leak sends engineer to a secure room saturday night. he intended to turn off the alarm. instead he cut off the 911 system. >> that kind of thing happens when you have new folks in there. tokes who aren't paying attention. stephen: linda bruce is among the callers who could not get through. >> i called from 11:50 to 2:20. i called at least 20 times. stephen: the engineer is a contractor and he is now banned from working in any district government buildings. tonight management is trying to reassure the public. >> we are looking to ways we make sure it doesn't happen again. >> a few weeks ago montgomery county 911 system crashed and this led to complaints of lost lives since those who called could not get an ambulance. so far, apparently no such complaints after d.c.'s 911 failure. >> we would love to hear from a resident if there was a service that wasn't provided. stephen: linda bruce's situatio

health threat but she fears lives could have been lost because of a blunder. >> a lot of people could have died not being able to get through to 911. stephen: bruce is also troubled by the fact she struggled with the city's website to find ininstruction on what to do when 911 fails. reporting live, stephen tschida, abc7 news. maureen: thank you, stephen. police in anne arundel county are wondering now if a serial killer could be in the county jail. christopher scheibe charged with killing holly smith this past may. her body was found near the annapolis mall. scheibe is also charged with the 2012 killing of jessica lee. her body was found behind a shopping center in pasadena. lee's grand mother says scheibe's confession to both crimes provide little comfort. >> i hope he burns in h

so he can't hurt anybody else. maureen: investigators are not ruled out that slibe slibe killed or other -- scheibe killed or hurt other people. classes started this week at the virginia commonwealth university. there have been three alleged sex assaults already. the most recent was reported happening last thursday. it happened at residence near the school and all three victims met the suspect. leon: today was back to school day for a number of local counties including prince william, loudoun, charles and montgomery county schools. for the students and the drivers, they will notice something different on the school buses this year. reporter kevin lewis has details. kevin: be on the lookout for the

if the flashing hit your brakes. if you don't newly installed cameras will snap a photo of your license plate. each ticket costs $125. >> they have to stop that. kevin: mcps superintendent jack smith says by next week 100 buses in the complete will be outfitted with the high-def color cameras and it will grow to 1,200 buses by 2019. >> they don't pay attention. they don't stop. kevin: this bus driver is a fan of the program. ignorant drivers hit more than a dozen students last year alone. >> with all my life on time. the guy passed next to me with the lights. >> to avoid ticket and to keep children safe stop when the flashing sign is outright. the only exception if you are driving on the opposite side of the road, with a

>> if you a way to get people in the hectic world where people are in a hurry to slow down and pay attention to the big yellow school buses. kevin: mcps isn't reinventing the wheel here. school systems in atlanta, austin, salt lake city areas have similar programs in place. i'm kevin lewis, abc7 news. leon: we want to thank everyone for the back-to-school pictures you have been sending us. we have gotten photos of hundreds of smiling students. folks, we not done yet. keep pictures coming. go to burst.com/wjla. then go to the back to school bubble there to upload your picture. you may see it on the air or on the wjla.com page. maureen: a helicopter from joint base andrews had to make unscheduled landing this morning at gwynn park middle school in brandywine. right on the ball field. skytrack 7 over the scene after the helicopter landed without issues. we are told

warning forced the pilot to set down at the school. 12:30, maintenance crews cleared the helicopter. it went back to joint base andrews. probably lots of happy children. leon: i bet they love that. maureen: special visit. new rules go into effect today for the drone users. commercial drones may not fly above 400 feet or at night. the new f.a.a. regulations say operators no longer need a pilot's license. drone pilots must pass an aeronautical exam. this morning more than 3300 people signed up to take the first exam. leon: investigation is underway at the second busiest airport in the nation after a big scare. reports of gunshots at l.a.x. led to several terminals being evacuate and incoming flights halted. 281 flights were affected. however the reports turned out to be false. get this. strange twist here. a man in a zorro costume was detained.

connected to the incident. coming up ahead here, is virginia still a swing state? the move donald trump made that proves it still is. maureen: and where you will soon be able to access wi-fi on the metro. plus how safetrack will impact a huge d.c. event this fall. doug: hot and humid today and tomorrow but there is relief in sight. i have timing of that and update on the tropical weather, too. still to come on "abc7 news at 6:00".

maureen: a lot of interest for the smithsonian new african-american history museum. it's called the smithsonian's national museum of african-american history and culture. free passes were snatched up in minutes over the past weekend. right now all weekend slots filled through the end of october but there are passes available for weekdays in october. the passes for november and december will be available next month. the museum opens september 24. leon: free wi-fi services available at six stations as part of a 5-day pilot program. metro center, gallery place, judiciary square, union ta

plaza. they hope to eventually have wi-fi at all 91 stations. metro safetrack is impacting the marine corps marathon. wednesday marathon officials will announce transportation plan for the runners and the supporters to get around since metro won't be accessible because of safetrack. maureen: actor gene wilder has died. his family says the comedy legend died from complications of alzheimer's disease. best known for "amazing saddles;" "young frankstein" and "willy wonka and the chocolate factory." he appeared last on screen in 2003. his colleague mel brooks tweeted he blessed e

we did with his magic and he blessed me with his friendship. wilder was 83 years old. leon: coming up ahead -- a car is not supposed to go vertical like this. we'll tell you what causes this predicament. maureen: the heat and the humidity will come to an end soon. doug is back with when cooler temperatures arrive. erin: i'm erin hawksworth with sports. redskins sign a former division rival to the rosters and the players respond to the colin kaepernick controversy. what they say when we continue.

ville. an unspoken invitation to discover who you really are. here, the world is a big, beautiful place filled with adventure. take it in. come up for air. asheville. discovery, inside and out. maureen: some residents got a scare this morning after waking up to a car in a sink hole. no one was hurt in the car. leon: while hillary clinton plans to spend much of the

the hatchtons her opponent trump trump ruling out the biggest ad buy yet. reporter: so far donald trump only spent $5 million on radio and tv advertising. outspent by hillary clinton with $77 million in ad buys. recent polling gives her double-digit lea in the commonwealth. and with obama wins here should virginia be considered a swing state? political science professor says yes. he expects a competitive gubernatorial race. but this election cycle a unique politician with a unique problem. struggling with suburban voters. >> the channel

win over the vote -- the challenge for trump is win over those voters who supported romney but might not be enthusiastic about trump. >> others dispute the polls suggest that voters secretly support him. >> i don't know if you can believe all polls. people come up to me constantly excited to tell me they are voting for donald trump. >> the clinton campaign is feeling good about the infrastructure across the commonwealth with 30 field offices and ups of events each week. >> a long way out yet. if this is a close election, her pick of tim kaine could be important. in the newsroom, mike carter-conneen, abc7

leon: former congressman anthony weinered a his wife separated in the wake of another sexting scandal. weiner is married to about abedin one of hillary's top aides. they announced a separation following new allegation that weiner sent lewd messages to a woman online. one of the photos reportedly included the couple's son asleep next to weiner. weiner re-signed from congress in 201 1 after sending suggestive photos to several women. maureen: nearly $3 million are at stake after the winner of ocean city's white marlin open may have been caught in a to tale. leon: he claimed to haul in the only qualified wide marlin. but they issued polygraph exams to the contestants and they determined he may not be telling the truth. his entire boating crew failed the polygraph test. e

contest are taking him to court to split his $2.8 million in winnings. maureen: that is not a good way to keep friendships alive. >> how about that. that is funny. maureen: we have had a beautiful day and a nice weekend. more to come. doug: yesterday was better. now we have heat and the humidity but it will break on wednesday. pleasant and it may last through the labor day weekend. leon: from your lips to god's ears. bring it on. doug: gorgeous evening. warm and humidity but not oppressive so. we get through the evening we will call it muggy. again today high number. 94 degree at reagan national. nine degrees above average. the morning low well above 72. current temperatures of 6:00. still 91 at reagan national and fredericksburg. 90's all over the place. frederick, manassas, culpeper, luray. all over.

but the temperatures will cool through the 80's and drop in 70s in the metro tonight. outdoor dining weather, might be tasty for you but i think it's fine. it will start to cool off. the winds are light. not much of a breeze. overnight we will be mostly clear. temperatures 64 to 72 by early tuesday morning. update on the tropics. we have just behind me over the shoulder, this is gaston. a hurricane. out of picture headed to the east toward the azores. but some swells will propagate westward toward the east coast. this mess you see cloudiness, showers and the storms we have a tropical depression in here southwest of the north carolina coyote. the other northwest of cuba and southwest of key west that could become a tropical storm, too. the first system prompted the issuance of tropical storm warnings along part of the outer banks. coast of north carolina from

brush the coast. maybe winds up to 45 miles per hour through tomorrow and through wednesday. but the second one has more potential it's not doing much now but it has 30-mile-per-hour winds but it could get throws to 60 to 65-mile-per-hour winds by thursday afternoon. that will too will go off thest co. it will be the possibility of rough surf of and the riptides through late thursday, friday, saturday and sunday. we have eyes o its, the stormwatch7 weather team. the local forecast lacks good. muggy. the last two days of august will be hot. 90 tomorrow. isolated storm west of town. better chance of storms wednesday with a cold front. thursday is less humid and 86. we get to thursday and friday and saturday, sunday. delightful. we see it now lower to mid-80's. touch of a warmup. but right now we keep it dry for the forecast for

labor day. back to you. leon: all right. maureen: thanks, doug. leon: get the latest word on the redskins roster moves. erin: they have to make cuts by tomorrow afternoon. they did add a veteran to bolster their defense. plus, what a day for college park francis. match at the u.s. open he will never forget. leon: coming up tonight on newschannel8 at 10:00, a mother speaks out after her son was shot in mcdonald's in the verizon center. her emotional story and the latest on the investigation tonight channel channel at -- newschannel8 at

luann bennett. after losing her husband to cancer, she raised three boys here in northern virginia and grew the family business. a single working mom who helped create over 1,000 local jobs,

bringing people together to solve problems. i'm luann bennett. in business, you bring everyone to the table and work to get results. congress just doesn't get that-- there's too much partisanship. i approve this message because washington needs more common-sense problem solvers.

erin: it's a short week for the redskins with the final preseason game thursday in tampa. the players got back to work in ashburn today without center brian stork who will not join the team after a failed physical. but there was a new addition at practice. defensive lineman cullen jenkins. you can see him on the field wearing 68. the skins signed the 35-year-old who is familiar with the n.f.c. east after he spent three seasons with the giants. >> for me it's about continuing to challenge myself. push myself. i love the game of football. i love to play. as long as i push myself and i keep trying to i

confident. erin: 49ers quarterback colin kaepernick continues to be top news. today his former head coach who is now at michigan jim harbough tweeted an apology for saying he doesn't respect the motivation behind kaepernick's action to sit down in the national anthem this preseason. earlier today we asked the redskins in ashburn what they think about kaepernick's decision. >> i just feel like if he is going to do that, be legit activist. from here on now you got to be all about it. erin: that is a good point. if you want to hear more of the redskins and what think think of dicaprio's decision go -- think of kaepernick's decision go to wjla.com/sports. this is fun. college park francis had isner on the ropes. look at this. fifth set. he has a passing shot. takes 5-3 lead in the fifth.

momentum on his side but isner battled back and won the tie-break when his return went long. heart-breaker for the 18-year-old after winning the first two sets. so close before losing in a five-set thriller. well done, though. tanner rourke makes the start for the nationals tonight as they begin a three-game set against the n.l. east rivals in philadelphia at 7:05. leon: francis is just getting started. we will have fun to watch him for years. he is the youngest guy there, too. awesome. maureen: looks like you did when you were that age. leon: i wish! in your dreams. doug: hot and humid in the next couple days. steve rudin has an update on that and update on the tropics. that's at 11:00. maureen: "world news tonight" with david muir is coming up next. leon: have a good one.

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breaking news tonight. we're learning of the death of gene wilder. the passing of a comic legend. tonight, hollywood's biggest names celebrating his life as we learn new details about his final moments. also, the race for 2016. hillary clinton's top aide, huma abedin, separating fro her husband, congressman anthony weiner, after his new sexting scandal. why donald trump calls this a risk to national security. shooting scare. the false report that had thousands of passengers ducking for cover at lax. running from the terminals and onto the tarmac. what really started the panic. tropical threats closing in. the dangerous weather we're tracking. plus, the system building steam as it moves into the gulf. and grounded. two