tonight, breaking news as we count down to the new year. deadly ambush. >> we have one deputy down inside the apartment. all of us have been hit at least once. >> five deputies shot seconds apart. at least one dead. the suspect firing more than 100 rounds. the neighborhood on lockdown. our team on the scene. times square on ice. more than 1 million people bracing for possibly one of the coldest new year eves on record. the potential danger for the crowds watching the ball drop. plus, extreme cold and wind chill alerts from texas to maine. ring of steel. times square surrounded by unprecedented security. snipers in position.

special police dogs on the street. new year's scare. the arsenal seized inside a hotel room. police recovering an assault rifle, shotgun and ammunition. what authorities have just revealed. also breaking tonight, the deadly plane crash. 12 people on board. the plane going down in a tourist area of costa rica. the u.s. state department now checking to see if americans were on board. and, true colors. the restaurant staff coming together, giving a co-worker a whole new look on life. and good evening. thanks for joining us on this new year's eve. i'm tom llamas. we begin with the breaking news, the deadly police ambush outside of denver. at least one

the row of officers saluting as he is carried away. clayton sandell leads us off. >> reporter: it began as a noise complaint that quickly became an ambush. >> shots fired! shots fired! shots fired! >> reporter: early this morning deputies arrived at this apartment complex in highlands ranch, colorado, a denver suburb, for a dispute between a man and his male roommate. at 5:55 a.m., the suspect, armed with a rifle, suddenly opens fire. >> i need s.w.a.t. right now. i need medical. >> reporter: four deputies and one police officer are shot. >> it was like an exchange of gunfire. and then return fire. >> reporter: all of the officers manage to retreat outside except for one. 29-year old zackari parrish. >> we have one deputy down inside the apartment. i'm not getting anything from him. all of us have been hit at least once. >> all of them were shot very, very quickly, and they all went

down almost within seconds of each other, so it was more of an ambush type of attack on our officers. >> reporter: over the next hour and a half, the suspect fires more than 100 times. >> we need to get our officer out of there! >> reporter: gunfire even heard over the radio. >> firing several rounds, firing inside again. >> reporter: at around 7:30 a.m., a team enters the apartment to rescue deputy parrish confronting the suspect in a final shootout. the gunman is killed. >> we are deeply saddened by the loss of zachary. when i sat with his wife and held her hand, i could see in her eyes her life is over. >> reporter: the other wounded officers are all now in stable condition. >> the other officers in stable condition. clayton, what have you learned about the sus

>> reporter: they have not released the suspect's name, but they say he was known to officers. hey have dealt with him in the past, but they say he did not have a criminal record. tom? >> clayton, thank you. now to major cities on high alert from coast to coast, as the country counts down to the new year. unprecedented security surrounding new york's times square. more than 1 million people expected. many have already been there for hours. police, snipers, and specially-trained dogs on the scene. the show of force follows the deadly terror attack here on halloween, and the shooting attack in las vegas. here's morris moore. >> reporter: with just hours to go keeping america's largest new year's eve party safe the focus tonight of an unprecedented security effort. heavily guarded, vapor wake dogs

sniffing for any scent of an explosive. and revelers bundled-up and shoulder to shoulder, forced into multiple checkpoints throughout the secure perimeter. >> we've seen police everywhere. >> reporter: we're hours before the ball drop, and already there's a long lines of people waiting to get into times square, the lines leading right to those checkpoints. trying to reduce the risk of explosives and weapons getting passed the 22-block perimeter, authorities banning large bags and backpacks. we meet new york city's counter terrorism chief james waters amidst the operation. >> this is the safest place in the world. >> reporter: fresh on his mind, the subway bombing earlier this month. october's deadly truck attack on a new york jogging path. and that las vegas rampage that killed at least 58 people, the gunmen firing from the 32nd floor of the mandalay bay hotel. police in new york have a plan in place for just that scenario, snipers in the buildings, and officers in the air, their eyes trained on the crowd and the buildings surrounding them. >> and marcus

inside times square. we see the barricades and crowds just behind you. a lot of the people have been waiting for hours inside that area? >> reporter: tom, that's right. some of the people behind me have been here since 9:00 a.m. this morning. you can see they're grouped in sections, and there are police officers keeping a very close eye tonight. >> marcus, thanks so much. next tonight, the life-threatening cold gripping much of the country. windchill alerts from texas to maine, and the massive crowd in times square bracing for sub-zero temperatures. here's erielle reshef. >> it's very cold. it's crazy. >> feels like it's below zero. >> reporter: among the nearly 1 million people packing into times square for the biggest party in t

connor and libby warren from georgia. >> i feel like i'm being stabbed in my feet. >> reporter: by the time the ball drops, it will be just 11 degrees, but feel like negative 4. the cold so dangerous, the new york city mayor urging people to stay indoors. this man, layering, hoping two shirts, a vest, a coat and gloves will keep him warm. the extreme cold cancelling some celebrations. the holiday deep freeze already responsible for at least five deaths. >> you can come in and get a hot meal. >> reporter: in chicago, volunteers trying to get everyone inside. >> this is very crucial for us to ensure that anyone that is out in the

get hypothermia. >> reporter: slick conditions in pennsylvania triggering this 15-car accident. and this tractor trailer split in half. the cab flipping off the overpass. the driver, lucky to be alive. the cold will get worse before it gets better. many of us seeing record lows overnight. tom? >> erielle, thank you. we heard it right there, it's going to get worse before it gets better. let's get right to amy friese in times square. it's going to feel like sub-zero temperatures for more than 100 million americans at midnight? >> reporter: yes, and the bitter wind making it blustery and bone-chilling. new york city, 11 degrees expected, with a windchill factor going below zero. this is not only a case of the

east coast, but a majority of the u.s., going very low as the ball drops. and another bitter blast coming our way. new york city will not be above freezing for the next week. >> and you are in the heart of times square. is there a danger for the crowds that have been waiting for more than nine hours in some cases to watch the ball drop? >> reporter: absolutely. you could have frostbite in less than 30 minutes. exposed skin is vulnerable. as well as hypothermia, it's a big risk. and a hotel guest arrested, an arsenal seized, and authorities revealing new details.

here's gloria riviera. >> reporter: tonight, police and s.w.a.t. teams in houston on alert after a scare inside a hotel hosting one of the cities biggest new years celebrations. >> officer urgent, it's gonna be 1200 louisiana at the hyatt regency number five. >> reporter: early this morning hotel security noticing 49-year-old russell ziemba in the lobby allegedly drunk, acting belligerent. police called for backup discovering several weapons in his hotel room including an ar-15. >> they arrested the suspect and found the suspect to have several guns inside of his room. >> reporter: the incident coming just hours before the hotel welcomes 2,000 guests to a massive new year's eve party. that party taking place in the lobby, where the atrium outside guest rooms provide a clear view of the crowd below. >> after las vegas, anything that has the hint of a potential mass shooting, particularly in a hotel, is going to be taken seriously. >> reporter: but ziemba, not presumed a threat in a tweet houston's police chief saying, "based on limited ammunition, interview and other

investigative findings, no unlawful intent found." >> reporter: ziemba is facing charges of assault of a police officer and criminal trespassing. some guests at the hotel are asking for a refund for that new years party and choosing to stay home. tom? >> gloria, thank you. now to the developing story, the deadly plane crash in costa rica. here's marci gonzalez. >> reporter: tonight in costa rica, 12 people presumed dead, including 10 foreigners, 5 of them, reportedly from the same family after a small plane crashed soon after take-off. >> it made a really hard left-hand turn and then nose-dived straight into the ground. >> reporter: dawn wolfe and her family vacationing from utah watching in horror.

>> reporter: her husband rushing towards the flaming wreckage. costa rican officials say the plane owned by nature air took off from punta isilita, heading for the capital san jose, when it crashed around 12:15 local time. from above you can see the scorched woods where it came down. the plane's colorful tail, some of the only recognizable debris. costa rica's former president laura chinchilla tweeting that her cousin, juan manuel retina, was the pilot. the state department now working to confirm whether there were any americans on board. telling abc news, "we express our condolences to all those affected by this tragedy." and tonight, investigators are still looking into the cause of the crash. tom? >> marci, thank you. now to president trump tonight, celebrating new year's at mar-a-lago. the president facing major challenges in 2018, from democrats in the elections to new reports about the russian investigation. and the former campaign advisor

started that investigation. here's david wright. >> reporter: today the president marked new year's with a tweet, including video highlights. "what a year it's been," he said. "and we're just getting started. together, we are making america great again." but 2018 brings new challenges for trump. not least, the midterm elections. >> we need a republican in the house. we need a republican in the senate. we need more of them. >> reporter: just today, he tweeted, "why would smart voters want to put democrats in congress in 2018 when their policies will kill the great wealth created in the months since the election?" >> we can't afford to have a liberal democrat who is completely controlled by nancy pelosi and chuck schumer. we can't do it. >> reporter: president trump hoping to make good on key campaign promises

does control both houses. including building that wall. >> we will 100% build that wall. >> reporter: this weekend the "new york times" has new details on what may have sparked the fbi to launch its investigation into russian meddling. the paper, reporting that campaign foreign policy adviser george papadopoulos told an australia's diplomat that russia had dirt on hillary clinton back in may of 2016 during a night of heavy drinking at this london wine bar. papadopoulos recently pled guilty to lying to the fbi and is cooperating with the special counsel. even with all those challenges ahead, the president is approaching the new year with characteristic bluster. as he gets set to ring in the new year at mar-a-lago tonight, he's tweeting out well wishes,

to friends, supporters, enemies, and haters. >> david, thank you. now to new year's celebrations around the world. sydney, australia, with a spectacular fireworks display. the mayor estimated it was seen by more than 1 billion people across the globe. hong kong, with a ten-minute fireworks show filling the sky. and d and dubai, with this light show. and still ahead, murder on the las vegas strip. what police found. new year, new laws. the state changing the rules in a big way when it comes to marijuana, divorce, and maternity leave. and the fur flying inside a home. did you see that? police face-to-face with a squirrely intruder. stay with us.

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back now with the new state laws coming into effect. bringing legal marijuana to a couple of states. here's ron claiborne. >> reporter: some californians will be flying high legally come monday morning when the golden state becomes one of three new states to legalize recreational marijuana. some weed shops got pre-approved so they'll be able to open their doors at 6 a.m. marijuana use will also officially become legal in massachusetts and maine but won't be sold in retail stores for months. other new laws that will be rung in with the new year, new york state will allow workers to take eight weeks' paid leave to care for a newborn baby, sick family member, or for a family member deploying to the military. in vermont, an employer will no longer be able to demand that

employees provide their social media content, while in california, an employer can no longer ask an applicant, "how much money were you being paid before?" and in colorado, young people caught sexting will face punishment ranging from stern lectures to being charged to with a misdemeanor. and in illinois, pets will be treated more like children than property in divorce cases. so couples who split could end up sharing custody of their pet. tom? >> ron, thanks so much. when we come back, a failure to communicate for a popular form of social media. and cashing in on a big mistake. thousands of people with winning lottery tickets. why is one state saying, not so fast? ♪ you don't like my lasagna? no, it's good. -hmm. -oh. huh. [ both laugh ]

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decatur casino. the suspect, escaping to a nearby home. police say he shot himself in the head, but survived. a lottery glitch may cost south carolina nearly $20 million. the christmas day computer error still baffling officials. more than 39,000 winning tickets printed in the add-a-play game. each worth $500. the state setting aside $19.6 million to pay potential winners. a decision on the error may come by the end of january. a major social media malfunction this new year's eve. millions angry with whatsapp. the world's number two messaging app, used by more than a billion people, suffering a mass outage. most of it in northern europe. today's service issue solved. no word on a cause. and caught on camera, a flying furry crook drives a family nuts. a squirrel that loves sweets causing chaos in western new york. police called in as the rodent nibbled on cookies in a kitchen,

before racing out a door. listen to how the officers reacted. [ laughter ] >> you can hear them laughing there. officers nabbed the bushy-tailed bandit, setting it free far away. when we come back, the man seeing the world in a new light. how his co-workers provided a view of life he's never had before. this is an incredible story. stick around for it.

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and she was like, well, the whole store was your secret santa, basically. >> reporter: that's waiter cole williams. he's color blind. he loves his job and his co-workers, so even before he opened his secret santa present, he was emotional. the restaurant rigging the tradition so this year all of the staff could chip in for cole's gift -- special glasses that will let him see color for the first time. seeing a whole new world would make anyone cry. >> oh, baby. that's awesome. >> all these stalls. the menu boards. this is my favorite christmas present ever. and i got a car last year. i was very shocked and i was very overwhelmed by all the joy and love i had from all my co-workers. i don't think i have a favorite color anymore because i finally realized how pretty they all were. >> reporter: a simple holiday

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>> doing the job well. us.life was taken from >> tonight the search for answers after a colorado deputy was killed on the job. six others also hurt. what may have triggered the gunman. plus a warning from firefighters keep you safe and your home free from flames. year for the red cross. we're breaking down the surprising statistics tonight. now, a life look from count down tos we 2018. >>