making news in america this morning -- warning signs. we are learning more about the suspected navy yard shooter and a strange trail of bizarre behavior that caught little attention. plus, a pilot, a mother of two and a greatgrandfather. this morning we know a lot more about the victims of this tragedy. the desperate search. a teenager forced from her home at gunpoint by two burglars. a nationwide amber alert now issued. we have the pictures investigators want you to see. and rude awakening. tales of monsters hiding under beds is nothing new. this one, actually happened. good morning. we begin this wednesday with new questions about the background

of navy yard shooter aaron alexis. >> investigators are focusing on how alexis managed to keep his security clearance even though he was clearly troubled. >> the navy has ordered a review of how it checks the backgrounds of contract workers. with more on this, we're joined by abc's tahman bradley, at the navy yard. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: john and diana, good morning to you both. the navy yard here is closed again today, except for essential personnel. some of those workers came back yesterday under heavier security. as for the investigation, we're learning stunning information about warning signs that were missed. law enforcement authorities tell abc news, the washington navy yard shooter, aaron alexis, was a ticking time bomb on a final descent into madness. but it appears no one connected the dots. on august 7th, alexis called the newport police in rhode island, with a bizarre tale. documented in a police report obtained by abc. he described a confrontation with an unidentified person who sent three people to follow him,

and keep him awake by talking to him and sending vibrations to his body through a microwave machine. sources tell abc news, alexis recently sought help from v.a. hospitals in rhode island and d.c. for insomnia. but officials won't discuss his mental state. >> i can't comment on that at this time. >> reporter: just two days before the navy yard rampage, alexis visited a gun store and firing range in virginia. eyewitnesses to the shooting, are describing a determined killer. john weaver watched the suspect methodically murder six of his friends. >> i popped my head up. and i saw him pointing his gun at my friend. and he shot her. ♪ and the home of the brave >> reporter: a day after the shooting, washington paused to remember the 12 people who died. one of those victims, 52-year-old richard michael ridgell, a veteran of the iraq

war. >> he loved the ravens. >> he was a good dad. >> reporter: president obama told telemundo that the u.s. is more vulnerable to these types of mass shootings because the country does not have a strong enough background check system on gun purchases. john and diana? >> abc's tahman bradley. thank you. >> as tahman mentioned, one of the victims, mike ridgell, an iraq war victim. we are learning more about the mothers, fathers, co-workers and freinds lost at the navy yard. >> gerald read is another who will never come home to his wife of 35 years. will weir continues our coverage. >> reporter: i'll see you tonight for dinner. those are the last words kathy read shared with her husband, gerald, as he left for work at the washington navy yard. you never imagine when a 35-year marriage will end in a madman's gunfire. it's impossible for us to

imagine what kathy and the other members of the dozen families are dealing with. and what has become a grim american ritual, we tend to focus on the shooter in the search for answers in the hours after a slaughter like this. but let us not forget mr. read. or martin bodrog, who taught a bible study for kids. or sylvia frasier, who held a second job at walmart because she liked working with people. arthur daniels had nine grandkids. nine. and kathleen gaarde was a bird watcher and hockey fan and wife of 38 years. kenneth proctor was a loving dad. as was frank kohler and mike ridgell, who texted his affection for his daughters daily. just a few weeks ago, mary delorenzo knight was getting ready for the wedding of her daughter. and 72, j.j. johnson could have spent his retirement giving his signature bear hugs. but he loved work just too much. vishnu pandit raised a family. served the navy with pride for 25 years. and michael arnold, won't get to finish the beloved airplane he

was building. or hug his kids again. and through the grief, one of his relatives asked a reporter, how can you get up in the morning and go to work and have that happen? how do bad things like that happen to good people? bill weir, abc news, new york. and stay with abc news for the very latest on the navy yard shooting rampage. new details coming up on "good morning america." moving to our other big story this morning. the death toll of those destructive colorado floods has been revised to six this morning. officials expect that number to go up again. search and rescue crews are still on the move, plucking more people to safety. even going door-to-door checking for victims. meanwhile, more residents in the hard-hit areas are returning to their homes to assess the damage. >> there's no words. i'm just in shock. to see my home, and know i'll never get the things that i own. >> her things in that home that she's referring to is among the nearly 20,000 damaged or destroyed homes. with so many bridges and roads

washed out, cleaning and recovery could take months. for the first time, we're hearing the 911 call that proceeded the fatal shooting of an unarmed man over the weekend in north carolina. john farrell was seeking help at a nearby house when an unidentified woman opened the door. she closed it on ferrell and called the police. >> 911. hello? >> there's a guy breaking into my front door. he's in the front yard, yelling. >> there's three officers on their way to you, okay. >> one of the officers, randall kerrick, shot ferrell ten times, killing him. kerrick did not attend a court appearance yesterday. another hearing in the case is scheduled for early next month. and new this morning, starbucks is wading into the national debate over gun control. the popular coffee chain says guns are no longer welcome in its cafes. it stopped short of an outright ban. ceo edward schultz says the decision came as a result of the growing frequency of starbucks appreciation days, in which gun rights advocates turned up at

starbucks cafes with firearms. schultz says such demonstrations made customers uncomfortable. and some airport headaches to share with you, starting with a power outage in minneapolis. it shut down the computer system of a company that handles reservations for dozens of airlines. that meant that thousands of passengers had to be manually checked in for their flights. meanwhile, at boston's logan airport, 1,000 gallons of foam had to be used to put out a fuel pump fire. some arriving flights were diverted. some departing flights had to be canceled. they hope to have the airport fuel system back up and running this morning. here we go again. powerball fever, sweeping the nation. tonight's jackpot the fifth-largest ever. an estimated 400 million bucks. >> a single winner taking the cash option would get over $223 million before taxes. just six weeks ago today, there were three winning tickets in the $448 million powerball drawing. as always, the odds of winning it all, are 1 in over 175 million. >> i'm in it to win it. how about you? >> me, too. you bet. two tickets. all mine.

>> me, too. >> we'll share. no, we won't. >> i'll invite you into the party. that's what they all say. time, now, for a check of the weather across the nation. pop-up showers for colorado and new mexico. heavy rain across south texas. thunderstorms in the northern rockies. and from the dakotas all the way to the ohio valley. we've got some morning frost out there for northern new england. >> northeast, warming up later on today. climbing into the 70s. 80s in the nation's midsection. and some 60s in the northwest. changes coming to your iphone and ipad. we're going to show you exactly what you can expect when the new operating system rolls out today. and developing right now a teenager kidnapped in the middle of the night following a home invasion. new details about the abductors and the investigation. act of courage. no time to spare. a dram

welcome back. walgreens turning a new concept of offering workers health benefits. the biggest pharmacy chain will provide employees to purchase their own through a private health insurance exchange. it's a sign that president obama's health care law is creating a shift in health care coverage. walgreens is joining other companies in making such changes. wall street is expecting a decision from the federal reserve today. ben bernanke is widely expected to announce a cut in the fed stimulus program, holding down interest rates and boosting economic growth. heeds going to release quarterly interest rate projections. there's a slight uptick in the povertity rate. it remains unchanged at 15%.

last year's threshold was $23,492 for a family of four. it's a big day for the iphone and ipad. apple's new operating system will be available for download and new features. apple calls it a new modern look and feel. this is the first overhaul since 2007. walmart wants to be your place to buy beer. the nation's largest retailer selling popular brands, including coors light. the company's hope is that beer drinkers will stick around to buy other items while they are there. when we come back, the hidden culprit. investigators have uncovered what caused a fire that destroyed an iconic boardwalk. and one of america's most expensive homes now off the market. we'll tell you about the lucky, new owner.

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a 20-year-old man in australia narrowly escapes death as he walked in front of a train. the man ignored a barrier and warning bells and ran across the tracks as the train passed through the station. let's look at the morning road conditions. it will be slick at times across montana, colorado and new mexico. possible street flooding for south texas. slippery roads in florida and along the gulf coast. >> if you're flying airport delays are possible in chicago, houston and miami. a frantic search under way for a georgia teenager kidnapped in the middle of the night, during a shocking home invasion. >> police say two men pried open the back door of a house in a quiet suburban atlanta neighborhood. they shot the family dog after her mother told them she didn't have any money. her friends gathered last night to pray for her safe return. >> like if somebody was to come abducted -- >> reporter: ayvani was wearing her "star wars" pajamas when he

was taken. police have released sketches of the kidnappers. it appears this was a random act. amazing scene unfolding here in new york, as neighbors work together as to save a man in a burning apartment building. take a look at this guy, risking his own life to help the trapped worker. two other men behind him, carrying the ladder. >> and then, the man in blue, balancing, helps the other man to safety. there's a moment of relief, as the shaken man realizes how close he was to death. now, on to the new jersey shore. investigators say last week's inferno started with a wiring under a boardwalk. they claim that the wiring was damaged by salt water and sand during superstorm sandy. the wiring that apparently sparked the blaze dated back to the 1970s. more than 50 businesses in all were scorched. property owners have been told to have their wiring inspected to avoid another fire. and new this morning, police in oklahoma say they've

discovered the remains of five people. and that could come close to decades -- it could close a decades-old cold place. two cars were pulled out of a lake. they were discovered during a training session for a new sonar device. the cases involve missing persons from the early 1960s and 1970s. miami beach mansion where fashion designer giovani versace has been sold at auction. investors, including the family behind jordache jeans had the winning bid. donald trump wanted the estate. it will likely remain a hotel. the texas rangers break a long losing streak. >> here's linda and neil at espn with details. >> good morning, america. alongside linda cohn, i'm neil everett. we're on the "sportscenter" set in los angeles. linda's going to lead it off. >> baseball, the wild card race.

rangers and off the first pitch, ian kinsler. 1-0, rangers. kinsler's 12th home run of the year. top of the third, rangers up 3-0. who didn't know that? elvis andrus, two-run home run, adding to the damage. rangers stop their seven-game skid. they win 7-1, beating tampa bay. braves and nationals. an emotional day. game one of a day/night doubleheader. both teams paying tribute with a moment of silence. two on. under the glove. two runs will come in. and the nationals win in walkoff fashion. 6-5. christiano renaldo told madrid, show me the money. 1$120 million american. and he was money. >> all night.

see what you did there. >> 63rd minute, score. 66 minute scores. and in stoppage time. one shot isn't enough. you better make it three. look at that. the kids call that sick. >> yeah, they do. >> real madrid, wins 6-1. >> you were a kid once. what did you call it? >> that was so long ago. >> thanks, guys. unfortunately, you didn't see highlights from the giants/mets game there. probably because the best part of what they have been happening was in the broadcast booth. >> the guys who called the game last night, brought in comedian jerry seinfeld. he's a mets fan. he talked to keith hernandez about working on the classic seinfeld episodes together. >> celebrating our 20th anniversary of appearing on tv together. >> that's right. >> i got a phone call from my agent. and said, do you want to do this show? i go, the seinfeld show. what's that? >> right. >> and they told me, we can get keith hernandez.

i'm like, who is that? >> jerry got him on that one. he did a little play-by-play. it was his second stint in the booth for the mets game. his first stint was three years ago. well, coming up next in "the pulse." sleep with one eye open. a man wakes up to find a crocodile under his bed. and fun with beer. the house where the brew flows from the tap. before copd... i took my son fishing every year. we had a great spot, not easy to find, but worth it. but with copd making it hard to breathe, i thought those days might be over. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. it helps significantly improve my lung function starting within five minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. with symbicort, today i'm breathing better. and that means...fish on! symbicort is for copd including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day.

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♪ i came in like a wrecking ball ♪ topping this morning's "pulse." miley cyrus, the role model. >> cyrus is apparently having a big influence on a michigan college crowd, thanks to her "wrecking ball" video. a video that's gotten more than 100 million views. >> the guys on the university, decided to follow in her footsteps. they've been swinging on a wrecking ball on campus. >> now, surprise, surprise. the school is not so amused. they removed the sculpture that's it's occupied for 20 years. very good. >> leave it to miley.

all right. how is this for a monster under the bed? >> an eight-foot crocodile under a bed in zimbabwe. the director of the lodge was staying in the room. he had gotten dressed and he left for breakfast with the croc under his bed the whole time. >> the terrified housekeeper who discovered the unwelcome hotel guest. and quickly broomed him out. >> got him by the tail there. finally, what's being called the greatest prank ever. in new zealand. a bunch of friends waited for one of their brothers to leave the frat house. and then, they went to work. >> they hooked up every faucet to kegs of beer. and they installed 14 cameras to capture the reaction. >> it's funny. the prankster's brother discovered it all, after crawling under the house. he was surprised by the whole group, who did, what else? went back inside and had a couple beers. >> of course. that's what i would do. >> i'd take two showers a day. i might brush my teeth three

times. i would take hygiene to a new level. for some of you, the local news is next. >> everyone else, we'll be back, with a royal on ice. ence." now through october 14th, when you get any immunization at walgreens, we'll help provide a lifesaving vaccine to a child in a developing country through the u.n. foundation's shot at life campaign. together, we can supply up to three million vaccines. it's easy to make a difference at walgreens. simply get a shot. and give a shot. at the corner of happy and healthy. softens the enamel so it can potentially erode. once that enamel is gone, it's gone. my dentist recommended pronamel. pronamel protects your teeth from the effects of acid erosion. i don't have to cut out the things that i love in my diet.

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>> live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> good wednesday morning at 4:28. thanks for joining us. >> san francisco firefighters have put out a brushfire that was burning next to busy highway 101 and caused a sig-alert. abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield is on the scene. amy? >> all lanes are open but look at what it looked like: a fire on southbound 101 around 1:38 a.m. and they ship down the southbound highway because they needed room for the fire trucks to put out the fire. it was bigg. it was spreading. they had to get on top of it as quickly as they could. it was spreading to the bushes and lit up a tree.

they shut it down for 15 minutes. this is evidence of a homeless encampment. there is stuff that belongs to people who may have been living in that area. investigators do not know the cause. they are looking whether it was arson or an accident. after the fire they stopped someone on city streets in san francisco for questioning but let that person go. they do not think that was the present who caused the fire. it is under investigation. quite a shock to see on 101 and dealing with the shutdown. the sig-alert is canceled. the fire is out. >> yesterday's strong winds shut down part of the great highway along san francisco's ocean

beach. the sand is coughing -- covering the southbound lanes. >> you can see it is much calmer now. we will check with mike nicco the. >> high pressure is taking over. look at winds: less than eight miles per hour. fairfield is at six miles per hour. the sea breeze is being stopped and not so breezy this afternoon. the coast will still be breezy. the america's cup should be fine. live doppler 7 hd shows it is quiet with clouds. from the east bay hills to the bay bridge, our first forecast: warmer conditions and not so breezy and mid-to-upper 80's inland and mid-70's to near 80 and the coast into san francisco is mid-60's to lower 70's. >> breaking news in the south bay: an elderly woman was taken to the hospital after a fire in san jo.