authorities say scott mcgann, aqueuesed of carrying a fake bomb into the airport was released from jail seven weeks earlier. a new york judge ordered him to get a psychiatric exam but he failed to do so. he is charged with making a terrorist threat and if found competent will appear in court soon. >>> a houston man is changing a tire when all of a sudden he gets hit by one. the dash cam captures the police officer and the man. then out of in mowhere, the tire goes whizzing by the officer's feet. it only grazed him as you see, and he was not harmed. >>> sad news out of hollywood tonight. director john hughes has died of a heart attack while visiting his family in manhattan. he's known for launching the careers of many high-profile actors. he lived in illinois and set many of his films in the chicago area. john hughes was 59 years old. >>> check in with "eyewitness news" at 6:00.

he is identified as scott mcgann, age 32 and a new york resident. he gave a fake address in manhattan. he has three prior arrests as recently as last month. and he also was holding boarding passes on united airlines. he was supposed to fly, according to the source from laguardia to chicago o'hare then on to denver and finally on to oakland, california. right now he's in police custody but, of course, all this and the evacuations caused a huge disruption at the airport. causing a lot of passengers a lot of confusion. >> well, we arrived at 10 to 6:00 when they first closed the airport, thought maybe there was an accident, no big deal. but, yeah, nobody has said anything. total chaos. absolutely bizarre. i've never experienced anything. i talked to agents, nobody seems to know what's going on. i wanted to go to kennedy to rebook my flight they said we don't know if you can do that. i'm so frustrated. i don't live here, i live in oregon and i can wait to go home. this is ridiculous. absolutely ridiculous. >> reporter: the suspect is in custody. the pas

a judge has ordered a psychiatric evaluation for scott mcgann. the 32-year-old is accused of having a fake bomb in laguardia's main terminal. concourse c was evacuated for nearly six hours. >>> a pilot was killed when a small plane crashed into a three-story building in nairobi, kenya yesterday. three passengers were injured. everyone on-board the plane is from the u.s. two of the passengers were shooting a documentary. >>> that's a check of your sunday morning headlines. so glad you're with us here at hln. i'm susan hendricks. >>> we move to texas, a state hit by one of the worst droughts in its history. some areas have had months of scorching heat without any significant rain. as jacqui jeras reports, many farmers are hurting, and that may affect your menu. >> reporter: matt's family has been raising cattle and cotton on this texas land for four generations. >> the status of the ranch is sort of on hold. we got 44, 45 more days to try to figure out what we're going to do for the next year. if we don't have any rain, we're just kind of in a hold

the suspect, scott mcgann is being held without bail for allegedly bringing in a backpack with wires and batteries. officials say mcgann has a criminal record. >>> august is off to a deadly start in afghanistan. nine have died in combat just this weekend. three americans were killed today in eastern afghanistan. yesterday, six nato soldiers died in and around the city of kandahar, at least three of them were americans. 75 nato troops died in afghanistan last month. that's the highest one-month death toll since the u.s.-led invasion in 2001. >>> u.s. marshals have seized skin sanitizer made by a company based in utah. the fda is warning people not to use claricon skin products, saying they have harmful bacteria in them. with the claims they can be used to treat open wounds, damaged skin, and that they protect against infectious diseases. no problems related to using the products have been reported to the fda. clarcon voluntarily recalled in june. the fda says the company failed to follow protocols that could've prevented the contamination. >>> in canada, a stage collapsed in the middl

his name is scott mcgann, and he lives in manhattan. in new york city. that is the new information. exactly what he will be charged with is unclear at this time, but, brooke and t.j., here's how it all started. very, very early saturday morning, about 5:20 in the morning when according to the tsa, the transportation security administration, a manager tells us that a man approached one of the security check areas and according to new york city's police assistant commissioner, paul brown, that man appeared intoxicated. he was carrying a duffel bag with wires sticking out. immediately the tsa noifred the port authority, who came out to investigate. this man, as we said, appeared drunk. he had a suspicious looking article. they took it aside, inside the double bag were batteries according to mr. brown, and the bomb squad arrived on the scene at about 5:45 in the morning, just before 6:00. they looked at the device. they disabled it, and determined that it was fake. it was a hoax. this cause add huge disruption at the airport. the main terminal, the central terminal, concourse c specific

he is identified the suspect as scott mcgann in his early 30s believed to be from the new york area. he did, in fact, according to authorities approach the checkpoint. according to sources was carrying a backpack. attached to the outside of it were two square six-volt batteries with wires protruding from them. he was told by authorities to stop. he didn't. and they said he appeared as though he was trying to push a switch. nothing happened. it failed. at that point, the device was seized. the nypd bomb squad showed up on scene. removed the device. shot a water cannon at it. blew it up. it turned out to be fake. not before disrupting the entire operation at this particular terminal. causing massive evacuations. now, passengers obviously had no clue as to what was going on. >> yeah, nobody said anything. it has been chaos. absolutely bizarre. i have never experienced anything. i have talked to agents. nobody seems to know what is going on. i wanted to go to kennedy to rebook. they said we don't know if you can do that. i am so frustrated. i don't live here. i live in oregon. i can't wa

again, scott mcgann, this individual's name, a battery and wires found in the bag.osive device, they say. saul of this was caused over that. would love to get details about what he was thinking and why they found this suspicious in the first plashgs and why intervention like this was warranted. >> poor folks trying to get out of laguardia. all right. stay on that story, but for now, when a billion contractor went to iraq to boost morale among american troops he knew nothing of the one in seven iraqi children living with a disability and now as american troops are withdrawing from the region, he is staying to offer hope to hundreds of desperate children and their families. >> disabled children, they're really the forgotten ones in this war. they're in the back rooms, often not seen in society. i came to iraq as a civilian contractor. there were a lot of children that either dragged themselves on the ground or they to be carried. there was so many kids out there with a need, and so many people willing to reach out and touch the lives of these kids, and in 30 days we h

. >> reporter: police arrested scott mcgann with a history of problems. he raised suspicions from the time he walked in the terminal. witnesses said he appeared drunk. police say he was acting crazy. the evacuation came at a crippling time. the start of a brisk supper travel day at laguardia. the airport's central terminal was shut down for hours. >> i missed every flight. i have to wait to see what they'll do. >> we'll have to wait this out. when it's solved it's solved. >> dozens of flights were delayed or canceled. american airlines alone canceled 16 flights. that caused a ripple effect from the country inside the border. inbound flights from boston, washington, cleveland and canada were grounded for much of the morning. the device turned out to be a fake, but still the kind of threat airport security deals with all too often. >> certainly there are challenges on a fairly frequent basis which are sometimes accidental, sometimes deliberate, but this event stands out, not only because it happened in new york, but also because it appeared to have been a f

airport, one of the nation's busiest for early hours and this identified the suspect as this man, scott mcgann, he is homeless and has been arrested three times in the last two years and a judge ordered a psychiatric examination, and he is facing several charges that include making a terror threat and placing a fake bomb in the transportation facility. >> jamie: meanwhile, long time homicide investigators are telling fox news that criminal charges could come at any time now, for the doctor treating michael jackson when he died, police last week carried out search warrants at the home and office of dr. conrad murray. who is pictured here and now there are reports that murray likely took the job as michael's personal doctor, because he had significant money troubles. he was in a lot of debt including more than $300,000, they say, for office equipment and student loans all dating back to the 1980s and also owed money for credit card bills and child support. all coming out from authorities, on top of that, his luxury home in the a las vegas resort faces foreclosure after he missed $100,000 in mort

police say scott mcgann was arrested with a backpack karen wires, batteries and a trigger attached to it. it sparked suspicion and led to a large-scale evacuation. laguardia was shut down and thousands of passengers had their travel plans disrupted. he's charged with place ago falls bomb in a mass transcription facility. >>> still ahead, it is a box that contains a gift of democracy, why landering, pank andive hold the future for afghanistan. >>> and was it a hate crime? >>> and later, you know it's hot and dry outside when people are praying for rain. jacqui jeras tells us about her hot trip to texas. >>> it has been a deadly weekend of fighting in afghanistan. three american troops were killed today. in july, 75 troops were killed in afghanistan, the deadliest month for international troops since the u.s.-led invasion in 2001. >>> at afghans prepared for this month's presidential election it's worth $223 million to make sure the process runs smoothly. cnn's ivan watson is in kabul and shows us the new multimillion dollar kit. >> this is just a piece of the operation. it's a $223 mil

. >> at 7:00 a.m., passengers were just starting to arrive when suspect 32-year-old scott mcgann approached this security checkpoint a law enforcement source says he appeared intoxicated, carrying a backpack. attached to its outside in plain view were two square batteries were why wires sticking out. when asked not to move, he allegedly failed to comply. he looked as though he was trying to push a switch but nothing happened. mcgann was arrest and and the terminal evacuated, sending scores of air travelers dragging suitcases into the hot sun. outside the water squad use a water cannon to detonate the de. it was fake. >> they can't suppose it's a bomb scare all the time because they could be wrong. >> the terminal fully reopened after about six hours. law enforcement authorities also tell us this man mcgann has three prior new york city arrests and now faces state charges as well including planting a fake bomb and making terror threats. we have more questions about him, how did he get his hands on boarding passes, we are told he had passes from connecting flights from new york to chicago to

been identified to us by again a law enforcement source, with information about the situation, scott mcgann, in his early 30s, apparently a resident of new york. gave them a fake address at the beginning. he does have three prior arrests on record including one for what seemingly minor charges, just last month. currently he is being charged by new york state on three counts, we understand they are, carrying a false bomb, planting a false bomb in an area of mass transit, and also making terrorist threats. again these are state charges. he does, is expected to make a court appearance either tonight or tomorrow morning. >> yeah, of course, caused a mess for travelers trying to get out. that terminal. ended up being evacuated. and meant a lot of folks were late and planes were grounded for some time. the ripple effect we know what happens after that. susan candiotti thank you from la guardia. appreciate that. >>> cash for clunkers, seems to be getting americans back into the auto show rooms these days doing something they haven't been doing in a while. buying a new car. in dealerships across th

we are told, according to a law enforcement source who is close to this investigation that scott mcgann has three prior arrests as recently as last month, and two priors in last year, march and april of last year. the address -- or the arrest last month had to do with resisting arrest and tampering with evidence. that is all the information we have at this time. also, he held boarding passes to get on united airline flight from laguardia to chicago o'hare, transferring chicago o'hare to another united airlines flight, from chicago to denver, and then going from denver on to a final destination, oakland, california. we're still waiting to hear at this hour precisely what this man may be charged with. it is likely it may not be only state charges, but possibly federal charges as well. but for now, you can see how much disruption this caused, starting at 5:00 this morning. eventually the terminal reopening about 11:00, and still flights, of course, are getting back on track. that could take quite a long time, fredricka, to get back to normal. >> that ripple effect is always a nightmare. th

police say 32-year-old scott mcgann was arrested at a security checkpoint with a backpack containing wires, batteries and a trigger attached to it. the bag sparked suspicion and led to a large-scale evacuation of the new york airport. laguardia was shut down and thousands of passengers had their travel plans disrupted. mcgann is charged with placing a false bomb in a mass transportation facility and making a terrorist threat. if convicted he faces up to seven years in prison. >>> rock bottom. when will our troubled economy get there? and when will we climb back up? we'll talk more about that and hear from former fed chair alan greensp greenspan. >>> for the first time since he was arrested outside his home, we're hearing from harvard professor henry lewis gates. >>> death at a canadian music festival. what caused this outdoor space to collapse and what was the movie star who was about to go onstage when it happened? >>> we want to hear from you. twitter, facebook, myspace or ireport.com is how you get on the air. (cop) step aside people, let the man with the real onions in his onion

still, air travel was disrupted nationwide and tonight cnn has learned the suspect, 32-year-old scott mcgann, has been homeless for at least a year. he faces multiple charges and up to seven years in prison if convicted. >>> the house has adjourned for august break without taking any final action on health care reform. that means no vote until september. but they do have some health care homework from the president. he is urging lawmakers to keep up the momentum and encouraged by a last-minute thumbs up from a key member in the committee. in a statement, the president says, this historic step by the house, energy and commerce committee moves us closer to health insurance reform than we have ever been before. the bill that has passed will strengthen consumer protections and choice while lower costs and improving care. meantime, the senate still has a few days before leaving on summer break and republican leaders are standing firm against the president's plan. >> in this difficult recession, americans and our government are already overextended. the democrats who control congress have been spe

police say 32-year-old scott mcgann was arrested with a backpack containing wires, batteries and a trigger attached to it. it led to a large scale evacuation of the new york airport. laguardia was shut down and thousands of passengers had their travel plans disrupted. mcgann is charged with placing a fall bomb in a mass transportation facility and making a terrorist threat. if convicted he faces up to seven years in prison. >>> more than 250 people killed so far this year, that's life on the street in chicago. why? you're going to hear from a gang member who says there's no way to stop this violence. >>> and how do you fix a $24 billion deficit? the state of california may turn to marijuana, and new fuel to keep the cash for clunkers program alive, but for how long? and here's how you get on the air here, twitter, facebook, myspace, ireport.com. we appreciate your comments. we know why we're here. toto build tomorrow's technology iin amazing ways.@w and reshape the science of aerospace... forever. around the globe, the people of boeing... @w are working together -- for the dreams of genera

cnn has learned that the suspect, 32-year-old scott mcgann, has been homeless for at least a year. he faces multiple charges and up to seven years in prison if convicted. and we are learning some new information tonight about the murder of the couple in the florida panhandle just a few weeks ago. the couple, byrd and melanie billings, were joan for adopting special needs kids. our susan candiotti has been following the story. she joins us now live from new york. what are you hearing about the possible motives, with an "s"? >> don, we're now hearing from a source familiar with the investigation that the state attorney there in pensacola, florida, now has a working theory. under this working theory, both robbery and a contract hit are the motives involved here. now, what we're hearing, is that the suspected ringleader in this case, identified as leonard gonzalez jr., who has been identified by other suspects as the sole gunman, may be the person behind the contract hit, and possibly others, and then those involved in the robbery would be those below him. other people that could be in

parents were starting to arrive when scott mcgann approached this checkpoint. mcgann appeared intoxicated and was carrying a backpack. attached to the outside in plane view were two square batteries with wires sticking out. when asked most to move, allegedly failed to comply. he look like he was trying to push a switch but nothing happened. mcgann was arrested and the terminal was evacuated. outside new york's bomb squad used a water cannon to detonate the device. it was fake. >> it's a bomb scare, it's a bomb scare. you can't hope it's a false alarm. >> reporter: passengers were on stand by while flights were delayed or cancelled before the terminal fully reopened after about six hours. mcgann who has three prior new york city arrests now faces state charges including planting a fake bomb and making terror threats. the fbi also is investigating. the question is what was he up to? a law enforcement source tells us mcgann had boarding passes on several connect fleegts from new york to chicago to denver and on to oakland, california. >> so did he have multiple ti

la guardia airport on saturday reportedly said her son suffers from schizophrenia. 32-year-old scott mcgannrport. he is scheduled to undergo a psychiatric analysis before he goes to court on thursday. mcgann is charged with making terrorist threats and placing a false bomb in a transportation hub. >>> they have her biography for sale in the gift shop, and now first lady michelle obama is an honorary chairwoman of the national first lady's library in canton, ohio. mrs. obama joins other first ladies on the board of the educational site, and library officials tell us, suzanne, they will post a michelle obama curriculum plan on their website for the fall semester. interesting. >> we'll see what they're going to learn there. >> exactly. >> thanks, brianna. >>> custody of michael jackson's children goes to his 79-year-old mother. will she also gain control over at least part of her pop star's estate? >>> plus, uncle sam wants you if you're good enough and smart enough. a first-ever ad campaign to recruit army officers. >>> and giant pythons. >> it's a large predator and they're eating basically

>> reporter: six months ago a new york judge released scott on a mental charge. saturday, mees say mcgann made a terrorist threat that caused the entire airport to be evacuated. his lawyer doesn't believe he ever got that psychiatric exam. if found competent to stand trial this time, he will appear in court on august 18. >> mcgann is homeless but had a valid plane ticket to california when a relative purchased for him. his mother who lives in california says her son suffers from schizophrenia. >>> how's a fender bender end up costing you hundreds even thousands? now a new crash test determines what it can cost for a low- speed collision. the tests were on front and rear bumpers of six mid-sized cars. the honda accord had an acceptable average with an estimated $900. the chevy malibu had a poor rating with over 1500 in damages. no model tested had an excellent rating. >>> rocker steven tyler is recovering after falling off of the stage at a biker rally in south dakota. the frontman was singing "love in an elevator" when he lost his footing last night. the 61-year-old suffered minor head an