clayton sandell, so eerily familiar, this story tonight. we will be staying on that story, but we have other developing news tonight, a terror plot in the heart land, and the arrest of a man who worked at an airport in kansas, accused of driving a truck full of explosives into the airport at wichita. how close did he come? senior justice correspondent, pierre thomas on this story. >> reporter: the deadly plan, to detonate a car bomb at this wichita, kansas airport. the suspected bomber, terry loewen, a local airplane technician who had a security pass to the airport. according to fbi, loewen was planning a suicide operation, to cause maximum carnage and death at the state's busiest airport. >> the threat was real. terry loewen was real. and terry loewen was committed to execute the plan. >> reporter: at 5:40 a.m. today loewen allegedly drove a van he thought was packed with explosives to a security gate. the bomb was a dud. it was all a sting controlled by the fbi. the fbi became aware of loewen after he allegedly began posting radical comm

abc's clayton sandell has their story. >> reporter: tonight a frigid 48-hour ordeal is over after twos and four children, the youngest just 3 years old, today found alive. >> we're glad that they've all been found and everybody's prayers have been answered. >> reporter: 34-year-old james glanton and his girlfriend, 25-year-old christina mcintee, along with their two kids and a niece and nephew went to play in the snow on sunday and vanished. that kicked off a desperate search in the remote snowy mountains northeast of reno. 200 people looking on the ground and in the air as nighttime temperatures dropped to 20 below zero. >> we've got to find them. we've known them forever. those tiny kids can't be out there. none of them can be in the cold like this. >> reporter: today after honing in on a cell phone signal, a member of the search party spotted the family's jeep through binoculars. >> they're in amazing condition considering what they've been through. >> reporter: a member of the search crew says that while driving, their jeep went up an embankment and flipped over. they survived by

clayton sandell, abc news, dallas. >>> thanks to clayton. just 15 days before christmas we wondered if this wicked weather is throwing a curveball to shipping all the christmas presents. we talked to fedex and ups and they say they have their own meteorologists on staff and expect to make up any lost weather time in a few days so santa's helpers do not need to worry. >>> now the as yan know jumbo jet crash in san francisco back in the news tonight as new details emerge raising new concern over what is known as automation addiction. abc news confirming that investigators will look at whether pilots relied too much on computerized controls and didn't realize the plane didn't have enough power to reach the runway. the ntsb begins hearings tomorrow. also examining by the way if the pilots had enough training manually to fly that plane out of trouble. >>> we move next tonight to nelson mandela and world leaders from across the globe descending on south africa, including american presidents past and present. today president and mrs. obama were see

here's abc's clayton sandell now. >> reporter: more than 1,200 people in at least six states saw it.e thought it was lightning. others, fireworks. "hi husband saw the fireball on his drive home," one woman tweeted. "he thought it was a plane crashing." cameras captured a bright streak zipping west on a path from roughly cedar rapids, iowa, to des moines. it was the day after christmas, so, not santa claus, but still a mystery. >> it was a fireball meteor. which is a meteor that is brighter than the planet venus. and its origins could have either been from a comet, a piece of a comet, or it could have been from the asteroid belt. >> reporter: whatever it was, it apparently burned up harmlessly, unlike this much larger meteor that, in february, came blasting through russian airspace. sending debris and shattered glass flying, injuring hundreds, but also kicking off a cosmic scavenger hunt for valuable pieces of space rock from far, far away. >> with this meteorite fall, there's no doubt that millions and millions of dollars in value of -- of pieces fell to the earth. >> reporter: they

tonight abc's clayton sandell with the latest at this hour. >> reporter: rescue teams spent another frustrating day searching for a faint emergency beacon. calling from somewhere in this steep, rugged idaho valley wilderness. search planes are now flying with heat-sensing cameras, desperately trying to find missing silicon valley executive, dale smith and his family. >> obviously, our hearts are breaking. we just want our family back. >> reporter: the single engine beach bonanza took off from baker city, oregon sunday, headed for butte, montana. but near yellow pine, idaho, smith radioed controllers about engine trouble, asking for directions to a nearby airstrip. but the plane never made it, vanishing from the radar. smith is an experienced pilot. his love of flying seen in this family video he made just three weeks ago. after thanksgiving, he was flying his son daniel and daniel's wife back home, also his daughter and her fiance, jonathan norton. their wedding just three weeks away. >> continue your prayers and continue to hope for a miracle. >> reporter: clayton sandell, abc news, den jer. >

>> all right, clayton sandell in colorado.on, thank you. >>> from arizona now, we are hearing for the first time those last moments of the granite mountain hot shots, those 19 first responders who died fighting a fierce wildfire in arizona. their last radio transmissions captured by a helmet cam, just now being released. and here tonight, abc's aditi roy. >> reporter: you can hear the panic in their voices when they come face to face with the inferno. >> breaking in on arizona 16, granite mountain hot shots, we are in front of the flaming front. >> reporter: that fire in the distance, recorded on the helmet cam of a nearby firefighting team. this is the last time the 19 granite mountain hot shots were in contact with their command center. the men don't know their tragic fate is just moments away. >> air attack, granite mountain seven, how do you copy me? >> i hear saws running. that's not good. >> reporter: the chain saws may have been used as a last desperate measure by the hot shots, to cut down trees and debris, providing f

may be running out. >> continue your prayers and continue to hope for a miracle. >> reporter: clayton sandell, abc news, denver. >>> in other news tonight president obama said the growing gap between rich and poor threatens america's founding ideals and he calls for a raise in the minimum wage to $10 an hour. his remarks come ahead of a day of protest, fast food workers in this country in some 100 cities plan to walk off the job tomorrow to push for higher pay. >>> meanwhile vice-president biden was in china shaking things up within hours of arriving there. the first stop on his two-day visit, it was the u.s. embassy where he told a group of mostly young people, chinese waiting in line for visas, they should challenge their own government, saying innovation can occur only when you breathe free. >>> and back here at home, chicago police are reporting some welcome news tonight, what could be the fewest number of homicides since 1965. to the end of november there were 380 homicides reported and at this time last year the number was 474. after last year's surge in violence, the police launched a

here's abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: 'tis the season for avalanches.st, loose, unstable layers of snow are creating a new danger. davis lamair went skiing with his brother edwin this weekend near vail, colorado. >> holy [ bleep ]. >> what? >> that's edwin in an avalanche. >> reporter: suddenly edwin is buried alive. >> once i started sliding head first downhill it sunk in that i was in a big avalanche and it was really happening and i might die. >> reporter: on average 28 people are killed every year. three skiers were trapped just yesterday in utah. they are okay, like lamair, lucky to escape a force that can travel 60 miles per hour or faster. >> at that kind of speed that kind of power you don't have much time. >> you literally have seconds to try and get out of the way. >> reporter: and the deeper the snow, the less chance for survival making new technology like these airbags critical. this one saving a snowboarder by floating her safely to the top. helping make avalanches survivable when the mountain comes crashing down. clayton sandell, abc news,

clayton sandell, abc news, denver. >> abc news will be staying on this tense word and also the full story throughout the night as it develops. >>> down below tonight, that frozen dome of air making its way across the country is creating dangerously slippery paths for millions of people, the roads, the sidewalks, almost icing over as you watch. abc's meteorologist ginger zee says there is another storm now on the way. >> reporter: subfreezing and even subzero. >> feels like minus 11 right now. >> 17 below in aberdeen. >> reporter: the arctic chill digging deep from the great lakes to the northeast, temperatures up to 20 degrees below average and frozen in fargo, just one of so many places that has seen single digit high temperatures or below for a full week. minnesota has been one of the coldest spots in america. wdio meteorologist ben dery showing us just how frigid. >> it's warmed up to a balmy 7 degrees below zero. because it's so cold we thought we would try a little experiment. it's been about 30 seconds. watch what happens. pure ice. >> reporter: in aberdeen, south dakota it's been a

clayton sandell, abc news, winter park, colorado. >> clayton, thank you. >>> still much more ahead on "world news" this monday night, those traffic lights that are now recording your every move, what they're now revealing as some ask, could they be making some intersections more dangerous. >>> later tonight hear why nasa astronauts are now very upset with beyonce. we're back in two minutes. astronauts are now very upset with beyonce. we're back in two minutes. [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup lets you hear it in your heart. [ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. [ m'm... ] great taste. [ tapping ] sounds good. campbell's healthy request. m'm! m'm! good.® so i deserve a small business credit card with amazing rewards. with the spark cash card from capital one, i get 2% cash back on every purchase, every day. i break my back around here. finally someone's recognizing me with unlimited rewards! meetings start at 11, cindy. [ male announcer ] get the spark business card from capital one. choose 2% cash

thank you so much clayton sandell. >>> next tonight a parting gift from nelson mandela., his wisdom. ♪ soon, californians from to salinas to san diego will have equal access to quality health insurance. those who need financial assistance will get it. and nobody will be denied because of a pre-existing condition. welcome to a new state of health. welcome to covered california. we are your health insurance marketplace. enroll today at coveredca.com or call 1-800-300-1506. ♪ >>> as someone said, nelson mandela's life issued a kind of challenge to everyone, saying greatness is within each one of us. what will you do when it's your turn? so we leave you tonight with nelson mandela and his own words. >> there is mr. nelson mandela, a free man, taking his first steps into a new south africa. that is the man who the world has been waiting to see. >> i stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant. today the majority of south africans, black and white, recognize that apartheid has no future. south africa has room for everyone. i have the idea of a democratic and

here's abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: temperatures are dropping and blood pressure's rising as a major winter storm barrels east. minnesota, a mess of spinning tires and plows. the state digging out from under heavy snow. oklahoma grocery stores are selling out. >> i wanted to beat the rush. i didn't. >> reporter: tennessee declared a state of emergency. further west, it's the frigid cold. oklahoma city chillier than anchorage, alaska. this oregon mill was coated in ice. in california, growers are burning peach pits for enough heat to save a $2 billion citrus crop. >> we have to protect it at all costs. >> reporter: in denver, they are de-icing planes and trying to find shelter for the homeless. >> these sorts of nights don't happen a lot but it is dangerous. >> reporter: staying warm means piling on the layers. >> i've got this coat and then a sweater and long-sleeve shirt and thermal underwear under that. >> reporter: denver tied a chilly record at minus 15 degrees. at tom's urban restaurant. >> this is our walk-in cooler this is 35, 38 degrees. it's actually warmer in the free

clayton sandell has more. >> reporter: inside arapahoe high school, a testament to terror. student backpacks, computers, and cell phones lie abandoned. >> the school is locked down. >> reporter: abandoned on friday when karl abandoned on friday when karl pierson walks in a north entrance, opening fire with a .12-gauge shotgun. his second shot aimed pointblank at a 17-year-old claire davis. >> she was an innocent victim of an evil act of violence. >> reporter: he moves down a hallway into a library, firing again. the campus deputy sheriff and an unarmed security officer race toward the sound of gunfire as pierson lights a molotov cocktail he carries in a backpack. >> the shooter knew the deputy was in the immediate area and while the deputy was containing the shooter, the shooter took his own life. >> reporter: the attack lasts just 80 seconds. investigators are still trying to sort out why pierson, an outspoken member of the debate team, threatened and came to kill the coach. librarian tracy murphy. this was her prom date junior year. she says she talked to him thursday for

here's abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: more than 1200 people in six states saw it.ning. others fireworks. my husband saw the fire ball on his drive home, one woman tweeted. he thought it was a plane crashing. cameras captured a bright streak from cedar rapids, iowa to des moines. it was the day after christmas. so not santa claus but still a mystery. >> it was a fire ball meteor, which is a meteor that is brighter than the planet venus. its origin could have been from a piece of a comet or from the asteroid itself. >> reporter: apparently whatever it was, it burned up harmlessly unlike this meteor in february that came blasting through russian air space. sending debris and shattered glass flying, injuring hundreds but also kicking off a cosmic scavenger hunt for valuable pieces of space rock from far, far away. >> there is no doubt that millions of dollars in value pieces fell to the earth. >> reporter: they don't have to be big to be bright. this meteor over the east coast in march about the size of a refrigerator. the good news, the last time anyone can confirm ge

clayton sandell shows how it happened and how to protect yourself from a similar injury. >> reporter:at 200 miles an hour. but skiing the french alps on sunday, he fell, slamming his head on a rock. severely injured but reportedly still conscious and moving when he reached the hospital 90 minutes later. >> it's extremely common for a person to be initially awake after a head trauma, even a substantial head trauma. >> reporter: his condition rapidly spiraled, rushed in to emergency surgery and put in to a coma. doctors say schumacher would have died on the slope if he hadn't been wearing a helmet. a record number of u.s. skiers are wearing them. one estimate says up to 70%. actress natasha richardson was not wearing a helmet when she hit her head skiing. feeling fine at first and rushed to a new york hospital the next day where she died. >> you are safer. the helmet isn't going to harm you, but it won't protect you from everything. >> doctors say if you hit your head while skiing, even if you are wearing a helmet and feel fine, get checked out. your brain could be starting to swell or

abc's clayton sandell reports a final decision on how to make a repair is likely days away. >> reporterd. >> what is actually going wrong? >> reporter: mission control troubleshooting how to fix a faulty critical component. one of two cooling loops that keep the station from dangerously overheating. a valve in one is stuck forcing the six astronauts to rely on the duplicate but there is no backup if that one fails, too. >> this is a position we don't want to be in long term. >> reporter: during their daily briefing, nasa said for now the two americans, three russians and one japanese astronaut living on the station are not in danger. engineers say they have two options, first upload new software to reboot the stuck valve. if that doesn't work, they have to swap it for a spare during a risky emergency space walk. >> astronaut doug wheelock replaced the same part in 2010 during his own space walk. >> i like to say whenever we open the hatch and send people outside, it's always dangerous. >> reporter: another problem, nasa suspended space walks in july after water that was supposed to keep

abc's clayton sandell now with the interview. >> reporter: inside arapahoe high today, a testament toror. student backpacks, cell phones and computers all scattered. >> the school is locked down. >> reporter: abandoned friday when police say 18-year-old karl pierson walks in a north entrance, opening fire with a 12-gauge shotgun. his second shot, aimed point blank at 17-year-old claire davis. >> she was an innocent victim of an evil act of violence. >> reporter: pierson moved down a hallway into the library, firing again. the campus deputy sheriff and an unarmed security officer race toward the sound of gunfire as pierson lights a molotov cocktail he carries in a backpack. >> the shooter knew that the deputy was in the immediate area and while the deputy was containing the shooter, the shooter took his own life. >> reporter: the attack lasts -- just 80 seconds. investigators are still trying to sort out why pierson, an outspoken member of the debate team, apparently threatened then came to kill the team's coach, tracy murphy. bailey callahan was pierson's friend, prom date junior year

clayton sandell in colorado. >> reporter: tonight 17-year-old claire davis is fighting for her life. davis shot yesterday in the head. police say fellow student 18-year-old karl pierson pulled the trigger. >> it was terrible. >> it's awful. and i'm sad. >> reporter: police say davis was not pierson's intended target. they believe he'd come to kill teacher tracy murphy. she runs the debate team. he had been in trouble with the team, allegedly making a threat in september. >> this shooting was the result of revenge on the part of the shooter because of a confrontation or disagreement between the shooter and the teacher. >> reporter: investigators said today that he legally purchased a 12-gauge shotgun at a denver area store within one week before the attack. >> the shooter purchased the shotgun on december 6th at a local retail outlet. the weapon was purchased legally. >> reporter: the images friday of terrified students, so similar to the ones just down the road at columbine. this sergeant teaches that unlike columbine, first responders can't afford to wait to confront a gunman. >> go

abc's clayton sandell is right there where the decisions are being made. >> houston station -- >> reporter: tonight engineering a tricky repair job, 230 miles above the ground. >> what is actually going wrong -- >> reporter: mission control today trouble-shooting how to fix a faulty critical component, one of two cooling loops that keep the station from dangerously overheating. a valve in one of them is stuck, forcing the six astronauts on board to rely on the duplicate. now there's no back-up if that fails, too. >> this is a position we don't want to be in long-term. >> reporter: during their daily briefing nasa said for now the two americans, three russians and one japan astronaut living on the station are not in danger. >> we've got a good stable configuration, the crew is in good shape. >> reporter: engineers say they have two options, first upload new software to reboot that stuck valve. if that doesn't work they'll have to swap it for a spare during a risky emergency space walk. >> about another two feet. >> reporter: astronaut doug wheelock replaced this very same part in 2010 durin

for "good morning america," clayton sandell, abc news, denver. >> what a spirit. >>> time now for theginger. kind of mild here, not the case everywhere. >> not the case out west. the coldest air of the season for places like las vegas, southern california, you're about to get real chilly. let me show you. and we're going to be warmer. yeah, it's our turn. not that warm. i don't want to get anybody too excited. that arctic blast coming down. look at numbers in las vegas, dropped to 40. this is a high temperature on thursday. it will feel like the 30s. los angeles into the mid and upper 50s for highs. and denver, goes from 60 today, to a high of 9 on thursday. the east, mild. 50 in philadelphia. 47, but look what happens. the next four days, we're staying this way. atlanta, 70 again. raleigh, same thing by the end >> this weather report brought to you by big lots. coming up, i'll show you more about what is happening out west with that big storm. >> all right. thank you, ginger zee. >>> coming up, stunning testimony from nigella lawson's ex-husband. is he perhaps taking back his startli

let's go to abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: you can see some of the backpacks and cell phones thatleft behind as students fled in the chaos on friday. this morning, school officials are reviewing video camera footage from inside, showing the speed and violence of this attack. invest gators say that at 12:30 p.m., senior karl pierson parks his car and walks into the north side of the building. carrying a shotgun. extra ammunition across his chest. >> he had a very large knife, the individual also carried a backpack with him as he entered the school. >> reporter: piersonon police sd started shooting immediately. then aiming for claire davis, just 17, firing at point-blank range. >> she was an innocent victim of an evil act of violence. >> reporter: after shooting davis, peerson goes to the library, firing again, then lighting one of three molotov cocktails he carries in a backpack. >> there's a fire in the library. come to the forum. >> reporter: as the campus scrambles to lockdown, the school's deputy sheriff and an unarmed security officer run to the library. toward the sound of gu

clayton sandell has the story. >> reporter: for the first time in this ski season, an avalanche turnseadly. snowboarder michael kazanjy at a wyoming jackson hill mountain resort with five others, as he starts downhill, officials say he triggers an avalanche. >> just a small blade of grass in a big moving, turning monster. >> reporter: fellow skiers, including a doctor, tried cpr to save him. kazanjy was outside the resort boundary when he died, in the back country, where the thrills are bigger. but so is the risk. >> at that kind of speed, that kind of power, you don't have much time. >> you literally have a second to try to get out of the way. >> reporter: kazanjy was a lifelong skier, spending winters on the jackson hole slopes. in a statement, his family said mike lived life with a full heart. he loved his family. his cal bears. his skiing buddies and san francisco. on average, 28 people are killed in avalanches every year. and this is the second treacherous back country avalanche just this week. >> holy [ bleep ]. >> reporter: in colorado, davis la mayor watched his brother, edwin

abc's clayton sandell is in centennial, colorado. good morning. ayton, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, dan. this entire school behind me is a crime scene. investigators working all night to find out what happened here when a gunman, a students gunman walked through the doors, making no effort to hide his shotgun. the terror began at 12:33 p.m. >> shotgun shell on the ground. assuming they have a shotgun. >> reporter: when police say 18-year-old karl pierson, a senior, walked into his school for the last time. investigators say pierson had one target, tracy murphy, the school librarian. >> the kid went after him, specifically. he wanted to kill him. >> reporter: murphy runs the school debate team. abc affiliate kmgh tv reports that pierson was recently kicked off the team. >> this shooting was a result of revenge on the part of the shooter, because of a confrontation or a disagreement. >> reporter: in the chaos, a 15-year-old girl was shot in the head. >> i have a student down in the athletic hall. she is bleeding. >> reporter: she is now i

for "good morning america," clayton sandell, abc news, denver. >> hope that gets under control, too. >>> time, now, for the weather and ginger zee. starting with some warmer temperatures finally coming to the west. >> yes, finally. los angeles has been below average for over a week. we know you're chilly. and, yes, so many of us dealing with this. let's see what's going to happen in the next couple of days. we're going to see 70 degrees-plus, in los angeles, for the first time since december 2nd. it's been over a week since they've seen 70. it's happening today. into the 60s, though, by the end of the week. seattle, staying in the 40s. not that warm. denver, who is so cold for so long, finally seeing 50. just a little peek. that's all they needed. and a quick look at phoenix in the 70s again. >>> atlanta's going to end up in the low 50s. but they're still immune down here in miami. i've seen a lot of the maps where it's 82 in miami. people saying, i hate florida. control our jealousy. i'm trying. >> thanks, ginger. we appreciate it. >>> coming up here on "gma," dramatic day in court

for "good morning america," clayton sandell, abc news, denver. >> beyonce saying best intentions.or america. >> it was. a lot of people remember. i'm sure she'll be -- >> she'll make up for it. >> absolutely. she always does. >>> coming up here on new year's eve, the rockin' morning rolls on. macklemore & ryan lewis, opening up this morning. candid about their life behind the music. >>> and, it's our "play of the year." not just the day. the year. >> where is josh elliott? "play of the year "? meet felix. ] he knows every beat, every note, and every word to danny's songs. [ felix meows ] and danny knows exactly how to keep his lifetime fan, going strong. because he knows cats need meat, and it's why he only feeds him iams. with 2 times the meat of other leading brands. to keep his body as strong as a love that never misses a beat. iams. keep love strong. with 2x the meat. love the iams difference or your money back. we squeeze 24 fresh-picked florida oranges into every 89-ounce bottle. with absolutely no space for added sugar, water, or preservatives. ♪ tropicana. we put the good

his attack was bloody and quick, over in little more than a minute, so let's go now to abc's clayton sandellin centennial, colorado. clayton. >> reporter: good morning, dan. take a look at this. you can see some of the backpacks and cell phones that were left behind, hundreds of them as students fled in the chaos on friday. this morning, school officials are reviewing video camera footage from inside, showing the speed and violence of this attack. investigators say at 12:30 p.m. senior karl pierson parks his car and walks in the north side of the building carrying a 12-gauge shotgun. extra ammunition slung across his chest. >> he was also armed with a machete, a very large knife. the individual also carried a backpack with him as he entered the school. >> reporter: pierson, police say, began shooting immediately, once down a hallway, then aiming for claire davis, just 17, firing at point-blank range. >> she was an innocent victim of an evil act of violence. >> reporter: after shooting davis, pierson goes to the library, firing again, then lighting one of three molotov cocktails he carries in

clayton sandell, abc news, denver. >>> breaking news overnight from hawaii.the island of molokai. our affiliate in honolulu says it was the director of the hawaii health department, loretta fuddy. it was owned by makai kai air. the pilot and seven other passengers survived. three people were pulled from the water by a coast guard helicopter. >>> new details about the cause of the asiana crash in san francisco last july. video released by the ntsb at a hearing yesterday shows the moment the flight crashed. 214 was the flight number. it went to the runway and spun out of control. investigators say the pilots were confused and relied too much on automation and revealed the passenger who survived be but died after run over by a fire truck was hit not just once but twice. >> while we definitely regret the additional insult to the deceased and i can attest as professional rescuers every life to us is critical. >> reporter: firefighter on the scene says she did a three-second visual assessment of the victim and determined she was dead but an autopsy later revealed t

more now from abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: a frigid 48-hour ordeal is over.n, the youngest just 3 years old, found alive. >> we are glad they have all been found, you know and everybody's prayers have been answered. >> reporter: 34-year-old james glanton and his girlfriend 25-year-old christina mcintee, along with their two kids and their niece and nephew went to play in the snow on sunday and vanished. that kicked oespe sea he y mtaiof re 200 peoloinn and in the airght zero. >> we just gthem we have known them forever. those li they can't be out there. none of them can be out there in the cold like this. >> reporter: after honinn a cell pe si of fameep binoculars. >> they are in amazing cot considering what they have through >> a member of the search team >> aays wen of the search team embankment and flipped over. they burned the jeep's spare tire to stay warm. they had food and water and said at night they could hear rescuers blowing whistles and helicopters in the distance. they knew a lot ofoler looking forthem de >> the kids wer th >> after a quick check

and abc's clayton sandell is in littleton, colorado. morning, clayton. >> reporter: good morning, george. this morning, claire davis is in the hospital behind me fighting for her life. for the first time, we're hearing from the girl who went to the prom with the gunman. overnight, claire davis' family says she's in critical condition. stable, but in a coma. davis, in the wrong place at the wrong time, friday, when fellow senior karl pierson opens fire at arapahoe high school. shot in the face at close range. >> i have a student down in the athletic hall. she's bleeding bad. >> reporter: her family praising police and paramedics, doctors and nurses. adding, we appreciate your continued good thoughts and prayers. >> she was an innocent victim of an evil act of violence. >> reporter: pierson killed himself as officers moved in. his motive, police say, may have been revenge after an ongoing feud with his debate team coach, librarian, tracy murphy. murphy disciplined him in september. pierson's friend and prom date, bailey callahan, said he

that's where clayton sandell is this morning. good morning, clayton. >> reporter: good morning, robin. about 650 passengers are waking up in the terminal here in dallas. already about 400 flights canceled here this morning. and nationwide, the travel nightmares spreading. already about 1,200 flights canceled and that number could go up. this morning, an icy stranglehold on air travel. >> attention military vets. >> reporter: the dallas-ft. worth airport paralyzed for four days by freezing rain. becoming a new home for thousands of stuck, frustrated travelers, many grounded here since thursday night. >> a lot of people are really tired. they're fed up with waiting around. >> reporter: 4,000 people slept on cots friday evening. 2,000 overnighted on saturday. sara and javier are stranded with a 3-year-old and a baby. hopefully get out of here tomorrow? >> hopefully. >> reporter: at least 2,700 flights were canceled sunday. headaches rippling to airports east and west. the flight aware misery map had travelers seeing red as delays and

clayton sandell is at lookout mountain, colorado, with the story and some important information for skiersn how to survive an avalanche's fury. clayton? >> reporter: good morning, lara. this morning, thousands of people are getting ready to hit the slopes this holiday. but finding conditions across the west dangerous and potentially deadly. this morning, three utah skiers are alive. search teams digging them out monday, at utah's alta ski resort, after they triggered an avalanche. the state's 11th in 4 days. no one was hurt. >> we know the risks up here. and it's -- you know, it's nothing to play with. >> reporter: slides can trigger without warning. watch what happens to edwin, skiing sunday in the back country near vail, colorado. his brother, davis, recording this dramatic video. >> holy [ bleep ]. >> what? >> that's edwin in an avalanche. >> reporter: davis speeds to the rescue. his brother, buried alive. >> help! >> breathe. >> dig me out. [ bleep ] i was really panicky. because it was basically like being buried neck-deep in cement or sand. and i couldn't move anything. >> reporter:

and that's where we find our clayton sandell. >> reporter: good morning, ginger. overnight here in denver, the low temperature record was smashed. the new record, minus 14 degrees. all that arctic air here is feeling less like a cold snap and more like a cold slap. icy invasion. at least 23 states, from california to michigan, being assaulted by one of the coldest air masses in decades. temperatures in some areas expected to drop 30 to 50 degrees in as little as 12 hours. >> i can feel the truck kind of sliding. >> reporter: treacherous roads in the twin cities, attacking drivers. highways littered with icy spinouts. >> oh. we're going to hit. we're going to hit. oh. >> reporter: teams of snowplows marching out in full force. and so many vehicles there, struggling to break free of nearly half a foot of snow. here in colorado, sub zero windchills. and in parts, up to a foot of snow. on the frigid streets of denver, the salvation army is helping homeless people find shelter. >> when you get cold snaps like this, it's very dangerous. >> reporter: and 25-mile-per-hour

and abc's clayton sandell has the story. >> reporter: this morning, search teams will be honing in onn emergency beacon that sounds like this. the signal, coming from somewhere in the rugged mountains 50 miles northeast of cascade, idaho. >> they have it narrowed around two to four square mile radius where they think the aircraft might be. >> reporter: after celebrating thanksgiving in san jose, california, dale smith was flying his son daniel, and daniel's wife, home sunday to butte, montana. the last leg of their trip started in baker city, oregon, and was supposed to take them over the continental divide. but near yellow pine, idaho, smith radioed he was having trouble. wanting to land at a nearby airport. a single-engine beech bonanza, never made it. also was their daughter and her fiance. both are students at byu. he had come to thanksgiving dinner to meet her family. >> they are deeply in love. i got my wedding announcement a couple days ago. but they're scheduled to be married on january 4th. >> reporter: smith is the ceo of a silicon valley tech firm. family members say he's a

clayton sandell, abc news, denver. >> police in kansas city identified the man who died in the arrowhead playing denver but it could take up to six weeks to determine how kyle van winkle died. the 30-year-old was involved in an altercation over a car. his father, a suburban police sergeant, said his son had no known health issues. >>> the nfl is clarifying an error made during the giants and redskins game. it happened late in the fourth quarter. the official incorrectly moved the chains and caused confusion for the redskins over whether it was a first or third down. the league yesterday said the official should have stopped the clock and clarified the situation for both teams before they allowed play to resume. >>> no confusion during the night's saints/seahawks game. seattle out to a 27-7 lead by halftime. taxed on another touchdown in the third for good measure. the seahawks claim the nfl's first playoff spot and destroyed drew brees and the saints. 34-7. seahawks. >> wow. after what they did to the saints, though, it's hard to watch. >> that's convincing. >> oh, my goodness. >>> this