plus, the letter from president biden's doctor after a raspy- voice press conference. deadly stabbing spree: a columbia university grad student is killed. what's behind the troubling nationwide spike in homicides? alec baldwin speaks out, the emotional interview. why the actor says he's not to blame for that deadly movie set shooting. honda safety warning: 700,000 s.u.v.s and pickup trucks recalled. we'll tell you which models are impacted. and "on the road" with a story of a vermont town that rallied to save its 130-year-old general store. >> this is the "cbs evening news" with norah o'donnell, reporting from the nation's capital. >> brennan: good evening to our viewers in the west, and thank you for joining us. i'm margaret brennan in for norah. as we come on the air tonight, an intense search is underway for two parents now facing criminal charges connected to that deadly school shooting this week in oxford, michigan. their 15-year-old son is accused of using a pistol purchased just a week ago as an early christmas present to kill four students and injure seven other people, including a teacher. two students are still in the hospital. a prosecutor today charged jennifer and james crumbley with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly failing to prevent the attack by not meeting their responsibilities as gun owners. the university of michigan will honor the victims this weekend. the wolverines football team will wear a tribute patch at their big ten championship game tomorrow. it includes an "o" for oxford, and the initials t.m. for tate myre, a varsity football player who was killed. there's a lot to get to, and cbs' nancy chen is in pontiac to lead off our coverage. good evening, nancy. >> reporter: margaret, good evening to you. an attorney for jennifer and james crumbley says they are not missing, but simply left town after tuesday's shooting and plan to turn themselves in-- but that hasn't happened yet, and now u.s. marshals have joined the manhunt. an unexpected scramble late this afternoon as law enforcement searched for the parents of ethan crumbley. james and jennifer crumbley eacn face four felony counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the deadly rampage at oxford high school, an attack in which their son is accused of killing four students and injuring seven others on tuesday. >> there were a lot of things that would have been so simple to prevent. >> reporter: today oakland county prosecutor karen macdonald revealed new details leading up to the shooting. on friday, november 26, james crumbley brought his son with him to buy the gun. in a post online his mother called it a christmas present for her son. just a day before the shooting, a teacher reported crumbley to school authorities after seeing him search "ammunition" on his phone. school officials reached out to the parents, but received no answer. however, phone records show jennifer crumbley sent her son a text that read: "l.o.l., i'm not mad at you. you have to learn not to get caught." the morning of the shooting, crumbley's teacher found a disturbing drawing on his desk. >> in another section of the note was a drawing of a bullet, with the following words above that bullet, "blood everywhere." further down are the words, "my life is useless." and to the right of that are the words, "the world is dead." >> reporter: crumbley's parents were called to the school, but refused to take him home, and h. shortly af went back to class. shortly after, when they heard about the rampage, his mother frantically texted the teen, "ethan, don't do it." what level of responsibility do you expect from parents in a situation like this? >> i expect parents and everyone to have humanity and to step in and stop a potential tragedy. >> reporter: cbs news legal analyst rikki klieman called it a bold move to charge crumbley's parents. >> the prosecutor intends toro send a message. if you are someone who purchases a handgun for a minor, and you do not secure that handgun, you are putting yourself in some jeopardy. >> reporter: the school district has not commented on today's developments, but in a statement in a video posted last night, the superintendent said that even after meeting with ethan crumbley twice, no discipline was warranted, margaret. >> brennan: nancy chen, thank you. we turn now to the pandemic and the spread of that new variant, omicron. at least 23 cases have been confirmed in 10 states, spanning from the east coast to hawaii. and while scientists scramble to learn more about omicron, the delta variant is causing an alarming surge in new infections across the midwest across the midwest and northeast. here's cbs' elise preston. >> reporter: as the c.d.c. races to learn more about omicron, scientists in south africa say it appears to be spreading twice as fast as the highly contagious delta variant. yet, much about omicron remains unknown, like its severity and how well the current vaccines perform against it. already, vaccine makers a already, vaccine makers are preparing for the possibility that the current shots will need to be updated, which is expected to take 3-4 months. >> we will at a certain time need a new vaccine against this new variant. >> reporter: and one early study suggests a previous case of covid may no longer protect against reininfection from omicron. still, dr. anthony fauci was optimistic today. >> there's every reason to believe that if you get vaccinated and boosted, that you would have at least some degree of cross-protection, very likely against severe disease, even against the omicron variant. >> reporter: but the delta variant still makes up nearly all new cases in the u.s.,th especially among the unvaccinated, from the upper midwest to new england, where new hampshire now leads the country in new cases per capita in the last week. here inside the pandemic response lab, the first four out of five omicron cases in new york city were confirmed last night. the lab looks for new variants in as many as 3,000 covid test samples a week. dr. jon laurent is the director of research and development. >> my recollection of the delta variant is much the same, that we detected a couple the first week of data that it came out, and then from there, it steadily ramped up. >> reporter: does that concern you that you spotted four already? >> it's definitely concerning. if it takes off the same way delta did, we may be dealing with another surge. >> reporter: at this lab, it takes up to seven days after a person's been tested to confirm which variant they're infected with. variant they're inf and here's what we know about the omicron cases detected in the u.s. so far: nearly a third have been fully vaccinated, one had a booster, and everyone's symptoms have been mild or moderate. margaret. >> brennan: and still too early to know if that will be the case for all. thank you very much for that reporting. we learned today that hiring slowed last month. the november jobs report fell short of expectations with employers adding 210,000 jobs last month, but the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.2% as more people joined the workforce. cbs' weijia jiang has reaction from the white house. ( bell ringing and applause ) >> reporter: on wall street, stocks slid in response to the latest jobs report, which offered mixed signals about the u.s. economy, a weaker-than- expected jobs number, but also a drop in unemployment, bringing it to the lowest point since the start of the pandemic in march 2020. president biden, who is nursingg a cold, celebrated the progress. >> we're looking at the sharpest one-year decline in unemployment ever. simply put, america, america's back to work, and our jobs recovery is going very strong. >> reporter: but americans are still facing sky-high prices on everything from groceries to cars to furniture, with inflation at its highest rate in 31 years. >> families are anxious. they're anxious about the cost of living, the economy more broadly. they're still uncertain. i want you to know i hear you. >> reporter: one sector of the economy that continues to struggle hiring new workers, the hospitality industry. last month, it added 23,000 jobs, but it is still down 1.3 million pre-pandemic positions. >> business-wise we're up almost 40% over last year. >> reporter: the problem for florida restaurant owner jay johnson is that his staff is down by 10%, so his employees are forced to pick up the slack. >> so, some of them are workingv six days, some are working seven days. and it-- i need to get them rested so they don't burn out. >> brennan: weijia jiang joins us now. weijia, the president sounded a little bit hoarse. is he feeling okay? >> reporter: he says he is, and the white house says it is just a common cold, even releasing this note from his doctor saying that the president was tested for several illnesses, including covid-19, the flu, and strep throat, all of which came back negative. as for that cold, the president says he caught it from his one- and-a-half-year-old grandson who likes to kiss pop. margaret. >> brennan: it is winter. all right, thank you very much, weijia. congress avoided a government shutdown thursday night. the senate passed a temporary spending bill to keep the government funded until february. senate majority leader chuck schumer struck a last-minute deal with three republican senators who were protesting the biden administration's vaccine requirements for large employers. they'll get the senate vote they demanded. in new york city tonight, a vigil is being held for a 30- year-old columbia university grad student who was killed in a knife attack near the campus thursday night. a tourist from italy was wounded, and a third person was threatened by the attacker, but not hurt. the suspect in custody is 25- year-old vincent pinkney. police sources say he's a known gang member with 16 prior arrests who was out on parole. that deadly attack is one of the latest examples in a growing wave of homicides in cities across the country. law enforcement experts blame a combination of more guns and fewer cops. here's cbs' jeff pegues. >> reporter: it's been a violent year in chicago's cook county. over 1,000 people have been murdered. in philadelphia, over 500. senseless violence, which often claims the lives of innocent children like eight-year-old p.j. evans. >> hi, i'm p.j.! >> reporter: in prince george's county, maryland. killed in a barrage of gunfire during a family gathering. antoine dotson is p.j.'s uncle. >> an eight-year-old, who is a promising student, who had so many great things going for him, to lose his life. >> reporter: michael harrison is baltimore's police commissioner, where murders are also up. what do you think is behind this? >> whether it's young people, whether it's older people, people solving their conflicts with violence; namely, gun violence. >> reporter: harrison says another factor is ghost guns. his officers have seized more than 300 this year. >> people can order them online in parts, have the parts delivered to the home, assemble the gun in an hour, and have a fully functional gun that cannot be traced. >> reporter: another problem: fewer police officers on the streets. after george floyd's death in 2020, some cities, like new york and oakland, cut police funding. >> we did a survey of a couple of hundred police departments showing retirements increasing, resignations increasing. the workforce is shrinking. >> reporter: three men have been charged in connection with p.j. evans' death. >> this is straight gun violence at this point, to where it's just senseless. >> reporter: today, antoine dotson seeks comfort in his faith, but says even that's not enough. >> i know a lot of people say, you know, you turn to the church and, you know, it was time for him to gain his wings as an angel. i'm still struggling with i'm still struggling with losing him and not having him here in my presence. >> reporter: because of the pandemic, a lot of cities and counties went months withouts trials or grand juries. police say that offenders started to believe that there weren't consequences for committing crimes, and so while the system slowed down, the criminals remained right on the streets. margaret. >> brennan: jeff pegues, thank you. actor alec baldwin got emotional as he described publicly for the first time what happened on the movie set in october when he says a gun went off in his hand, killing one crew member and wounding another. here's cbs' omar villafranca. >> i-- i feel that-- that-- that someone is responsible for what happened, and i can't say who that is, but i know it's not me. >> reporter: alec baldwin broke down as he talked about how the gun he was holding discharged on the set of his movie "rust," killing 42-year-olding cinematographer halyna hutchins. >> she was someone who was loved by everyone who worked with, and liked by everyone who worked with, and admired... ♪ ♪ ♪ >> reporter: director joel souza was also injured by the bullet. baldwin says he didn't pull the trigger of the .45-caliber prop gun while rehearsing the scene, but says he was pulling back the hammer while hutchins worked on camera angles. >> i'm going, "how about that? does that work? do you see that?" she said, "yeah, that's good." i let go of the hammer, bang, the gun went off. the gun was supposed to be empty. i was told i was handed an empty gun. when she went down he went down and he was he was screaming really loudly. i thought what is he screaming-- what happened? >> reporter: dutch merrick is a veteran movie armourer. >> i was honestly a little startled when i heard the statement that he hadn't pulled the trigger, but the gun fired. something tells me this gun, ifp it operated the way he says, was not functioning the way it was designed. >> there's one question to be resolved, only one, that's wheri did the live round come from? >> reporter: tonight, a new mexico district attorney said some of the people who handled the gun on the set may face criminal charges. of the peopled omar villafranca, cbs news, maye criminal charges. omar dallas. >> brennan: still ahead, what you need to know about al nationwide honda s.u.v. and pickup recall. and a big salute to a world war ii veteran on his 105th birthday. birthday. so, we want kisqali. women are living longer than ever before with kisqali when taken with an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant in postmenopausal women with hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer. kisqali is a pill that's significantly more effective at delaying disease progression versus an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant alone. kisqali can cause lung problems, or an abnormal heartbeat, which can lead to death. it can cause serious skin reactions, liver problems, and low white blood cell counts that may result in severe infections. tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including breathing problems, cough, chest pain, a change in your heartbeat, dizziness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, tiredness, loss of appetite, abdomen pain, bleeding, bruising, fever, chills or other symptoms of an infection, a severe or worsening rash, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. avoid grapefruit during treatment. ask your doctor about living longer with kisqali. i've been telling everyone... ask your doctor about living longer the secret to great teeth is having healthy gums. crest advanced gum restore. detoxifies below the gumline... and restores by helping heal gums in as little as 7 days. crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. hi susan! honey? yeah? i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad... try this robitussin honey. the real honey you love... plus the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? now get powerful relief with robitussin elderberry. >> brennan: a former ohio sheriff's deputy pleaded not guilty today to murder and reckless homicide. jason meade is charged in the death of casey goodson jr. a year ago goodson was shot five times in the back. mead's lawyer claims he fired t after goodson pointed a gun at him. prosecutors say goodson was holding a bag of sandwiches. the killing sparked racial justice protests and calls for police accountability. there's an important safety warning tonight for honda truck owners. honda's recalling more than 724,000 s.u.v.s and pickups over concerns that the hood can fly open while driving. it affects some passports, pilots, and ridgelines made in recent years. dealers will repair the affected models. what a birthday it was today for a world war ii vet from alabama. major wooten was presented with france's highest decoration, the legion of honor, on his 105th birthday. as an army private, he repaired bomb-damaged trains in france and, just last year, he beat covid. steve hartman is next with the story of a community that came together to save its 130-year- old general store. do you take aspirin? 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>> all of them. >> reporter: all of them. >> yeah. it was like, we're going to have to lock the front door because we have zero help. >> reporter: this was your dad's business. this was your grandfather's business. >> right. >> reporter: and it was going to close on your watch? >> yeah. which would be tough. when you've invested your whole life into it. >> reporter: customers were equally devastated. of course, that happens whenever a small town loses an iconic business. but what sets this place apart is that these customers didn't just give dan their sympathies. they gave him their applications. >> i'm so excited to have you here. >> it's so nice to be here. >> reporter: this retired finance director applied for a job in the deli. >> there we go! >> reporter: dr. rick ferrell is working checkout. >> i'm just trying to get the cash register to work. >> reporter: people from all over town and all walks of life punched in to help dan stay open. >> here i am. >> i'm a therapist. >> teacher, second-grade teacher. >> professor of psychology. >> principal of the middle school. >> i'm an r.n. >> reporter: so far, nearly two dozen customers, like dianne miller, have stepped up. >> because dan and whit's is the heartbeat of this community. >> it's the heart of our town. >> reporter: for some reason... >> the heart of the town. >> reporter: ...i got this sense... >> the heart of the town. >> reporter: ...that dan and his store were the heart of the town. and if stocking shelves and running register weren't enough, virtually all of these new hires are donating their hourly wage to some of dan's favorite charities. dan says this has all been just the help he needed. >> absolutely. the fact that the community stepped up, you know. i mean, sometimes it takes, sort of a crisis, if you will, to appreciate what you have. >> reporter: and in norwich, they have what every town needs more than anything-- each other. steve hartman, "on the road," steve hartman, "on the road," in norwich, vermont. >> brennan: we'll be right back. huh. is that true? 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