an explosion tears through a crowded neighborhood. good morning everyone. i'm aaron gilchrist. i'm eun yang. welcome to "news4 today" for this wednesday, february 20th, 2013. we begin with breaking news with angie goff at the live desk. >> new revelations on coming out of the oscar pistorius hearing moments ago. police just testified that they found testosterone and needles for injecting in the olympian's home. this is him arriving in court today. we soon learned after this that he could face more charges for possessing an unlicensed handgun and ammunition. prosecutors detailed their case against the track star accused of killing his girlfriend saying the shots fired appear to be at a downward angle suggesting pistorius was wearing his prosthetics. the olympian's attorney maintains that he thought his girlfriend was an intruder. mipistorius hoping he'll be released on bail but prosecutors saying he's a flight risk. angie, thank you.

want to get a look at our forecast this hour. tom kierein is here with that. >> even though these are the waning days of winter, february is not giving it up yet. it's cold this morning. down near freezing most of the region. roadways have dried out. the pavement dried out overnight from yesterday's rain. right now, around the metro area, it's at or below freezing. including prince george's county, district of columbia. generally low to mid-30s there as well as near the chesapeake bay waters and the tidal potomac. windchills is the other big story. the winds are gusting to 20, 25 miles an hour. so our windchills this morning are down into the teens, low and mid-20s. most of the region. layer up, it's going to be near freezing through 7:00 a.m. wind gusting 20 to 25 and near 30 mile an hour gusts by noontime. by then, into the mid-30s. hometown forecast reston in fairfax county, only 35 degrees. a few clouds coming in with a gusty wind. i'm back with a look at the rest of the day. a look at traffic with danella. good morning. >> good morning.

in the first 4 traffic office, we're going to take a look at charles county, maryland. if you're traveling along local roads, 210 nice and clear. we'll shoot over if you're travel along 301 crane highway. even as you make the commute along 5 connecting to the beltway, prince george's county nice and clear. speaking of the beltway, live to the beltway at pennsylvania avenue. if you're traveling the inner loop and outer loop, very light volume in both directions. continuing the trip on the beltway from -- for pennsylvania avenue cross oing over the wilson bridge, your travel lanes are open. i'm back in ten minutes. aaron over to you. danella, thanks. new this morning, a man high on pcp under arrest for shooting and killing a man who was trying to pump gas. the shots were fired on branch avenue in hillcrest heights. prince george's county police say they crossed him a -- they tried to taser the suspect. that had no effect. not clear if the shooter knew the victim or if there was any

motive in the incident. that murder comes as prince george's county police are dealing with another student killed. the second in 24 hours and the sixth prince george's county student to be killed had year. megan mcgrath is live at the school with more on how the school is dealing with this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, eun. the murder of one student is a terrible situation, but here at suitland high school, they have seen two students gunned down in just a 24-hour period. investigators do not believe those cases are connected. however, they're part of a larger disturbing trend. six county students have been killed so far this year. the latest murder happened around 5:30 last night. an 18-year-old freshman here at suitland high school was shot in the parking lot of an apartment complex on donnell drive. a second person was also injured. that person is listed in fwraf condition at the hospital.

the murder comes 24 hours after the death of 15-year-old charles walker jr., also a freshman at suitland high school. he was killed over a pair of shoes he was carrying in a shopping bag. here at suitland high school, there will be increased security for the rest of the week. the staff will also have a closed door meeting later today. they're going to be talking about what's happened and how to best help the students cope with all of this. those grief counselors who were brought in after the murder of charles walker on monday, they will be staying at the school indefinitely. i should also mention that the identity, the name of the freshman who was killed last night has not yet been released by police. so far no arrests. reporting live from suitland high school, megan mcgrath, news 4. thank you. tony tull continues our live team coverage from prince george's county headquarters of the police department in palmer park with how the county and police are reacting to these shootings. tony. >> reporter: aaron, chief mark mcgraw, prince george's county police had a presser yesterday

saying he was reaching out to the school system and the prosecutors, the state's attorney's office for them to form a task force. no specifics on what that includes, but they want to reach out and figure out how to prevent some of the shootings from happening. the chief also saying that these shootings aren't related. some were gang violence, some were drive-by, some were because of shoes. these are not related but these are very serious problem here in prince george's county. also, state's attorney angela brooks also had a moment to say a few things. this is what she said. >> something greater has to be done. we need our parents to wrap their arms around their children to teach them the proper values. go to school, work hard and then buy tennis shoes. we don't kill individuals for tennis shoes. >> reporter: as you can imagine, a lot of folks in prince george's county are very upset about all these shootings. again, you heard megan mention it. this is the sixth shooting here

in the 2013-2014 -- 2012-2013 school year. we're not sure if we're going to hear from police this morning, but we'll stay on the story. that's the latest, i'm tony tull. >> tony thank you. crews are working quick tloi search for survivors at a restaurant in kansas city. more than a dozen people were injured in the blast. cadaver dogs are searching through the rubble to make sure no one is buried underneath. after the blast, flames shot from the popular restaurant leaving debris and bricks strewn across an entire city block. >> he told us to evacuate. next thing i know, boom, everything exploded. it was just scariest thing i ever witnessed. ever been through in my life. >> police say the gas leak may have been started by a utility crew but no official cause yet. >> we are also following a developing story over seas. china denying allegations its military has been spying on american companies for years.

this all stems from a report by a virginia cyber security firm. according to that report a secret military unit headquartered in this shanghai facility has been hacking and stealing data from more than 140 companies and organizations through the internet. we've just heard -- rather read a statement from china's defense ministry. it claims that china is also a victim in the story. it says the addresses linking the cyber attacks to that facility may have been hijacked. the post office is dressing up its plans for survival. how it could change the way you get dressed. also ahead this morning, struggling to get motivated this morning and get to the gym. why your genetics may be to blame. >> the warning from local leaders as the threat of federal massive budget cuts grows. be ready for a blast of winter this morning. when things might warm up. weather and traffic on the 1s coming up. it's 5:07 right now.

the u.s. postal service says it wants to play their hands in the fashion business. you heard me right. the cash strapped agency will had launch an all weather apparel and accessory line next year under the name rain, heat and know. it will start with men's apparel but only plans to add women's

apparel. you won't be able to pick it up with packages. it will only be available at premium department stores and specialty shops. premium. >> will it have the little stripe on the side with an eagle on. >> you noi that the postal service workers are out in the rain, snow and sleet. maybe they have something. 5:11 is our time right now. let's see which if any we'll get today. tom kierein has the forecast. >> we are going to get the wind and the cold temperatures. right now in the low 30s to near freezing. later today, climbing into the upper 30s by mid-afternoon. not much of a warmup. the winds gusting to around 25, 30 miles an hour. windchills in the 20s. seven-day outlook in den minutes. a look at traffic now with danella. good morning. no reported delays on the rails. over to the roadways along bw parkway. clear from the baltimore beltway to the capitol beltway. back to you. thanks, danella. another well-known company

the target of a twitter attack. how it's having fun with the situation. rg3 is responding

investigators in orange county, california, trying to figure out why a 20-year-old college student went on a shooting spree killing three people and injuring three others. the rampage started at his home where an unidentified woman was killed can. he then fled the scene there in a family car before carjacking a bystander, giving that driver a chilling message. >> i don't want to hurt you. i killed somebody. today is my last day. give me your keys. >> syed then began firing his weapon at cars. the rampage ended when the 20-year-old killed himself before police pulled him over.

seven u.s. lawmakers will had be able to visit with the maryland man being held in cuba. the delegation including chris van hollen met with castro and was promised they could meet with alan gross. he's been held since 2009 and is serving a sentence for bringing internet equipment to the island. the lawmakers are trying to secure his release in exchange for improved ties with cuba. the communist country wants to exchange gross for five of their spies held in the u.s. a swap the delegation will not make. today we'll hear some of the steps the pentagon is taking regarding the looming sequestration. more than 700,000 employees could be forced to take one day off a week without pay. that's equivalent to a 20% pay cut. the furlough notices would likely be sent out late next month. the furloughs would actually begin in late april. government workers may be forced to take furloughs, but thousands of nongovernment workers in our area will also feel the impact

of sequestration. private businesses are being warned to peep prepare for the effect billions of dollars will have on their bottom lines. it could be a serious thing, as serious as the fiscal cliff which we narrowly avoided going over at the start of the year. >> now is not the time to panic but it's growing in concern. it seems to be clear that congress is making no move to solve the sequestration issue. >> congress and the white house have until next friday to get a deal done. of course, stay with news 4 for continuing coverage of the sequestration showdown as that march 1st deadline approaches. we will be here for you even when you can't watch. get the latest information at nbcwashington.com. north korea released a new video criticizing america and president obama. it includes a simulated nuclear explosion. the video posts on you-tube also shows the president and american troops in flames. it says north korea conducted

its recent nuclear tests because of what it calls u.s. hostility. the u.s. is currently negotiating for stronger united nations sanctions against north korea for the nuclear tests. president obama is looking for another candidate to lead the u.s. and allied forces in europe. marine corps general john allen was in line to fill that position but decided to retire. last fall the pentagon suspended allen's nomination during an investigation into his e-mails with a florida socialite. he was later cleared of any wrongdoing. the investigation has nothing to do with his decision to retire. instead, he says, his primary concern right now is his wife who is dealing with health issues. 5:18 right now. an education department commission recommending preschool for poor students within ten years. that 52-page report adds a time frame to president barack obama's call to expand preschool education. this commission studied the gap between rich and poor students over a two-year period. the recommendations face an uphill battle with congress

though. the president introduced that initiative during his state of the union address. apple is the latest dop feel the wrath of computer hackers. it was hidden in a website for software developers. the same malware was used to launch attacks against facebook and twitter which were both hacked earlier this month. hackers took over jeep's account replacing the logo with a cadillac saying it bought jeep. this hack only lasted about ten minutes compared to burger king's, which lasted more than an hour. after regaining control, jeep tweeted out, "thanks bk, let us know if you want to grab a burger and swap stories. we'll drive." >> okay. >> trying to have a little pun with. >> what else can you do at this point. let's check the forecast. a r. a live look outside. it's cold out there. hopefully these are the last cold cadays of winter. >> meteorologist tom kierein has

the answers. >> we dried out from yesterday's rain. most of the pavement dry. might be a few puddles that may freeze up a little bit. watch out for that. it's near 30 in montgomery county. arlington, fairfax counties right near the freezing mark and near the freezing mark maybe a little above freezing parts of prince george's county county. including anne arundel, st. mary's county. loudoun county near freezing and prince william and stafford and spotvania and rappahannock and culpep culpeper. they should make it into the low 40s. closer to washington, highs in the mid and upper 30s. so a cold wintry day. the average high this time of year is 48. this is going to be about 10 degrees colder than average and highs may only reach near freezing farther north and west into the shenandoah valley and into western maryland. so a cold, cold day there. later this afternoon with the winds still blustery, a few clouds coming and going. it's going to clear out tonight. down to the low 20s tomorrow morning with a lighter wind.

a bit of a blustery wind still on thursday. highs reaching low 40s. 20s on friday morning. we'll have increasing clouds, an area of low pressure coming our way. may give us by noontime or during the early part of the afternoon a brief snow and sleet like we had yesterday morning. then changing to some chilly rain. the rest of friday afternoon into friday night. off and on rain and light rain on saturday with a high near 50. here's the seven-day outlook. maybe into the low 50s on sunday and partly cloudy. increasing clouds on monday. with a high near 50. next chance of rain moves in on tuesday. highs reaching low 50s. i'm back in ten minutes with a hometown forecast. a look at first 4 traffic now with danella. >> good morning. checking on a disabled vehicle. if you're traveling inbound the third street tunnel. disabled car blocks two of your right lanes. be aware of that as you make your commute and prepare to slow down. earlier had morning, i-95 southbound at prince william

parkway, had a car off o of the roadway into a ditch. it's out of the roadway. southbound travel lanes are open between the beltway and prince william parkway and traveling northbound, you can see your volume is increasing. no major delays yet. ten minutes is how long the drive will take you from the occoquan river bridge to get to the beltway. you're taking the rails, i'm still checking them. no reported delays on the metro, the marc or the vre. driving along i-66, i have your commute coming up in ten minutes. thank you, danella. in news for your health, drug overdose deaths are up for the 11th time in as many years. the report for disease control found most of the deaths were accidental. the victims took too many addictive painkillers. oxycontin and vicodin were the biggest problems contribute to three out of four medication overdose deaths. anti-anxiety drugs were among the most common drug-related deaths. don't feel like hitting the gym or your morning workout, you may

be able to blame your jeans. scientists are looking into whether genetics plays a factor whether someone is motivated to exercise. people feel differently during and after a workout. the sensation is determined by how much carbon dioxide people breathe out compared to the amount of oxygen they take in when they inhale and that determines whether the person wants to do it again. >> i will take your word for it. pitcher gonzalez is trying to clear his name from a list of players taking performance-enhancing drugs. the substances gonzalez obtained if a south florida clinic were legal and not banned by the mlb. that supports a statement gio made that he never used performance-enhancing drugs and was confident his name would be cleared. the report says the substances gio used are antioxidants and amino acids used in weight loss. the allstar break may have

made the wizards rusty. they looked sloppy in a 96-88 loss at the hands of the toronto raptors last night. bradley beal led the team with 25 points. that couldn't overcome seven turnovers by john wall alone. they hope to get their winning ways going again friday against the nuggets. if you're a redskins fan, you may be troubled when you see robert griffin iii's latest adidas commercial. take a look. >> blow it all up. all that matters is what you do next. >> there you go. the commercial ends with that tag line. all in for week one. that has many fans worried that he's rushing back too quickly if his knee surgery. griffin is urging fans not to read too much into the commercial. after posting a link to the ad he said feel like i needed to

say this. although my goal is to start week one but i won't compromise my career do so. >> it's not going to be a thing that happens. it's a done deal at this point. >> we're hoping, though, that he's going to be there week one. this redskins fan is. for the second time in as many days, a local high school is mourning the loss of a student. >> coming up, what the community is saying about the shooting that claimed another teenager's life. plus, how china is responding to allegations it has been spying on american companies for years. a strong breeze has the windchill in the teens for parts of our region. when we'll see things warm up and danella is checking out i-66. your weather and traffic up

looking at stories making headlines at 5:28. police found testosterone and needles for injecting in the home of oscar pistorius as a court hearing continues. for the second time in as many days prince george's high school students are mourning the death of a student. a natural gas explosion tears through a crowded neighborhood in kansas city. much more on the stories throughout the morning. good morning to you. i'm eun yang. i'm aaron gilchrist. welcome back to "news4 today" on this wednesday, february 20th. we take a live look outside.

old glory taking a beating. a windy start to the day. at least near union station it is. >> makes it feel colder too. meteorologist tom kierein here with the forecast. >> did that wind blow the wreaths off or did they take them down? ment. it's been a gusty night. windchills down to 20 degrees. prince george's county, arlington, fairfax and montgomery, the rest of northern virginia, shenandoah valley into the mountains, around 30 degrees. northern neck, eastern shore, southern maryland, areas near the waters a little above freezing. we've got winds blowing on through here throughout the region. and dropping our windchills down to the teens. look at hagerstown. windchill at 13. cumberland, 17 windchill. winchester at 19. windchills near 20 in our nearby suburbs and the winds will going to be blustery throughout the rest of the