washington has the will to act. the teen fugitives dead. after a cross-country manhunt, accused of killing at least three people. what authorities have just revealed. the home explosion that is now a hate crime investigation. the racial slurs police say were left behind. shark attack horror. the family of a college student killed by multiple sharks. tonight, their warning for vacation-goers. this just in, a massive manhunt for an escaped prisoner convicted of kidnapping a woman. a prison employee just found dead. authorities say he's extremely dangerous. and the story behind the video so many of you have clicked on. more than just helping hands. the powerful message one mother wanted to send to the world. and good evening. it's great to have you with us on a busy wednesday night. i'm tom llamas, in for david. president trump's trips to dayton and el paso in a moment, but we begin tonight with the outbreak of severe storms at this hour. flash flooding from the plains to the east coast and now a tornado. that twister touching down in springfield, new jersey, today. heavy rain flooding the streets in baltimore. cars, you see them there, under water. and this huge waterspout forming on lake erie. severe thunderstorm watches across several states at this hour, including philly and new york. abc's whit johnson leads us off. >> reporter: tonight, heavy downpours and damaging winds across the northeast as millions head home from work. >> this is a really dangerous storm with heavy rain, lightning, gusty winds. >> reporter: this time lapse showing the severe weather moving through new york city. a confirmed tornado touching down in nearby union county, new jersey. this, after a supercell brought large hail to parts of the heartland, the size of baseballs in south dakota. >> there's some that are a lot bigger than this one. rees and ripping apart, wi roofs in grand island, nebraska. the baltimore area hammered by a separate system that moved through tuesday. streets turning to rivers amid a flash flood warning. more than five inches of rain in some places. a lightning strike being blamed for this three-alarm fire. fortunately, the building was vacant. and tom, the weather having a significant impact on air travel. already, more than 1,500 flight cancellations in and out of the u.s. major delays on flights arriving to new york-area airports like laguardia and jfk, running three to five hours behind schedule. tom? >> cancellations and delays tonight. all right, thank you so much for that, whit. let's get right to abc chief meteorologist ginger zee, and ginger, these severe storms are hitting right now? >> reporter: right now. we are just in the thick of it. really, tom. so, i want to take tow the map. more than 100 severe storm reports already. you see the yellow boxes -- that would be severe thunderstorm warnings, meaning, it is happening, it is imminent. 60-plus-mile-per-hour winds, anywhere from new hampshire and vermont, down into delaware and, yes, philadelphia,ewty en intean rth carolina. but there's another cold front on the map. that's the one that we're tracking for tomorrow to bring segments of storms anywhere from, say, elmira, new york, to columbus, indianapolis and even cincinnati. >> okay. we'll stay tracking these storms throughout the night. ginger, thank you. now, to a nation very much on edge fearing another possible mass shooting. the headquarters of "usa today," take a look at that, evacuated over reports of someone with a weapon, possibly inside the building. and a scary moment right here in new york. a motorcycle backfiring, causing panic in times square. hundreds rushing into nearby stores and restaurants for safety. here's abc's chief justice correspondent pierre thomas. >> reporter: today, people scrambling as the headquarters of "usa today" is evacuated, after reports of a man with a gun. police searching the massive gannett building floor by floor, in mclean, virginia, later determining it was a false alarm. >> prayers have been answered. everybody is safe. >> reporter: overnight in times square, hundreds of panicked tourists and customers, after hearing what sounds like gunfire. certain they're under attack by an active shooter, they hide in restaurants and stores. >> it was pretty much a stampede of people just sprinting as fast as they could. >> reporter: another false alarm. turns out that jarring sound was a motorcycle backfiring. >> run! >> reporter: and tuesday, people literally running for their lives at a utah shopping center, fearful a gunman is coming for them, after a sound eerily like that of shots fired pierces the afternoon. >> within 30 seconds, it was evacuated. >> reporter: the scene is cleared after authorities find a sign had crashed to the ground, making that troubling noise. >> and pierre thomas joins us now live. thankfully, pierre, authorities found all those were false alarms. but those incidents examples of so many americans on edge after those mass shootings. what are police telling you tonight? >> reporter: tom, police are saying everyone did what they're supposed to do. take a potential threat seriously at places we once thought safe, from elementary schools to shopping centers and houses of worship. tom? >> pierre thomas for us tonight. pierre, thank you. we turn now to president trump's polarizing visits to el paso and dayton, two cities still grieving over the horrific mass shootings that killed at least 31 people. the president and first lady meeting wounded victims in both cities. the white house keeping him mostly out of the public view. protesters lined the streets el paso. many blaming his rhetoric for the domestic terror attack at a walmart. a similar scene in dayton. the mayor called for more action on gun control, after saying he wanted to stay out of the political fray today, the president jumping right into the middle of it. abc's kyra phillips is at the white house. >> reporter: tonight, president trump landing in el paso, keeping a low profile as he visit as community still reeling from the mass shooting that killed 22 people. many people there angry. riot police on-hand. our marcus moore is there. >> all of this happening right now just a few steps from the hospital where a number of people have been recovering. >> reporter: the president visiting with victims. >> just came from the hospital. there were a lot of heroes. a lot of people just did incredible work. >> reporter: earlier today, air force one touching down in dayton. hundreds of people lining the streets. >> not one more! not one more! >> reporter: miami valley hospital releasing this image of the president's visit there, greeting staff. the media not permitted inside. dayton's mayor saying they were grateful for the president's visit, but said she confronted the president on gun reform. >> do i think that we're going to see another mass shooting tomorrow or friday? probably, because washington will not move. >> reporter: former vice president joe biden also taking on the president. >> it's both clear language and in code. this president has fanned the flames of white supremacy in this nation. >> reporter: but the president telling me his rhetoric is not to blame. what do you say to your critics that believe it's your rhetoric that is emboldening white nationalists and inspiring this anger? >> so, my critics are political people. no, i don't think my rhetoric has at all. i think my rhetoric is a very -- it brings people together. >> and kyra phillips joins us now live from the white house. kyra, this morning, we heard it in your report, the president told reporters he wanted to stay out of the political fray, but this trip to visit with victims turned very political very quickly. >> reporter: it sure did. as soon as he left dayton, ohio, he took to twitter, tearing into the ohio democrats that he met with, saying that their news conference was a fraud. and as for joe biden, well, the president tweeting his speech today, tom, was, quote, so boring. >> kyra phillips for us at the white house tonight. kyra, thank you. we turn now to breaking developments north of the border, and the manhunt for two teenagers wanted for the deaths of three people, including an american woman and her boyfriend. after weeks of searching, canadian authorities believe they've found the bodies of the suspects. the bodies discovered about 2,000 miles from where the victims for found. here's abc chief national correspondent matt gutman. >> reporter: that canada-wide search for those teenage murder suspects ended today with the discovery of what are believed to be their remains. kam mcleod and bryer schmegelsky's alleged murder spree began in british columbia, more than three weeks and 2,000 miles from where the bodies were found. they were accused of shooting american chynna deese and her boyfriend, lucas fowler, point blank on july 15th, then driving to another part of british columbia and murdering this college professor. those deaths sparking a massive manhunt. surveillance cameras capturing the two at this big box store on july 21st, over 1,000 miles away. then, a day later, residents in the remote town of gillam, manitoba, spotted the pair. s.w.a.t. teams blockading the town, finding the rav-4 the two were believed to have stolen. >> on friday, august 2nd, that one critical piece of evidence was found. items directly linked to the suspects were located on the shoreline of the nelson river. >> reporter: that evidence was this damaged boat. it took only a few more days to find their bodies. now, canadian authorities, tom, tell us that a coroner will determine how and when those two murder suspects died, and investigators still have to unravel the motive in these murders. now, i spoke to the mother of one victim tonight, she said she was overwhelmed. tom? >> the motive still the big question here. all right, matt, thank you. now, to surprising new developments involving a powerful home explosion in ohio. the blast now being investigated as a hate crime. the explosion leveling the home, you see it here, investigators, though, finding racial slurs and a swastika spray-painted on the property. authorities say it's the second time this week someone tried to destroy the house. here's abc's alex perez. >> reporter: the explosion overnight in sterling, ohio. >> 911. >> um, yes. there is a house behind our house that is completely engulfed in flames, on fire. >> reporter: the home belonging to angela frase. the african-american woman has lived here for more than two decades. authorities discovering a swastika and racial slurs spray-painted on the garage door and the neighbors' vehicles. >> it's really sickening. it is. it's sickening. to do this to somebody's home. we could have been in there. >> reporter: frase says she and her husband were away while the home was being repaired. authorities had been at the house a day before the blast after they say someone intentionally tried to fill the home with natural gas and cause an explosion. >> this type of activity is very disappointing and thinking that one or a couple people could have that type of behavior. >> reporter: tom, the homeowners say they do not intend on rebuilding, for fear they could be targeted again. authorities now offering a $5,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest. tom? >> alex perez for us tonight. alex, thank you. next, to a deadly police shooting sparking protests in colorado springs. newly obtained surveillance video appearing to show a black suspect shot while running away from two officers. police claiming he was reaching for a gun. the images may be disturbing. abc's clayton sandell is in colorado. >> reporter: this video raising new questions tonight, shows 19-year-old de'von bailey being chased by colorado springs officers investigating a robbery. his arms appear away from his body just before he goes down. but police say they opened fire on bailey only after he reached for a gun. that account is not seen on the video and it's not clear if bailey, who was black, was shot before this clip begins. >> no justice, no peace! no racist police! >> reporter: protesters and one witness say they do not believe the police version. >> he didn't have anything in his hands. he did not brandish any type of weapon. the police officer did not try and chase him. he did not try and tase him. he took out his gun and he shot him. >> reporter: police say a weapon was found at the scene saturday night. the video shows officers cuffing bailey and attempting cpr before paramedics arrive. he later died at a hospital. those officers, who are now on leave, were wearing body cameras, but the footage has not yet been released. the colorado springs mayor is now calling for calm until the investigation is complete. tom? >> clayton with that newly released video. clayton, thank you. now to an abc news exclusive tonight. we are hearing from the hero bouncer in the mass shooting in dayton, where nine people were killed. surveillance showing him rushing people into the bar and coming face-to-face with the gunman, telling us there was no way he was getting through that door. there's also new reporting on the shooter's final moments. abc's eva pilgrim is in dayton. >> reporter: tonight, police searching for a motive in the dayton mass shooting. investigating this video, obtained exclusively by cnn. it appears to show alleged shooter connor betts entering a bar with his sister and a friend, in shorts and a t-shirt, before the massacre. moments later, he was in tactical gear and opening fire. in this surveillance video, he's chasing people towards another bar. watch as the gunman gets to the entrance, and that's when he came face-to-face with the bouncer, jeremy ganger. did you look at him? >> yeah, looked at him right in the face. he had a dead stare. >> reporter: ganger had pushed as many people as he could grab into the bar. about 200 people were inside. so he stood in the door, ready. >> i would've died before that guy came in. there's no way i was going to let anyone get hurt. i was going to try to stand my ground the best i could. the next thing i know, he's being shot by the officer. >> reporter: in less than 30 seconds, dozens of people were hurt. nine people were killed, including the gunman's own sister. ganger, hit by shrapnel, was taken to the hospital, where he stayed for three days. the metal still in his leg tonight. >> i am lucky. i'd do it again, though. >> reporter: you would do it again? >> yeah. >> reporter: and jeremy tells me he is planning to go back to work. he says if he doesn't go back, then the shooter wins. and he doesn't want that gunman to beat him. tom? >> eva pilgrim with that exclusive interview tonight. eva, thank you. now to the case making national headlines. cyntoia brown released from prison after 15 years behind bars in tennessee. a sex trafficking victim convicted of killing a man as a teenager. she claims she feared for her life at the time. her sentence commuted amid growing calls to set her free. and news tonight about a sweeping immigration crackdown in mississippi. i.c.e. arresting about 680 undocumented immigrants today. the raids involving hundreds of agents in six cities. authorities calling it the largest operation of its kind in a single state. and there's still much more ahead on "world news tonight" this wednesday. the shark attack horror. a college student killed by sharks while vacationing in the bahamas. tonight, her family speaking out. their warning to other families. and the urgent manhunt developing right now. a convicted kidnapper escaping prison, a veteran corrections employee found dead. and the summer air travel alert. what airline was crippled by a computer glitch, stranding 20,000 passengers? we'll tell you. .tay with us. 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on it with jardiance. ask your doctor about jardiance. finally tonight, america strong. the helping hands that one child's mother wanted the world to see. at first glance, it all looks so normal. kids holding hands at a water park. but look closely. one of those 5-year-olds, the one in the middle, actually needs help. that's jeffrey mackey, who has cerebral palsy. but he hasn't let it slow him down. here he is at a playground, playing soccer, and recently, that unforgettable day at the water park. >> whether your kid has a disability or not, you always worry about them. with jeffrey, i worry a little more, i always have. and that was just affirmation for me that, you know, somebody will always help him. >> reporter: so when friends raya joyce and kane raymond saw little jeffrey needed some help, they each held his hand, walking with him all over thunder island water park in central new york. >> when he gets cold, his muscles get tighter than normal. so it just is harder for him to walk, harder for him to keep up. >> reporter: something raya noticed at the water park. >> his legs, they -- he couldn't really walk. and i had to hold his hand up the stairs. >> reporter: and jeffrey telling our syracuse station how it all felt. >> tell me what you felt when your friends ran over to you. >> happy. >> happy? why? >> because i needed help. >> reporter: jeffrey's mom shot the video and posted it online. more and more people are now clicking on it. and if watching it makes you feel a little better, a little happier, jeffrey's mom says, that's why she shared it. >> i think people needed to see it. i think they saw three tiny hearts do an amazing thing. those kids are going to grow up to be good adults. and they will always help him. somebody will always have his back. we have a great community, a great support team. so, i'm a little less worried today. >> and we thank the mackey family for sharing that story, especially this week. and we thank you for watching. i'm tom llamas in new york. i hope to see you right back here tomorrow. good night. happening now, we're live in gilroy as the city prepares to kick off the first major event since the garlic festival. >> once you fight, you can be fully committed. >> tonight, advice that could save your life if you're ever faced with an active shooter situation. do you want to get into a home? we'll help you do that. give us a call 415-954-762 1 helps to get people together to get through that. >> ten days after the gilroy garlic festival shooting, the phrase gilroy strong is more than a slogan. good evening. i'm ama daetz. >> i'm dan ashley. thanks for joining us. at this moment in gilroy they are kicking off the first major event since the car vehicle festival which as you know, ended in gunfire and the deaths of three innocent people. >> we are joined live from the gilroy radio and what is the atmosphere like? >> reporter: yeah, guys, there is a lot of excitement out here. maybe nerves for riders trying to qualify for saturday's vent. they just finished clearing up the field getting it set for competition. organizers are expecting a sell out crowd for the weekend but more than that, how hope the radio helps the community start to heal. this year's gilroy radio starting off with lady's barrel racing. eric martin the radio director brought back the radio last year after more than 60-year hiatus. he wants to preserve and celebrate the ranching heritage of the area. he says this year's event already takes on a special meaning. >> this rodeo is the first major event afterwards and i feel like the majority of people are going to come out here and support the community, support gilroy strong. >> reporter: part of gilroy strong is keeping gilroy safe. organizers say they stepped up security for this event by adding patrols and identifying areas that needed to be beefed up like the peri