ot sure about that. that would be nice. >> thank you for joining us here at 5:00. lester holt joins us next with "nightly news." >> hope to see you back here at 6:00. on this monday night breaking news. baltimore erupts in a violent standoff. chaos in the streets as riot police clash with roving groups. officers injured and a city on edge bracing for a long night ahead. over 4,000 dead, a rapidly rising toll of death in nepal amid a frantic search for survivors and a massive rescue mission on mt. everest. tonight the americans killed and others still missing as their families desperately wait for word. a dramatic day in court as the movie theater massacre trial opens in denver. for the first time we hear from the man accused of an unthinkable killing spree. show of support. after bruce jenner goes public, tonight the most famous member of his family speaks out in an exclusive interview with matt lauer. "nightly news" begins

right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news." reporting tonight, lester holt. good evening. a state of emergency has been declared in baltimore as rioting has broken out on the streets. violent clashing between police and roving groups have left 15 officers injured did turned one west baltimore neighborhood into chaos. at least two dozen have been arrested so far. this violence comes hours after freddie gray, who died last week under mysterious circumstances after being taken into police custody was laid to rest. anry crowds pelted police are rocks this afternoon. several police cars were subsequently destroyed and tonight looters have ravaged stores setting a cvs pharmacy on fire as

crowds rampaged through the streets. tom costello is there for us tonight. tom, what's the latest? >> reporter: as night fell we moved here to downtown baltimore from west baltimore because the situation was so violent. we have looting going on at a nearby mall. the governor has called in the national guard and the situation tonight is still very volatile. hundreds of young people faced off against police throwing rocks and bricks. police officers pushing back, then retreating with fellow cops who had been injured. down the street, a cvs pharmacy looted. young people pouring out of the store apparently carrying stolen merchandise. a police squad car torched. the officer apparently escaped unharmed. through it all, police remonded with armored vehicles and tear gas. >> i don't know who is out there right now. that's something we'll be able to determine as the event goes on. what we do know is that they're criminals. they attacked officers without provocation, they have no regard for the safety of the

people who live in the community and our officers are working hard to bring about order. >> reporter: the confrontations coming hours after the police announced they'd received a credible threat that gang members have entered into a partnership to take out law enforcement officers. all of it on the same day 25-year-old freddie gray was laid to rest with religious leaders and gray's family calling for peace. gray suffered a fatal spined cord injury while in police custody. at his funeral today his stepfather spoke on behalf of the family. >> i need to love and miss you, but also i need to live because through me you will live. >> freddie's death is not in vain. after this day we're going to keep on marching. after this day we're going to keep demanding justice. >> reporter: tonight baltimore's mayor spoke out. >> it is very clear there is a difference between what we saw over the past week

with the peaceful protests and the difference between those protests and the thugs who only want to incite violence and destroy our city. >> reporter: a promise not to led freddie gray's death be forgotten. >> no justice! no justice! >> reporter: in baltimore tonight stores closed down intersections blocked off with rioters once again taking to the streets. >> this was a day of sacred closure in the funeral. so for us to come out of the burial and talk into this is absolutely inexcusable inexcusable. >> reporter: this city is on edge tonight. the mayor announcing late this evening she is instituting a curfew going into effect tomorrow. the fbi joining the investigation into the threat on the officers. >> thanks. we have on the

phone reverend jamaal harrison bryant. reverend we saw you delivered the eulogy at freddie gray's funeral today. you come outside on a day of mourning and you see this what we're looking ottat now. describe your reaction. >> i'm overwhelmed with shock, disbelief and disappointment. the family was clear today would be a moratorium that there would be no protests no marches, no demonstration, as was the family's request. so for us to be returning from the burial grounds and to be met by this news is completely unnerving and it's unfortunate not just for this city but also for the family. >> people will look at this and say what on earth does this have to do with this case of mr. gray. >> it has absolutely nothing. it does not bring us resolve for justice. it does not change any of the policies that we're after. and it doesn't honor the name of freddie gray. as a consequence i've

been in the streets for the last couple of hours trying to get protesters to go home and young people to turn around. this is grossly unfortunate and it does not mirror the nonviolent movement that we have been promoting over the last week. as a consequence we are having an emergency citywide town hall meeting tomorrow night to bring young people together, to bring calm and focus about what should be our emphasis tonight. >> thank you for speaking to us sir. note that as events warrant in baltimore we will go back during this broadcast. we want to turn to the growing humanitarian disaster in nepal. the death toll now more than 4,000. sadly, it is expected to keep rising. at least four americans are among the dead. others remain unaccounted for. families waiting for word here at home. miguel almaguer is covering the urgent rescue mission on mt. everest. first we go to our

chief foreign correspondent, richard engel in the capital, kathmandu. >> reporter: this is the moment nepal was brought to its knees. the quake left thousands dead. and much of this already poor country without power. short of clean water. centuries old temples fell. here in kathmandu, the historic town center was devastated. many are staying outdoors in parks and on the streets, terrified of repeated aftershocks. two more big ones today. nepal has mobilized its troops for relief work. volunteers desperately dig by hand. this woman used to come here to have coffee in the shade of a temple. mostly they're searching for bodies in these piles. but sometimes there is the unexpected. a man pulled out alive

today. international rescue teams have finally arrived. but getting outside the capital is a struggle. roads blocked, helicopters in short supply. nbc's ian williams reached one town just outside the capital. >> some of the worst damage is around these narrow alleyways where there are a few buildings which haven't been impacted by the quake. this one propped up precariously by pieces of wood. >> reporter: in more remote and inaccessible villages the toll is still unknown. in a hospital in kathmandu, we saw workers take away dozens of unclaimed bodies to be cremated. a line of people watched, hoping to identify missing loved ones. inside the emergency room, every bed was full. >> we have received a lot of patients with blunt injuries. >> reporter: a doctor told us they're backing back-to-back shifts. hospitals are overwhelmed.

this one does not have enough beds so patients are left to recover on blankets and under tarps in the parking lot. this family of nine is spending a third night outdoors. her daughter died in quake and she broke her ribs and an arm. like so many here now, this family has no home to return to. the u.s. embassy has opened its doors to shelter american citizens here. you'll likely get a cot in the hallway, but at least it's in one of the safest buildings in the city. >> thanks richard. as the disaster plays out in towns and villages there is a mother rescue mission under way on mt. everest to save so many people trapped thousands of feet up. nbc's miguel almaguer reports. >> reporter: tonight a scramble into cold thin air to save the injured. and retrieve the dead. >> the ground is shaking. >> reporter: even on

the world's tallest peak saturday they could feel the ground rumble beneath their feet. then the avalanche. the moment of impact captured on video. a wave of white no one could outrun. >> this whole eye was completely closed over and i think that's where my nose broke. >> reporter: if i ammaker was slammed in a concrete barrier. >> giant plume just rising up. it was like four empire state buildings high. and i yelled for everybody to get down because it was coming so fast. >> reporter: ever rest stands 29,000 feet high. the avalanche sent snow and ice cascading through camps four three and two. no injuries reported in camp one. down below, the base camp was levelled. >> it was the most terrifying event of my life. >> reporter: he was with a group of 20. his friend, eva

girawong girawong, a camp medic from new jersey, was killed. so was google engineer ton fredinburg. here he is on the mountain last week. >> here is where all the things we have. boots to gloves to booze. >> reporter: tom taplin, a film maker also from california told his wife his journey would be safe. >> other than high altitude and cold weather, an earthquake was unfathomable to me. >> reporter: a four american climber vin tranning tronning was already killed. what began as the journey of a lifetime became an unforgettable nightmare. >> what does it feel like to be here right now? >> i feel lucky, blessed and thankful. >> that report from miguel almaguer part of our team on the ground in nepal. we know many of you may want to help and where you can

dough note. we've put that information on our website. the long awaited trierl for the 2012 colorado theater mass kerr began today. what became known as one of the worst mass shootings in our nation's history. the defense is arguing that james holmes is not guilty of murdering 12 people by reason of insanity. nbc's jacob rascon reports. >> 13 miles from where we sit right now 400 people filed into a box-like theater to be entertained. and one person came there to slaughter them. >> reporter: the tragedy in aurora relived in excruciating detail. >> through this door this horror. bullets, blood. >> reporter: a fierce battle over the fate of the mass shooter, today dressed in civilian clothes shackled to the floor. the defense insisting james holmes belongs in a mental institution.

>> by the time mr. holmes stepped into that theater, his perception of reality was so skewed was so malformed, that he no longer lived in the world that we live in. >> reporter: the prosecution unrelenting. he deserves to die for his crimes. >> hold him accountable for murdering 12 people and trying to murder 70 others. nearly three years ago the midnight premiere of the latest "batman" movie started when holmes walked into shooting indiscriminately indiscriminately. among the wounded, marcus weaver. >> i was shot in my right arm. >> reporter: marcus watched holmes gun down his good friend and has suffered with depression and ptsd. >> we'll never forget the sound of the gun. >> reporter: the courtroom filled with victims and their family members. the parents of jessica ghawi moved from texas

to colorado just for the trial, as the defense warns the jury to keep an open mind. what's expected to be a month long trial into the mind of a shooter who spent two and a half months planning the attack detailed in a notebook. tomorrow testimony from first responders and survivors. back to you. >> thank you. tonight loretta lynch has been sworn in as the nation's first african-american woman attorney general, replacing eric holder in the position. lynch was confirmed by the senate last week after a months long delay. today she made an apparent reference to ongoing tensions with law enforcement in some communities. saying quote we can restore trust and faith boat in our laws and in those of us who enforce them. still ahead on "nbc nightly news" a race against time to find the missing after a storm packing near hurricane force proves too extreme even for seasoned sailors with more dangerous weather forecasted.

tonight over 16 million people are under the threat of severe weather as powerful storms rake across the south. a path of destruction has been cut from texas where a mile-wide tornado touched down through the gulf coast where high winds and heavy rain are making for a dangerous combination. nbc's gabe gutierrez has the story for us tonight. >> reporter: powerful winds near hurricane force and relentless rain swept through louisiana, knocking out power to more than

160,000 people. and blowing part of a cargo train off a bridge. witnesses described the scene when those cars plummeted to the ground. >> we hear a loud boom. and then boom, boom, boom. it was either three or four times. >> reporter: major flooding shut down highways and roads. at new orleans airport, 70 mile-an-hour winds knocked out power. >> i just landed here at the new orleans airport and the power has just come back on. >> reporter: more than a dozen towards tore through the south this weekend. texas the hardest hit. daylight revealing some of the destruction. the fast-moving storms pounded the dallas area, tearing apart homes, leaving fields of debris and displacing families. >> we realized we needed to leave once it started coming to the porch. >> reporter: with ominous clouds on the horizon. >> we have softball-size hail. >> reporter: one driver west of fort worth couldn't escape the destructive hail. off the alabama coast, the desperate search is on for four people still missing after a

violent storm tore through a sailboat regatta saturday. rescue efforts were hampered by severe weather. 40 people were rescued, two were killed. many who were on the water are thankful to have survived. >> i've sailed all over the world, and that's probably the worst i have ever been in. >> reporter: it's not over yet. the south now bracing for more severe thunderstorms tomorrow. back here in new orleans, another part of that cargo train is still teetering on the edge of disaster. there were no injuries reported but right now engineers are rushing to make sure this area is safe before that next round of storms. lester. >> gabe gutierrez, thank you. back in a moment with a reason why the government is ordering a major change to the water we all drink.

there is a change on the way to the water coming out of your tap. federal health officials are lowering the recommended level of fluoride in drinking water for the first time in more than 50 years. they say it's because some people are

getting too much fluoride because it's also in other things like tooth paste and mouth wash. they say too much fluoride is a common cause of white splotches on teeth. the orders at a major restaurant chain no longer come with a side of dna tinkering. chipotle says it has eliminated all genetically modified meat and produce, known as gmos, from its menu. the fda insists gmos are safe to eat, but experts say that many customers, especially millennials, remain wary of them. when we come back, kim kardashian in an nbc news exclusive. how her famous family is taking the news that bruce jenner is transitioning into a woman.

the reaction continues to pour in after bruce jenner's very public revelation that he is transgender. instantly becoming the most famous transgender person in america. jenner has asked that his family continue to use the name "bruce" and the pronouns "he" and "him" for the time being. we'll do the same tonight. his most famous member of the family is reacting to his announcement in an exclusive interview with nbc news. our national correspondent kate snow has our report. >> i think that everything takes time. >> reporter: in an interview with matt lauer on the "today" show, jenner's

stepdaughter, kim kardashian west, says it was a hard adjustment for the family but they're supporting him. >> was there the family meeting? was there one of them where you almost imagine the family gathers in the living room? >> there were lots of family meetings. >> bruce tells his story. there is embracing and hugging and tears and laughter? all of that? >> every emotion you could possibly imagine. there is hundreds of family meetings. we still have them. >> reporter: jenner, too, was emotional in an interview with abc's diane sawyer. >> i have been thinking about this day forever and what i should do with my life, how do i tell my story, how do i tell people, you know, what i have been through. and that day is today. >> reporter: jenner said he's known his identity since he was a child.

are you a woman? >> yes. for all intents and purposes i am a woman. people look at me differently. they see you as this macho male, but my heart and my soul and everything that i do in life, it is part of me. that female side is part of me. that's who i am. >> reporter: during the telecast bruce jenner was the biggest trending topic on twitter. some accuse jenner of a continuing publicity stunt, but many praised him. such an inspiration. in awe of bruce jenner's bravery. you definitely saved some lives. >> what i'm doing is going to do some good. and we're going to change the world. i really firmly believe that, that we're going to make a difference in the world with what we're doing. >> reporter: kate snow, nbc news, new york. that will do it for us on this monday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night.

first a funeral then a day of protests and violence. good evening. thanks for joining us. >> a lot is happening at this hour. let's get you updated. that includes a curfew in baltimore and state of emergency. a die of riots is now a night of violence. so far today protesters have looted several stores and set some on fire along with many

cars. many of the violent protesters are teenagers, school kids. hear are the latest numbers. 15 officers have been hurt. some of them seriously. the violence broke out a few hours after the funeral for freddie gray. that's the young man who died of a spinal injury. the mayor has issued a 10:00 p.m. curfew which begins tomorrow night. what's happening in baltimore is also a concern here in oakland where demonstrators are marching in freddie gray's honor. this is downtown oakland. a march is about to begin. police are bracing for any flair ups. we seen many oakland protests in the past few years start peacefully yet have pockets of chaos. pay up or move out. that could be the a fate of dozens of peninsula renters. want to show you the map. everyone who lives there may soon be moving out. the property just sold t