steve patterson, nbc news. >> thanks to steve patterson for that report. >> president trump condemned the attack while abroad in japan, promising the full resources of the government saying the tragic is a, quote, gun situation. >> i think that mental health is the problem here. this was a very, based on preliminary reports, very deranged individual, a lot of problems over a long period of time. we have a lot of mental health problems in our country, as do other countries. but this isn't a guns situation. i mean, we could go into it, but it's a little bit soon to go into it. this is a mental health problem at the highest level. it's a very, very sad event. it's -- these are great people and a very, very sad event. >> still this morning sutherland springs continues to mourn as the small town reels from a catastrophe that's become commonplace across the countriment for more on this we go to mariana who is on the ground in texas. mariana? >> reporter: philip, standing before the first baptist church, this church that has now become the scene of the deadliest mass shooting at a house of w

joining us, steve patterson. steve, are we getting any glichlss as to why the air force neglected to somewhere enter this critical piece of information that would have banned him from buying the gun which he did legally over the course of four years? >> reporter: we don't know specifically why. just there was a failure somewhere in place there that allowed him to buy that weaponry. what we know is more about kelly's back ground. devin kelly was a member of the air force. lived in the base in new mexico with his life and infant stepson from 2010 until 2014. in 2012 court marshalled for a violent incident. the reporting is he assaulted his wife and fractured his infant stepson's skull during this violent incident. that led to a court marshal and military prison time for a year stemming from that incident. the question as you mentioned all day was how in the world was this guy able to buy several guns from 2014 to 2017 believed to use the piece of weaponry in the shooting that officials walked into when they walked i

steve patterson, nbc news. >> turning now to the holiday rush hopefully you have your bags packed yourull of gas. >> and your patience. a and your patience too, you're going to need it it seems like. bonnie? >> that's right, frances and melissa. not a bad day for travel which i am very happy to report. much of the country dealing with calm conditions with some exceptions. notice coastal showers and even some snow into new england. so that may slow you down depending on where you're headed. lake effec forecast and that might impact you whether you're flying or driving on i-90 we could abbys a victim of abuse. details i beat it. i did. not alone. i used to have no idea what the american cancer society did. research? yeah. but also free rides to chemo and free lodging near hospitals. i used to then i got so much back. ... i used to have cancer. please give at cancer.org. make kohl's black friday your first stop! with incredible black friday doorbusters! stores open thursday at 5pm. plus, get more bang for your buck with $15 kohl's cash for every $50 spent! toys are just $19.99 and a 55 in

steve patterson, nbc news, los angeles. >>> one more note on this day, former president george h.w. bush has become the longest living president in u.s. history, at 93 years and 166 days. he beat out the previous record held by former president gerald ford. >>> when we come back, looking out for the underdogs, and so many other animals in need. >>> finally tonight, let's meet a man who has redefined what it means to adopt a pet. he provides them a loving home at a time when they may need it most. and inspires others in the process. katie beck has the latest from denver. >> reporter: portraits of steve greig's harmonious home has made him an instand star. >> everyone has a soft spot in their heart for the underdog. >> reporter: well, underdogs in this case, three chickens, two ducks, a rabbit and a pig. festive, funny, tough and tender, his account has captured more than 700,000 followers. at greig's denver home, it's hard to avoid the welcoming committee. but this modern menagerie accepts aged animals only. >> how old is she? >> 14. >> ranging from 7 to 17 clears old with 17 years o

nbc's steve patterson has the details.king kills on average 1200 americans per day. >> they're short and stark. >> there's no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. >> this week, these ads major newspapers across the country. >> there's no safe cigarette. >> all directly addressing the negative impacts of smoking. >> all cigarettes cause cancer, lung disease, heart attack and premature death. >> paid for by the tobacco companies themselves. part of a federal court order. >> it's a big watershed in terms of the industry coming clean for the first time ever about the health effects of smoking. >> it's the end result of a justice department racketeering lawsuit against big tobacco stemming back to 1999 claiming the companies lied. >> it has been a campaign designed to preserve their enormous profits, whatever the cost. >> come to where the flavor is. come to marl bar oboro country. >> in 2006, they said defendants have publicly denied, distorted and minimized the affeceffects smoking. >> we hope this saves lives. >e >>>

steve patterson, nbc news, los angeles. >>> well, a very cheery holiday fund-raiser in the south bay today. take a look at those smiling faces at the rides for toys fund-raiser in sunnyvale today. more than 1,000 families taking part. all they had to do was bring a toy to donate. and then children got to ride on a fire engine. good deal for the kids. organizers say the fund-raiser is growing in popularity every year. >> it's a great life lesson for the kids, for the parents, and we're happy too just being able to give back by giving the rides, and they're happy that they can donate to a needy cause. it works -- everyone's a western out of this. >> all the fire stations in sunnyvale are going to continue to accept toy donations during the holidays, and they're hoping to give away 5,000 toys this year. >>> rob mayeda here now with -- it's 70 degrees outside late november here in san jose. >> average high's about 62, and we hit 80 earlier today. >> average high is 62. >> yeah. it's a loot cooler than 80 right now. 70. we've got clouds coming which help retain some of the heat during the

steve patterson has more. >> my first thanksgiving in 38 years.s the little things like leftovers after thanksgiving. free for 40 years after being convicted of a crime he did not commit. >> this is what i told him, do what you will to me, don't stop person. >> the veteran was arrested in 1978 for the brutal murder of rhonda witt and her 4-year-old son. he was granted a full pardon. sighting mishandling of the investigators. >> thank you governor bro brown. >> reporter: in 1989 mike bender started digging into his conviction. >> it appeared to me that things were intentionally ignored, manipulated and distorted. you cannot read this case and feel comfortable about convicting him. >> his case became benders life's work. >> he means everything to me he, his wife. >> i'm a living testimony to everyone that's out there, they're having a bad day, you can't hope because it's going to happen, you have to believe. >> celebrating that newfound freedom. toasting the little things in life. steve patterson, nbc news, los angeles. >>> one more note on this day

nbc's steve patterson has the latest. >> reporter: the killing spree started at the shooter's own home. police now believe the suspect, identified as 44-year-old kevin neal, murdered his wife before going on a rampage. >> we're confident that he murdered her probably late monday and literally just put her body in the floor and covered it up. >> reporter: tuesday morning the gunman opened fire at at least seven locations, randomly targeting homes, vehicles, killing five people, ten more injured. >> i was looking out the window. and all of a sudden there was just like bap, bap, bap, bap. >> reporter: during the rampage, neal drove to rancho tehama elementary school. >> we would have had a horrific bloodbath in that school if the school hadn't taken the action when they did. >> reporter: staff at the school being hailed as heroes for their quick thinking, putting the school on lockdown right away. >> this is every educator in america's worst nightmare. the lockdown procedure was implemented flawlessly. >> reporter: the gunman crashed his vehicle through the school's locked gate before fir

nbc's steve patterson looks back on cassidy's life and legacy. >> reporter: it was that whole some charm. the boyish good looks, perfectly quaffed hair, he used to born 1950 in new york to a pair of acting parents, cassidy knew he belonged on the stage from an early age. he found work in plays until 1970 when he landed the role that made him a teen idol. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: for four seasons cassidy starred as keith on the partridge family, building legions of fan, performing hits like i think i love you. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: after the show ended, the young star broke out on his own, becoming so famous the term cassidy mania was coined. at the height of his fame, one girl was trampled at a concert in london. more recently, cassidy struggled with substance abuse. over the last decade he was arrested for drunk driving three times in a four-year span. >> are you not an addict now? >> i'll always be an addict. there will always be that in me. >> reporter: this february, cassidy revealed he was in the early stages of dementia. the diagnosis always haunted him, telling people knew it was coming after

steve patterson, nbc news. >> nbc meteorologist bill karins joining us now with the latest on the deepeze we've been feeling this morning. >> yeah, good morning. it was cold and it remains cold in a few spots. it is on its way out. you have to go to northern new england where it is in the 20s. all the big cities are in the 30s and 40s. it's almost back to average. how it kind of should be this time of year. but we do have a little bit of wintry mess coming through areas of pennsylvania and new york. it's not a big storm, but there may be a few slick spots especially high elevations going through pennsylvania. all rain down around richmond, d.c., light shower activity now heading into philadelphia. but again, the areas north of philadelphia here as you go through the poconos, areas upstate new york, maybe a little more in northern new jersey as you go throughout the morning. middle of the country ng short of fabulous. liz smith was 94 years old. i have a couple of things to wash we got this- come on. even on quick cycle, tide pods cleans great 6x the cleaning power, even in the quick cy

we begin with steve patterson. >> reporter: tonight residents living in this small texas town stunnedtrying to make sense of what is described as a sunday service massacre. >> it was rapid fire. just boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. >> in front of the church, in front of the church. >> reporter: authorities say the shooter, 26-year-old devin patrick kelly, opened fire inside sutherland springs first baptist church, southeast of san antonio. he was killed after fleeing the scene. paul buford's church is right down the road. >> i know everybody in there. i mean we -- our churches work together. you know, we go to lunch with the pastor, we started praying for everyone that was involved in it. >> reporter: the small congregation, including families with children, so many were rushed to hospitals by ground and air. the pastor's teenage daughter among the dead. >> ambulances everywhere. we have two air life cop ters outside. >> reporter: gary matulo works at a nearby gas station and heard it all. >> i never thought it would happen here. this is something that takes place in a big city. i

we get more from nbc's steve patterson. >> reporter: a terrifying crash at a children's gym. >> potential structure collapse. i'm not sure how many victims. >> reporter: investigators hoping to learn how a wooden platform crumbled, >> it sounded like a crash and then all of a sudden it just crashed down and i heard people screaming when it was come down. >> reporter: it happened last night. an acrobatic activity facility. the platform collapsed as the children were rubbing up the stairwell to get pizza. >> my hands were shaking. i was really scared because i didn't know if any of my friends were hurt or not. >> reporter: the injured rush to hospitals. some with spinal injuries. most treated for scrapes and bruises. the gym's owner released a statement saying in part my heart aches for the families who call vault pk home. we are working with authorities and will continue to do so to resolve this. a zasous collapse turning a children's night of fun into an alarming scene. steve patterson, nbc news. >> overseas a powerful earthquake struck late today in the border region between iran and ira

joining us now, steve patterson, steve, good to have you back with us. what are you hearing this morning on the direction of this investigation? what are officials there ruling out and saying could be a possible motivation. >> ayman, officials are keying into as you mentioned the mother-in-law connection with the church. they police chief sbelieve she f that congregation and threatening her with the text messages leading up to the shooting. that was a possibly motivation. taking a gun, going in the place of worship and killing 26 people. mother-in-law may have been a target. ironically not inside the church at the time of the shooting. show this incredible situation with the samaritans while he's walking outside the church. a neighbor that lives very close by to the church, hears what's going on. sees the suspect walking out in full body armor, grabs own gun and runs outside barefoot and starts taking shots at the suspect. they exchange in a bout of gunfire and the suspect starts taking off. meanwhile, he seems johnny who is rolling up to go see his girl

for "today" steve patterson, nbc news. >> incredible story, but hard to imagine. wrongly convicted for 38 years. >> every time i see those parts i'm equal parts angry and sad. >> i think you're not alone. >>> still to come why decking the halls sooner rather than later can make you happier in the long run. >> how to find the best cyber every day, on every street in every town, across america. small businesses show their love to you. with some friendly advice, a genuine smile and a warm welcome they make your town... well, your town. that's why american express is proud to be the founding partner of small business saturday. a day where you get to return that love, because shopping small mafference. so, today get up get out, and shop small. when it's time to move to underwear toddlers see things a bit differently with pampers easy ups they'll see a stretchy waistband you'll see pampers' superior protection and you'll both see an easy way to underwear pampers easy ups ♪ psoriatic arthritis tries to get in my way? watch me. ♪ i've tried lots of things for my joint pai

steve patterson, nbc news, los angeles. >> wow. it is 7:12. there is much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up, this is one of the only times you actually want to get pulled over in traffic. we take you to the special fund-raiser happening in the south bay this weekend. >>> at this hour, tracking rain moving into the north bay. you can see the view from san rafael and on the radar. how much rain can you expect and how strong will the winds get this afternoon and the forecast when we come back. >>> our recent investigation uncovered the plight. hundreds of u.s. veterans just beyond the border wall. >>> anyone willing to die for their country should have a country willing to give them citizenship. >>> pardons from california. wow! at nbc bay area, we are holding the powerful accountable for you. san rafael - 101 >>> welcome back on your sunday morning. dark and rainy as we look at 101 and san rafael. quite a few cars on the road. people already leaving the bay area after enjoying a nice thanksgiving weekend here. maybe it's time to leave.

for more we go to nbc's steve patterson. steve, how is it down there? >> reporter: yeah, gigi. in speaking to officials it was almost ruled out automatic or not automatically, but immediately that this was some sort of random shooting that this had anything to do with radicalization or race or religion. he believes the officials we have been speaking to believe he went into that church knowing that the suspect's mother-in-law was a member of that congregation, was sending threatening messages to the mother-in-law. and so officials started looking at that as the motivation for him going into that church, killing 26 people. we have also been speaking to the good samaritan peoples that tried to stop him as he was coming out of the church. remember, this is a guy clad in body armor with an assault rifle who just committed mass murder inside the church. one of the guys outside who was a neighbor, his name stephen willeford, he grabs his ar-15, runs outside barefoot and starts engaging the shooter, starts engaging him in a gun battle. knows he strikes the shooter at least once. he se

for the latest nbc's steve patterson joins me now from l.a.e us an update. >> it's not only in beverly hills. it's also the lapd with open investigations. also the district attorney's office restructuring to include a task force so they can deal with the volume. it's also london police. it's also new york police. all focused on this specific scandal here in hollywood that has sparked this sexual abuse culture across the country that we're now all sort of facing here. with this beverly hills investigation, we've known for weeks that this is included tolback and weinstein is part of what we are looking president this includes at least 12 different cases. running the gamut from sexual misconduct to allegations of sexual assault. police are not getting specific. they are releasing very few details about this. in fact, we have a statement from the chief of police here in beverly hills. she says the beverly hills police department is working in conjunction with the district attorney's task force on these cases. we place a high priority on crimes aga

steve patterson has more on the life and legacy. >> reporter: it was the wholesome charm, perfectly coiffed hair, that app gel lick hair. he used it all to capture agen ner rags. he was born to a pair of acting parents in 1950. he found work on plays until 1970 when he landed the role that made him a teen idol. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: for four seasons casady starred as keith on "the partridge family." he performed hits like "i think i love you." . out on his own. at the height of his fame one girl was trampled at a concert in london. he struggled with drug abuse. >> are you not an addict now? >> i'll always be an addict. there will always be that in me. >> reporter: in early 2017 casady revealed that he had been diagnosed with dementia, something that always haunted him. he told "people" magazine he nuf it was coming. he spoke about it on dr. fel. >> when people or family members say, remember, i told you this two days ago, and there is no memory of it, that's when i g >>> reaction to casady's death is dominating social media this morning. comedian tom arnold asked on twitter who my age did not wa

. >> for more i'm joined by nbc's steve patterson who is in sutherland springs. steve, these children, do we have any idea what it seemed like, the horrible incident? was it just a guy going into the church with a semiautomatic weapon, an ar-15 or whatever and just spraying the room, including the children? was he targeting the children? >> keep in mind he was clad in all black as he entered there. it must have been a tear fight situation for the parishioners that were inside the church. we what we do know, being on the ground here in sutherland springs, the homesteads and the mom and pop shops and the farm steads are the lifeblood of this community, that church was the beating heart here of that community. community members dealing with the fact that if it's not broken, it has at least fractured this sense of community because of the terror that was inside that church. what we do have is a seemingly clearer portrait of the shooter. and as you mentioned, the motivations here which are becoming apparent. we've been speaking to authority figures who have been tellin

steve patterson, keep us posted on that, sir.or al franken issuing another statement. franken said he's "a warm person and went on to say in some encounters he crossed the line for some women." his latest apology comes after two more women told huff post that franken touched them inappropriately. blake mccoy joins me with more on this story. what can you tell us about the latest allegations against the senator, blake? >> what's beginning to emerge here is a pattern of behavior. a pattern of improper behavior. this makes four women who have come forward publicly to accuse the senator of groping them. the first, of course, was last week. the l.a. radio dj who was on a uso tour with the senator back in 2005 and she says he forcibly kissed her and took improper photographs, which many of us have seen by now. the three women to come forward this week accused senator franken of groping their butt k buttocks while he was posing for pictures with them ranging from 2007 to 2010. he was a senator and running for senate in other two instanc

nbc's steve patterson, thank you.t could be in store. >>> still ahead -- i got to ask you though, steve, before we go, what do you think is going to come here? >> you know, we reached out to thurman's camp about any possible follow-up or sequel, if you will, to that cliff-hanger ending of a instagram post. nothing yet so far. i hate to speculate on what she has in store, stephanie. >> well, it's going to be interesting. all right. thanks so much, steve. this story. >>> still ahead, even though online shopping is already off to a strong start, brick and mortars are competing more than. we're going to head to my home state of new jersey to check up on the black friday crowds. you're watching "velshi & ruhle." ♪ there's nothing more important than your health. so if you're on medicare or will be soon, you may want more than parts a and b here's why. medicare only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. you might want to consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unite

steve patterson is in los angeles today with more. >> this morning, cutting ties, from netflix to hboia companies distancing themselves from louis c.k. after bombshell allegations of sexual misconduct. >> i would just ask them out. >> reporter: yesterday the comedian coming clean. these stories are true, he writes in his statement, addressing five women who told "the new york times" they were asked to, or had to watch him master bait without consent. the power i had over these women is that they admired me, and i wielded that power irresponsibly. the comic, part of a sexual misconduct scandal sweeping across hollywood. friday, actor anthony edwards, known for his role in er, writing he was molested as a child actor by broadway producer gary goddard. >> i was molested by him, my best friend was raped by him and this went on for years. his spokesperson said gary is saddened by the false allegations. ellen page is also speaking out, accusing brett ratner of homophobic and abusive behavior. outing her as gay when she was 18. page said the director told a woman next to her, you should blan

steve patterson, nbc news, los angeles. >>> a major deal in the publishing world could be right around the corner, reuters says meredith corporation that owns family magazines is nearing a deal to acquire time inc. for about $2 billion. meredith has made two previous attempts to buy "time." >>> still ahead tonight, the sparkling revolution about giving new life to things that might be impossible to reuse. >>> one man's personal mission creating wonder wheels so kids creating wonder wheels so kids mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow. but after an electrical fire from faulty wiring, mary's vintage clothing and designer shoe collection were ruined. luckily, the geico insurance agency had recently helped mary with renters insurance, and she got a totally fab replacement wardrobe at bloomingdale's. mary was inspired to start her own fashion line, exclusively for little lambs. visit geico.com and see how affordable renters insurance can be. with advil's fast relief, you'll ask, "what pulled muscle?" "what headache?" nothing works faster to make pain a distant memory. advil

steve patterson nbc news los angeles. >>> one that exploded outside of an alameda home. stories. rain is here as the thanksgiving weekend comes to an end. >>> time to recap tonight's top stories. rain is here as the thanksgiving comes to an end. >> looking at the golden gate bridge right now. how much more rain is there going to be. and i ask questions like that to rob mayeda. >> the rain has returned. 55 degrees and san rafael still the king in terms of rainfall. more than an inch and close to an inch in santa rosea. in san francisco, close to a half inch. not much to show for so far in san jose. see the radar is dry and the long advertised heavier rain is approaching the coast from midnight to 3:00 a.m. you can see how the rain will be heavy at times and in just three hours parts of the east bay out by berraga will see a half inch rainfall. >>> thank you. a sacramento man is behind bars tonight killing four people and injuring six others. fred lowe was driving on a suspended license when he was driving under the influence. >> we have impaired drivers, distracted drivers and wit

steve patterson has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, craig, salve that. officials recovered a semiautomatic rifle and two handguns all in an incident they're calling a bizarre and murderous rampage. early tuesday morning, a gunman opened fire in several different locations throughout the rancho tahema reserve. the gunman was identified as kevin neal to kcra. >> this man was on a killing rampage. he was driving up and down the street shooting at passersbies and residences. >> reporter: authorities say an earlier dispute between the suspect and a neighbor turned deadly. >> in january of this year he was arrested and charged with an assault with a deadly that person. that is a deceased victim. >> reporter: it appears that neal shot a second person at that location before going on what is described as a random killing spree. a mother and her kids were in this truck on their way to school when he fired shots, hitting the woman and one of her children. he went to the elementary school going through the locked gate before firing dozens of shots into classrooms f

nbc's steve patterson has more on the controversy. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, sir. this all started with a post from raisman taking on critics she says were victim shaming her. now, a new set of critics are congresswom coming after her teammate for doing the same thing. together, they reached new heights in the gym. olympic gold medalist aly raisman and gabby douglas, part of the 2012 and 2016 women's olympic gymnastics teams that dominated the competition. now a social media slam between the athletes is tearing the team apart. raisman responding to she said slammed the way she dressed in a photo joshoot. because a woman does a sexy photoshoot or wears a sexy out yn fit does not give a man the right to not believe her when coming forward with sexual abuse. douglas appearing to bash her teammate. it is our responsibility as women to dress modestly and classy. dressing in a provocative way entices the wrong crowd. the post drew criticism, including from teammate simone biles. shocks me ooims si'm seeing thi doesn't surpris

nbc's steve patterson has an update on steve, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the 67-year-old was rushed to the hospital on wednesday with liver and kidney failure. the singer has been talking about his struggles. that sunny smile and a voice as smooth. it's little wonder that david casady charmed a generation of fans. at the time they called it casady mania. he was the very definition of a '70s teen heartthrob. casady shot to fame starring in singing as keith on the "partridge family." he took the show on the road. serenading fans with hit songs like "i think i love you." more recently casady struggled with substance abuse. he was arrested for drunk driving three times in a four-year span. not long ago h >> are you not an addict now? >> i'll always be an addict. there are -- there will always be that in me. >> reporter: in february casady revealed he was in the early stages of dementia. the diagnosis always haunted him telling "people" magazine he knew it was coming after watching his mother and grandfather die from the disease. casady shared his fears with dr

nbc's steve patterson has the latest for us now. hi, steve. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, craig and savannah. police say they recovered a semiautomatic rifle and two handguns on that suspect in an incident that's now described as a bizarre and murderous rampage. early tuesday morning a gunman opened fire in seven different locations throughout the rancho tehama reserve, killing four and injuring ten, including at least two children. the gunman's family identified him as kevin neal. to nbc's sacramento affiliate kcra. >> this guy was on a killing rampage. he was driving up and down the street shooting at passerbys and uninvolved residences. >> reporter: the first shots were fired just before 8:00 a.m. on the gunman's own street. authorities say an earlier dispute between the suspect and a neighbor turned deadly. >> in january of this year, he was arrested and charged with an assault with a deadly weapon on that person. that person is a deceased victim today. >> reporter: officials say it appears neal shot a second person at that loca

nbc's steve patterson has details.ng kilos average 300 americans every day. >> they're short and stark. >> no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. >> this week these ads are hitting newspapers across the country. >> there is no safe cigarette. >> all directly addressing the negative impacts of smoking. all cigarettes cause cancer, lung disease, heart attacks and >> the ads are paid for by the tobacco companies themselves part of the order and the industry coming clean for the first time ever about the health effects of smoking. >> it's the end result of a justice department racketeering lawsuit stemming back to 1999 claiming the companies lied. >> it has been a campaign designed to preserve their enormous profits whatever the cost. >> come to where the flavor is, come to marlboro country. >> in 2006 the federal judge said defendants have publicly denied, distorted and minimized. a decade of appeals tied up the action. >> we really hope that this will help people and save lives. >> the ads are ordered to run for

nbc's own steve patterson is live in red bluff, california. steve, authorities there are saying this tragedy could have been a whole lot worse. >> reporter: absolutely, stephanie. police at this point are calling this a bizarre and murderous killing spree perpendicular tra -- perpetrated as a man they're trying to look into at this point. he's called kevin neal, according to our affiliate kcra here in sacramento. this is two hours north of sacramento. police say this started before 8:00 a.m. yesterday morning. it started as they have been saying seemingly in a random order. that these targets that were chosen by the gunman were almost picked seemingly at random, including that elementary school that you mentioned. police there say it could have been a lot worse because of the administrators who locked in and created a lockdown procedure as soon as they heard what was going on. they believed that may have saved the lives of dozens of children in that school. i want to play some sound for you about that right now. >> the quick action of those sch

steve patterson, nbc news, rancho ta hay ma california. tehama. ehama california. to a gas leak in august when a duplex exploded showering the street with debris and engulfing one of the officers in flames as you can see the video there. according to police, the officers caught in the blast continued to assist with resident evacuation while suffering second degree burns. >> unbelievable. >> quite a hero there. >> 61-year-old homeowner later died from the blast. the hurt officer has since recovered and returned to full-time. >> it's an incredible reminder of the risk and danger that first responders put their life on the line to help the people in need. >>> let's switch gears for a moment and bring bill karins back with us. bill, bring us a new word to learn in this segment. >> that ayman can then define. >> i'll dig deep. i don't want your brain to implode. let's go to the west coast. watching all the bad weather over the last couple of days. couple of the ski reports. some have picked up 40 inches already this season. jackson hole, stevens picked up 12 inches of s

. >> best known for his role as keith partridge on the '70s hit steve patterson has more on his life and legacy. >> reporter: it was that wholesome charm, the boyish look, the perfectly coiffed hair he used it all to capture the hearts of a generation. born in 1950 in new york city to a pair of acting parents, cassidy knew he belonged on the stage if an early age. he found work on plays until 1970 when he landed the role that made him a teen idol. ♪ come on, now >> reporter: for four seasons he starred as keith on "the partridge family county "performing hits like "i think i love you". ♪ i think i love you >> reporter: after the show ended the young star broke out on his own becoming so famous the term cassidy-mania was coined. a the height of his fame one girl was trampled at a concert in london. he struggled with substance abuse. over the for drunk driving three times in a four-year span. >> are you not an addict now? >> i'll always be an addict. there will always be that in me. >> reporter: in early 2017 cassidy revealed that he'd been diagnosed with dementia, something that alway

steve patterson, nbc news. >>> wow. 67. so young. >> he left a legacy for us. >> and a lot of music we're still singing. we'll be right back. >>> hey, folks, before we go to break, i want to show you how to join our community on the waze application. leverage the power of us all as well as google. on iphone or android in the bottom corner there is going to be a magnifying glass. fire up that app, click on that and then your name at the top. that's your profile. scroll down to see teams and pick ours, nbc bay area wazers. that's how you join the community and that's how we help each other out. night in various parts of japan. the falling light is believed to be a meteorite. >>> a fireball was observed last night in various parts of japan. look at that. the falling light believed to be a meteorite. it was taken by a dash cam recorded. fireballs occur in japan once every several days but are not easily witnessed, especially, of course, during the day. >> you would think it was a firework or something. >> spectacular. >> we oft

nbc's steve patterson from l.a.ith more on this. >> first of all, one of the most strike things i think i've seen on this is about a week ago or so, you just read off a list of all the powerful men that had allegations against them. that felt like ages ago because of how exponentially this scandal has grown now to include media, tech, business, you name it. the news business. all involved in this scandal. but it really started with that spark, those allegations against harvey weinstein in early october. we know the beverly hills police department weeks ago was investigating weinstein and director james toback. we know according to the "l.a. times" the scope of either that investigation or a brand-new investigation has expanded to now include 12 instances of sexual misconduct aimed against members of the entertainment business. police are not getting specific on those allegations as to protect the sanctity of the investigation but we know, again, according to "the times," that that investigation is ongoing. we also k