i don't want people to remember him as a victim because he never was in his life, he never will be. he's strong. >> as loved ones mourn the lives lost in the washington navy yard shooting, the mental health of the gunman who killed 12 people is coming into question. >> it's like dr. jekyll & mr. hyde. who was this guy? >> rescuers continue to search for survivors of colorado's deadly flash floods while stories of heartbreak and loss emerge from the disaster zone. >> but my mom told her, don't worry about me. save yourself. and road to recovery. the 11-year-old girl whose fight to receive a lung transplant who made headlines is now breathing on her own.

captioning funded by cbs captioning funded by cbs this is the "cbs morning news" for wednesday, september 18th, 2013. good morning. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. well, a troubled portrait is emerging this morning of a man who opened fire at the washington navy yard early monday morning killing 12 people. the behavior of aaron alexis had come to the attention of authorities a number of times over the years and even before the shooting. he had struggled with reports of mental illness. reports say just two days before the attack, the former navy reservist tried to buy an assault rifle from a gun store in virginia, but a state law prevented the purchase because he lived out of state. instead alexis bought the shotgun he used in the attack. the navy yard is two blocks from the capitol. senator harry reid said he would like to see new gun support law measuring including one that would keep guns from the mentally ill.

>> anything we can do to focus attention on the senseless killings that take place. >> the white house says president obama doesn't accept regular mass shootings as the new normal. meanwhile victims' families want to know why a man with a history of mental illness and violence was able to keep his security clearance. yard in washington. susan, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. this picture emerges as the authorities try to put it today. the motive and arrest were apparently not enough to raise red flags about his security clearance and that's what gave him access to this navy yard where he gunned down 12 people. officials say 34-year-old aaron alexis used a valid pass to walk onto the washington navy yard monday. once inside he pulled out a shotgun he recently bought and fired it killing 12 people and

injuring three. alexis was working as an i.t. contractor with hewlett-packard. hp tishls told the "washington post" the company verified his security clearance in june when they hired him. alexis had a security clearance despite a history of gun-related charges and mental health issues. his family said he suffered from mental illness for a decade and recently sought treatment through the veterans administration. last month in rhode island alexis called police from a hotel to say he was hearing voices and that people were stalking him. newport police say they alerted navy nay naval police that a contractor was hearing voices. despite his run-ins with the law and history of mental illness, he held onto his security clearance. family members of the victims say they don't know how this happened. >> i don't know how in the world he got a clearance to be able to get into the navy yard with those weapons to begin with. >> john johnson's widow says the 73-year-old was a happy man.

>> we were going to retire soon. he loved his job. he wanted to keep working. >> scott ridgell's family will remember their dad as a protector. he was a security contractor on the base. >> i want him to be known as a dad above a victim of a shooting because he was a great dad for all of us. president obama has ordered a review of security standards for contractors and employees at federal agencies. and some on capitol hill are raising alarms about this broken system of granting security clearances. anne-marie? >> susan mcginnis at the washington navy yard. thank you very much, susan. well, the three women and nine men killed in the navy yard shooting rampage range in age from 47 to 73. you can see their stories on cbsnews.com. in mexico at least 47 people are dead after two major storms battered the country.

thousands of tourists stranded in acapulco. water is waist deep inside the terminal. the twin storms washed out roads and forced residents from their homes. and residents in colorado were reached in the last pockets. officials say nearly 12,000 people have been evacuated by air and ground since last week. the military is assisting in emergency airlifts to reach isolated residents. >> we're looking at lots of pinpoint extractions. many locations, smaller numbers. it's taking longer. we're also encountering a number of refusals that's a concern for us. we want people to get out while they have a chance. >> at least eight people are dead in the flooding. 19,000 homes are damaged or destroyed. after the storm many colorado residents are returning home to scenes of devastation and loss. some are thankful to have any family keepsakes at all. nina sparano of our denver station kcnc reports. >> the events that caused this to come back to me are just

amazing, you know, to say the least. >> reporter: this portrait once hung on the darner family home on the thompson river. >> is where we believe the house sat. >> reporter: early friday morning the flood in the big thompson canyon swallowed the starners' home. they plucked this out of the river. >> she pointed out what she thought was a family portrait. >> reporter: shaun got a phone call from a friend who thought it was their picture. the portrait was returned to shaun, his brother, and sister only hours after learning their mother was swept away with the home and is now one of the two people in larimer county presumed dead. >> the water came, hit the house. apparently breaking my mom's back causing her to be immobilized. so joyce tried to help her. she tried to get her up the bank. >> reporter: after struggling to save evelyn, joyce, their

neighbor, had to let her go. >> but my mom told her, don't worry about me. save yourself. >> reporter: the starner family says getting this piece of family history back must have been a sign from mom. >> it had to go at least 10, 12 miles, and it's only missing a corner. somebody was watching out for it. >> reporter: nina sparano, cbs news, loveland, colorado. >> certainly some heartbreaking stories coming out of colorado. well, on the "cbs moneywatch" now, fed chairman ben bernanke speaks, and the scene of a notorious crime sells for millions. wendy gillette is here in new york with that and more. good morning, wendy. good morning, anne-marie. the federal reserve is winding down a crucial two-day policy meeting today. analysts say fed chair ben bernanke will announce plans to cut about $10 billion a month from its massive bond buying program. he's also expected to keep rates close to zero. asian stocks were mixed ahead of the fed meeting.

tokyo's nikkei gained more than 1%. hong kong's hang seng lost a quarter percent. on wall street investors shrugged off worries about what the fed would say. the dow climbed 34 points and the nasdaq jumped 27 points. it's payday for microsoft, the software giant. they said they'll buy back $40 million in stock. that's 5 cents more than the previous month and will be paid on december 12th. the federal government is going to seize a skyscraper in new york. prosecutors say it's secretly owned by the iranian government. the building is 36 stories tall and is located on fifth avenue. officials say the seizure and sale of the property will be the government's largest ever terrorism-related forfeiture. and the famed versace mansion in miami, florida, has finally been sold. fashion designer gianni versace was murdered there in 1977. the asking price a year ago was $125 million.

it sold at auction tuesday for just $41 million. the new owners say they're going to turn it into a high end hotel. anne-marie? >> wendy gillette here in new york. thank you, wendy. coming up on the "morning news," a race against time. georgia police search for a 14-year-old girl kidnapped during a violent home invasion. this is the "cbs morning news." 14-year-old girl kidnapped during a violent home invasion. this is the "cbs morning news." >> announcer: "moneywatch" sponsored by vagisil wash with odor block, the confident clean. vagisil wash with odor block, the confident clean. [ female announcer ] hurry in to the jcpenney fall sale. doorbusters this friday 3:00 p.m. to saturday 1:00 p.m. get 50% off worthington and 60% off stafford dress shirts. plus, for 4 days only, starting friday, get $10, $15, or $20 off with your coupon. jcpenney. is sweatier and messier than my family on the field.

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may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. ask your doctor if including advair could help improve your lung function. [ male announcer ] advair diskus fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder. get your first prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com. a narrow escape in australia. surveillance video shows a train just clipping a pedestrian who's crossing the tracks. the man reportedly pushed through a closed gate before darting in front of the train. he was treated for only minor injuries. and in georgia, a desperate search for a 14-year-old girl kidnapped by two men. ayvani hope perez was taken from

her home early in the morning by two intruders. they busted down the back door and the mother tried to hide both kids. >> there was a little dog in the house that started barking, so the intruders shot the dog. they demanded jewelry and money from the mother at which time she said she didn't have any money and jewelry, and she told them that. instead they kidnapped the 14-year-old girl. >> police say the armed suspects are driving gray dodge or chevrolet sedan. they also say that ayvani is said to be in extreme danger. in north carolina the family of an unarmed man shot repeatedly by police is looking for answers. the family says it's not an issue of race but of justice. mark strassmann reports. >> reporter: it was 2:30 saturday morning when 24-year-old jonathan ferrell swerved off the road in a single-car accident. he climbed out the window and went to this house looking for help. the startled homeowner thought

it was a bug lar and called 911. >> 911, hello. >> i need help. >> reporter: police have altered the caller's voice to protect her identity. >> is he still in the house? did he leave yet? >> he's in the front yard yelling. oh, my god. >> reporter: three police officers responded. when ferrell ran guard them, officer kerrick drew his got and shot ferrell ten times. the dead man was unarmed. >> i don't want to bury my son. my son should be burying me. >> reporter: they say he respected police. his sister is a cop. >> reporter: do you have questions? i have questions but i'll get the answers soon enough. >> reporter: they charged kerrick with voluntary manslaughter and said he did not have a lawful right to discharge his weapon. michael green is his attorney. >> it will be found officer kerrick's actions were justified

on the night in question. >> reporter: ferrell, a former collegiate football player had no criminal record. they retrieved video dash cam showing him approaching the officers. they showed it to the family. they plan to sue the police for kerrick's deadly force. >> but i do forgive him. >> reporter: you do. >> i so forgive him, but i want justice. >> reporter: if convicted of voluntary manslaughter, kerrick could receive a sentence of 17 years in prison. mark strassmann, cbs news, charlotte. straight ahead, your wednesday morning weather, and major league baseball pays tribute to the victims of monday's shooting in washington, d.c. [ male announcer ] frequent heartburn? the choice is yours. chalky... not chalky. temporary...

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mom, you're awesome. oh yeah! ♪ bum ba bum ba bum [ gong ] [ wisest kid ] m'm! m'm! good! here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. norm mostly sunny today but thunderstorms in miami. and thunderstorms in chicago. dallas, sunny, high of 94. los angeles clouds and sun. >> and time now for a check of the national forecast. remnants of ingrid will bring showers and storms across southern texas. it will be chilly in the northeast. scattered storms will roll across the mississippi valley into the great lakes and it will be mostly dry in the west. in sports the washington nationals and atlanta braves made up their game from monday postponed by the shooting at the washington navy yard. a moment of silence was observed before the game in honor of 12 victims. the parking lot of nationals'

park was used as a staging area for the navy yard employees involved in the shooting. he was on hand to express his appreciation to the organization. >> when the chips were down, the whole nationals association stood up for our military family. from the navy family to the nats family, thank you so much. >> the nats and braves playing a double head. early winner, 6-5 when two home runs come home on an error in the bottom of the ninth. and in the nightcap, the gnats complete the sweep. ryan zimmerman hits his tenth home run to help washington to a 4-0 win. in the american league the postseason race is getting tight with six teams battling for wild-card spots. wild-card leaders tampa bay and texas getting a critical series started. aaron kinsler hits the first pitch of the game over the left field wall and the rangers end a serve-game losing streak with a

7-1 win. it was a playoff atmosphere in cleveland with the indians facing the royals. asdrubal cabrera brings in the tying win. they win, 5-3. and baltimore rallies in the ninth inning to beat them 3-2. the red sox still hold a nine-game lead in the a.l. east and the win keeps the orioles in the thick of things in the postseason bid. with less than two weeks to go in the rest of the season here's a look at the wild-card standings. tampa bay and texas hold the top two spots. cleveland is just a half game behind. baltimore is two games behind while kansas city and the yankees are still alive 2 1/2 games back each. when we return, taking a breath. a young lung transplant patient reaches a remarkable milestone in her recovery. ♪ [ male announcer ] for those who willingly take on the day. [ screaming ] [ male announcer ] to make it better for someone else. the same way the smooth, creamy taste of coffee-mate

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here's a look at today's forecastsome here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. washington, d.c., mostly sunny today. atlanta, partly sunny. thunderstorms in st. louis and denver. seattle, showers with a high of 66.

remarkable progress for 11-year-old lung transplant patient sara murnaghan. her mother says she can breathe on her own. sara has been home for more than two weeks. she received three new lung in june to have her put on the adult transplant list. her mother posted this video on her facebook page and said they've been waiting for this moment for a very long time. well, the cause of a fire at boston logan's international airport is now under investigation. it broke out at the fuel burns tuesday pumps tuesday night, but firefighters had it quickly under control. it forced a few flights to be stranded. the fire is not considered suspicious and no one was injured. superstorm sandy isn't done

with the jersey shore. officials say electrical damage by sandy triggered the fire on the boardwalk in seaside parks. they say other boardwalk businesses and homes hit by sandy's floodwaters could hit and cause the same dangers. joe bide en's niece was taken into custody. they took her into custody after reporting an altercation at an apartment in new york. she allegedly lunged at one and then another and refused to be handcuffed. she's ordered to appear in court next week. and the new baby panda at the smithsonian in washington has gotten a clean bill of health. she's grown from the size of a stick of butter to just under two pounds. her mother is taking good care of the little panda. >> coming up on the "cbs this

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three people wounded in the navy yard shooting are expected to make a full recovery. they were saved in a helicopter rescue operation that started during the gun battle. chip reid met with the people who flew that mission. >> reporter: minutes after the shooting began park police helicopter eagle 1 was over the navy yard. sergeant ken burchell was at the controls. did you worry at all that you were making yourself a big fat target for this shooter? >> oh, we were fully aware that we were a big fat blue and white target, but that's our job. that's what we're supposed to do and there was nothing that was going to sway us from that. our job was to get in there and rescue the people we could rescue.

>> reporter: with no idea where the shooter was, private mike abate provided cover with his m-16. >> i was concerned about the shooter firing at our aircraft or any of the operators on the rooftop or anywhere around there. >> reporter: a woman shot in the shoulder made it to the roof. she need medical treatment immediately. >> as we hoisted her up to the side of the aircraft, we're hovering and very, very vulnerable to ground fire at that point, and we weren't going to stay in that position any longer than it was absolutely necessary, so we didn't even take the time to bring her inside the aircraft. >> reporter: so she's bleeding fairly profusely and hanging outside the helicopter. how did she respond to that? >> she was a strong woman. she impressed us all. >> reporter: rescue technician dave tolson. >> with a tremendous sense of duty, i suppose, on her part, she began to relay details about the incident and the shooter himself to one of our officers aboard that was valuable in us

helping to get the situation under control and relay that information down to our commanding control. >> reporter: there is the opportunity to make a difference, to save lives, to protect people, but there is also a fair amount of heartbreak in your job, is there not? >> i think in some ways we have an easier situation than people who are sitting at home and watching these terrible things unfold on television because we have an opportunity to get in there and do something about it. >> reporter: by the end of the day, the crew of eagle 1 had rescued four people off the roof of that building behind me at the washington navy yard. the woman who was shot in the shoulder survived. she's listed in fair condition. chip reid, cbs news, washington. well, coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," the latest information on the suspected gunman in the navy yard shooting. we'll hear from john miller. plus, former white house chief of staff bill daly is here and will convene a round table with actress jane fonda and

activist gloria steinem and roger morgan to discuss equal rights for women. that's the "cbs morning news" for this wednesday. thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

>> your realtime captioner: linda marie macdonald good morning. it's wednesday, september 18. i'm michelle griego. >> hi, everyone. i'm frank mallicoat. "hump day" is here. nearly 4:30. lawrence says it's a gorgeous day to be. >> summer is back, guys. looks like we're going to see

temperatures heating up outside. some of those numbers near 90 degrees in the afternoon. this morning starting out cooler but mostly clear. just a little hazy. more on your forecast coming up. >> here's a live look at the nimitz freeway, 880, overnight roadwork still in lanes for another half hour so we'll show you where it is plus check mass transit. it's all coming up. >> thank you. new details this morning in the washington navy yard shooting. we are learning the gunman was recently treated for mental illness by the va. aaron alexis called police last month to say he was hearing voices and was being followed. police warned navy officials that did not hear back from them. alexis was still able to get on the navy yard despite issues. >> reporter: 34-year-old aaron alexis used a