. >> i've been explaining to you today the parents, the father and power of abdul-rahman kassig, the was killed by the islamic state, will hold a live news conference this afternoon. they walked out to the podium and are beginning. let's listen. >> good afternoon. greater love hath no man than this, than to lay down his life for another. a while ago we were informed our beloved son, abdul-rahman, no longer walks this earth. our hearts still heavy are held up by the love and support that has poured into our lives these last few days. >> one of abdul-rahman's teacher, the mother of some of his friends, wrote before his slaying, if a person can be both a realist and an idealist, then that's peter. peter has earned the right to be both. in 26 years he has witnessed and experienced first hand more of the harsh realities of life than most of us can imagine. but rather than letting the darkness overwhelm him, he has chosen to believe in the good in himself and in others. peter's life is evidence that he has been right all along. one person makes a difference. our hearts are battered but the

aid worker abdul-rahman kassig as an act of pure evil. his parents say they are heartbroken at the death of their son, shown in an online video released by jihadists. he had changed his name from peter kassig when he converted to islam in late 2013. >>> the french interior minister has said that there is a strong probability that an islamic state militant who appears on a beheading video is a french citizen. the video shows the beheading of at least 18 syrian men identified as soldiers. >> translator: the video has been analyzed by our intelligence services. this analysis suggests with a very high probability that the french citizen could have directly participated in carrying out these abject acts. the investigations are still going on, but there is a strong presumption that the culprit is max maxim. he traveled to syria in august 2013, following a stay in moratania in 2012. >> along with the murder of kassig and other hostages, islamic state militants are accused of murdering iraqis and syrians on a massive scale. western journalists ca

kassig's parents, ed and paula, issued a statement. i want to read that you statement in full. we are heartbroken to learn that our son abdul-rahman peter kassig has lost his life as a result of his love for the syrian people and his desire to ease their suffering. our hearts also goes out to the families of the syrians who lost their lives along with our son. fed by a strong desire to use his life to save the lives of others abdul-rahman was drawn to the camps filled with displaced families and to understaffed hospitals inside syria. we know he found his home amongst the syrian people and he hurt when they were hurting. as he wrote in march 2012 in a letter announcing he was taking a leave of absence from butler university to serve the syrian people, here in this land i have found my calling. i do not know much. every day that i am here, i have more questions and less answers, but what i do know is that i have a chance to do something here, to take a stand, to make a difference. we are incredibly proud of our son for his life according to his humanitarian calling. we will work every day to keep his legacy alive as best we can. we

rahman kassig known as peter. we cannot imagine their anguish. abdul-rahman was taken by a terrorist group the world rightly associates with inhumanity. isis release add new video that reportedly shows kassig's beheading. it shows the aftermath of the victim. kassig was serving as a medical worker in syria when he was captured more than a year ago. the former u.s. army ranger and iraq war veteran converted to islam during his captivity taking the name abdul rahman kassig. kassig's parents now have the news that they certainly didn't want to hear. cnn's alexander field joining me now. alexandra, are they issuing any new statements? >> reporter: we are being told to expect another statement that should be forthcoming at some point this evening. they did put out a statement earlier today expressing the importance, they said, to wait. they were well aware of the reports that had come in but they wanted to wait for confirmation from the u.s. government before saying anything further, asking people to give them the time and space they clearly needed today. p

he says "today we offer our prayers and condolences to the parents and family of abdul rahman kassig,n to us as peter. we cannot begin to understand their anguish at this time. he was taken from us in an act of pure evil by a terrorist group that the world associates with inhumanity. like jim foley and steve sotloff before him, his life stands in stark contrast to everything that isil represents. while isil revels in the slautd slaughter of innocents, including muslims, and has been hell bent on death and destruction, weather forecasted to save the lives of syrians dispossessed by the syrian conflict. while isil exploits the tragedy in syria to advance their own selfish ames, abdul rahman was so moved by the anguish and suffering of syrian civilian that is he traveled to lebanon to work in a hostile treating refugees. later he established an aid group to provide assistance to syrian refugees and displaced persons in lebanon and sear wra. these were the selfless acts of an individual that carried deeply about the plight of the syrian people. isil's actions represent no faith, least of

kassig, who changed his name to abdul-rahman kassig after converting to islam in capitivity, has been. kassig is the fifth westerner that isis claims to have executed. but the latest video is different from previous ones: it doesn't contain a statement from the victim. it's longer than the previous clips. and it shows the beheadings of other men, whom isis claims are syrian pilots. place of the execution: dabiq, syria. isis's latest claims brought swift condemnation from the west. senator dick durbin told c-n-n: : "this video that we have seen here, if verified, is a tragic reminder of the savagery, and of isis, and the complexity of our challenge." durbin doesn't think the u-s should go as far as sending ground troops to fight the terrorists in iraq and syria. : "there are many who are anxious to send troops forward. i am not one of them." on cbs's face the nation, former massachusetts governor mitt romney criticized president barack obama's handling of the fight. : "what we should have done by now is have american troops standing by in iraq. that was something that we argued for yea

he converted to islam and is also named abdul rahman kassig. from his family and we'll continue to get you the latest. there are other stories we have to get with you this morning. >> among those stories, a doctor stricken with ebola is receiving care in a nebraska hospital this morning. he arrived in omaha from sierra leone yesterday. he is now the tenth patient to be treated for the deadly disease in the united states. >> cnn's alex an droo field this reports this victim is a surgeon and he's critically ill. >> a surgeon diagnosed with ebola in his native sierra leone is being treated for ebola here in the u.s. workers in hazmat suits carried him on a stretcher to an ambulance before taking him to the biocontainment unit in omaha. his family says he is a legal permanent resident of the u.s. and he's married to a u.s. citizen. a decision was made to bring him back to the states after his medical team reported he was critically ill and his wife requested to have him flown back here. according to the u.s. state department, his wife agreed to rei

peter kassig converted to islam in captivity taking the name abdul rahman kassig. >> peter's life is evidence that he has been right all along. one person makes a difference. our hearts are battered, but they will mend. the world is broken, but it will be healed in the end. >>> protesters in ferguson, missouri are angry at governor jay nixon for declaring a state of emergency before the grand jury has announced if it will indict officer wilson for shooting the unarmed teenager. the governor is doing this as a precaution. cnn's sara sidner is in ferguson. >> reporter: a lot of folks talking about what has happened over the past 24 hours. governor nixon declaring a state of emergency and then saying he has activated the national guard in preparation for the grand jury deciding whether or not to indict officer wilson. propere protesters are upset with governor nixon because they say it is painting them and violent. many show up and are not violent, but very, very loud. they do a lot of chants and they come at police with very strong words. for the most part, they have been peaceful. thi

. >>> let's start with the brutal murder as abdul-rahman kassig, also known as peter kassig. president obama called it pure evil after isis showed the video of his beheading along with a dozen syrian soldiers. the 26-year-old army ranger returned to syria as an army medic when he was kidnapped last year. we're joined by amman. there were differents in this video from the others. what does that tell investigators trying to figure out more about the terrorist group? >> one, i think they'll look -- combing through it for immediate sources of intelligence or pieces of information that could be in some way revulatory what led to this unique moment. what's particular about this video, most is pop began da, this was 17 minutes long. the vast majority is boasting about the growth of isis. unlike previous videos we've seen, at the very end of it they don't show another hostage and give him or give her the kind of timeline they've been doing in previous announcements or previous tapes. that, perhaps, is an indication that the group itself is maybe -- the way it's functioning, they have

a video that emerged over the weekend showed the beheading of american aid worker abdul-rahman kassig, along with 18 syrian airmen. president obama described his murder as an act of pure evil. we'll be talking to a close friend of mr. kassig in a moment. but first, this report from david willis. >> reporter: peter kassig experienced the middle east as a soldier, a student, and an aid worker. working for a time at a hospital in lebanon set up to help the victims of syria's bloody civil war. >> in the hospital, i was able to share a little bit of hope and comfort with some people. they were able to teach me something about myself that i wouldn't have known otherwise. and we each were given an opportunity to look at the conflict in a different way. >> reporter: mr. kassig's parents, paula and ed, had campaigned tirelessly for his release. in a statement, they said they were heartbroken, adding that their son lost his life as a result of his love for the syrian people and his desire to ease their suffering. our heart goes out to to families of the syrians who lost their lives along with o

statement, reading in part "today we offer our prayers and condolences to the parents and family of abdul-rahman kassig, also known as peter. we cannot imagine their feelings at this time. abdul-rahman was taken from us in an act of pure evil." >>> travelers arriving in the u.s. from mali starting today will undergo the same ebola screenings as people arriving from west africa. now, that means those passengers will have their temperatures taken, answer questions about their precipitation as well as provide contact information so that they can be monitored for 21 days. now, mali is not experiencing a widespread ebola outbreak, but u.s. health officials are increasingly concerned about a new cluster of illnesses in that country. >>> and the surgeon who contracted ebola while working in sierra leone remains in extremely critical condition at the nebraska medical center in omaha this morning. doctors say they are doing everything possible to help dr. martin salia fight that disease but call it an hour-by-hour situation. salia is the third ebola patient to be treated at that hospital in omaha. the other two

he said in part, today we offer our prayers and condolences to the parents and family of abdul rahman kassig. he was taken from us in an act of pure evil by a terrorist group that the world rightly associates with inhumanity. >>> new information today about the allegations of sexual assault surrounding comedian bill cosby. his lawyer says cosby will not discuss them. john schmidt issued this statement saying over the last several weeks, decade-old discredited allegations against mr. cosby have resurfaced. the fact that they are being repeated does not make them true. mr. cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comments. the 77-year-old philadelphia native continues to face backlash over claims he assaulted several women in the past. cosby has never been charged. he saettled a civil asuit with woman two years before. >>> an update on a deadly accident in south philadelphia. police say the victim was drag racing at the time of the crash. it happened around 2:30 this morning on columbus boulevard. police say the driver lost control and struck a pole. investigators initially

was widespread condemnation of the videotaped beheading by isis of american aid worker peter abdul-rahman kassig had been captured in syria in october of last year, and is the 5th western hostage that isis claims to have beheaded since august. the council for american islamic relations, cair, denounced the killing as "anti-islamic." kassig's parents said their son had begun a sincere conversion to islam prior to his abduction, and they asked for prayers. >>> last week here we ran a report on what u.s. muslims are doing to try to prevent anyone in this country from joining violent, radical islamist groups. today, why some people men and women, all over the world do want to go help islamist fighters in the middle east. correspondent dan lothian says part of the lure is what volunteers are promised. part of it, too, he says, is social media, taking the islamists' messages everywhere. >> reporter: hanif qadir knows first-hand how easily radicals can claim young hearts and minds. 12 years ago he traveled from britain to afghanistan to help women and children caught up in war, but was reeled in by the

also recall that the indomitable spirit of goodness and perseverance that burns so brightly in abdul rahman kassignd which binds humanity together ultimately is the light that will prevail over the darkness of isil. wendy gillette for cbs3 "eyewitness news." >> well, bill cosby's lawyer is speaking out now about the latest round of sexual abuse allegations levied against his client. he says the philly born entertainer will not dignify "decade olds discredit allegations with a response." he goes on to say the fact that they are being repeated does not make them true. cosby settled a civil suit in 2006 which claimed he drugged and assaulted women inside his home. he has never been criminally charged. cosby's up coming appearance on the late show with david letterman has been canceled. >>> the philadelphia skyline, it has changed again. removing the pnb letters over the summer turned out to be a lot more difficult than expected. today, though, crews returned to finish the job. "eyewitness news" reporter syma chowdhury shows us how it all went down this time. >> reporter: this p will now stand for the

he says, i'm horrified by the cold-blooded murder of abdul rahman kassig.ce again shown depravity. my thoughts are with his family. a statement has been released, saying we are aware of a video that claims to show the murder of u.s. citizen peter kassig by isil. the intelligence community is working as quickly as possible to determine its authenticity. if confirmed, we are appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent american aide worker. we express our deepest condolences to family and friends. >>> more breaking news on this tragic beheading coming up on "new day." thank you so much for joining me, i'm zain asher. >>> so glad to have you with us. i'm christi paul. >> and i'm joe johns. it is 6:00. we begin with breaking news. isis claims to have beheaded peter casic. we see the aftermath of the beheading and the victim is clearly, not recognizable. 26-year-old kasic was once a u.s. army ranger and an iraq war veter veteran. in civilian life, he was an aid worker in syria. that's where he was

in camden, new jersey.ç >>> this week a muslim prayer service was held in indiana for peter abdul-rahman kassigwho was beheaded by isis militants.ç the 26-year-old kassig had converted to islam prior to his abduction in syria last year, a conversion his parents said was sincere. he became the 5th western hostage that isis claims to have beheaded since august. >>> the christian organization bread for the world this week identified as one of the major causes of hunger the way the world treats women. the report says poverty, discrimination, unpaid work andç barriers to education all combine to make women effectively second class citizens. bread for the world also notes that the new u.s. congress, convening in january, will have as members 100 women, the most ever. now, the ethics of inoculation. if parents don't want their child vaccinated, for religious or any reason, does that put other children at risc nf getting sick? it's a current public health issue because contagious diseases long considered under control, measles and whooping cough, have been making a comeback. deborah potter reported. >

humanitarian aid worker abdul rahman kassig was beheaded even though each converted to islam. he was captured last year while delivering and burdensome supplies to refugees in syria civil war >> former washington d.c. mayor marion barry died yesterday at 78. he was elected mayor four times including after his conviction for smoking crack cocaine in 1990. he served six months in prison and made one of the most improbable comebacks in american political history. he did have health problems including a kidney transplant in 2009. the medical examiner determined heart disease was the cause of his death >> a christmas tree in reading pennsylvania is generating less july as residents complained that he's been the trade is $1 a spirit. it was planned to get a tree from a farm boy wonder went to pick up a farmer would not let the truck's drive on what ground so they found a replacement at a city park. some residents said the tree is pathetic and ugly >> is a pretty sad looking trey. >> it is not the trees fall. >> what would the pilgrims' tent? >> your forecast this week include the bi

friends and family of peter kassig, known as abdul rahman kassig.ey want him to be remembered as the aid worker. take a listen to what his friends and family had to say. >> he risked his life every day to save the lives of people. he didn't have any relation to those people and we will forever be grateful for that. >> he could have stayed here. he chose to go back to help with all of the suffering in syria caused by the civil war. >> reporter: unfortunately, we know what happened sadly and investigators are looking at the video analyzing it for clues as to who jihadi john is and where the killing may have taken place. >> thanks, atika shubert, for us this morning. shocked and sadness. >>> aid agencies say isis has been stealing food and other foreign aid to redistribute it. aid groups saying isis distributed the aid to their fighters and families. a top officer says the momentum in the war against isis is starting to turn. chief dempsey making a move to baghdad over the weekend. and victory over the islamic terror group might take several years. pre

he was known as abdul rahman kassig.ay not have been saying the words they wanted him to say. there is speculation online as to whether or not he would recite the muslim prayer. to show that at the time of killing would have been offensive for isis to put out. that may be one reason. they simply do not knowledge that he was muslim and he did convert in part because it would devalue the public relations aspect and propaganda. >> his family is heartbroken. they will speak with reporters later today. our thoughts and hearts go out to them. atika, thank you. >>> aid agencies say isis has been stealing food and other foreign aid to redistribute it to the hungry syrian families and take credit for it. isis has diverted aid to their fighters and families. america's top unformed officer says momentum in the war against isis is starting to turn. chairman martin dempsey making a trip to baghdad over the weekend. victory over the terror group may take years. president obama talking about the earlier suggestion that dempsey may want

. >>> let's start with the brutal murder as abdul-rahman kassig, also known as peter kassig.

. >> reporter: ed and paula speaking out about the loss of their son, kassig, also known as abdul rahman kassigfamily needs space and time to grieve and mourn the loss of their son. they hope to one day forgive and heal. they spoke a minute or two reading prepared remarks. >> peter's life is evidence he has been right all along. one person makes a difference. our hearts are battered, but they will mend. the world is broken, but it will be healed in the end. >> reporter: they talked about their heartbreak over the loss of their son, but spoke about their pride in the work he was doing to help others. kassig was abducted in 2013 when he traveled into syria to do humanitarian aid work. the kassigs ask people to pray at sunset for their son and all people held in syria. kassig converted to islam during captivity. the conversion started months before that. peter kassig grew up in a methodist church in indianapolis. the same place where his parents spoke about the loss of their son. a joint muslim/christian service will be held for kassig. >> alexandra field. thank you. >>> the senate expected to vot

kassig, who changed his name to abdul-rahman kassig after converting to islam in capitivity, has been held since october, 20-13. kassig is the fifth westerner that isis claims to have executed. but the latest video is different from previous ones: it doesn't contain a statement from the victim. it's longer than the previous clips. and it shows the beheadings of other men, whom isis claims are syrian pilots. the video also names the place of the execution: dabiq, syria. isis's latest claims brought swift condemnation from the west. senator dick durbin told c-n-n: "thi seen here, if verified, is a tragic reminder of the savagery, and of isis, and the complexity of our challenge." durbin doesn't think the u-s should go as far as sending ground troops to fight the terrorists in iraq and syria. "there are many who are anxious to send troops forward. i am not one of them." on cbs's face the nation, former massachusetts governor mitt romney criticized president barack obama's handling of the fight. "what we should have done by now is have american troops standing by in iraq. that was somethi

kassig's family says he was detained in eastern syria, held hostage for more than a year and converted to islam going by the name abdul-rahman. >> during the summer of 2012 peter kassig was helping to care for thousands of syrian civilians wounded in the civil w war. >> he spoke with ara damon about his need to do that work. >> reporter: the first time we met peter was during the summer of 2012. it was quite the sight. peter a former army ranger pale, tattooed and though at the time speaking only a handful of arabic tending to wounded syrians with a compassion that transcended the language barrier. >> we each get one life. we don't get any do-overs. for me it was time to put up or shut up. the way i saw it i didn't have a choice. like this is what i was put here to do. i guess i'm just a hopeless romantic and idealist and i believe in hopeless causes. >> reporter: for peter doing something meant starting his own n nonprofit. just months after we met him he was already delivering humanitarian aid and medical assistance to syrians and refugee camps and inside the war-torn country. profoundly touching all who lived and worked w

islamic terror group isis claims they have killed american hostage abdul rahman kassig also known as peter kassig. isis posted video on social media that shows beheading of kassig and other captives. the white house is working to determine the authenticity of that video, 26 year-old kassig is a former u.s. army solder from indiana captured last year in syria doing charity work. kassig change his first name from peter to abdul rahman after converting to islam. >>> new this morning, well, it only took two tries but it appears to have work, iconic pnb letters from the top of the philadelphia high rise have been taken down. "eyewitness news" reporter syma chowdhry is live in center city with more, syma, you saw it all go down, right. >> reporter: i did, it is much more quieter now you then it was earlier. taking a look behind me one south broad street that high rise is looking a little name new because letters pnb, have been removed. now, crews tried to do this back in august and they managed to get three letters off on the south side of the building and then they realized that the lette

kassig change his first name from peter to abdul rahman after convert to go islam. >>> back here at home, a deadly accident in south philadelphia is under investigation this morning. police say a a car crashed and wrap around a pole on columbus boulevard. it happened just before 3:00 this morning. only one vehicle was involve in the crash and the cause of the accident is still unclear. >>> police say a ten year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the face, in darby township delaware county. it happened last night around 10:30 in the 1400 block of hook road. two siblings were sitting at their father's car at his place of work when the boy shot himself with the 357 magnum gun that was left in the car. >> one female juvenile came into hell her fat their her brother shot himself accidentally with the gun. we believe the weapon belong to the father at this point. >> the first officers on the scene put that boy in a police cruiser, one drove while the other performed cpr on the way to the hospital. that boy unfortunately is in extremely critical condition. authorities tell us that there is a

kassig change his first name from peter to abdul rahman after convert to go islam. >>> back here at home, a deadly accident in south philadelphia ace under investigation this morning . police say a car crashed and wrapped around a pole at columbus boulevard. it happened just before 3:00 this morning. only one vehicle was involve in the crash. the cause of the accident is unclear. >>> well, police say a ten year-old boy is in extremely critical condition after accidentally shooting himself in the face. it happened last night around 10:30 in the 1400 block of darby township in delaware county. two siblings were sit in their father's car at his place of work when the boy accidentally hot himself with a 357 magnum gun that was left in the car. >>> new this morning crews are working to remove iconic pnb letters from the top of the philadelphia high rise, for a second time. new back in august, workers attempted to remove the letters but were only able to remove three of the 12. "eyewitness news" reporter syma chowdhry is live in center city with more, syma, good morning. >> reporter: good morn

he changed his name to abdul rahman kassig while in captivity. this one does not show kassig alive before the beheading. >> this video that we have seen here, if verified; a tragic reminder of the savagery and of isis and the complexity of our challenge. >> in this isis video, a mask man who speaks in a british accent also warns isis will attack americans on us streets. >>> your time 6:09. pair of nfl teams got unexpected visitors after their games yesterday. dea agents showed up un announced to question the medical staffs of the san francisco 49ers and tampa bay buccaneers. it is part of a investigation into claims from former players that teams across the league would hands out addictive painkillers without proper prescriptions. the dea made no arrest and said more teams could be checked. >>> well, the eagles have to just put yesterday's game behind them, as they want to focus on the future. packers hitting on all cylinders right now. one sided game. packers beat up the birds 53 to 20. eagles quarterback mark sanchez had a tough day, two touchdo

militants released a video which appeared to show the execution of former american aide worker abdul rahman kassig ransom to terrorists. relatives of james foley said the feds threatened to prosecute them if they tried to pay a ransom for his release. james foley was the first american hostage the militants bee headed in august. analysts say isis still control large parts of iraq and syria and investigators say all three of the americans isis kill has gone missing in syria. >>> the islamic state is reportedly holding another american hostage, 26-year-old woman, after somebody kidnapped her in syria. >> john bussey is with us here. they've never killed a woman on camera. >> what happened today at the white house, they talk about this program they undertook in the summer to address this issue, and the issue is more pronounced because there are more are more hostage-taking. what did they decide to do? they decided they're going to work on coordination between agencies, which still get in the way of each other in terms of communicating, the fbi, defense department, cia, and other agencies, and they're

since his capture, he changed to muslim and changed his name to abdul-rahman kassig. he 26-year-old served as an army ranger in iraq. moved to the middle east in 2012 and formed a foundation to help those most affected by sierra's brutal war n a letter from captivity. he told his father if i do go down, i won't go down thinking anything but i know to be true, that you and mom love me more than the moon and the stars. >> kassig lived here in beirut. a very well-liked and passionate young man. so clearly dedicated to helping us. isis is believed to be holding another american, a female aid worker, but so far no threats have been made against her life. alex marquart, abc news, beirut. >>> san francisco police are investigating a deadly stabbing officers say a man was stabbed in the chest last night. they found him lying on the sidewalk. was he taken to san francisco general hospital. he died minutes later. police don't have a description of the suspect. >>> this morning a woman is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being hit by a truck in a san francisc

kassig was captured in syria a little more than a year ago. the 26-year-old former army ranger turned aide worker converted to islam and changed his name to abdul rahmanhile in captivity n a statement his parents said we are heartbroken to learn that our son abdul rahman peter kassig has lost his life as a result of his love for the syrian people and his desire to ease their suffering: they also released an audio recording of their son talking about his work. >> i was able to share a little bit of hope and comfort with some people. >> reporter: the kassigs plan to speak at a church in indianapolis monday afternoon. wendy gillette for "eyewitness news" on the cw philly. >> well, bill cosby isn't talking about the resurgence of sexual abuse allegations but his attorney s his lawyer released a statement reading in part "the fact that they are being repeated does not make them true. he says the philly born entertainer will not dignify, quote, decade old discreeted allegations with a response. cosby settled a suit back in 2006 which claims he assaulted and drugged women inside his home. he's never been criminally charged. his appearance on the late show ha

abdul rahman kassig's family spoke for the first time today he was captured last year while doing aidk in syria and also a former army ranger. for more we go to jamie macintyre live in washington. his parents pled for his life a month ago after spending a year in ey silence, tell us what they said today. >> reporter: this is a hard wrenching time for the parents of abdul rahmen case i go who changed his team from peter when he convert today islam. he is a former army ranger who decided to go back and help the syrian people by creating an aid organization. his parents today despite the -- what they have suffered now with his beheading at the hands of isil fighters, still had a message of peace and reconciliation. >> hour hearts are battered, but they will men mend. the world is broken, but it will be healed in the end. and goodwill prevail as the one god of many names will prevail. >> please pray for abdul rahman, or pete if that's how you know him, at sunset this everything. prealso for all people in syria, in iraq, and around the world that are held against their will. and aftly, ple

. >> abdul rahman kassig, born in indiana.ack after a medical discharge and enrolled in college and trained as a emergency medical technician. he found his calling after encountering syrian refugees while on vacation in lebanon. he skipped his flight home. with only hours left before my scheduled flight back to the u.s., i watched people dying right in front of me. i had seen it before, and i had walked away before. i'm just not going to turn my back this time. kassig spent months providing volunteer medical care at a refugee hospital before founding an aid organization to help syrians impacted by their country's brutal civil war. he donated his own money to the cause and in october of last year kassig was captured while heading to eastern syria to deliver much-needed supplies. he converted to islam so thoe his parents say his embrace of the religion had become much earlier. yesterday isis showed a video showing kassig had been killed. he was 26. he wrote a letter to his parents in captivity, smuggled out by a former prisoner.

. >> catherine: who changed his name to abdul-rahman kassig after converting to islam in captivity. >therine: the retired army ranger turned u-s aid worker was abducted at a checkpoint in northeastern syria >> catherine: over a year ago. >> catherine: this murder by isis of a third american - is prompting global reaction. france's intelligence community is analyzing every frame of the footage. >> catherine: france's interior minister believes one of the militants in the video is a french citizen. >> catherine: he's believed to have joined isis, after traveling to the region posing as a humanitarian worker. back in u-s - a sign the u-s may change its military strategy. >> catherine: defense secretary chuck hagel says he'd be open to the possibility of sending u-s ground forces back into iraq. >>if we get to any other variation of recommendations from general dempsey then we'll deal with it but we're not there yet." >> catherine: kassig's family are grieving.and share a bitter bond with the families of james foley and steven sotloff - two americans also killed in a region they'd hoped t

silence is relief. >>> this is cnn breaking news. >>> peter kassig, also known as abdul rahman, the 26 who had actually gone to syria to volunteer as an emt has now been beheaded in syria by isis militants. this breaking news just coming to us within the last hour. isis in fact

a video shows the severed head who converted to islam and took the name abdul-rahman kassig.ner executed islamic state. japan felt the impact of an april sales top spin, gdp -- april sales tax boost. the report likely guarantees that prime minister shinzo abe postpone another increase. jonathan ferro has more. >> a lot of moving parts. let me give you the state of play for equity markets. losses on the ibex. .6% in italy. in frankfurt, down by .5 percent. ftse lower as well. goldman sachs are cutting their price target for tesco to 155 pence. tesco is lower. the overriding theme driving is japaneses lower gdp. the third largest economy in the world -- in recession. some question marks. not enough hike, qe to stimulate the economy. a question mark for the .urozone, slipping to 1.2491 board members at the ecb questioning the policies of the bank of japan and whether qe has worked. theoretically, the ecb could buy sovereign bonds. he really did say that. you're a dollar at session lows. 1.5627., you do not trade the pound. let's say you have savings -- cover your ears. hsbc push

this is the story of abdul-rahman kassig. nothing you have seen on tv in the past three or four days is the story of abdul-rahman kassig. this is. those are his parents. this is what he did. he devoted his life to others. a young man who was taken from us in the most barbaric way, yet whose life stands for all that is good in our world. abdul-rahman, peter, we will miss you, catching more fish than your dad ed when you go out fishing together, and then laughing with him and rubbing it in that you caught more than he did. best friends right there. we'll miss you giving your mom paula a big hug and telling your parents how much you love them. folks around the world and every american will miss you terribly, but we'll never forget how kind you were, the sick and injured people you cared for and the sick and injured people you made well. everyone whose hearts you filled with love and with passion and laughter. this was a man. this was a man all hoosiers and everyone else are so proud of, who touched more people and helped more fol

indomitable spirit of goodness and perseverance that bound in abdul rahman caching. rahman kassig. many believe these are propaganda efforts on behalf of i.s.i.l, and negotiations to free these hostages, mission ultimately unsuccessful. this is unlikely to change u.s. strategy in the war against i.s.i.l. by any means, the united states seize this as a propaganda tool and a recruitment tool really on the part of i.s.i.l. which after all is in competition with other radical groups in the region to gain recruits from the west and elsewhere. thomas. >> mike viqueria in washington. those who knew peter kassig saiy he often surprised people with his generosity. zeina khodr with more. >> before he decided those living inside syria. he left in october 2013, only to be captured by the islamic state of iraq and the levant. a week ago his friends in the northern city of tripoli added their voice to an international campaign to persuade i.s.i.l. to release limb. they were hoping that the fact that peter who became known as abdul rahman who converted to islam in captivity, would help. now he is

in captivity, kassig converted to islam and changed his name to abdul rahman. but none of that made any difference to isis. >> this is peter edward kassig, >> reporter: the masked man with a british accent, dubbed by some jihad john announced kassig's beheading just as he had done with american journalists james foley and steven sotloff. but in this isis video there was no effort to hide the location with obvious landmarks of buildings, roads, farmland. >> it's absolutely essential to bring this individual to justice. >> reporter: on the same isis video jihad john leading 16 isis fighters in a chilling mass beheading. one of them already identified as a 22-year-old citizen of france. and now, one woman is believed to be the last american hostage held by isis. >>> and the last american patient has died from ebola. over the weekend, he arrived to a hospital, too weak to walk. >>> and we're learning about the surprise searches for at least five teens by the nfl, looking for pain medication used to keep players on the field. >> reporter: game night, the 49ers celebr

. >> since his capture a year ago, kassig converted to islam and changed his name to abdul-rahman. isis showed their captive in a previous video, threatening to kill him in retaliation for u.s. military action in iraq and syria: kassig's parents publicly pleaded with his cappers to spare their son, fellow muslim. >> we imblow those holding you to show mercy and use their power to let you go. >> yet in their new video isis shows kassig's purported execution 'er claiming to be in a syrian city with what appears to be kassig's severed head at his feet. he taunts president obama saying we are burying the first american crusader, eagerly waiting for the remainder of your armies to arrive. his parents say they want their son to be remembered for the love he shared with friends and family. in a letter to his parents smuggled out, peter kassig said if i do die, at least you and i can seek refuge and comfort knowing i went out as a result of trying to alleve yet suffering and helping those in need. abc news, washington, dc. >> the state department has taken the unprecedented step of shutting

kassig, who converted to islam, and changed his name to abdul rahman endured torture and the mental trauma as other western hostages at times his cell mates were taken, one by one, to be murdered. he knew his time would come. last month kassig's father, ed, read a letter written to the family by their son. >> don't worry, dad. if i go down, i won't go down thinking anything of what i know to be true, that you and mom love me more than the moon and the stars. >> reporter: the kassig family remembered his humanitarian work, sharing an audio recording of kassig before he was taken captive. >> i was able to share a little bit of hope and comfort with some people. >> reporter: unlike other execution videos put out by isis, this one did not end with a specific threat to kill another western hostage. the group simply doesn't have that many western hostages left to kill. richard engel, nbc news, istanbul. >>> tv icon bill cosby is breaking his silence after renewed accusations that he is a rapist. a lawyer for cosby says in part, quote, over the last several weeks decade old discredited allegation

to be killed by the terror group isis made a brief statement today. 26-year-old abdul rahman, formerly known as peter kassigs from indianapolis. the former army ranger traveled to syria to volunteer as a medic and was kidnapped. over the weekend isis released a video showing the beheading as well as more than a dozen syrian soldiers. nbc news has decided not to show the video. >> our hearts are battered. but they will mend. the world is broken. but it will be healed in the end. >> the video shows some of the faces of the executioners. authorities say one is from france, another is british. >>> an ebola test may have proven tragic for the doctor who died from that virus in nebraska today. dr. martin salia came down with symptoms earlier this month while treating patients in his native sierra leone. his first ebola test came back negative. when symptoms didn't go away he took another test which was positive. in a video from april, salia said he knew of the risks of going to sierra leone. >> there was just something inside of me that the people of this part of freetown needed help. i took this job not because

kassig was taken captive over a year ago. he changed his name to abdul- rahman. but he may have defied his captors by refusing to make a propaganda video before his death. kassig is the 5-th westerner beheaded on video by i-sis, since august. president obama could face a showdown with the g- o-p over immigration considerg amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants and he could act as soon as next week. the president has warned house republicans he would use executive power to reform the u-s immigration s t at fivellop who the are u-s illey of themit who were born here. coming up new at gutierrez essman >>, with the hope the president doeswhat do you he that the president does? >> that should not be happening. that is so broken our immigration system is. how about the countless millions of american citizen children who go to sleep every night wondering if there mom and dad is going to be there? >> i think we can take steps to put people in a safe place. most americans would probably agree should not be held hostage because politicians in washington d.c. put partisa

. >> reporter: during captivity kassig converted to islam and changed his name from peter to abdul-rahmanfrom their indiana home his parent, paula and ed kassig, launched a campaign lead pleading for their son to be set free. >> we implore those who are holding you to show mercy and use their power to let you go. >> reporter: islamic groups around the world joined in, and even al qaeda called for the release of kassig but there was no mercy and this morning's video posted on a known isis site featured the purported executioner claiming to be in the syrian city of dabiq with what appears to be kassig's several severed head at his feet he says "we are burying the first american crusader in dabiq, eagering awaiting for the remainder of your armies to arrive." if confirmed, kassig would be the third american to be murdered by isis since august. in a letter smuggled out by a fellow prisoner kassig wrote this to his parents, "if i do die, i figure that at least you and i can seek refuge and comfort in knowing that i went out as a result of trying to alleviate suffering and helping those in need

kassig's parents spoke this afternoon. >> awhile ago we were informed that our beloved son abdul rahman no longer walks this earth. our hearts though heavy are held up by the love and support that has poured into our lives these last few days. >> now you heard his parents there refer to him as abdul rahman because he converted to islam. president obama calls kassig's death an act of pure evil. >> it's been 100 days since the shooting death of teenager michael brown at the hands of a police officer and the people of ferguson, missouri want answers. the governor has declared a state of emergency with a grand jury decision on charges expected any day now. dozens of demonstrators lined the streets last night calling for the arrest of officer darrin wilson. wilson shot and killed the unarmed black teenager earlier this summer. >>> and sad news out of nebras nebraska. another ebola patient loses their battle with ebola virus after contracting it in west africa. fox news lauren blanchard is in omaha with more. >> reporter: dr. martin salia dying early this morning here at the nebraska medical center. the u.s. resident co

. >> reporter: during captivity kassig converted to islam and changed his name from peter to abdul-rahman. from their home in indiana, his parents, paula and ed kassig, launched a campaign pleading for their son to be set free. >> we implore those who are holding you to show mercy and use their power to let you go. >> reporter: islamic groups around the world joined in and even al qaeda called for the release of kassig. but with this morning's video, it was clear there would be no mercy. the 16-minute propaganda production first showed the mass beheadings of 16 syrian soldiers, the isis fighters actually appearing unmasked and then in the last two minutes, the same masked man with a british accent seen in previous execution videos appears with kassig's severed head at his feet. he claims he is in the syrian city of dabiq and addressed president obama saying we are burying the first american crusader in dabiq eagerly waiting for the remainder of your airplanes to arrive. kassig was captured in october of last year. in a letter smuggled out by a fellow prisoner, kassig wrote this to his par