rosalie. tonight after three days of mother nature's fury, the forecast is finally for calm. tonight here in the smokeys, as many as eight people are still unaccounted for. family members wondering if they'll ever find their loved ones. especially if they ran into the woods in a panic. lester? >> kerry sanders, thank you. let's turn now to the hostage drama that played out for hours this morning in florida. a gunman, holding nearly a dozen people inside a bank, q s.w.a.t. team, as well as worried family members. nbc's jacob rascon has details on a harrowing day. >> looks like they got them out of the bank. >> reporter: they were hostages. now survivors. >> it was scary. i thought it was a dream, but it was so real. it was real. >> reporter: it was around 9:00 at the community first credit union, when the alleged gunman, 23-year-old nicholas da'quan humphrey walked into the bank with a dog and a handgun and demanded

meant business. >> reporter: initial reports indicated someone had been shot. >> all units responding to district 24. gunshot wounds. >> reporter: that turned out not to be true. but humphrey negotiators he would start shooting if his demands were not met. >> reporter: la tar sha's son, deandre, one of the bank tellers inside. >> i haven't heard anything from him. >> reporter: after about an hour and a half, negotiators convinced the gu minutes later, two other people, hiding inside the bank, unknown to the gunman, made a daring escape. >> tapt, the s.w.a.t. team went in. >> reporter: they used a battering ram, putting themselves between the suspect and the hostages. surrounded, humphrey surrendered. family overjoyed, as the hostages were freed at last. >> so she's okay? >> she okay.

reversal of fortune, the hostage-taker, now a prisoner. jacob rascon, nbc news. there's a developing story we're following tonight from new orleans. former nfl player joe mcknight has been killed in a shooting incident with another driver, a possible victim of road rage. the suspect was arrested at the scene. mcknight played for usc in college, and then the new york jets in the pros. he most recently played in the canadian football league. now medical emergency involving an american hero. buzz aldrin, who landed on the moon with neil armstrong in 1969, had just arrived at the south pole as part of a private tour group. but once there, his condition quickly deteriorated, triggering a high-risk rescue mission. here's nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: in a hospital bed in new zealand tonight, a smiling 86-year-old buzz aldrin after a rescue from the bottom of the world. just tuesday he

as he joined a luxurious adventure tour. but once there, at 9,000 feet, nearly double the altitude of denver, his condition territoried. a c-130 on skis, like this one, landed to medevac him to a research station, then on to new zealand, where he's described tonight as stable with fluid in his lungs, but responding well to antibiotics. er doctor john torres has flown two rescue missions to the north pole himself. >> it looks like edema, a buil o that happened at high altitude. if that happens, you have to get them down to sea level and on oxygen quickly. >> reporter: in 1969, buzz aldrin landed on the moon in apolo 11, following neil armstrong down the ladder to the lunar surface. >> we were given a fantastic opportunity to do what other people have just not had come along in

decades, aldrin has pushed for more manned missions. >> to infinity and beyond! >> reporter: the animated character in toy story created in his honor. >> he's pretty ir repressible. he's a force. >> reporter: tonight, nasa has been in touch with the new zealand doctors and believes aldrin is doing well. an american explorer, still looking for adventure. tom costello, nbc news, miami. now to new dwept developments in the deadly in colombia. the airline has now had its license indefinitely suspended. and we have new images inside the crash scene with keir simmons. >> reporter: this is where 71 people died, almost an entire brazilian soccer team, wiped out. the plane appears to have clipped the top of this hill and just ripped apart. that's the wing that is turned back on itself and such was the force of the

there, that's the front landing gear. there's no sign of a fire. strengthening the theory that the aircraft ran out of fuel. locals say it was just four minutes from the airport. the colombian police escorted us closer to the wreckage. investigators are picking through the twisted fuselage. beneath it there, one of the engines, still intact. all clues to what happened. >> translator: one of the victims, co-pilot c.c. arias, talked about her excitement for the team, hours fo her brother wrote this tribute on facebook. dear sister, i'm going to miss you for the rest of my life. one local who helped rescue the six survivors told us he found a cell phone with multiple missed calls. so many have been left grieving by this tragedy. keir simmons, nbc news, colombia. now to the battle raging against isis, as u.s.-backed forces pushed deeper into mosul to drive out isis, more civilians

available for many of them on the front lines is being provided by two american volunteers. on a mission to save lives. we get their story tonight from our richard engel, inside iraq. >> reporter: this is probably the most important clinic in all of iraq now. because almost every civilian injured in mosul is taken here. and they're treated by derek coleman, from san diego. >> i got the artery. >> reporter: and pete reed from new jersey. we were here, we had over 65 casualties. including 12 dead on arrival. >> reporter: the americans are the first ones to give care to civilians like farida. shrapnel upon tore into her legs moments ago. her brother says isis is firing indiscriminately into mosul. the two 27-year-olds came here on their own. >> quit my job, sold my truck, sold most of my possessions.

hope and a dream. >> reporter: the volunteers initially came to work with iraqi forces to help fight isis, but they realized they could do more good saving lives. >> how many front-line medical posts like this are there in mosul right now? >> one. >> you're standing in it. >> reporter: there are 5,000 american troops here, but very view of them are allowed to leave their bases and help out on the front lines. so reed and coleman stepped in. wherre these supplies? >> we've had various generous donations from private individuals, small organizations, and we've been able to make it work. >> the shoulder. >> reporter: coleman, a machinist, only has basic first aid training. reed has more. he's a former marine, who served two tours in afghanistan. >> i still have some fight left in me. i could use my medical for good. >> reporter: they say they've treated more than 500 people, but they have no doubt which ones they'll remember forever. >> kids.

>> yeah, dealing with children, wounded children, dying children. we've had some days with half a dozen kids die. >> take cover, take cover! >> reporter: they've had some close calls, like when they were chased by an isis car bomb. but the injured people of mosul are depending on them. >> and i have every intention of staying here until the battle here is over. >> reporter: richard engel, nbc news, mosul, iraq. a lot more ahead tonight, new cancer patients from an unlikely and illegal source. the tripy drug that many say is giving them a new lease on

we're back now with what you might call an unconventional way that has helped some cancer patients feel better. psychedelic medicine, you might say, in the form of magic mushrooms. and doctors say for some, they're working, well, magic. we get morem kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: when you think magic mushrooms, chances are something like this comes to mind. but you may soon think of this, a medication. two small but encouraging studies out today show the hallucinogenic ingredient in some mushrooms reduced anxiety and depression in 80% of cancer patients for more than six months after receiving just one dose. >> so you've been through a lot in your life.

with breast cancer. >> i was really feeling sorry for myself and feeling very stressed. >> reporter: after extensive psychological testing, she was given a pill and watched closely by doctors, as she listened to music and went on a vivid mind trip. >> it's beautiful. it's -- you know, it's something you want to embrace. >> reporter: cowan took the drug two years ago and still -- >> every night when that i have this smile on my face. >> reporter: it's that long-term effect that has doctors hoping for more studies. conducted under tight dea regulation and medical supervision. >> people should not look at this research and data and extrapolate from that, they can go get mushrooms illicitly, try it and think it's going to help them. >> reporter: but researchers are encouraged by the potential of psychedelics to treat things like alcoholism, smoking,

fda approved a large-scale trial using ecstasy for ptsd. once criminal compounds, getting a second look. and giving some, like gale cowan, a second chance. >> i think it's wonderful. >> reporter: kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. we're back in a moment with the first

a surprise noumt tonight from one of the most high profile business leaders in america. starbucks chairman and ceo howard schultz says he'll step down as the company's chief executive in april. he'll become executive chairman and the starbucks president will take over as ceo. schultz has been with the 1982. do you still need to book your holiday travel tickets? you might want to wait a few more days. if you buy this week, you can save a little over 2% on your tickets, according to a report. but if you wait until next week, the savings can jump to nearly 5%. and lights, camera, christmas at the white house. the obama family on hand to flip the switch tonight for their last christmas at 1600 pennsylvania avenue. president calvin coolidge began the

and here in new york, right outside, we've got quite a tree of our own. the "today" show gang gathering to light the rockefeller christmas tree last night. a jam-packed crowd, not letting a little rain -- actually, a

finally tonight, the enormous emotional outpouring for a u.s. navy veteran who had fallen on tough times. he was homeless and hadn't been in touch with his family in years. yet our harry smith explains, this week, hundreds of strangers who'd never even met him, came from miles away to honor him and his service. ? ? >> reporter: there was a funeral tuesday morning near casper, wyoming. by the looks of it, it was for someone important. people, especially veterans, came from across the state to pay their respects to a man they did not know. steven ryman, a homeless man who served in the navy in vietnam, died in a local hospital two weeks before. locals didn't know him. so the coroner asked for help in finding his loved ones. as word spread, so did

respected. >> it's our honor for those of us still here to do this for the vets. >> reporter: ryman's sister was finally located. she and her brother had been out of touch for several years. >> i never, ever expected a turn-out like this. >> reporter: earlier this year, people in kansas paid homage to a homeless vet named eton gilmore, awarded a purple heart in vietnam. in the spring, another homeless veteran named serena vine was buried wi virginia. on any given night, tens of thousands, perhaps as many as 40,000 american veterans, wander our streets in search of shelter. men and women who come home from the service, but for reasons difficult and sometimes indiscernible, can't reconnect with civilian life. the chapel at the state veterans cemetery near casper, was filled to overflowing for steven ryman's funeral. his death is a reminder of all the other homeless veterans. while they have done

to them remains unfulfilled. harry smith, nbc news. and that will do it for us on a thursday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and

are . from now on, it's going to be america first. okay. america first. >> on the heels of the carrier jobs news, president-elect trump taking a victory lap while also revealing his the american mitary. the death toll rises from a one, two punch from massive wildfires in the southeast. news on an nfl player shot in a road rage incident outside new orleans. buzz aldrin forces a high rescue mission from the north pole. heroes are now looking for new homes.

food friday morning, everyone. aim ayman mhyeldin. >> i'm fran cyst says rivera. >> it was like the president-elect was embarking on a victory tour in cincinnati. bringing back showboating candidate that navigating his way to the white house. take a listen. >> we have people running our country that truly didn't know what the from now on, it's going to be america first. okay? america first. >> and trump made a big announcement while rallying supporters, surprising aids and the media, declaring his secretary of defense? i don't want to tell you this because i want to save the suspense for next week.

as our secretary of defense. >> and trump there, you we heard him referring to mad dog mattis, he was talking about a marine general james mattis. >> and just as trump zeroed in on defense, he is widening his ropes for secretary of state t. one-time manager lewandowski saying while mitt romney and rudy guiliani are leading for the job the decision is far from done. last night the cincinnati crowds bursting in a chant of no romney. the trump and vice president-elect mike pence doubled down on building the border wall and repealing obamacare and lowering tacks.

carrier executives to keep over a thousand manufacturing jobs in the united states. >> the company are not going to leave the united states anymore without consequences. it's not going to happen. >> the carrier deal gives the heating and air-conditioning company $ million in tax breaks over ten years, that's inexchange for carrier investing $16 million into its however, another 1,300 jobs are slated to go to mexico. former usc standout and jet joe mcknight was shot and killed outside new orleans. they tell us it was a possible road rage incident. ems acted quickly performing cpr on mcknight on the highway. the suspect is 64-year-old

ongoing investigation. >> at the present time we are interviewing a number of witnesses, as well as mr. gasser at the bureau is that mr. gasser did, in fact, shoot mr. mcknight. >> mcknight was a highly recruited new orleans football star who also plays for the kansas city chiefs as well as the cia joe mcknight was just 28-years-old. people remain without power from the deadly weather and wildfires. four tornadoes killed five people in alabama and tennessee. an additional 11 people were killed by the massive wildfires in eastern tennessee that started late monday night. gatlinburg remains blocked to the public with a mandatory evacuation order. they are putth out structural

look at this, on wednesday morning, this photo was taken of these heroic firefighters, after battling the fire for over 33 hours. there they were getting a well needed nap. buzz aldrin is waking up in a hospital after a medical evacuation from the north pole. he left for a luxury tour on tuesday, bus his health deterioratesed, leading toing a serious lung condition. his manager releasing these photos saying he is recovering well. they say the astronaut has fluid in his lungs. aldrin became the second man to walk on the moon alongside neil armstrong. an arm bank robbery turned into a life hostage situation. the showdown dragged on for

dangerous gunmen. nbc's ja kosh rascone has a harrowing story. >> reporter: they were hostages, now survivors. >> i was little skampltd i thought it was a degree. but it was so real, it was real. >> reporter: it was around:00 when the alleged gunman walked into the bank with a dog and a handgun and demanded money. >> but when he shot up in the air, then i knew he had indicated someone had been shot. >> you'll units responding to district 24, gunshot wound. >> reporter: that turned out not to be true, humphrey told negotiators, he would start shooting if his demands were not met. >> he was putting the shut gun at the back of some head. >> reporter: they negotiated two hostages, two minutes later they

>> at that point they made entry into the bank. >> they used a battering ram, putting thems between the suspect and hostages, surrounded, humphries surrendered. family overjoyed as the hostages shaken but unhurt were freed at last. here's a heart warming homecoming story of sorts. it's for a pack of heroles. 13 retired bomb detectiondogs took their vests off t. fur-elected the past few years serving our country and keeping our troops safe. now the pups are getting ready for a well deserved retirement. the mission k-9 will work to rehabilitate and reintegrate them in society. they hope to have them in homes by the time for the holidays. you can visit mission k9rescue.org. still ahead here on "early