addie hampton...7 news... that was addie hampton reporting... happening now...the "conservative review" is holding their convention inside the "bon secours wellness arena" in greenville ... g-o-p candidates "doctor ben carson"...is scheduled to be there...along with "ted cruz" and "marco rubio"... we'll have a close look at what happened tonight on 7 news...at 10 and 11... 'you've been telling us about your opinion in the upcoming primaries by participating in our exclusive 7 news online poll. over seven-hundred of you have weighed in--and at this hour -- donald trump holds a commanding lead with about responding in our poll, saying they intend to vote for him in saturday's primary. number two is marco rubio coming in at twenty-two percent. ted cruz -- in third place with fifteen percent. while ben carson, john kasich and jeb bush all have only single digit percentages of support. our poll reflects only the opinions of those who have taken the time to participate on wspa.com or on the 7 news app. the 7 news poll will stay open for the next twent

i'm reporting live tonight in pndleton, addie hampton, 7 news. >>> real quick, i'm not sure if you've gotten a chance to speak to the people there, but do you find most of them are coming because they're trump supporters or out of curiosity to see him? more curious. he has a large following, he's been top of the polls here in the palmetto state, since announcing his candidacy. >> addie hampton standing by live in clemson. >>> the one company, this one with, hoping to make things simpler for boys and girls. >> i'm amy wood, a dog shot in the head and left for dead. now, a judge rules no charges coming up, we're something is just fundamentally broken when african americans are more likely to be arrested by police, and sentenced to longer prison terms, for doing the same thing that whites do. ...when too many encounters with law enforcement end tragically. we need investments in education, health care and jobs, to counter generations of neglect. we have to face up to the hard truth of injustice i'm hillary clinton, and i approve this message. >>> 7 news live at 5:00 is back with target's

reporting live, downtown greenville, addie hampton, 7 news. >>> so addie, they're going to be a couple of these cnn town halls and one of them will have cruz, and rubio, the first time they've maybe seen each other, in the same place since he criticized him this morning. do we expect fireworks there. >>reporter: there's a lot of fireworks expected, like you said, happening here at the old cigar warehouse at 8:00 o'clock. these allegations, these accusations this morning so a lot of people are expecting to see some major fireworks. similar to what we saw in last saturday's debate here in downtown greenville. >> addie hampton live in greenville. >>> visit wspa.com and be a part of our online poll on the this election year. you can also participate using we hope you'll take time to share your opinion with us. >>> south carolina senate's debate on how to get more money for the state's road has started similarly, to how it ended last year. senator tom davis took the floor to filibuster it. the same thing last year, saying spk sk needs to change -- south carolina needs to change how the depa

that was addie hampton reporting.. the d-o-t was working all afternoon to patch the pot holes .. they say a mix of rain getting into the cracks.... plus trucks moving over them...just makes things worse. but they're not commenting on the stall at the state house .. remember... you can count on 7 news..for your latest weather and traffic updates. dot com and download the app... it's free for iphone and android users. now... the latest on "campaign 20-16"... democratic candidate hillary clinton... is still working to build support... in south carolina. today... clinton was at a luncheon...hosted by the oldest african- american sorority. organizers say... they focused on issues that impact the community... and they're hoping for a strong voter turnout... for saturday's. senator bernie sanders... was also campaigning in columbia earlier today .. but now he has moved on to kansas city. donald trump is on a roll.. after adding nevada to his victories in new hampshire victories in to his victories in new hampshire and south carolina.. but now his other g-o-p candidates other g-o-p but n

in greenville. "7 news'" addie hampton... brings you the details: ----- "would president trump ban partial birth abortions? look, i've very pro choice. but you would not ban it? no. you would not ban it? no, i am pro choice in every respect. and it's these words from the mouth of donald trump in 1999.... that the cruz campaign is using for their latest attack... alleging that donald trump can't be trtrsted to make conservative choices ....such as a supreme court nominee....based on his record. wednesday...cruz played the ad...before revealing the trump campaign has now threatened him with leagal action... if he doesn't remove the ad.: "to mr. trump, you have been threatening adult life." cruz says...it's trump's own words... trump's legal team calls it defamation.... so....the texas senator says....bring it on... "so, donald, if you want to file a lawsuit challenging this ad claiming it is defamation, file the lawsuit." cruz said he'd depose donald trump...himself...forci ng him to tell the truth under oath... but cruz's riva

addie hampton is waiting for him, as well as a big crowd. addie, how is it going there? >>reporter: well, bigger, the doors opened about 5:00 o'clock, this is the crowd already, filling up, every seat, people here, really supporting donald trump. of course, w w have seen this in virtually every appearance he's made in the upstate, four so far, packing it out, wearing the make america great again hats, and so what we're really hoping here, at least therump camp is hoping here, is that that new hampshire win is enough of a push to take it here in the palmetto state. the difference between new hampshire can and south carolina, according to many experts is the diversity of the voters here, and that can be problematic for some and they're hoping that anything that they wide range of voters. while we don't know what trump has on the docket tonight, for what he has to say, it should be interesng, people here say, they're going to vote for him no matter what. reporting live tonight in pendleton, addie hampton, 7 news. >>> we learned this afternoon that carly fiorina is dropping

addie hampton is in greenville following up on how a guy considered armed and dangerous was on house arrest. addie. >> reporter: well, amy, grad -- bradford williams was arrested in december of 2014 accused of killing two men on thanksgiving morning in the parking lot of a greenville nightclub. a judge granted him a $50,000 bond and placed him on the home incarceration program to await his trial. just over a month later deputies say williams cut his ankle monitor and vanished. the victim's families and even deputies are questioning why a judge would grant a double murder suspect bond. certain suspect from being able to investigate. they said they present the facts to the judges that determines are they a flight risk or threat to the community. deputy drew pancero said he don't understand it but they are going to put him back behind bars. >> i don't understand why a double murder suspect would have been released. we consider him armed and dangerous and ask anybody with information about him to contract crime stoppers. >> reporter: greenville county williams. he has family in taylors a

addie hampton joins us live. addie, the fire mal marshal says this could have been a much worse situation, tell us a bit more about that. >>reporter: well, dianne, now, that the fire is out, the smoke is cleared, we're getting a better picture of what damage was left behind. i want you to take a closer look for yourself. my photographer will zoom in a little bit. ripped through the roof of some of these apartment a units, but you can also see where it stopped. according to the fire marshal, he says that's all thanks to smoke barriers, that he says saved lives. >> could have been a lot worse. >>reporter: when the fire marshal came back to assess the damage monday, he could see the invisible line that seeped to stop the saturday morning blaze in its track, thanks to quick action by the boiling springs fire department and smoke barriers in the roof. >> if it had not been for the smoke barrier, it would have travelled from one end to the other end of this building. killer. nelson says the barriers over her apartment

addie hampton is breaking down the importance of the undecided vote. addie? >> reporter: here in spartanburg, ben carson is just one of those gop candidates stumping to get one of the needed votes. are undecide -- undecided about would to pick, and according to one expert, it's the tone of the last debate, comparing it to a wrestling match and undecided voters get nervous about the professional. >>> - - p r o fessionalism of their choice as soon as when you watched the debate on saturday night and saw a stage of guys beating each other defenseless t went from a debate to a ufc fight. and people want to know, is of this what i expect from a leader? is this what i expect from my president and there are a lot of people scratching their heads. they don't know. >> reporter: he said that the undecided vote may not sway the winner here. donald trump is up an average of 20 points in the polls but the undecided vote will likely influence who stays and who following the south carolina republic primary this saturday. reporting live in spartanburg, addie hampton, 7 news.

addie hampton is working to gather more details. if you know anything about this case or that suspect that remains at large, you are urged to call the greenville county sheriffs office. >>> a former greenville county deputy will be on probation for nine months after pleading guilty to charges tied to a gambling investigation. today a judge handed down the sentence to david hayes. he was fired last year after a convicted gambler told the fbi he got tips about upcoming raids in exchange for cash. profoundly sorry i am for my actions and the humbling and humiliating experience that this has brought about for me and my family. but most of all, my heartfelt apology to the court for my actions. >> a felony charge against hayes was dropped. a second sheriffs official major shea smith was charged. he was sentenced to probation and community service. >>> hundreds of cars are reported stolen in up state every year. a number have already gone missing in anderson county this year. our 7 news reporter checked to see what makes your car vulnerabl

addie hampton is still there and been there for some time today. any differences among these candidates there today? >> reporter: lots of differences in fact. all have the one main goal of earning that highest office in the land, that big job that they want your earlier today we heard from dr. ben carson, governor jeb bush and senator marco rubio. that event is not over yet. let's take you back inside where just a few moments ago senator ted cruz took the stage for this forum. he's standing alongside attorney general allen wilson and family counsel president oron smith. they're asking each candidate questions from public prayer, planned parenthood to gun control. each candidate was given 40 minutes to talk about these issues surrounding faith and family. carson said he hopes to be a voice for the common man where a message that centers on prayer before action. bush paid tribute to his family. marco rubio focused on the democrats references that sanders supporters should move to socialist countries. all got a chance to address voters on why they are

addie hampton is there now. >> what can you tell us about what happened? >> tom, so far we know that that fire was ruled today accidental, they haven't been able to pinpoint exactly how it started yet, just that it started on an exterior porch. through the roof here of this apartment unit. you can also see how the damage stopped, according to the fire marshal, he says that's due to smoke barriers, that were inside the roof. apparently, it slowed down the spread of the fire. this allowed the firefighters enough time to attack the source and to decrease the damage. without these barriers, the fire marshal says the fire could have spread across this entire building, it could have even been deadly, still, jeff nelson, the fire marshal, says all complexes new or old, need to take fire prevention up a notch, it's not enough to have smoke barriers or smoke deteshths alone. >> -- detectors alone. >> smoke detectors are part of the residential code now. and i think everybody knows that we need smoke detectors. they will activate and let you save your own life, wher

so 7 news reporter addie hampton is live at the with well in greenville. addie, we're getting a lot of endorsements during this final push now. >>reporter: well, gordon, we know in the last few weeks, senator marco rubio has picked up powerful endorsements, congressman trey gowdy and tim scott and the big one with governor nikki haley. it was this snapshot of the four of them campaigning this morning together in greenville that has many talking about star power, of conservatives, one that is diverse and self-made. rubio also doesn't just have political endorsements. today, former usc quarterback connor shaw took the campaign stage to show his political support and not the only football star supporting a candidate. boyd is backing ohio governor john kasich. i spoke with boyd today, before his town hall, in clemson. >> i think he's a very strong candidate, i think he is the candidate. because of what his morals are, because of his integrity, the way he carries himself. when he's on stage. he's very engaged in small time things. we're you're able to engage in

addie hampton, 7 news. >> thank you. if you want to see how the roads are bogging you down, we have a cool tool for you. there's an interactive link that shows you the hours we all waste sitting in traffic and burning up our gas. all because of the bad roads in your particular area. you can look at your area on wspa.com under links we mentioned. >>> this is a political exercise who made a promise that he can't fulfill. >> south carolina senator lindsey graham saying he won't stand behind the president's plan to shut doww guantanamo bay and move prisoners elsewhere. there was a time that they would have supported a prison and opening a new one in the u.s.. >> now, we find oursrslves months before a new election, with a proposal that is a joke. a proposal that is not specific. the only thing specifically i can tell you, not one person will go to charleston, south carolina. >> the naval brig near charleston is of the places on the short list. south carolina lawmakers including senator graham and governor nikki haley say the

addie hampton has been busy this week live at the greenville marriott where ted cruz has a rally tonight. hopefully addie is wearing running shoes because she'e runnin all over the upstate covering this campaign. you've got perspective on this, addie. we've seen these candidates go to rallies one after another, on the debate stage and on national we wanted to talk to you since you've been to the one on one rallies when they're in small groups. are they going at other as hard in person when they're in those one on one rallies? >> reporter: well, you know what, i think it actually depends on which candidate you're talking about. if you're talking about john kasich or ben carson they're trying to stay on their message. then you go to a donald trump rally and he's fighting hard against ted cruz, marco rubio and he's really been hitting hard against governor jeb bush. so a little bit of more mud slinging. i don't know if that has a correlation with the higher up in polls that you're seeing. differences across the board for sure. >> some specific differences in those campaign rallies were they

. >> and 7 news reporter addie hampton looks into the importance of a win here for the clinton and saernds campaign -- sanders campaigns. >> the stakes are high here. >>reporter: a no non-- nons nonsense. the largest amount at stake thus far. the delegates. it's a chance at redemption after a loss to barack obama in 2008. does not want it to be a game change eshs she's got a double digit lead, and i think she wants to maintain that. >>reporter: more than 5,000 bernie sanders supporters turned up. a race where the senator has gained ground on secretary clinton. >> it will be huge for the sanders came pain. >> 24 points over sanders in south carolina but the latest cnn crc poll breaks down the key african-american vote. 47% have yet to make up their mind, leaving room for the sanders campaign to make up ground. >> we have taken on the political establishment. >>reporter: he's confident in his candidates, and and potential for a strong voter turnout this saturday. >> i think we will have good tourn out, because i think, you know, one thing you can say about the clinton-sanderss >>reporter: ad

. >>> good evening, tonight, we begin with team coverage on campaign 2016, 7 news reporter addie hampton is in greenville for a town hall. >> we're going to start with our capitol reporter robert kittle in lexington county, governor nikki haley is about to endorse a republican candidate for president. >>reporter: that's right, amy, we're in chafin, outside of a business, and marco rubio had scheduled a campaign event here any way, but it's gotten more attention. governor nikki haley is expected to endorse marco rubio. she said yesterday, that she was not sure if she would endorse anyone, and she didn't tell us who, if she did have that idea then went -- if she knew then she was going to endorse him, the conventional thinking was she was going to endorse rubio, but also thought that she might endorse jeb bush. because when she was running for governor, he helped her out with her campaign, then when she won, the governor ship, he helped her get her administration started up, she had some questions and she called him and got some advice if him. so he was hoping to get her endorsement and he

i'm reporting live tonight in clemson, addie hampton, 7 news. >> i wonder if you've heard push-back on this video today, because i watched the unedited video online, and i heard the deputy saying the rally was over when they escorted him out. was the rally over at that point. >>reporter: he said that the speech was over. we can vouch to the fact that mr. trump did stay after to sign autographs, there was a large number of people surrounding him, 2-400. the event was completely over, but there still was things going on. addie hampton, thank you for that. >>> some experts say south carolina, of course, an important state for candidates, not just because it's the first in the south primary. >> the real key is our state's democrat graphics, charlie james has covered political events since the 90s and he believes south carolina has a strong track record for selecting the gop and democratic nominees, because of what he calls our melting pot culture. >> whereas in ohio, new hampshire, you don't have the -- you really don't have the african-american vote, you have the hispanic vote, south caro

lines were cut 7 times this month alone. 7 news reporter addie hampton got to the bottom of what's being done to stop it. >> did you put a sign up over there? hey, here's the easy spot to steal the phone lines? >>reporter: peggy hamilton mills her phone went dead at her anderson county home. >> no phone. >>reporter: it got fixed, but. >> thursday, 2:11, no phone. >>reporter: and again, monday, 2/15, no n >>et total of 7 types this month, according to mills, she learned she was the m have of copper thieves -- victim of copper thievess, along with 100 people. it swings in the wind while the gray wires lie on the ground. >> the 911 emergency service gets knocked out to anybody who depends on it, a landline. >>reporter: they are aware and working hard to stop it. but burns added that it might be easier for thieves to get away with this kind of theft than you think. >> they have a law in georgia that's much stricter than the law we have in south carolina. >>reporter: we took a look at the laws, while georgia and south carolina require permits offices to sell copper at designated places, a geo

an already crumbling system. >> addie hampton live. stay safe out there by the side of the road. >>> scientists hired by the auto industry say they've figured out what caused the takata air bags to inflate with too much force. the independent testing coal lags says design issues, moisture, high heat and ammonium nitrate are factors. blamed for ten deaths in 139 injuries. >>> tonight, an upstate fire chief is on administrative leave, and an investigation is underway into his actions on the scene of a fire. brianna smith talked with the board and the fire chief, it's a story you'll only see on 7 news. >>reporter: diane, the incident in question happened the morning after the super bowl sunday in a fire at lockhart and the chief is of the kelly kelton fire district is under investigation, but the district's policies are as well. the sign outside the kelly kelton fire department, is it's not the only thing missing from this volunteer department. that serves some of union county. >> currently, there's no alcohol use policy on the books for

addie hampton, 7 news.... the district says that student is fine laurens city police continues to investigatemeanwhileovermyer faces a 3rd degree assualt chargeit's a misdemeanor that comes with a 500 dollar fine andor 30 days in jail if convicted. some greenville residents are looking for a new place to live after a early morning fire at a drug rehabiliation facility. these pictures were taken by staffers at "solutions recovery center" on "lowndes hill road"... that's where the fire started around 6-thirty this morning.

addie hampton, 7 news. >> addie, real quick, i know the raindrops are building from the lens, but we referenced a poll earlier that had cruz in second. why the defense here? >> reporter: the interestingly about the american research poll is the polling data was taken through the 13th which was the day of the debate. so you have post-debate reactions from people that were polled in the debate, maybe a snapshot what people thought of his performance and others; diane. >> all right. thank you, and we'll let her go undecided voters are the topic of today's web poll. >> so we asked you, and we have the answers on the screen here. it looks like most picked their candidates not long not after they announced they were running. and look at undecided. 32%. >> and you can see 18% after the most recent debate on saturday. >> and then some others after iowa and new hampshire. the winner of the new hampshire primary is about to be at the pee dee convention center in greenville. tony, how's it going? >> reporter: hey, gordon. it's going great. we're just days away from the primary voting day on sat

reporting live tonight in clemson, addie hampton, 7 news. >>> addie, hope thank thank you for that. >> this afternoon, doctor ben carson was in cherokee county, erin rogers caught up with him. >> we're going be going after all different demographics. [ inaudible ]. >> he joked, saying there will be no going home to change clothes this time. we will have more on this one-on-one interview coming up at 10:00 and 11:00. >>> over the next two days, the gop candidates will take the stage at a forum and the next big debate. form, four of the candidates will be speaking at bob jones university. at noon. the palmetto family alliance invited all of the republicans kands to attend -- candidates to attend. >>> you can tell the peace center is gearing up for saturday night's gop debate. 7 news got inside today to fine out there are more than 150 people from cbs, and google, working right now on the setup, see the setup, everything is in boxes, they're being pieced toths for the big debate here at 9:00 o'clock, the whole team will be in place to bring you a special report, make sure to tune in for

he gave "7 news" reporter addie hampton ... the unique campaign style: ----- we were the only upstate station invited to join the trump caravan today as he made several campaign stops... that ride along ...opened the doors to see just how popular ....and polarizing the trump campaign is.... and how celebrity status could be the game changer that has other candidates worried....--- with a snap of the camera.... and a signature thumbs up.... donald trump knows how to draw a crowd... the seemingly untouchable republican frontrunner...has an average 20 point lead on the competition... making them sweat ....just 4 days before the primary.... a plate of tommy's ham house eggs in front of trump...a ted cruz approved attack ad behind him ... for those that support trump...he's the guy that says what they want to hear.... i just believe he's going to do what he says he's going to do. for tommy's ham house waitress...martha hutchins... trump left a large tip and a good impression i thought he was nice. friendly. real friendly. gon' vote

addie hampton, 7 news.... the district says that student is fine laurens city police continues to investigatemeanwhileovermyer faces a 3rd degree assualt chargeit's a misdemeanor that comes with a 500 dollar fine andor 30 days in jail if convicted. some greenville residents are looking for a new place to live after a early morning fire at a drug rehabiliation facility. these pictures were taken by staffers at "solutions recovery center" on "lowndes hill road"... that's where the fire started around 6-thirty this morning. worked to put out the flames. they spread from one building to the next within minutes. 20 people were displaced. scott franklin tells "7 news"... it happened in his apartment: ----- 57:59-58:06 "i woke up this morning, drunk coff daht dmoaand t t l rncou deaeaon fire." ----- no one was hurt or injured in the fire. officials tell us it could be weeks... before they know the cause. pickens county deputies.. say they've arrested two accused mail thieves.. and one more is on the loose. they say "

south carolina has been a game changer in past democratic primaries ... 7 news reporter addie hampton looks into the importance of a win here for the clinton and sanders campaigns... the stakes are highghere. a no-nonsense analysis from greenville's democratic party chairman, eric gra. f h the ta secaais.gb s.an import. dgas epr grabs...the largest amount at stake thus far.... for the clinton campaign...it's a chance at redemption ...after a gamechanging loss to then- senator barack obama in 2008. experts say it was that win here...that fueled the rest of obama's march to the whitehouse. for secretary clinton, she does not want it to be a game changer. she has a double digit lead and she wants to maintain that. if she does maintain a double digit lead and wins by that margin, then she will prevent south changer. more than 5000 bernie sanders supporters showed up at the bon secours wellness arena in greenville sunday... it's a significant turnout...says graben...in a race where where the senator has gained ground on secretary clinton. if he pulls off the upset, it will be huge for the

addie hampton is live. good evening. >> reporter: earlier today we and dr.en carson. just meant moments ago ted cruz wrapped up his talk. each candidate got 40 minutes to sit alongside allen wilson and dr. oron smith. they asked each candidate questions from public prayer to planned parenthood to gun control. senator ted cruz drew a large crowd. he's visited bob jones university before for a faith and freedom rally earlier last year. sources within his camp said they're hoping to hit the state hard and pull out a win over donald trump. cruz is currently in second place in polls. he told voters why he was the best man for the job. >> i planned to descend every single unconstitutional action >> reporter: donald trump could not attend and sent a local pastor from easily and vouched about his heart for god and conservative principals. >>> they could make a tough decision when the going got tough. >> that's jeb bush talking about the importance of experience today. the location was changed to the civic center as the number of supporters out grew the original venue. senator

reporting live in greenville, addie hampton, 7 news. >> it's been quite a campaign. thank you, addie. >>> there's still time to rsvp if you want to attend ted cruz's rally at the marriott. you'll find a link on wspa.com. click on links in the big blue box. >>> tonight you can catch marco at 7:30 he will speak at the madren conference center on clemson university. >>> mama bush hit the trail with her son, jeb, today. he spoke to us before we climbed on jeb bush's bus for a one on one interview. did you know she went to ashley hall in charleston. >> you want back to your school in charleston? >> i had such fun there. a great school. >> thank you for -- >> my daddy was married in greenville. >> i didn't know that. >> after my mother die d he married. that was fun. spoke at her son's meet and greet... urging the crowd to support her son. and his >> she urged the crowd to support her son and his two brothers were also present. it was a standing room only situation there inside the wades restaurant. bush hit trump hard for unstable views and not being a true conservative.

our 7 news reporter addie hampton is live with the very latest. >> reporter: as you mentioned, this manhunt did put three area schools on lock down. the area around jacobs road was on high alert. we want to show you air 7 video from the scene earlier today. this was the area right off of i-85 near exit 44. greenville county deputies as well as k-9 teams took to the ground while helicopters searched from above. one of the four suspects captured went to the hospital for a dog bite. deputies have not released their name or two others that were arrested. all of this couldn't have happened without a witness who told police about the men running from the crime scene. earlier today i talked to that man. he didn't want to speak on camera fearing some sort of retaliation. but at 6:00 we will tell you much more about his very brave act trying to stop the burglars in their tracks. reporting live in greenville >> thanks. the reporters are really bundled up. it is cold. >>> gun sales are breaking records in south carolina. the state ranks 11th in united states for percentage of people who own guns. that

addie hampton has been talking to parents about this today. she's live from the laurens district 55 office. bring us up to date. >> reporter: well, amy, brandy overmyer was in her first year of teaching at sanders middle school according to her online profile. now according to police reports this incident went down in her classroom around 1:30 yesterday. she was arrested soon after. she was charged with assault in the third degree. now that's a misdemeanor charge. it comes with a $500 fine and/or 30 days in jail if convicted. laurens police tell us she's out on bond tonight but the investigation continues. the district tells us the student is fine. as word spread today parents like kendra gary said there's no place for this in the classroom. >> wow. i thought i was the only one that was supposed to discipline my kids and teach them how to go on the straight and narrow way, not the >> reporter: today the laurens district 55 superintendent told us that she was no longer employed and this this type of behavior and cannot and will not be tolerated

that is where news reporter addie hampton is joining us now. he waived his bond hearing, right? >> reporter: exactly amy. casey was out on a charge when investigators say he shot and killed a woman, taking her car and leaving her for dead. today pickens county sheriff clark said they don't after motive just yet but waldrop and con knew each other. they believe con was driven in her black dodge charger to the boat ramp when they say waldrop shot her once in the head. then they say he took off in her car leaving her for dead. sometime between then and last night when he was arrested they say tried to conceal that car by spray painting it silver and parking it at a greenville apartment complex. investigators were tipped off about the car. it, waldrop happened to show up. they chased him for a moment before arresting him and detained the people he was with. when they searched the car, they found that .45 caliber handgun they believe waldrop used to kill con. >> we believe there's no threat to the community, anywhere around pickens county. we believe we have arrested all the actors i

addie hampton is in greenville where ted cruz is expected a little later. >> addie, lots of highs and lows leading up to saturday, right? these candidates. this primary has correctly chosen the >> reporter: well, definitely, amy. south carolina is an important state for all of these candidates. the primary has correctly chosen the eventual nominee since 1980 with the exception of 2012. now, this campaign cycle has been nothing short of explosive many say. that was very true this week as each candidate sought headlining primary. >> he lied about ben carson in iowa. >> a fitting starting line for a marathon week of campaigning. >> you are the single biggest liar. >> donald trump the south carolina front runner up 20 plus points in the poll was the attack of ted cruz. >> this spot prompted to threaten cruz with legal action. >> donald i would encourage you if you want to file a lawsuit challenging this ad file a lawsuit. >> donald trump didn't just have beef with ted cruz. he called out the pope who weighed in on trump's plans to build a wall at the mexican border. >> the pope said that

addie hampton is live with more. >>reporter: the doctor was head scar ch last night, now, he doesn't practice this religion, but he said he wanted to stand in solidarity with groups that he says have been marginalized by the donald trump campaign. this the prejudicc shown through last night. >> can you explain why you're asking me to leave? can you explain why you're asking me to leave. >>reporter: he documented the moment he was removed from donald trump's rally at the gars son livestock arena. the video has been viewed more than 150,000 times in a matter of hourings, based on how he looked last night, not how heth aed. he says it got him booted out. >> i also wanted to go dressed in a way that essentially did show solidarity. >>reporter: groups like muslim,

tonight in greenville, addie hampton, 7 news. >>> at 10:00 and 11:00, you can count on us to bring you highlights from the cnn town hall in greenville. at the old cigar warehouse on south main street. tomorrow night, cnn will host the second down hall. three tonight and three again tomorrow. and anderson keeper will be the moderator. >>> happening right now, republican candidate doctor ben carson and ted cruz are in the upstate. they're attending the faith and freedom coalition, that's going on at first baptist north spartanburg. this event is just beginning right now. a 7 news crew is there and we will recap what happens tonight >>> the con tif review convention will take place in downtown -- doctor ben carson and ted cruz, marco rubio are all expected to be there. it begins at 7:00 p.m., count on 7 news to bring you the highlights from the campaign trail. >>> if you don't plan to vote in saturday's republican primary, south carolina law gives you did option to go to the polls the next weekend to vote in the democrat ic primary. >> we want to remind you that the state law allows you d

reporting live tonight, addie hampton. >> a close look at tonight's conservative review convention, ted cruz and marco rubio and ben carson are expected to be there. >>> hosting a town hall last night with three of the republican candidates, anderson cooper is in columbia tonight for another town hall with the other three, donald trump, jeb bush and kasich will have their turn. >>> it all leads touch saturday's republican primary -- leads up to saturday's republican primary. then, a week later, saturday, february 27th, the democratic candidates have their chance to vote. >>> well, you've within telling us -- you've been telling us upcoming primary, the exclutive 7 news online -- exclusive 7 news online poll o. at this hour, donald trump is holding a commanding lead with 43% of those responding in the polls say they intend to vote for him saturday in the primary. number 2, marco rubio, coming in at 22%. ted cruz is in third place with 15. ben carson, john kasich, and jeb bush all have single digit percentages of support. our poll reflects only the opinions of those who have taken some ti

that is where news reporter addie hampton is joining us now. he waived his bond hearing, right? >> reporter: exactly amy. casey was out on a charge when investigators say he shot and killed a woman, taking her car and leaving her for dead. today pickens county sheriff clark said they don't after motive just yet but waldrop and con knew each other. they believe con was driven in her black dodge charger to the boat ramp when they say waldrop shot her once in the head. then they say he took off in her car leaving her for dead. sometime between then and last night when he was arrested they say tried to conceal that car by spray painting it silver and parking it at a greenville apartment complex. investigators were tipped off about the car.

addie hampton had full behind the scenes coverage today. >>> donald trump's popularity is undeniable with a lead of more than 20 points in state polls. when you watch people lining the sidewalks hoping for a glimpse you realize there is a celebrity factor to the campaign that is worrying competitors. perhaps the biggest example is this. you see mr. trump swarmed by fans wanting selfies or autographs but over his head the tv screams attack ads against him with senator ted cruz second on average in south carolina and released one today. the staying power his polls indicate adding the potential win on saturday isn't an open and shut case. mr. trump of course thinks differently rallying volunteers and urging them to push forward but not missing a chance to toss jabs at competitors like jeb bush. when he left he waved to a growing crowd of supporters. >> i really think he is the only candidate that's talking he cares about american jobs. i don't hear any of the other candidates talking about that. also the fact that he is self funding is a big deal to me. all the other candidates have don

they were able to get her identity much faster than normal and able to find waldrop >> addie hampton, thank you. >>> deputies say 29-year-old kate thompson was following a deputy's carta closely. they say they stopped her and she sped off. there are multiple charges now including resisting arrest. >>> a spartan park has been hit by vandals. the construction company found profanities spray-painted on the sidewalks at cleveland park. this is the playground that hundreds of volunteers built after a deadly accident happened near five years ago. construction workers say this they've made. >> knowing that the community has put all their time into it and someone comes in and does something lake this to away. >> the park will be installing security cameras before the grand opening on march 12th. a stolen suv was abandoned and submerged under cold water in the river this morning. thankfully no one was insidid. was not easy for responders to get it out. >> this is about the hardest one we've ever had as far as getting to it and getting it out. >> reporter: after a bumpy, muddy, long drive tuesd