and now, from washington's leading news station, this is news4 at 6:00. a look at the wreckage, and it is no wonder they're calling a miracle. tonight we can report that everyone has survived that fighter jet's crash into a virginia beach apartment. good evening, everyone, i'm chris gordon. we begin tonight with breaking news out of prince george's county. a 2-year-old boy was struck and killed by a car this afternoon. it happened near the 6400 block of 85th avenue in new carlton. police say the child was playing outside when a driver accidentally hit him. they say the driver stayed on

the scene. >> a 2-year-old child was playing in the front yard, and ran out and ran into a van. it's tragic. it's very tragic. and my heart is out to the family and to the gentleman of the van. we have notified the crisis team, and they are on-scene to help both the driver and the family when they come back home. >> police say the department's collision analysis team is investigating, and will later help determine whether charges will be filed. and we have more breaking news tonight. three people shot at a dice game. it happened in the 100 block of q street near florida avenue in northwest washington. a group of young people were gambling behind the apartment buildings when four men approached. at least one of them had a gun, and opened fire. three young people were hit. one of them was just 15 years old. a woman who lives in the

neighborhood says the teens don't cause trouble, but she believes their gambling makes them a potential target for a robbery. >> so you've seen them playing craps out here before? >> yeah, you think this is charlestown. you know, the casino. this is every day, 24/7. >> reporter: so the police need to do more to try to break it up. >> they need to do more to try and break it up. >> police have been combing the area for evidence. investigators even brought in a canine to help search for potential suspects. so far, no arrests have been made. well, it is being called an amazing miracle. no one killed, and the injuries minor after that f-18 fighter jet crashed directly into an apartment building in virginia beach. tonight, all residents in the area have been accounted for, and everyone is out of the hospital. tonight, we are learning more about the heroism of some civilians on the ground after that crash. brian mooar has the latest.

>> reporter: a day after a navy fighter jet crashed into an apartment complex for seniors in virginia beach, virginia, investigators were looking for a cause. and residents were giving thanks that not one person was seriously injured. >> we're so blessed and truly believe in miracles occur here. >> reporter: this was the scene just after the navy f-18 hornet lost control. the two-person crew ejected, and only four people on the ground suffered slight injuries. officials say residents dragged the air crew to safety, and helped get their own neighbors to safety before first responders were on the scene. >> it was a pretty amazing display in virginia beach of what citizenship really means. >> reporter: navy officials have said they suspect a mechanical failure. but they are collecting every piece of the destroyed craft, every second of tape, and every bit of data. >> we'll find out what happened, and we'll fix whatever went wrong. >> reporter: the navy is dipping into a special fund to help residents. some of whom lost everything.

but all know they are lucky to be alive. >> i think god had his hand over this. >> reporter: a catastrophe that could have been far worse. brian mooar, nbc news. fredericksburg, virginia is dealing with its first homicide of the year. it happened around 3:30 this morning at the central park townhomes on brock square. police say a man found his 28-year-old friend in his home shot in the head. police say they do not believe that this is a random crime. president obama is marking the easter holiday and passover this weekend in his weekly address he said the holidays teach universal lessons. the president also said -- >> triumph of hope over despair. faith over doubt. the notion that there is something out there that is bigger than ourselves. these beliefs help unite americans of all faiths and back grounds. they shape our values and guide

our work. >> the president also said the holidays connect americans to their past and give us strength as we face the future. well, how is the easter forecast shaping up? meteorologist chuck bell joins us now, live, in storm center 4. hi, chuck. >> hey there, good evening to you. good evening, everybody. what a spectacular saturday it turned out to be. 100% blue skies overhead. looks like our great weather will continue on into your easter sunday, but it's going to be a chilly start tomorrow morning. bright sunshine for now, so it's going to be a clear sky for your saturday evening plans. temperatures, which are in the mid 60s right now, will be back into the upper 40s and low 50s by 11:00. so a clear and chilly evening coming up. bundle up, bunny. going to be cold on easter sunday morning. we'll talk about that, and a little and better chance for some needed rain showers coming our way. i'll have that in the seven-day forecast in a few more minutes. chris, back to you. >> thank you very much, chuck. see you later. a step forward today for those looking to bring gambling

to national harbor. a maryland senate committee passed a bill allowing 1,000 slot machines at the proposed casino at national harbor. the bill would also bring table games there and the five existing maryland casinos. but the state would get less revenue than the house delegates version. the general assembly is set to end at midnight monday. maryland is one step closer to doubling the so-called flush tax. the senate gave preliminary approval to upping the tax from $30 a year to $60. elnal shol dover two moochlg amendments, one going exclusively to wastewater plant yuch grades. the other amendment would have eliminated the tax in 2030. the house already passed the bill. governor o'malley is expected to sign it. well, still ahead tonight, they call it the million hoodies march. protesters demand charges in the death of trayvon martin. plus, what sparked a massive pillow fight at the national

mall? and it is almost saturday night. we'll have a preview of tonight's highly anticipated snl hosted by sophia vergara.

the sound of gunshots disturbed a quiet neighborhood in prince george's county this

morning. a fan was shot to death in the driveway of a ft. washington home. it happened just before 7:00 a.m. in the 7300 block of webster turn. it is not known if the man lived at that home. no word on suspects or motive. across the country today, protesters donned hoodies and took to the streets. it was a day of demonstrations dubbed the million hoodies march. it was to call for an arrest in the killing of florida teen, trayvon martin. he was shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer who claimed that he acted in self defense. news4's derrick ward was with some of the demonstrators from our area. >> the rally started in the malcolm x park, spirited speecheses, literature, debate and outrage. yet even with a grand jury expected to convene next week, there's a sense that more is at stake in the fate of gunman george zimmerman when it comes to justice. >> justice lies in fixing the sanford police department. justice lies in curing the racism we see. >> reporter: then it was from the park to the plaza.

the protesters marched to freedom plaza and joined up with that plaza infection at your, the remainders of occupy d.c. among them were poignant moments here, a powerful, dramatic treatment of the fateful night in february, as well as paying hammage homage to others who suffered similar fates without as much attention. and the attention is inspiring those who take part. >> just like dr. martin luther king, i wish i could have been at that march, but i'm here to stand up for something. >> i could see my family the same as his family, fighting for freed freedom. the boy was only 17. it wasn't right. >> reporter: this event today and those elsewhere represent a ramping up of public action heeding up to the april 10th grand jury that will convene in florida on this case. the question is, what happens after that? >> i honestly expect him to go to trial. i do expect it to go to trial. i expect a guilty verdict. that's honestly what i believe will happen. and then unfortunately, i expect that people are going to forget about it. >> reporter: and that, say those who protest, would only compound the tragedy of martin's death.

derrick ward, news4. a florida grand jury will hear the case tuesday. meanwhile, a federal investigation is under way on a parallel track. that could determine whether trayvon martin's civil rights were violated. coming up next, chuck has the details on this

it wasn't political jabs, but pillow fights getting attention in the district today. d.c. is one of several cities around the world celebrating

international pillow fight day. 200 people participated in this pillow pow wow at about 1:30 this afternoon. the event lasted for about 15 minutes before the group then headed to dupont circle. pillow fights like this took place all over the world from atlanta, georgia to taiwan. >> i'm sophia vergara, and i'm hosting snl this week. >> the very sultry star of "modern family" will be the guest host on "saturday night live" tonight. musical group one direction will be the guests. the column ban actress and musical guests are one not to be missed. the audience is snaking outside rockefeller plaza. vergara says she is excited about her appearance, and so are her "modern family" co stars. >> i can't believe he was invited and to have the honor of

joining this amazing cast. jesse is coming saturday night. i think julie is also coming from florida. you know, it's like we're such a very close family. >> this will be the actress's and the band's first time on snl, but perhaps not the last. ♪ ♪ light up our world like nobody else ♪ ♪ the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed ♪ >> can't get enough of one direction? the boy wand was just in washington, and we caught up with them. we caught up with all of them. one direction. tune into news4 at 11:00 tonight. that will be followed by snl. the national cathedral is getting dressed up for easter. the washington cathedral flower guild spent the day arranging flowers for christianity's greatest holiday. more flowers adorned the cathedral at easter than any other time of the year.

it's when christians celebrate the resurrection of jesus christ. if you have the easter bonnet, pin it down. >> yeah, if you have ear flaps that will be helpful. a lot of people gettingot for sunrise services, and by the time the sun is coming up, you should be prepared for widespread 30s around the area. that's chilly enough. and for folks towards the blue ridge mountains, the shenandoah valley, mountains in west virginia, freeze warnings are posted once again. so a little bit of frost on the bonnet, a possibility. mainly north and west of town. outside for now, beautiful day outside today. the birds enjoying a good flying day out there for sure. nice breeze out there. has a will i bit of a ripple coming downstream on the potomac, but on the whole, a very happy group of unsuspecting geese. we're going with geese until we know different. 65 now at -- canada geese, that's the official word from the control room. 65 at national airport. winds remain out of the northwest at 15 miles per hour.

and the air outside is bone-dry. humidity only 17%. dew points are in the teens and 20s. what does that mean for your forecast? it means as soon as the sun goes down, temperatures are going to start to fall very, very quickly, courtesy of the clear skies and the dry air. low to mid 60s around the area for right now. absolutely beautiful saturday evening coming. but it will be chilly. temperatures upper 50s by 7:00. upper 40s and low 50s by 11:00 time frame tonight. and 30s to low 40s tomorrow morning. nothing showing up on doppler. it will be a dry easter sunday around the area. next little chance for rain is just now starting to show up way out to our west. severe weather today across parts of west texas, but that's not going to be bothering us any time soon. high pressure in charge of our weather. we had a breezy day today, the winds will lay down a bit for the overnight hours, but a west and northwesterly wind will be back tomorrow afternoon, as well. so a cold start in the morning. 30s and low 40s under the clear sky. then tomorrow, a very weak cool

front, which is moisture-starved, promises a beautiful day tomorrow. but a chance by late tomorrow afternoon, a few spotty showers, primarily west of our area up into the mountains of west virginia, western parts of pennsylvania. i don't think anything around here. another secondary cold front comes back into the picture by monday afternoon, and i think that will be our next chance of seeing some rain drops in and around town. so overnight tonight, for the rest of your saturday evening, clear skies, cooling quickly. breezy at times, but the winds will be laying down. evening temperatures in the 50s. overnight into tomorrow morning, clear and cold. freeze warnings along into the west of the blue ridge mountains. start-off temperatures, below freezing out west to near 40 in town. then tomorrow, a gorgeous easter sunday. mostly sunny, a touch warmer than today with temperatures reaching the upper 60s to near 70. and clouds come back monday with a quick chance of a shower late in the day on monday afternoon. partly sunny on tuesday, another quick chance at a shower on wednesday, but not as much rain as we need. we're almost 4 inches behind in

rainfall now for the year. we need more and we're going to get it. >> okay. so sunny and breezy. >> yes, indeed. >> thank you very much, chuck. coming up in sports for the second straight game, the nats' statistics fuel a late-inning rally. is it

well, it would appear

washington's new nattude. >> the nationals are off to a 2-0 start as they rode laroche's to a 7-4 win this afternoon. while the gnats were busy coming from behind against the cubbies, michael morse was in new york getting treatment for his strained back muscle. morse has played in two minor league rehab games and could join the team as early as tuesday. be good to have him back. gonzalez making his nats debut against chicago. top of the fourth, adam laroche gives the new guy a little run support. 2-out. matt garza served and he delivered. deep to right, off the foul pole, nats up 2-1. get this, laroche batting .500 on the season. i'm going guess he won't keep that up. joe mather shoots one to right,

that brings in johnson. gonzalez goes only 3 2/3 giving up 7 hits and 4 runs. top of 8th, danny espinoza starts a rally facing kerry wood and he jacks one out of the park. his first homer of the year. could be a big year for danny. nats down by just one run. four batters later, bases loaded. chad tracee up. remember, he had that big hit in the ninth early thursday and does it again today. slaps one into right. ryan zimmerman and adam laroche score. they take a 7-4 lead. bottom of the ninth, henry rodriguez on a close, and he does just that. nats win 7-4. they go for the series sweep tomorrow afternoon. all right, so we know the capitals are in the playoffs. what seed they'll be and who they play, that's completely up in the air. tonight's final regular season game in new york against the rangers will determine all of

that. and caps fans, you could have the chance to rock the red at home in the playoffs. here's why. of the caps will win -- could win the southeast division if they win tonight. and florida loses in regulation. washington would jump up to the third seed which means they would play the new jersey devils at verizon. now, wiif the caps win and flora captures at least a point, washington would be the seventh seed to face the boston bruins. worst-case scenario is the caps are the eighth seed and will take on the number-one seed rangers who they're facing tonight. that would be for the second time this week. >> i think we're going to approach it like any other game. we want to go in there and play a good solid road game and call it with two points. no matter what happens this week, we can't control, but we would like to go in and give our best. >> we just want to keep winning. folk you us on winning, and

never let any team think they can beat you. they're a very good hockey team, but we still have a goal in mand to get the division. we'll play another good game saturday. >> we just want to play them hard. we want to play them the way we would play them if it's a playoff game. that's the atmosphere you're going to see in new york. and it's a good team. it's a great -- mark on the measuring stick for our team. >> all right. so the caps do have a goalie issue. michael know avert did not travel to new york with the team after injuring his lower body thursday night against the panthers. looked like he was in pain there. the caps' goalie did see a doctor yesterday. the good news, he took part in an off-ice workout today at kci. brandon who came in on thursday will make the start today against the rangers. now to some nba. the wizards have ten games left. based on these last few days, you have to wonder, just how they're going to get through them. they've lost three games in the last three days. so there's probably not a whole lot of gas left in the tank. but the silver lining, if there

is one, is that the next team they play is the worst in the league, the charlotte bobcats. last night in new jersey, the site of the wizards last road win, which was back on march 21st. after starting the first quarter, 0 for 7, the wizards break through jordan crawford up to john wall. wall had a team high. later in the quarter, nets up 13. they go inside to the former turf. williams off the glass for two. and williams, he wasn't done just yet. under 30 seconds to go in the first half. williams a little up and under action. 7 for 7 from the field. he goes for a career-high 14 points. fourth quarter, nets up 18. gerald green drives, liftoff. new jersey wins 110-98. the wizards have now lost 11 of their last 12. a quick update on the third round of the masters. peter hanson is your clubhouse leader at 9 under par.

he shoots a 65 today. and how about phil mickelson? he has a 6 under 66 and is in second place now at 8-under par for the tournament. that would be great to see phil win this tournament. >> it would. and tiger is out of contention, realistically. >> yes, tiger is back. but you never know. you never count tiger out. you always have that final round. i still don't do that. >> probably a good plan. >> yes. >> amber, thank you very much. chuck, see you both at 11:00. hope to see you at 11:00. "nightly news" is next. have a good evening.