this is believed to be the first picture of one of the pilots who ejected from the plane. this is from our nbc affiliate tv station in virginia beach. the man believed to be the pilot is just to the left of the police officer. we're also seeing the first picture of the canopy of the fighter jet which came off when the pilots ejected. and a first look at one of the parachutes which appears to have gotten hung up on the house. tonight we're also hearing from virginia governor bob mcdonald who says the pilots and residents stopped this disaster from becoming a lot worse. >> the heroism and incredible sponiveness of some of the citizens that jumped right to the scene along with the dozens and dozens of first responders from the state and local firefighters, ems, police, and others were just tremendous and in ensuring that the blaze was contained. >> the governor has pledged immediate assistance to those affected by the crash. a developing story out of howard university now. all the student athletes who had been declared ineligible to compete have been reinstated and we have just learned that all the spring sports teams will participate for the rest of the season. the university withheld a still unannounced number of athletes from games last friday as part of an internal investigation of possible violations of ncaa rules. again, all those athletes have now been reinstated. to the economy now the jobs report for march is in. at first glance there appears to be a little improvement. the unemployment rate dropped slightly but a closer look reveals details that are confounding some economists and worrying some democrats. steve handelsman on capitol hill now with more on this. >> reporter: big worry here on the hill. thanks, jim. good evening. this is not what democratic politicians had been counting on. it's mostly bad news for the recovery and president obama's re-election bid but he cheered the positive numbers. >> we welcome today's news that our businesses created another 121,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate ticked down. >> reporter: 8.2% unemployment in march sounds better atlantha last month but overall americans gave up looking for work and weren't counting that. 's why the jobless rate improved. and 120,000 new jobs in march is far fewer than the 200,000 in february. good weather, the early spring, sent retail sales up. but retailers hired fewer workers and confused economists. >> that's just not consistent with the reality of what is going on in the retail sectors. >> reporter: and even though warm weather is better for building, construction hiring dropped. another inexplicable down tick. there was less hiring in hospitals and clinics. >> it's clear to every american that there will still be ups and downs along the way and that we've got a lot more work to do. >> reporter: how might the downturn in march hurt barack obama? >> it's not bad enough to doom the president's re-election chances nor is it good enough to reassure him of a return to the white house. >> reporter: mitt romney said millions of americans are paying a high price for obama economic policies. even factoring in march the last four months of hiring have been the strongest in two years. the question is whether this is the start of a new negative trend. jim, back to you. >> thanks, steve. rick santorum's 3-year-old daughter isabella is in the hospital again this evening. she is known as bella and was born with a rare genetic condition that often proves fatal. in january she spent several days in the hospital with pneumonia. a person familiar with the santorum situation told nbc news the family keeps medical equipment at home and they have a nurse on call so bella only goes to the hospital when her condition is very serious. her illness comes as rick santorum takes a few days off from his presidential campaign to spend the easter holiday with his family. the fallout continues after council member marion barry's comments about asian store fronts in ward 8 being in his words dirty. today we found some people who disagreed with the council member but at least one resident who says councilman barry has a point. richard jordan with the latest. >> reporter: jim, barry has taken a lot of heat for this comment. asian business leaders are especially upset. there are some people who could have easily been offended that say barry is right. residents of ward 8 and the business community caught in controversy over a comment. the neighborhood stores and restaurants many with thick, bullet proof glass and loose ceiling tiles called dirty. ward 8 councilman marion barry said that tuesday night. >> we have to do something about these asians coming in opening up businesses and dirty shops and they ought to go. i'll tell thaw right now. we need african-american business people to be able to take their places. >> reporter: the comment upset some in the asian business community but there are others who say the remark was right on. >> they all are dirty. >> reporter: donny seitso operates a mobile phone store. the shop was recently renovated but he says many of his neighbors fail to keep up. >> if you look at the front of the stores there aren't too many that are being swept. the windows are dirty. if you look at the ceiling tiles you can see mold, dust. >> reporter: he points to the restaurants right up the block. >> i've been to these restaurants, some of these, and ordered food because they wrt closest to me. and, yes, i wonder sometimes. >> reporter: the workers there take offense. but the critics say the appearance speaks for itself. >> it's like i don't want to eat there. just from the look of the store. the mold, the cracked ceiling tiles. >> reporter: barry apologized. he said he was sorry if he offended anyone with his comments. he later clarified that he feels all of the businesses in ward 8 can do better. live in southeast washington, richard jordan, news 4. >> thank you, richard. here we go again. another cool night on tap. doug kammerer is here to tell us most of the area will actually be under a freeze warning tonight. yikes, doug. >> doreen, we've used the term cool but let's use the term cold tonight because that's what it's going to be. temperatures below average for this time of year. we have not seen too many numbers for low temperatures below average at all this entire winter. tonig this afternoon it is just gorgeous but we are seeing winds gusting upwards of 25 miles an hour. look at the blue skies though. 61 degrees right now with winds out of the north about 20 miles an hour sustained. with that sunshine. temperatures will be a japanese ghost ship drifting off the coast of alaska is now 6,000 feet under water. the u.s. coast guard fired heavy ammunition at the ship yesterday and four hours later it sank. the ghost ship was supposed to go to a scrap yard when the tsunami hit last year and swept it out to sea. the coast guard says the ship was causing problems for other boats in the area because it had no lights and was floating in the middle of a high traffic shipping lane. there is growing skepticism that syria's president assad will keep his word and stick to a crease fire negotiated by the united nations. if anything, according to witnesses, it appears the syrian military has stepped up the violence. government troops and tanks battled rebels today in several cities. civilians described days of relentless shelling and sniper attacks. under the cease fire deal the syrian military must withdraw its forces from cities and towns early next week. rebel forces will lay down their arms two days later. however, many diplomats say the escalating violence does not bode well for prospects of a truce. lawmakers in florida are taking a closer look at the stand your ground law, which allows a person to use deadly force if they think they are in imminent danger. the state law has been under intense scrutiny after the shooting death of trayvon martin back in february. jay gray reports. >> reporter: tensions over the trayvon martin case stretched all the way to ohio today. students rallying around the frank w. hale jr. black cultural center after someone spray painted the building with the words "long live zimmerman" an apparent reference to george zimmerman the community watch volunteer who shot and killed the unarmed teenager. his legal team continues to say that martin initiated the confrontation and zimmerman only fired in self-defense. >> when you get your head slammed on the ground after your nose is broken that is a pretty good reason to fear imminent injury and you are entitled to use deadly force to protect yourself. >> reporter: a right provided by florida's stand your ground law. >> please repeal this law. >> reporter: state democrats, many who voted against the initial measure, have created a task force to examine the controversial law. >> the police and the prosecutors unanimously are opposed to stand your ground the way it's written. this immunity provision isn't a good thing. >> reporter: for many who testified at the first hearing thursday night, the issue is much more personal. >> many of us no longer feel safe here. >> somebody doesn't even have to say any more than but he hit me first. that's all that is required. and they get to go free. and i lose my child. and he's a good boy. >> what do we want? >> justice! >> reporter: it is the same thing supporters have been saying about trayvon martin for more than a month now as both sides in the highly charged case prepare for the possibility a grand jury could review evidence and testimony early next week. jay gray, nbc news. in texas american airlines has canceled nearly 300 flights following a series of tornadoes that hit down in that area earlier this week. the cancellations mainly affect flights in and out of dallas/ft. worth international airport. we just checked with national airport here and according to the website two american airlines flights bound for dallas have been canceled. both american and its american eagle affiliate have canceled about 1600 flights since the storms pounded the dallas/ft. worth area back on tuesday. >> doug is here with more about our weather. just about everybody has some kind of outdoor plans for the weekend. >> yes. as well you should. i mean, it's really looking fantastic out there. tomorrow is looking great. sunday i think is looking about as good as you can get on easter sunday and by monday things still look good and then it goes down a little bit. the end of the weekend, looking great. take a look right now and we'll show you what we're dealing with. plenty of sunshine. a bright blue sky today. it is simply gorgeous across the area as we look out toward the potomac right there right around the airport. temperature right now sitting at 62 degrees. that's the high temperature for the day. the average high is 63. the low 42. today our first day below average in quite sometime. and, yes, we are still talking about another freeze warning tonight but this one involves a lot more people than the one that we saw last night. 61 degrees the current temperature. winds out of the north about 20 miles an hour but winds are gusting to 25 miles an hour and those winds are going to make it feel even cooler when you step out to go to dinner or go to the movie this evening on your friday evening. 61 in culpepper right now. 62 in fredericksburg. 59 in la plata. right now annapolis at about 60 degrees. what are we seeing? here's the freeze warning. it does affect everybody west of i-95. to the south and east of 95 including all southern maryland you're not affected by the freeze warning though temperatures will be cold here. temperatures back to the west around the i-81 corridor i think will be not just below freezing but maybe below that 30-degree mark and that's when you really start to worry about damage to sensitive plants. you want to make sure you cover up any sensitive plants and bring in the most sensitive plants. also remember to bring the pets in, too. satellite and radar showing clear skies. not just clear skies. crystal clear skies. the air coming out of canada and that is always where our clearest air comes from right out of canada. we're going to continue to see that air moving on in tonight. take a look at this map. nothing really stands out here. 61 in cincinnati. 53 in chicago. 68 in memphis. last week at this time, it was in the 80s in chicago. 80 up toward -- it was almost 90 in omaha last week and it was 82 in washington. this is the kind of pattern we're supposed to see in the month of april. not what we did see. and i think we'll see a lot more of this type pattern with average temperatures or even a little bit below average through early next week. this is why. not just clear skies but remember that little storm that we just talked about going through dallas producing those big tornadoes and then down toward the south producing a lot of rain? that storm is going to move into the atlantic, move up into canada, and then back down around our area and helping to force down some cold air from canada and we're talking about a fairly cool pattern into the middle of next week. right now we have that air coming out of canada. nice and cool today with the sunshine. tomorrow a little bit milder. i think our winds shift a little bit out of the northwest. we'll see sunshine tomorrow and highs in the low to mid 60s on sunday ahead of a cold front. that will actually help to warm us up. i think temperatures on sunday could approach 70 degrees in many areas. monday a slight chance of a shower but not much of a chance there. this evening clear skies. cool and breezy. 48 to about 55 degrees. winds out of the north 10 to 20 miles per hour. tomorrow morning, those winds will die down a little bit but that will allow temperatures to fall down to 29 in some of the coldest areas to about 38 inside the city. make sure you get out the coats if you're stepping out early tomorrow but then tomorrow afternoon, nice. mild. a little breezy. 61 to about 67 degrees. here's your next couple days. 68, beautiful on easter. monday and tuesday not bad. but tuesday a high of only 59. and watch next week. we stay in the 50s and lows right around 40 degrees. so many of you will see some very cool temperatures. we haven't seen a lot of days in a row with temperatures below average. i think we'll see quite a few next week. >> we'll sure enjoy the holiday weekend. nice, warm sunshine. >> we are. what are we doing again? you're cooking what? >> we're coming to your place. >> mine? i got to go shopping. >> thanks, doug. still ahead on news 4 at 6:00 a gay couple fights to end their marriage and the outcome could set a precedent in maryland. i'm julie carey in fairfax county. there is a deal but it's missing $300 million. we'll look at what that could mean for toll road users ahead. >> the easter egg roll at the >> the easter egg roll at the white house is on mo never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. if my mom can fight and beat breast cancer, i can walk 60 miles. 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[ male announcer ] and we think that's the best prize of all. ♪ emergency officials say two navy pilots dumped fuel before the crash of an f-18 fighter jet in virginia beach this afternoon. they say if that hadn't been done the scene could have been much worse. the jet crashed into an apartment building shortly after takeoff. seven people including the pilots were taken to the hospital. none of the injuries is believed to be serious. and the fire is out now. authorities are still searching for anybody who might be stuck in the wreckage. so far no fatalities have been reported. >> the jobs report for march is out and it is not as positive as analysts expected. hiring slowed and employers added only 120,000 jobs. more than 200,000 jobs were expected. the unemployment rate dipped slightly but economists say that's because fewer people were out looking for work. the death of a newborn baby girl in northeast d.c. earlier this year has officially been ruled a homicide. that baby was found outside in the freezing cold wrapped only in a towel on one of the coldest nights of the year here. police say they still have very few clues to work with in this case. a case that could set a precedent in maryland. a same sex couple married in california is file thing to get a divorce in maryland. >> a judge originally ruled against the move saying the marng wasn't legal but now the state's highest court is hearing arguments. jane watrel has the story. >> reporter: lawyers for the same sex couple told maryland's court of appeals it would be unprecedented for the state not to recognize gay marriages performed elsewhere and deny their clients a divorce. >> reporter: others who have marriages celebrated in states of the union where they have been deemed valid by law, where they've been accepted by law, because otherwise what you have is a hodgepodge. >> reporter: in 2008 jessica port and virginia ann cowan married in san francisco. two years later they decided to seek a divorce. but a prince george's county judge refused to do so saying the california marriage isn't legal in maryland. so no divorce could be granted. >> it's hard to be tied to somebody when you've parted ways and you can't move forward with your life. >> we are one maryland. >> reporter: the case comes on the heels of governor martin o'malley signing legislation to legalize same sex marriage in maryland in january of next year. but first, it must survive a november referendum by voters. lawyers for the couple told the seven-member court this is a separate issue. >> the judges really focused in on the key legal issues here and i think they really understand what we are asking them to do and what we're not. we just want them to apply the same rules to this couple they apply to everyone else. >> reporter: court watchers are hoping that the appeals judges will issue a ruling by june. and end the couple's legal limbo. in annapolis, jane watrel, news 4. six states and the district of columbia currently allow gay couples to marry. police in prince george's county are trying to figure out who strangled a woman inside her apartment. 32-year-old raquel israel was found dead wednesday morning on brooks drive in district heights. police say there were no signs of forced entry and they have no suspects, no motive right now. israel was the mother of four children from age 2 to 9. there is a warning out for people who live in prince william county. two bottle bombs have been found in the lakeridge area over the last two weeks. one of them was discovered this morning on berwick place and the other found on march 18th on kempston lane. police say juveniles often make the devices and usually they contain corrosive chemicals that can hurt people, animals, and the environment. police say anyone involved with making a bottle bomb will be charged. an alarming blow for efforts to help fund a dulles metro rail project in virginia. the commonwealth's new budget deal does not include any additional dollars for the next phase of the project. as julie carey reports now it could affect how much drivers will be paying in tolls. >> reporter: for daily users the tolls ri