our alex marquardt is on the ground right now. , we're hearing about police potentially injured as well as some arrests potentially. what can you tell us about the situation there? >> reporter: good morning, reena. there had been earlier reports not long after this raid got under way about 4 1/2 hours ago at 4:30 this morning that several police had been injured. what we do know, what we have confirmed with french officials is that one of the suspects that was inside this apartment building that was raided was a woman. she detonated her suicide vest. there are reports from the french news agency that there were at least two others inside that apartment, one of whom was killed, one of w4078 is still alive. those have not been confirmed. in the last few minutes there has been activity after a rather quiet period easter the last hour and 15 minutes or so. after we heard a loud series of explosions which we believe to have been sound grenades, the kind that police would use as they storm a house. and what's happening now is until now t

we want to get to our alex marquardt who has been on the scene shortly after all of this started going down. alex, what do you know now? >> reporter: well, good morning, kendis. well, just a short few seconds ago the clock tower here in the center of saint-denis tolled 9:00. that raid started taking place around 4:30 this morning when police launched it with a very intensive strike. there were loud volleys of gunfire heard. explosions. that lasted for quite some time. we understood there were several wounded among the police. we've been on the scene now for around two hours. about an hour and a half ago we heard a loud series of explosions which we believe to be sound grenades or concussion grenades if you will that police often use in sieges and -- we understand from the french justice ministry is that this raid is either coming to an end or has finished. it has been relatively quiet here for quite some time. there have been flurries of activity every so often but it has been quiet in terms of the firing, the explosions and so on. we also understand from french officials that one of t

our abc's correspondent alex marquardt has the latest from the paris suburb of saint-denis. alex, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, kendis. we are right here on the edge of this large perimeter that the french police have set up around that apartment that was raided which is around 200 yards down that way. the tower and church has struck 10. 5 1/2 hours ago this police raid started with gunfire and explosions lasting quite some time. we understand that there was some -- we've been on the ground for three hours and has been relatively quiet for quite some time except for a loud series of blasts that sounded like concussion grenades or stun grenade, the kinds of things police use when they raid buildings to stun suspects. that could have marked the end of this raid. we do understand from the french justice ministry that the raid is over. the paris prosecutor's office tells us that five people have been arrested. three suspects inside that apartment that they were targeting and two people, a man and a woman, near that. now, the big question this morning is whether the mas

abc's alex marquardt has actually just witnessed a great deal of police activity. alex, what can you tell us? >> reporter: good morning, reena. there was a flurry of activity that came out of nowhere in the past five minutete we've been here for about an hour, and all the police here have been relatively relaxed. we'd been told by the justice ministry that this raid was coming to an end. and then in an instant around a halfozen to a dozen poli officers took off running away from t t central square where we are right now. all of the press here, and there are about 50 of us, and many more residents, around 100 of them, followed in hot pursuit to see where they were going down the narrow side streets of this suburb of paris. they had their guns drawn. they went through a park right nearby. they told a woman who was walking through the park, it's 9:00 in the morning, people are starting to come out, to get down on the ground. it was unclear what exactly they were going after, but they seemed very aggressive. they were ruing quite quickly. as i mentionededthey did have t

. >> alex marquardt reporting from saint-denis for us. alex, we appreciate the update. we want to get now to our affiliate, france 24, the english and french channel. and they have some eyewitness >> i woke up hearing gunshots. so i looked out the window. when we called the police, we didn't know what's going on and what we heard, we thought it was like a shooting or something. but then she told us that the police were intervening. so we could hear shootings. and we could hear the helicopters flying. >> she told me that she was woken up by a huge explosion. police stormed into the building and told her to duck down on the floor. she was with her husband and her baby. and then she got really scared and she spent two hours lying down on the floor. police told her to stay down, remain there while they were conducting the operation. then they told her -- they evacuated her and told her to go to city hall. that's where she -- she told me she was scared for her son, that it was a very traumatic experience. >> you were just looking at live pictures from the french suburb of sa

in sharm el-sheikh, egypt - alex marquardt, abc news. possible oncam close: now, four major international airlines announced they will not fly over the sinai until there's more information about the cause of the crash. the full investigation will likely take months. in sharem el-shiek, egypt - alex marquardt, abc news. nikki four people-- including the gunman-- are dead after a shooting spree in colorado. police responded to reports of a shooting in colorado springs yesterday morning. according a resident, a man with several weapons-- including an assault-style rifle-- shot three people. officers arrived on scene and chased the man. authorities say the man fired at the officers and they fired back and killed the gunman. none of the victims' names have been released. nikki: police say three people were killed when a car plowed into a group of trick- or-treaters in new york last night witnesses say the vehicle jumped the curb and went over another parked car, before smashing into a gate. the three victims include a 10- year-old girl. the d

our alex marquardt is there. alex. >> reporter: good morning, kendis. that's right. not just an evolving situation understand it's an active scene and told by the french justice ministry the raid is over. one of my colleagues just spoke with someone who lived on this street. right across from that apartment that was raided. she described this as an active scene and said that this raid started at 4:15 this morning. she and her husband were woken by a very loud explosion that launched the raid and we understand that over the course of the next several hours there were lots of gunshotsts waves of gunshot, waves of explosions that resulted in the wounding of around five police officers. the french paris prosecutor's office tells us that five arrests have been made. three of them from inside that apartment and two people, a man and a woman who were near the apartment. the big question this morning is whether a man by the name of abdelhamid abaaoud was inside that apartment. he has been designated the mastermind, the organizer of these paris attacks on tri that left 129 pe

in sharm el-sheikh, egypt - alex marquardt, abc news. deborah: four major international airlines announced they will not fly over the sinai peninsula until there's more information out the cause of the crash. the full investigation will likely take months. and coming up in sports...iowa is still on track for a perfect relar season. hear from the hawkeyes after the break. plus..the vikings visited the bears looking to snap their losing streak at soldier field. alex has the highlights when we return. alex: 2 line name super: alex walker awalker@kcautv. com alex the minnesota vikings have lost seven straight games against the bears at soldier field. this afternoon, the purple and gold had the chance to win in the windy city for the first time since 2007. minnesota 4-2 this season....and winners of two straight. second quarter 10-3 vikings before in the corner of the endzone...heck of a catch...game tied at ten. to the fourth we go...game tied at thirteen....cutler strolls into the endzone.....bears take the late 20-13 lead... but here comes

in sharm el-sheikh, egypt - alex marquardt, abc news. possible oncam close: now, four major international airlines announced they will not fly over the sinai until there's more information about the cause of the crash. the full investigation will likely take months. in sharem el-shiek, egypt - alex marquardt, abc news. nikki four people-- including the gunman-- are dead after a shooting spree in colorado. police responded to reports of a shooting in colorado springs yesterday morning. according a resident, a man with several weapons-- including an assault-style rifle-- shot three people. officers arrived on scene and chased the man. authorities say the man fired at the officers and they fired back and killed the gunman. none of the victims' names have been released. nikki: police say three people were killed when a car plowed into a group of trick- or-treaters in new york last night witnesses say the vehicle jumped the curb and went over another parked car, before smashing into a gate. one of the victims is a 10- year-old girl. the drive

reena. >> all right, alex marquardt joining us there from egypt live. alex, thank you. >>> we now turn to presidential politics. donald trump creating controversy again. >> yeah, this time it volves an upcoming appearancece on "saturday night live." with "your voice, your vote," abc's lana zak is live in washington for us this morning. lana, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, reena and kendis. donald trump is scheduled to host "saturday night live" this weekend, and the protests are getting louder. overnight people gathered outsidof nbc's headquarters in new york city. they're demanding the network drop the republican candidate from the show saying it legitimizes his controversial comments on immigration. hispanic groups delivered a petion witith over 5,000 signatures asking nbc executives to revoke his appearance. it appears it didn't work. "snl" has released the show's first promo. >> because of equal time rules for television, mr. trump can only speak for four seconds in this proromo. >> so, let me just say this, ben carson is a complete and tot

we go now to abc's alex marquardt who is joining us live from egypt. alex, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, kendis. that's right. that investigation is really just starting here in cairo. there are russian, egyptian and international teams working with evidence that they gathered at the crash site, as well as the two black boxes, which were recovered. now, the cockpit voice recorder, which will be crucial in figuring out what happened, was damaged, so investigators say it'll take a lot more work to get the data off of it. i can tell you that egyptian officials this morning are fuming about these allegations of terrorism from the u.s. and the uk. the foreign minister last night calling it premature and catastrophic for egyptian tourism. you know that tourism is the lifeblood of this country, and it's already been decimated with all of the unrest over the past few years. now, isis in the sinai peninsula has made repeated claims that they brought down this plane. that is being regarded skeptically because they've offered no proof. so, for the meant

abc's alex marquardt has the latest for us from paris. alex, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, kendis, good morning, reena. that's right. there are conflicting reports. french officials haven't said for sure whether they believe abaaoud is dead or alive. whatat they ve said he was the target of that raid that took place in the paris suburb of saint-denis early yesterdrday morning at 4:30. that siege, that raidasting some seven hours. there were eight people arrested. seven of them men, one woman and two of them killed. at this moment, french officials have not identified any of those arrested and nor any of those killed. they have said that abaaoud is not among those who were arrested but of those two who wereilled there was a woman who debt naded her suicide belt and then there was someone else who has killed as the police moved in by a grenade. they have not yet identified that person. it is in theory possible that that is abaaoud. at came as a surprise yesterday was to find out he was even thought to be on french soil. the prosec

>> alex marquardt in cairo tonight. thanks, alex. >>> back here at home now and to another plane emergency. the terrifying moments caught on video. the pilot, a former chief at walmart, using a parachute attached to the plane, as the plane fell from the sky. neighbors watching in disbelief as the plane came down, crashing into a truck with a woman and children inside. abc's david kerley covers aviation. >> reporter: it was hard to believe. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: that plane falling out of the sky. slowly. under a parachute? >> plane down, plane down. >> reporter: people in cars and rooftops start recording, calling 911. >> plane has possibly gone down. you have one that parachuted. >> reporter: the small plane with three on board came down on a fayetteville, arkansas, road, hitting a truck with a woman and two young children inside. >> all occupants are out of the plane. all of them are ambulatory. >> reporter: piloting the plane? former walmart executive, 56-year-old bill simon who used to run all of the retailers'

>> alex marquardt tonight. alex, thank you. and you heard alex report there, the two black boxes recovered in good condition. that's encouraging. so, let's bring in abc news aviation consultant stephen ganyard tonight. and steve, we reported, no distress call. but if the black boxes are in good condition, what might they reveal right away? >> well, david, if a bomb goes off, that's going to be heard in the cockpit. they'll hear the actual sound. or, if the airplane comes apart, they'll hear the rushing of the air and be able to differentiate between the two. >> a real difference in the sounds recorded on the cockpit recorder. and you were telling me, the plane nearly broke in two coming apart. strongest part of the plane. how rare is that? >> it's extremely rare, david. if you look at the pictures of the debris on the ground, this airplane broke literally in half. which is why this remains such a mystery tonight. >> all right, stephen ganyard with us. appreciate it. >>> we move on now to new developments after the sinking of th

alex marquardt, abc news, cairo. >>> we're learning what likely caused another airline emergency. the fire on board a boeing 767 in ft. lauderdale. investigators say a fuel line to the engine was disconnected. records indicate that the plane had been in storage for two years before being put back into service by dynamic airways. one person was seriously hurt in last week's fire. >>> and federal safety investigators will be looking into this small plane crash in arkansas. cell phone video showing a parachute helping to bring the aircraft down on a busy road in fayetteville, arkansas. all three men on board the plane were taken to a hospital, as was a woman whose truck was hit. they're all expected to be okay. >>> a spirit airlines crew is under fire for a confrontation aboard a plane. seven passengers never get off the ground. they were kicked off after an argument over seat assignments. crew members called them disruptive, but others are charging racism. here's abc's pierre thomas. >> reporter: you're watching a confrontation which ends with a group of passengers, all black, being

alex marquardt, abc news, sharm el sheikh, egypt. >> our focus back here at home and to politics. at least one-time republican presidential candidate whose career took him from washington to hollywood has passed away. the family of fred thompson says the former senator from tennessee suffered a recurrence of lymphoma. thompson a lawyer by afraid served eight years in the senate and appeared on "law & order" and 20 motion pictures include "in the line of fire" and "the hunt for red october." fred thompson was 73 years old. >>> former congressman gus celebrating his 90th birthday. he was also a journalist who founded citizen newspapers the largest black-owned community chain of weekly newspaper in the midwest. he represent chicago's southside for 12 years but his record was marred by an ethics investigation sparked by allegations of sexual misconduct. >>> the republican presidential candidates are demanding more control over the debates. reps for more than a dozen campaigns held a private meeting last night following last week's widely criticized cnbc debate. the presidential hopefu

we get more now from abc's alex marquardt. >> reporter: the charred debris scattered over eight square miles across the barren and hilly desert. the russian investigators on the scene inspected the wreckage. the plane split in two. a russian aviation official said the airbus 321 broke up in mid-air. but why? there are few answers. the metro jet flight took off just before 6:00 a.m. on saturday from the popular resort town of sharm el sheikhing from st. petersburg. families posting final pictures before they took off, including this father and daughter as they boarded the plane. it climbed steadily to 31,000 feet before it started to quickly lose altitude and 23 minutes after takeoff, it disappeared from radar. >> looking at the tail section sitting alone in the desert is very telling. if that came off first, the question is was it a bomb or was it structural failure. >> reporter: the isis-linked group in the sinai quickly claimed responsibility but intelligence officials say they don't have the missiles that could take out a plane that high. egypt says nos distress call from the cockpi