nbc s sarah dalloff has the story. reporter: a some lem anniversary in chattanooga, church bells rang out one week after a gunman opened fire on two military centers. staff sergeant robert driver and lance corporal chris gilliam was inside that morning. i was the first one who noticed the shooter there that day. pulled up in his car. we were inside the building. heard the first shot go off. i just yelled run. and everyone from there just took off out the back as fast as we possibly could. reporter: now outside their office a growing memorial to the fallen. four marines and a navy sailor. the mother of petty officer randal smith brought his baseball glove in tribute. is he your hero? he s been my hero since the day i gave birth to him. he s my life. he s my world. i have half a heart left, my daughter. he is gone.
this is chattanooga. this local surrounding area. this is what you know, it s a very patriotic town and they low the military and local law enforcement. we re thankful. we re humbled. it s not shocking or surprising to see all this love and support. meanwhile the fbi continues their investigation into the background of the shooter and his motives. we re told more than 1,000 fbi agents currently working the case following hundreds of leads. they say they have made substantial progress although they have not yet released a clear cut motive for these attacks. back to you. thank you so much, sarah dalloff. when we come back, two decades later the south carolina mom who drowned her kids in a lake is speaking out saying she never planned to kill her boys. and still ahead, we ll take you outside the courthouse where colorado jurors are deciding the fate of dark knight theater shooter james holmes.
this weekend 23578ly and friends of five servicemen killed in chattanooga tennessee, will begin saying their good-byes. on friday marine staff sergeant david wyatt, a 35-year-old father of two, will be buried with military honors. we re learning more about his heroic actions the day of the shooting rampage and we re learning more about funeral plans for his four military brothers all gunneded down in an attack that sparked nationwide concern about security at small military sites. msnbc s sarah dalloff is in chattanooga for us where a growing memorial is growing out side the military recruitment center. i see the weather. they set up that lawn tent that is just enumerable american flags unsdsflag s underneath it. not only are american flags but between them you can see personal mementos that friends
in critical condition. there s been steady stream of officials here this morning going in the back where that deck is located and inspecting the scene, hanging up no trespassing signs behind us. so far, no official word on what may have made that deck collapse richard. back to you. sarah dalloff, thank you. ahead for you, is donald trump painting the water for the entire gop pool? there is new reaction from the candidates today. we ll explain after the break. later, the u.s. women s soccer team are gearing up to win the championship. that s right. i said win. if they pull it off, it will be the first time in 16 years. we ll tell you about the biggest obstacle in their way in the live report from vancouver. you re only young once. unless you have a subaru. (announcer) the subaru xv crosstrek. symmetrical all-wheel drive plus 34 mpg. love.
washington, d.c., new york city and philadelphia. fourth of july celebrations turned tragic for one family in north carolina. at least 14 people were hurt when a deck collapsed at an oceanfront home. the family was on the deck posing for pictures when the structure collapsed. nbc s sarah dalloff is in north carolina with the details. sarah, you know when these things happen we ask why. may not know the answer. but it s a deck and there s a lot of people on it. that is correct. there were more than 14 people on this deck. inspectors have been out today taking photographs looking at this scene now that it is daylight. the feeling is gathering on the deck to take a picture. just a perfect moment a perfect end to the family reunion here on emerald isle. and in an instant, it all changed when the planks gave way and 14 people fell about 10 to 12 feet to the ground.