tonight, the attempted terror attack here in new york city. the subway bomb explosion that detonated right dur sh rush hour, caught on surveillance. the bomb going off early than planned. abc news now learning officials say the suspect had been wearing it the whole time. as he changed trains. tonight, he's alive. how he built the bomb using christmas lights. president trump's accusers speak out. pressing congress to act. accused by at least 16 women, tonight some of them before the cameras. saying that as the country holds men accountable for sexual misconduct, they say the president should not be immune. tonight, how the white house responds. less than 24 hours now until voters go to the

alabama senate race. roy moore tonight sitting down for an interview with a 12-year-old girl. the other republican senator from alabama saying he did not vote for moore. the major winter storm moving in from wisconsin, all the way to maine tonight. the wildfires in california. and the fire lines tonight they've been digging to stop those fires. the flames now jumping right over them. good evening. and it's great to have you with us here on a very busy monday night. and we begin with that terror attack here in new york city, striking a times square subway tunnel at the height of the commute. the governor calling it, quote, one of our worst nightmares. video capturing the moment the attack attacker's bomb went off before it was supposed to. a massive police and fire response shutting down times square. police say the suspect is an immigrant from bangladesh. he survived this, and tonight, what he's now

as we as learn authorities say he was wearing the bombing the entire time, from the moment he boarded the train in brooklyn, during his trim to times square. abc's gio benitez leading us off. >> reporter: tonight, this is the moment authorities are calling about act of terror. surveillance camera footage capturing a man detonating a homemade pipe bomb strapped to his body. here from another angle, the suspect circled. surrounded by unsuspecting commuters. then suddenly, an explosion. a cloud of smoke. the crowd disperses. injuring five and looefg the suspect on the ground, still alive, and so was everyone around him. the bomb only partially detonated. >> this was an attempted terrorist attack. thank god the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals. >> reporter: the attack striking the heart of new york city in the middle of this morning's rush hour. a law enforcement source tells abc news the suspect had been on the train for some time, the bomb strap

time. >> evacuating at this time. >> reporter: police responding to a reported explosion at around 7:20 this morning near times square. in a jam-packed, underground tunnel beneath new york's port authority bus terminal. officials say these four police officers approached the suspect, still on the ground. identifying the man as 27-year-old akayed ullah, originally from bangladesh. he moved to america seven years ago on a family visa and has a green card. suffering injuries to his arms and torso, he was taken to the ld them he was inspired by he isis propaganda, and built the makeshift bomb in his brooklyn apartment using instructions he found on the internet. he's believed to have acted alone. >> the device was based on a pipe bomb. it was affixed to his person with a combination of velcro and zip ties. >> reporter: according to a law enforcement source, the bomb was built from a pipe about 12 inches in length with black powder and rigged with a

that came from a christmas light. because it was strapped with zip ties and velcro, the assumption is he was prepared to die. in the immediate aftermath, commuters quickly evacuated. >> the police were all behind them yelling, "everybody out of the building, everybody out of the building!" >> reporter: christina bethea was in that tunnel, saw the explosion and safely ran from it. what's going through your mind right now as you see all of this going on? this is where you work? >> if i don't believe in no god, i believe in god today. that's the only thing i could say. >> reporter: the nypd, outfitted with assault rifles, locking down the scene, checking for other possible devices. the normally packed subway platforms, today, empty. and we are underground right now in the subway station and you can see right there, it is all boarded up, because beyond that point, that is where the pipe bomb detonated. bomb-sniffing dogs brought in. choppers roared overhead. while in brooklyn, the fbi searching three different homes in the area thought to be connected to the suspect. his family inside. neighbors stunned.

we're all friends. we all go to the same church. i mean -- i'm shocked. >> and gio benitez with us live tonight outside the scene of the blast in the heart of new york. and gio, just moments ago, we heard from the suspect's family? >> reporter: that's right, david. we just got this through a spokesperson, the family says this. "we are heart broken by the violence and allegations," and they add, "we have confidence that the justice system will find the trust behind this attack." david? >> gio benitez leading us off. gio, thank you. this comes as millions visit new york city for the christmas season, and why the suspect targeted times square. tonight, authorities have taken note of what was recently said in isis propaganda. and the question tonight, how do you keep areas like times square and the subway safe? here's abc's linsey davis. >> reporter: tonight, security across new york ramped up in the wake of today's attack. the city is already on heightened alert heading into the holidays. law enforcement sources tell abc news ullah did not say

square but indicated to authorities he had consumed isis and al qaeda propaganda, which mentioned times skwarp as a possible venue for attack. isis releasing this chilling image just a few weeks ago. a picture of santa standing next to a box of dynamite in times square, and a threat. "we meet at christmas in new york soon." the police commissioner recently told david this is their new reality. >> are you fearful of more isis-inspired attacks here in your city? >> this is part of our job. you know, it used to be it was about traditional crime. now, it's about fighting terrorism. this is what we do every day. >> reporter: just weeks ago, eight people died in this truck attack in lower manhattan when the driver plowed down a bike path. and late last year, more than two dozen were injured in the city's chelsea neighborhood after a pressure cooker packed with shrapnel detonated. >> linzsey davis with us live tonight. she's in the heart of times square. we can see the police presence there behind you. late word today about that suspect is now saying to au

>> reporter: yes, david. authorities say that he told them he did it for isis. they say that he also mentioned the plight of muslims over the years and historical grievances. but they say he did not mention the current controversy involving jerusalem. david? >> all right, linsey, thank you. we've learned this could have been far worse, obviously, as we reported, the suspect claims to have worked by himself. let's get right to our senior justice correspondent pierre thomas tonight. he's live at the fbi. and pierre, tonight, you're learning that sources say the suspect wanted to inflict significant harm, but was unable to, because this device went off early? >> reporter: david, according to a law enforcement source, the bomb did not function as intended. there were names and other parts stuffed into the pipe and it had the ability to cause more injuries than it did. the pipe did not fully shatter. a six-inch piece was discovered fully intact. the source was blunt, saying, this could have been worse, david. >> all right, pierre thomas with us live. pierre, thank you. there is other news we're

and amid the national conversation about sexual misconduct, president trump's accusers are now demanding that congress act, arguing that the president should not be immune. the is the has denied the allegations, and tonight, how the white house is now responding. here's abc's senior white house correspondent cecilia vega. >> reporter: they say no one cared the first time. so today, three women accusing president trump of sexual misconduct went public once again, hoping, this time, congress will investigate. rachel crooks was a trump tower receptionist when she says, 12 years ago, she introduced herself to the billionaire businessman and he began kissing her. >> mr. trump repeatedly kissed my cheeks, and ultimately my lips in an encounter that has since impacted my life well beyond the initial occurrence >> reporter: jessica leeds says she was on a first class flight to new york back in the 1980s when he groped her. >> when he started to put his hand up my skirt, and that was the last time i wore a skirt traveling. >> r

says donald trump inappropriately inspected miss usa contestants before a 2006 pageant. >> these dreams never included a man coming into the backstage hair and makeup area while i sat naked under a robe as he walked around, looking at us like we were his property. >> reporter: and she points to his own words to howard stern. >> i tell you the funniest is that i'll go backstage before a show and everyone's getting dressed and ready and everything else and, you know, no men are anywhere, and i'm allowed to go in, because i'm the owner of the pageant, and therefore, i'm inspecting it. is everybody okay? and you see these incredible looking women and so i sort of get away with things like that. >> so, i'm simply confirming that, yes, he did that, and it was as creepy as it sounds. >> reporter: at least 16 accusers in all. this as one of the highest ranking women in president trump's cabinet broke ranks with the party line when she was asked this question. >> how do you think people should assess the accusers of the president? >> well, i mean, you know,

anyone should be heard. they should be heard and they should be dealt with. and i think we heard from them prior to the election and i think any woman who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way, they have every right to speak up. >> reporter: the white house today back on the defensive. can you stand here right now and say without a doubt, 100% certainty, that the more than dozen women who have come forward to accuse this president of misconduct are lying? do you wrestle with this personally at all? >> i'm here to speak on behalf of the president and i can say that the president has directly responded and said that these allegations are false. >> reporter: while on capitol hill, five democratic senators now calling for president trump to resign. >> president trump should resign. these allegations are credible. they are numerous. >> cecilia vega with us live at the white house. and cecilia, today, the white house calling these accusations from the women false claims, disputed by eyewitnesses. you

are those accounts, and would the white house provide them, what have you heard tonight? >> reporter: well, david, they directed me to two tabloid stories from last year. one quotes a man who says he was on that flight decades ago with the president and jessica leads. he disputes her account that the president groped her. the second alleged eyewitness, david, a teen beauty contestant who was not at the contest in question. >> cecilia vega at the white house. thank you, cecilia. we move on now, to alabama's high stakes senate election, just hours away now. republican roy moore facing allegations of sexual misconduct with minors. and now, sitting down for an interview with a 12-year-old girl. moore's candidacy dividing his own party. the other senator from alabama saying he cannot vote for moore. abc's chief national correspondent tom llamas, in alabama again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, alabama senate candidate roy moore, who is accused of molesting teenage girls, popped up in a new interview. the republic

has avoided questions from reporters covering his campaign sat down with a 12-year-old girl. >> are you going to support president trump in helping build a wall? >> yes. i think we need something and i think it could be stopped sooner than that with the military. >> reporter: moore took the last five days off from the campaign trail. >> thank you being here. if you can find roy moore, let me know. >> reporter: the democrat in this race, doug jones, crisscrossing the state, making sure voters don't forget the sexual misconduct allegations against moore. >> is alabama going to stand with our daughters and our granddaughters that we will live them, we will respect them? >> reporter: moore has denied the allegations, but recently, senators abandoning him. >> i wouldn't vote for roy moore. i think the republican party can do better. >> reporter: but the party's leader, president trump, is firmly behind him. recording a robo-call for moore. >> roy moore is the guy we need to pass our make america great again agenda. >> reporter: and tonight, the president's former chief strategist, steve

third time to make sure those trump supporters vote for moore tomorrow. >> we know these allegations are lies to stop him from going to washington, because they are scared to death of him in the swamp. >> all right, tom llamas with us tonight from the moore campaign event in midland city, alabama. you learned now that former secretary of state and alabama native condoleezza rice is weighing in on the eve of this election? >> reporter: that's right, david. she's also a republican. she doesn't mention moore by name, but she sent a statement to the alabama news site al.com, where she specifically asked voters to not support moore. she writes, "these critical times require us to come together to reject bigotry, sexism and intolerance." david? >> tom, thank you, again tonight. next this evening, the major winter storm, winter weather alerts in more than a dozen states at this hour, from michigan all the way east to maine. snoelt already in lansing, michigan, moving into the northeast overnight. rob marciano is tracking this system as it moves eastward. hey, rob. >> reporter: hey, david.

season for the eastern half of the country and got some snow, too. the low itself, check it out, right over chicago. you might get an inch. that's about it. detroit, a couple of inches as this tracks along the canadian border. five to ten inches of snow, northern new york, northern new england. lake effect snow streamers behind that. here comes the cold. afternoon wind chill, 10 degrees in chicago. 7 degrees in pittsburgh. by wednesday afternoon, it's only going to feel as warm as the teens from d.c. to boston. dangerous cold. david? >> all right, we're ready. thanks, rob. i think. and to the wildfires in the west tonight. still growing, despite calmer winds, and the thomas fire in particular, it's not the fifth largest in california history. and the new concern tonight, we told you that firefighters have been digging those fire lines to halt the flames. but now the fires are jumping right over them. abc's senior national correspondent matt gutman again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the thomas fire marching closer to communities after exploding in size. >> helicoprs

spread. >> reporter: the fire, unpredictable and relentless, jumping fire lines meant to contain it. now scorching more than 350 square miles in seven days. prompting new evacuations overnight. and that's where we found the claffey family today, cars packed. little mazie is the fifth generation of her family of farmers to live here. what are you afraid of? >> the fire. >> reporter: yeah? like tens of thousands, they face the twin dangers of fire and smoke. >> none of us should be breathing it. >> reporter: the cash coash comn like snow. an addition 2,000 firefighters brought out here to battle the thomas fire, creating this massive city of firefighters, hundreds and hundreds of fire engines. the fire threatening 18,000 structu structures, more than 1,000 animals at this shelter. >> everywhere, where we can fit animals, we've done it. and hopefully everybody

home soon. >> reporter: david, this area hasn't seen significant rainfall in over 250 days. making all of that shrub you see behind me like kindling, and this fire, explosive. david? >> all right, matt gutman on the fires again tonight. and we'll stay on it. there is still much more ahead on "world news tonight" this monday. the celebrity chef now facing allegations of sexual misconduct. stepping aside tonight. also this evening, word of a fourth shooting on an american highway. the manhunt and the description now of the vehicle. the tense standoff in houston. schools put on lockdown. and the interstellar mystery tonight. astronomers tracking this new discovery. could it be proof of alien technology? a lot more news ahead.

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>> can you call police? i just got shot in the leg. >> reporter: the first of four people targeted. seen here stumbling into a detroit gas station just before 3:00 a.m. thursday. >> i thought it was a rock. i'm on 94, i heard a big bang. >> reporter: minutes later a bullet tears though this man's truck. >> it went through the car. a bullet was actually stuck on the bottom of my seat. i think it was probably about five, six cars down, i saw a gun flashing down the window. >> reporter: three of the drivers recall seeing a silver sedan pull up alongside them. >> we doubled our patrols on the freeway system. we actually have some undercover officers working out there. >> reporter: and david, only one of the drivers was hurt in what police say could have been a game or a stunt, like target practice. and that the suspect's had to be moving at very high speeds in order to do so much damage in minutes. david? >> adrienne, thank you. when we come back tonight, news this evening about that celebrity chef accused of sexual misconduct. police showdown with a possible armed suspect. schools put on lockdown for a time in houston. we'll be right back. be right back.

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officers surrounding a home. nearby schools on lockdown for a time. the suspect accused of threatening a construction crew with a rifle. the man crawling across the lawn as he surrendered 90 minutes later. tonight, mario batali is accused of sexual misconduct. a restaurant website reporting four women coming forward with allegations against the celebrity chef spanning a 0-year period. the women including a chef and three former employees claiming batali touched them inappropriately. he is stepping aside from his restaurants and abc asking him to take a leave from "the chew" while it reviews the claims. in a statement, batali saying, quote, i apologize to the people i have mistreated and hurt. and the mystery in space tonight. for the first time, astronomers tracking an interstellar asteroid. it may be up to 600 feet long. astronomers want to know if it is proof of alien technology. they plan to scan for radio waves this week. it was first detected by astronomers in hawaii. stay tuned. when we come back, never

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gene therapy may one day prove to be the cure. but doctors need a million dollars to take it to the next phase. per classmates wanted to help her family's foundation in their fight. selling those jars filled with cookie dough. >> i've been friends with talia for so long. every second of it has been a joy. >> reporter: the children have raised more than $55,000, but they're not done. >> we had to do something, something much bigger than selling cookie jars. >> reporter: the entire sixth grade, 160 students, 17 teachers, coming together to make this video that they hope will go viral and raise money. >> if everyone gives a little, then talia and others like her will benefit a lot. >> reporter: performing for donations, back sales, sports teams in the fight. and talia's mother is grateful. >> it has just been -- it's just been pretty amazing. >> if you want to help, go to our facebook page.

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