we appreciatit your time. >> next newscast at 6:00. welcome to "world news." tonight hero teacher gunned down by a middle school student. the teacher trying to protect other children. >> shots fired at sparks middle school. >> a junior high school in america now a crime scene. damage control, the president feeling the heat on the obama care website. >> there is no sugar coating it. >> and maria, the intensifying mystery. who is the little girl with the blue eyes found living with gypsies, the worldwide search for her real parents tonight. a good evening on this monday night. we begin with a developing story, a new american tragedy. this time a middle school in reno, nevada. a student opened fire, a heroic

teacher tried to step in. he was a beloved math teacher, a marine who ended up losing his life at school right here at home. the details are still streaming in at this hour and abc's cecilia vega has the latest right now. >> shots fired at sparks middle school. >> active shooter sparks middle school. >> one down so far. >> reporter: the students at sparks middle school were waiting for the morning bell to ring when the shooting started. >> he is in school uniform. this is seen by a teacher. >> reporter: the shooter witnesses say a student dressed in that gray and green school sweat shirt. he first opened fire near the basketball court shooting a boy in the arm. >> i heard the first shot. i looked over and i saw a kid, my best friend, laying on the ground shot in the arm. >> reporter: students say a teacher ran to try and stop the gunfire only to be killed, shot in the chest. >> and then he walked up to a teacher and said back up. the teacher started backing up and he pulled the trigger. >> reporter: witnesses say the

shooter than ran into the school building firing again, hitting another boy who is now in serious condition. the young shooter died, too. police won't say how, only that they didn't fire any shots. panicked students just 7th and 8th graders tried to save themselves and their teacher. 45-year-old michael landsberry. >> me and some of his friends went to him and said come on, we got to get him to safety. we picked him up, carried him a little bit far and we left him because our vice principle came along and said go, get to safety. so we left the teacher there and we went to safety. >> reporter: a vet turned math teacher who rushed in to protect his students. having him for math was the best one student tweeted, another said i'll never forget you. >> my estimation, he is a hero. >> reporter: we are learning more this evening about michael landsberry. he was a former marine, a former member of the national guard and the outpouring out here of grief has been overwhelming. one student saying today that

mr. landsberry told her he would do anything to protect the people he loved, but diane, no known motive for what happened out here today. >> so many students writing about him online. thank you, cecilia vega. today was filled with echo newtown, connecticut. that tragedy more than ten months ago. in that time there have been 13 shootings at american schools. we move next to washington and a day of damage control for president obama, the confusion, the outrage over the obama care website has grown so long the president himself decided to stand up and promise something better. abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl with the latest. >> reporter: listening to the president today you might think the health care rollout has been a smashing success. >> thousands of people are signing up and saving money as we speak. >> reporter: but he also acknowledged after three weeks problems with the website continue. >> there is no sugar coating it.

the website has been too slow and there is no excuse for the problems. >> reporter: the president suggested applying by phone, saying it would only take those looking for an individual plan about 25 minutes. but so far robert is having little luck. >> you would be able to take the application over the phone? >> reporter: today he was on the phone for an hour and a half, a total of four and a half hours since october 1st. he also spent five hours on the website and he's live chatted with a representative for another three hours. after all of that? >> i really have no idea whether or not i'll be offered better plans, whether or not the government will help me subsidize it. >> reporter: the white house is promising a tech surge, reaching out to what they are calling the best and the brightest. but who? >> i refer details to hhs. >> reporter: we asked hhs and so far no answer. the website problems have some in congress calling for a delay

in the mandate requiring that everybody have health insurance by march 31st. >> given all the problems we've seen, is the white house going to be delaying the mandate? >> that's not at all what i was saying. >> if the website is not fixed, will people still have to pay the fine? >> we're way still early in the process. so let's be clear about that. we're three weeks into this. >> reporter: some republicans are calling on the president to fire health and human service secretary kathleen sebelius. the white house says that isn't going to happen. the president isn't looking to fire anybody. he's looking to get the problem fixed. >> jonathan karl, thank you, jon. another note from today, a strange moment during the president's event. keep your eye on the woman in red. 24 minutes and 53 seconds into the speech she begins to sway, seems to be taking deep breaths and then -- >> i got you. you're okay. this happens when i talk too long. >> the woman said she's

pregnant, not feeling well, but she is fine tonight. and we move next to the sky, to the white knuckle moment on a united airlines flight hitting turbulence so powerful some of the passengers were injured. here is abc's david kerley. >> reporter: a frightening finish to a flight. >> united 23, we hit a pretty bad downdraft and we have some passengers hurt so we need some ambulance to meet the flight. >> reporter: on decent from newark to dublin, ireland, the flight with 129 passengers was rocked by turbulence. >> united 23, do you recon one or more ambulances needed? >> it might be a couple ambulances. >> reporter: we've seen the pictures from nasa and passengers of the strong jostling during turbulence that can toss people all around the cabin, this from a jet blue flight over new york

last year. united 23 into dublin dipped dramatically in that unstable air creating a negative geo effect which pulls people up right out of their seats. united says the fasten seatbelt sign was on. >> the aircraft is designed to take the stress. the real danger is not what happens to the airline but what happens to the people who are not belted in that aircraft. >> reporter: on average 58 people are hurt during each year from turbulence because they're not strapped in. the united flight landed safely in dublin. one passenger was taken to the hospital, treated and released. 7 other passengers were treated at the airport. united says its safety crew will review the bumpy ride. david kerley, abc news, washington. tonight we're learning more about the investigation surrounding two escaped killers finally captured in florida. abc's steve osunsami now on the trail of the people who helped the murderers go free. >> reporter: at this florida motel, frightened guests hid behind windows recording the

takedown, police guns drawn, the two escaped prisoners already face to the ground and the agents rushing into their room. >> those are u.s. marshals. >> reporter: today we learned police are trying to lift prints and dna from the pages of those forged documents that someone filed with the court which set the convicted murderers free. >> we will be backtracking to those who send carry out this fraud and we will be looking closely at anyone who may have helped harbor these fugitives. >> reporter: charles walker and joe jenkins are back behind bars tonight and will serve out their life services for murder. today outraged lawmakers demanded an investigation. >> it is embarrassing. >> reporter: police here continue to question the men, did they've help and did they pay to have the documents made. the judge whose signature was forged on those documents says there must be more arrested. >> they did not walk into the orange county courthouse and file the documents themselves. >> reporter: we reached out to prison officials across the country and learned that in

several states they're required to verify all judge's orders to release prisoners. that will soon be the case here. steve osunsami, abc news, panama city, florida. a milestone today, chris christie announced he is going to drop his legal challenge to same sex marriage in that state. with the late hurdle gone, new jersey becomes the 14th state to legalize same sex marriage along with the district of columbia and couples in the state lined up for marriage licenses and weddings. and we head overseas to australia fighting the flames. look at the map, more than 60 wildfires, one of the biggest just a two-hour drive from sydney. the fear that strong winds would cause three of them to merge into a kind of mega fire. new images tonight of firefighters streaming to the front lines, battling the blaze and this image, firefighters so exhausted by the onslaught, they rest by the side of the road.

now to china where tonight the air is thick not because of fires but because of pollution, super smog obscuring the sun, forcing airports and schools to close. it's a dangerous health hazard unlike any other on this planet. abc's gloria riviera is in the middle of it all. >> reporter: it is air so toxic, so thick with pollution it's hard to make out the person next to you. harbin, china, a home to more people than live in the entire state of new jersey frozen in a soup. on the roads, it's hard to even make out red from green traffic lights. warnings to stay indoors. for those venturing out a mask is the only defense. winter is the start of smog season in china. billowing coal used for heat. some say the smog is nearly five times as bad as today's reading in bakersfield, california. america's smoggiest spot. in the capitol city of beijing,

headlines last january, smog so bad it was hard to see the sun. your eyes itched and throat burned. watch me wipe a thin layer that's accumulated on most cars. that's soot and grime. this is my own air purifier. watch this. look, that's what we're breathing in beijing. one expert told me it's like becoming an instant smoker. in china today a mind blowing 1.2 million premature deaths are blamed on air pollution. it's being called an air-pocalypse and with winter setting in the forecast is only for more smog. gloria riveria, abc news, beijing. from china to mexico, look there, off the coast, churning in the pacific ocean, hurricane raymond, a category three, packing winds up to 120 mile per hour. it's a rain maker soaking cities on the coast like the tourist mecca acapulco where they have been swamped by more than three inches of rain and counting. back here at home, new

fallout tonight for those boy scout leaders who video taped themselves vandalizing a say credit site, toppling ancient rock formations and high fiving. tonight the two men have been removed from their posts as boy scout leaders, now banned from leading scouts. they are also facing possible criminal charges for vandalizing the site. and the mystery of maria, the mysterious girl found at a gypsy camp, the worldwide search to find out where she is from and how she got there. and news out of nashville, dolly parton in a car accident, her message for everyone concerned tonight. we're back in just two minutes. concerned tonight. we're back in just two minutes. as your life changes, fidelity is there for your personal economy, helping you readjust along the way, refocus as careers change and kids head off to college, and revisit your investments as retirement gets closer. wherever you are today,

fidelity's guidance can help you fine-tune your personal economy. start today with a free one-on-one review of your retirement plan. the #1 selling pain reliever, in one cold medicine. advil congestion relief. it delivers a one-two punch at pain and sinus pressure with the power of advil and a nasal decongestant in a single pill. advil congestion relief. in a single pill. she'and you love her for it.ide. but your erectile dysfunction - that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach,

delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial. imany cold medicines may raisee your blood pressure. that's why there's coricidin hbp it relieves cold symptoms without raising blood pressure. so look for powerful cold medicine with a heart. . next tonight the mystery of a girl known as maria, a little girl with blue eyes found inside a kind of camp in greece. how did she get there with those people and who are her real parents? abc's alex perez in greece tonight looking for answers.

>> reporter: it's her distinctive blonde hair and blue eyes that may have saved her, her young face being seen around the world. it all began when police here in greece looking for drugs and guns raided a camp of a band of roma, otherwise known as gypsies coming across the girl believed to be five or six years old, known simply as little maria. here she is in a haunting home video, a little dancing girl as she looks out of step in her own world. police thought she looked nothing like the couple who claimed to be her parents. a dna test proved she was not theirs. today they charged this gypsy couple with abducting her, accusing them of falsifying the paperwork for several of their 14 children. authorities are also trying to figure out who their parents may be. the couple argue the child's mother gave the young girl to them and that they adopted her. as word of little maria's story spread, authorities here in in greece tonight say they were inundated with calls from around the world including the united states many from desperate family members searching for

their missing children. maria was in this home, sneakers sitting by the door. 10 million strong today many roma live as nomads throughout europe and they have been making headlines. children are often accused of being used as pick pockets. boldly targeting tourists at some of the great attractions. now it's a race against time to figure out who this little dancing girl is. maria already becoming a global beacon of hope for families of missing children like madeline mccain in the u.k. who say even though this is not maddy, it gives them and others reason not to give up. alex perez, abc news, agentens, greece. and tonight is this you, crammed into the car in days gone by? take a close look because if there is somebody very famous is trying to find you and it's our "instant index" coming up. "instant index" coming up. before copd... i took my son fishing every year.

we had a great spot, not easy to find, but worth it. but with copd making it hard to breathe, i thought those days might be over. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. it helps significantly improve my lung function starting within five minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. with symbicort, today i'm breathing better. and that means...fish on! symbicort is for copd including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. with copd, i thought i'd miss our family tradition. now symbicort significantly improves my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. and that makes a difference in my breathing. today, we're ready for whatever swims our way. ask your doctor about symbicort. i got my first prescription free. call or click to learn more. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help.

[ babies crying ] surprise -- your house was built on an ancient burial ground. [ ghosts moaning ] surprise -- your car needs a new transmission. [ coyote howls ] how about no more surprises? now you can get all the online trading tools you need without any surprise fees. ♪ it's not rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade. a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food.

and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, like celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. don't take celebrex if you have bleeding in the stomach or intestine, or had an asthma attack, hives, other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history. and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion.

our "instant index" tonight starts with funny lady carol burnett. every saturday night 30 million of us used to tune in and watch and laugh together with her. like the flight attendant offering music. >> would you like some music, sir? >> yes, i would. >> $2, please. >> there you go. >> would you like some music? >> yes, i would. ♪ off we go >> the 80-year-old carol burnett has been awarded the country's top prize for comedy, the mark twain prize for american humor. a younger generation of comedians paid tribute. >> you mean so much to me that i love you in a way that is just shy of creepy. >> and by the way, when burnett launched her show she was warned that this is a man's game, but she got the last laugh. and a mystery, where were you in february 1964? the british invasion taking hold, the beetles just arrived in new york.

we ask because soon after ringo starr snapped this picture, teenagers packed in a car, smiling back at him, a fond memory for him he says. he kept that photo all these years and now he's trying to find the grown-up kids. if you see yourself in that picture, ringo wants to talk to you. here's a clue. he thinks it was taken in miami, florida. the teenagers would now be in their 60s. we want to bring you up to date on the news out of nashville. you may have heard about the car accident with the incomparable dolly parton ♪ jolene jolene >> she was a passenger in an suv hit by another vehicle. she said on her facebook posting tonight for her fans it was just a fender bender and she's feeling tired and sore but resting at home.

all is well. glad to hear it. and we are going to tell you about an enchanting boy who is aging at super speed. his parents make an incredible medical discovery in their race against time. it's america strong. it is next. [ female announcer ] love. it's the most powerful thing on the planet. love holds us in the beginning. comforts us as we grow old. love is the reason you care. for all the things in your life... that make life worth living. ♪ ♪ sweet love of mine ♪ trust your instincts to make the call. to treat my low testosterone, my doctor and i went with axiron, the only underarm low t treatment.

axiron can restore t levels to normal in about 2 weeks in most men. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18 or men with prostate or breast cancer. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these symptoms to your doctor. tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications. serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer; worsening prostate symptoms; decreased sperm count; ankle, feet or body swelling; enlarged or painful breasts; problems breathing while sleeping; and blood clots in the legs. common side effects include skin redness or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and increase in psa. ask your doctor about the only underarm low t treatment, axiron.

to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for her, she's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with her all day to see how it goes. [ claira ] after the deliveries, i was okay. now the ciabatta is done and the pain is starting again. more pills? seriously? seriously. [ groans ] all these stops to take more pills can be a pain. can i get my aleve back? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap.

and finally tonight, the power of a magical boy and the parents who love him. he has the medical condition that ages him at accelerated speed, but his parents have made a breakthrough discovery while he changes the way other children think. abc's david muir and the teenager who is america strong. >> reporter: that sleepy walk down the hallway first thing in the morning, sam burns getting ready for school. >> can you hold my book while i brush my teeth. >> reporter: for sam there is more, the medicine trying to slow down the aging.

sam has pergeria, the deez that ages children far faster than the rest of us. so rare, fewer than 250 children in the world with it. a hug at the school bus. >> love you, mama. >> about to start her day, too. a doctor who now spends every waking moment searching for a cure. >> you say about your mom, she doesn't have a normal job. >> yeah. i kind of just want my mom to be done with progeria for her sake. my mom will keep working forever until it's cured. >> reporter: at school he's just sam. no one looks at his hands or legs anymore. they look to sam for help. >> i got it. >> i'm confused. >> tell me your equation. >> you're in math class. >> yes. >> i love it, how you had to turn around and help the guy behind you. >> just keep subtracting three to make it easier on yourself. >> i'm sure there was some simple math going on there, but

i just think i was trying to help out. >> reporter: through the years as he has engineered his own inventions, his mother engineering something else, putting together a group of scientists, researchers and they have made a bold discovery. >> your team discovered the gene? >> yes. >> just another day at work for mom. >> it was great. >> reporter: along with that gene an abnormal protein in children like sam. >> we all have that protein. >> we do. we all have that protein but they're teaming with it and it accelerates everything. >> reporter: hoping to develop the first drug, the first trials with children as far away as india. the results, showing promise, slowing progression. doctors once told them children like sam live to about 13. he turns 17 this week. >> you believe so many of us take time for granted. >> every time i see sam it's sort of a moment he gets off the bus. it's a moment and i treasure it. >> there is a lot going on around us that you can easily

miss. >> i really think that i lucked out on the parent lottery. >> we lucked out on the son lottery. >> yeah. >> from david muir, america strong. we want you to know the documentary "life according to sam" debuts tonight on hbo. thank you for watching. we're always here at abcnews.com. i'll see you tomorrow night. bay area gridlock, day four of the bart strike brings the toughest commute yet. >> lessons learned. expected change in shuttle bus service after overwhelming demand in one city. >> big developments happening

now in talks to end the bart strike. we have live team coverage for you. slow going along the skyway. here is a live look as the impact of losing bart service being felt by every person there stuck in gridlock. >> everyone just wants to go to work. you know? everybody does. just a hassle. >> you can see there is no easy way out. good evening, i'm dan ashley. >> want to hit the road now and put you in the thick of things here in san francisco this, is a look at battery street. the chute out of the city and it's been gridlock. >> let's get update now on the

evening commute with our morning traffic reporter. >> well, it's sludge like on the skyway. take a look at the skyway you can see the red there across the bridge and dunbarton looks better than earlier but golden gate bridge is getting heavier and the drive up to 580 going to be a busy one one. let's take a look outside from our san francisco skyway cam. you can see there traffic is your 80 east bay commute so if you're going to be towards the bottom deck into the maze and oakland you're going to be seeing traffic and going to take but 40 minutes to head into oakland. southbound commute or westbound commute coming up to 101 packed right now. it will start to loosen up south of the 280 extension. here is a picture of berkeley. you can see traffic is almost status quo right now away from the ma