this morning the texas church shooting reverberates across the country as we learn much more about the disturbed shooter with grieving family members demanding answers as to why the gunman was able to get his hands on a weapon. >> he just says that guy just shot up the church. jason followed him. i said, all right, let's go. >> also this morning we hear from the heroes who chased and took the gunman down and learn of the clues as to why he targeted that church. >> plus the president looks to take on the north korea nuclear threat head on, arriving in seoul for the second leg of his trip. >> newly released testimony brings the russia investigation that much closer to the white house. >> the landscaping drama that could be at the root of rand paul's assault. >> and why you may see a surge

of female candidates on your ballot this election day morning. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm gigi stone woods. >> and i'm phillip mena. this morning distraught family members, friends and now lawmakers are demanding answers following sunday's texas church massacre as we learn more about the 26-year-old emotionally disturbed gunman, his violent past and contentious relationships. >> devin patrick kelley, a nearby native was court martialed out of the air force on two charges of assault. convicted of fracturing the skull of his infant stepson and of assaulting his wife. he spent a year in military prison, was bumped down a rank and discharged on bad conduct. his wife divorced him and two former girlfriends said he stalked them. he still managed to purchase guns the last several years something strictly prohibited for those who have been convicted. >> and now the air force is getting the brunt of the blame for not entering kelley's criminal record into the national database. a move that could have prevented

so many deaths. but in the face of such evil, the sutherland springs is community is showing its true self, answering the tragedy with unity and comfort channeling their hurt and loss. nbc's gabe gutierrez has the stories on those precious lives lost. >> reporter: the sheriff here says about half of those massacred were children. the youngest just 18 months old. eight members of one extended family gunned down while they prayed. in just minutes, great grandfather joel holcomb told us he lost three generations, including his son brian and brian's wife carla. >> they were a family like no other because brian and carla would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it. they were always helping people. >> reporter: debbie has known the holcombs for 30 years and says brian holcomb was so giving he planned to donate this building to a nearby church. >> you don't run into people

like the holcombs every day. >> reporter: on sunday brian was leading the first baptist church in prayer. he'd been filling in because the pastor was out of town. then the shots rang out. brian's wife carla was killed, so was their son danny and granddaughter noa, the 18 month old. the day before the shooting crystal holcomb bragged on facebook about her daughters emily and megan who had done well in a 4-h competition. crystal was pregnant and both girls and their brother greg were killed. >> that is an incredible, incredible devastating loss to this community. >> reporter: the church's pastor frank pomeroy and his wife sherry lost their daughter, too. 14-year-old annabel. they rushed home when they heard the awful news. >> we lost more than bel yesterday. and one thing that gives me a sliver of encouragement is the fact that bel was surrounded yesterday by her church family that she loved fiercely. our building is probably beyond repair and the few of us that

are left behind lost tragically yesterday. >> reporter: joanne ward and her children brook and emily were also shot and killed. another daughter reanna hid, a bullet shattering her glasses, but she survived. so did her 6-year-old brother rye land who was shot multiple times. in this tiny town, population about 700, the loss is staggering. >> whatever life brings to you, lean on the lord rather than your own understanding. i don't understand. but i know my god does. and that's where i'll leave that. >> our thanks to gabe gutierrez for that report. >> really heart breaking details in that story. this morning we are getting some new details not just on the gunman's past, but on just what may have motivated his attack on the small congregation in sutherland springs. and the steps bystanders took to save even more lives. for more we go to nbc's steve patterson. steve, how is it down there? >> reporter: yeah, gigi. in speaking to officials it was almost ruled out automatic or not automatically, but

immediately that this was some sort of random shooting that this had anything to do with radicalization or race or religion. he believes the officials we have been speaking to believe he went into that church knowing that the suspect's mother-in-law was a member of that congregation, was sending threatening messages to the mother-in-law. and so officials started looking at that as the motivation for him going into that church, killing 26 people. we have also been speaking to the good samaritan peoples that tried to stop him as he was coming out of the church. remember, this is a guy clad in body armor with an assault rifle who just committed mass murder inside the church. one of the guys outside who was a neighbor, his name stephen willeford, he grabs his ar-15, runs outside barefoot and starts engaging the shooter, starts engaging him in a gun battle. knows he strikes the shooter at least once. he sees the guy pull up johnny lang endorf who is driving to his girlfriend's house, sees the

ensuing gun battle outside and decides to stop. those two guys meet each other, they look each other in the eye and they say, let's go. he hops into johnny's truck and they start chasing the suspect down the road, 95 miles an hour. we spoke to johnny, this good samaritan, about why he chose to put himself in that dangerous situation. listen to this. >> he just says, that guy just shot up the church. chase him, following him. that's all i know. >> that's all you know, he shot up the church. >> nothing else. we were doing 90, 95 miles an hour all the way down 539 until the gentleman, the shooter seemed to lose control. >> reporter: those two guys johnny and stephen now being hailed as heroes, saying that there might be much more collateral damage here had they not jumped in and taken action. gigi? >> really unbelievable, steve. thank you. >> president trump has reached the second stop on his nearly

two week long trip to asia landing in south korea just hours ago, kicking off a two-day visit. his first stop in the country lunch with american troops at camp humphries. the u.s.'s largest military base in south korea. following the lunch he met with military leaders before moving on to seoul to begin bilateral meetings with south korean president moon jae-in. and north korea is front and center in these talks. nbc's kelly o'donnell is there with the very latest. kelly? >> reporter: good morning from seoul. president trump's second stop on his asia tour, and this is a place where, of course, all of the threats of north korea become all the more relevant. so close to the north korean border. president trump spending time today with u.s. troops and troops from the republic of korea at camp humphries, having lunch with them and seeing firsthand what they are up against and what they are doing here. part of the meeting today between president trump and president moon will talk about the joint security issues, but they are also talking about

trade, something that president trump has pressed south korea to be willing to reconsider its one on one agreement with the united states. when it comes from the gestures we've seen here in south korea, president moon has welcomed president trump in some ways that are not always according to custom. he went to him to greet him, not waiting for president trump to come to the official residence. president of south korea also complimenting president trump on his upcoming anniversary of his election victory and talking about the strides he's made in his time in office. that, of course, trying to build a personal relationship with the president at a time when there is a lot on the table. the two leaders will be holding a joint news conference as well. this is part of a two-day stop in south korea where there are issues of security and trade that bind these two leaders together. gigi, philip? >> kelly, thank you for the update. >> this morning new details on the ever expanding investigation into russia's meddling in the

2016 election with newly released testimony from former trump campaign volunteer carter page's hearing before the house intelligence committee shedding light on just what official on the team knew of his communication with russians. the release is comprised of transcripts from page's seven hour meeting with the intelling committee less than a week ago and is being poured over in washington. it is the latest drip in the russia probe enveloping other trump confidants such as former security advisor michael flynn. with the washington post now counting nine people within mr. trump's orbit that had contact with russia during the campaign and transition. as commerce secretary wilbur ross faces his own questions over previously undisclosed ties to russia. for more on all of this we go to nbc's edward lawrence in washington. edward? >> reporter: well, gigi, we are getting a very different picture now from what carter page originally said when the russia probe was announced. he was a foreign policy advisor for the trump campaign.

carter page in e-mails that have been released says that he met with a senior russian official and he had incredible outreach by russian lawmakers. now, representative adam schiff says that page told the senate intelligence committee that his trip in july of 2016 to russia was a private trip, saying that -- which interactions were limited to man on the street. however, he was forced to acknowledge that he communicated with high-level russian officials at moscow, then admitted notifying the facts of the meeting to campaign supervisors. he also backtracked saying he sought permission for the trip from a senior campaign official. well, more embarrassment now for president donald trump as leaked papers from an offshore law firm show that commerce secretary wilbur ross still owns a stake in a company, a shipping company whose major client is a russian energy company that's owned by vladimir putin's son-in-law in part. >> there is nothing wrong with it at all. i think it's just an example of

the press trying to find anything they can, however remote or silly, to attack the president and somehow link him to russia. this is nonsense. >> reporter: and the commerce secretary saying that he did not try and hide anything. this is more of that drip, drip, drip of russian connections to people around president trump. gigi? philip? >> the latest revelations providing more questions than answers. edward, thank you. >> let's get a look at the forecast from nbc meteorologist bill karins. good morning, bill. >> good morning. temperatures have cooled off dramatically in the atlantic and northeast. clouds and rain will move in in ohio valley and ken cannotucky. rainfall amounts not a soaking. an inform of rain especially later this evening in the overnight hours of ed in and delaware, even washington, d.c. could get a half inch of rain out of this. here's the forecast. it is dry, it is cold in the northern plains, holding on to the warmth one more day from san antonio to new orleans to florida. and that rain will move in this

afternoon. philadelphia, washington, d.c.,

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welcome back. we have new details on the bizarre mystery surrounding the sneak attack on senator rand paul at his kentucky home. >> sources are now providing

insight into possible reasons why paul's neighbor rene boucher originally attacked the senator causing five painful rib fractures. nbc's blake mccoy has more. >> reporter: rand paul still out of the public eye after that stunning attack. his neighbor 59-year-old rene boucher now charged with fourth degree assault for friday's incident inside the gated community where both men live. boucher's home right next door to senator paul, separated by a grass lawn. two sources familiar with the incident say senator paul was mowing his lawn wearing headphones when boucher attacked him from behind. paul, fending him off. paul's office saying the senator is in pain and has five rib fractures. >> we're in the midst of another spending frenzy. >> reporter: paul, a key republican who ran for president last year. so, what prompted the incident? neighbors say the two have disagreed on everything from politics to trash for years. >> i think their disagreement was probably over where a leaf

or twig fell off a tree. >> reporter: boucher's attorney says it has absolutely nothing to either's politics. it was a very regrettable dispute over a matter that most people would regard as trivial. rand paul tweeting he appreciates the overwhelming support after friday's unfortunate event. thank you for your thoughts and prayers. boucher is out on bond. blake mccoy, nbc news, bowling green, kentucky. >> bizarre story there. just ahead, we have your weather for the day. we'll tell you about that plus there is going to be a big change on your ballot this election cycle. you're watching "early today." y this, but i found bladder leak underwear that's actually pretty. surprised? it's called always discreet boutique. it looks and fits like my underwear. i know what you're thinking. how can something this pretty protect? hidden inside is a super absorbent core that quickly turns liquid to gel... ...for incredible protection. so i feel protected...

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and help make tomorrow possible. welcome back on this tuesday. the roller coaster in temperatures will continue. cold air plunging down from the northern plains. so, the cold air is advancing to the south. the warm air is going to try to hold on for maybe like one more day and then it's finally going to win out. so, for today oklahoma city only 48 degrees, but look at houston at 84. we flip those numbers. 78 in atlanta, mobile at 82. then the cool air will win out eventually. you know it's coming. only 60 in birmingham, january son will hold on one more day. you get the picture here. finally towards the weekend the colder air arrives in the northeast. >> i thought it was going to wait for december to show up. here it is. all right, bill, thank you. we'll be right back. the tissue test? yep, and my teeth are yellow. i mean i knew they weren't perfect, but, ugh. oh well, all hope is lost! oh thanks! clearly my whitening toothpaste is not cutting it.

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election day. all eyes are on the race for new jersey governor. what you need to know before casting your vote, and who will be watching over the polls. on a mission to kill. new details about the man behind the deadly church massacre in texas. the family issues that may have sparked the shooting, and what local churches are saying about security. fighting back. a pizza shop owner takes on a robber after he fires a shot. the new video that shows how it all unfolds. coming up on 4:00 a.m. good morning, there this -- this is "nbc10 news today." i'm tracy davidson. i'm via sikahema. considerably cooler. let's get right to meteorologist bill henley for the most accurate neighborhood weather forecast. >> temperatures are 10 to 25 degrees colder than yesterday.

clear skies over philadelphia. that's not going last. we will see sunshine to start with today. clear right now in wilmington, philadelphia, and trenton. look to the west. you can see what's going to move in. clouds already in western pennsylvania, and the rain in the ohio valley, that's going to come into play this afternoon. even some snow in northern indiana. we might see snowflakes mixing in during the afternoon and evening hours for the pocono mountains. for us, starting off chilly, 39 in the suburbs. lehigh valley at 36. rain will keep temperatures in the low 50s this afternoon. 40s for the suburbs. up to 48 for the lehigh valley. i'll break it down hour by hour and show when you to expect the umbrellas to be going up when i'm back in less than ten minutes. first jessica boyington and first alert traffic. >> schuylkill avenue, it's closed this morning and for the next 15 months. this project started last night

around schuylkill avenue. northbound and southbound around 30th street station, walnut, chestnut, market street, too, they have the closure in place. it's going to be there for so long, a lot of travelers headed toward the 30th street station, that will primarily affect cars getting to the schuylkill expressway onramp. watching that for you, of course. at least a heads up so you know to give yourself extra time before you head out the door. on the schuylkill expressway at 30th, we're closed in between the vine street expressway at the south street area. that project typically lasts until about 5:00 in the morning. another one in bell mawr. the -- bell mawr. the southbound ramp whichever way you're headed is closed this morning and will be closed for the next hour or so. we'll keep our eyes on that and updates in about ten minutes. 4:00 a.m. now decision 2017. today is