this is wjztv, wjzdt and wjz.com baltimore. >> from the city, to the county. to your neighborhood. now complete coverage on wjz13. maryland's news station. deadly entry a johns hopkins student fights back against an intruder. how it unfold and will the student face charges. hello, again i am don scott. >> i am mary bubala and here's what people are talking about right now. the state's attorney is

reviewing the unusual case and police questioned the hopkins student and his roommates. wjz is live on university parkway with mike hellgren where the events unfolded just hours ago. good afternoon, mike. >> reporter: good afternoon, mary and everybody. everything unfold after one this morning. police say the suspect has a long history of break-ins and there's police activity here at the scene. the sword actually severed the intrude are's hand. -- intruder's hand. wjz is on the scene of east iewn have i parkway after a frightening series of events. police say it started when man broke into a home rented by four johns hopkins university students and one of them took action. >> the student heard rumbling around and went down stairs to check it out and he was armed with a samurai sword to protect himself and found the suspect sitting in the garage crouched underneath a counter. >> reporter: police say the man lunged at the student so the student swung that samurai sward. >> -- sword. >> severe laceration to the

upper body severed the left hand and he died on the scene. >> reporter: police were on their way because the neighbor called to report suspicious activity. >> the suspect had a lengthy criminal history upwards of 29 arrest for burglary and was released on september 12th. >> reporter: wjz learned police questioned all four students and they are confirming to -- conferring whether the charges will be filed. university security responded along with baltimore city police. wjz contacted johns hop cns but the school refused comment saying it's not their matter. in baltimore, mike hellgren, wjz "eyewitness news." >> it's quite a story mike. thanks the student are all undergraduates. and that incident comes a day after robbery at someone eld's -- else's house end in violence. sally thorner is live with a officer-involved shooting in the city. >> reporter: police are learning more about the event pleading up to a gun fight between a would be robber and an off-duty cop. police believe a man randomly

approach the officer as he entered his home putting a gun to the officer's back. that's when police say a chase began and that chase ended with the suspect shot and wounded about two blocks away. police now say they found additional shell casings that doesn't belong to the officer's gun. mary, back to you. >> don. >> thanks very much. the wound man is in critical condition and the officer is on administrative leave. maryland prosecutors say a 2-year-old law meant to target gang members doesn't work. a hearing beginning next hour many are fighting to fix it and as derek valcourt reports they hope gang-related crimes are spark the changes. >> reporter: a shooting at the inner harbor gunfire at inner city backyard cookout a witness murdered before the testimony. crimes linked to gangs in the headlines. but rarely in court. a law meant to punish criminals for gang related crimes passed in 2007 but in court state prosecutors don't use it.

>> that statute is very difficult to use. >> reporter: city states attorney one of several prosecutors who want to amend the current gang law. she says the conviction of gang charge should carry consecutive sentences. >> plus the use of going after someone under this statute is the sentence is going to be concurrent. and enhanced penalty should be that. >> by making them consecutive and mandatory you are taking away judicial discretion and you won't look at the individual but treating everybody the same. >> reporter: public defender kelly caspers opposes the gang law and is concerned because prosecutors wanted amendment to define what makes someone a gang member. >> i think there's a danger in these type of laundry list. you're casting too wide of a net and will get people to fall under the law that shouldn't be under the law. >> we are talking about tattoos, we are talking about clothing, we are talking about a number of

other things, but we are not talking about targeting people because they dress a certain way because they have a certain ethnicity or live in a certain neighborhood. we are talking about criminal activity that is done in furtherance of a gang. >> reporter: on tuesday at 1:30 pat will be briefing a statewide coalition that is trying to draft new gang legislation. she says they hope to have a bill ready by november. at derek valcourt, "eyewitness news." >> and the u.s. attorney in maryland has hired three full-time prosecutors just to work on gang-related cases. and there's breaking news out of carroll county. a truck crashed into a home. skyeye chopper 13 and captain mike are over the scene. good afternoon captain mike. >> reporter: good afternoon everyone. we are on route 140 in finksburg cedar hurst road south of route 91 where a truck crashed into a home multiple times. initial indications from police sources are that an individual driving this red pickup truck

crashed into this home several times. it's not clear whether this is his home or not. but, there was apparently, a domestic argument between a male and female here causing this man to crash into this residents malt pel times. the operator of the truck was transported to shock trauma by medivac helicopter irand it's not clear if there were other injuries on the ground but quite a scene here as the road is closed east of 140. back to you. >> thanks very much, captain mike perry in skyeye chopper 13. new developments into the investigating of sheila dixon. when she ran for mayor in 2007, lipscomb paid nearly 9,000 dollar for survey about one of the people running against her. state delegate joel carter says she doesn't know anything about a political poll. phones for helen holden disclosed the information claiming she is being unfairly singled out. america is wake to see what

-- see what lawmakers make up after retooling the health care plan. joel brown reports the trick to the compromise is finding middle ground between the price tag and the benefits. >> reporter: the latest version of the health care reform bill is almost ready. a group of six moderate senators from both sides of the aisle have been working for months on a compromise. the lawmaker leading the group democratic senator says the deal will address the republicans biggest concerns. it will likely leave out the public option which is government funded insurance. that is necessary in order to win some gop support. but it's going to upset some democrats. like house speaker nancy pelosi. >> we will, again, improve quality, lower costs, and expand coverage and maintain choice. i believe that a public option is the best way to do that. >> reporter: the compromise is expected to expand coverage by requiring all americans to buy

health insurance by 2013. to help offset the cost, the plan would offer tax credits to lower middle income americans. critics call that unfair. they say even with the tax credit, the plan amounts to a tax increase on families already struggling to make ends meet. what republicans do like is the price tag on the compromise. 880 billion dollars over ten years which is a lot less than proposals from liberal democrats. res president obama largely stayed out of the deal making on capitol hill but is expected to keep the pressure on lawmakers when he talks to union members later today. and he will be on five talk shows sunday saying health care reform is essential to the nature's future. in washington, joel brown, wjz "eyewitness news." >> the health care debent has ensensed regular citizens and law makers alive. joe wilson will face a resolution for disapproval for shouting "you lie" at the president. president obama hit the

road in ohio today taking his economic plan along with him. the president is visiting gm plants to highlight the positive results that are beginning to appear in the ecomony. that particular plant makes the chevy cobalt and it's been shut down for six weeks. it will now reopen thanks to demand sparked by the cash for clunkers program. it is mid-september and almost the middle of the workweek so what's in store for us weather wise? take a live look outside right now. it's been nice all day and it's real warm right now. but there's rain to the south and west apparently. we are live with first warning weather coverage. marty bass in what must be a glorious outback. >> reporter: it's day when you have to get me time this afternoon. it's too beautiful not to get a breath of fresh air. >> mine is coming soon and meteorologist bernette woods is in the weather senter. >> yes. make sure to get outside and enjoy this because these days are starting to wind down. temperature wise starting out at a very comfortable 61 degrees. 50 in the mountains. 70 ocean city. we have been warming up nicely

with the sun out this. up to 80 here in baltimore. that's above the current average high which is 79 degrees. it's 84 in ocean city right now. still hanging onto 73 in oakland and now a lot of sunshine to go along with the temperatures. for more of what's happening over the next few days, though, here a marty in the outback. >> reporter: things. twient show you first warning doppler weather radar. we potentially will have a battle over territory over your neighborhood. we have moisture gathering to the south. we showed you this yesterday. we have got a frontal system dropping our way. we call them back door cold fronts. come at us right out of the north just around hudson and james bay. well, clearly, one is going to affect the other. question, right now, is, will the front get here early enough to delay a lot of that moisture from ever getting into our portion of the mid-atlantic. we will see rain but well, just how much? ologist bernette woods has details and internet question

coming up and now back inside. >> thanks. across the nation people lost their jobs and struggled for months to find new ones. but things have not been that bad here. a new report ranks the baltimore area 18th in the nation because of a relatively small drop in employment over the last few months. the metropolitan area has a better unemployment rate than 3/4 of the country. the experts attribute the success to our proximity to washington, d.c. which its federal jobs and funding for employment programs. that's great news and here's more. congratulations are in order for six maryland schools recognized as national blue ribbon schools. here's a look at winners southern high school, county western high, and seventh district. hammond and highland elementary and steven decater middle. they earned the blue ribbon onor for chosing the achievement gap and performing at high levels. >> congratulations too. and still to come at noon a. campus still reeling. yale university copes with the

slaying of a classmate. harry inheritance a birthday for the prince of wales and a look at his future. and take another live look outside this noon at federal hill. and stick around, your complete first warning weather forecast is still coming up. complete coverage continues with don scott, mary bubala and first warning weather with marty bass. and meteorologist bernette woods. it's wjz maryland's news station.

yale university is look for answer this is noon following the ungrad -- young graduate stewed antimurder. investigators are not saying much but the autopsy results are due this afternoon. the body of 24-year-old annie le was found hiden in basement wall of her lab building on what should have been her wedding day. so far authorities are saying no yale students are considered suspects. and the killing was not a random act. there is an outpouring of support this noon for the family of patrick swayze. he died from pancreatic cancer yesterday with his long time wife by his side weasms 57 years old. the actor bill a star for his performances in dirty dancing and ghost. his costart demi moore expressed sadness on twitter and larry king has planned a tribute to swayze on his show tonight. the world is wishing prince harry happy 25th birthday

and he stands to inherit millions from his mother. he is the most eligible bachelors and he and his brother were left equal shares of their more's estate following her death. both are entighteled to a royal income upon turning 25. harry doesn't have any wild parties planned but he will continue the pilot training with the royal air force. and still ahead on "eyewitness news" today at noon a. live look outside. stay tuned, bernette woods will be back with the first warning weather forecast. but first shall let's look at today's mid-day stocks. all three indexes are up this noon.

now, complete forecast and at first warning of severe weather. >> we are warmingu up nicely this afternoon. look around the area. we started out in the low 60s and 50s and we are into the upper 70s and 80s. coming in at 78 at bwi marshal. and you can see the humidity is low. but the dew point is relatively low and that's why it feels so comfortable outside. here's situation. winds are light and variable because high pressure is in control. that's going to change starting tomorrow because of two different storms out there. one is this front off to the north. that's going to bring in cooler air from the north. also you see a few clouds that will come our way for tomorrow. the same time there's all the rain off to the south. the front is going to draw some of that moisture northward. so tomorrow we are going to see more in the way of clouds and a chance for rain to break out. now most of the rain will stay off to the south. but with the front coming in and the moist if moisture coming up from the

south there's a chance in the green, for a bit of rain tomorrow and then again on thursday. but by thursday, even cooler air comes down from the front. so, temperatures are going to take a hit over the next few days. this is the slow moving storm system so the chance for rain does hang around into friday. but as of now, looks like things will transition out of here as we head into the weekend. so, for the forecast beautiful one out there. going up to 58 degrees. tonight we are dropping down to 63. clouds start to come in. and then by tomorrow, that is when we have a little chance of rain. you can see 73 degrees for the high. so it will be cooler. more clouds around also. and we hang in the 70s as we head through the end part of the week but the five-day is coming up in a moment. >> thanks. still to come, stay positive. it could help save your life. we will explain in "healthwatch." and wjz is always on here's stories we are following on the website. for constant updates of the day's news and the first warning weather forecast, go to wjz.com.

in tad "eyewitness news" flu watch, h1n1 flu may be contagious longer than experts thought. "healthwatch" reporter kellye lynn joins with us more. >> reporter: something we hadn't considered. an alarming news new studies show that many people with h1n1 may be able to spread the virus for a week or more after symptoms first appear. health officials have been telling people to avoid contact with other for a day after the

fever went awaych the new findings suggest that patients are no longer contagious when they stop coughing. also in "healthwatch" depression could affect a person's chances of surviving cancer a study finds death rates are nearly 40% higher for cancer patients diagnosed with major or minor depression. researchers note there's no clear link with how quickly the cancer actually progresses. >> okay. kellye thanks. plenty of reasons to check in at four-five and six. let's go back for a preview. sally hi. >> reporter: hi. digital cameras summer vacation is over. the best way to keep and share the memories you recorded on your digital camera. and drenching yourself with germs? surprising information about the part of your bathroom you may not clean well enough. join us for these stories and break news today at four after dr. phil. don and mary. >> thanks very much and how about never clean. >> i was just thinking ever. stay with us. the five-day forecast is coming up next. i'm walgreens ceo and i'm also a pharmacist.

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here's five-day forecast. >> take a look we have discussed this possibility of showers and then clearing skies and right now i got to tell you, weekend is look pretty darned good. pry and saturday temperatures in the mid-70s at that point we are a couple days away from the beginning of fall this year it begins on the 22nd of september. back inside. >> right around the corner. >> yeah how about that and tonight i on wjz a special trial time lineup a season finale for

big brother two hour evend follow by "eyewitness news" at 11. only here on wjz. >> that's the show thanks for watching, see