>> a nation mourns. >> we will get back on our feet. we will survive this. ♪ >> a community comes together. >> this is the time that we need to pray. >> tonight, the latest on that real-life madness at the movies. >> i looked to see m girlfriend. she tells me, i'm hit. >> where the true heroes were flesh and blood. >> he saved your life. >> i can't even say how grateful i am for that. >> among the victims, a sailor, a single mom, and 6-year-old girl. the investigation, how easy was it for him to get those weapons? >> how long for the background check? >> about a half hour.

>> a doctor from columbine back on the front lines. >> not again. can't happen again. >> from survivors, an anguished question. why? >> and prayers for the strength to move on. >> how can you share this with somebody and then not have them around anymore? >> tragedy in colorado. >> welcome back to "date line." i'm kate snow. we're here in aurora, colorado, not far from city hall, the site of a vijel to honor those injured or killed in the theater shootings early friday morning. the mass carry left 12 people dead and 58 injured. area hospitals are reporting 24 people are still hospitalized. nine of them still fighting for their lives in critical condition. president obama flew in just a short time ago.

his plan is not to attend the vigil, but to visit privately with the jrd, the grieving families and with local officials. we're expecting to hear from him later tonight and we'll have his remarks for you. it's been almost three days since the shootings at the theater in aurora. in that time, we've learned more about the victims, the survivors, and the young man accused. we've learned that in this summer of fantasy super heroes, the heroes here were very real. and the day began on an intimate note as family, friends, and strangers took comfort in fellowship and prayer. we begin tonight with savanna guthrie. >> there are more than a hundred churches in aurora, colorado. this morning, it was as if all of them were full. >> it's really difficult to be here after what happened last friday. >> at mississippi avenue baptist

church, pastor mitchell hamilton tried to make sense of the horror and the loss. >> you know, i've been asked a lot of questions in the course of this, whether it was the little child who was sitting in my office 10:00 friday morning with her mother, as she was weeping, almost uncontrollably. saying, pastor, why did my cousin die? >> with bowed heads and aching hearts, this city of 325,000 is struggling to absorb what happened at the cineplex on friday. >> joining me now live, the governor of colorado -- >> speaking on today's meet the press, colorado governor john hickenlooper said, his state is heart broken. >> i think it was hemming way who said the world breaks the fall, but afterward, we're stronger in the broken places. >> 12 people died. 58 injured. it could have been far worse. there were reports today the assault rifle jammed during the attack. >> we're getting through it, but

we still can't get into the mind of this twisted, delusional individual. >> it will be a long time before aurora can put this brutal tragedy behind it. and a long time, too, for jansen young. she lost her boyfriend john blunk in the movie theater that night. she's living with memories now, the clothes, the pictures, and the notes that he left behind. there is nothing easy about losing john, she says, except perhaps this, telling the world that he was a hero and that he saved her life. >> the movie starts. then all of a sudden something is happening. something is wrong. >> i thought a kid had come in and thrown a firework. >> but john knew. >> he knew. grabbed me and pushed me on the ground. i get down. he said get down and stay down. i was like why, you know.

>> when the shooting started, she said she still didn't understand what was happening, but john did. he'd been in the navy after all, served board the uuss nimitz. he pushed her under a seat for safety. he said someone's got a gun and they're shooting people. this is it, i'm going to die right here. >> but it was john who died. >> i was shaking him and trying to get him up and he wouldn't get up. i pushed his arm and shoulder up. i'm like, john, come on, and he wasn't moving. >> you had not very much time to process this, but in the hours that have passed, what do you make of the fact that he saved your life? >> i just love him so much. i can't even declare the amount of love i feel for him and how grateful i am for that. >> john was separated and remains an adoring father to his two children.

his wife shantel blunk. >> he needed to figure out his life. i needed to figure out mine. we talked about the future later, but it was always on good terms, always talking and i oflo you. >> he's unhappy that she left him that night not knowing for certain if he was dead. although many others were forced to do the same thing. >> jansen says she knew in her heart she was gone and she did the best she could for the man she loved. >> i can't even imagine a life without him. how can you share this with somebody and then not have them around anymore? >> john blunk wasn't the only hero that night. 27-year-old matthew mcquinn was at the movie with his girlfriend, the two were from ohio, moved to colorado to make a new life. like john blunk, matthew heard the gunman's shot and threw himself in front of his girlfriend, shielding her from harm.

samantha survived with a knee injury. matthew mcquinn died. they were heroes, but not super heroes. sometimes the good guys just couldn't protect their friends so matter what they did. >> it seemed like just like the world was just coming to an end. it was just this chaos. >> marcus weaver was at the movie with his friend rebecca wingo, a single mother. marcus says when the shots started flying, he grabbed rebecca and another woman and got them on the ground. >> i was like i'm going to get a bullet. >> and he did. weaver took two bullets to his arm. he realized rebecca had been hit too. when the shooting stopped, he says he tried to get her out of there. >> she had blood all over her face. completely unconscious. so i grabbed her on my left-hand side, trying to get her down the aisle. >> but he couldn't do it. so he laid her down and managed to escape himself. >> i figured if i could get out and get help, the police had to be on the way. >> for hours after, he told his story to anyone who would

listen, desperate to figure out what happened to his friend. >> i'm hoping that my friend rebecca is well somewhere. >> but on saturday his worst fears were realized. rebecca wingo's death was confirmed, she leaves behind two daughters. also among the dead, petty officer third class john larimer from crystal lake, illinois. >> he was an outstanding ship mate, a valued member of our navy team, and an extremely dedicated sailor. >> and jessica ghawghawi, the y woman with the fiery hair and the sassy spirit. >> you talk to anyone who knew her, her infectus attitude was loved by everyone. >> alex boik, alex sullivan, the bartender with the big heart and a big smile. today would have been his first wedding anniversary. staff sergeant jesse childress,

an air force reservist, 29 years old on active duty at aurora's buckley air force base. micayla medek. and this little girl, 6-year-old veronica moser-sullivan. this summer she learned to swim. today a community is learning to accept the horror of the past few days, to find the strength to comfort the grieving and to bury the dead. up next, an intense conversation with a man who was on the front lines that terrible morning, aurora police chief daniel oates.

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♪ >> since the first word of the massacre in aurora, we've been hearing the steady voice of the city's police chief, daniel oates. he's a 21-year veteran of the new york city police department and also served four years as chief in ann arbor, michigan before coming to aurora seven years ago. i sat down with him earlier today. >> shooting at century theaters. 14300 east alameda avenue. they're saying someone is shooting in the auditorium. >> i want to go back to friday morning, just after midnight, first calls start coming in, hundreds of calls. >> i've not had time to slven to

the tapes, except what i've heard on the media. it's all very compelling. >> people running out of the theater that were shot. >> set up a policy limerimeter e entire mall. >> it's hard to listen to those tapes. >> very hard. >> the one that hits me, the one that says, i've got a child victim. we now know veronica is her name. do you know if one of your >> yes. yes. and i've met with that officer, and we're all coping with this. >> i need a marked car behind the theaters sable side. >> we knew early on that we had apprehended a suspect, that was fairly clear. >> they're saying, we got a guy

all in black armor, mask, long guns are mentioned. >> right. >> this guy is armed to the teeth when you take him down. to see that the outfit wasn't quite right and they challenged him. but i'm so proud of them for what they were able to identify. he surrendered immediately. and thank god for that. >> did he say anything? >> we're not discussing admissions. i will tell you that based on what he told us, we were concerned about his apartment. >> some shouting now. >> james holmes' apartment, we know he had loud music playing. we've heard maybe it was on a timer set to play around midnight. the question i have, is did he start playing loud techno music to draw a cop call and therefore

set off all the booby traps there were laid out? >> i understand the theory, but we can't possibly know what he intended to do right now. i've been told by the bomb experts that had someone opened the door, it would have triggered the device and would have killed or severely injured who opened the door and would have started a very big fire. that would have been a big challenge for our fire department. >> if that happened before the theater incident, that could have diverted a lot of your resources? >> potentially, yes. two simultaneous crises at once. >> this area has been through three major shootings in the last 13 years. >> this law enforcement community and the larger community, was shaped by columbine in a way that i'm not sure people realize around the rest of the country. we practice and practice and situations. we were all ready and vigorous in that training and we will be even more so. >> do you have a wife and kids, chief? >> i do. my daughter was at the premiere

of batman in another theater. >> i didn't know that. same theater complex? >> no. another theater. and i've talked to quite a few friends who would say the same thing about their children. >> as you sit here now, do you think you have a strong case against mr. holmes? do you think you will have a strong case? >> we will convict him. yes. >> chief daniel oates talking to us today. a guiding instinct and a split-second decision turning a man into a hero. one family's gripping story when we come back. e's stressing abous

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♪ >> here in aurora, colorado, we're getting more vivid details now from people who survived that dark night. we heard a number of gripping stories, but none more remarkable than the one you are about to hear. ann curry spoke with michael white at the hospital, and his story is one of courage, survival and the unbreakable bond of family. >> very angry. that someone would come into a theater and do harm to people. >> michael, a 33-year-old middle school security worker was with his girlfriend. his dad and his a group of relatives and friends seated on the right-hand side of the movie theater. >> you had a row for your family

and friends, excited to see this movie. >> yeah. we were all having a good time. you know, laughing, joking around. 15 or so minutes into the movie, all of a sudden, i see something get thrown across the room. it sounded like -- i kind of thought it was a balloon. >> then the sound changed. >> then all of a sudden just bangs. i heard people around me, saying, it's fireworks. >> that's what i'm thinking. >> but michael's father, the u.s. air force veteran saw danger. >> i saw a ricochet off one of the seats. and i realized that this guy is shooting real bullets. and that was the point where i grabbed them by the head and told him, get down, get down. >> my dad yells, get down. >> i'm stunned. fall to the ground. i hear this loud ringing in my ears, smelling like gun powder. >> it was all so close, he says. so was the gunman. michael says his group was about

eight rows up from where the masked man was shooting. >> for many people, there was one moment, one sound, that doesn't go away. that keeps coming back again and again. >> that would be just that gunfire. i keep hearing it over and over again, just seeing like the flash, you know, coming from the gun too. >> and with that sound, panic took over. and worse. >> people were screaming, getting up and running out. more shots are being fired. i look and see my girlfriend, she's laying there, tells me, i'm hit, i'm hit. >> sarah had been shot in her side, her wounds extremely severe. >> michael's father immediately stepped in. >> my dad takes off his shirt, applying pressure to her. i see her holding her side.

and she's in a great deal of pain. my dad's telling her, stay down, keep down. and the gunman came closer. >> i guess my dad noticed him reloading. still there with my girlfriend. i'm holding her intestines in, just to make sure that she's going to be okay. >> trying to keep her alive? >> yeah. i told her it was going to be okay. she was like, i don't want to die, i don't want to die. >> but you didn't know if it was going to be okay. >> no. >> in the hysteria of the all, he didn't notice something else. >> i didn't notice i was shot. the bullet came into my shoulder and hit one of my lungs and made a broken rib, and exited out my back. the guy is still shooting. just like shot after shot. i know i'm not low enough. i could get shot in the head, maybe shot in the head. so i'm trying to do what i can

to make sure she's okay and staying alive. >> adedding to the total chaos, the scenes of horror, mixed with sounds and images from the film. the movie is still playing. people were like, turn off the movie, turn on the lights. as the gunman climbed towards them, michael's dad inched closer to sarah. >> i said i'd give up my body to save her. >> your father laid across your girlfriend to protect her? >> to protect her. >> yes to to tell her to be quiet? >> yes. >> that seems heroic. >> yes. he's a great guy. >> he was spraying just gunfire on the row. it was like he was never gonna run out. when i saw what he was doing, i told myself, you know, i'm going to get shot. this guy is going to shoot me. i thought that i was going to die.

what i said, if he gonna shoot me, i'm not gonna let him shoot her. >> when the gunman was two rows away from the family, he abruptly changed directions and that's when michael sr crawled to police and got help for michael and sarah. worry more than a day after the rampage, he had few details about the fate of his family and friends. >> i saw a few of them laying down when the cops showed up. >> all survived? >> i'm not sure. but they said out of the whole row of us, i think they said, like six or eight of us were shot. >> how could one man shoot so many? >> i don't understand. >> police are wanting answers from him. what is your question? >> why?

i mean, what's going on in your life to the point where you want to hurt other people? >> how is your girlfriend? >> she's in surgery right now. they said she had to get her spleen and kidney removed. she's got some other surgeries, i think, up to three more. >> do you believe your girlfriend will survive? >> yes. >> have you thought about what you'd like to say, what you want to do when you see her again? >> i just want to hold her, just assure her that she made it, that she's okay. and that i'm okay. but i really do miss her right now. >> hours after he spoke with us, his wish came true. at last, he was re-united with sarah.

>> i saw the smile on her face. he held her hand. she looked down at the clip board and tried to write a message to him. and kept looking at him, then she'd get a smile on her face. then at one time, she went -- she came from the unconscious and blew him a kiss. to see the joy of that, to me, that was the definition of actually true love. >> no one can really understand what you've gone through, except the people who were in that theater. >> i thank you for everybody's support and the concerns and prayers. it goes out to not just me,by my girlfriend and all the families, everybody else that was in that theater. >> you're saying the prayers of strangers matter to you? >> yes. a whole lot.

>> a choir has started singing at the prayer vigil. when we come back, we'll have the latest on james holmes as we investigate the arsenal of guns and explosives he got a hold of. how hard are they to come by? you might be surprised. ♪ well... rio vista?!! [ male announcer ] ...lost. introducing the musically enhanced htc one x from at&t. rethink possible. [ male announcer ] nothing will keep you from magnum. silky vanilla bean ice cream and rich caramel sauce

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>> he wasn't a criminal. he was just a guy who kept to himself. we may never upon about james holmes allegedly shot all those people, but we learned a lot more about how he might have done it, the guns, the explosives, the booby trap, how hard is it to accumulate and assemble such a deadly arsenal. >> law enforcement fishes scoured his apartment today. looking for evidence, trying to make up for lost time. authorities told "dateline," they found an important piece of evidence, a desk top computer which may hold the answers to why and how holmes went on his rampage.

but it took them nearly two days just to get in because of the deadly booby trap holmes set for the first person who entered. >> make no mistake. this apartment was designed, i say, based on everything i've seen, to kill whoever entered it. >> they disarmed it, including a trip wire. they used a remote control robot to enter the apartment, set off a special charge that exploded and sprayed water to dampen and secondary explosions or fires. >> they had this type of robot >> the sheriff's department uses a similar robot. >> it's a necessary tool, saves lives, 100%. >> he showed us how they would use it to investigate. >> it will take trip wires out, can disassemble a package.

>> and of course it's also equipped with a camera. back in colorado, once the robot had safely disarmed the boby trapped apartment, investigators took the devices to an isolated location and detonated them. investigators are looking for any evidence that might explain how he learned to construct his bombs. internet and it's not difficult to see why. >> let's begin. you can find science on the internet like this one that explains how to build a trip wire with fishing line. apparently even a child can do it. on another site, you can find out how to build a bomb out of gun powder. >> show you how to make a small home-made explosive -- >> but the bomb he's talking about building is not child's play. >> when this whole thing explodes, it insinerates. tiny chunks of metal go everywhere. >> police suspect he didn't just

use the internet to build the bombs, but may have used it to buy the materials as well. >> we become aware that our suspect over the last four months, had a high volume of commercial deliveries of packages to both his work and home address. >> police said holmes received about 90 shipments over the last four months to his apartment and to his lab at the medical school. and it wasn't just bomb-making materials he was getting. >> remember all that armor police say he was wearing? >> ballistics helmet, tactical vest. here's a receipt showing he paid more than $300 for just some of his gear. law enforcement say he bought most of his armor and tactical gear on ebay. sources say he bought ammo from bulk ammo.com. and the guns, the smith &

wesson, and the remington model, the glock 40 caliber handgun. he may have spent thousands of dollars on his arsenal. how could he come up with that kind of money? authorities know he bought his guns over the counterat local sporting goods stores upon remember, he had no criminal record and was able to purchase all of his guns legally. >> gun laws are different state to state. new york had a lengthy waiting period, up to six months, even with a clean record. here in colorado, it's a different story. yesterday we asked a freelance photographer and colorado resident to go along when he purchased the gun. >> we wanted the purchase to be as real and normal as possible, so we recorded it with hidden cameras. >> he went to the same gander mountain sporting goods stores where james holmes purchased one of his guns. >> ar-15. >> he's buying the same type of

assault weapon holmes allegedly bought at another store and used in the deadly attack. first the clerk said he'd need a background check. >> how long does it take for the background check? >> about a half hour. >> how many can i buy? >> oh, how many do you want to buy? >> oh, really, i could buy like three. >> i could sell you ten if we had them. i don't think we do. >> under colorado law, he could have bought as many guns as he wanted. there's no limit. remember, james holmes had a hundred-round clip on his gun. what's the most, like the biggest clips i can buy? >> 30 here, i think. >> even the clerk couldn't seem to figure out why he'd want a clip larger than 30 rounds. >> what you gonna use it for? >> more ammo, right? less time to reload. >> getting all the prairie dogs? >> dot paperwork.

what do i have to do to buy this? >> do you have a driver's license, correct address, that hasn't expired. >> then he filled out the paperwork. he answered several questions, including, have you ever been convicted of a felony? >> no. have you ever, ever been committed to a mental institution? no. a little more than an hour later he was back to pick up his gun. the cost, $1,079.99. and there was one final check. >> my driver's license? >> actually, yes. just want to make sure it's you picking up your gun. >> about two hours later, he walked out with his gun. >> this is the assault rifle. the bottom line is, gander sports a its employees followed the colorado state law to a tee. >> yeah. >> they did everything right here. >> exactly. i'm sure all the gun stores do the same thing. >> and he wasn't suspicious at

all that you were purchasing this? >> not at all. >> should he be? >> layter the company issued ths statement, saying they're cooperating fully with the investigation into the shooting. the company also said it operates in strict compliance with all local, state, and federal laws regarding firearms ownership. we send our thoughts and prayers out to those affected. >> chris hansen is here with me in aurora. this is a stunning story, stunning to see how easy it is and that's the law, it's legal. you saw a tape today that shows us the arsenal that holmes had in his apartment. >> it was absolutely chilling. i got to view the law enforcement videotape that was taken inside holmes' apartment before the bomb was actually taken apart. and i can almost see it like i'm watching the videotape now. >> tell us what you see. >> in the middle of his living

room are dozens of black, softball shaped firework shells that he bought, filled with explosive powder. they're all over the place. in the middle, there are two jars ul full of liquid, wires all over the place. there was a box with a red blinking light. a mechanical camera hands over and on top of the glass table, you see this water cooler jug half full of bullets. then you pan down, and you see this blacks box with another red blinking light. the camera goes over and there are two chairs, one has a jar apparently with fluid, the other is another black box. then there are green soda pop bottles filled with fluid all the way around. >> soda bottles? >> yes. then the camera pans out and you see the actually trip wire made of fishing line. >> across the front door? >> it goes from the bomb to where the door is about two to three feet off the ground.

>> so as the police chief said, it was rigged to explode with the door opening? >> it was very sophisticated. he'll be arraigned on monday. >> this is the first time we'll see james holmes tomorrow. >> live in court. >> thanks so much. >> an er doctors haunted by memories of columbine, rushes in to save the young victims of this gunman. his story when we come back. [ male announcer ] want the most enjoyment from your home entertainment? here's the perfect solution. switch to a verizon fios triple play and upgrade your entertainment equipment with our 100% fiberoptic network and whole home solution, including a high-speed wireless router, plus a new multi room dvr and new hd set top box free for 12 months. hurry. switching has never been easier with the fios whole home solution.

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has to do with the tragedy that happened not far from here, which as we all know was at columbine. here's keith morrison. >> reporter: he was deep in another world when it happened. sleeping the sleep of the exhausted. one in the morning when they called chris caldwell. >> it took a couple seconds because i had been working all day. >> dr. caldwell is director of emergency medicine downtown. >> so it took a minute to register. >> and then, the flashback. >> then, yeah, i started to relive a little bit of what had happened in columbine, the initial response of, not again. can't happen again. here. >> reporter: columbine, a view miles away, in another denver suburb, the memory in his own head. dr. kol wel was sent right to

the hospital that time, forced himself to focus. >> afterwards is when it impacted the most. when i went through it, at the end of that day and declared the kids that were dead, we had to pronounce them dead and when we were doing it, it was kind of -- this is the situation. this is i estimate a 15-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the head. move on. and do the job. and it wasn't until later that night when i got home that it really, the emotional part hit and you kind of let that scene sink in. it never really did sink in this a way that -- it's still, to this day is something -- >> reporter: you don't forget a scene like that. >> i don't think i could ever forget that. >> reporter: it was a terrible event, but it was for dr. colwell, for the whole country, a necessary teaching moment.

helped them improve systems of care in addition wide. >> had the opportunity to lecture on a national level. everybody said, columbine, wow, that means it could happen anywhere, anytime. >> reporter: get ready? >> get ready. >> as he rushed downtown, it was the lessons of columbine on his mind, reaction, organization, focus. >> i think in many ways i'm blessed that i can focus on, okay, what's the job to do? we've got a job to do. we know what we need to do in this. >> reporter: in a way, you're able to say, okay, all those things i've been saying about being ready -- >> here's our chance. here's another opportunity to enact it. >> reporter: here at the trauma center, he assembled a team that could handle something big. how big, he just didn't know. but as the awful night wore on, denver health medical, farther

away from the movie theater than other trauma centers, were spared the worst of it. >> we saw seven patients, six from the scene and one in transfer. >> shattered by big caliber bullets. >> if what we saw was an example of the rest of these injury, there will be some that will recover very quickly and won't have any long-term physical scars from this. there will be others that will be dealing with these injuries for a long time. and perhaps in some cases for the rest of their lives. >> reporter: but here, always and certainly after what happened at the movie, they go about their business focused on fixing the damaged. but rez lieuly not about who did it, not about why. no philosophical questions here. not the time. >> and so, they're coming in, i'm taking care of them. they have an injury that i can focus on. and i don't have to ever sit back in the middle of the shift and say, why did this happen? how did this come to be? we don't really have time until

the very end of the shift when we're all done and everything's taken care and gone home. then we'll so tired to go to bed. you get up and do it again the next day. >> like friday morning 1:00 a.m. when the doctor woke up to that phone call. sure enough it was lessons from columbine that helped them all deal the other night with chaos and trauma. especially him. this doctor who sees so intimately the daily carnage we inflict on ourselves. >> we'll get gunshot wounds most every shift. >> reporter: violence is always an undercurrent in this line of work? >> violence really is an undercurrent. >> reporter: he's become a father in the years since columbi columbine. >> i'm already nervous that my oldest is 12, he'll be 16 in four years. i see what 16-year-olds are doing when they're driving. so my first response is, my son, our children aren't driving

until they're 24. then you reach a point where you say, i'm not going to be governed by fear. >> reporter: no, but after a long shift, after the massacre at the movie theater -- >> i didn't get home till late. the kids were in bed. i woke them up and gave them a particularly tight hug. it shouldn't be a tighter hug because of this. it is. but it shouldn't be. it should be that every time. every time i come home, i should feel that privileged to say i can go home to my family. and not everybody gets to do that. >> hug your kids. >> exactly. it's a lesson. >> the lessons that they learned, he's been spreading those lessons since columbine? >> preaching it around the country. and more cities are ready for this kind of event, which could happen anywhere, than they ever have been before. but this city, to see the difference between columbine, in the way the hospitals reacts, the police reacted, the media

reacted, and now, is night and day. >> these people were extraordinary. >> if this happened in another city, you m.d. hope it would be handled the same way, but you're not sure. >> certainly better than it would have been, all about organization and making the resources work properly. and that word, focus. focus on a specific thing. >> you mentioned the media you think we have learned from columbine too. >> we ran around trying to psycho analyze the shooters. we got it wrong. >> in the initial hours? >> yeah. >> and those wrong answers have lived on in myth. so now i think everybody wants to be careful about how we approach this. >> right. taking a breath before we draw conclusions. thanks so much for your reporting. >> when we come back, what do you do, what do you tell your kids when something like this happens?

>> the kind of nightmare that's occurred here in aurora, colorado is supposed to happen in the movies, not at the movies. so when children hear about something like this, what do you tell them? here's natalie morales. >> the young one is 12 years old, really desrout. he was freaking out during the

shooting. >> amid the gunfire, i a survivor tries to comfort a child. >> i was trying to calm him down, telling him everything was going to be all right, telling myself the same thing. >> and now across the country, parents struggle with how to comfort their own children about a tragedy that happened in the kind of place that for kids has always been considered safe. a movie theater. >> you want to be open, so that your child feels they can talk to you about whatever is bothering them about it. but you want to be calming. >> this psychiatrist says parents might need to do more talk. >> letting them talk, but also giving them coping skills. taking deep breaths, going for a run, something distracting, something that has nothing to do with any of this. >> if your child does start asking question, how much you should say, depends on his or

her age. >> they're going to be teenagers who obviously are going to ask questions. i think it's reasonable to answer those questions. but young children do not need to hear the nitty gritty. my child happened to see new coverage of this. how would you approach talking to an 8-year-old about what he saw? i would say, i know that you're aware of this and i wonder what you're feeling about it and if you have any questions about it. >> i wouldn't bring up stuff he's not asking about. i wouldn't offer details that he hasn't inquired about. >> parents, if you're wor worried your child's traumatized by this shooting, look for warning signs. >> if your child is having difficulties sleeping, if they're having an appetite change, if you see a change in functioning at school, pulling away from friends, not wanting to leave home, having more difficulty concentrating on works, maybe get this some sort of treatment. >> parents, if you're feeling

fear or anxiety, it's okay to let your children know that. >> violence is frightening and it's okay to be afraid. you also want to let them know, you have it in perspective. while this is scary, it didn't happen to you and you're going to be okay. >> because this shooting happened in a movie theater, some kids may be feeling some anxiety about going to the movies. what do you do as a parent? >> i think initially if your child has some anxiety, you don't need to push your child to go to the movies right now. ultimately you wouldn't want your child to develop a pattern of avoidance. >> most importantly is letting your child know that an incident such as this is incredibly rare, even more rare, she says, than being struck by lightning. have them do the math. >> how many movie theaters are in your community, in the state, in this nation? how many hours are they showing a different film and have we ever heard of this happening before? no. when you give your kid that kind of perspective, it will help him

to know, we really don't have to be afraid. >> great information for those of us who have children. finally, images we'll never forget of a city coping with a weekend of tragedy and just now beginning to heal. ♪ >> hundreds of people running around. somebody's still shooting inside theater number nine. ♪ >> those words we keep hearing over and over again, crazy, disgusting, angry, people are in disbelief that this could actually happen. ♪ >> these young people who saw these images that were real, they weren't on the screen.

♪ >> obviously there are no words that can express the intensity of this tragedy, our hearts are broken. we think about the families and friends of the victims of this senseless tragedy. ♪ what means the most to us now are those who are around us, our family, our children, our spouses, our neighbors. >> we're just now trying to get our arms around it, get our minds around it. but we're going to make it. we're resilient. we seem to know how to band together at a time like this.

♪ >> in the process of healing, there will be friendships made, there will be people who understand that they can trust each other. >> there was a real-life villain, and there are real-life heroes that are stepping up and that are making this something that's an opportunity for people to grow and for people to be inspired. >> hundreds of people here now for this prayer vigil tonight. we'd like to thank the people of aurora for their kindness in the face of this terrible tragedy. we'll have much more from colorado tomorrow on "today."

that's it for this hour of "dateline." for lester holt and all of us at nbc news, thank you for being with us. antisocial, so i was really aggressive with my parents about joining facebook. my parents are up to 19 friends now? so sad. ♪ i have 687 friends. this is living. what!? that is not a real puppy. that's too small to be a real puppy. [ male announcer ] venza. from toyota.

>> that's undoubtedly the favorite to win gold come london time. don't miss the olympics on nbc. >> let's go. >> strap yourself in and hold on to every body part you want to keep. >> being crazy and pushing the limits. >> you're falling 120 miles an hour. >> because this is gonna get

extreme. >> there was no out. >> these guys are thrill-seeking, death-defying, adrenaline addicted and sometimes down right crazy. >> i'm alive. >> the skydiver at nose-bleed altitude with over-the-top attitude. >> your survival instincts kick in. >> the scuba diver who was gonna be dinner. >> the snowboarder who was stoked when the mountain moved. >> i really thought i could be faster than the avalanche. >> the surfer riding a mountain at sea. >> it felt like a ton of bricks landed on me. >> they stare down danger and defeat it. >> in the blink of an eye, i could have been dead. you got it, you got it. the thrill of it is hard to describe. >> you'll be wondering, how did they survive this? >> i can't believe that i'm still alive after that. camera?

extreme escapes, caught on tape. >> thanks for joining us, everyone. i'm lester holt. so you think you get wild on the weekends. you're about to see some of the most amazing moments of athletic adventure ever caught on tape. more than extreme, they're white-knuckle, life and death situations. danger is just the start of this. you'll watch this, but still you won't believe these guys escaped alive. like the base jumper who leaps from bridges and buildings, just about everything else. the day he decided to try a new trick off a sheer ledge, turned out to be one crazy cliff-hanger. >> ready, set, let's go! ♪ >> my name is ted davenport. i'm a professional skier and base jumper. i've jumped all over the world. i've base-jumped in yurm, the united states, new zealand. the thrill of it is hard to describe.

you're falling towards the earth. it's that feeling of not being in control but being in control. there's kind of a balance. you're really close to possibly not living, but you are living. ♪ >> sports that involve a high amount of risk usually have a really high pay-off. they're usually incredibly exciting and give you a lot of thrill and put a big smile on your face. i was in colorado with two very close friends and we were gonna jump off one of our most favorite spots, 800-foot cliff, that has a really flat takeoff. >> you're there, you're there. i'm right here. >> we had everything planned out days before. we talked about this jump, what we were going to do. we even practiced what kind of trick i would do. >> how far behind are you going? >> a second or two. >> what kind of separation we would have, what order we would land, all that.

we were very safe in our planning. >> how about it? >> let's do this. >> we had a great feeling, high fives, getting excites. before every jump, big smiles, feeling stoked and ready to go. >> let's do it, ready, set, let's go! >> i was attempting a trick that i had never done before on a cliff. the trick i was doing was called the sashimi roll, it's an off access double front flip. >> i knew something was wrong within a couple seconds. i started to go upside down, backwards, facing the wall, completely unsafe gliding position to pull the parachute. >> a lot of things were going through my head, mainly just make it through this, get the parachute out, get through this, you got it, you got it, live, live, live. so i flipped back over, turned

away from the wall, the ground was coming at me, incredibly fast. i was pretty sure that this was going to end badly and right as the ground is coming up to me, i opened my para shoot and within about a one-second before i could even really know what's happening, bang, i hit the ground. i hit with such force, even with my body armor, i knew that something could be potentially wrong. something felt internally messed up. >> i'm alive. i think i'm pretty hurt, though. >> i started to cough up blood. pain in my stomach and lower back. i realized i might have a serious injury. and we need to call for a rescue. >> i'm coughing up a lot of blood. >> luckily there was a team of blackhawk helicopters that were in the area doing a training exercise.

they responded to the call and within about 40 minutes, they were on scene, lowering a soldier down, lifting me into the helicopter. fortunately i only sustained a couple broken ribs, some second half bruised lungs. that was why i was coughing up the blood. a bruised back, and i walked out of the hospital the next day. i've jumped all over the world since that accident. i'm more focused on really smooth jumps. in hindsight, i was incredibly lucky. >> okay, how's this for extreme? it was a perfect colorado day and snowboarder heather mac was totally blissed out. blue skies, fresh powder, sunshining at her back. then came the avalanche nipping at her heels.

>> we love the mountains. our whole families. we raised our kids in the back country. >> it's a place for us to unwind and enjoy nature to its fullest. >> when you're out there, it's soft, in your face, really an amazing experience. ♪ >> my name is heather mac. >> my name is ben mac, and i am heather's husband. if you're in the back country, it would be fresh snow, mountains, you would not see any sort of civilization, no technology, no chair lifts, no automobiles, nothing. the flip side is it can be a very deadly and dangerous place as well. you have to be aware of your surroundings and know that nature can come tumbling down behind you. >> we had some friends ask us if we wanted to go to the back country at jones pass. it was beautiful. it was sunny. it was cold. >> we had unbelievable powder

turned to fresh snow all day. sunshine. couldn't be any better. >> so it was about 1:00 in the afternoon, i remember we just hiked up this huge mountain. yeah, it was my turn to drop in. >> immediately, the entire cornis fractures. >> go, go, go, go! >> soon as i heard him yell, i knew that something had gone wrong. i do remember realizing that it was a lot of the mountain. there was no out. i couldn't go left. i couldn't go right. it just felt like it was coming so fast. >> i was absolutely terrified. time froze. all i could think of was for her safety. >> i definitely remember like, you just don't have time, you

just need to like go straight. you need to go straight, ride out of this. i really thought i could be faster than the avalanche. >> all i could see was snow behind heather. i could hardly see heather at that moment. i was terrified and all i could think of, was, please, please make it, heather. i was able to see heather come out of the bottom of the slope, and when i saw she was ahead of the avalanche, i knew she was safe. >> it was flat. i knew i outran it. i just remember my friends had their hands in the air, and they were hooting and hollering. i was overwhelmed by everything. if it would have caught me, i can't even imagine. >> i gave her a big hug and a kiss and told her how much i loved her. she outran it perfectly.

she was totally smooth. had there been one mistake, it could have cost her her life. >> i was really happy to be walking away that day alive. >> coming up, chaos at the surfing contest. because t. the crowd who's in danger. >> i see the powerful ocean coming right at me. >> and later, a ride on a wave eight stories tall. >> this big mountain of white water came. i knew if i made any mistakes, it could be my last. >> when extreme escapes caught on tape continues. >> go to "dateline" nbc/chat line. we want to hear what you have to say. chat line, it's a whole new way to "dateline." you need it most.

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>> you never know what kind of adventure you're in for at a rodeo. take the day that the popstars, the jonas brothers were about to go on stage at the houston live stock show and rodeo, the largest rodeo in the world. the fans were already screaming, but it had nothing to do with those singing siblings. ♪ >> my family and i were going to the rodeo that day. ♪

>> first they have the rodeo, which is a lot of fun. then you have a major act. >> we went to the rodeo to watch the jonas brothers and demi lova lovato. the parking lot was full of kids. >> i see all these people running and i figured maybe they saw the jonas brothers. but they kept looking back and i had to take a second take, like what was that? then i saw this big black bull running like wild. >> i just looked out my camera and started rolling. next thing you know, the bull was coming toward us. >> and the bull kept bucking back and forth and zig-zaging. people were juching back. mothers with children were screaming and turning around and running and panicking. i just froze and with my older cousin, she started yelling at me to start running. then i finally snapped back to reality and started running with her. and i couldn't find my mom, so i was really scared about that.

and then i saw the bull get this lady and she fell flat on the ground. >> i was really afraid that she was hurt very severely, because he knocked her flat on her back, and she did not get up at that time. >> there was fear, panic. people were just taking cover, grabbing their children and taking cover. >> at that point, i was absolutely horrified because i thought people were going to get killed. it didn't look like there was anybody doing about. but then i saw a cop running and trying to get the bull and one actually started to try to taser the bull. >> that's like swatting an alligator with a fly swatter. just made it more angry. >> here comes a cowboy. he'll take care of this. watch this. >> the cowboys actually came in right on time. and they come riding out fast and they go and rope him. next thing i know, they're coming back with the bull.

>> they got that bull. >> when we got back together, thank goodness nobody was really, really hurt. >> with all those children in that parking lot, there could have been a lot more mayhem, a lot more injury. perhaps even death. a cop with a taser gun does not do the trick with a bull. and without a cowboy, that bull would have done a lot more damage. >> they got that bull. they got that bull. >> my word of advice, when you go to a jonas brothers concert, watch out for screaming fans and bulls. >> california, the king of surfing culture, and the mavericks is the king of surfing contests. thousands come to watch the best surfers in the world. but one day stands out because when the surf was up, it was way up. even those watching found themselves catching one extreme wave. >> my fiance and i had decided

to take turns at who was responsible for valentine's day. this was his year. it just so happened that mavericks was going to be held. >> it is one of the biggest surf wave competitions in the world. she was enthusiastic, excited. she never saw a big-wave competition before. >> the mavericks event attracts 24 of the biggest names in big-wave surfing. ♪ >> i recently took surfing lessons and was out venturing to the mavericks for that very reason, for my interest and passion in surfing. >> oh, tazy up and riding now. >> on the morning that mavericks was taking place, the ocean was quite turbulent. on occasion, a high tide surge would come up and get somebody's blanket or shoes a little wet. >> first and second waves got

people wet, let you know, there was probably more on its way. third wave was the shock and awe wave. >> took out a number of people. there were dogs that were lost. i filmed and watched it on the beach. it wiped out a lot of cameramen. at that point, i knew it was not the end of it. >> whoa! >> we decided, i think, you know, why don't we just go ahead and get off the beach. we were just starting to leave when we saw policemen coming down the beach, evacuating everybody. >> we're hearing this crowd yelling, run, run, run. part of you in your head is wondering who are they talking to? why are they yelling to run? and as i look over my right shoulder, i see the powerful ocean coming right at me and

more towards my feet. once my feet were taken out from under me, it was over with. >> you could just see big groups of people just getting swept away with this horrendous amount of water. took out all the tents. >> there was no control. you didn't have time to think about anything. because you didn't know which way was up. >> i just remember wondering, am i gonna drown? then, what am i gonna hit? the wave was in an area it wasn't supposed to be in. we weren't in the ocean. we were in the parking lot. >> i landed on a rock and some big guy landed on top of me. i was pinned down. >> i hit my elbow. and then my leg hit something very hard. the pain on impact was quite substantial to the point where i knew something was really,

really wrong. it wasn't until i saw my leg that that was confirmed. my foot was going in a direction it shouldn't go in. >> at that point, the water had receded. i was trying to find out where she was. there was a lot of people screaming, and hollering for help and medics. just a lot of chaos at that point. >> i noticed that dan wasn't anywhere around because i couldn't hear his voice. other people had come to my rescue to help move me away from some of that dangerous area. >> by the time i was able to get up and move, she had already had a whole bunch of people around her that were trying to help her and stabilize her foot. >> when i looked at him for the first time, i could tell he was in shock. and that probably what was going on with me was a little frightening. my foot was completely dislocated from my lower leg. if it wasn't for skin, i would

have lost my foot. it was quite traumatic. >> the thought of losing each other at that point brought us closer together. >> i realized, wow, in the blink of an eye, i could have had a head injury. i could have been dead. i could have lost my fiance. i wouldn't say this event has deterred my passion for surfing. you would have never found me surfing mavericks anyway. i didn't mean to catch a wave that day. >> coming up -- >> falling around 120 miles an hour. >> two daredevil skydivers, but only one working parachute. wait till you see how this one ends, when "dateline" continues.

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>> you can watch this next adventure over and over and you may do that with your remote control and still you'll be wondering, why is this man alive? >> i don't see myself as an adrenaline junkie. i feel like a regular guy. i've been skydiving since i was 17. about 7,000 jumps now. >> 15 now, jumps. >> we're working together now.

he's become a good friend. ♪ >> nice, warm day, skies are blue. >> little windy, maybe knots off the lake. >> the ride up, just normal goofing around. >> the aircraft climbs to 15,000 feet. red light comes on. get ready to go. green light, you get out. >> falling around 120 miles an hour. ♪ >> and that gives you one minute of free fall. i went to open my parachute. >> all hell broke loose. >> i opened my para choot, turned around. michael was spinning. >> it got snagged onto his harness. the size of the para shoot left up there was the equivalent of having an umbrella over your

head. >> spinning around, trying to figure out what was going on. spinning to the ground. >> you could see him fighting the g forces and trying to release the para chute. >> had a feeling like i'm giving up. >> what can i do? i can't do anything but watch. >> you keep fighting, keep trying, you can't just sit there and die. >> he's over the water, over the land. my god, what is he going to hit? >> dropped below a thousand feet. i went for my last option, pulling the reserve. once i realized that didn't work, i came to that point that i've got nothing else. so it was a more pennsylvania sort of feeling at that point knowing i'd done everything i could and realization that i'm about to die and this is real. after waving goodbye, i thought say something to the camera, so all that came out, was oh, i'm

dead and a quick goodbye. that was it. >> on impact, that's when i really got a sinking feeling. in my heart, i'm filming the death of my friend. main priority is just getting to him as soon as possible. so i got myself free of my parchute, called out to him. >> are you okay? >> as i got close toim had, still calling out his name, but he wasn't responding. so i thought he was dead or very close. that's when i started scrambling through the bushes, covered into thorns. the thorns are digging into my skin. i had to rip my way out and switch the pain off, you know. i could just see the pa. r achuto on top of the bushes.

i had a look down and there he was. >> talk to me, man. >> when i saw him there, curled up in a fetal position, i could see that he was breathing. it was a huge relief. >> it was painful, but it wasn't overwhelming. with so much adrenaline, the pain was the least of my worr s worries. >> hard to get a rescue in there. the paramedics cut through this and got them out. a collapsed right lung and broken ankle. i was in hospital for two weeks. i think maybe the black berry bushes slowed him down. ♪ >> for what happened to him, he's the luckiest man on earth, i reckon. >> coming up, swept out to sea.

>> huge winds, huge waves. i knew it was done. >> an eight-foot kayak, 30-foot waves, does he even stand a chance? >> which one was going to kill me? >> capsized, when extreme escapes caught on tv continues. [ ryan ] maybe just a short run today. [ man ] "the odyssey," by homer. book one. tell me, o muse... famous town of troy... book three. book 12. poseidon... book 17. book 20. thunderbolts. book 24. the end. [ ryan ] alright, what's next.

[ man ] chapter one. call me ishmael. some years ago... [ male announcer ] at&t. the nation's largest 4g network. rethink possible.

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>> john stockton sure wasn't expecting anything extreme. all he wanted was peace and quiet on vacation in hawaii. a few tranquil days alone, just a man and his kayak. what could go wrong? how about everything. >> when i was a child, i had this dream of being a boat captain. i spent most of my 20s full-time student, full-time teacher, really burned out on every level. i said i got the perfect idea to rest. i'm going to hawaii and getting a kayak to paddle the coastline. went ten miles the first day. i was so happy my smile hurt. the third day i came around this point that was way out. it just looked like a total storm scene. i immediately turned the boat

around and just started paddling for shore. i see this sheet of wind just tainting the water. within 30 seconds to a minute, i was being drug out to sea. i started feeling this kind of panic rise up. i'm holding on to this boat and shaking with himo thermia. huge winds, huge waves. in half an hour, i was five, six miles out of the channel. i knew i was done. i remember only parts of that night, 20-30 foot schweppes crashing down in the darkness. i was living in fear which one ofs going to kill me. i see the sun come out, and i'm 30 miles out into the channel. i had a liter of water. i had a couple little bags of dried beef jerky and pineapple which were spoiled by salt water. i began to paddle back to kona. i paddled all day, didn't see a boat. i paddled all night, literally

like 21 hours. i made it probably within ten miles of kona, and i had this big sigh of relief, like 4:00 in the morning. i'm going to make it. the next thing i remember, was waking up, realized that i totally passed out. i remember looking at this mountain and it looks far. i had a dry bag on the boat that had a cellphone in there. in the night i was so busy about trying to make the progress, i didn't even think about the cellphone. i saw one bar going on and off. it shocked me. i dialed 911 right away. >> what's your emergency? >> i don't know how much longer i'll have a signal. >> hello, hello, sorry i can't hear you. you need to call us back on another line. next time i got a hold of the coast guard. can you hear me? i'm 20 miles south of the big island. >> i could tell this guy was in trouble.

>> i originally capsized off mahukona. but i got swept away. >> do you have position? >> he was very helpful, saying we'll get a plane to you. you're looking for a red kayak. it's like looking for a needle in a hey stack, really. >> can you see land? >> yeah, i can see, i can see what looks like mauna kea. >> then the phone died. for the next two days, i drifted out, started to shrink. this is a special report from nbc news. >> i'm chris jansing in aurora, colorado. we are waiting for president obama to speak at the university of colorado hospital.

the president has been meeting with the families of the victims of friday morning's mass shooting at the local movie theater. 12 people were killed. 58 were wounded. here now is the president of the united states. we are still waiting for the president. let me bring in miguel almagear. we are learning people are still in the icu. >> we have been hearing stories of all of the victims that lost their lives. the youngest just 6 years old and the oldest, 51. they all had different stories. they were at the theater friday morning when the gunshots rang out. it has been a tough day for the community and victims of the families. the president has been hearing their concerns and now this community gathers about 5,000 people have come to the memorial to share their grief together with the large memorial.

>> this is a prayer vigil. it looks like 5,000 people. even more with an overflow crowd. >> it certainly is a huge audience out here. it will be a very moving tribute. >> in the background as we hear this joyful music that is coming from a local church group from the baptist church here, we are waiting for the president of the united states, who has surely had an emotional couple of hours spending time with families and hearing their deeply personal stories. just giving them the comfort. now, with his message to the nation, from the university of colorado hospital, let's go to the president of the united states who is approaching the podium to give some words after spending several hours on the ground meeting with these

families and meeting with these victims. 12 people who were killed and 58 who were injured. 24 still in the hospital. nine of them still in intensive care. and word that we got, sadly, from the mayor, just a little earlier today, that some of them are still facing a life threatening condition. it is so against that back drop of shock of the violence of what happened inside that movie theater of the absolute chaos that happened. of the word that the youngest victim was just 6 years old. the single mother among those who died. a 51-year-old father who had come with his two teenage daughters. he was a victim there. there were at least three men who literally stood in front of bullets and protected in two cases their girlfriends, and in

another case, a member of the military who was there with a friend of his from buckley air force base. she tells the story how she saved her life by protecting her. 24-year-old alex teves just earned his degree at the university of denver. 26-year-old alex sullivan, celebrated his birthday. miguel was talking to some of the families. >> we expected to hear from the president earlier today. he was delayed because he spent so much time with the families. he wanted to get to know them and hear their stories and be part of their lives. he was delayed a bit there. the other folks that were not able to meet with the president, but so affected by the stories have joined us for the memorial. we expected a couple of thousand people, but we have 5,000 people

here. they are hearing the stories of not just the victims, but survivors. they are rallying together. aurora, the third largest city in colorado. >> we saw someone who was able to meet with the president who was the brother of jessica ghawi. she grew up in texas. a big football state. she was known to be a hockey fan. she was a sportscaster. he was the first family member to come out and said i want people to know about my sister. i want people to know what was lost. he tweeted about how great it was for him to meet with the president and how he was so happy because the president had agreed not to mention the name of the shooter. we did get confirmation from the campaign that the president has agreed not to do that. miguel, you spent a lot of time in the community together. we see, obviously, the

tremendous response here with more than 5,000 people. in churches and diners. a local sandwich shop where they are collecting money. here now, after meeting with the families, the president of the united states. >> good afternoon, everybody. i want to begin by just thanking all the state, local and federal officials who have responded magnificently to this tragedy. governor hickenlooper, who has already been dealing with a range of natural disasters here in the state, has been an extraordinary example of strength. the mayor, who has only been on the job seven months, and obviously, has responded with

great strength and leadership. the police chief, who we had an opportunity to speak over the phone. chief oates has been dealing with as difficult a set of circumstances as any law enforcement officer deals with and he and his officers have done everything right and by the book with great courage and determination. we are very proud of them. i think i speak for the entire congressional delegation who is here as well. you know, scripture says that he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. and death shall be no more. neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away.

and when you have an opportunity to visit with families who have lost their loved ones, as i described to them, i come to them not so much as president, as i do as a father and as a husband. i think that the recent stories like this have such an impact on us is because we can all understand what it would be to have somebody that we love taken from us in this fashion. what it would be like and how it would impact us. i had a chance to visit with each family and most of the conversation was filled with memory. it was an opportunity for families to describe how wonderful their brother or their son or daughter was. and the lives that they had touched and the dreams they held for the future.

i confessed to them that words are always inadequate in these situations, but my main task was to serve as a representative of the entire country and let them know that we are thinking about them at this moment and we'll continue to think about them each and every day. and that the -- that the awareness that not only all of america, but much of the world is thinking about them might serve as some comfort. i also tried to assure them that although the perpetrator of this evil act has received a lot of attention over the last couple of days, that attention will fade away. and in the end, after he has

felt the full force of our justice system, what will be remembered are the good people. the good people who were impacted by this tragedy. and i also had a chance to give folks some hugs and to shed some tears, but also to share some laughs as they remembered the wonderful lives that these men and women represented. i also had a chance, fortunately, to visit folks who are going to be okay thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the staff of this hospital. i just want to thank everybody who has worked tirelessly here to deal with this tragedy. some of the stories are remarkable. you see young people who have come in and just two days ago or

36 hours ago or even 24 hours ago, it wasn't certain whether they would make it. now, suddenly, their eyes are open and they're alert and they're talking and it reminds you that even in the darkest of days, you know, life continues. and people are strong and people bounce back and people are resilient. particularly given the fact that so many of the victims were young. it is a great blessing to see how rapidly they are able to recover from some pretty devastating injuries. there's one particular story i want to tell because this was the last visit that i had. and i think it is representative of everything that i saw and heard today. i had a chance just now about five minutes ago to visit with

ally young. ally is 19 years old. i also had a chance to visit with ali's best friend, stephanie davis who is 21. stephanie was downstairs with ali and ali's parents when i walked into the room. i don't think this story has been heard. at least i hadn't read it yet. i wanted to share it with you. when the gunman initially came in and threw the canisters, he threw them only a few feet away from ali and stephanie, who were sitting there watching the film. ali stood up saying that she might need to do something or at least warn the other people who were there. and she was immediately shot. she was shot in the neck and it punctured a vein and immediately

she started spurting blood. and apparently, as she dropped down on the floor, stephanie, 21 years old, had the presence of mind to drop down on the ground with her, pull her out of the aisle, place her fingers over where ali had been wounded and applied pressure the entire time while the gunman was still shooting. ali told stephanie she needed to run. stephanie refused to go. instead, actually, with her other hand, called 911 on her cell phone. once the s.w.a.t. team came in, they were still trying to clear the theater. stephanie then with the help of

several others, carries ali across two parking lots to where the ambulance is waiting. because of stephanie's timely actions, i just had a conversation with ali downstairs and she is going to be fine. i don't know how many people at any age would have the presence of mind that stephanie did or the courage that ali showed. and so, as tragic as the circumstances of what we have seen today are and as heart breaking as it is for the families, it's worth us spending most of our time reflecting on young americans like ali and stephanie. because they represent what's best in us and they assure us that out of this darkness a

brighter day is going to come. to the entire community of aurora, the country is thinking of you. i know that there will be a vigil and an opportunity for everybody to come together. and i hope that all those who are in attendance understand that the entire country will be there in prayer and reflection today. so, thank you. god bless you. god bless all who helped to respond to this tragedy and i hope that over the next several days and weeks and several months, we all reflect on how we can do something about some of the senseless violence that ends up marring this country. but also reflect on all the wonderful people who make this the greatest country on earth.

thank you very much, everybody. >> the president also a father and husband recounting a remarkable story of heroism at the university of colorado hospital with the families and spent so much time with them. a message that out of the darkness will come a brighter day. also the vigil continues for tonight's victims. we will have continuing coverage on msnbc. we now return viewers on nbc stations to regularly scheduled programming in progress. i'm chris led programs in progr. this has been an nbc news special report. >> six-meter shark, about 17 or 18 feet long. it looked like a submarine. it was huge. they're really inquizative. i remember exhaling the bubbles out of my regulator.

the shark came up to the cage. you were a few inches away from the shark. it was really cool. at this point, this was the ultimate trip. you couldn't have scripted it better. the crew had this fish head tied on to a string. they would toss it out, coax the shark closer to the cage, so you could get some really good shots. usually they yanked it away and then the shark would swim off. in one circumstance, he tossed out the fish head. the shark managed to get a hold of it, so he couldn't pull it away. he's thrashing around, the guy couldn't pull the fish head out. next thing you know, bam, he hits this cage, spot o right in the opening. all of a sudden you see this huge head with just teeth inches its way closer and closer. it was crazy. next thing you know, we're on the bottom of the cage staring up.

it's thrashing back and forth. you could feel the cage swaying. you're surprised it just doesn't break apart. i have my hands on his nose. i'm looking into his mouth. you can see off the teeth. this just can't be happening. man, this is so surreal. boom, he gets close enough and knocks my regulator out of my mouth. looking up at this shark, no regulator in my mouth, realizing sooner or later i was going to die. i knew it was decision time. i had to get out of the cage or i'm going to drown, or the shark's going to bite me. he turned the right away, i shot out the cage. this other diver says, man, you saved my life. i was just going to stay there. you made a decision and got out

the side and it worked for you, so i thought i would try it. the reason why the shark was able to get his nose in the cage was on a prior dive some film crew was there. so they had pulled a bar out so they could swim in and swim out. they didn't put it back. they said, oh, you know, don't worry about it. the shark's not going to get in the cage. i can't believe that i'm still alive today, basically after that. hi nightmar i had nightmares, reliving this thing over and over again. just waking up, it's like wow, that was a very close call. >> an understatement. finally, check out this next guy. he had an ocean monster by the tail. he rode it right into the guinness book of world records.

pro surfer garet mcnamara was with his girlfriend when they saw it. the steel blue wall of water, 78 feet high and a hundred percent dangerous. ♪ >> my name is garrett mcnamara, and i just surf for a living. >> i grew up surfing. my father's a surfer. garrett is known for being crazy and maybe pushing the limits more than other people might, but there's something about him that i never worry about him when he's in the water, ever. >> i'm very comfortable in the ocean. i feel that i belong out there. i'm so fortunate and blessed that i get to travel the world and surf. >> we were at a little fishing village in portugal. >> there's a cliff that kind of sticks out into the ocean.

so whenever garrett is out surfing, i'm on the rocks, on the cliff, you could say. so i can see where the sets are coming. >> jet ski pat rolls into these giant waves. start going out. >> i knew that the decision of which wave to go on was going to be pretty imperative. >> he started to try to turn for the first wave. ij like, number two, number two. so then we go over the first wave. and there's this mountain coming at us. >> i could tell from the cliff that even if he were to have gone on the first one, and fallen on the first one, his chances of survival would be much less than the wave that he did choose. >> right as i let go of the rope, everything just seemed so perfect. as i'm going down, the chops

that are coming up the face are like moguls, and you got to watch where the board is hitting to make sure that you don't hit them wrong and fall. trying to keep your feet in the straps. the whole time, focusing on where is this wave going to go. got to the bottom, that's where the most critical part of the wave, deciding when to turn. i knew if i made any mistakes, it would be my last. i waited till the last second, and then turned, and this big mountain of white water came. it felt like a ton of bricks landing on me. kind of squashed me down. >> when you see that water fall on him, i was in my mind,

saying, hold on, hold on, hold on. >> somehow i stayed on my board. and then another mountain of white water came from behind like a train, just running me over. somehow i came through that. and then i landed out in the flat, and just kind of, oh, right on. >> it's a relief when he makes it out of the wave. >> this is the most dangerous wave i've surfed. >> i didn't surf it for a world record. it was just for the love of it. and whatever comes out of it, i'm so happy i get to surf every day. surfing is my life. ♪ >> you'll find more information about these stories at date line