>> good morning. this is aljazeera and i'm morgan radford. >> i feel very lucky to be alive. another guy next to me got shot. i didn't. >> a former reservist killed a dozen people at the washington navy yard. authorities are trying to find his motive for murder. please believe the shooter acted alone. the new details about his checkered past, the high powered weapons he used and how he carried out that miskerr. >> as floodwaters recede, the death toll is climbing. nearly two dozen helicopters are searching for those stranded for days and dropping supplies to

those who need them. >> a pivotal u.n. weapons report revealed that deadly sarin gas was in fact used in a mass killing in syria and all but directly blames the syrian government. ♪ theme >> new details are coming to light in the navy yard shooting. authorities say that suspected gunman aaron alexis had a history of anger and psychological problems. he was arrested twice on gun charges, once in fort worth, texas and again in seattle. he wasn't charged in either case, and there are also reports that alexis was treated a number of times for psychological issues at a veterans affair hospital in new england. the f.b.i. now says that the 34-year-old acts alone. he opened fire inside the navy yard around 8:00 a.m., killing 12 and injuring eight.

that's before dying in a police shootout. so far, authorities haven't revealed a motive for the crime. at the white house, president obama ordered flags to fly at half staff in remembrance of the shooting victims. we have more on the nation's latest mass shooting. >> trying to make sense of the unthinkable, investigators and city leaders are still looking for answers and information this morning about 34-year-old aaron alexis, the gunman who shot and killed 12 people and injured eight others at the washington navy yard on monday. >> we don't know the motive. we were asked earlier if there was likely terrorism involved. we have no indication of that. we haven't ruled it out. we continue to investigate that. >> all the motive still remains a mystery, investigators say alexis used a valid pass follow his empty employment to gain actions to the naval facility. police ruled out any other

possible shooters in the attack. >> we feel comfortable right now that we've exhausted all means to eliminate that possible last suspect, so we do now feel comfortable that we have the single and sole person responsible. >> the shooting brought the nation's capitol to a stand still. the first shots range out at 8:15 monday morning in building 197 at the headquarters of the navy's sea systems command. at one point he was perched on an ate ream, picking off victims below, that is where most victims were found. the 3,000 people who work there were told to stay in place as officers and tactical teams started hunting the shooter. the captain described the tense scene. >> we were on the floor. we heard the previous gunshots. we saw -- we heard gunfire and looked up and there were two bullet holes in the top of the wall of the conference room.

>> he was armed with three weapons, a.r.15 assault rifle, a semiautomatic handgun and a shotgun. police say it's unclear if he brought all of the guns with him or if he took one or more of the weapons from his victims. as the drama unfolded, president obama took time from an event on the economy to honor the victims and offer words of comfort to their families. >> these are men and women who were going to work, doing their job and protecting all of us. they're patriots. >> the white house has ordered flags be flown at half staff through september 20 at public buildings and military facilities in the u.s. and abroad in honor of the victims. >> randall pinkston is at the site of the shooting a few miles away from capitol hill and the white house. what has the security about that like sings the shooting? >> well, this morning, morgan, the streets have been reopened. yesterday it was a total lockdown around here, no one

could get in or out for blocks around. the only streets that remained barricade the by police officers are those providing immediate access to the washington navy yard. otherwise, everyone's free to come and go as they please. this is a parking lot across the street from the complex and we see people arriving here to go to work this morning. the washington navy yard has been described by local officials as one of the most secure facilities in the city of washington, d.c., so a lot of questions are being raised about how exactly this gunman gained access with those high powered weapons. >> you say it's described as one of the most secure facilities. judging from what you see there and given the level of security that you just described, is this the type of crime that only an insider could have committed? >> well, of course, as we know, he was a contractor. he had a valid pass that would allow him access into the facility.

he had been coming here apparently for the past several weeks with coworkers. i think there were five or six of them staying in a local hotel, involved with installing equipment for an i.t. contractor. he was allowed to come and go. whether he had figured out a way to get weapons in as part of his gear, that's speculation. that's certainly something that authorities will be looking at, but he wasn't apparently assisted by anyone on the inside. he had been coming here himself, probably was known, his face known to guards, who looked at his pass and waved him through. whether he was screened with metal detectors for weapons is a question that investigators certainly will be trying to ascertain. >> was he installing the equipment or was he just accompanying people in calling the equipment? >> i'm sorry, say that again, please. >> you said he was installing equipment. was he actually installing the equipment or accompanying people installing equipment?

>> i'm not quite sure of the exact nature of his job. in the navy, he was an electrician. a third class electricians mate in the navy for three years. he had technical training and was able to obtain a job as a federal contractor afterwards for a private company. he had access. >> randall pinkston in washington, thanks so much for joining us this morning, randall. >> we're getting a clearer picture of the man responsible for the shooting. these are new photos of the gunman aaron alexis, supplied by friends in fort worth, texas. aljazeera's heidi zhou-castro talked to his friends. >> he was described as a quiet person and admirer of world cultures. he meditated at this buddhist

temple. >> he was quiet and very helpful for the temple. >> the temple is where he met a friend who describes him as his best friend. he owns this thai restaurant down the street from the temple. alexis was a deliver man here. >> it's unbelievable. all these people know aaron, this is my customers that know him for a long time and he is a nice person. >> he says alexis lived with him for three years. that was after he was kicked out of his apartment for having shot a bullet in the unit above him. he was told it was an accident. he was never charged. he carried a gun with him at all times, even at work. >> if he was trying to get something from the top, you know, and the lift up a little bit, i can see his gun. i told him hey, you to have keep

a gun in the car or at home, not here. >> others say he had an obsession with violent video games. he left his friend's house five months ago when a new job with a military contractor took him to japan. michael says alexis returned home upset, complaining the contractor wasn't paying him. >> he really felt like they should have paid him when they took him to tokyo. he loved to be able to travel, but when he came back, he talked about how they didn't give him the money. >> he says that was one of the last conversations he had with alexis. it wasn't until monday morning that he saw the news, and he's been in disbelief since. heidi zhou-castro, fort worth, texas, aljazeera. >> we have been following the story from fort worth, texas, where aaron alexis once lived.

we are liv live. is there any suggestion from his past that something like this could happen? >> not really. in fact, the word friends are using out here is confused. they just neve saw anything like this coming. i've got two people here. you and your family took aaron in. you told me there was an incident last june. what happened recording his handgun. >> i had just come home from my overnight shift and went to the bedroom and fell asleep. not but moments later, the gun went off. my husband came out to check on everything and aaron came out with this horrified, mortified look on his face and look of concern. he said oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh, you know, what happened, his gun went off accidentally while cleaning. it shot a hole through the wall, and luckily, everyone was still

asleep, and only my husband and his -- well object only my husband heard that. >> did you layout ground rules after this happened or were there concerns? >> no. in fact, he had always been concerned with gun safety and gun control, and he had a license to carry a weapon with him. we had no issues. he had no anger issues. we had no reason to be concerned at all. >> speaking of anger issues, michael, we understand that you talked to him shortly after he got back from japan and he was very unhappy with something to do with his pay. >> sure. aaron had called me concerned about his new job. he was really trying to get good employment job. he. >> he told me there was slow pay. he wasn't getting paid as quick as he thought he would.

it seemed like he said that the company was holding back on him. so, the concern was, you know, when you start a job, you need money, and, you know, so he kind of called me for help in that regard, too. aaron was family. people took him under their wing and he's just like a member of the family over here. >> it's been about 24 hours since this incident. you've had time to think about it. does it make any more sense now? >> actually, it even makes less sense, because you see it on the news, you see a smiling face and wonder how this could happen. it almost seems premeditated, that he would carry that many weapons, he never displayed that around us. he talked about guns and military equipment, the happy bowl has on the wall picture of airplanes. he talked about knowing a lot about the equipment in the military. it sounded to us as though he

was really, really knowledgable, but never to the point he would ever do anything derogatory. that's why it makes less sense now. >> thank you very much. these friends have been thinking about this for a whole day now. >> mark schneider, thank you so much. >> continue to follow us on line at aljazeera.com for the very latest on the investigation in the washington navy shooting. as raging floodwaters recede in colorado, people are returning to the new reality of devastated homes. why 90% of them could face a serious rebuilding road block. plus, 9 million send year citizens in america are going hungry. why so many of struggling to survive and the lengths they have to go through just to put food on the table. video games are rivalling movies when it comes to blockbuster budget. why game makers are risking so

very much. >> just to be able to defend the title for once will be awesome, and i've done so well here the past few times i've played, getting to the semis or finals. it's been really, really exciting. i'm happy that i've been able to consistently do well here. >> australian cricket captain michael clarke led his team to victory against england, scoring his first tonne. england were bowled out for 227 in pursuit of australia score of 315/7. >> and now take a look at this young man who has more than a few expectations to live up to. this is argen tendulkar son of

sachi, in his father the highest run scorer. on techknow, our scientists bring you a sneak-peak of the future, and take you behind the scenes at our evolving world.

techknow - ideas, invention, life. >> the rain has finally stopped in colorado, allowing rescue efforts to resume. 1800 people have been rescued from areas cut off by washed out roads. residents have begun making their way back to their homes and many of them have no flood insurance. in fact, only 10% to 25% are even covered, compared to 50% of the hurricane katrina victims. we caught up with some families who found their neighborhoods in

ruins. >> relentless and powerful, the water flowed down, paying no heed to the fragile works are man kind. the water moved, and hayden court was just in its way. jennifer moved into her new house only six weeks ago. down in her baseman, there's a thick layer of mud and a foul river smell. irreplaceable tokens lay ruined in the muck. [ crying ] >> that's all gone. yeah, it's just gone. >> she has no flood insurance, but even with all the damage, she sees redemption. >> i'm safe, you know, allison,

my sister, is safe, my dog's safe and the people in this neighborhood are safe, which what's really important is not this stuff. >> up and down hayden court, wrecked cars, huge chunks of asphalt and toppled lamp posts testify to the power of thursday's flood. people are taking stock, and figuring out what to do next. emergency workers cleared debris. roland robinson helped his parents scoop muck from their garage. nina, with an injured leg, was at home with her 13-year-old son and one of his friends when the water started swirling up fast. she saw her car swept away. >> it was a time span of probably two to three minutes from when the water hit the bottom of the tires on our car, went all the way up. we watched it go all the way over and take it down the road. >> larson and two boys were trapped for eight hours before rescuers came in a boat.

in the meantime, her husband, jeff, swam across flooded fields, battling the heavy current to get to his family. >> you lose all thought of yourself. you just have to get to your family. that's it. >> emergency workers say they'll have the power back on in a day or two, but the repair work and the clean up will take a lot longer than that. none of the families who live here on hayden court will ever forget the day the waters rose. >> joining us now live in boulder, colorado is aljazeera's tamara banks, at an airport where rescue teams are gearing to search for flood victims. are people still being airlifted out of there? >> yeah you, there's still quite a bit to do. i'm at the boulder county

airport. behind me, there are seven helicopters, and personnel are beginning to gather to get things in shape. they estimate here that the emergency managers say that they're doing a pretty good pace, excited about the efforts that they're making. yesterday when we were here, we saw folks being brought up, a couple on wheelchairs, stretchers, but many walked out on their own and of course with their dogs, their pets. 110 people were brought out of larimore county and two out of boulder county. people are excited to be on firm land. morgan. >> as we mentioned earlier, only about 10% of those homeowners in the areas affected have insurance. what are the options for those who don't? >> well, it's going to be a tough road for them if they don't have flood insurance. only about 22,000 people in colorado have flood insurance. it's something that folks here in this area just don't think

about. fema recommended that these folks throughout the state of colorado get flood insurance after last year's devastating fires. 344,000 acres were scorched in those fires. all of the shrubs and trees that typically hold back the debris after floodwaters come through, they don't exist anymore. a lot of these folks that weren't in flood prone areas are now, so they're going to have to regroup and see what happens next. >> a long road ahead. thanks so much for being with us this morning. >> the weather has finally let up for flood ravaged colorado. for more, let's bring in meteorologist nicole mitchell. >> we were stuck last week under a pattern that was just funneling the moisture in. now that that has broken, things have greatly improved. things are clear for colorado, although there is enough moisture and a little instability that occasionally we have showers popping up

especially in the afternoon hours, but not the rain like last week. much improved conditions for the effort. you still see areas that we have the flash flood watches and warnings and even more of that now into parts of new mexico, which is another place that has gotten the heavy rain. you can still see rivers rise, even a little after the fact as other tributearies funnel in. otherwise, the main pattern we've had this boundary dipping through the midsection of the country. >> this area has receded as

we've gotten into the 8:00 hour, the frost and freeze subsiding now. definitely just a chilly start to the day. look at these temperatures. we've got albany at 40 degrees, new york's been sitting around 50. it's been so mild recently especially into last week, that this might be a little shock to the system as you head out the door into this morning. fortunately, things warm up pretty nicely for today. starting to feel even though it's a couple days until we officially get to fall, starting to feel more like fall in a lot of these areas. minneapolis is at 66, very different on the south side of the boundary, houston still at 91 degrees. getting into the northeast, new york, today is 68, but eventually will be in the 70's. tomorrow morning's temperatures, not quite as chilly, although definitely still on the cool side. morgan. >> thanks so much, nicole. speaking of the weather, the torrential rains came right at

harvest time for many of colorado's vegetable farmers. crops are now underwater instead of on their way to the market. the loss is expected to reach the millions. >> the eastern plains of colorado are saturated. >> this is your corn. >> this is a variety raised specifically for silage. we were harvestedding pinto beans, alfalfa, getting ready to plant the winter wheat. >> all of this has been flushed, making these fields inaccessible. >> it's pretty much a lot of of it's lost. >> formally, the banks of this

river would be somewhere out there. today, the people who work the fields say they never could have prepared for anything like this. >> if you talk to anybody that has lived here for very long, the old timers have never seen a storm of this magnitude this time of year. >> there is hope some crops can be sal sagged, but the cost will be steep. >> it still has to be in the millions, it's right in the prime harvest time. depending on the crop losses, it's difficult to give it a number right now, but you just know it's going to be exceptional. >> farmers can only hope with their window for harvest time dwindling, they hope for a break and cooperation from mother nature. >> we'll make the most of it, we'll make the best of it. >> the forecast calls for warmer and drier weather throughout much of the coming week. >> the huge cruise ship costa concordia is finally upright again.

that's nearly two years after striking a reef and capsizing off the western coast of italy. the effort to get the ship back upright took 19 hours. 32 people were killed when the cruise ship ran aground early last year. two victims were never found. the salvage operation is one of the most expensive in history at a cost of more than $800 million. >> in north carolina, new outrage in the fatal police shooting of a former college football player. civil rights leaders demand that crime scene video of the altercation be made public. jonathan ferrell was killed saturday. police say he was shot 10 times by charlotte police officer randall kendrick. he has been charged with manslaughter. he was seeking help after crashing his car. the family talked about their loss. >> my son was a great guy. he was going to be a very

successful man. his goal was to work and become a businessman, so i would never have to work. >> it's crazy, because when our father passed when we were younger, i was crying and jonathan told me no matter what, he was going to be there to protect me through life, through anything, period, he was going to be there to protect me. he always protected me for the entire time that he was here. >> as you can see, the family getting emotional as they describe how ferrell wanted to go back to school to become an automotive engineer. >> the u.s. releases the findings of its investigation into a chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds in syria. what u.n. inspectors found and who they appear to blame for using the deadly gas. >> i am catching pure hell sitting here. >> why so many seen years are spending their golden years looking for food. ç]

♪ theme >> welcome back. i'm morgan radford and these are our top stories. authorities are trying to figure out why a gunman went on a killing spree in the washington navy yard, taking 12 lives. they now leaf aaron alexis was acting alone. this morning, grief count lowers are being made available to workers who survived the massacre. >> in colorado, search and rescue missions are finally underway. two dozen helicopters are looking for flooding victims, some