chocolate. all sorts of garlic stuff. >> i love driving down 101. >> it's so fun. get down to gilroy. thanks for joining us. >> bye! tonight, the deadly movie theater rampage. chaos and carnage as a gunman opens fire on a packed crowd. tonight the innocent lives taken amid the remarkable and brave actions of two teachers. also, mind of a killer. what nbc news has learned about the gunman's serious mental illness, his family's deep fears, and why his wife removed his guns. where did he get the weapon, and why did he do it? the new air war. as wildfires explode, a growing danger in the fight for the pilots trying to douse the flames. drones now crowding the skies, costing firefighting planes precious time. and paying the price for the disastrous state of our roads and bridges, doing damage to your car. what it's costing you. "nightly news" begins right now.

>> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt," reporting tonight from los angeles. good evening. how many times lately have we had to ask what on earth drives someone to open fire on and kill innocent strangers? sadly, we can add lafayette, louisiana to the long list of communities now left to struggle with that question. it was there that 59-year-old john houser may have taken some of the answers to his grave last night, killing himself right after he shot and killed two people and wounded nine others inside a crowded movie theater. but today details of houser's troubled mental history and the deep worries expressed by his family began to emerge, filling in at least some of the blanks. we begin our coverage with nbc national news correspondent miguel almaguer. >> reporter: this was the scramble to save lives. the victims carried away, nine injured, two dead. what began as a thursday night at the movies. >> it was just chaos

everywhere. cop cars, sirens. >> reporter: 20 minutes into a comedy, horror. a lone gunman abruptly stood up and opened fire with a handgun. police say he sprayed the theater with 13 shots. >> we see a middle-aged woman lying down on the curb with blood coming out of her leg. >> police arrived within a minute. they say the gunman tried to blend in with the crowd, saw officers, turned back into the theater, then killed himself. >> he intended to escape after he did this shooting. his car was parked right outside an emergency exit of the theater he was in. >> reporter: the shooter is 59-year-old john rusty houser, a drifter from phenix city, alabama. he'd been staying at the local motel 6 where police say they found disguises including wigs and glasses. the gunman appears to have posted numerous radical comments on a range of topics including lone wolf acts of violence. in 2008 houser's family asked for a protective order. in court documents

obtained by nbc news, his wife said he had a history of mental issues, i.e. manic depression and/or bipolar disorder, exhibited extreme erratic behavior. in a police report houser's wife said she removed all the guns from their house. he "should not have one unless he obtained it illegally." >> the lafayette police department is trying to find something that says why did he walk in that theater? >> reporter: victims ranged in age from their teens to their 60s. the two dead, both women, didn't know each other. 21-year-old mayci breaux, a student who worked in a local clothing store. today her younger sister said she was her rock. >> she taught me how to be the strong person i am today. she taught me not to care what other people think and taught me how to be a good person. >> i'm jillian johnson. >> reporter: 33-year-old jillian johnson, a musician and a mom, owned a local boutique. today a growing memorial at her

store. >> i think that jillian was a true example of the best that lafayette has to offer. >> reporter: amid the tragedy stories of heroism. two teachers injured in the shooting. one shielded her friend from gunfire while the other managed to pull a fire alarm. one act of bravery in the chaos and bloodshed. with one person still in critical condition we now know the gunman after leaving the theater tried to reload his weapon, then killed himself inside. a sheriff in alabama says he did apply for a concealed permit years ago that was denied, but just last year the atf says he legally purchased his gun in alabama. lester? >> all right, miguel, thank you. at the first report of last night's mass shooting inside a movie theater, a lot of us probably had the exact same thought, please not again. the stories of people randomly shot by a lone gunman have become all too familiar, and so too are the questions and the soul searching that follow. with that here's national correspondent peter alexander.

>> reporter: after last night's violence if someone asks about the movie theater shooting the response could be "which one?" right now a colorado jury is deliberating whether james holmes should face the death penalty for killing a dozen people during this movie theater massacre three years ago. it's deja vu for the parents of victim jessica gowey. >> at what point are we saturated or become numb? >> we have mass murders every week now. come on. i mean, let's do something. >> reporter: across america dozens of mass shootings since the newtown elementary school massacre in 2012. at a church, a school, a military recruiting center. just hours before last night's shooting president obama told the bbc that the failure to pass tougher gun safety laws has been the greatest frustration of his presidency. >> if you look at the number of americans killed since 9/11 by terrorism, it's less than 100. if you look at the number that have been killed by gun

violence, it's in the tens of thousands. >> reporter: but a pew research poll shows more americans now support gun rights than gun control. the louisiana killer john houser not only had a gun but a history of mental illness. court documents show houser's family tried to get him treated for bipolar disorder, committing him to a hospital against his will in 2008 as a danger to himself and others. but that was only a temporary solution. >> you have individuals who aren't getting the treatment they need. you're having individuals fall through the system, fall through the cracks. >> reporter: now john houser joins a line-up of mass shooters with mental illness that wasn't sufficiently treated. peter alexander, nbc news, washington. here in the west a wildfire season already made worse by persistent drought conditions faces an emerging new complication. aerial drones operated by hobbyists. even when operated legally, we've seen them pose a

real danger to low-flying firefighting aircraft. now efforts are under way to update laws to keep pace with this growing threat. nbc's hallie jackson shows us what's at stake. >> reporter: a dangerous new battle is unfolding high above the front line. >> we are trying to get this whole thing situated. >> reporter: against drones interfering with aircraft like at this california wildfire, where frustrated dispatchers tried to navigate around five of them. >> i got aircraft all over the place, can't do anything with it. >> reporter: for 26 crucial minutes with no air support, cars burned. >> we got a drone south of the fire. >> reporter: and at this fire flames crept closer to eight homes as a drone made it too dangerous for pilots to stay in the air. from this perspective it's clear why fire crews don't want drones around. >> during an air attack the choppers and the plane are constantly coordinating with their ground crew. having a hobby drone flying around could be dangerous and even deadly. >> if you have a drone in the

sky and we ground aircraft unfortunately homes can be destroyed, lives can be lost and firefighters can be killed. >> reporter: this year drone incidents reported nationwide are prompting a flurry of proposed laws to crack down on people who fly them. like this video posted by someone who says he checked with fire crews first calling him the drone doctor. his real name is tony bauer. he wants his fellow drone pilots to be responsible. >> all it takes is one bad apple to sensationalize things and make all drones appear to be bad. it's a tool. if you use a tool correctly, it can be used for a lot of good. >> reporter: drones can fly where manned aircraft cannot, like in thick smoke or at night. researchers in alaska are testing the technology at wildfires there using infrared to map hot spots. >> a decade from now it will be on every fire truck, without question. >> reporter: but for now, the danger from drones yet another threat on the fire line. hallie jackson, nbc news, winters, california. the controversy

over hillary clinton's e-mails came roaring back to the headlines today. word that the justice department is considering a request for government inspectors to open an investigation into whether classified information was relayed in her private e-mail account. nbc's kristen welker has details. >> maybe the heat is getting to everybody. >> reporter: hillary clinton today trying to downplay the latest questions about her use of a private e-mail account as secretary of state. >> i have released 55,000 pages of e-mails. i have said repeatedly that i will answer questions before the house committee. >> reporter: but she dodged the issue at hand. two inspectors general have asked the justice department to investigate whether anyone mishandled sensitive government information related to her e-mail. the day began with reports of a possible criminal investigation. the justice department later corrected itself, writing "the department has received a referral related to

the potential compromise of classified information. it is not a criminal referral." inspectors general for the state department and intelligence agencies requested the inquiry, saying they were concerned that there are potentially hundreds of classified e-mails within the 30,000 provided by former secretary clinton. clinton has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. >> i want those e-mails out. >> reporter: today the clinton campaign was forced to respond again. any released e-mails deemed classified by the administration have been done so after the fact and not at the time they were transmitted. >> while they may have dodged a bullet here legally, politically this is a story that's just not going to go away. >> reporter: the inspectors general released a statement late today saying their concerns specifically involve counterintelligence issues and not criminal behavior. kristen welker, nbc news, new york. he is known for speaking directly, but today senator ted cruz took that to a whole new level on the senate floor. it was an extraordinary accusatory outburst

against a member of his own republican party, the senate majority leader himself. cruz accused him of lying. nbc's kelly o'donnell has been following it all for us. hi, kelly. >> hi, lester. what happened on the senate floor was a stunner. republican presidential candidate ted cruz repeatedly called out his own republican leader for lying. now, that's something after years covering congress i haven't seen before because the senate floor is supposed to be one last zone of civility. cruz claims mcconnell had lied about how the senate would handle certain legislation conservatives oppose. >> i cannot believe he would tell a flat-out lie. and i voted based on those assurances that he made to each and every one of us. what we just saw today was an absolute demonstration that not only what he told every republican senator but what he told the press over and over and over again was a simple lie.

>> reporter: senator mcconnell isn't saying anything tonight. aides tell me cruz knows what he did was controversial but felt he had to speak out. lester? >> kelly o'donnell at the capitol, thank you. president obama is in kenya tonight. his first visit as president to his ancestral homeland. while there lots of key issues on the official agenda. this trip to africa is full of symbolism. our senior white house correspondent chris jansing is with the president and reports from nairobi. >> reporter: for six years since barack obama was elected president kenyans have been waiting for this moment, his return to his ancestral homeland. a hug and a shy smile from an 8-year-old girl. crowds cheering his motorcade. and a family reunion that included his 93-year-old st. step-grandmother, all before his first formal appearance tomorrow. >> i think it will be an incredibly powerful moment. this is a president whose grandfather was a domestic servant for the

british. now he's returning to kenya as president of the united states of america. >> reporter: preparations have been under way for weeks, flags, billboards and a half-million dollar boutification project dubbed obamacare. his dad's hometown got a makeover, too. but unlike in 2006 when he came here as a senator with a young family the largest security operation in kenyan history makes a visit there almost impossible. >> i think he wishes he could duck out and go around anonymous with a baseball camp. but that's probably not going to happen. >> reporter: what will happen, meetings on counterterrorism, economic development and human rights. but towering over it all, the legacy of a father who left his family when barack obama was just 2, whom he last saw when he was 10. a personal story rooted in kenya that the president says motivated him to succeed. >> and that's the point. he's lived the american dream that in a way no other has. >> reporter: late today the president tweeted he's proud to be the first american president to come to kenya. and though not everyone's a fan, there are people who think he

can and should do more for africa, in that small village where his father was born there are schools and streets and of course children named barack obama. lester? >> chris jansing in nairobi tonight. thanks. tonight chrysler has ordered a recall of over a million trucks and cars after hackers were able to take control of a jeep over the internet, that stunning video we showed you earlier this week. the company says it will update software to protect vehicles from being remotely controlled. we put a full list of the affected vehicles on our website. still ahead tonight the disgraceful state of our roads and bridges, crumbling across america. the new report about how much damage they're doing to your car. rough roads costing millions of drivers a small fortune. also he's been an icon to many fans for decades. but tonight the wwe has fired hulk hogan as a shocking racist rant caught on tape emerges.

we're back now with the disastrous state of the nation's roads and bridges. a new report says more than a quarter of our highways and roads are crumbling, ravaged by potholes and neglect, costing drivers big money in damage to their cars as nbc's tom costello reports. >> double lane closures will be in effect all day long. >> reporter: rush hour in america. >> we have a big, big delay. >> reporter: a daily ritual in dodging divots and potholes deep enough to cost a fortune in repairs. among the worst in america, according to non-profit

construction industry research, nearly 3/4 of the roads in l.a. and san francisco. more than half the roads in detroit, san diego, new york, and cleveland. more than 40% in new orleans, denver, and seattle. the average annual repair bill, 730 bucks in omaha, 917 in oklahoma city, more than $1,000 in california. big business for repair shops but costly for tom waters' limo company. >> it's very expensive for us. we have nine vehicles. it's a multiplication many times on our expenses. >> reporter: perhaps the most iconic symbol of america's crumbling roads and bridges, washington's memorial bridge, connecting arlington national cemetery with the lincoln memorial. this summer tour buses have been ordered off. >> level of corrosion -- >> reporter: underneath the steel support beams are too rusted to support the weight. chunks of concrete fall from the roadway above. >> all over the country we are facing the same basic problem. our infrastructure is falling apart.

>> reporter: there's bipartisan agreement on that. but here's the thing. the highway trust fund runs empty in just seven days, and congress still hasn't come up with a long-term funding plan. meanwhile, most experts say the current 18-cent per gallon gas tax is no longer enough to make the repairs. >> it is less expensive to fix our roads and bridges than it is to drive over them in rough condition. >> reporter: whether in repairs or taxes, we all pay. tom costello, nbc news, washington. we're back in a moment with the sudden downfall of a big star.

a very strong man learned today that his own words can hurt him. hulk hogan fired by the wwe, the company terminating his contract after reports he used a racial slur in a sex tape. we get more from nbc's gadi schwartz. >> reporter: hulk hogan, the wrestling superstar best known for his shirt-ripping rage and for calling everyone brother.

>> this is what it's all about, brother. >> brother. >> brother. >> brother. >> brother. >> reporter: is now at the center of controversy for his use of another word. today the wwe announced they were dropping hogan after leaked excerpts from transcripts surfaced on tabloid sites, reporting that hogan had used the n word in a racist rant caught during a sex tape which hogan's lawyer says was secretly recorded. in it hogan is heard reportedly complaining about his daughter's relationship with a man using the n word repeatedly. the wwe moved quickly scrubbing hogan from the website and releasing a statement today saying they had terminated its contract and were committed to embracing and celebrating individuals from all backgrounds. today hogan said in a statement the conversation happened eight years ago and "it was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language. i am disappointed with myself. as a result i am resigning." and hogan merchandise will no longer be sold by an enterprise that brings in over $500 million a year. bringing an end to

decades of a very public life in the ring. gadi schwartz, nbc news, los angeles. we're back in a moment with the story behind an amazing discovery.

killer was in court today. hear what his mother had to say about it. ===take vo=== and we're live at the wildfire near lake berryessa -- as evacuees return home. ===next close=== the news is next.

finally tonight, it's likely to become an instant classic when it's released this coming tuesday. the new book by dr. seuss, written perhaps half a century ago and lost for decades until it was recently discovered. as we hear from kristen dahlgren, just how it was found is a story in itself. >> reporter: we know cat in the hat," "the grinch," "fox in socks," but did you know dr. seuss left a surprise in a box? >> here we were sitting on a treasure. >> reporter: more than two decades after the death of ted geisel, better known as dr. seuss, the author's long-time assistant and his widow found a manuscript packed away in his office. their first call, seuss's long-time art director, kathy goldsmith. >> i'd seen what his materials looked like when he was in the process of working on a book, but they were so clearly what i remember. and it was both nostalgic and exciting.

>> reporter: an entire book with text and line sketches of two familiar characters, the kids from "one fish, two fish." >> look over there, said my sister kay. we can go home with a rabbit today. >> reporter: seuss probably wrote "what pet should i get" around 1960 and may have still been playing with the text. >> and he often got sort of carried away with one idea and sort of put something else in the drawer. >> reporter: but all dusted off, it is classic dr. seuss. the quirky rhymes. the unmistakable artwork. and of course some unusual characters. >> you think your parents would let you guys have a yent? >> no. >> reporter: like a lot of dr. seuss books, it has a message about making hard choices, something goldsmith had to do when completing the book. while the line work was done, dr. seuss never filled in the colors. she had to do that. >> i sure hope he'd like it. i think he would. >> reporter: but will readers like it? or will they be torn? >> did you guys like it? what did you think? >> yeah! >> reporter: if these are your critics -- >> you have to pick

one. >> reporter: -- another classic is born. >> what pet should you get? >> reporter: kristen dahlgren, nbc news, la jolla, california. that will 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. ==raj/vo== you're hearing the voice of this man's mother. we see him for the first time -- i know he's not guilty. >> you're hearing the voice of this man's mother. we see him for the first time since the shooting death of a hayward police officer. good evening, thanks for being with us on this friday, i'm raj mathai. >> i'm jessica aguirre. new details in the shooting of that haywood police officer dozens of officers sat in the court to face this time who is accused of pulling the trigger. he's accused of killing the sergeant during a traffic stop early monday morning. more on what actually happened

during that traffic stop. jodi hernandez is live at the hayward haul of justice where she talked to estrada's mother. jodi? >> reporter: his mother said he's kind hearted and a good person. today he was formally charged at the hayward haul of justice with the murder of a hayward police officer. >> i'm devastated. the whole thing, devastated for the officer who passed away. devastated for my son. >> reporter: an emotional scene inside a hayward courtroom. suspect mark estrada's family wept and held on to each other. hayward police officers stood in silence as the 21-year-old was charged with murder with special circumstances for the killing of hayward sergeant scott lunger early tuesday morning. >> i don't have the words but i really feel for them, too. >> reporter: according to court documents, they found blood on the seat of