Reporter magnified by technology, this is the latest workplace homicide. Between 1997 and 2010 there were almost 900 committed by a coworker or former coworker. The difference this time is we could see it. Anne thompson, nbc news, new york. There is a lot of other news to tell you about tonight, including a major surge on wall street. Stocks bounced back in a big way after wildly plunging for several days. The dow finished up 619 points. The third biggest point gain ever. Nasdaq and the s p up as well. Cnbcs sue herea joins us now. Sue, a different day, a very different outcome. But itm struck by the fact not much changed with what caused this volatility. Why the turnaround today . I think the only thing thats changed, lester, is wall street feels a little more reassured that china is more concerned about its stock market plunge and its slowing economy. They made some moves overnight to lower Interest Rates and give the bankz little bit more money, and that really reassured wall street that theyre taking the situation in their country seriously. The buying came in. It was still volatile today. But i get the sense that they feel a little bit better about the Global Economy at this point. All right. Sue herera. Thank you. Believe it or not, a hurricane hasnt hit the state of florida in nearly ten years, but tonight we are monitoring a gathering storm in the caribbean. Tropical storm erika with the Sunshine State in its sights. Dylan dreyer is tracking erika. What are we looking at here . It is a bigger storm, so it is going to hold together as it remains in Tropical Storm force as it moves through the caribbean over the weekend. But it is forecast to strengthen into at least a category 1 hurricane by the time it approaches florida on monday. Now, keep in mind the computer models are still all over the place. If it aches a more southerly track this is a much bigger story for puerto rico, but were learning toward a more central track, which takes it toward florida and could produce hurricaneforce winds and as much as seven inches of rain to the east coast of florida. Its also possible it could take this more mothererly track that would sit this storm over the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean for a longer period of time, meaning it could strengthen into an Even Stronger storm. So the entire southeast coast from North Carolina to florida needs to monitor this storm. Lester . All right, dylan, thank you. To politics now, and donald trump defending himself after tensions between the republican frontrunner and spanishlanguage media exploded during an appearance in iowa. The heated confrontation leaving trump defiant in an interview with nbc news. Our katy tur has the story. Reporter donald trump against the world, again. Defending this sit down. Sit down. Reporter this morning on today. Do you embrace the term bully, donald, when it comes to your dealings with the press . Im not a bully. In fact, i think its just the opposite way. Im not a bully. You saw that last night. This man gets up and starts ranting and raving. Reporter the latest man to draw the donalds anger, univisions jorge ramos, who tried to force trump to engage him on immigration. Go back to univision. Reporter a trump security man escorted the Spanish Language anchor from the News Conference as trump painted himself as the victim. Hes obviously a very emotional person. Reporter it was another instance of combative trump, provoked and provoking. From mexico and undocumented immigrants to john mccain, lindsey graham, megyn kelly, and jeb bush. And in between reengaging his adversaries on twitter. What is the strategy behind the twitter fights . Why not the which . The twitter fights. The latenight tweeting about megyn kelly or lindsey graham. Takes two seconds. You do a couple of tweets. Because when people treat me unfairly i dont let them forget it. And maybe we should have more of that in this country. Reporter his constant attacks are a dilemma for candidates trying to figure out how to respond effectively. One conservative writer at redstate. Com put it this way watching donald trump speak and answer questions is like watching a billion targets appear in the sky all at once. It becomes impossible to know which target to lock on to. How do you go at him . Very difficult. Its hard to grab somebody whos all over the place all the time. Reporter ramos was ultimately let back into that press conference and asked donald trump what he would do, or how he would deport all those 11 million undocumented immigrants. A question that trump avoided answering for a solid five minutes. Tomorrow hes going to be here in south carolina, a state thats potentially going to keep him off the primary ballot if he doesnt promise to not run as a thirdparty candidate. Lester . All right, katy. Hillary clinton took today the possibility of Vice President joe biden jumping in the race for president. Clinton cut her vacation short to get back on the trail in iowa. She faces slipping poll numbers as well as persistent questions about her use of private email, a private email server while secretary of state. And now potentially a new opponent in biden. I think he has to make what is a very difficult decision for himself and his family and he should have the space and the opportunity to decide what he wants to do. Im going to be running for president regardless. Clinton also said that she takes responsibility for the decision to use a single private email saying that she should have had separate accounts. An emotional day in court in colorado as james holmes was formally sentenced to life in prison without parole for that Movie Theater massacre in 2012. A camera capturing what may be the last time holmes is ever seen in public. Nbcs jacob rascon reports. Reporter judgment day for james holmes finally arrived. The maximum penalty possible. 3,318 years in the department of corrections. Reporter the shooter hardly moved a muscle. The judge rebuked him sharply. It is the courts intention that the defendant never set foot in free society again. Reporter the judge commented that well never know what the shooting victims, as young as 6 years old, might have accomplished if they hadnt been slaughtered. Were very happy with the sentence. We think its our best chance to see the defendant die in our lifetime. Reporter the gunman silent. His mother offered an apology. We are very sorry this tragedy happened and sorry that everyone has suffered so much. Reporter Defense Attorneys will not appeal. Sheriff, get the defendant out of my courtroom, please. Thank you. [ applause ] reporter the sound of closure, or the next best thing. And a mass murderer gone forever. Jacob rascon, nbc news. Still ahead tonight, stuck in traffic . If you think its getting worse where you live, chances are youre right. Staggering new numbers about how much time americans waste in gridlock. Well tell you where it is the worst. Also, going home. The inspiring little boy who won the hearts of so many nightly news viewers. Weve got an amazing update you have to see. Well be back. I was out for a bike ride. I didnt think id have a heart attack. But i did. Im mike, and im very much alive. Now my doctor recommends a bayer aspirin regimen to help prevent another heart attack. Be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. Aspirin regimen. To a mouthwash had to burn. Ink then i went pro with crest prohealth mouthwash. Go pro with crest prohealth. Its formulated to target and kill 99 of germs without the burn of alcohol. So you move to a healthier mouth from day one. Hello. If i want to go up. If i want to go down. Nooo. But, then if i want to come back again. Yes. Its perfect. And there you have it. vo and now through september 13th save hundreds on select tempurpedic mattresses and adjustable bases. Change to tempurpedic. Ugh heartburn other try alkaseltzer heartburn reliefchews. They work fast and dont taste chalky. Mmm. Amazing. I have heartburn. Alkaseltzer heartburn reliefchews. Enjoy the relief. Every Auto Insurance policy has a number. But not every Insurance Company understands the life behind it. Those who have served our nation. Have earned the very best service in return. Usaa. We know what it means to serve. Get an Auto Insurance quote and see why 92 of our members plan to stay for life. Were back now with something that millions of americans experience firsthand as they make the daily commute to work, school, or running errands. The nations roads are more congested than ever. And new numbers out today show that drivers are spending an average of 42 hours each year stuck in traffic. And if youre in some of the nations biggest cities, go ahead and double that number. Heres nbcs tom costello. Northbound at the 5 threecar crash block the number one lane. Reporter its a story of good news bad news on the nationtion roads. While the Great Recession is over, so is the congestion recession. More jobs mean more people, more cars and trucks, fueled by cheap gas round the clock. In suburban washington, d. C. Realtor david giles has learned he has to take a deep breath at the start of his daily commute. The drive is 26 miles each way. What should take 40 minutes instead takes an hour each way. Is there a time of day when the traffic dies down or has this become the norm . This is the norm. Reporter no surprise the washington, d. C. Metro area tops the list of the worst commutes. The average commuter spends 82 hours each year in delays here. Los angeles follows close behind with commuters spending 80 hours in delays. Then san francisco, the new york tristate area, san jose, boston, seattle, chicago, houston, and riverside, california. Taken together, the lost productivity, wasted gasoline, and wear and tear adds up to 160 billion a year, and its not just during the rush hours. Its happening in offpeak periods. So even when we think with trying to avoid the congestion on the peak periods, in the large urban areas theres still congestion out there all day long. Reporter so much traffic the nations highways, roads and bridges are struggling to keep up. Yet Congress Still cant agree on a way to pay for the countrys Transportation System long term. Tom costello, nbc news, falls church, virginia. Were back in a moment with a fiery threat to one of the most revered stages in show business. Toenail fungus . crowd cheers dont hide it. Tackle it with fdaapproved Jublia Jublia is a prescription medicine proven to treat toenail fungus. Use jublia as instructed by your doctor. Once applied, jublia gets to the site of infection by going under. And around the nail. Most common side effects include ingrown toenail, applicationsite redness, itching, swelling, burning or stinging, blisters, and pain. Tackle it ask your doctor if jublia is right for you. Larger size available. Heart healths important. So you may. Take an omega3 supplement. But its the ingredients inside that really matter for heart health. New bayer pro ultra omega3 has two times the concentration of epa and dha as the leading omega3 supplement. New bayer pro ultra omega3. When youre not confident you have complete visibility into your business, it can quickly become the only thing you think about. Thats where at t can help. At ts Innovative Solutions connect machines and people. To keep your internet of things insync, in realtime. Leaving you free to focus on what matters most. Gives you nexium level protection for frequent heartburn all day and all night. Try nexium 24hr, the 1 prescribed acidblocking brand, and get all day, all night protection. Nexium level protection. Is it keeps the food out. For me before those little pieces would get in between my dentures and my gum and it was uncomfortable. Just a few dabs is clinically proven to seal out more food particles. Super poligrip is part of my life now. That reminds me. Anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea. Gas, bloating . Yes one Phillips Colon Health probiotic cap each day helps defend against occasional digestive issues. With three types of good bacteria. Live the regular life. Phillips. We stop arthritis pain, so you dont have to stop. Because you believe in go. Onward. Todays the day. Carpe diem. Tylenol® 8hr arthritis pain has two layers of pain relief. The first is fast. The second lasts all day. We give you your day back. What you do with it is up to you. Tylenol®. An icon of civil rights has died. Amelia Boynton Robinson helped lead the 1965 march in selma. She was badly beaten and gassed on what came to be known as bloody sunday. She later became the first black woman to run for congress in alabama. Earlier this year president obama helped her across the bridge during the 50th anniversary commemorations. Amelia Boynton Robinson was 104 years old. In chicago at least two firefighters were injured battling a threealarm fire that destroyed the offices of the famous second city theater. Those offices are next door and the flames were stopped from spreading to the theater itself. Thats where so many comedy greats from john belushi to tina fey got their starts. When we come back, a big day for the inspiring boy from one of our most popular stories ever. All right. Put him down. Okay. Alking to a rheumatologist about a biologic, this is humira. This is humira helping to relieve my pain and protect my joints from further damage. This is humira helping me reach for more. Doctors have been prescribing humira for more than 10 years. Humira works for many adults. It targets and helps to block a specific source of inflammation that contrubutes to ra symptoms. Humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. Serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. Before treatment, get tested for tb. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if youve had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Talk to your doctor and visit humira. Com this is humira at work. Working on my feet all day gave min my knees. But now, i step on this machine and get my number which matches my dr. Scholls custom fit orthotic inserts. Now i get immediate relief from my foot pain. My knee pain. Find a machine at drscholls. Com you think your car smells fine, but your passengers smell this. Eliminate odors youve gone noseblind to for up to 30 days with the febreze car vent clip break out the febreze, and [inhale exhale mnemonic] breathe happy. As we age, certain nutrients. Longer than ever. Become especially important. From the makers of one a day fiftyplus. New one a day proactive sixtyfive plus. With high potency vitamin b12. And more vitamin d. Kelloggs® frosted. 8 layers of wheat. And one thats sweet. To satisfy the adult. And kid in all of us. Nutritious wheat for the adult youve grown into. And delicious sweet for the kid youll never outgrow. Feed your inner kidult. With frosted miniwheats® and now you could win up to a hundred dollars when you buy any specially marked kelloggs cereal. Its the brand more doctorsose recommend for minor arthritis pain. Plus, just two aleve can last all day. Youd need 6 tylenol arthritis to do that. Aleve. All day strong. Finally, what do you say we end on a story of hope on a day we could certainly use it. An 8yearold boy who connected with so many of you as he made a brave journey that most of us couldnt even imagine. Tonight with his whole life in front of him hes embarking on the next chapter. And heres joe fryer. Okay. Try to open that thumb up. Reporter just a month after making history, zion harvey is taking big steps with his hands. Oh, good squeeze. Reporter hes the first child to ever receive a double hand transplant. A complex procedure that took nearly 11 hours. I hope for somebody to ask me do i want a handshake. And it came true. Okay. Now, squeeze. Whoa. Reporter doctors say right now his brain is probably trying to catch up with his hands. All right. Pretty soon its going to be onehand pass, right . Reporter but slowly hes gaining enough movement and strength to do what most 8yearolds take for granted. He comes down, punching oh reporter it all started when he was just a toddler. Diagnosed with an infection, doctors took his hands and feet in order to spare his life. But not a disease in the world could steal zions infectious spirit. Between the new hands and the prosthetics on his feet, there are now no limits. Oh reporter so today zion is heading home. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye but dont think of it as a goodbye. Just hello to a new life for the inspiring boy who has us all in his grip. Joe fryer, nbc news. Thats going to do it for us on a wednesday night. Im lester holt. For all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night. We want the people that come here to say i cannot tell you how much they were loved. So much loss. The personal stories behind murder victims Allison Parker and adam ward. Im billy bush