to strike the u.s. west coast? the new weapon for drug smugglers. launching marijuana over the border by canons. and what a day for a wedding. 12-12-12. easy for any husband to remember, as brides and grooms say i do around the world. good morning, everybody. we begin this wednesday with sudden horror at the height of the holiday shopping season. a mass gunman opening fire in a crowded suburban shopping mall. >> cell phone video captured the moment when festivities turned to fear in clackamas, oregon, just outside portland. the shooter killing two people before eventually turning the gun on himself. abc's brandi hitt has the latest. [ sirens ] >> reporter: chaos inside a

suburban portland mall, as a gunman opened fire on holiday shoppers. >> all of a sudden, we heard a big bang. we covered our ears and we got down. and then, all of a sudden, a matter of five seconds later, we heard rapid fire, bang, bang, bang, bang. and i just took off running. >> reporter: the shots were heard throughout the shopping center. >> it was really loud. and it continued, like 20 times. >> we heard some people running and screaming. so, we were hiding in the back. we didn't know what was going on. we didn't want to look through the windows or anything. >> i was just praying that no one was dead. and that we would live. >> reporter: then, the s.w.a.t. team moved into the clackamas town center. officers scoured the mall for any survivors. >> the shooter's deceased. two dead and one transported to trauma. additionally, i can confirm that the shooter is dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. by all accounts, there's no rounds fired by law enforcement. >> reporter: police and eyewitnesses say the gunman opened fire right when he walked

out of macy's and into the food court. >> everything became so real. it was a lot like virginia tech and the actions at columbine. he came in with a hockey mask on. came in with the intent to kill. >> the latest in a long line of tragedies this year. brandi hitt joins us live on the phone from portland. brandi, good morning. what can you tell us, now, about the shooter himself? >> reporter: good morning, rob. well, the shooter, as you've been hearing, was wearing that hockey mask. and also, camouflage, along with a bullet-proof vest. he ended up shooting and killing himself. and police are expected to announce the gunman's name some time this morning. we heard that it was a young man. there's a newspaper report that says he's 22 years old. but there's no confirmation just yet. so, there's a lot of questions, including why would he do this? especially during this busy shopping season. we're also hearing reports of little kids taking pictures with santa at the mall when the shots were fired. >> oh, brandi. three casualties, including the gunman, who took his own life. but there's also a woman in the hospital.

what can you tell us about her condition? >> reporter: paula, she's in serious condition. and doctors expect to keep her in serious condition at least until this morning. sheriff's deputies say she's fighting for her life at this point, though. she was the only victim to survive major injuries in the shooting spree. and we're also expected to learn her name and the names of the two victims killed some time today, likely. rob and paula? >> brandi hitt, live in portland this morning. thank you, brandi. amazing this could have been so much worse. there were 10,000 people shopping at that mall. >> a huge facility. and the "gma" team has been working throughout the night on the story. we're going to hear new stories from inside the mall, coming up at 7:00. our other major story this morning. north korea, one of the most isolated nations on earth, has just made a very public and defined military move. >> after trying several times and failing, it successfully fired a long-range ballistic missile, ratcheting up tension with the u.s. and much of the world.

abc's gloria riviera is in seoul. >> reporter: in a breaking news broadcast, north korean television celebrated the secretive regime's successful test of the long-range rocket. it is the second attempt by the north koreans this year. last year, a similar test failed within minutes after takeoff. this time, the rocket traveled directly over okinawa, before falling 180 miles north of the philippines, according to the north korean government. debris fell in at least three locations. it was detected by a south korean warship on alert. there are also four american warships in the region. the north koreans insist its efforts are part of a space program to place a satellite into orbit. but key allies believe it's an attempt to test a long-range ballistic missile. with further development, such a rocket could carry a nuclear warhead and potentially reach as far as california. analysts do not believe north

korea currently has the technology to be a credible threat to the u.s. but today's launch is a step forward if north korea and its new leader. gloria riviera, abc news, seoul. the u.s. is making a major diplomatic move, by officially recognizing syria's main opposition group as the new legitimate representative of the syrian people. president obama announced the move yesterday. it was part of an exclusive interview with abc's barbara walters. he also recognized that a small amount of the opposition has ties to al qaeda. the u.s. has declared them a terrorist organization. trying to prevent an extremist future for that war-torn country. the president and house speaker john boehner taking small steps to avoid the fiscal cliff. they spoke by phone again last night. but still doesn't appear to be any closer to a deal. the governor of michigan has signed that controversial, new law which limits the influence of organized labor in the state. hundreds of union workers had protested the legislation ahead

of the governor's action. michigan joins 23 other states with so-called right-to-work laws. those laws ban requirements that nonunion employees pay union dues for negotiating contracts and other services. well, drug smugglers have found a pretty creative new way to get contraband into the u.s. they use a gas-powered canon to shoot dozens of cans of marijuana across the mexican border into arizona. unfortunately for them, border patrol agents got to the drugs before their buddies. they picked up 85 pounds of pot. in all, worth more than 40,000 bucks on the streets. >> they're resourceful, to say the least. >> yep. time, now, for the weather from across the nation. another stormy day in florida, with heavy rain and gusty winds from miami to orlando. showers to the north spreading into the carolinas. light snow across north dakota, the northern rockies and the cascades. up to a foot of snow in the sierra nevada. rain along much of the pacific

coast. >> a wet 44 in seattle. 52 in sacramento. mostly 40s from omaha to chicago and new york. near 60 in dallas and new orleans. and when we come back, some hard facts about easy bake ovens. see what one girl is doing to level the toy oven playing field. a ferocious fire tears up homes. and it all started when a natural gas line burst. and mick jagger rocks the top-ten list. poking a little fun at 50 years of the stones.

welcome back, everyone.

add retailers to those worried about the fiscal cliff. a walmart survey says customers know about the impending tax increases and spending cuts. and some are cutting back on their spending for the holidays. most retailers depend on this month's sales for their success. and poor results could be disastrous for them. and bank of america customers aren't happy, either. the nation's second-largest bank had its lowest satisfaction score in 11 years. the worst for any major bank, in fact. it's the only one with a grade lower than before the recession. at the other end of the spectrum, though, is jpmorgan chase, whose satisfaction score was up 6%. and 2012 was on track for a record gun sales ahead of last year. the fbi has run 350,000 more of its instant background checks than in all of last year. abc news expects almost 2 million more gun checks just this month. and call it easy bake

backlash. a new jersey girl's campaign to make the toy more gender-neutral appears successful. 13-year-old mckenna pope says the easy bake oven should be made in colors other than pink and purple, to appeal to boys like her brother. some top male television chefs have posted a video in support. and the toy company is planning to meet with her. i don't know if i'm not remembering this correctly. but i swear mine was blue. >> really? >> yes. >> i'm sure you still have it. >> i could find out. >> check when you get home. new york police revealed there is video from that point-blank murder that shook midtown manhattan. and monkey business. an update on that adorable, little guy wandering around an ikea in his coat. the next chapter, not so cute. ♪ ♪ i woke up to a feeling ♪ every little thing has meaning ♪

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an apocalyptic scene for west virginia. flames from a ruptured natural gas line shooting 75 feet into the air. it raged for over an hour yesterday, destroying four homes and damaging five others. fortunately, no one was seriously injured. witnesses compared the roar of the burning gas to a jet engine on takeoff. and checking out the morning road conditions. a wet commute from l.a. to seattle. snowy highways in the sierra nevada, cascades and rockies. a wet ride into the carolinas. >> a look at the airports. some delays are possible in miami, san francisco and l.a. and a brief look, again, at our top story. police say they have a tentative i.d. on the gunman who shot up a shopping mall just outside portland, oregon. >> but authorities are not releasing the name of the masked man who opened fire in the sprawling clackamas town center, killing two people before shooting and killing himself. witnesses report he said that, i'm the shooter, before he

started firing. of course, we'll have much more coming up on "gma." the nypd has released surveillance tape of that cold-blooded murder in midtown manhattan. the camera shows a man walking up behind brandon woodard, and pulling a pistol out of his pocket. in the next instant, the 31-year-old law student from california, was shot dead. the killer slipped into a waiting car and sped away. he's the subject of an sense manhunt. george zimmerman must wear his bracelet on his ankle. he must stay in the county until his trial starts. he is charged with killing unarmed teenager, trayvon martin. prosecutors want to get tough on lindsay lohan.

they're asking her probation be revoked. they say she was actually behind the wheel. and congratulations are apparently in order for former first daughter, jenna bush, and her husband. reports indicate the happy couple expecting their first child. jenna and henry hager have been married since 2008. the grandparents are eager for the pitter patter of little feet. and we note the passing of ravi shankar, the indian musician that had an influence on western music. he had a close relationship with the beatles, particularly george harrison. he had the 1971 concert for bang dash. ravi shankar was 92 years old. in other news this morning, the adorable monkey found wandering around an ikea in toronto is at the center of a

custody battle. the owner of the 5-month-old -- what is that? macaque. >> i was close. named darwin, is vowing to fight to get him back. and she's hired a lawyer. darwin was stripped of his stylish coat and sent to a primate sanctuary. his owner was fined for keeping an exotic pet. but she says darwin is like a son to her. now, sports. and baseball's top free agent pitcher is off the market. zach greinke put on his new jersey and top yesterday, after signing a contract with the l.a. dodgers. he moves across town from the angels. as for last night's hoops, highlights, now, from espn. >> good morning. i'm hakem dermish with your "sportscenter" update. and we begin with the battle of the boroughs. nets and knicks. spike lee and jay-z. pregame pleasantries. carmelo anthony. 42 points in the game.

knicks up two. under 1:30 to play. nets down two. joe johnson, driving. tied at 97-97. here we go. ensuing knicks possession. raymond felton, kicks it out to jason kidd. knicks up three. last chance for brooklyn. under ten seconds to go. gerald wallace, outside. huh-uh. out to deron williams. how about his three-pointer? no good. knicks win it 100-97. they've won seven of their last eight. next up, they host the lakers on thursday. speaking of the lakers, part of a four-game road trip in cleveland. tyree irvin, back for 11 games from a fractured finger. and anderson varejao, pulling it down. cavs up two. late second quarter. irvin, on the break up to alonzo.

cavs up 14. third quarter, kobe bryant. bucket, foul. 42 points in the game for kobe. fourth quarter, irvin, crossover. he had 28 points, 11 assists. and here's one of those assists. finds varejao. the cavs won 100-94, over the lakers. that's your "sportscenter" update. i'm hakem dermish. have a great day. and stick around for "good morning america." they've got a fascinating report about one of the first major disasters caught on camera, the destruction of the hindenburg 75 years ago. >> the discovery channel has been re-creating that disaster, using life-sized replica. now, they're ready to release the likely reason why the airship burst into flames. and coming up next, too, "the pulse," this morning. and guess who has just been named the most desirable woman in the world.

the answer may surprise you. and two by two on 12-12-12. the couples lining up to say their i dos today. [ designer ] enough of just covering up my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer up to 9 months. [ male announcer ] because enbrel®, etanercept, suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness.

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all right. this is no ordinary wednesday here. couples around the globe are hoping today's date, 12-12-12, will be their lucky number. >> guys can't forget that. that's why they're packing churches to tie the knot on this day. like these brides and grooms in hong kong. 7,500 couples are expected to get married here in the u.s. alone. this is a special day for thousands of kids turning 12 on 12-12-12. kim moria of alabama was one of

them. he was born at 12:12 p.m. instead of a birthday cake, he is asking for krispy kreme doughnuts, arranged in the shape of the number 12. >> only 12 doughnuts to construct that 12, as well. mick jagger, celebrating the rolling stones' 50th anniversary. he dropped by "the late show," to do the top ten list and tell what he's learned from a half-century of rock 'n' roll. >> number eight. >> before shouting, hi, seattle, make sure you're in seattle. >> the number one thing i, mick jagger, have learned after 50 years in rock 'n' roll -- >> you start out playing rock 'n' roll to have sex and do drugs. but you end up doing drugs so you can still play rock 'n' roll and have sex. >> words of wisdom from mr. jagger. the stones are in town for tonight's big 12-12-12 concert for hurricane sandy, a great

cause. and a handful of 50th anniversary shows. you can catch that on cable channels. and bring on the year-end lists. this morning, the most desirable women, according to the website ask men. >> this year's number one, 22-year-old actress jennifer lawrence. "the hunger games" star jumping 40 spots from last year. >> she's more authentic than 40 spots from last year. >> she's more authentic than other stars. for readintertainment. your favorite magazines and catalogs look better than ever. and with scrapbooking, you can save the things you love, bring them all together, and be inspired like never before. scrapbooking. create yours with nook hd - and even bigger with hd+. find yours at barnes & noble. went home and fed her family. now she's helping her community. no wonder it's hard to focus on her own needs. but she's got one a day women's,

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san francisco neighborhood after a newborn is rushed to the hospital. breaking news, truck crashes into a sit bay apartment a baby and finally, appointment tv. tonight, barbara walters reveals her top-ten most fascinating people of the year. >> you have to wait, of course, until tonight to find out who is number one for 2012. but here's a little preview. ♪ baby, you light up my world like nobody else ♪ >> reporter: our first choice wasn't a tough one. it was fascinating to us that two years ago, they didn't even know each other. now, this incredible boy band, going just one direction, up. if you had to describe this past year in one word, what would it be? >> insane. >> incredible. >> fun. >> overwhelming. >> reporter: we chose another young sensation, who captured our hearts earlier this year.

16-year-old u.s. olympic gymnast, gabby douglas. you are the first woman of color to win a gold medal in the women's individual all-around. does that matter to you? was that important? >> yeah, it is. just a little. i'm kidding. it means so much to me that i could go to london and just inspire anyone. >> reporter: are you definitely going to compete in the next olympics? >> definitely. >> reporter: and from sexiest man alive, to man of the moment. ben affleck. he is now seriously in the running for oscar's best director and best actor for the true story of "argo." did you ever consider anybody else for the lead besides yourself? >> you know, it's one of those things where the actor was sleeping with the director. so -- >> reporter: exactly. >> had a good entree to get into the part. i loved the part. >> reporter: george clooney, your friend. he was chosen sexiest man in 2006. matt damon, your closest friend

was chosen in 2007. of the three of you, which one is really the sexiest? >> well, matt has since shaved his head. and i always liked a man with a shaved head. the bullet-head look, which i think is very, very sexy. >> good year for those folks. think is very, very sexy. >> good year for those folks. see the special tonight. captioned by closed captioning services, inc. we begin with breaking news in the south bay. a truck has plowed into an apartment complex in san jose. >> driver smashed the wall straight into a bedroom where a child was sleeping. that child is a 3-year-old girl. >> she has been taken to the