. >>> and pat lawson muse gets a look inside the local bridal shop that helped start a national trend. businesses marketing to real women with real curves. >> "news4 at 11" starts now. >> good evening. first up at 11:00 tonight, concerns about safety in northern virginia after unsolved murders at two local parks. >> tonight neighbors in alexandria told the police chief they're worried about a spike in gang activity. they want to know if it's safe to take their children to the park. >> news4 shomari stone live now at cora kelly rec center in alexandria, where one man even suggested a citywide suffer tonight. shomari? >> reporter: well, that's right. one man said a curfew is needed here in alexandria. a lot of the families we talked to tell me they moved here because of the quality of life, the parks, the schools. and these two recent murders have them shaken. they spoke to the police chief behind me at this community center, and he listened to their questions. >> it's a little bit scary. >> reporter: ladonna sanders was born and raised in alexandria. tonight she worries about crime. >>

i'm pat lawson muse. every day people in this country die waiting for organ transplants.ight now there are an estimated 1,600 patients in the district on the waiting list. you could hold the gift of life for someone who's waiting. our focus this morning is organ donation. organ donations that save lives every single day. my guest is attorney bridgette greer who is a double lung recipient. clive callender from the national organ and institute, and he's the chairman emeritus of the department of surgery and a professor of surgery at howard university's college of medicine. and dr. flavia walton, a kidney don donor, an organ donor who has done tremendous things. thank you all first of all for coming. you're a double lung recipient, nine year who doesn't look one. >> i definitely am. >> how you? >> i'm doing wonderful. i work, i do exercise, involved in the community and the church. my husband and i are guardian of the 14-year-old nephew. so life is great. >> no one would ever know the ordeal you went through. >> no. if you didn't know me back then you wouldn't know what i en

>>> good sunday morning, i'm pat lawson muse, this is "viewpoint," a special "viewpoint." this morning we want to share with you some of the wonderful sounds of the holiday season. handel's messiah is a classic holiday favorite and later today there will be a special presentation at one of washington's most historic churches. joining me is marty austin lamar, director of music and worship arts at metropolitan ame church and joining us later in the program, javon bright and joanne clarke. welcome to "viewpoint." >> thank you, good morning. >> we know the messiah is an annual tradition at metropolitan, but this year it's different. >> this year it is, 30th presentation, 39 years ago a group of amazing singers in the cathedral choir got together as a source of raising funds decided to present handel's sacred oratoryio. the second portion is rejoice and we'll celebrate the musical traditions of the african method d methodist church. >> this morning we'll hear sights and sounds from your singers. >> yes, this morning you'll hear from two of our featured artists, javon bright, o

pat lawson muse continues the coverage. >> the man who hit officer leotta had been, quote, smoking dope and drinking for four hours before getting behind the wheel and that he had been arrested twice before for drunk driving. chief tom major spoke out in clear frustration today about the specifics of this investigation and he was very emotional about the loss of noah leotta in a way we haven't seen before. he pointed out that leotta was trying to keep drunk drivers off the road and chief major emotionally called for tougher penalties for people who take lives while driving drunk. >> the state of maryland has some of the weakest penalties for drunk drivers, and in fact, as we look ahead to the prosecution of this case, i can tell you that whenever it's done there's little chance of real justice being done because until the state of maryland starts taking these crimes, and i'm talking about the crime of a drunk driver behind the wheel of a car who is killing someone, until they take this crime seriously there is no justice for these families. there is no justice for these victims. >> many

. >>> i'm pat lawson at the news 4 live desk. just minutes ago president obama returns to joint base andrews after attending that climate conference in paris. while there the president pushed for a legally binding agreement between the countries do reduce carbon emissions. he says he's prepared to fight republican at home to pay for measures to reduce global warming. it included 130 world leaders gathering there in paris to try to reduce pollution around the globe. that's it from the live desk. i'm pat lawson. >>> over in montgomery county a family is finding somewhere else to stay tonight after an overnight fire significantly damaged their home. investigators are blaming an electrical issue for sparking a fire along settlers landing way. we're told one man did wind up in the hospital with serious injuries from inhaling the smoke, and burns. officials say everyone else was able to make it out safely thanks to the smoke detecters. >>> and when you look around the country, volunteers make up nearly 70% of the firefighters who respo

. >>> pat lawson muse and chris lawrence will be here this afternoon. you can get your news and weather updates with the nbc washington app. washington app. stay ♪ more people protect their homes with state farm. washington app. stay talk to a local agent or find one at statefarm.com today on the meredith show, why more and more people are getting plastic surgery, it's day one of i'm obsessed holiday holiday he see justin long is here he's dishing about going to high school with john mayor and donny deutsch, has worked with donald trump and hillary clinton a. and 13-year-old making christmas dreams come true. >> she thinks beyond herself. >>> you won't believe the plans she has. >> it all starts right now on meredith. ♪

good afternoon, i'm pat lawson. >> i'm chris lawrence. the spotsylvania county sheriffs office ruled heather ciccone's death a homicide. she was found dead in a car outside a home on piney branch road. meagan fitzgerald is live in spotsylvania county where she spoke to the victim's parents. >> reporter: heather ciccone's parents say it's hard to believe their 21-year-old daughter is gone. she left the house at 9:00 sunday evening because a friend's car broke down. she told herrer mother she would be back but never returned. authorities got a call for a suspicious car in this driveway on piney branch road. they found 21-year-old heather ciccone dead in the driver's seat, dead from an upper gunshot wound. hours later around 2:00 a.m., investigators were knocking on their door letting them know their daughter was murdered. >> why would you take my little girl away from me? >> it's hard to put in perspective. you know, until it really happens to you. >> reporter: now, spotsylvania county sheriffs deputies tell us they are following up on seve

pat lawson muse joins us now with more. >> eight days after the attack and it's the first in what's expected to be a grim procession taking place over the next week. family and friends of 27-year-old yvette velasco are gathering right now for her funeral. it will be an outdoor service at a spot on a hill. her family, three sisters and parents say they chose the spot in remembrance of her love for nature. the day she was killed velasco was set to receive the gold badge officially recognizing her as a public health inspector. her family said the last week has felt like a living nightmare. eun? >> thank you, pat. up until last week a 24-year-old walmart security guard from california lived a relatively unremarkable life. >>> now enrique marquez is at the center of that massive federal terror investigation and here to talk more about the man who purchased the two semiautomatic rifles used in those shootings in san bernardino, nbc's justice correspondent pete williams. >> marquez is not considered a suspect, but he spent the weekend talking to the fbi. what is he telling agents? >> they said init

lawson. right after these messages. >> hot waffle out of the oven. thank you. thank you, again. pat yourself upon your back. your shopping is done. you ain't no slack. rest at ease it's all ok. you ordered online and got them in the same day. navigate the app at will with incredible digital ninja skills. the holidays could not be better. maybe you have time to knit him a sweater. i don't know maybe a snowman. i could do that. let's get out of here. i'm just thinking. order gifts online and pick them up the same day. walmart. in our house, imagination runs wild. but at my table, i keep the like country crock's new recipe. made with real simple ingredients and no artificial flavors or preservatives. real country fresh taste from real ingredients. welcome to crock country. here in vineland, home of progresso, we love all kinds of chicken soups... but just one kind of chicken. white breast meat chicken every time. so if you're not going to make your own chicken soup tonight, do what we do...make it progresso. my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis made a simple trip to the grocery store so finally, i ha