happening now, breaking news. fugitive killed. sources say one of the two convicted murderers escaped from a new york prison has been shot dead by border patrol. the other escapee being kails chased right now. are authorities closing in on him? more breaking news. historic ruling. the u.s. supreme court says same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, paving the way for gay and lesbian couples to get married in all 50 states. will the decision put an end to the controversy? mourner in chief. president obama delivers a remarkable eulogy for the pastor killed in the charleston church massacre speaking bluntly about race the confederate flag and guns and leading the crowd in singing "amazing grace." how will his remarks influence the debate raging right now? we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >> this is cnn breaking news.

we're following breaking news. sources say the escaped murderer richard matt has been shot and killed in a shoot-out with police in upstate new york. officers now are in hot pursuit of the other fugitive david sweat. also breaking president obama delivers an emotional eulogy and a passionate appeal for the nation to right above racism hatred, and gun violence. he even led mourners in singing "amazing grace" during a funeral for the pastor killed in the charleston church shooting. hours earlier the president was declaring a victory for america amid joyful celebrations at the u.s. supreme court. the justices making history today by ruling that same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states. we have correspondents analysts and newsmakers standing by on this very very busy day of breaking news. let's go to the search area in upstate new york first. cnn's alexandra field is on the scene for us. update our viewers on what's going on, alexandra. >> hey, there, wolf.

right now we are learning new details about how police managed to close in on escapee richard matt shooting him dead. his co-fugitive, co-escapee david sweat still on the run at this hour. we are learning a malone resident called police this afternoon, picked up the phone, dialed 911, when he noticed a liquor bottle left inside his cabin. he knew he hadn't put it there. when officers arrived, shortly after that they heard shots fired. the 911 caller stayed in his cabin. we know ultimately richard matt was shot dead. wolf it took a lot of different leads to get police to that point. let me take you through the sequence of events here. it starts around 1:30 this afternoon when there are reports of shots fired newer route 30. about a half hour later another report of shots fired. at that time a man driving a camper notices that his camper had a bullet hole in it. he didn't even realize that the vehicle had been shot. authorities converged on that area. they did a sweep. and then sources tell cnn that's

when richard matt approached officers armed with a shotgun. we know that officers eventually shot at richard matt. he is now dead. but the search for david sweat continues. authorities are focused in an area south of titus lake right now. that's not far from the area where a lot of the searching has gone on. authorities have been very tightly focused on the town of malone over the last day 0 two days because of another reported burglary at a cabin where investigators found evidence the two fugitives had spent some time there. they found more items in the area that led police again to believe the men were in the area. finally those two sets of shots fired leading authorities to the location of richard matt. david sweat still on the loose. but authorities taking every precaution pursuing every lead trying to close in on him. our cnn colleague gary tuchman headed up toward the canadian border and he reports back that at two of the checkpoints, u.s. customs and border protection

officers are actually checking cars that are leaving the u.s. and heading toward canada. typically you would have canadian officers doing that work but the u.s. officers are adding a second level, a second barrier there, in order to search every car that goes through to ensure that david sweat does not manage to cross that border wolf. >> very very delicate moment dangerous moment right now as the hunt for david sweat is under way. it's been more than two hours now since authorities there shot and killed richard matt. i want to get more from our national correspondent deborah feyerick working her sources. >> wolf we're learning that authorities are working on the premise that in fact the men were trying to car jack that camper van. malone new york where this went down about 30 miles from the canadian border. we were told earlier that the two men were moving largely at nighttime, not during the day, which means they may have just tried to make a run for the border. now, we are told that a resident of malone, bob willett, called 911 when he found a liquor

bottle on the kitchen table at his hunting cabin. he told authorities he had not left that there and he's been checking on this cabin every couple of days just to make sure that it's been secure. well willett began speaking to authorities and that's when all of them began hearing gunshots. he was told to get back inside as police moved closer to the sound of those gunshots. and again, that's one of the things that sort of tipped them off, triggered this entire sort of movement to that area of malone, new york, wolf. >> it's a really -- obviously a very very dangerous moment right now. i want to go to our just tins correspondent pamela brown, also working her sources. what else are you learning pamela? >> wolf we're learning a bit more about what led up to the shoot-out between authorities and richard matt. we've learned that that driver of the camper heard gunshots called 911 earlier this afternoon. but at that point, apparently the driver didn't realize that his camper had been hit, got

out, and noticed that there was a gunshot in the camper. and this is about 20 minutes after he heard the initial gunshots. this driver of the camper called 911 again, made a second call to 911, to alert authorities about what happened. and we've learned, wolf that authorities converged on that area from all different police agencies and apparently according to sources, border patrol tactical units shot and killed richard matt who was armed with a shotgun. we know a shoot-out did ensue. the question is does david sweat also have a weapon? that is the big concern, wolf. >> it's a huge concern right now, whether or not david sweat, who's still on the loose, is armed. the authorities have to assume he is. very very dangerous. this guy's a convicted killer. i want to go to cnn's polo sandoval on the ground in upstate new york. what are you seeing where you are? i sense there's a lot of the police activity.

>> reporter: just two of the latest patrol units that sped by us here just south of the town of malone. we have seen authorities pour into this area. just a few minutes ago we watched as several vehicles -- i'll step out of the way to set the scene for you. several vehicles actually drove by with some of these flood lights clearly indication that this is far from over. officers now getting ready to -- they're in it for the long run here as they prepare for nightfall. we've been speaking to some of the few people who call this part of upstate new york home. many of them still as you might imagine fearful that this other individual is still on the run. i spoke to one individual matt mcguire, he lives not far from where i'm standing right now. he says this is happening too close to home. he will not be spending the night here as the search continues. but again, what we have seen is this tremendous mobilization of authorities from the town of malone about an hour ago many

of them -- officers were seen suiting up arming up packing into suvs and spedding this direction. again this development, really just the very latest in what we expect to be a very busy night in upstate new york. >> it will probably get more complicated as it gets dark over there as well. a very dangerous moment the assumption being david sweat is armed. this is a convicted killer. polo thank you. jean casarez, you're getting more information as well, right? >> reporter: we are. we're here at the command center stor the new york state police miles from the clinton collection collectional facility. new york state police are felling us that in addition to the burglary of that cabin of bob willett, they found at a field site, and we don't know how far away from that cabin, but they found items they believed were dropped by the two inmates. and this afternoon, those items are being processed. i think more than anything those bread crumbs we could say, led them to an area which

helped facilitate everything and the takedown of at least one of these two inmates. we want to remind everybody that this inmate that is still on the loose, david sweat, he's a convicted murderer. because he killed a trooper. he killed a law enforcement officer. and so to be head to head with someone who protects us would be nothing for this inmate who is now on the run. and we also were learning that despite the processing being done for this dna, they have experts out in the field right now to discern how far the inmate can travel in one day, in a 24-hour period. do they travel during the day or night? what they discovered through their expert testimony is they believe that they travel at night. that that's when they get on the move. now, it is 6:00 on the east coast, a couple more hours of daylight daylight maybe two and a half hours to be precise. we're also told by new york state police that they can at night discern and help find someone that may be hiding in

the brush. when this all broke several hours ago, helicopter after helicopter behind me went up in the air because they knew that david sweat was on the loose. they were going to try to find him obviously from the air. that's where the search continues now. wolf? >> all right, jean. i want you to stand by as well. our law enforcement analyst tom fuentes, former assistant director of the fbi, former chief deputy u.s. marshal matthew fogg is with us as well. i assume you believe it's a mar time sooner rather than later, the second killer is going to be found? >> that's right. now that nightfall is coming in that might make it a little more difficult but they should be able to stay on the trail. >> david sweat, he knows -- i assume he knows that his partner in this escape richard matt was shot and killed. he's on his own right now. assuming he wants to live as opposed to die, is there a chance he just gives up raises his hands, and says take me? >> could be could be. we've had cases where people swore they would never be taken

alive and they went like little puppies. other ones they've decided to do the death stand and shoot it out. either one of these is possible with him. we don't know he would know whether matt died. he might know matt was shot and didn't stay with him as he was running through the woods. assume matt was wounded, assume maybe he's captured but wouldn't necessarily know matt's still alive. >> bottom line we don't know like tom said. we've locked up a lot of people that said they would shoot it out with the police then we catch them, they're docile as could be. we don't know. we have to assume -- this guy killed a police officer, that's one of the things that got me very concerned that he doesn't have a problem shooting at law enforcement. >> when as ul said and done these guys didn't get very far from clinton correctional facility. 21 days they could have been out of the united states they could have been someplace, right? >> unfortunately, wolf, if they both get killed as a result of that manhunt, we may never know

what exactly went wrong, what was the second plan, did they have a plan b or a plan c? we thought they were so smart, and here they are only 20 30 mimes from the prison after three weeks. now we hear they're believed to be headed for the -- have been headed for the canadian border. they would have walked to can dat first night when nobody was looking for them, wouldn't have been a big deal. three weeks later they're a few miles from the prison. it's astounding to me. if sweat gets killed overnight we may never know exactly whether they had a second plan, who else helped them at the prison, what else happened in this case. >> i remember that first night, they were five six hours when they escaped that no one even knew in the prison that they had escaped and the assumption was during those five six hours, they would have been far away. >> that's right. but that tells me again, wolf probably what this woman said early on that she was going to be the pickup person maybe they didn't have a person to pick them up that we thought maybe they might have had somebody pick them up. it sayser that out in the wood,

they hunkered down, then lost from that point on. >> remind our viewers, authorities say they are in hot pursuit of david sweat, the second escapee who's still on the loose. define that hot pursuit term. >> i could define it the way it's been used my career would mean you're right after them. they're ahead, you almost have visual sighting either high-speed chase by vehicle, running after a subject on foot, dogs are howling and chasing and you know you're very close to them. to use that term just that we think we're close or a arrest is imminent might be an exaggeration of the term. but i don't know how they define it. >> matthew? >> i agree with tom. >> hot pursuit, they're close and getting closer. >> double-foot tracks. >> find this guy before it gets dark. stand by we have much more coming in to "the situation room." all of our reporters on the scene are getting new information. we'll share it with you when we come back.

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constitutional right clearing the way for gay and lesbian couples to marry in all 50 states. let's bring back our justice correspondent pamela brown. she was there with the ruling announced earlier today. what was it like? >> it was certainly an extraordinary historic day at the supreme court. as soon as the decision was announced that there is a nationwide constitutional right to same-sex marriage gay rights advocates stormed the plaza at the supreme court, a highly unusual move, to celebrate their victory. celebrations erupted on the steps of the supreme court. >> usa, usa! >> reporter: right after the decision was handed down. ♪ o say does that star-spangled banner ♪ >> reporter: a men's choir leading the crowd singing the national anthem. the supreme court was divided on the issue in a 5-4 split decision. right-leaning justice anthony kennedy wrote the majority opinion saying "no union is

more profound than marriage. for it embodies the highest ideals of love fidelity devotion sacrifice, and family. saying gay couples ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. the constitution grants them that right." jim o'bergerfeld, plead lead plaintiff, fought for his marriage on behalf of now-deceased husband john. >> it's my hope the term "gay marriage" will be a thing of the past that from this day forward it will simply be "marriage." i love you, thrls for you, john. >> reporter: in an incredible moment he received a phone call from the president while live on cnn. >> i just want to say congratulations. >> thank you so much, sir. >> your leadership on this is a change to the country. >> i really appreciate that mr. president. >> reporter: the u.s. is now the 21st country in the world to recognize same-sex marriage nationwide.

>> this ruling will strengthen all of our communities. by offering to all loving same-sex couples the dignity of marriage across this great land. >> reporter: the opposition to the decision was strong. reading from the bench, chief justice john roberts said "do not celebrate the constitution. it had nothing to do with it." and justice clarence thomas said "the court's decision today is at odds not only with the constitution but with the principles upon which our nation was built." but today history was made on behalf of jim o'bergerfeld and all americans who argue marriage is a fundamental right for everyone. >> today's ruling from the supreme court affirms what millions across this country already know to be true in our hearts. our love is equal. ♪ and the home of the brave ♪ >> chief justice roberts did something today he has never done by reading the dissent from the bench. that just shows how much he

cared about this case. as for justice kennedy, he certainly cemented his legacy today as a gay rights champion. >> he certainly did. thank you. president obama appears to have gotten caught up in the emotion of the day as he traveled to charleston south carolina after that u.s. supreme court ruling. he spoke at the funeral for the pastor killed in the shooting at the emanuel ame church. at times he sounded a bit like a preacher delivering a sermon. even leading the congregation in "amazing grace." let's go to our white house correspondent michelle kosinski. it was an amazing day for the president. >> reporter: definitely a president obama we have not seen before. maybe at times a little dramatic in there. you could say the unencumbered president that many especially black americans, have been wanting to see for a very long time. it just makes you think, this is a speech he ever would have done early on in his presidency? this follows a strikingly emotional week. you know that he was feeling

that. this is one that will surely happen define his presidency. and he didn't hold back preaching, then in the admit of this eulogy, breaking into song. ♪ amazing grace ♪ >> reporter: at first even the crowd was surprised. was that really president obama singing? not just as president, but as himself. ♪ that saved a wretch like me ♪ >> reporter: using grace as a theme, the president energetically eulogized state senator and pastor clementa pinckney, a man he knew and the other eight lives gunned down while in prayer here. >> susie jackson found that grace.

it is then lance found that grace. >> reporter: vibrant lives taken by a young gunman driven by racial hate. >> the alleged killer could have never anticipated the way the families of the fallen would respond when they saw him in court in the midst of unspeakable grief with words of forgiveness. he couldn't manimagine that. >> reporter: president obama as preacher not something anyone expected here far removed from his frequent attempts to walk a careful line in his words, strike the perfect balance on the most divisive issues. not this time. he spoke of moving from blindness in this country to seeing. on race -- >> we now realize the way racial bias can infect us even when we don't realize it. so that we're guarding against not just racial slurs, but we're also guarding against the subtle impulse to call johnny back for a job interview but not jamal. >> reporter: on guns -- >> for too long we've been blind

to the unique mayhem that gun violence inflicts upon this nation. >> reporter: even on the confederate flag. >> removing the flag from this state's capitol would not be an act of political correctness. it would not be an insult to the valor of confederate soldiers. it would simply be an acknowledgement that the cause for which they fought the cause of slavery, was wrong. >> reporter: early this week the president told comedian mark marin that he had made mistakes and now feels fearless. and today, again, speaks directly emotionally on what he believes needs to change in america. and what must be said. >> oh but god works in miss tier yuls ways. he has allowed us to see where we've been blind.

>> we've said it before that we seem to be in this new period of how the president is choosing to express himself. he's getting lots of attention too for his manner as well as his content, and wolf the president seems to be relishing that. >> he certainly does. it was really an amazing moment when he opened up singing "amazing grace" as well. thanks very much for that. i want to bring in don lemon, who's in charleston for all of us tonight. don, it was really amazing. and you're there on the scene. what was going through your mind? >> reporter: listen it is amazing. i'm not an ideologue, i'm not a very political person. but just watching this and experiencing it and being so close to it i just thought as he said it was amazing. it was amazing. "amazing grace." i'm not the president of this network or any other network, but i would run that entire speech over again because i would want as many people as possible to listen to it. the country needs to hear what the president said today. and if you didn't get it it

went over your head. you're trying really hard not to understand or not to get something or not to be part of the american fabric if you didn't understand what the president said today. he has said similar words before. we've heard him sing before. al green. if you live in chicago i would see him go to church events all the time especially when he was running for senator years ago and he would get and up sing at churches. but nothing like this in public. similar words but as we say, today he put his back into it. he put his whole being into it. and he spoke words that many african-americans, as michelle kosinski said wanted to hear him speak the way he spoke today for quite some time. and as he said in his speech we can't go back as americans to tiptoeing around this subject or being concerned how people will think about us if we involve -- if we become engaged truly in a conversation about race. and that means all of us.

whiting, black, hispanic, puerto rican rican, anybody. we should be able to have constructive conversations where we allow people to make mistakes and we listen to each other and stop yelling at each other. i thought the president did a world of good today in this speech and i want to listen to it over and over again to hear it. he was in full preacher mode today. >> he certainly, as you said earlier in the week on a different subject, he says he's become fearless during this final quarter of his presidency as well. that was very very evident in his amazing speech today. all right. it was a eulogy a beautiful eulogy i must say. stand by. i want to bring in south carolina state senator marlon kimpson, who was there as well. what did you think about the president's eulogy, senator? >> wolf the gravity of the nation was in charleston south carolina. the speech was a rallying call. and we have to muster the energy

to move on the progressive agenda he laid out in light of the charleston massacre. the president addressed many key issues, not only in the nation but right here in south carolina. it was very moving. and i think maybe transformative. >> did he do everything you wanted him to do, plus? or were there some subjects you might have wanted him to spell out a little bit more? >> well i think given the time constraints, he certainly hit all the key points. and what i was so impressed by is he talked about reverend pinckney and his dedication to making sure that we have proper education in the corridor of shame, that we do what we can to make sure that all of our citizens have affordable health care, and we get rid of the

symbols that divide us in a call to action for the symbols that unite us. it was a very powerful speech. i'm pleased with it. and what we have to do in the general assembly, and he spoke to south carolina senate and house, is we have to have a plan of action. the one area that i would have addressed that we will address is economic empowerment for all citizens. not just some but all. we have to raise the poverty level, south carolina being the ninth highest poverty level in the country. and make sure that the procurement opportunities, the meaningful procurement opportunities, not only in the state but in charleston are spread around to the low and moderate income and disenfranchised businesses. we have an agenda now, and the president aided us a lot, and we're well on our way. >> what did you think of when he opened up with "amazing grace" at the very end of his eulogy?

>> well, it was powerful. it's grace and mercy and healing. we all know that song. and my wife and i, we sang along. i saw members of my fraternity owe giving sa si phi, incorporated. i sat next to my good friend, vincent shaheen, who's been calling for removal of the flag. isabel lawrie joe lawrie a jewish brother. it was very very touching. he brought us together today. but we would be -- i would be remiss if i didn't tell you, wolf that we have to move forward. heed his words without delay, undeterred. focus on an agenda in the south carolina statehouse. >> senator kimpson, thanks very much for joining us. you've been very helpful to us these past several days.

>> thank you for having me wolf. >> thank you. to our viewers, you can certainly help the city of charleston heal by donating your time or money. find out how to do so cnn.com/impact. you'll be able to impact your world. just ahead, we're going to have much more on the president's powerful eulogy today. his very emotional day. and we'll also have more reaction to the historic u.s. supreme court ruling on same-sex marriage. anderson cooper, he's standing by to join us.

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we're back with breaking news. one escaped convict killed in a shoot-out, police in hot pursuit of the other. back to cnn's polo sandoval he's on the scene for us in upstate new york. what's the latest, polo? >> reporter: wolf you see that checkpoint behind me here. at least that police barricade that's been set up, roadblock, rather we're a few feet from the perimeter that's been set up. we have seen this seemingly endless parade of patrol cars speeding by us. it's not just resources, police

officers. but also flood lights that are being brought in. again, this is clearly indication that this story or this situation, far from over. there are a few folks who call this part of upstate new york home. i had an opportunity to speak to a few of them. one in particular says he does not plan on staying here tonight if in fact david sweat is not located. all of this drama unfolding only about five miles from where we're standing here beyond our vantage point here. just spoke a few minutes ago with the clinton county sheriff who was telling me really the message he wants to get out to the people who live in this corner of the country, stay home mainly tonight. there are concerns many people will want to venture out. this story obviously gaming a lot of attention the last three weeks since it broke. a lot of people may want to be close to the action. authorities though recommending that they not do that stay home and of course stay informed at this point. because there is still -- seems to be this evidence to suggest david sweat is still in and around this area.

there was a second set of tracks located near the scene of that shooting where federal agents are believed to have shot and killed richard matt. again, it's indication that it's still a very fluid situation here in franklin county wolf. >> and there seems to be a lot more police activity on the scene where you are right now. looks like as they say themselves in hot pursuit of this second convicted killer. >> yeah, one thing we haven't noticed, we haven't seen those air assets that we did notice early on after the story really broke. however that could potentially change or at least from our vantage point we haven't seen that. we have seen officers speeding by us. but at this point you do see that just regular folks are being turned away. the actual people who live here that are already beyond this roadblock here are allowed to drive out of the area. but if you're trying to get into the area without a badge at this point, wolf that's not going to happen. >> it's been three hours since the border patrol tactical unit

on the scene shot and killed richard matt. they're on the search for david sweat. we'll check back with you for more information. we're following two other breaking stories, including the historic ruling by the united states supreme court clearing the way for same-sex marriage in all 50 states. and we're also following president obama's truly remarkable eulogy for the pastor killed in the charleston church massacre. let's get more on all of this. joining us is the naacp president and ceo, cornell william brooks. also joining us are cnn anchors anderson cooper and don lemon. cornell, first to you, what was your reaction to the president's powerful words, the emotional side of him that clearly was evident in that eulogy? >> well i was extraordinarily moved. as a former minister in the ame church i know that a eulogy does first one thing, it reaches out and comforts the grieving

family. what the president did was he comforted a grieving family but beyond that comforted and challenged a grieving nation. he spoke to some of the contemporary challenges of the moment in terms of racial profiling, the confederate flag discrimination in the employment market but he did so in a way that he wrapped his arms around the family wrapped his arms around our nation but also spoke in a soothing powerful, and challenging way to the nation. and i might note, wolf he sang a little. he has not a bad set of pipes. >> yeah, we've heard him sing a little bit in the past. not like today, though. stand by for a moment cornell. i want to bring anderson into this conversation. anderson the other huge story, a landmark decision by the united states supreme court going ahead and deciding that all u.s. states should now honor the opportunity for gay americans to go ahead and get

married if they want to get married. a story you've covered for a long time all of us have covered for a long time. what was your reaction? >> you know i thought today not only about obviously all those people who want to get married in states where they haven't been able to but i really thought about the millions of gay and lesbian americans who have for generations, lived in the shadows and loved in the shadows and been subject to harassment haven't been able to hold hands on the street or express affection in public have been fired from their jobs if their boss suspected or didn't like the fact that they were gay, who couldn't serve openly in the military. people who, for generations, have lived half lives. and i thought about them today and how this is really a huge shift for gay and lesbian americans, that generations from now will grow up not knowing what that trauma was like what

that was like for so many of their gay brothers and sisters who have come before. i think that's an extraordinary change that this ruling has made. it's affected the lives of millions of millions of americans, untold millions of americans yet to be born. >> an amazing moment in american history, a decision that future generations will look back upon and they will have to reflect on this period in time right now. i want to go to don and get your reaction in a moment. cornell, you're a riffle rights leader what was your reaction to the supreme court decision? >> i think it's an extraordinary moment in american history. several years ago, the naacp came out in favor of marriage equality. because we understood that we cannot tolerate discrimination directed against any group of americans. so the fact that gay and lesbian americans are able to partake of a sacrament a way of expressing

love a civil ceremony just like all other americans, is an extraordinary moment in our country. and not just for gay and lesbian americans, for americans in general. >> and don, you heard the president say very very clearly that gay americans should not be second-class citizens. like all americans, if they want to get married, two men fall in love two women fall in love they want to spend the rest of their lives together they should have equal rights under the law to go ahead and get married. when you heard the president react in the rose garden to the decision by the supreme court, what was your reaction? >> i heard the president say that before. when he said that he evolved on the issue. i think both anderson and cornell are right. i have to say that my generation growing up i never even thought about marriage. i never thought that i would be able to get married. i never thought i'd be able to call my partner my husband. your partner was just your roommate or your friend. so now it's not separate but

equal, or as anderson said a hidden life or half life. it's a full life. you're a full part of the american experience. and so i think it means a lot fare a gay person someone who happens to be gay, a gay american to say, my husband, my wife and have the full benefits and have the full pledge of being an american the american constitution behind them. that means a lot. and those words that the president said and what happened at the supreme court i think is invaluable now. now we're all just one america. to me it was similar to when two people of different ethnicities could get married. i think it's just as big, what happened today. very emotional. >> a very emotional, very powerful moment in american history today. don lemon, anderson cooper and cornell brooks. guys thanks very much. important note to all our viewers. stay with cnn all evening. anderson cooper's going to be back at 8:00 p.m. eastern with much more of all the breaking news including the historic

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is underway for david sweat. let's get the latest from our national correspondent who's working her sources. there are fast breaking developments unfolding right now? >> there are. and you can see the man power headed up to the area where they believe david sweat is now on the run. the chase began a couple of hours ago. we know at about 1:30 shots were fired in a camper van along rout 30. that's about 30 miles from the canadian boarder. shots were fired. the driver of the camper van called 9-1-1 and drove a little bit further not realizing that the vehicle had been shot and then once again, called 9-1 -1. that's the first sign that led authorities to that area and, as a matter of fact we are told that law enforcement had been questioning a man also in that vicinity and the man had reported seeing a bottle a liquor bottle that he had not

left. it was opened on the table, of his hunting cabin. that also drew law enforcement to that area. we know the prisoners have been taking basic supplies from the hunting cabin. once the shots were fired, a lot of authorities began running. they shot and killed richard matt dead and then started chasing david sweat. if they can flush him out and take him down that right now is the objective. >> stand by deb. i want to get a quick reaction to the latest developments. tom fuentes says we watch what's going on. this is a critical moment. >> it is especially in the woods, it's probably already getting dark right now. i think that will change everything overnight. if they don't have him in custody, they'll want to hunker down and rely on the helicopters. i think they're probably in their planning stages deciding how their grid search is going to be conducted after dark with the infrared.

>> stand by. much more with the breaking news right after this.

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grab him before night fall. >> and we don't know if david sweat is going to give up and fight or whatever. we have no clue. >> we have no idea at this point and the fact that they're bringing in lighting equipment to use at night up there means there's a possibility they could end up with either a hostage situation or weather he goes into a house and takes people or a barricaded subject where he huk hunkers down. i think that's why they're bringing lighting equipment out there. >> remember all of this break today came in including the shooting and death of richard matt, a 9- -1 call from an individual who saw something suspicious. it underscores how important it is to get the calls and to follow up on the leads. >> that's right. and that's exactly what someone did. i guess in that area so much attention about these guys. everybody is probably on alert. they did the right thing.

>> this guy saw a liquor bottle on his table at his cabin and knew it wasn't his. and all of a sudden a simple thing like that has resulted in the death of one of the killers and now potentially the capture of another. >> and it shows that members of the public were coming so close to them. they're missing each other a little bit. if it was an attempted carjack where they shot bullets into his camper. the public is in danger and they've had a couple of close calls with members of the public. >> what's your final advice to the public who may be in the vicinity of this hunt? >> remember these guys are extremely dangerous. armed and we should just be on the lookout. if you see anything that looks strange, contact the authorities right away. don't waste any time. >> and don't approach this guy because he is a convicted killer. don't get close to him. make the call and hide. it's probably a good idea to stay indoors right now if you're in that area to be on the safe

side. >> that's right. >> we'll stay on top of this story throughout the night. an historic day on several critically important issues. thanks for watching. i'm wolf blitzer. erin burnett out front starts right now. >> good evening. i'm erin burnett. the breaking news one of the escaped killers is dead. shot down after firing at a civilian. the other convict in a desperate chase at this moment. law enforcement officials telling, thn richard matt was killed after he killed a driver. that -- shot a driver. that driver called 9 -1-1. a local resident capturing this