five years old and a few months old were dead in an apartment. police have been questioning their mother all day. "action news" reporter sarah bloomquist has reaction to the tragedy but first to bob brooks with the latest details on the investigation. bob. >> reporter: monica, this is today, this is a tragedy. two kids are dead. the question is to figure out high how and why this happened and whoever is involved hold them responsible. police firefighters and ems got there as quick as they could but it was too late. inside this home in wilmington two children were found dead. chief robert tracy says it was the boy's mother who made the initial call to 911. >> the initial call came well being check on children and upon our arrival, that's when our officers discovered two children. >> reporter: when officers arrived they rushed in. it didn't take them long to locate the brothers. according to chief tracy the likely cause of death. >> possibly drowning right now. >> reporter: he also tells us a gas leak was started

inside the home further complicating the horrific scene but quick work by his office prevented further loss of life. >> we evacuated the building opened up all the doors to make sure it was safe to go back in. >> reporter: we asked the chief if they had any suspects. told us right now it's the children's mother. >> definitely it's the person that has the authority over the house at this time is always considered a suspect. >> reporter: at this point they're no longer looking for anyone that may be involved. okay, at this point no word yet on who the children's mother is but again, her children, five-year-old little boy and a month old baby boy, have passed away. for now reporting live in wilmington, bob brooks channel6 "action news." monica. >> thank you bob. now to "action news" reporter sara sarah bloomquist live in the neighborhood. this has come as a shock to the neighborhoods. >> reporter: some neighbors said they started to cry when they heard what police were investigating here in the 800 block of west ninth street. there's a small prayer group in front of the home at this hour made up mostly of

children. neighbors tell us they did see this mother although not very often. nobody seemed to know much about her or what was going on inside this home prior to the discovery of her children's bodies today. >> i feel bad for the babies more so anything. their innocent lives. >> reporter: this wilmington neighborhood was sent into shock sadness and disbelief over the news that two little boys were found dead inside an apartment on this block this morning. >> i was crying. i can't -- it makes me so upset. there's so many little kids that run around this neighborhood it just makes me so upset that this happened. >> it's a terrible situation, it's sad. it's overwhelming. it's just crazy, crazy out here. >> reporter: it was just after 8:30 when the boys' mother called 911 and asked that someone come check on her children. officers found the boys' lifeless bodies. then they smelled the strong odor of gas and evacuated other apartments. >> i left my house at like 9 o'clock this morning and

there were cops all out in front of front of my house and i didn't know why. there was like double the police and somebody told me what happened it wasn't really sad. >> reporter: the boys' mother was taken into custody for questioning. neighbors said they saw her out and about with the boys. they said all seemed fine. but today's discovery had them rethinking that impression of the woman and her sons. >> i'm just like in disbelief because she seemed like a happy mom. she seemed like a very well parent not saying that she isn't. things happen. people go through things mentally and no one knew where she was at this morning when she woke up. >> reporter: we are hoping to learn more information from authorities in the hours and days ahead. neighbors here would sure like to know more about what unfolded in this apartment. live in wilmington, i'm sarah bloomquist channel6 "action news." monica. >> thank you, sarah. we'll continue to follow the situation for you from delaware throughout the evening on 6abc.com. right now you can find the latest updates all of our reports from "action news,"

even raw video of police on the scene. >> a traffic report alert for drivers tonight as we continue to follow a developing story from newport delaware. all lanes of i-495 south are closed at the i-95 split right now as police work to clear an overturned truck. all traffic is being diverted i don't and to the route 141 ramp. police expect i-495 south to be shut down awhile and drivers, you are urged to avoid that area. a man is dead after being struck by a car that fled the scene afterwards. it happened at 10:00 last night in the 2300 block of south 67th street in southwest philadelphia. investigators believe the striking vehicle was a gray van. traffic is flowing freely tonight after this new bridge was installed this weekend along the northeast extension in the lehigh valley. the turnpike was closed for 50 hours startingstarting night so crews could replace the bridge over crackers point road in

south whitehall township. john b. kelly elementary school in germantown will be closed one more day as crews work to get rid of mold. classes were first canceled last thursday when traces of mold were found in several classrooms. the school district says kelly elementary will reopen on wednesday. on a happier note the prestigious liberty medal is drawing luminaries to center city tonight. six term republican senator john mccain is this year's recipient joining the ranks of nelson mandell la and the dalai dalai lama jim gardner joins us now with more. >> reporter: hey, monica, this is one of the favorite events for so many people in the tri-state area and count me among them. we have arrived here today and we're already seeing some of the early arrivals. you know, this event was under a roof was in a tent for two or three years but it's back

out in the open. i think this is exactly the way to hold this event. the backdrop with the we the people inscription on the front of the national constitution center is utterly spectacular. people here looking forward to this event tonight. the liberty medal awarded to those who strive to bring liberty top people all over the world and as you know, the national constitution center has selected john mccain as the honoree for 2017. not only is mccain in his sixth term as a u.s. senator from arizona, he is chairman of the armed services committee, truly one of the lions of the senate and of course he was a republican candidate for president in 2008. but he may be even better known across the country for having been shot down during the vietnam war and held captive by the north vietnamese undergoing years of torture. and when the north vietnamese

offered to let him go refused because he wouldn't leave his men behind. a lot of people might think that being involved in politics today denies you the standing to be called an american hero but there is no doubt that john mccain was a war hero and this country has seen few like him. mccain will receive the liberty medal tonight from his former senate colleague and former vice president joe biden. and they may be from different sides of the aisle but both represent a certain kind of collaboration and compromise that is in short supply today in the united states senate and throughout all of congress and so the constitution center may have had that in mind when they asked biden to give the medal to mccain today. i spoke to both of them about that just a short time ago.

>> it's always appropriate to attack the other person's judgment. we've done that to ever but never, never their motive. >> i've heard you say that before. question judgment but don't question motive 'cause you just don't know what the motive is. >> that is the reason why joe biden was probably the most popular senator in the united states senate. >> way exaggerated. >> because of his honesty and integrity and i'm telling you, we have gone nose to nose and as soon as it's over -- you. >> you got it pal. >> it's real. >> yeah. >> no one i've ever served with that i admire -- i'm going to say this. my mom had an expression. my mom knew john, met john. my mom used to say, remember, joe, you are defined by your courage and redeemed by your loyalty. that's the definition of john mccain. >> john mccain gets the liberty medal here tonight on independence mall. we'll have the full story for

you on "action news" at 11:00 monica. >> thank you, jim. we'll look forward to that. the liberty medal ceremony will stream live on outer loop web site 6abc.com starting at 7 o'clock tonight and you can see the liberty medal presentationtation here on 6abc this sunday at 1:00 p.m. come up local activists calling on people to boycott nfl games this weekend and new coach new smile. thousands of children in the philadelphia region got a brand new jacket just as the temperature is set to drop. cecily. >> that is perfect timing with the jackets because a cold front moved through and this sets the stage for frost advisories across a large part of the midatlantic and the northeast. get ready for the coldest night of the season. i'll have all the details in the accuweather 7-day forecast. >> ducis rodgers with sports and much more when "action news" continues in a moment. >> ♪

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after 8 years of chris christie, is kim guadagno the change new jersey really needs? guadagno is christie's hand-picked successor. says she's "proud to be part of the christie administration." guadagno was chris christie's right hand as our schools came under attack, critical services were underfunded, and our credit rating was downgraded...11 times. from the bridge to the beach, we've seen it all, and we've had enough. kim guadagno isn't the change we need.

kim guadagno isn't >> a local group is urging folks to boycott next week's nfl games. they will be protesting outside the linc next monday when the eagles play washington. protest organizers says he fully beliefs colin kaepernick is being blackballed for starting what turned out to be a national movement. dow says it's bigger than football. >> we support their efforts to bring attention to and shed light upon the devastating police brutality that is impacted the black community for so very long. >> meanwhile this afternoon president trump softened his earlier assertion that protesting nfl players should be fired. he says instead they should be suspended for every game they kneel. chilly days won't bother 1400 philadelphia kids who got new winter coats today. the children got to pick their

own warm jackets thanks to area car dealers. it is the tenth annual driving away the cold campaign and it makes a real difference for these struggling families. jeanette reyes reports tonight >> it's pink. >> reporter: this morning for the tenth year in a row, nearly 200 auto dealers partnered up to help put these smiles on the faces of over 1400 children as they picked out their colorful coats for the winter season. >> warmth should not be a luxury. it should be a staple for these kids and it shouldn't be something they should worry about. >> reporter: the driving away the cold program asks auto dealers to pledge a brand new winter coat each time they sold a car car the result, over 50,000 coats. >> it's a shame to think of little kids going to school not wearing the proper coats and it just fills you with joy knowing that you're doing something good. >> really nice. the coats are expensive especially if you have multiple children. >> do you know what you want. >> reporter: we decided to jump in and help six-year-old

ashai thomas find her perfect coat. let me help you find one and you like this one here. a little skeptical she asked what happens after she tried it on. then you can keep it. >> yay! >> reporter: and though it's fun for the children, superintendent dr. william hite says it's more than a fashion statement statement it's a necessity that helps keep them in school. >> some of the children without the proper coat will either get sick as a part of that or will refuse to come to school because of the inclement weather. >> reporter: it's not too late to help keep a child warm this winter. for more information on how you can donate visit our web site at 6abc.com. reporting in center city, jeanette reyes channel6 "action news".

>> ducis is here with sports. sixers their home opener. >> a lot of people are excited about the sixers. all healthy and all on the

court at the same time. we've waited a long time to see this. it will all come together wednesday night against the wizards. joel embiid returned to practice today. he missed yesterday's workout due to a sprained ankle and knee rehab. embiid is expected to play in the opener wednesday. but like last year he'll be on a minutes restriction. coach brett brown says it will be somewhere in the teens for game one and that was news to embiid. >> i didn't know about that but that's very disappointing. i feel great and hopefully that changes based on today's practice and tomorrow's practice. >> do you see yourself lobbying for minutes to stay in the game. >> oh, yeah, definitely. i got a voice. they got to listen to me. i feel if i feel great my body feels great and my knee is fine, i mean, i should play -- i should play 30r more. >> you tell them jo-jo. brett brown is entering his fifth season with the sixers. this is by far the best

collection of talent he's been given given many expect the sixers to challenge for a playoff spot this season. coach is on board with that. >> i feel greedy, too, like we want to make the playoffs and i look over and i have, you know, two young guys that have never played a real second of nba basketball and you see it. you see it all the time. we've seen it in preseason. they're young. >> to football the eagles long weekend is just about over. tomorrow they will begin preparing for monday night's matchup with washington. malcolm jenkins is spending his final off day doing good. tonight jenkins is hosting his fourth annual blitz bow ties bourbons. money raised will help make a positive change in the lives of youth. as for football, the eagles safety lovers what his quarterback carson wentz has been able to accomplish in

year two. >> what do you see for him. >> i mean, yeah, the biggest thing is maturation process has been fun to watch. he came in to the league already talented, he was fun to watch last year, he's just an exciting player. he's creating plays with his legs. he's got the big arm to throw down field. and then the biggest thing that we're seeing now in year two that wasn't there in year one is his decision making and as long as he's taking care of the football, you know, not only on offense but our team is a lot more productive. >> don't forget we are teaming up with phl17 to bring you all of the action next monday night. our pregame special countdown to kickoff is at 8:00 p.m. p.m. the game follows at 8:30. eagles-redskins monday night over on phl17. mlb playoffs continue game three of the aacs is -- alcs is tonight in the bronx. justin turner entered the the -- ended the game with a three run walkoff.

the dodgers won four-one. the walkoff came 29 years ago to the day of kirk gibson's iconic home run. game three of the series is tomorrow night in chicago. what a moment last night. >> saw that. it was exciting. thank you ducis. all right cecily tynan and that "action news" forecast coming your way.

>> cecily is here with accuweather and a cold snap as promised coming your way. >> a big turn around. temperatures below normal feeling like winter tonight. let's go to the "action news" weather center and you can see that the sun has now set. the sun sets at 6:20 and what a difference in the sky

conditions from earlier today. we have lots of clouds this morning. we had some showers with in cold front but now that front has swept off the coast clearing skies behind that and that's setting the stage for a very chilly night. so, the accuweather highlights will show you tonight the coldest night of the season so far. the clouds are gone. now get ready for loads of sunshine and we're looking at high pressure in control over our weather for days. so, what that does, it's sinking air. it dries out the atmosphere, so take a look at the percent chance of rain and we are going to be dry right through the week, really right into the weekend. actually i think early next week we will stay dry so this is a good time to go ahead and maybe get the car washed. no chance of rain for at least the next five days. temperatures right now have continued to drop. 59 degrees in philadelphia. our official high came shortly after midnight, 71 ahead of that front. allentown 55, wilmington 59, cape may 56, trenton the same and the poconos currently 46.

so, satellite and radar showing that front is off the coast right now. our skies continue to clear and what that's doing is opening the door for a very broad area of high pressure. this high pressure will dominate our weather. right through the week, right through the weekend bringing lots of sunshine, dry conditions and a chill to start but it doesn't stay cool. tonight clear and chilly, patchy frost in some of our suburbs. 35 degrees in the cooler suburbs, philadelphia philadelphia, 5 degrees below normal. we have frost advisories for our far north and west counties, and pine barrens of new jersey. we're looking atlooking coolest since may eight. tomorrow we stay on the cool side. loads of sunshine on not a cloud in the sky but a chill in the air. the high 61 in philadelphia, allentown and trenton 59, cape may and wilmington 60 degrees so 61 degrees is below normal. the average high for tomorrow

is 66. but then we gradually warm up as we head through the week. wednesday temperatures running 6 degrees above normal. thursday 70 -- or seven above and friday eight above and that warmup continues right through the weekend. so, the exclusive accuweather 7-day forecast, it's cool tomorrow but it's sunny. don't forget the sunglasses. you will need them this week. the high only 61 degrees. so jackets definitely a good idea tomorrow tomorrow wednesday overnight low 46 degrees so it's a cool morning. our afternoon high though warms up pretty dramatically, 72 degrees, a beautiful day. thursday it's sunny, temperatures warm up another 1 degree, 73 degrees and friday should be gorgeous, loads of sunshine, a beautiful fall day slightly above normal with a high of 74. heading into the weekend, again, that warmup continues with the winds shifting out of the southwest. our high on saturday 76 degrees, mostly sunny skies. sunday more sunshine for the union game, temperatures running about 14 degrees above normal so don't put away the

shorts yet. 79 degrees and monday 79, partly sunny, looks dry and looks comfortable for monday night football with the eagles at the linc so it's chilly tonight but then temperatures warm as we head through the week. >> all right, thank you cecily. finally tonight some local children are really getting into the halloween spirit. shriner's hospital hosted a halloween party a chance for pediatric patients to pick out the perfect costume and they also got to decorate scary masks like that one. rafael from the teenaged mutant ninja turtles even stopped by to hang out with the kids. a were. bc's world news tonight is next here on on channel. join us for a special report at 11:00 here on channel6. in a matter of months pennsylvania will have legal access to marijuana and one company awarded a license to do business in the state gave our wendy saltzman an exclusive tour. >> reporter: "action news" takes you inside illinois' largest medicinal marijuana

grow operation. that's coming to pennsylvania. inside these walls at a confidence chat location $2.5 million worth of cannabis is being grown. why advocates say it could be good for our state and we asked about critics' concerns that marijuana has no legitimate medical purpose. >> it's a slippery slope. it's dangerous. >> reporter: what you can expect on "action news" tonight at 11:00. >> and now for jim gardner cecily tynan ducis rodgers, the entire "action news" team, i'm monica malpass. have a good evening. hope to see you right here at 11:00. >> ♪ paulsboro's a very proud community.

it's been on the decline with the closing of the refineries and there's no jobs in the community. if there's no jobs, there's no education, there's no food on the table. what's important is the children. steve sweeney... he fought for 'em. this is where he's from. steve sweeney's been here since the beginning. steve spearheaded the whole project and really brought it to fruition. it would've never been done without steve. it was a pride in building this port and then knowing that we're coming back.

tonight, reporters rush to the rose garden. the unexpected moment at the white house. president trump, after saying, i'm not going to take the blame, is asked whether some republicans should go. about his response to puerto rico. will he fire robert mueller? and touching a nerve, saying president obama did not call the families of the fallen. also tonight, the massive rig explosion, just off new orleans. authorities moments ago on the search and rescue. the deadly fires in california. and tonight, a staggering number. more than 100 missing. and the couple married 55 years, trying to survive in the pool. the wife dying in her husband's arms. former army argent bowe bergdahl pleaded guilty today. and tonight, the interview. why he should not be called a traitor. what the nypd and scotland