in the morning to start. sun by noon. looking good you guys. >> thanks jeff. thanks for joining us at 5:00. lester holt next with "nightly news." >> have a great weekend. on this friday night, sentenced to death. breaking news from boston as the marathon bomber is told he will die for his crimes. jurors crying in the courtroom. and tonight, survivors reacts to the sentence. the engineer speaks. what he's just told investigators about the amtrak disaster and why the fbi is now involved. also tonight, surviving a crash. where experts say is the safest place to sit. tragic discovery in nepal. search crews find the wreckage of the missing chopper carrying six u.s. marines on an aid mission. what happened? and the king of the blues is gone. tonight, we remember the legendary b.b. king. "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. what a crushing weight of responsibility to decide whether someone lives or dies. tonight, a boston jury who saw every gruesome picture, heard every heartbreaking story of loss and suffering, has spoken on the fate of marathon bomber, dzhokhar tsarnaev, unanimously voting that he be put to death for his crimes. four people died in the attack and aftermath, over 200 injured. some of those who survived are speaking out about the verdict. nbc's pete williams has been covering this story from the start. he's outside the courthouse now. pete, good evening. >> reporter: lester, good evening. the jury deliberated just 15 hours after four weeks of testimony in this penalty phase of the trial, rejecting a plea from defense lawyers to send him to prison for life. [ explosion ] dzhokhar tsarnaev becomes the first person in the u.s. sentenced to death for an act of terrorism in nearly two decades,

since timothy mcveigh executed for bombing the oklahoma city federal building in 1995. >> we send a message, a strong message that we're not going to tolerate terrorism. and i think whether you agree with the death penalty or don't, i think the message sent, that they're not going to blow up our marathon, they're not going to blow up our city. >> reporter: the jury unanimously said he should face the death penalty for the victims of the bombs he placed, 8-year-old richard and lindsey lui. but not crystal campbell, or for the bomb planted by his brother, or sean collier. there was no clear evidence about which of the brothers pulled the trigger. the jury rejected the claim that tsarnaev was the junior partner, less responsible for the bombings.

he showed no emotion during the verdict. he later slumped in his chair as he has throughout the trial. victims and family members listened in solemn silence as the verdict was read. the parents of martin richard said nothing afterward. they publicly opposed the death penalty after he was found guilty last month. liz norton, whose construction worker sons, paul and j.p., lost their right legs in the bombings said she's grateful for the verdict. >> there's no winner today, but i feel justice for my family. >> reporter: karen broussard, permanently injured by shrapnel, agreed. >> once the verdict came in, it was like, okay, now we can start from here and go forward. and really feel like it's behind us. >> reporter: sydney corcoran, who nearly bled to death and her mother lost both legs tweeted, "my mother thinks now he will go way and we can go on." michael ward put it this way. >> he's going to go to hell. that's where he wanted to go. he's going to get there quicker than he thought. >> reporter: tsarnaev will eventually be moved to a prison in indiana, the federal death row, set to die in the lethal injection chamber, but it has not been used for a dozen years despite death sentences imposed on 44 criminals.

their executions delayed in part by the shortage of drugs used for capital punishment. meantime, lawyers will begin a long process of appeals, hoping to get the sentence reduced to life. >> this is going to last a decade or more. we're going to be hearing about this case for many years to come. >> reporter: several jurors wept after the verdict was announced, an emotional release after 61 days of often gut-wrenching testimony. defense lawyers said sentencing tsarnaev to life in prison would be more appropriate, condemning him to years of solitary confinement and severe restrictions. but the jury rejected that unanimously. lester? >> pete williams in boston tonight. thanks. another big story we're covering this evening, a lot of late-breaking developments into the investigation of the deadly amtrak disaster in philadelphia. this evening, investigators revealed what the engineer who was at the controls is telling them about the crash, and the

fbi is now involved. trying to determine if the train was struck by something before the crash. nbc's tom costello has late details. tom? >> reporter: hi, lester. good evening. the focus remains on this engineer, but also on that other train that came through this north philadelphia area just before train 188 did. and that train was hit by a projectile. the question is whether was train 188 also hit by something? for the first time since tuesday's derailment, ntsb investigators have heard from the man at the center of the investigation, 32-year-old engineer brandon bostion, who said the last thing he recalls is ringing his bell as he left the north philly train station. >> he has no recollection of anything past that. also, he reported no fatigue throughout the day, or any illness throughout the day. >> reporter: just moments before tuesday's crash, another regional septa train was hit by a projectile, shattering its windshield. and ntsb investigators say they've seen something suspicious on train 188's windshield. >> we have seen damage to the left-hand lower portion of the

amtrak windshield that we have asked the fbi to come in and look at for us. >> reporter: the heavily used northeast corridor snakes through dense neighborhoods. for trains heading north from philadelphia station, the track curves right, a 65-mile-per-hour speed limit, then accelerates on a straightaway to 80 miles per hour for less than a minute and a half before braking to 50 for a sharp left curve. on tuesday, the train went into the curve at 106 miles per hour. engineer fritz elder worked the line for 25 years. >> the equipment we have is designed to accelerate quickly. it can quickly get away from you. >> reporter: to ensure engineers pay attention, alarms go off every few seconds requiring them to hit a button indicating they're alert. >> the system is telling me this is a 40-mile-per-hour curve. >> reporter: the new positive train control technology could monitor and stop a speeding train, but it's not yet up and running on this stretch of track. >> we're committed to safety. we're going to have positive

train control by the end of this year. >> reporter: meanwhile, an off-duty employee injured in the crash has filed the first lawsuit against amtrak. bruce phillips claims he was violently hurled inside the railcar and suffered possible brain trauma. >> it's negligence. but it's just beyond negligence. you have a case here where there's active technology that could actually have avoided this accident. >> reporter: tonight, the ntsb says it's looking at video cameras from both trains for any signs of projectiles or suspects. lester? >> tom, thank you. tonight, sad confirmation of the news six military families have been fearing. the wreckage of a helicopter carrying u.s. marines has been found in nepal where they were helping after the earthquake. and officials say there is no indication of survivors. the crew was based at camp pendleton near san diego. and our national correspondent, miguel almaguer, is there. >> reporter: the intense three-day search took rescue teams deep into nepal's forest,

in the rugged, unforgiving terrain the downed huey was spotted with no sign of any survivors. >> they were courageous. they were selfless individuals dedicated to the humanitarian aid mission here in nepal. we are deeply saddened by the discovery of this wreckage. >> reporter: the six marines and two nepalese service members aboard were delivering aid to villages rocked by two major earthquakes. while the victims have yet to be officially identified, family members fear the worst. >> i told him many times that i was proud of him and i loved him. the biggest thing i'm going to miss from him is his hugs. >> reporter: chris was a helicopter pilot, a 31-year-old high school football coach who had just called home on mother's day. >> my son's my hero. and he is with me now, and always will be. >> reporter: 22-year-old lance corporal jacob hugg was a videographer in nepal,

documenting the relief effort. his father spoke in arizona. >> you'll never find a better son. devoted and dedicated. and the love for his mother and his family like nothing you've ever seen. >> reporter: captain dustin lukachevitz was an aviation safety officer. >> we stand with nepal. >> reporter: his wife, pregnant with their second child in san diego. crew chief ward mark johnson iv was in charge of maintaining the helicopter. he was set to retire from the marines. the president today said these service members demonstrate the best of american leadership and sacrifice. >> they went to that remote land to help people who suffered devastating losses in the terrible earthquake. they represent a truth that guides our work around the world. >> reporter: the helicopter that took off tuesday, part of an air squadron team based here at camp pendleton in san diego apparently sent out a distress call.

there is no cause for the crash just yet. search teams will continue in just a few hours in nepal when the sun rises. >> miguel, thank you. a dangerous night may be in store for the plains where a number of tornado watches are in effect. a massive storm is moving across the country tonight stretching 1,200 miles long. it already produced at least one tornado an hour east of denver. the severe threat grows tomorrow with heavy rain, large hail and strong winds forecast for much of texas and the midsection. and several states are also at risk for severe weather sunday. texas, in particular, has been hit hard this week with heavy rains, creating a 40-foot sinkhole in a parking lot in north texas. tonight marks the end of a long week for jeb bush who stumbled on monday over a question about the iraq war and has struggled since then to put daylight between him and his brother's legacy on iraq without appearing to turn his back on the former president. nbc's senior white house

correspondent chris jansing has another on a potential blow to bush's white house ambitions. >> reporter: what had already been a pretty bad week for jeb bush today seemed to get even worse. >> no, i'm not planning to endorse anybody. >> reporter: the republican strategist behind george w. bush's two winning presidential campaigns -- >> the architect, karl rove. >> reporter: -- was pointedly noncommittal about jeb. >> i want to win. and i have a long friendship with the family and a long friendship with jeb, but i'm like a lot of people sitting on the sidelines, watching and waiting. >> reporter: an apparent snub, but analysts say bush may not want the endorsement. >> it would take us right back to the whole, is this just the latest chapter in the bush family? >> reporter: still, it adds to the growing perception that while jeb bush is the man with the name and the money, the republican race remains wide open, no clear front-runner. tomorrow in iowa, bush will be one of 11 republicans speaking at the legendary lincoln dinner. and here in iowa, not friendly

territory for jeb bush, who is more moderate than the typical republican voter here. plus, they're not happy he's decided to skip this summer's straw poll. and it's not helped this week that he tried to explain this answer. >> knowing what we know now, would you have authorized the invasion? >> i would have. >> reporter: it would take three more answers over four days to finally get this. >> would not have gone into iraq. >> reporter: the good news for jeb bush, the iowa caucuses are more than eight months away. chris jansing, nbc news, iowa. >> all this brings us to our political director and moderator of "meet the press," chuck todd. chuck, sounds like a lot of maneuvering room. eight months is a lot of time. >> it sure is. i think the biggest news of the week is what we learned from chris jansing, that not only is jeb bush not the front-runner for the republican nomination, but there is no front-runner for the republican nomination. i think jeb had a bad week, and it could linger for him. maybe he doesn't know how to get out of his brother's shadow.

that could be what we learned this week. but we realize, it is a crowded field at the top. scott walker is the man in iowa. rand paul's the guy who polls best against hillary clinton. jeb bush is the man with money but with little else. and marco rubio is the buzz candidate. so that's the good news if you're a political junkie, this thing is going to be fun to watch. but a little bit nervous for some republicans who don't like the idea that it's this wide open. if it's this wide open, it leads to a lot of internal fighting. >> chuck, thanks very much. we'll see you this sunday for "meet the press." among chuck's guests, republican presidential senator rand paul of kentucky. when disaster strikes, do you know the safest place to sit on a train to increase your chances of survival? we get the answer from the man who literally wrote the book on rail safety. also, the moment that stunned so many fans. a music star goes right over the edge.

in the wake of that terrible train crash in philadelphia, there is a question many of us have been asking ourselves, what are the odds that you would survive if something like this happened to a train that you were on? according to the experts, it may all depend where you're sitting. nbc's stephanie gosk explains. >> reporter: the aerial over train 188 tells the deadly story. that's the first car ripped apart. the second car didn't fare much better. at least two of the passengers killed were in those two cars. where people choose to sit on a train can determine whether or

not they walk away from a crash. >> i've always told my wife to sit in the middle of the train. >> reporter: larry mann is the author of the federal railroad safety act. >> i've been involved in railroad accidents since 1970. and i've analyzed numerous accidents. the middle of the train is by far the safest. >> reporter: there is no definitive study, but there are recent examples that suggest the first and last cars can be the deadliest, whether the accident in on-track collision or a derailment. in 2008, a california commuter train barreled into a freight car. 25 killed, 22 of them in the first car. in 2013, a new york city commuter train derailed, killing four people. all of them were sitting in the first three cars. if you're fortunate enough to find a seat in a middle car, preferably on the aisle away from the windows, it doesn't necessarily eliminate all the risk. in a derailment, especially on a short train, every single car can topple over.

in the uk, a broken rail crash killed four people. all of them were in the cafe car, the seventh of nine cars on the train. trains still remain one of the safest ways to travel. in the u.s., in 2013, only six train passengers lost their lives. compare that to the 28,000 deaths on the road. the seat behind the wheel still far more deadly than any seat on a train. stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. up next tonight, late word about an iconic store beloved by so many kids. we'll tell you what's happening to the place where tom hanks famously danced on the keyboard.

the sight of that famous scene from the movie "big" is about to be no more. they're closing its flagship location in midtown manhattan. perhaps the most famous toy store in the nation saying the rent has gotten too high.

toys "r" us, which bought f.a.o. schwartz in 2009 said they're looking for a new location, but not quite yet. if mayweather/pacquiao was supposed to be the fight of the century, then this is the most unlikely fight of the century. former presidential candidate mitt romney is boxing former heavyweight champ evander holyfield tonight in salt lake city. it's for real, and it's for charity. romney is 16 years older and 57 pounds lighter. they will be using full protective gear. scary moments caught on camera when u2's the edge went off the edge. it happened during a concert in vancouver last night when he took a bad step right off the stage. it comes six months after bono was badly injured in a bike accident. he's back on stage, but still recovering. meantime, the edge posted a photo of his bruises on instagram with the caption, "didn't see the edge. i'm okay." when we come back, farewell to the king. a look back at the life and music of a blues legend.

♪ the thrill is gone the thrill is gone away ♪

fans and fellow musicians tonight remembering the great b.b. king who died at his las vegas home yesterday after an extended illness. messages of condolences at the b.b. king blues club here in new york, a flower is there on the king's star hollywood walk of fame. the historic b.b. king museum, a simple man with a guitar. these pictures courtesy of our jackson, mississippi, affiliate wlbt. b.b. king was an ambassador of the blues, went from humble beginnings to worldwide fame in a career that spanned decades. b.b. king's voice and those signature guitar licks helped propel the blues into the mainstream. the undisputed king of blues was born riley b. king in 1925 on a mississippi delta plantation. his break came in memphis, where he got radio play, club dates,

and that nickname. >> i never asked you what b.b. stands for. >> it stands for blues boy. i was a disc jockey back in memphis years ago at the beginning of my career. and they called me the beale street blues boy. >> his first hit came in 1951, "3:00 blues." but this 1969 classic became his signature song. ♪ the thrill has gone away ♪ >> he called his guitar lucille. and boy, could he make lucille sing. ♪ even some of his famous peers looked up to him. >> how much of an influence has he had on your life and your career? >> not my life. every guitar player that i know. those shoes will never be filled. >> rock stars who loved the blues loved b.b. king. ♪ rock me baby ♪ ♪l; ♪i ♪ ♪

♪ rock me baby ♪ ♪l; ♪i ♪ ♪i ♪k ♪e ain't ♪ ♪g ♪o ♪t ♪n ♪o ♪n ♪ ♪b ♪on ♪e ♪s ♪ >> eric clapton remembered his friend today. >> he was a beacon for all of us who loved this kind of music. and i thank him from the bottom of my heart. >> 15 grammys, a member of the rock 'n roll hall of fame, the presidential medal of freedom. he even sang with a president. ♪ ain't no place like sweet home chicago ♪ >> people call me king of the blues. i've heard it many, many times. do you think i think that? no, i do not. i think there's a lot of people doing exactly what i do, and a lot of them can do it better. they are just not just me. >> b.b. king was a timeless national treasure. ♪ got to be a better world ♪ >> b.b. king was 89. and boy, will he be missed. that's going to do it for us on this friday night. i'm lester holt.

for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night. breaking news in san jose. these are live pictures. a neighborhood and elementary school surrounded by police at this hour. as you can see, sjpd searching for a wanted man good evening thanks for being with us. i'm raj mathai. >> i'm jessica aguirre. it's at vine near grant. this is near 87 and 280. this is what we know so far. officers want you to stay away from this area and for people to stay clear while they search for a suspected gang member wanted on a felony warrant.

just in from the news crew that's on the screen scene now we're getting the latest information. this is what we know. a nearby school put on lockdown as a precaution. they don't think there's any threat to the kids in the school. but the parents are being directed to another location to pick up their kids. there's another school near to a training center. an employment training center. also put on lockdown. police are looking in that area for a suspected gang member off on a felony warrant. you're urged to stay clear of that area. as soon as we get more details, we'll bring them to you. >> now to a story only on nbc. >> what you're seeing is a flash fight. this is a flash fight at an east bay school. the surprise fights are spreading on social media. it's a violent and disturbing trend. students are getting injured. parents are concerned and school officials are simply fed up. nbc bay area robert