you want. wherever you are. that's going to do it for now. thank you so much for joining us. world news tonight with david muir starts now. and i'll see you back here at 4:00 including with the latest on that humboldt county earthquake in the ocean. nonetheless affected us here with the tsunami warning. and we'll continue to bring you the latest. so i'll see you then at 4:00. tonight, breaking news as we come on the air. the new images in the manhunt at this hour, the ceo murdered in new york city, and tonight, for the first time here, the face of the suspect. and the video just in tonight, the suspect on a bicycle outside new york's central park. also tonight, we're following this magnitude 7.0 earthquake off california. the frightening images coming in at this hour. first tonight, new reporting just in in this urgent manhunt in the suspect wanted for murdering that ceo at dawn in new york city. the suspect seen unmasked and smiling at a hostel on new

york's upper west side. where he shared a room with two strangers just before the shooting. what we've learned about the victim tonight. a husband and father of two boys. and tonight here, the words that the suspect left on shell casings at the scene. also, breaking late today, the powerful birth quake just off the coast of northern california. the 7.0 quake triggering a tsunami warning and mass e v evacua evacuations. the first earthquake of this magnitude in the region in more than 30 years. of course many asking, could more be coming? the state of emergency tonight. and what authorities are saying. also, this life-threatening storm sweeping across the great lakes, right into the northeast. tonight, winter storm and wind alerts from michigan to new york up to maine. up to a foot of snow, a blizzard warning in pennsylvania. the warning of winds gusting near 80 miles per hour in some places. dangerous winds in new york, philadelphia, and washington. lee goldberg with the forecast. tonight, authorities on the

kindergarten students who were shot by an adult. their condition at this hour. and what we're now learning about the suspect. tonight, abc news has learned president-elect donald trump is keeping his options open now amid the firestorm swirling around his pick to head the pentagon, former fox news host pete hegseth. abc news also learning trump is not working the phones on his behalf. and who is now on the short list of potential replacements? new reports tonight outside new york city, more mystery drones, after they were scene near trump's bedminster golf course and a military base. and there's word tonight a medevac helicopter was kept from flying a patient to the hospital because of this. news tonight on those popular drugs now being used for weight loss. and what they're seeing with dementia. and america strong tonight. the neighbor lighting up the whole town for christmas. a million lights. can anyone beat this? you'll see it.

good evening. we begin tonight with two breaking stories. the 7.0 earthquake off california. the alarming images coming in at this hour, and the concern about any possible aftershocks now. and here in new york city, the urgent thanhunt that began more than 24 hours ago after a ceo was murdered at dawn on the streets of new york. this man's face clearly seen at a manhattan hostel before the killings. investigators pouring through surveillance across the city. this image captured coming out of the subway. this was before the attack. and this new video tonight of the suspect seen riding a bike out of new york's central park on manhattan's upper west side, 85th street. this is about 15 minutes after the deadly attack. police learning more about the .9 millimeter gun he used with a long barrel, making the shots nearly silent. and tonight here, the chilling worlds found on the shell casings at the scene suggesting a possible motive. abc's senior investigative

correspondent aaron katersky leading us off right here in new york tonight. >> reporter: tonight, for the first time, we're seeing the face of the man the nypd says gunned down united healthcare ceo brian thompson in cold blood. the suspect seen unmasked and grinning at a manhattan hostel. police sources tell abc news he checked in saturday, november 30th, using a fake name, and shared room 407 with two strangers. investigators searching that hostel. >> we are on the right pathway, and we don't want to do anything that's going to not only impede the investigation, but hinder the prosecution of the person involved. >> reporter: authorities believe the shooter used a unique .9 millimeter pistol with a long barrel that allowed the killer to fire a nearly silent shot. today, detectives traced recent sales of that kind of gun, including one to connecticut. investigators also piecing together the suspect's movements using surveillance images as he traveled by subway to 57th street, grabbed a water and snacks in a starbucks, and then made his way to the hilton hotel carrying a backpack.

that's where police say he approached thompson from behind and opened fire, leaving him dying on the sidewalk. >> they're looking for a male about 5'10" in height, cream-colored jacket, black mask, black gloves. >> reporter: 15 minutes later, he's already 30 blocks away, riding his bike out of central park, but without that backpack. police have not revealed a motive, but they found clues that may point to a grudge against united healthcare or the whole insurance industry. including shell casings with the words "deny," "defend," and "depose" written on them, hoing "delay, deny, defend: why insurance companies don't pay claims and what you can do about it." earlier this year, activists targeted united healthcare in minnesota with at least two protests. staging a sit-in, even carrying a mock coffin. protesters accusing the company of greed and pointing out brian thompson's $10 million compensation package. >> our mission is to bring people together to turn private pain into public power in an effective, focused, nonviolent way. >> reporter: tonight, thompson, a father of two

teenage boys, is being remembered in his home state of minnesota. >> he was a beloved individual. very friendly. very nice. very outgoing. and he was working very hard to make a difference for the employees that worked there. >> david: let's get right back to aaron katersky, with us again tonight. aaron, the suspect's face clearly seen now. i suspect police are getting calls, given how clear these images are? >> reporter: they sure are. that is an important image, david. they believe someone recognizes the man from it, and they are being inundated with leads, feverishly trying to follow up on each and every one. tonight, david, the police are confident they will make an identification, and catch the guy. it's just a matter of when. david? >> david: aaron, thank you. we're also following the state of emergency in california at this hour, after a major earthquake struck off the coast of northern california. this is the moment the magnitude seven earthquake struck, shaking this home near the epicenter. the most powerful quake in that region in more than 30 years. wine bottles knocked off shelves

at a nearby inn. a rare tsunami warning for a time. has evacuations on highway 1. people moving away from the coast. the quake centered off the coast of ferndale, california, near the oregon border. but felt in san francisco, 270 miles away. and tonight here, the obvious concerns, whether there could be more coming. abc's melissa adan in california tonight. >> reporter: tonight, chaos on the west coast. a powerful magnitude seven earthquake rocking northern california, sparking a rare tsunami warning and mass evacua evacuations. >> a magnitude 7.0 is a major earthquake. >> reporter: watch the moment the quake violently shakes this cannabis facilit >> an earthquake is happening right now. >> reporter: california's governor declaring a state of emergency. the largest quake to hit the region in more than three decades, followed by more than 30 aftershocks. >> it all started happening. everything from the shelves fell

down, and the lights started going, and people fell down. >> reporter: reports of houses knocked off their foundations. residents like craig fry and his fiance racing for higher ground. >> when we heard about the 7.0, we said, well, this is serious, we may want to go ahead and evacuevacuate. i put everything up high and we got the dog and we got out of there. >> reporter: 5 million people under tsunami alerts. boats speeding to shore. jon forsythe was surfing. >> next thing you know, like, people are yelling at us, get out of the water, i got of the water! there's a tsunami coming! we were pretty shocked, not going to lie. >> i feel it. >> reporter: the shaking lasting several seconds. >> dad, there's an earthquake happening. look at the pool. >> reporter: pools overflowing. products knocked off store shelves. authorities cancelling that tsunami warning about an hour after it was issued. david, this was the biggest earthquake to hit northern california in more than three decades. and now, authorities are warning

millions that more strong aftershocks could strike. david? >> david: yeah, unsettling several hours in california tonight. all right, melissa, thank you. now to the life-threatening storm sweeping across the great lakes right into the northeast. 64 million americans on alert at this hour from michigan to new york, all the way up to maine. blizzard conditions. look at this, from erie, pennsylvania, tonight. winds gusting near 80 miles per hour in some places. and dangerous winds in new york city, philadelphia, and washington, d.c. here's trevor ault. >> reporter: tonight, howling winds and blowing snow creatin life-threatening conditions for millions from the great lakes to the northeast. in new buffalo, michigan, the man recording this lake effect whiteout calling the conditions insane. nearby on lake michigan, massive waves towering over this lighthouse. in erie, pennsylvania, zero visibility. highways a graveyard of abandoned cars and trucks. the national weather service warning of gusts up to 80 miles an hour. west of philadelphia, police say high winds likely caused a tree

to come crashing down on this suv, killing a 30-year-old mom. her daughter taken to the hospital. in new york state, authorities say two people in erie county have died from heart attacks after shoveling snow. the system dumping nearly eight inches of snow near springfield, massachusetts, more than enough for school officials to delay or cancel classes. this timelapse showing the front storming into new york city. high winds even taking down the christmas tree outside the west virginia state capitol building in charleston. and david, the winds are so severe, the faa had warned it was going to be a difficult day for airports all over the northeast. and we've seen significant delays around new york city and up in boston. these winds are howling, david. >> david: trevor, thank you. let's get to lee goldberg from our new york station, wabc, and lee, not just the snow and dangerous wind gusts, but bitter cold coming, too. >> reporter: david, polar air is pouring into the east. we've got snow gusting out of the great lakes. snow and wind alerts go from the lakes all the way to the east

coast. the wind advisories will expire this evening in philly, new york, hartford. but the blizzard warnings will continue in erie until saturday. we've had 50-mile-per-hour gusts and snow squalls in the northeast. the snow is the still going strong in cleveland to syracuse. 6 to 12 inches in western new york. the frigid air is far reaching. wakeup wind chills in the single digits to the great lakes. teens on the i-95 corridor. and freeze watches all the way down to places like ocala and gainesville. good news is, we warm up over the weekend. >> david: lee goldberg, thank you, as always. we turn now to the horrific shooting at an elementary school in northern california. two kindergarten students shot by an adult, and what we're now learning. here's pierre thomas tonight. >> reporter: tonight, authorities in northern california say they've identified the man who targeted elementary school children with gun fire on wednesday. police expected to release his identity within the hour.

as the fbi points to the school's religious affiliation, seven day adventist, as a possible motive. new revelations come just a day after the gunman showed up at the elementary school an hour north of sacramento, opening fire and wounding two kindergartners. >> shorts fired. 27 cox lane, between highway 70 and simpson road. >> reporter: two boys, only 5 and 6 years old, hit in the gun fire. tonight, both are in critical but stable condition. fighting for their lives. the suspect then turned his weapon on himself, dying of a self self-inflikted gunshot. the shooter had met with the principle of the school to discuss enrolling a student. several moments later, he was shooting at children. >> tears. it was pandemonium. it's collective -- a collective trauma. >> reporter: david, we have late word on the condition of the 5-year-old. fally members say he's still critical, but has stabilized. the poor child was shot through his chest and stomach area, and is still on a ventilator.

but he's fighting, david. >> david: just a horrible story. pierre thomas, we're thinking about those families tonight. abc news has learned president-elect donald trump is keeping his options open now, amid the firestorm swarming around his pick to head the pentagon, former fox news host pete hegseth. our team also learning tonight that trump is not working the phones on his behalf now. and who's now on the short list of potential replacements? again tonight, mary bruce. >> reporter: tonight, donald trump heading to new york as he weighs whether to keep up the fight for his controversial pick to lead the pentagon, pete hegseth. >> do you feel confident that you'll be confirmed? >> reporter: the former fox news host on the hill defiant, in the face of persistent questions about his past behavior. >> i don't answer to anyone in this group. none of you. not to that camera at all. i answer to president trump. >> reporter: but tonight, we've learned trump has expressed to those close to him that hegseth should have been more forthcoming about the challenges he could face in the confirmation process, as he is dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking,

and financial mismanagement. >> i am a different man than i was years ago and that's a redemption story that i think a lot of americans appreciate. >> reporter: behind the scenes, trump's team particularly concerned about whether hegseth can win over female senators, given those allegations, and hegesth's insistence that women shouldn't serve in combat. there are nine republican women in the senate. so far, just two have voiced their support -- martha blackburn of tennessee and katie britt of alabama. and all eyes tonight on iowa senator joni ernst, the first female combat veteran to serve in the senate and a survivor of sexual assault. >> what is it going to take for you to support hegseth? >> reporter: her support will be key, but tonight, she's still not convinced. even after meeting with hegseth one-on-one. >> i think for a number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations have been cleared, and that's why we have

to have a very thorough vetting process. >> reporter: trump keeping his options open, as tonight, we're told he is notably not making calls on hegseth's behalf. but the former fox news host's mother is, after appearing on the cable network, insisting her son is a changed man. >> pete is a new person. he's redeemed. >> reporter: for now, hegseth hanging on. >> as long as donald trump wants me in this fight, i'm going to be standing right here in this fight. fighting to bring our pentagon back to what it used to be. >> reporter: watching closely. donald trump's decisions on something else, how he is preparing to make fogood on his promises of retribution against his critics. tonight, we've learned that president biden's senior aides are weighing preemptive partdons for who they fear may be targeted, including dr. anthony fauci, in an effort to protect these people before they've been charged with any crimes.

david? >> david: mary, thank you. tonight, the justice department issuing a scathing review of the memphis police department. disturbing video showing what prommed the investigation. the doj found, quote, memphis police officers regularly violate the rights of the people they are sworn to serve. the justice department says the memphis police target black people disproportionately. the doj urging the city to work with them on reform. when we come back here tonight, new reports coming in, more mystery drones outside new york city. where they've been seen now, and how this has affected a medevac helicopter with a patient. there's also news tonight on these popular weigh loss drugs, and what they're now seeing with dementia. we'll have that in a moment. and they can show off clearer skin and less itch, with dupixent, the number one prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists that helps heal your child's skin from within. severe allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for face, mouth, tongue, or throat swelling, wheezing or trouble breathing. tell your doctor of new or worsening eye problems like eye pain, vision changes, or blurred vision,

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beginning to look a lot like christ christmas. families gathering downtown. 1 million christmas lights. so many comes from miles away, even from other states just to see this. children, families, the dogs, santa, too. and just look at the reactions. it was the idea of one neighbor, brian niccok nichols. he wanted to light up the whole town. >> hi, david. >> david: brian tonight on the power of the christmas spirit. >> i knew that it would be a big deal and people would come down and see the big changes to macon that we've done here in downtown. but i had no idea what it would turn into. >> david: taking us on a tour. >> put lights up in the trees, wrapped the bottoms. put some net lights on the ground. >> david: starting the new christmas tradition a few years back, but he had no idea it would grow to 5 1/2 blocks now. >> this is one of the newer blocks. as you can see, we've added a globe that people can walk through. >> david: local businesses grateful. >> hey, david. >> david: scott mitchell.

>> i've seen a huge amount of diverse groups of people coming downtown to enjoy the beautiful holiday traditions. >> hi, david. >> david: lake lambert and jordan hampel at the macon visitor welcome center. >> we've seen up thes of people come down, from big families to just couples to go on a date. >> people from north carolina and all around the southeast, to come see what amazing work brian's done. >> hey, david. >> david: charles davis has seen it, too. >> the economy that's come into this town between, you know, december and january, is amazing. all the restaurants have an hour wait, there's no parking downtown. but that's what you want with an event like this. >> david: tonight, the christmas lights, and one bright idea, from a neighbor who simply wanted to bring back the christmas magic from when he was a boy. >> thanks, david! >> david: thank you, brian. and we hope you get to macon, georgia, if you can, to see it. i'll see you tomorrow. good night.

it's right now. it's not the warning that came out. >> that tsunami warning was lifted. it is part of a protoco. tsunami warnings. anytime you're 5.0 or greater around a coastal region, and that quake centered far north of the bay area triggered emergency responses up and down northern california, including that tsunami warning. >> good afternoon. what a day. i'm kristen sze indeed. >> i'm dan ashley, thanks for joining us. there have been at least 75 aftershocks following that initial big quake, which happened off the coast of humboldt county. there are reports that it was felt from seattle to san diego. information is still coming in. of course, we're learning about

the damage with no reports so far. thank goodness of any serious injuries. >> this morning's events unfolded quickly. at 10:44 a.m, that big earthquake hit off the coast of humboldt county. initially reported as a 6.0, the usgs quickly revised it the magnitude to 7.0 and just five minutes later, at 1049, this morning, the national weather service issued a tsunami warning stretching from the oregon border nearly down to santa cruz. >> the tsunami was predicted to hit san francisco at 12:10 p.m. >> people around the coastal areas of the bay started evacuating and heading to higher ground, but at 11:54 a.m, the tsunami warning was canceled, much to everyone's relief, and businesses and residents in the town of ferndale, south of eureka, spent the day cleaning up after the quake, as you would expect, the shaking tossed some things off shelves, even knocked a door off its hinges. >> but overall, no significant damage.