nia passed away at the scene. latifah was stabbed in the neck but is in stable condition recovering at a local hospital.i know from my sister who survived, that she said he came up behind them and started stabbing for no reason whatsoever.last night cowell discarded his clothes in a parking structure, which police say shows he was conscious of his guilt. and they believe they've recovered the murder weapon, which was found at a nearby construction site.we plan to interview him along with the da's office and book him in the alameda county jailhundreds of people rallied outside the macarthur bart station monday evening ... before marching through the streets of oakland.it hurts right now, but i need to be strong for my sister and her family.standupunderstandably there are a lot of people that want to help the wilson family. there are fundraising pages out there but police say none of them are real.they're working with the family to start one.reporting live from oakland ... ali reid ... kron 4 news. ( robin ) and thi

nia wilson and her sister were heading home from a family pool party and he followed them and stabbed them unprovoked. >> to me more like a prison yard assault where you have an individual with a sharp object and do their take so quickly before anybody could react the person takes off running. in my close to 30 years police experience probably one of the most vicious attacks i've seen. >> police have recovered a knife they believe is the murder weapon. >> meanwhile, the surviving bart stabbing victim is speaking out about the brutal unprovoked attack and loss of her sister. >> a vigil is set to begin in one hour. >> reporter: that vigil got an early start. you could probably see and hear a lot of people are here for it tonight at macarthur bart station. letifah wilson, the woman who survived this attack said she and her sister rarely took bart. they did last night and their lives changed forever. just out of the hospital, letifah was only thinking of her little sister, nia. >> my little sister was the sweetest person on this earth. she didn't do nothing to nobody. i didn't do nothing

arrest of john lee cowell is the first step in healing for the heartbroken family of nia wilson. stabbed to death as two of her sisters switched trains. the attack was unprovoked. >> very dangerous not only in the bart system but throughout the community. we're ecstatic to have him in custody. >> reporter: he was arrested at the pleasant hill station on an antioch bound train. the train was stopped and searched after a tip from a rider. his face have been publicized since noon. >> they asked him his name.

after a string of three killings-- including 18- year-old nia wilson. (grant) joining us now to talk about safety on bart is bevan dufty... with the bart board of directors. . . prosecutors in northern california say a paroled robber faces murder and attempted murder charges in the attack at a subway station against two sisters that left one of them dead.they say 27-year-old john cowell is set to be arraigned wednesday in oakland in the sunday attack against 18-year-old nia wilson, of oakland, and her 26-year-old sister, letifah wilson.alameda county prosecutors say he also faces parole violations charges. cowell was arrested monday night on a bay area rapid transit train in the san francisco bay area, about a dozen miles from the macarthur station where the sisters were attacked.his family says he has suffered from mental illness most of his life and failed to receive proper treatment.records show cowell recently served two years for second-degree robbery.police in northern california say they are investigating the death of a homeless man who was attac

stay with us at ktvu for continuing coverage of the bart stabbing of nia wilson. you can hear from other members of her family in the next half hour along with close friends talking about her life and the senseless attack. >>> the fire that's burning near yosemite national park keeps getting bigger. it's burned 56 square miles. that's an area bigger than the city of san francisco. it started two weeks ago. and it's only 16% contained this morning. there are no flames in the park. yosemite is still open and highway 140 into the park is closed. park officials are warning visitors that some of the events, including ranger led hikes may have to be canceled because of heavy smoke. ♪ >> and hundreds of people attended the funeral for brady varney. he's a firefighter killed in the ferguson fire. he was remembered during that service in modesto. he died july 14th. he was using a bulldozer to create a fire line. he was part of the mariposa unit for 10 years. >> >> the most fond memory that will stay with me is his smile and nice calm personality. braden was always there to

. >>> they are describing the victim, nia wilson as full of love and beauty. investigators say she was standing at the bart platform with two sisters waiting to board a nia wilson was killed and her sister was wounded but has since been released from the hospital. we report from the memorial at the macarthur bart station. >> reporter: we have nt to look at this memorial that is outside the macarthur bart station. you can see a display of candles, balloons, flowers, personal notes outside the station to honor and remember nia wilson. she was killed outside the bart station platform in an apparent random attack. her sister was seriously injured but survived. station agents were here this morning, lighting the candles that had burnt out overnight. people have taken photos of the growing memorial and they have paused to reflect. >> i don't know why it happened for the community. it breaks my heart. she was young, at the beginning of her life. >> i do not know her but i feel for her because i lost a daughter. >> it has shaken the community. hundreds joined the grie

they say cowell stabbed two sisters, nia and latifah wilson. 18-year-old nia died and her older sister survived with injuries to her neck. >> last night, family, friends, and supporters held a vigil for nia at the macarthur b.a.r.t. station where amy hollyfield is live for us this morning. amy. >> hi, good morning, jessica. look what they left behind. an impressive tribute to this young woman. a huge memorial outside the mcanotherer b.a.r.t. station with signs and cards expressing love and calling for justice. you know, when the vigil started, b.a.r.t. had not made an arrest, so there was anxiety and frustration when it urnedro outrage. there was also silence and tears as people remembered nia wilson her sister told us about the attack. she was also stabbed but survived. >> and i looked back. and he was wiping off his knife and stood at the stairs and just looked. and then i start -- from there, i was caring for my sister. >> the sisters were on their way home from a family gathering when the attack happened. it was around 9:45 sunday night here at the macarthur b.a.r.t. station. city

in their place, photos dedicated to nia wilson. investigators say theppened quit have enough officers to patrol platforms at all times. they're hoping to fill 25 open positions and they're urging riders, just like these evening commuters, to stay vigilant. >> our marching orders to our patrol officers is to get on the cars and walk the stations. >> reporter: eyes up, that's the message b.a.r.t. police has for their 400,000 plus daily riders. thanks to an eagle eyed rider, police found suspect john lee cowell yesterday. >> he was very calm. he was sitting on the train car. they contacted him and he walked off the train voluntarily with them. there was absolutely no use of force. >> reporter: when detectives tried to question cowell, police say the 27-year-old paroly refused to answer and asked for an attorney. at this point investigators still do not have a motive. >> it ain't going to stop all the hurting. >> reporter: we found dominic wilson at nia wilson's memorial outside the b.a.r.t. station. dominic says he had been dating nia

nia wilson was one of our own. she attended both oakland high school and dewey academy and had her whole life ahead of her. and yet that life was cut short by violence. in an instant, the reprehensible acts of one person have destroyed her family and shaken our community." (vicki) there have been two other bart-related homicides in the past five days.(grant) police were investigating deaths from assaults that occurred at the bay fair and pleasant hill bart stations as well. kron4's michelle kingston joins us live tonight and has the details on those two deaths. (mk)three homicides in five days at bart stations in the bay area.they are all very high priority and we are following all the leads until we are able to exhaust those leads and our goal is really to bring justice to the families who have lost their loved onespolice arrested one man they say got into an altercation with 51 year old gerald bisbee at the pleasant hill station last wednesday. bisbee suffered a lip and knee injury .. went to the hospital .. was

nia willson's father returns to the mcarthur b.a.r.t. station greeted by terriful supporters. >> all the support they've given me has given me the strength to be strong. police say john stabbed his 18-year-old daughter to death on the platform sunday night and wounded her sister latifah. latifah is now recovering at home. night he'll be bringing hom death to racism shirt. >> i have a daughter that's 16 years old. a situation liking this hit home. >> reporter: their man travels the country painting pictures of families in violence. >> black and white, play on words. i put color into it. i use a lot of color but pretty much my group of friends, my friends color blind. >> reporter: police made an arrest yesterday an the pleasant hill b.a.r.t. station. relatives say he is mentally ill living on the streets and not getting treatment. cal was reesed from prison in may after serving time for second degree robbery. a criminal historifullyia's father isn't focusing on as he mourns the loss of his daughter. >> i have no comment on that. i'll leave

right now they're interviewing nia wilson's father. >>>the attack on nia wilson and other recent incidents have some riders fearing for their safety. some riders say there aren't enough police officers on b.a.r.t. some say when they need an officer, the response time is slow. >> reporter: b.a.r.t. can be a picture of boredom until someone or something changes the ride. like needles on the seats, experience breeds caution. >> i always make sure i sit in the corner where i know i can see visually everyone within the train. >> reporter: he's seen robberies and beatings. this rider exits when he senses trouble. >> if it's my own safety, i'll get off. >> i think the weekends are really vulnerable to a lot of people. >> reporter: riders describe two b.a.r.t.s. the commute hours where they feel safety in numbers, and the night runs which are riskier. some have used the app to summon police but by the time they arrive, the perpetrator has stepped off the train. >> we take crimes against people as our top priority. >> reporter: when officers ar

nia passed away at the scene. latifah was stabbed in the neck but is in stable condition recovering at a local hospital.i know from my sister who survived, that she said he came up behind them and started stabbing for no reason whatsoever.last night cowell discarded his clothes in a parking structure, which police say shows he was conscious of his guilt. and they believe they've recovered the murder weapon, which was found at a nearby construction site.we plan to interview him along with the da's office and book him in the alameda county jailhundreds of people rallied outside the macarthur bart station monday evening ... before marching through the streets of oakland.it hurts right now, but i need to be strong for my sister and her family.standupunrstandably there are a lot of people that want to help the wilson family. there are fundraising pages out there but police say none of them are real.they're working with the family to start one.reporting live from oakland ... ali reid ... kron 4 news. kron 4 news.... ali

the attack left an 18-year-old young woman, nia wilson dead . her sister was severely injured in the attack and remains hospitalized. the mayor talking about the possible motive for the attack which still remains unclear. she says there is no evidence to suggest it was racially motivated but she is taking seriously the possibility. >> the mayor is calling for calm in the wake of the deadly stabbing just as the family has. we will continue to stay on top of this in a manhunt for the suspect, bart police issuing the mug shot. as they are searching for the person responsible. stay with us. we will take a short break. >>> check out bass pro shops and cabela's for great deals on great gear. like savings of $100 on this vortex spitfire prism sight. and save 30% or more on select life jackets. bass pro shops and cabela's- your adventure starts here. >>> we want to return to our conversation with the mayor of youngsville. we have been speaking with the mayor about the decision to close down the pathway home for veterans. it was not an easy decision but

d coerd ighbor18-year-old said doesn't know nia but feels connected by age. she said at this point in their life they shouldn't have to worry about losing their life to senseless crime. >> i know it keeps happening and a problem. >> reporter: there's speculation whether the attack was a hate crime and whether the suspect belonged to a white nationalist group. the chief says he hasn't found that to be the case. right now, we're coming back out live. you're seeing nia's family here and distraught as well and at the press conference, daryl allen spoke about those messages i told you about and shared this with the community. >> we don't know if it was racist or random or what it was. we're asking the african-american community to standdown. let's get this information to find out what really happened and get the right facts to deal with the situation. >> reporter: daryl tells us he's also part of the "stop killing our kids" organization out of oakland. of his family. >> amanda, given there doesn't appear to be a real motive here, what are police saying about the s

as they arrived at the macarthur station, he attacked nia wilson and killed her.atifa wilson was injured, her sister. he then ran off and tossed the weapon, triggering a day-long manhunt. her mother wants justice for her daughter and blames bart, saying it needs to increase security. >> she always said, mama, i'm scared of bart. i'm like, you're scared of bart? she had a right to be scared of bart. look what happened to her. >> we have to cover all the systems. >> reporter: bart police are still trying to figure out the motive for this attack. the sheriff's department says cowell has been arrested for a number of crimes. he was just released two months ago after serving two years for a robbery in contra costa county. he also has two restraining orders against him. we have been speaking with bart riders and many tell us they don't feel safe on bart. so there are a number of questions that bart police and bart board members will have to face in the coming days. there will be a special meeting at 9:00 a.m. today, a special supervisor board meeting to discuss security

but they may ask for attempted murder for the other attack on nia wilson's sister, latifa. here in oakland, te (vicki) (vicki) (vicki) (vicki) thanks terisa. and we have team coverage tonight on this investigation. (grant) we are learning more about the suspect tonight john lee cowell grew up in contra costa county... and prosecutors there are very familiar with him. kron 4's dan kerman is live in martinez with the latest. neighbors say john cowell grew up in this home in concord, and then lived here off and on as a adultsot carol kincaid/cowell's neighbor neighbor carol kincaid says when she heard of cowell's arrest for murder she was not surprised.sottrouble is an understatement alonso/cc county da's office the da's office in contra costa county has brought cowell up on charges at least 6 times.following a 2009 assault he plead no contest to 2 counts of batteryin 2013 he plead no contest again to batteryin 2015 he plead no contest to being under the influence of an illegal substanceand then in 2016 he was charged with petty theft, illegal possession of teargas, possession

nia's mother also attended. she was consoled by family, friends, and a community of support. >> this man just came and did all this to my baby though. my baby. my baby. she didn't deserve this. rthur bart station to downtown. police s >> at one point the memorial moved from the bart station into downtown oakland. n. it was organized t police say about a thousand people were part of the march. some joined in a pro-oakland demonstration organized to counter a white supremacist group that announced plans to gather at a bar. although police say they haven't found any specific evidence that the attack was racially motivated, some demonstrators believe otherwise. >> she was slain in the streets on the bart station at mcarthur by a white supremacist male who had no idea who she was. he targeted her and executed, and we want him to pay. we want justice, and we want it now. large banner that read "bay area stands against hate. >> the event continued into the night. chopper 5 overhead, large banner down on the street that

they say he stabbed and killed nia wilson, the 18-year-old. police got a tip and stopped this train here and took him into custody without incident. attacked andlethat and injuher sunday night. cowell got on at the concord station along with three sisters. as they arrived at if macarthur station, he slashed nia wilson's neck and killed her. her sister was wounded. police say he ran off and changed clothes after the murder, and tossed the weapon, triggering a day-long manhunt and leaving bart riders on edge. >> as they were transferring at the macarthur platform, they were approached by an individual with a knife, who struck very rapidly. it was in my close to 30 years of police experience probably one of the most vicious attacks that i've seen. >> reporter: the alameda county sheriff's department says cowell has been arrested for a number of crimes and was just released two months ago after serving a sentence for robbery. he has two restraining orders against him, one by a woman and one by kaiser permanente after they say he threatened an empl

an artist from the east coast gave him a portrait he painted of nia waering a death to racism shirt. bart police say john lee cowell stabbed the 18-year-old >>> you know, to speak justice with my daughter. >> they say he stabbed the 18-year-old to death on the bart platform sunday night also wounding her sister. the sister now recovering at home. relativ relatives say the 27-year-old is mentally ill living on the streets. he was released from prison in may after serving time for second-degree robbery. >>> only on nbc bay area we are hearing from the girl that sat next to him when he was arrested. he was taken home from work and said he boarded a train and says could have been her. >> nia wilson could have been any woman that looked like me or her. we shouldn't have to live like that in 2018. >> he saw on social media and immediately recognized him to call police and say how peaceful of it was when he was arrested. >> 4:33. also developing tourists only have a few hours left. noon is the deadline. that's when part of the state route 41 shuts down likely through sunday. of course the f

. >>> this morning the man charged with stabbing to death nia wilson on a b.a.r.t. platform in oakland is back in court for a different case. in court for the parole violation hearing. >> reporter: nia wilson's accused killer was just inside here on the fifth floor. he looked calm and quickly answered the judge's questions. 27-year-old john cowell no longer wore the bandages on his face that were visible last week. this parole violation hearing came after cowell was charged with murder and attempted murder. he was released from jail about four months ago after spending two years in prison. another hearing on that was scheduled for tomorrow morning. cowell's next court appearance for the murder of nia wilson and the attempted murder of her sister will come on august 22 >> no pol deadly triple shooting in antioch early this morning. bullets flew in t of an applebee's restaurant. >>> happening now a group of mothers is holding a three day hunger strike in oakland over the white house's separation policy. called mom's rising they're outside the federal building on clay

even so accused murderer john cowell was able to escape after taking nia's life. ama dates, abc 7 news. >> we want to hear your concerns so we can follow up with bart officials reviving the #dearbart which we launched five years ago during the bart strike. use it when you post your comments on twitter or facebook so we can find them and hopefully get answers for you. >>> plastic straws and containers may soon be gone at restaurant and bars in san francisco. the board of supervisors has approved an ordinance banning businesses from providing straws, stirrers and toothpicks and customers would have t like packets and nap skins unless at a self-serve station. it faces a second vote next week. if it passes and mayor breed signs it into law it would take effect next july. opponents are concerned about disabled people who need straws to sip drinks. >>> a hearing will begin to determine if a north bay school district can prevent a 5-year-old girl from bring cannabis school to her. the press democrat reports the girl has a rare form of epilepsy that causes frequent and lo

nia was one of five siblings. there are four sisters, one brother. and the family sort of joked that she really loved getting dolled up. if you've seen some of her photos, she really enjoyed getting put together. they joked she would often make them late for family functions. that was something they really grew to love about her, so much so they nicknamed her pg, short for pretty girl. >> melanie woodrow, thank you for threport. >>> bart police said today despite the rash of homicides the last several days, the system is safe. they urge riders, particularly those who ride at night and on weekends when there are fewer people on the trains to stay vigilant. police officers can't be on every train. but the agency is working to fill dozens of vacancies. >> we currently have 35 officer candidates in the process of getting hired with us. in addition to that we also have ten recruits in our training program. so once they get off the program, that's ten more officers that will be available to patrol the bart system. >> police recommend riders download the ba

nia wilson died. her sister survived. after the stabbing, investigators say cowell took off his clothes and left his backpack behind in a parking structure. inside the backpack were items with his name and date of birth. on monday evening, bart riders spotted him on a train and police arrested him without incident. the d.a. charged cowell with murder and attempted murder in the attack. he also faces charges for using a knife, which was recovered by police at a nearby construction site. the district attorney says at this point there is no evidence of a hate crime and that a motive is still unknown. she called the killing, vicious, brutal and ruthless. >> i think it is a very troubling case. it is a brutal, horrific murder and attempted murder. you know, for our whole community. not part specifically, but our whole community, it is an awful situation. that is why we are treating it with the seriousness we have. >> reporter: the district attorney said she could not comment on reports that cowell is mentally ill and how that

that's what latifah wilson told us about her sister, nia.ifah was also stabbed and still has no idea why. wilson said she and two of her sisters were on their way home from a family gathering saturday night when 27-year-old john cowell attacked them with a knife. latifah says cowell stabbed her 18-year-old sister nia in the neck first and he didn't say a word. >> i look back, and he was wiping off his knife and stood at the stairs and just looked. she didn't do nothing to nobody. i didn't

a tip from a rider led to the capture. 18-year-old nia wilson was stabbed in the neck while waiting to change trains and she died on the platform. her 26-year-old sister was also stabbed and is still in the hospital. joe vasquez has more on the accused killer. >> reporter: two passengers alerted authorities that this man, john lee cowell was riding on their train. >> searched the station but didn't find the individual. >> reporter: then another passenger had a tip on another train, outbound headed toward antioch. police stopped the train. >> the train was searched and officers located john lee cowell. he was detained for a while at the pleasant hill station and has since been transported to the bart police department. >> reporter: police say he got on with the three young sisters arriving at the station, and he randomly attacked two women, slashing nia wilson wilson's neck, killing her. her sister latifa wilson was wounded. he's described as a transient with a violent past. he's been arrested for a multitude of crimes from burglary to assault, weapons and drug charges, even for shootin

wilson, and killing nia wilson. and investigators say how they located him. one families very personal tragedy has shaken the entire bay area, sunday night, nia wilson, 18 years old, police said she was killed in a completely unprovoked attack. her sister was slashed as well, and the suspect , a sharp eyed rider spotted him, his capture caught on camera. >> one of the passengers was on the train, they saw what they believed to be mr. cowell, and we held the train at pleasantville, where officers detained him, confirmed his identity, and booked him into the jail. re/max the suspect, 27-year-old john lee cowell, into the jail without further didn't, he turned over identification when asked. >> he asked what was going on, we asked him to step off the train, he might match somebody you're looking for, voluntarily got off, and volunteered his california id card, we confirmed his identification. and placed them into handcuffs.>> reporter: he has not made statements about the killing, instead asking for an attorney, workin

nia wilson died. her sister survived . after the stabbing cowell took off his clothes and left his backpack behind in a b.a.r.t. parking structure and inside the backpack were items with his name and date of birth . on monday evening b.a.r.t. riders spotted him on a train and police arrested him without incident at a pleasant hill station. is charged with murder and attempted murder and also faces enhancements for allegedly using a knife which was recovered by police at a nearby construction site. nancy o'malley says at this point there is no evidence of a hate crime and the motive of the attack is still unknown. she called the attack quote vicious, brutal and ruthless. >> it's a very, very troubling case. it's a brutal, horrific murder and attempted murder, and so for our whole community -- i am not saying b.a.r.t. specifically but for our whole community, it's an awful situation and that's why we are treating it with the seriousness we have. >> reporter: the da said she can't -- and she can't comment on reports that cowe

. >>> emotions are still running high in oakland after that senseless death of 18-year-old nia wilson. today her suspected killer faced a judge. john cowell is accused of murder and a temped murder on the attacks on wilson and her sister sunday evening in oakland. nbc's melissa colorado was inside the courtroom earlier today. >> this sketch shows cowell dressed in a jump suit. he stood silently while the judge read out loud the charges filed against him. he is charged with the murder of nia wilson and premeditated attempted murder of her sister, letifah wilson. >> our whole community, it's an awful situation and that's why we are treating it with the seriousness we have. >> cowell already has two felony convicts on his record. one of them stems from a 2016 incident in which he stole items from this lucky in el cerrito and when a security guard tried to stop him, cowell pulled out a toy gun and a box cutter. the alameda county district attorney said she is still looking into whether sunday's attack was a hate crime. >> we have a job to do which is to bring justice for the victims and t

nia's sister was also stabbed n and he is in jail, no bail has been set.n oakland, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. >> we want to hear your concerns about safety on bart so we can follow up with bart officials and reviving the #dearbart which we launched five years ago during the bart strike. so use it when you post your comments on twitter or facebook so we can find them and then get some answers for you. >>> this morning pop star demi lovato said to be awake and spending time with her family after she was taken to the hospital for a suspected drug overdose she has spoken about her struggle with an eating disorderer, mental illness and substance abuse. she talked to "gma" and said it started after being bullied as a child. >> i've suffered from cross addictions over the past few years. i was trying to control my eating disorder, trying to get help for it. >> just last month the singer released a single called sober, hinting at a possible relapse. celebrities are reacting to the news on twitter. here's ellen, writing it breaks my heart she is going through this

nia was pronounced dead and her sister taken to the hospital for her injuries.e will show you video including family members. >> a knife walking through the bar past people in our community. >> he was a convicted felon. why was he wandering the streets? >> at this point i want justy for my daughter, that's all i want, justy for my daughter. -- justice for my daughter. >> it is the third killing in the past week. a man assaulted at the station we are standing at right here just this past wednesday. he had minor injuries in that attack. he was found dead in his bed on friday due infection from a small cut on his knee. the suspect has been arrested. on saturday morning at the station a man was punched in the head and fell to the ground. the suspect in that case is still ton loose. as you guys mentioned, as the motive for the stabbing of nia wilson and her sister is still under investigation. >> three killings in one week. that's amazing. thank you. >>> also in you this morning at 6:36 a neighborhood getting back to normal for nearly ten hours yesterday and into the

station with people paying respects the nia wilson. we talked the riders of the impact of the death and on the local community. >> she is a baby. she is -- i have 18-year-old twins. my daughters caught b.a.r.t. by themselves because everyone's on a different schedule. this should have been my daughter. >> shouldn't have happened. she was a child. you know? just upsetting. i'm on the -- you know, track with my sister all the time. just waiting for a train and that's, like, just shouldn't happen. >> reporter: hitting close to home for a lot of folks there. want to point out this marks b.a.r.t.'s third killing in the last week. a 50-year-old man assaulted last wednesday. he had minor injuries in the attack and found dead on friday due to an infection. the suspect was arrested. saturday morning at the bay fair station, a man was punched in the face and fell and hit his ground and pronounced dead. the suspect is on the loose. the suspect in the stabbing still under investigation and cowell set too be arraigned in court tomorrow morning. in