from the first local station with news in high definition, this is 9news now. hello and welcome to 9news now at noon. i'm j.c. hayward. it was the worst shooting in the district in 15 years. three people have been charged with first-degree murder.

one suspect is 14 years old. and police are searching for a fourth suspect. kristen fisher has more on the investigation. >> reporter: we now know the identities of the suspects and the victims. we also have a motive and they are coming to paint a disturbing picture. one of the suspects, in fact, the driver who is allegedly a 14-year-old boy. the victims are also all teenagers. as for a motive, it could have stemmed from a missing bracelet. you see, on the day of the drive by, police say several of the victims just returned from a friend's funeral, who was murdered last week over a missing bracelet. the suspect is also the brother of one of the suspects in this shooting. so police say the motive for tuesday's drive by is likely a vicious act of retaliation. at a press conference last night, police stopped short of calling it gang violence, instead, the work of neighborhood crews, which are

loosely affiliated. it is simply in excusable. >> we have to bring people to justice. there's no more retaliation than to shoot nine people and kill four people, innocent as they stand on the street corner because you are ticked off about something and that is inexcusable. >> four dead, five more wounded, three suspects are in custody. the 14-year-old alleged driver, 26-year-old nebraska nathaniel sims. kristen fisher, 9news now. residents are exhausted from the recent events and shaken from the violent. many residents gathered for a candle light vigil.

neighbors spoke about the victims who were shot and nardeni was there. her daughter was among those killed. >> i never see my child grow up. i thought i would be planning a wedding in a few years, not a funeral. i won't have grandchildren. i'll never get that opportunity. it's a huge loss. >> more than 100 people attended last night's ceremony. despite the deadly shooting and mass deaths that occurred on tuesday, the murder count is down in the district from last year. according to police, this time last year, there were 31 homicides. compare to 24 this year. to see more crime figures, you can go to our website, wusa9.com. click on the southeast shooting story and we will provide a

link for you. a four-year-old boy died unexpectedly and suspiciously in woodbridge, virginia. prince william county police are trying to get some answers. they say they received a 911 call around 9:00 p.m. last night from a townhouse on cedar. the child was unresponsive. was taken to the hospital where he later died. police have released the name of the child, but we are withholding that information because at this point, there is no indication of foul play. we have an update on the five virginia member suspected of terrorism in pakistan. day one of their trial ended yesterday. the men who have been dubbed the dc five are accused of plotting attacks, but they deny the charges and they say that they were tortured in jail. they used to worship at this mosque until they went missing in november. a month later, they were

arrested in pakistan. the father of one of the suspects was in court yesterday. >> they are innocent, so they would prove innocent. >> how? why are you so positive? >> because i'm innocent, that's why i'm positive. >> in convicted, the dc five could face life in prison. today is census day. and the census director was at ben's chili bowl, encouraging people to turn in their forms. today is the day the forms are supposed to be mailed, otherwise, census workers will come out to your home in order to make an accurate count. and now the information from the census survey is used to determine federal funding and elected representation, but what if the form you got is not

the real thing? tara mergener explains. >> that's just from this morning. >> the phones have been ringing nonstop at this oklahoma census office. >> what's happening with it is, it's a mock of our form. >> scam artists have distributed bogus 2010 census forms across the nation in hopes of stealing valuable, personal information. in some cases, the criminals switched the real form with a fake one, so no one realizes the crime until it's too late. >> if they got a scam form, they never got the real one either. >> how can you tell if your census form isn't the real deal? >> the social security number. that is the biggest red flag that is out there. >> official paper will never ask you for your social security number, bank account information, or signature. the real forms also have a color background and ten questions. the bogus version typically has been black and white with 5 to

9 questions. officials are worried that this and other scams may scare people away from filling out the all important forms. the u.s. census only comes out once every decade. >> the more people are accurately counted by the census, the greater the likelihood that they and their neighbors will get benefits out of it. >> benefits like new roads and schools. the census helps determine which states get federal aid and how much. if you have already filled out the form, but think you have been scammed, census officials say you should treat it like any other case of identity theft. credit bureaus and local authorities. tara for abc news, washington. we have a consumer alert for you. if you file late tax forms, scams could cost you. there's only two weeks left to go before the april 15 tax deadline and the irs has a list of tax related tricks that they are going to be checking this spring.

>> there's a big difference between intentionally making a mistake on that return and making a mathematical error. the critical issue is, claim those deductions and credits that are relevant to you, or the irs could think you intentionally tried to defraud the government. >> the irs is going to be looking for return, prepare fraud, hiding income offshore and fishing. filing false or misleading forms. zero wages, and fuel tax credit scams. you can go to our living smart page for more tax tips at wusa9.com. we have a link where you can get more answers about your tax questions. coming up ahead on thenews now at noon, the devastating aftermath from the record flooding in the northeast, and the local political races are

heating up. a contender for prince georges county executive makes the pitch and the fight over the dc council chairman seat is underway. we'll be back.

pope benedict made his first appearance of holy week this morning. he held holy mass at the basilica. upon his urge to oppose violence. as priests, we are called in fellowship with jesus christ to be men of peace. the church has been hit again by charges of clergy sexual abuse. the pope made no mention of the

scandal today. the new england area is still on flood watch. the waters have been devastating. the rain is finally stopped, but officials say the trouble and misery could last for days. rhode island officials are calling this the worst flooding in 200 years. they have had three days of record breaking rain and that has devastated much of the state and has forced hundreds from their homes. >> now, the public is weighing in on president obama's new energy plan. and like congress, the plan is getting a mixed reaction. the white house is going to end a twenty-year ban on offshore drilling and allowing companies to build platforms 50 miles off virginia's coast. drilling will still be banned along the west coast. one area is going to explode and it is going to be an open season for doing that. why not? it's here, it's for our use.

it is natural resources that we have. it's fabulous. >> the president says the plan is part of the broader strategy that will move the country from dependence on foreign oil to one that relies on home grown fuels and clean energy. in the district, the race is heating up over who will be the next city council chairman. jack evans and kwame brown confirm they will run to replace vincent gray as the council chairman. gray kicked off his campaign for the democratic seat as mayor this week. well, the sheriff of prince georges county wants to be the next county executive. michael a. jackson kicked off his campaign yesterday calling for improvements to the county. >> there is no reason that we cannot become number one in education, number one in job creation, number one in

technology jobs, and number one in providing unequal quality of life for our citizens. >> jackson is the sixth democrat to enter this year's race. > we have a special guest today. we want you to meet licorish. see how licorish can be added to your family. >> this is my kind of day, plenty of sunshine. you need two things, sunscreen, sunglasses. i'll tell you when you can put the sunglasses away in my seven- day forecast. of the ford motor company. in an average week in the u.s., thousands of babies are born prematurely. i am proud to be one of the national co-chairs for the 2010 march for babies. together with the u.a.w., we are committed to raising awareness and funding from volunteers like you.

we are confident that, with your help, we can walk together toward a healthier future for our nation's babies. register today at marchforbabies.org. due to diabetes it would frustrate me. in a basketball game a couple minutes could mean a big momentum shift. my bayer meter is very important. (announcer) only bayer's contour meter has programmable personal high low settings. it allows me to be able to look at my highs and lows to make sure that my diabetes is being controlled as tightly as possible. with my bayer meter i don't miss valuable game time. i'm alana burns and staying in the game is my simple win. (announcer) the contour meter, only from bayer.

it's delicious. delicious. i know. but it can't have... can't have about half a day's worth of fiber? i assure you it does. i was expecting... expecting sawdust and cardboard? i know. i can only taste... only taste the crunchy clusters, honey, and brown sugar. no madam, i don't have esp. ok. i'll take a box, but you probably already knew that. (announcer) fiber one. cardboard no. delicious yes.

we couldn't ask for a better afternoon. the weather is wonderful and our photo journalist, kevin king caught sites and sounds of spring. enjoy. [ birds chirping ]

beautiful. isn't that nice? >> so surean, i loved it. >> we have not -- we had the red on today, we didn't plan this today. >> we'll talk about it after the show. lanette is here with a fabulous forecast. >> you are going to appreciate the temperatures in the 80s. let's get down to business. today i'm forecasting close to 80 degrees. we'll be at 82 degrees as we go into tomorrow and plenty of sunshine. 84 as we head into your saturday. so it's going to be absolutely gorgeous. this nice weather is here to stay for a while. sunny and warm this afternoon. highs 75 to 80. the winds out of the south at 5 to 10 miles an hour. tonight, clear and comfortable. 52 to 57.

still those winds hanging on out of the south at 5 to 10 miles an hour and more of the same. if you like the warmer weather, tomorrow is going to be the day. 76 to 82, and then we are dealing with temperatures right now, not too bad. the sunshine trying to do its thing into dc, around 64, 66 into gaithersburg and heading into pennsylvania, york is looking at 65 degrees as of now. satellite and radar, not picking up on a whole lot. this morning, we had a few clouds that tried to stream into the area, but no big deal. still ample sunshine. future cast not picking up on a whole lot, except warmer air trying to move in here. we are getting that stream from the gulf of mexico. we have a big bubble of high pressure that we are under and that's why we are going to be seeing plenty of sunshine through the next several days. make sure you get out there and enjoy with all the sunshine. temperatures really getting bumped up today. right around 80 into dc. 78 in arlington, rockville coming in at 77 degrees and

right around 76 into gaithersburg. college park coming in at 78 and andrews at 79. our lows tonight, not too bad, coming in at 57 into dc. andrews right around 56 and arlington, 56. rockville, 56. gaithersburg 53. bowie coming in at 54 and fairfax around 54 degrees as well. leesburg at 50. things looking good. you know what, nothing can top the seven-day forecast. here we go. we had the 80s for today. 82 and 84. we are also going to be dealing with plenty of sunshine and you know what else we're going to be dealing with? we have lots of shine continuing. but by sunday, what we're going to be dealing with is the fact that we might have a cold front that is going to push through the area. it is going to be bringing us a few showers possible, but mainly cloudy conditions as we go into the day. but all in all, we have high pressure building back in as we go in through monday, tuesday, and wednesday of next week. >> it is pet line thursday and

kelly from the washington humane society joins us and she is with licorish. tell us about this little girl. >> i love her. she is such a good dog. she is 11 months old, so she is almost full grown. gained 5 to 10-pounds. she loves everybody, gets along well with all people, other dogs, even kids. she was gently licking the kids. she was great. you know, she walks great on a leash as well, which is huge. makes things easier. >> does she know any tricks or anything? >> she knows sit and down and belly rub. >> that's really, really good. >> she knows that when she's in a good zone. >> is she active? who would she be good with? >> because she's a lab mix, she would be good with an active individual or family. long runs, long walks.

sit. sit. show everybody. sit. there we go. good girl. a very active family will be ideal, but she'll thrive in any home as long as she gets enough exercise. other dogs, she is perfect as well. there's no limitations, as long as she gets enough love and exercise. >> sounds great. is this as big as she will get? >> about five pounds, not going to get any higher. >> did she get her name because of the color? >> i think so. a beautiful, shiny coat, which means she is healthy as well. >> you are so cute. so, does she have to get any shots? how does that work? >> we will cover all that before you take her home. that is all covered in the fee which is low, it's only $170. and, the number if people want to get contact, it's 202-576- 5664. thank you so much for joining us. bye. next, we are cooking up something special this afternoon. lamb, that's right after the break.

♪

[ male announcer ] ready to make this year a great year for your small business? ♪ verizon is here to help with everything you need to make the most of every dollar -- and every opportunity. you'll get high speed internet with a dedicated line to your business for consistently fast speeds; free wi-fi access from thousands of hot spots nationwide; plus unlimited calling to customers and suppliers across the country. call right now and we'll include two free extras for an entire year: our advanced internet security suite, plus 25 gigs of online storage, enough to safeguard all your important business files. it's a total business solution backed by the reliability of the verizon network, all for just $84.99 a month for 12 months. and you can't get it from cable.

let's get to work. verizon wants to help your business succeed, starting with everything you need for just $84.99 a month. call 1-866-my-tools. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. it's three days like you've never experienced. it changes you. you can't be the same after you do the event. ♪ whoa, she's a pink warrior (woman) it's 60 miles of feeling invincible. (man) susan g. komen 3-day for the cure. register today or request information and a free promise ring at the3day.org. i walk to show that breast cancer didn't beat me. i am a pink warrior because i want to see an end to this disease. register today for the komen 3-day for the cure, because everyone deserves a lifetime. come on in, and i'll give you a free quote.

quote and compare in about 8 minutes. now, that's progressive. call or click today. do we have a special guest for you. he is a former top chef contestant. what was that like? >> it was intense. i'm here and i made it through it, so it's okay. ingly want you to meet chef mike isabella. he is at the restaurant located on 9th and g streets northwest. i have to talk to you more about being a top chef. that's very special. but today, we are going to talk about preparing a greek easter dish. >> correct. > you are preparing one of my favorites. i love lamb. >> i do, too. starting on sunday, we have a greek easter, so we are running different lamb specials, and i take traditional dishes and

evolve them and change them and make them my own. today, we have a lamb sirloin, which is right here. it's raw. what we do, put a little salt and i'll sere it off in the pan and i'll chill it. that's when we have this right here. so i have the sered lamb loin and i'm going to make a thinly sliced lamb, but traditionally, they serve it raw, but we are sering it. so i seared it off. we are going to slice it thin and traditionally, lamb with the greek culture, we have lamb, feta cheese, lemon, very signature flavor profile. we are going to put it with it and here's one of the dishes we will be serving over the next two weeks. inside and outside, we will have the lamb being roasted outside. and you can get little lamb

sandwiches. >> why is it that the greek know how to prepare lamb so well? i mean, the flavor is unreal. unlike anyone else. what do you do? >> it's a beautiful animal. honestly, it's been one of the main animals they had to eat for years and years, going back in time. there wasn't a lot of cattle, there wasn't a lot of pork. goats and lamb where the main animal they had to eat. so they tried pretty much everything, because it's the only thing you can eat for protein. that's one of the things they would eat. >> so you slice that very thin, and i see you have some spices over here. >> yeah, i hit it with a little olive oil. a little bit of sea salt. and i have some little feta cheese on here. >> i love feta cheese, on anything. >> a little cheese we got going on. some olives. >> love olives. >> a little saltiness. >> i think we are twins.

>> and the feta and olive, and we want a little bit of freshness, so i chopped up some mint to bring out a little freshness for the spring. and if you want. i put some greens on there sometimes, some pea greens to give it that salad essence. >> we have been watching mike isabella, the executive chef preparing a greek dish. go down and visit him. 9th and z streets northwest and come back and visit us at 5:00. it looks lovely, chef. thank you so much for coming in. it looks delicious.