with fireworks from the brooklyn bridge and fireworks from kelly clarkston, brad paisley and meghan trainor. >> "nbc nightly news" is next and we'll see you at 6:00. >> bye. on the broadcast tonight, terror jitters. on the eve of july 4th, cities stepping up patrols fbi agents mixing into crowds. our embassies on alert on the heels of attacks around the globe. in a flash. lightning strikes on track for one of the deadliest years. the danger from above as so many plan to gather outside this weekend. some are in for a stormy independence day. enjoy your ride. the shocking sign allegedly found in a baltimore police van much like the van in which freddie gray may have suffered life-ending injuries. and catching some rays. history made, a record shattered. nearly five days straight in the sky

with no fuel, flying only on sunshine. "nightly news" begins now. . >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester hold. good evening. i'm tamron hall in for lester. it is the last thing many of us want to think about happening on america's birthday. the potential for an isis-inspired attack in the u.s. as millions of americans prepare to gather for back yard barbecues, spirited parades, and awe-inspiring fireworks, law enforcement is at the ready from coast to coast while overseas u.s. embassies and diplomatic posts have called in their emergency action committees to assess the threat, not an unusual step but one that takes on new importance following a recent wave of deadly attacks across the globe. we start tonight with national correspondent peter alexander and a world on high alert. >> reporter: across

britain today a moment of silence. fans pausing at wimbledon, the queen bowing her head. the uk remembering 30 of its citizens killed a week ago, where an isis-inspired gunman attacked this tunisian beach. concerns growing here in the u.s. >> lone wolf is our worst nightmare, but we have nothing to indicate we have any of that going on. >> reporter: officers securing the site of tomorrow night's boston pops concert. a half million people expected. patrols on the charles river too. >> logistically this is a monumental task. >> reporter: in new york more than 7,000 officers on watch. at philadelphia's barricades are going up while everyone prepares to celebrate independence day. >> we've got to live. i mean, what are we going to do? we're going to run from all these guys? i mean, they're all cowards. >> reporter: in california los angeles police are planning heavy deployments to dozens of popular venues, all to protect america's freedom. >> it's also something

that the adversary would like to destroy. so we're switched on to that. we have our officers very aware of it. >> reporter: dozens of police departments rely on this california company, shot spotter. their technology can distinguish fireworks from gunshots. >> what we're trying to do is shoot out a highly vetted alert so we're not sending law enforcement agencies on wild goose chases. >> reporter: terror tremors echoing around the globe with the state department once again ordering security reviews at u.s. embassies. >> this year is different than other years simply because of the heightened threat around the world. >> reporter: but authorities say there remains no credible threat anywhere in the u.s., and today the president relaxed with a round of golf. and authorities tonight are repeating that important reminder, urging people to get out and enjoy themselves but to be vigilant. in the words of the boston police commissioner, if you see something, say something. don't think you're going to bother police. tamron? >> thank you, peter. meantime, this independence day will

unfortunately be a wet one for millions of americans following torrential storms in the south overnight, and with rain comes lightning. july is the peak month for lightning strikes, and this year we're on track for one of the deadliest seasons in years. nbc's gabe gutierrez has more on that threat. >> reporter: already a shocking summer. in duluth, minnesota a 12-year-old boy is recovering after lightning struck him this week. last night 732 strikes in horry county, south carolina, in just 15 minutes. >> just out of nowhere. we didn't know where to hide. >> reporter: this group of friends was hiking last week in colorado. >> just a bright white hitting the ground and just -- and then i just fell and then i got up and then everybody was on the ground crying and screaming. >> reporter: around the country the stormy spring has led to 15 lightning deaths so

far this year. all of last year there were 26. florida, louisiana, mississippi, and alabama lead the nation in lightning strikes. men are more likely than women to be hit. and most injuries happen on weekends when people are outside and not at work. >> i think it's a necessity. >> reporter: in north carolina brian brumfield takes no chances. he puts lightning rods in every home he builds. the lightning hits the rod on the roof, then travels through the attic, through the house, and down through this copper wire eight feet into the ground, where it dissipates. >> it puts a lot of peace in your mind to know your house is safe when you're not here. >> reporter: tonight more people are bracing for more of this. nature's own fireworks this holiday weekend. gabe gutierrez, nbc news, nags head, north carolina. in colorado a medical helicopter exploded during takeoff today, killing the pilot, about 80 miles outside denver. a paramedic and nurse also suffered injuries, but there

were no patients on board. the crash sparked a huge fire that also engulfed a pickup and spread to the grass and trees nearby. in tennessee 5,000 people are now allowed back in their homes and businesses following an emergency evacuation near the site of a train derailment. they had been told to clear out early yesterday morning when a train car carrying hazardous chemicals derailed and caught fire. there is fresh outrage tonight in baltimore where police are investigating an inflammatory sign found inside one of their vans. to many it is especially offensive in light of the death of freddie gray. an autopsy showed gray likely suffered a fatal spinal cord injury in one of those vans. his death sparked mass protests and violent riots. we get more now from nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: the question tonight -- was someone within the baltimore police department trying to

taunt prisoners with this sign found inside an arrest van that reads "enjoy your ride cuz we sure will." in april 25-year-old freddie gray suffered a fatal spinal cord injury after being arrested and placed inside a similar van without a seat belt. his death touched off weeks of protests and riots. >> no justice! >> no peace! >> reporter: just last week a leaked autopsy report concluded gray's death likely occurred when the van in which he was riding suddenly decelerated. >> we have probable cause to file criminal charges. >> reporter: six police officers have pleaded not guilty to charges related to his death. veteran law enforcement officers say the sign in the van sends the wrong message in baltimore. >> insulting the people you arrest just works against you in the long run. you need to treat everybody with respect. >> reporter: in a statement baltimore police say "the nature and the posting of wording in one of our transport vehicles is both concerning and unacceptable." this week the city said it will put cameras in police vans, but it will take four years to equip all baltimore officers with body cameras.

the six officers facing charges in freddie gray's death remain free on bail. their trial set to begin in october. tom costello, nbc news, washington. there is more tonight on those explosive comments donald trump made about mexican immigrants. nascar became the latest corporation to distance itself from trump, saying it will no longer hold an awards event at a trump resort in miami. and while some of his fellow republican candidates have criticized the remarks and called on others to denounce them, at least one candidate is offering his support. >> now, when it comes to donald trump, i like donald trump. he's bold. he's brash. and i get that it seems the favorite sport of the washington media is to encourage some republicans to attack other republicans. i ain't going to do it. i'm not interested in republican on republican violence. >> rhetoric matters. >> you know -- >> doesn't rhetoric matter? >> i salute donald trump for focusing on the need to address

illegal immigration. the washington cartel doesn't want to address that. the washington cartel doesn't believe we need to secure the borders. the washington cartel supports amnesty. and i think amnesty's wrong. and i salute donald trump for focusing on it. he has a colorful way of speaking. it's not the way i speak. but i'm not going to engage in the media's game of throwing rocks and attacking other republicans. i'm just not going to do it. >> senator ted cruz with chuck todd today in georgia. much more sunday on "meet the press." as for the democrats, hillary clinton was running hard today in new hampshire as one of her main rivals begins to make some inroads. we get that story from nbc's kristen welker. >> reporter: it's fourth of july weekend in battleground, new hampshire and hillary clinton is again courting voters here. >> please sign up and be part of this campaign. >> reporter: but the democratic front-runner has to watch her back. vermont senator bernie sanders' longshot

campaign is now getting real. >> thank you all very much for being here tonight. >> reporter: sanders is narrowing the lead in new hampshire with one recent poll showing only an eight-point gap. bill clinton leads comfortably in others. >> we each run our own campaigns and i always knew this was going to be competitive. >> reporter: and sanders has shown he can draw large crowds. close to 10,000 in liberal madison, wisconsin. >> in case you haven't noticed, there are a lot of people here. >> reporter: today in iowa. >> this country belongs to all of us and not just to the billionaire class. >> reporter: the 73-year-old once self-described socialist is riding a wave of enthusiasm among people who like his populist message. >> we really feel like he's the voice of everyone. >> he speaks on issues that are important to middle-class america. >> reporter: it's not altogether surprising sanders is attracting voters in new hampshire. after all, he hails from neighboring vermont and he appeals to the independent spirit here. still, he also has

obstacles. for example, he's far less popular among minority voters, who were key to president obama's two victories. clinton campaign officials say they're taking sanders seriously. after all, she thought victory was in her hands in 2008 until barack obama came along. >> senator sanders' job is to rile things up to get people excited, to keep hillary clinton honest. her job is to wane a general election. >> reporter: five republican candidates will campaign at the big holiday parades here in new hampshire this weekend as well, trying to break from the pack of 14 vying for front-runner status. kristen welker, nbc news, hanover, new hampshire. overseas tens of thousands of people took to the streets today in greece, supporters and opponents of a referendum this sunday on how the country should deal with its crippling financial crisis. it's a matter of growing concern across europe and here in the u.s. we get the latest from nbc's keir simmons in athens.

>> reporter: greeks are divided and angry. there were clashes with police tonight and opposing protests just blocks apart. polls say greeks are evenly split and in less than 48 hours they will vote on their very future. yes or no to europe. >> do you believe it will be a no vote on sunday, prime minister? >> reporter: the greek prime minister emerged from athens' equivalent of the white house to urge his people to vote no to harsh new austerity measures, what he calls europe's blackmail. >> the greek prime minister is literally walking up into crowds of thousands. this is the man who is gambling with the future of this country, perhaps the future of europe. but it may be too late. jobs scarce, banks closed, long lines at atms. in thessalonica an old elderly man broke down, waiting for money.

greece is strapped for cash and owes billions. without money the country will soon struggle to import essential goods. you're lacking baby food? >> baby food. like this, the milk. >> reporter: this pharmacist says they've already stopped stockpiling the basics like painkillers. some say a 1930s style depression is inevitable. american missionaries from hawaii and arizona have come to greece to work in a soup kitchen. >> greece needs help. we think people in the u.s. don't have jobs? these people really don't have jobs. >> reporter: greeks are divided. their economy is in pieces. and the suffering will not end suffer. however they vote. tonight the greek finance minister says his country is preparing for the worst, stockpiling food, medicine, and energy supplies. the crisis is now reaching critical mass, threatening the well-being of this strategically important country and the dream of a unified europe. tamron? >> all right, keir, thank you very much. still ahead tonight, while taking down drug offenders,

he became one himself. stealing evidence to feed his habit and practically giving suspects a get out of jail free card. a law man's disturbing tumble down into the pit of addiction. also, one of the most incredible feats under the sun. the flight record that was just shattered using only sunshine for fuel.

we're back with a cautionary tale of a staggering fall from

grace. an fbi agent who became the very thing he was hunting a drug offender. the heroin he busted others for proving too big a temptation for himself. he went spiraling into addiction and allowed so many he had a hand in arresting to go free. nbc national correspondent kate snow has his story. >> reporter: matt lowry always wanted to be in law enforcement just like his dad. >> he kept seeing i was in a uniform. so he went to his mama and asked her to make a little police uniform. >> reporter: he excelled in sports and school, graduated from the fbi academy with the highest honor. matt was living his dream, busting drug dealers mainly for heroin. but one day last september he disappeared. day turned to night. >> i then get a call from one of the other agents. bill, get to this location. they told me the location. it's matt. it doesn't look good. >> what goes through your mind? >> matt's been shot.

i mean, that's the only thing that i'm thinking of, is matt is shot. and he's -- they found him somewhere. >> reporter: he hadn't been shot, but the answer to what happened is in these evidence photos obtained by "the washington post," empty heroin baggies in his fbi vehicle. evidence from cases he'd been working. >> heroin was in front of me, you know, every day. >> reporter: he'd first gotten hooked on prescription painkillers for a debilitating stomach problem, and when he could no longer get them turned to heroin. >> it's a big leap, though, matt, to go from thinking about heroin, being addicted to painkillers, and then stealing evidence bags. >> mm-hmm. yeah. something, you know, clicked in my head. and let me just take a little bit to start off these withdrawals. and then i'll figure out later, you know, how am i going to get through this? >> reporter: he used heroin daily for more than a year even the day his son was born.

matt pleaded guilty to 64 counts and 25 drug defendants were let go because he tampered with evidence in their cases. >> all the hard work, working 12 hours a day on all these cases, 6 you know, for months at a time, and then all of the sudden all these guys are released. >> because of what you did. >> mm-hmm. yeah. >> reporter: in court documents filed by the u.s. attorney wednesday, prosecutors said matt lowry was a special agent who took an oath and instead of upholding it with honor he disgraced himself and the fbi. >> did you feel like you let your dad down? >> yeah i let him down. i let my co-workers down. everybody who had, you know, an idea of what i -- what they thought i was, it was completely wrong. >> reporter: he's been sober since that day in september, with the support of his wife and family. he's spending all the time he can with his 16-month-old son, knowing he faces seven to ten years in prison. >> the hardest part, and like said, my -- being away, especially

from my son, is going to be the hardest part. >> he's a good dad, isn't he? >> he's a better father than i am. he is a wonderful father. he is a wonderful husband. he is -- he's a protector. but he couldn't protect himself. >> reporter: sentencing is next week. kate snow, nbc news, anne arundel county, maryland. we're back in a moment with the pop culture icon that's about to get a makeover.

a remarkable show of kindness and generosity in charleston, south carolina. two weeks after the church shootings that killed nine people, a group of anonymous donors has raised over $3 million to establish a scholarship fund for family members of the victims and others at the emanuel african methodist episcopal church. the fury over the confederate flag after charleston is having some unexpected fallout in the world of pop culture. golfer bubba watson, the two-time masters champ, bought the original general lee

car used in "the dukes of hazzard" at auction in 2012. well, now he's tweeted, "all men are created equal. i believe that. so i will be painting the american flag on the roof of the general lee." that provoked both cheers and boos from watson's followers. and when we come back, the long slow flight that made history today by letting the sunshine in.

suspect in that deadly embarcadero shooting. why immigration officials say he should never have been here.

===janelle/take vo=== and the fourth of july tradition that can trigger troubling memories for our nation's veterans. ===next close=== the news is next. finally tonight, imagine crossing the pacific ocean on a flight from japan to hawaii without using a drop of fuel. one man did just that, and today he made aviation history. nbc's hallie jackson has the story from honolulu. >> reporter: on this around-the-world flight -- >> and we're in the air. >> reporter: -- it's the most dangerous leg. five days over the pacific. and no one knew if andre borschberg would make it because no one's ever flown this long alone, much less without a single drop of fuel. borschberg's piloting this solar-powered plane from a seat no bigger than a bathtub. >> i'm really enjoying myself, discovering this fantastic adventure. >> reporter: borschberg and his

partner bertrand picard are on a round the world journey to show what solar energy can do. the single-person plane took off from abu dhabi in march traveling more than 10,000 miles since then, stopping in six countries, all of it streaming live online, like when the pilot's eating. drinking. even sleeping during one of his 20-minute naps. when he's exercising, doing yoga sitting down since the cockpit's too small to stand in. and when nature calls? . >> >> you asked a question about the bathroom? >> i have to ask. >> reporter: the toilet is built into the seat. 17,000 solar cells soak up the sun's energy during the day to keep the plane going all night. its average speed just 40 miles an hour. even slower when borschberg finally landed in hawaii today. longest solo flight ever, what's going through your mind right now? >> so much joy, you know. so much incredible feeling. >> reporter: it may be decades before any of us fly in a

solar-powered plane, but these pioneers hope to prove it's possible, showing for the future of clean energy the sky's the limit. hallie jackson, nbc news, honolulu. >> incredible. that will do it for us on this friday night. i'm tamron hall. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and have a happy fourth of july.==vo== should the man accused of killing this young woman - been free - walking the the system fails a lot, a lot of times. >> should the mana kusd of killing this young woman be free walking the streets? tonight tough questions why the suspect with a criminal history was not in custody. good evening. thanks for joining us. i'm jennifer wang. and i'm monica aguirre.

tonight questions. would kate styling be alive today if the city's policy had not been in place? a policy that allowed police to release sanchez. mark is live where that killing took place. mark? >> reporter: just about this time of the evening on wednesday, kate stanley, 32 years old, walking on pier 14 with her father, the man accused of shooting her, an undocumented immigrant from mexico. francisco sanchez has snuck into the united states fooiive times. last time he did a stretch in the federal lockup and was then turned over to san francisco police. charges were later dropped and even though customs immigration or ice be requested they be notified when he was released, shefrt the sheriff's department never made the call. >> city policy city law is very clear that we