mcknight had. can tell you i have spoken extensively to the doctor and looked at it myself, the wounds are not being consistent with being shot from above or on the ground. that's all i have to say at this point. >> look, i am just here just to say that it should ne a rush to judgment that the facts are still coming out and that we should base it on facts and not facebook and other social media. i pray for the mcknight family and remember we lost someone in this rather than putting out missed information, we need to focus on the facts. that's all i have to say. thank you. >> thank you, i appreciate the support and would ask that the rest of the community support us in this endeavor as well. i echo his comments to the mcknight family having followed joe mcknight's career for a long time and i would be happy the answer any questions anyone have. >> could you say what may precipitated the chase? >> we are still trying to put it together, preliminarily, it may have been simply cutting one off in front

mcknight tried to get into mr. gasser's vehicle, he's justified in shooting him and the sheriff basically alluded to that yesterday in a press conference that justifiable homicide may play into effect into this case. >> a lot said there is no video of the incident and gasser was not tanning over mcknight when he was shot. gasser's prior record as you heard in the piece he was arrested in 2006, another rage road identical location. is this going to factor into this investigation? >> it will not factor into the investigation of this particular situation, paula and i'll tell you why, i worked a lot of murders and what happens is a person may have been charged with murder in the past or a suspect but you have to look what's in front of you and i think that's what the sheriff is trying to do. if he is charged, it becomes more relevant once you get in court. >> all right, the sheriff promising a deliberate and usual. thanks, brad. dan. >>> we are going to move on to an extraordinary impasse in the case of michael slager,

mcknight and fire shots into him. >> reporter: despite earlier rumors, police say mcknight got out of his suv after a heated exchange with gasser from their respective vehicles. mcknight walked up to the passenger side of gasser's sedan when gasser fired his semi- automatic handgun from inside his car. >> the three casings were located within the vehicle. >> reporter: then the futile effort to revive mcknight, as gasser waited for police, handing over his weapon, later giving a statement before being let go pending further investigation. >> the easiest thing for me would have been book 'em, dano. right? but the fact of the matter is, in trying to flesh out the details, we chose not to do that. >> reporter: mcknight was born and raised here, leading his high school team to several championships, star at usc, picked up by the new york jets, and later the kansas city chiefs. >> good dude. he always had a joke and he'd make you smile. just a really good guy. >> reporter: a source close to the gasser family told nbc news, we pray all will be patient and wait for the facts to come out. it w

investigators say that evidence suggests mcknight cut off gasser, who then sped after mcknight the two involved in verbal altercations, cutting in front of one another, zipping around vehicles, at a red light four miles lighter, mcknight got out and approached his car. that's when gasser shot mcknight three times. gasser remained on scene as a bystander performed cpr. >> incredible details. >> really chilling, too. >>> still ahead here on "early today," demonstrators clashed with riot police over a shooting death of a teen in greece. next, bill karins with a frigid plast on the move here in the northeast. bill. >> it will move all the way through the country. negative 17 in business mark. one of the coldest spots. this cold is on the move, coming head from the south and the east ahead t. wind chills will feel in the 'teens in omaha. we are from the single digits through the ohio valley and days ahead, guys. >> winter is here. at least coming, bill, thank you very much. >>> just ahead, 75 years ago this morning, u.s. forces at pearl harbor were attacked by the japanese and america offic

mcknight. >> mcknight was a highly recruited new orleans football star who also plays for the kansas city chiefs as well as the cia joe mcknight was just 28-years-old. >>> people remain without power from the deadly weather and wildfires. four tornadoes killed five people in alabama and tennessee. an additional 11 people were killed by the massive wildfires in eastern tennessee that started late monday night. gatlinburg remains blocked to the public with a mandatory evacuation order. they are putth out structural look at this, on wednesday morning, this photo was taken of these heroic firefighters, after battling the fire for over 33 hours. there they were getting a well needed nap. >>> buzz aldrin is waking up in a hospital after a medical evacuation from the north pole. he left for a luxury tour on tuesday, bus his health deterioratesed, leading toing a serious lung condition. his manager releasing these photos saying he is recovering well. they say the astronaut has fluid in his lungs. aldrin became the second man to walk on the moon alongside neil armstrong. >>> an arm bank robbe

sheriff investigators say mcknight did not have a weapon. >> brian: mcknight is the second nfl player to die this year in a road-rage incident in the new orleans area. former ohio state buckeye will smith was shot after a minor traffic incident. his alleged shooter plead not guilty. enforcement continue to search for this man, david calhoun jr. he's suspected in the double murder of lashawn sanders and sierra marsh. was last seen running from the scene in a camouflage jacket and black pants. police consider him armed and extremely dangerous. >>> a man accused of shooting a lakewood teen is being held on a $100,000 bond. johnson plead not guilty to an assault charge. a local muslim group is asking for it to be hate crime because the 16-year-old said the man called him a terrorist and accused him of being part of the taliban before the teen was shot. >> brian: the somali born student in president attack at o.s.u. has been buried in a columbus cemetery. dozens of people attended his funeral at a columbus mosque. >> tia: well president-elect donald trump says he was, or will officially an

>> reporter: david, no word if mcknight was trying to get in that car. the sheriff says gasser claims he was being threatened, but some witnesses contradict parts of his story. here in louisiana, the use of deadly force can be justified if someone is trying to get in your car. david? >> eva pilgrim with us from new orleans. eva, thank you. >>> we do have new reporting tonight after that horrific and deadly fire in oakland, california. tonight here, for the first time, video from inside the warehouse, well before that inferno. the burned-out building now a crime scene tonight. investigators weighing charges, even murder. and that new video showing dangling wires, broken plumbing inside. and tonight here, the heartbreaking final text messages from loved ones who were trapped. abc's kayna whitworth in oakland. >> reporter: tonight, for the first time, we're seeing those deplorable living conditions inside the ghost ship warehouse where those 36 people perished. >> it was a hell hole. it was a death trap. >> reporter: shelley mack says she lived in the house

mcknight. >> mcknight was a highly recruited new orleans football star who also plays for the kansas city chiefs as well as joe mcknight was just 28-years-old. >>> people remain without power from the deadly weather and wildfires. four tornadoes killed five people in alabama and tennessee. an additional 11 people were killed by the massive wildfires in eastern tennessee that started late monday night. gatlinburg remains blocked to the public with a mandatory evacuation order. they are putth out structural look at this, on wednesday morning, this photo was taken of these heroic firefighters, after battling the fire for over 33 hours. there they were getting a well needed nap. >>> buzz aldrin is waking up in a hospital after a medical evacuation from the north pole. he left for a luxury tour on tuesday, bus his deterioratesed, leading toing a serious lung condition. his manager releasing these photos saying he is recovering well. they say the astronaut has fluid in his lungs. aldrin became the second man to walk on the moon alongside neil armstrong. >>> an arm bank robbery turned into

investigators say that evidence suggests mcknight cut off gasser, who then sped after mcknight, the two involved in verbal altercations. at a red light four miles later, mcknight pulled up next to gasser's vehicle, got out and approached his car, that's when gasser shot mcknight three times. gasser remained on scene as a bystander performed cpr. >> i can't believe it. >> reporter: mcknight's family spoke to nbc over the weekend. >> we just want to just take everything day by day. we don't want to jump to any conclusions. >> reporter: ronald gasser is said to be cooperating with authorities and was interviewed for 12 hours without an attorney. tonight he's being held here on $500,000 bond. tamron? >> blake, thank you. >>> now to politics and president-elect donald trump's sparking a new controversy over air social media to criticize an american business. this time, he's threatening to cancel an order for new presidential planes from aviation giant boeing. we get details from nbc's hallie jackson. >> reporter: the president-elect's preferred plane -- >> i don't know what i'd do without th

one reason says mcknight and gasser were arguing. >> him and joe mcknight. you heard gunfire. three shots. >> the suspect was just standing there with the gun waiting, standing there with the gun until the police came and they asked him to put the gun down. >> police say mcknight was not in his car. mcknight played four seasons in the nfl and spent this year in the canadian football league. >>> overseas now. the u.n. says the number of people fleeing the city of aleppo has topped rather at 400,000. more than 225,000 are trapped in the city that is pounded by russian and syrian forces. debora patta reports from aleppo. >> reporter: thousands of civilians who fled rebel-held even the weather deserted them. huddling under blanket for warmth, they sleep cheek-to-cheek in make-shift shelters. for many, this is their first meal in days. the united nations estimates that 200,000 are still inside eastern aleppo trapped between the syrian army and rebel fighters. the relentless shelling continues. the u.n. has in the fighting to deliver of food and medicine. but the syrian government h

joe mcknight, with the gunman saying he admitted he did it. eva pilgrim is in new orleans. >> reporter: tonight, a former nfl running back, dead. killed during what authorities are calling a road rage incident. investigators say 28-year-old joe mcknight, a former usc standout who played for the jets, was shot three times, in the hand, shoulder and chest. a bystander capturing the first responders performing cpr on the former player. authorities have indentified ronald gasser, seen here in cuffs, as the other driver who fired the deadly shots. >> mr. gasser at that particular location admitted to shooting joe mcknight jr. >> reporter: 54-year-old gasser was taken into custody, and then released this morning. without being charged, sparking outraged. >> why was he released? >> reporter: authorities say it started at about 3:00 p.m. thursday on they crescent city connection. saying one driver may have cut off the other, the two cars then traveling a little more than six miles to the intersection where it ended in tragedy. witnesses reportedly see

other motorist shot and killed mcknight -- who by then was standing outside his car.joe mcknight was a local football star who went on to play for u- s-c and then parts of four seasons in the n-f-l. another fatality has been reported, bringing the total number of deaths from the wildfires burning in tennessee up to eleven.some 14-thousand residents and tourists had to evacuate gatlinburg after the wildfires spread monday night. more than 17-thousand acres have burned so far -- damaging or destroying dozens of and businesses.a state of emergency has been declared.. which will help expedite aid to a rhode island man live-streamed his wild, speeding drive on a highway in providence. the facebook live video shows him weaving in and out of traffic. the 20 year old crashed into a garbage truck and concrete barrier....and was seriously injured. at one point he reached 114 miles an hour. police are investigating. no is offering a "sweet" reward after the shop was vandalized. the owners believe a b-b gun was used to shatter the shop's large picture glass window.so, instead of offering money f

investigators say that evidence suggests mcknight cut off gasser who then sped after mcknight. the two involved in verbal altercations, cutting in front of one another and sipping around vehicles. at a red light four miles later, mcknight pulled up next to gagser's vehicle and got out and approached his car. that's when gasser shot mcknight three times. gasser remained on scene as a bystander performed cpr. >> that was nbc's blake mccoy reporting. >> incredible details. >> really, real chilling, too. >>> molotov cocktails fly as none administrators clash with riot police over the shooting death of a teen in greece. we'll have the latest but first nbc meteorologist bill karins with a frigid blast in the northeast. >> going move all the way through the country. negative 17 windchill in bismarck, one of the coldest spots in the entire nation and this cold is on the movement coming down from the north and will head to the south and east and it will feel like the teens in omaha and chicago 22 and tomorrow even worse, in the single digits in many areas through the ohio valley and gre

>> reporter: no, it's very clear that gasser shot mcknight.ing for. there were sources that told the local affiliate that it was a self-defense kind of a thing. >> interesting. >> reporter: we ourselves did not arrive until late last night. so whatever he told them during questioning them appears to have convinced them that no charges needed to be brought. >> lots more on this, jacob rascon on the story. quick break, we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ style lets you stand out from the herd. what's inside sets you apart. the cadillac escalade. enjoy our best offers of the year. ♪ everything your family touches sticks with them. make sure the germs they bring home don't stick around. use clorox disinfecting products. because no one kills germs better than clorox. when you're close to the people you love, does psoriasis ever get in the way of a touching moment? if you have moderate to severe psoriasis, you can embrace the chance of completely clear skin with taltz. taltz is proven to give you a chance at completely clear skin. with taltz, up to 90% of pati

the sheriff revealing something else about joe mcknight, and his relationship with the department? >> reporter: that's right. the sheriff saying the man who raised mcknight was a sheriff's deputy. >> thank you. >>> we turn to president-elect call with taiwan. it's believed this could be the first time a president-elect or president has talked with taiwan since 1979. could this cause problems with china? meanwhile, hillary clinton's popular vote earning her more votes than any other candidate other than barack obama. here's tom llamas. >> reporter: tonight, donald trump hunkered dow t tower. after taking the transition on a wild ride to cincinnati, capped by a surprise announcement. >> we are going to appoint "mad dog" mattis as our secretary of defense. >> reporter: mattis, a hard charging retired general. a 41-year veteran of the marine mattis served as head of u.s. central command, overseeing the wars in iraq and afghanistan. >> they say he's the closest thing to general george patton that we have. and it's about time. >> reporter: trump breaking the news during a raucous rally t

joe mcknight killed at a louisiana gas station. tonight, his family and a community demanding answers. and now, police are revealing that the man accused of that shooting was involved in another road rage altercation years ago in the very same spot. tonight, why the law may be on his side. here's abc's eva pilgrim. >> reporter: tonight, growing outrage about that deadly road rage shooting. >> i want answers. i want the truth to come out. >> reporter: as new details emerge about this man, ronald gasser, seen on the ground in cuffs. police say gasser admitted shooting former nfl running back joe mcknight. now abc news learning, gasser was arrested for a violent fight during a road rage incident in 2006 at a gas station at the same intersection where mcknight was killed. charges from the earlier incident were dropped. mcknight's family and supporters in the community incensed his killer is not in custody, and has not been charged in connection to mcknight's death. >> it doesn't have anything to do with race. it's not a white or black

player joe mcknight is charged with manslaughter announced at a bizarre news conference. >> reporter: sheriff, can you explain why you felt the need to read some of those foul comments? >> pelley: getting less than seven hours' sleep sharply increases a driver's risk of an accident. and a most-fitting tribute to the fallen heroes of the u.s.s. "arizona." >> every single time i watch that explosion i felt a little pang in my heart. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: today, the president-elect took off on bhoeg, saying that the company's bill for a new fleet of presidential aircraft is sky high. the next generation of air force ones is not due until the next decade, but donald trump called for the contract to be scrapped in an early-morning tweet that triggered turbulence on wall street. cord corld now on mr. trump's plain talk and what's behind it. >> reporter: mr. trump's tweet shortly before the opening bell caused boeing stock to plunge before recovering throughout the day. boeing is building a brand new 747 air force one, he wro

joe mcknight died last night in an apparent road rage shooting. he played for the new york jets the police station where the suspect is being questioned. omar, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. joe mcknight was a local legend here in new orleans. a hometown kid who made it to the nfl. but his story has a tragic ending. here at the sheriff's office, investigators spent the night talking to witnesses after mcknight was killed in a confrontation with another driver who shot him several times and then waited for police to show up. despite this urgent attempt to save his life, joe mcknight died in the middle of a road in jefferson parish, louisiana. >> the shooter in this case who stayed on the scene relending wished his weapon to our officers. >> reporter: witnesses told deputies she saw gasser arguing in the intersection with a 28-year-old athlete. >> there were statements being made that i told you not to mess inside a nearby car. >> you heard gunfire. three shouts. suspect just standing there with the gun until the police came and they asked

the man who raised mcknight was a sheriff's deputy. eva pilgrim abc news. >>> residents in gatlinburger, tennessee are returning home. hundreds of homes and buildings have been destroyed because of the fire. the wildfires killed 13 people and officials say that number could unfortunately rise. >>> the washington monument will remain closed for the next 2 1/2 years since august, there have been safety concerns about the monument's elevator system. david reuben a billionaire philanthropist donated the money to fix it. it will be reopened by 2019. >>> chris sowers has the exclusive accuweather seven-day forecast up next. >> welcome back >> welcome back to another edition of temple football play book, i'm jamie apody. you're back in the championship game, that's got to feel wonderful for you, that's >> reporter: welcome back to another edition of temple football play book with the coach matt rhule, i'm jamie apody. well, you're back in the championship game. that's got to feel wonderful for you, that's got to be a sense of pride for the re

mcknight's death. >> mr. gasser did not stand over mr. mcknight and fire shots into him. >> reporter: instead, the sheriff says, evidence shows that on thursday afternoon, afteren incident of road rage, he was shot after he got out of his car and walked to the passenger side window. mcknight was unarmed. >> the three cases were located within the vehicle. >> reporter: tributes poured in from old teams, usc, new york jets and kansas city chiefs. >> he was always upbeat, had a good time, no matter the situation. >> reporter: born and raised in louisiana, minutes from the memorial in his honor, mcknight's troubling to friends. >> we the same age. that could have been me. >> reporter: and strangers -- >> it hurts, you know, to like, you know, see another african-american die like i don't understand. like why? >> reporter: overnight, the sheriff confirmed gasser had been arrested previously for another road rage incident, at the same intersection where he gunned down mcknight. in a statement, the sheriff's department says that an unidentified