this is "nightline." >> tonight, the breaking news. panic inside a movie theater in louisiana. a gunman opens fire, several fatalities including the shooter. >> just stood up and started shooting. >> we have all the new details right here tonight. >> it's sad. it's too close to home. plus meet the polyamorous parents putting an unconventional spin on child-rearing as a trio. how they're challenging social norms and how they say it's working for their kids. could this be the new modern family? and it looks like a scene straight out of "mad max." but these crash queens are ready to rumble in real life. we're at the demolition derby where these moms who car pool by day, crash cars on purpose by

night. >> "nightline" will be right back.

good evening. we start with breaking news out of lafayette, louisiana. 135 miles outside of new orleans, where just hours ago a man stood up in a crowded movie theater and opened fire. there are fatalities including the gunman. and we'll get the latest right now from abc's reena 90 man.

>> reporter: tonight, a mass shooting at this louisiana movie theater. police say at least ten shot. and three confirmed dead, including the shooter, who reportedly died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. authorities reporting the 20 minutes into the 7:00 p.m. showing of "trainwreck," a white male in his 50s opened fire with a handgun at the grand 16 theater in lafayette. >> my daughter was in the same theater, in the same row, as the shooter. she heard pops. at first they kind of thought it was part of the movie. then they started seeing flashes. that made them realize it was shooting. >> units were close by and responded immediately. our response time was less than a minute. four officers entered the theater to engage the shooter. they did hear shots being fired at that time. >> reporter: the gunman then turned the gun on himself. there were more than 100 people in the theater at the time. authorities reporting he acted alone and at least eight people have been transported to the hospital. injuries ranging from non-life

threatening to critical. "trainwreck" star amy schumer tweeting, my heart is broken and all my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in louisiana. the shooter's motive remains unknown. witnesses describing the chaos inside. >> a whole bunch of girls screaming, came out of the movie theater saying someone got shot. >> i saw people running out. i thought maybe they got caught watching a movie they weren't supposed to. next thing a lady full of blood. they said there was a gun. then i ran. >> reporter: governor jindal joining local law enforcement and fbi on the scene. >> this is an awful night for lafayette. this is an awful night for louisiana. this is an awful night for the united states. >> we do know the identity of the shooter. we are not releasing it at this time. we are right in the middle of this investigation and we don't want to affect the integrity or the investigators' ability to do their jobs and get information

on the shooter. >> reporter: tonight's tragic shooting comes hours after jurors unanimously decided that the death penalty can be considered for james holmes. the shooter in the 2012 aurora colorado movie theater massacre. and just today, president obama spoke to the bbc about america's gun law. >> the united states of america is the one advanced nation on earth in which we do not have sufficient commonsense gun safety laws. even in the face of repeated mass killings. >> reporter: calling this issue one of the most frustrating of his presidency. >> if you look at the number of americans killed since 9/11 by terrorism, it's less than 100. if you look at the number that have been killed by gun violence, it's in the tens of thousands. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm reena ninan in new york. >> and we are just learning

authorities believe they have identified the suspect's car in the parking lot of the movie theater with a suspicious package inside. the bomb squad is on the scene now. of course abc news will stay on this breaking story throughout the night. for now we are going to shift gears in a major way to what was going to be our first story tonight before the breaking news out of louisiana. a cultural story and a controversial one at that about an unusual modern family featuring two moms and one dad. they call it polyamory and abc's abbie boudreau has more. >> reporter: oh the sweet sounds of morning. as a new parent. the bed you once shared with your partner now a little more crowded. and all the more so when there are three parents in that bed. >> i'll take care of it. >> reporter: meet the phoenix steins. danny, melinda, and john. and their babies ella and

oliver. born just five weeks apart. these two moms and one dad are polyamorous. >> if you're not a couple what do you call yourselves? >> we're a triad. >> some people say a triple. >> i like that one too. >> reporter: this triad wants to make it clear they are not polygamous like the families made famous in "big love." >> what do you think you're doing? sleep well? >> reporter: and "sister wives." >> we have one man and two wives. so how is this different from polygamy? >> polygamy is one man with two women who the women don't share necessarily a relationship together. polyamory, everyone is openly sharing love with one another equally. >> reporter: for them it's about sharing parenting responsibilities equally too. balancing work life and family time. there's almost always a parent

present with the two children. >> there's just more parental support for having the children. it's always one of us that is able to be present. >> reporter: a strong family unit has been the goal since exchanging vows in an intimate three-way wedding ceremony last year. >> i'm married to jonathan. he's my husband. i'm married to danielle. she's my wife. i'm examining to be committed to them with my heart and my body. >> reporter: although the union is not legally recognized. >> if marriage is defined by something legal, then we're not married. but marriage means something deeper than a signed piece of paper. >> reporter: in a time when attitudes about marriage are shifting. last month the supreme court handed down this historic decision. >> that the united states is now a nation where gay people can get married. >> reporter: prompting some from fox news to ask what's next? >> so suppose three people say we want to be a marriage what's to prevent that under this? >> reporter: the phoenix steins are hoping nothing. and they're pushing their definition of family with the

web series "looks like love to me." >> every time you guys leave together it hurts. i feel like i'm missing out on that family time. >> who wrote the formula of one man, one woman, and two and a half kids? >> we're trying to be the pioneers, like in the civil rights movement. >> reporter: this trail blazing triad began as a couple. after four years together dani and melinda were in a slump. melinda felt something was missing. a man. >> when she brought up this idea about having a man brought into your relationship, you guys were already legally partnered. >> she was very direct. like, i want a family i need a man, and we need to make this happen. >> i need a man? >> yeah. >> reporter: to make it happen they both had to agree on the right guy. making a list of their ideal qualityies in their future third. >> what were the most important things from that list? >> that he was masculine. we didn't want a feminine man because we're both very feminine. in walks jonathan.

we're like wow. all of a sudden we're recognizing this beautiful man. >> it was very exciting. in the very beginning there was a lot more of three people having sex together. often. >> our bedroom, our gigantic bed. >> oh my gosh. >> threesomes totally happen obviously less frequently now that there's kids. as exciting as threesome sounds it's challenging to focus on one person and try and make sure you're including the other person. it's not only about sex. it's about fall hi it's about working together as a team it's about accomplishing your dreams. >> reporter: one of their dreams having children. and they managed to do that all together too. ella and oliver are just five weeks apart. >> it's one thing to have your relationship and have it exactly how you want it. but then to bring kids into your relationship. do you feel like it's a healthy way to raise a family? >> a resounding yes for me. >> yeah. >> more breastfeeding, more opportunities, more teamwork. i can double breast-feed while

melinda's making food and john is doing whatever it is. >> reporter: new to the san francisco bay area we're tagging along to attend a barbecue. to meet other polyamorous people in the community. >> so what's it like to have two wives? >> it's great. yeah. >> reporter: among some of the diverse attendees, 69-year-old ann valiant. she says polyamory is far from new. >> it's new to people who think the only way things are is one man, one woman. but that has not been true. >> do you think that people would be surprised how many polyamorous people there are? >> i know it. >> which was harder to come out as? as a lesbian or as a polyamorous family? >> people nowadays are willing to accept the queer community. it's almost not a big deal. there's a huge poly community but not many feel they can be open. that shows goes who show it's harder to be poly than gay or

lesbian, i think. >> we're the new frontier of family definition. >> reporter: attorney diana adams runs a nontraditional family law practice in brooklyn new york. >> right now i'm getting a deluge of interest in people who want to get legal support for their polyamorous families. if you don't know a polyamorous person yet, you probably will soon. >> reporter: these relationships can be tricky. >> with three people i think there needs to be even more planning. to be able to figure out, how are we actually going to structure this? >> there's definitely times where i feel i've needed more and that i'm not getting that. then that comes up in conversation. >> reporter: remember melinda was the one who initially wanted to expand their partnership. >> does it make you feel frustrated or angry? >> yeah. there's been times where i've felt, you know melinda has her guy and she has a girl. and john has two women who he's attracted to. and i have a guy who's really fun and i have a girl who's pretty much straight. where's my sugar on top? >> was there a tad bit of you

that might feel a little getty she's not maybe as fulfilled as you are in a sexual way? >> no. just because we're always in communication. if it got to the point where she felt that she wasn't getting her needs met, then we would address that i that. >> i think our lives naturally create wlad we have now. >> reporter: for now they are not planning on expanding their triad. but it's not off the table. >> the family unit comes first. right now we just wouldn't even have enough time. you know? to date anyone else. >> what's wrong with seeking your own happiness and your own fulfillment with love? shouldn't we all be in a space where we're happy? >> we're not saying that polyamory is for everyone. we're saying let's open a dialogue there's other ways to do this. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm abbie boudreau in oakland, california. up next something completely different. we're going to a demolition derby where some of the most

aggressive drivers will probably surprise you. what about my family? my li'l buddy? and what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital but i wondered if this was the right treatment for me. then my doctor told me about eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. not only does eliquis treat dvt and pe blood clots but eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. knowing eliquis had both... turned around my thinking. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned

medical or dental procedures. eliquis treats dvt & pe blood clots. plus had less major bleeding. both made switching to eliquis right for me. ask your doctor if it's right for you. do you like the passaaadd? it's a good looking car. this is the model rear end event. the model year end sales event. it's year end! it's a rear end event. year end, rear end check it out. talk about turbocharging

my engine. you're gorgeous. what kind of car do you like? new, or many miles on it? get a $1000 volkswagen reward card on select 2015 passat models. or lease a 2015 passat limited edition for $199 a month after a $1000 bonus. are you still getting heartburn flare-ups? time for a new routine. try nexium® 24hr. the latest choice for frequent heartburn. get complete protection. nexium level protection.

talk about a double life.

at home the women you're about to meet are mommys. but at night, they switch from car pool duty to demolition derby. and they are dead serious about winning. here's abc's david wright. >> reporter: a rumbling arena. a roaring crowd. and gladiators gunning gas-guzzling machines. competitors ready to destroy each other. this is metal mania. $20,000 in prize money at stake. among those drivers revving their engines are moms. some of the toughest women on wheels. >> any woman that gets in a derby car for the first time either is hooked or hates it. >> reporter: meet kim pataki. mother to two girls. part-time little league coach. >> were you practicing? >> yes. >> reporter: who, when she's not car pooling the kids can crash them up with the best of them. >> it's an adrenaline something different. you don't normally get a chance

to hit people. >> reporter: kim is prepping for her billest competition so far. >> i got it. >> reporter: she'll be squaring off against 300 top derby drivers. including her husband chris. >> not the first time that's happened. >> reporter: building the cars from scratch is a family affair the kids pitching in. >> the cars are engineered to do one thing on the road but we're doing something different with them. to get them to bend the right way and roll the right way, do what you need it to do to last. it's part of the fun of it. >> reporter: they strip out anything that can break or burn. >> jimmy: he's cutting the old motor mounts off. they were welded on the frame. >> reporter: mom's car has to survive crashing into this. >> my first hit will be amazing. >> in 15 years i have won three features. >> reporter: a welder by day, a useful trade in this sport, her destructive tendencies have paid

off. >> i was actually the only girl that ever won my hometown derby. that was a really big accomplishment for me. >> let's start stripping. >> i've been doing demolition derby since i was 19 years old. >> my dad has done it since before i was born. >> reporter: her two sons 14 and 8, already behind the wheel. >> do you have a license? >> not yet. >> reporter: her uncle runs metal mayhem every year. >> are you ready? >> reporter: demolition derby can be a dangerous game. after all, the main objective is crashing. >> it's just whichever car keeps moving forward? >> the last car to make a hit. >> this car has flipped over. they take safety very seriously. >> do injuries happen? >> they happen. concussion whiplash. deaths are very rare. >> reporter: every car has to pass inspection. >> we have a list of rules we have to build the car to.

they're looking to make sure everything's built properly. and that the car is safe. >> reporter: kim's passes with flying colors. vicki's vehicle has a problem. >> the spray foam. >> i don't know trying to pull one over. you're kind of a bad-ass, aren't you? >> reporter: a frenzy of last-minute modifications. >> i need you to pull as much of this foam out as you can. >> reporter: her car finally ready -- >> i'm really hoping that i don't have some kind of small error take me out. >> reporter: kim is getting revved up for battle. >> first up, the rule is you never quit. >> reporter: they may call this the powder puff heat. there's nothing soft and dainty about it. for vicki, a serious glitch. exactly what she was worried about. her drive shaft fails. her car is a sitting duck.

>> the minute he said go i made one hit and was done. i was devastated. my eyes kind of filled up with tears. because it was -- a lot of hard work was put into that car. >> reporter: kim, muddy but victorious moves on to the finals. >> $20,000 for first place. >> reporter: but there's no time to celebrate. >> this point right now is the most pressure it's the biggest. everybody trying to work everybody trying to get together and make it back out. >> reporter: having already survived some serious scrapes, her car has to be fighting fit for the main event. >> wiring trimming clearing we're getting everything done. but this is it. she won't be pretty but she'll be functional. >> reporter: and her former rival vicki shows up to help. >> vicki's helping. she didn't make and it that's what happens. if you make it you beg, borrow

and steal what you can. >> reporter: the sisterhood kicking in because that final heat is all men except kim. 50 drivers, a lone woman, against 49 men. >> the men go after the women? >> it can be yeah. i mean we're easy targets. apparently we don't know what we're doing, you know? >> i'm sure that's not the case. >> yeah. well, we like to prove them wrong, that's for sure. >> reporter: the main event. >> the michigan girl. >> yes, sir. >> reporter: once they put on those helmets, it's tough to tell the men from the woman. it's a free-for-all. alas, not kim's day. she may be back to driving the car pool tomorrow but already she's thinking about her next metal mayhem. i'm david wright for "nightline." >> thank you are david. and we will be right back.

flo: hey, big guy. i heard you lost a close one today. look, jamie, maybe we weren't the lowest rate this time. but when you show people their progressive direct rate and our competitors' rates you can't win them all. the important part is, you helped them save. thanks, flo. okay, let's go get you an ice cream cone, champ. with sprinkles? sprinkles are for winners. i understand. i'm gonna crack like nobody's watching and eat like i skipped lunch. why? because red lobster's crabfest is back. and i'm diving into so much crab so many ways. like crab lover's dream with luscious snow and king crab legs and rich crab alfredo or this snow crab bake. who knew crab goes with everything? whoever put crab on this salmon, that's who. with flavors like these, i'm almost too excited to eat! hey i said almost.

and now that it's back get crackin' while you still can. fact. advil is not only strong it's gentle on your body too. no wonder doctors and patients have trusted advil... for their tough pains for over 30 years. relief doesn't get any better than this. advil.

iran keeps their nuclear facilities. military sites can go uninspected. restrictions end after 10 years. then iran could build a nuclear weapon in two months. iran has violated 20 international agreements and is the leading state sponsor of terrorism.

thanks for watching tonight. we'll have much more on the [dramatic music] ♪ ♪ >> oh! ahh, ahh, ahh! [cheers and applause] welcome to millionaire. i'm terry crews, and all this week, we've got some of the most amazing people ever to earn a spot in guinness world records playing for cold, hard cash. it's millionaire guinness

world records edition. [cheers and applause] it gets even better on friday, when former guinness world records title holder and game show master ken jennings will be here to see if he can add another million to the fortune he won on jeopardy! [cheers and applause] yeah. today's returning contestant is a professional juggler who earned a guinness world records title in 2013 for juggling with his mouth. today he's ready to put his money where his mouth is. from hudson, ohio, please welcome mark angelo! [cheers and applause] mark! >> hey. >> how you doing, man? >> doing well, sir. >> here we go. now, look, you already got a title doing-- juggling with your mouth the whole thing. what would you do with a million dollars, brother? >> i haven't worked all the details out yet,