>> david: 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 for 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 earthquake just off the coast of northern california. the 7.0 quake triggering a tsunami warning and mass evacuations. buildings damaged, homes knocked off their foundations, items thrown from store shelves. 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. they're 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 seen 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.

>> david: 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 manhunt that began more than 24 hours ago after a ceo was murdered at dawn on the streets of new york. tonight, take a look. this new image of the man they're looking for. this man's face clearly seen at a manhattan hostel before the killings. authorities say sharing a room with two strangers before he set out to kill that ceo. investigators poring 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 words 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 hurt 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, echoing the title of a 2010 book, "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 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: our investigative correspondent aaron katersky again tonight. 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 7.0 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 from santa cruz all the way up to oregon. mass 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 evacuations. >> a magnitude 7.0 is a major earthquake. >> reporter: watch the moment the quake violently shakes this cannabis facility. >> 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 fiancee racing for higher ground. >> when we heard about the 7.0, we said, well, this is serious, we might want to go ahead and evacuate. put everything up high, electronics, you know, and we got the dog and -- yeah, 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, get out 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 canceling 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. warnings of 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 creating 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 time lapse 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: tough to fly in that. trevor ault with us. trevor, thank you. let's get right to chief meteorologist lee goldberg from our new york station wabc, and lee, not just the snow and dangerous wind gusts, but bitter cold coming, too. >> 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, pennsylvania, till early saturday, even after it stops snowing. 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. additional snowfall totals in the hard-hit u.p. of michigan and western central new york, 6 to 12 inches. 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, the same places that have blizzard warnings will be raining next week. >> david: incredible. lee goldberg with us again tonight, lee, thanks, 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 identifying the man they say targeted children at a northern california elementary school. >> we have identified the individual responsible for the shooting as a subject named glen

litten. he is 56 years old. he is has a lengthy criminal history and mental health issues. >> reporter: police believe he targeted the school because it's affiliated with the seventh day adventists. new revelations a day after a gunman showed up at an elementary school in palermo, an hour outside sacramento, opening fire and wounding two kindergartners. >> shots fired. 27 cox lane, between highway 70 and simpson road. >> reporter: two boys, only 5 and 6 years old, hit in the gunfire. tonight, both are in critical but stable condition. fighting for their lives. the suspect then turned his weapon on himself, dying of a self-inflicted gunshot. authorities say earlier that day, the shooter had met with the principal of the school to discuss enrolling a student. several moments later, he was shooting at children. david, late word on the condition of the 5-year-old. family members say he's still critical but stable used.

the child was shot in his chest and stomach area and is on a ventilator but he's fighting. >> david: 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 swirling 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 get 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 hegseth'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 -- marsha 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. ernest, one of several we've learned, on trump's list of possible replacements for hegseth. >> senator, what is it going to take for you to support hegseth? >> reporter: ernest's 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 needs to be. >> reporter: and david, here at the white house they are watching closely donald trump's decision on something else, how he is preparing to make good on his promises of retribution against his critics. tonight, we've learned that president biden's senior aides are weighing preemptive pardons for officials they fear may be targeted, including former congresswoman liz cheney, general mark milley, senator-elect adam schiff, and dr. anthony fauci, in an effort to protect these people but they've been charged with any

crimes. >> david: we'll be watching that closely, mary bruce, thank you. tonight, the justice department issuing a scathing review of the memphis police department. disturbing video showing what prompted the investigation. the death of tyre nichols, beaten to death at a traffic stop. 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 disproportionately target black people. 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, and how this has affected a medevac helicopter with a patient. and news tonight on those popular drugs now being used for weight loss, and what they're now seeing with dementia, 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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tonight, in macon, georgia, it's beginning to look a lot like christmas. look at this. families gathering downtown. 1 million christmas lights. so many coming 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 nichols who remembered how his town used to decorate for christmas when he was a boy. he wanted to bring a little at that christmas magic back, lighting up his 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. owner of sweet eleanor's divine desserts.

>> 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 tons of people come down to see the christmas lights, from big families to just couples trying to go on a date. >> people from north carolina and all around the southeast, to come see what amazing work brian's done for our community. >> hey, david. >> david: charles davis has seen it, too. >> the amount of income and 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.

news starts right now. >> ooh, that dog was like, what is up? and that christmas tree got rattled, but it stayed standing when a 7.0 earthquake hit off the northern california coast, triggering a tsunami warning that had some people in the bay area evacuating. >> we were just out there surfing on a normal day, and then next thing you know, like people are yelling at us, get out of the water, get out of the water! >> oh, yeah, what a day. good evening. i'm ama daetz and i'm dan ashley. >> shaken homes, rattled nerves. it really has been something in northern california today. here's what you need to know. a big earthquake hit around 1045

this morning, measuring 7.0. that's a major quake. it was off the coast of humboldt county. and some shaking was even felt here in the bay area. the earthquake triggered a tsunami warning from oregon down to santa cruz county, and some people in the bay area were evacuated to higher ground before that tsunami warning was canceled. that was about noon today. >> cities in humboldt count, including ferndale and rio del. report some damage from the earthquake. a cracked road, a gas leak. broken windows. damaged roofs. cameras recorded lots of shaking like these cannabis plants in humboldt. there are no reported injuries because of the quake. that is the good news here. governor newsom has declared a state of emergency. >> now we have team coverage for you to give you a real understanding of the scope of what happened today. you're going to hear from abc seven news reporter anser hassan in san francisco with a look at how people here reacted to the tsunami warning. that's right. >> an abc seven news meteorologist, sandhya patel, has a look at the science involved in today's events. >> that's all coming up. first, though, let's hear from abc seven news reporter cornell