this is "nightline." >> tonight -- >> signal 46, suspect at the auto zone. >> cracking the mail bomb trail of terror. suspect caesar sayoc now in custody. investigators digging into every detail of the life of the florida man accused of mailing at least 14 bombs. >> these are not hoax devices. >> that potentially deadly spree gripping the nation. the key forensics leading to his capture. what officials say he's been posting on social media. blazing with pro-trump political messages. what's next in the investigation? plus taking on gun violence by taking to their feet.

♪ i'm fighting >> and saying, enough. the rallying cry for kids from grade school to high school. pop star sia lending her hits and beyonce's dance expert helping to choreograph the growing movement. many too young to vote using dance and art to make themselves heard. >> i hope that this video says, we're here and we have something to say. >> but first the "nightline 5." >> for all the night owls and the star gazers. get up to 50% off select home items and 50% off select purchases for the family. jcpenney. style and value for all. ♪ i had the time of my life >> sandals. more quality inclusions than any other resort on the planet.

good evening. thanks for joining us. we begin with the latest on that fast-moving investigation into a florida man federal officials now say mailed 14 bombs targeting president trump's highest-profile critics. the speck, caesar sayoc in custody tonight accused of launching a domestic terror spree that has gripped the nation. investigators picking through every detail of his life from his social media to his family, who are speaking out for the first time tonight. here's abc's steve osunsami. >> reporter: the frightening deliveries of explosive devices and the nationwide search for the person who sent them ended with an arrest in florida. >> these terrorizing acts are despicable and have no place in our country. >> reporter: authorities say they have the person in custody

who went through all this effort to mail ieds in these yellow envelopes to prominent figures in the democratic party. >> suspect at the auto zone -- >> reporter: investigators say a fingerprint led them to 56-year-old caesar sigh yok, arrested at 10:30 this morning in the parking lot of an auto zone in plantation, florida, outside ft. lauderdale. witnesses say they gave up without a fight. >> it almost seemed like he knew he was going to get caught, so get in with no problem. he had that look of, okay, it's over. >> reporter: federal investigators tonight are describing him as a domestic terrorist with a political chip on his shoulder. the windows of the white van that police say he had parked outside were covered with potential evidence. the hard to miss political messages supporting the president and demonizing his critics, including hillary clinton and cnn. >> he's been charged today with five federal crimes, including interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of

explosives -- >> reporter: he already has a past criminal record, and if convicted of these crimes, could face up to 48 years in prison. his arrest comes after four more packages of improvised explosive devices that were discovered just today, a total of 14 explosive devices in all put in the mail to americans who criticized president trump or have been the constant subject of the president's anger. >> each device consisted of roughly six inches of pvc pipe, a small clock, a battery, some wiring, and what is known as energetic material. these are not hoax devices. >> reporter: the very first package was discovered monday afternoon at the home of democratic philanthropist george soros in a suburb north of new york city. late tuesday night, another device this one sent to hillary clinton, caught by the secret service before it reached her home in new york. just hours later, a third package in washington, d.c. that stopped before it was delivered to the home of president obama. >> the package was found at a

screening facility located in washington, d.c. >> reporter: then wednesday morning in new york city, cnn was reporting on the story when it hit home and alarms went off in their newsroom. >> to have projectiles, that's a -- [ siren ] that sounds like a fire alarm, we'll keep you posted on that. >> reporter: that device addressed to former fbi director john brennan. another package meant for california congressman maxine waters. in florida police rushed to the office of democratic congresswoman debbie wasserman schultz. the device there addressed to former attorney general eric holder but it had wasserman schultz's return address. authorities don't believe she was in any way associated with this. wednesday night two more packages, this time addressed to former vice president joe biden, both caught at postal facilities. the tenth package for actor robert de niro.

>> approximately 6:30 a.m., nypd bomb squad removed the device -- >> reporter: more in the mail this morning, an 11th package recovered near opa-locka, florida, addressed to senator cory booker. another package addressed to former director of intelligence, james clapper. on the air, clapper cut to the point. >> this is definitely domestic terrorism, no question about it in my mind. >> reporter: in california, a 13th package recovered in sacramento, addressed to senator harris. >> we have determined this device was a legitimate device. we have now rendered the device safe. >> reporter: the 14th package addressed to well fair activist and democrat tom stier, stopped at a mail facility in burlingame. >> showing officials what to look for. it was taken very seriously. >> reporter: the big break that led to sayoc was a fingerprint, as investigators took apart the crude ied addressed to congresswoman maxine waters. >> once i know they had a precipitation, i was pretty

confident we'd be able to find the right person. >> reporter: investigators ran the prints and found a match, caesar sayoc, whose fingerprint was in the system because of previous arrests including one for alleged 2002 bomb threat. >> once they find something like a fingerprint or even partial print, that gets put into their database which contains other fingerprints from previous arrests, which is apparently how they were able to make the match. >> reporter: as police recovered more devices, the evidence kept pouring in. once they could say who he was, they used his cell phone to track him. >> this is phenomenal work with the greatest pressure under an incredibly tight time frame. we see unbelievable work like this on tv and in hollywood. but to see it up close in reality is something to behold. >> reporter: we're now learning more about the suspect, cesar sayoc. his family attorney says he was living out of his van and says his former client wasn't violent, but suffers from mental illness. although we don't know the alleged bomber's exact motivations, new details about

his personality are coming in. >> it was almost like there were two caesars. i don't know how to describe it. there was the -- you know, the articulate, dependable, the reliable. then there was this one that spewed awful, vile, ungodly things. >> reporter: deborah, his former boss at a pizza restaurant, describes him as a reliable employee but says he is outspoken opinions were often a problem. >> i didn't like him as a person. i mean, because it offended me with what he was saying about me. gays, blacks, jews, his ppanicsa he loved adolf hitler. his van, what you saw was what you got with his van. it was always ku klux klan, or naziism. >> reporter: there are certainly other clues that point to extreme politics. he was one of those people on twitter constantly posting dislike for the clintons, obamas, and other democrats. >> he may have been a part -- appears to be a partisan. but that would be determined by

the facts as the case goes forward. >> reporter: sayoc posted videos like this one on social media that appear to show him at trump rallies. >> they're going to look at any type of event, any type of function that he went to. particularly if it was some type of political event or a campaign event. they're going to try to see, was he there with certain people? >> reporter: today the president condemned what he called political violence. >> we must never allow political violence to take root in america. cannot let it happen. and i'm committed to doing everything in my power as president to stop it. >> reporter: wednesday night in wisconsin, he urged for all sides to come together. >> we want all sides to come together in peace and harmony. we can do it. >> reporter: by the president's own account he was on his best behavior in the immediate aftermath of this incident, but we have seen some significant backsliding. overnight the president once again attacked the media, tweeting, funny how lowly rated cnn and others can criticize me

at will, even blaming me por the current spate of bombs, and ridiculously comparing this to september 11th and the oklahoma city bombing. yet when i criticize them, they go wild and scream, it's not presidential. later he wrote, republicans are doing so well in early voting and now this bomb stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows. news not talking politics, very unfortunate. today reporters questioned the president about his recent remarks. >> no, not at all, no. not at all, no. there's no blame. there's no anything. if you look at what happened to steve scalise, that was from a supporter of a different party. >> reporter: when asked if he would tone down his rhetoric? >> i think i've been toned down, if you want to know the truth. i could really tone it up. as you know, the media's been extremely unfair to me. >> how? >> and the republican party. >> how? >> at moments of national crisis we've become used to a president

who seeks to unify. president trump does not have that instinct. he is by plays on the divisions, not the opportunities for unity. >> reporter: even though police say there's a suspect behind bars, authorities say this may not be over. >> today's arrest means new yorkers and people across our nation are safe, but as director ray said, there might be more packages out there, so everyone needs to take caution. >> reporter: when checking the mail, it's safety first. for "nightline," i'm steve osunsami in plantation, florida. up next, how pop superstar sia is providing a soundtrack for kids stepping up to take aim against gun violence. violence. [man 1] ...this is my body of proof. [man 2] proof of less joint pain... [woman 3] ...and clearer skin. [man 3] proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis... [woman 4] ...with humira. [woman 5] humira targets and blocks a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further irreversible

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now to the children too young to vote turning to fancy footwork to fight gun violence. with a little help from a pop sensation and a choreographer to the stars. abc's ashen singh with more. [ gunshot ] ♪ i'm part of a battle >> reporter: an empty desk. ♪ i'm fighting my shadow >> reporter: and an empty seat. ♪ i'm fighting a battle >> reporter: this is not another viral dance craze. but a bold statement to stand up against gun violence.

♪ lost you where did we go wrong ♪ >> reporter: 130 children from grade school to high school dancing together, saying "enough." using their moves to motivate change. ♪ >> gun violence is a top that i can needs to be talked about. but people kind of sugarcoat it a little bit. >> what do you think about dance so is special for getting out a message? >> dance, you can really express yourself through your movement. you don't have to explain yourself when you're dancing. >> you're a person who is young and who's affected by gun violence, yet you aren't given the platform or the opportunity to really have your voice heard. >> i put all of my emotion and all of my mind all over what i thought into this dance. >> reporter: with an average of 47 children and teens shot every day, director ezra horowitz felt compelled to do something. he partnered with every town for gun safety to create this

powerful psa. >> when the parkland shooting happened, it started me thinking about how dance specifically could be a vehicle for change and for healing. >> reporter: what started as a simple idea for activism quickly snowballed when superstar sia offered her latest track "i'm still here" to the project. ♪ >> reporter: every step. every step a deliberate expression crafted by celebrity choreographer james alsop. >> it's such a critical issue for the entire country. and i don't understand why there isn't a bigger conversation. and maybe we're getting drowned in language. when he said he wanted it to be a dance-driven theme i was like, yes! we get to speak through our bodies. >> artistically trying to get a message across like this in choreography, how do you do that? >> i let the music and the song and the message dictate the

movement. just so that it comes off authentically. >> reporter: known for working with the likes of beyonce and j. lo, this was her first time working with this many kids. >> it was beautiful. once i got in i was so nervous. because kids don't hold back. so i started teaching the choreography. they were sponges. they soaked it up. every word, every move, every direction. it couldn't have been better. it was borderline perfection. >> reporter: perfection? i had to see for myself. so we headed to the studio where these kids rehearse every saturday. we're in harlem right now at the national dance institute. these kids are unbelievable. ♪ we're the best ♪

>> reporter: empowering thousands of children through dance. >> it is joyful, it is rigorous, it is disciplined. they come together and they unite around a shared goal. that's what performance does. not with the goal, necessarily, of training professional artists, but rather, helping children master the choreography of their lives. >> why is dance so important in being a catalyst to being a voice of change? >> it's movement. it's communication. dance is communication. so we want to empower our young dancers to be the voice of change. to use their voice or their art to express something and make a difference in this world. >> do you see activism in your future? >> yeah, i hope that this video says to other people that like we're here and we have something to say, and our lives aren't expendable, and this is something that is affecting everyone. >> reporter: these children, who aren't old enough to vote yet, are part of a bigger movement of young people hoping to make

>> reporter: americans all over using art as activism in response to gun violence. like manuel oliver, whose son, joaquin, was killed in the parkland shooting. he created this 3d rendition of his 17-year-old son. the piece a protest against 3d printed firearms. across the country, oliver's creating public art installments called "the walls of demand." >> joaquin is right there with us. joaquin is right there with me, painting. i became a tool that joaquin can use to still have a voice. >> reporter: the olivers called their nonprofit advocacy organization, change the ref. a nod to their son's favorite sport, basketball. >> one of my goals is to be able to erase the relationship between the nra and the

politicians that represent us. >> that is going to be a long, hard fight. but we are committed to have it. >> reporter: a fight these young dancers have now joined. just ahead of the midterms. their message loud and clear, even without saying a word. enough. >> when random strangers watch this video what do you want them to take away? >> participate in local elections. do things that can help even in small ways. >> i really hope people that are using guns abuseively will stop. >> i do want to make a difference. this video should really make people stop and think and say, what about the children? they always want to say it's about the kids, it's about the kids, but they never rant to do anything to really help them. ♪ i'm winning up next, the fine-feathered friends making a modern family. the mercedes-benz of tomorrow

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"look what she's accomplished... she authored the ban on assault weapons... pushed the desert protection act through congress, and steered billions of federal dollars to california projects such as subway construction and wildfire restoration." "she... played an important role in fighting off ...trump's efforts to kill the affordable care act." california news papers endorse dianne feinstein for us senate. california values senator dianne feinstein finally tonight,

congratulations are in order for not one, but two dads down under. officials at australia's sea life sydney aquarium say two penguin males are nurturing a newborn. fathers sven and magic feeding the baby chick up to 10 times a day. zoologists say they won't find out whether it's a boy or girl until about two months from now. now that is good parenting. thanks for watching "nightline." as always, we're online at our "nightline" facebook page. good night, america. have a great weekend.

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