the latest updates on the terrible subway shooting. stick around for that. thank you for joining us. i will see you tomorrow. ♪ tonight, a special edition of "world news tonight" from brooklyn. the manhunt under way at this hour for the gunman who opened fire inside a new york city subway. shooting at least ten people, five in critical condition. the attack. police say the suspect riding the train during rush hour, puttinging on a gas mask, pulling out a smoke canister, unleashing it on passengers. smoke filling the subway car. the suspect then began shooting as the train pulled into the brooklyn subway station, headed for manhattan. those ten passengers shot, many more injured, rushed to area hospitals. strangers helping victims. schools sheltering in place. tonight, abc news learning the gun might have jammed, saving lives. police recovering a gun, magazines, and a bag filled with more smoke canisters. and late today, police closing in on this u-haul, possibly

linked to the suspect. our team on how they found that vehicle. what authorities have revealed about the cameras in the subway station. they were not working. and tonight, a witness who captured an image of the suspect. janai norman and aaron katersky here at the scene. pierre thomas at the fbi. the other news tonight, the war in ukraine. did russia use a chemical agent in mariupol? the pentagon tonight now investigating. and tonight, vladimir putin now -- talks are dead. and ukraine has now captured a putin ally. a ukrainian ally those daughter is putin's goddaughter. and for the first time, president biden now calling putin's actions a genocide. james longman is live in kyiv. the war putting increasing pressure on the global economy and tonight, inflation here at home. the prices americans are paying. inflation now the highest it's been since 1981. the new move tonight from president biden on gas. we're tracking dangerous storms tonight, possible tornadoes after dark and

damaging winds and s tomorrow. from dallas to chicago and moving east. ginger zee tracking it all. the pandemic. the omicron subvariant now nearly 90% of cases here in the u.s. and the alarming images from shanghai tonight. amid a major spike in covid there, families now being forced to stay in their homes. the food shortages. and the drones with messages from chinese authorities telling resident what they can and cannot do. and here at home tonight, a passing to note. a very popular comedian, his ic iconic, unmistakable voice. and good evening tonight from brooklyn, the scene of a horrific attack inside a new york city subway during rush hour. the subway stop just behind us here, the gunman suddenly putting on a gas mask, unleashing a smoke canister, and began firing. ten people shot. five critically.

29 people injured in all. so many rushed to area hospitals. and at this hour, the massive manhunt under way right now. you can hear the helicopters overhead. just a short time ago, police locating a u-haul truck that may be linked to the suspect. police say it all began on a subway train heading from manhattan. it was all unfolding right here in brooklyn. the suspect then putting on that mask, pulling the canister out of a bag, blinding the passengers in the car with smoke, and then opening fire. commuters rushing out of the train once it stopped at the station. witnesses helping some of the injured onto the platform. some of the injured still lying on the floor of the train. and in the chaos, the attacker then getting away. tonight here, the investigation under way. the hunt for surveillance video in this very busy neighborhood. and we learned today that the cameras inside the subway station were not working. but a witness did get an image of the attacker and that image tonight is now being circumstance lated among law enforcement. police believe this attack was

planned out. and tonight, our team here with new reporting, how they possibly linked this suspect to this u-haul vehicle now surrounded by authorities tonight. abc's janai norman leading us off right here on the scene in brooklyn. >> reporter: some were heading to work. others to school. their rush hour train pulling into a brooklyn station, but then, when the doors opened, pandemonium. terrified commuters scrambling out of the subway car, smoke billowing behind them. >> 36th street and 4th avenue, multiple people shot and explosive device. >> reporter: victims sprawled across the platform. and inside the train, a fight for survival. this man helping one of the victims. the whole ordeal, the stuff of new york nightmares. police say the shooter was a passenger on the train. initially, just another face in this crowd, seen in a green construction vest, mumbling to himself. new york's new police

commissioner describing the moment he unleashed the smoke inside that car. >> as the train was pulling into the station, the subject put on a gas mask, he then opened a canister that was in his bag, and the car filled with smoke. after that, he began shooting. >> reporter: passengers could not see, couldn't breathe. one man we spoke with thought the pops he heard were fireworks. >> it's not until after the popping stopped that i saw on the floor that there was a lot of blood, and i realized that fireworks can't do that much damage, it has to be gunshots. there were people literally on top of each other, crowding over each other, trying to get out of the way, trying not to be seen. people were just panicking. >> reporter: soon commuters were rushing up and out of the station, streaming onto the street. >> i seen a couple people walk out and they just fell in the middle of the street, you know? i've never seen anything like this and it was just shocking and scary and at the same time, wondering if the gunman is here or not. >> reporter: governor hochul warning that yes, the shooter

was still out there. >> this person is dangerous. we're asking individuals to be very vigilant and alert. this is an active shooter situation. >> reporter: the quiet residential neighborhood now ground zero in a massive manhunt. an army of law enforcement trying to piece together clues. >> this is one of the subway sations, the center of the igato it, a pizza parlor where investigators are checking to see if there's possibly any surveillance camera that could help the investigation. they're checking every camera in the neighborhood, but remarkably, new york officials say the camera inside the subway station itself malfunctioning. but police did find the shooter's backpack there, multiple smoke devices, and a bag of commercial grade fireworks. but no active explosives. they also recovered a .38-caliber handgun with three extended round magazines. one was empty on the floor. but one in the gun had jammed and authorities believe that stopped the rampage and saved lives.

so perhaps did some quick-thinking subway workers, who immediately moved another train out of the station. >> i also need to acknowledge the mta workers who had -- had the foresight to immediately move a train that was on the platform, the r train, out of the station, so it could carry people to safety. that was smart thinking. >> reporter: ten people were not. authorities say five are in critical condition, but we learned late today, they've all stabilized. authorities believe everyone will survive this. a total of 19 victims in the hospital tonight. >> there are a variety of other injuries from smoke inhalation to shrapnel to panic from the incident. >> reporter: the neighborhood shaken. classrooms told to shelter in place. i spoke with selma castro, who raced to her son's school. what goes through your mind, knowing that your son was riding the train to school right around the time this happened? >> oh, i get scary, because, like, ten minutes ago, he's on the train. >> reporter: so he literally got to school ten minutes before that all happened? >> yes.

>> reporter: president biden thanking the first responders. >> we're grateful for all the first responders who jumped into action, including civilians, civilians who didn't hesitate to help their fellow passengers and try to shield them. >> reporter: governor hochul condemning the gunman for turning a normal day into a nightmare. >> that sense of tranquility and normalness was disrupted -- brutally disrupted by an individual so cold-hearted and debraved of heart that they had no caring about the individuals that they assaulted as they simply went about their daily lives. >> and janai norman with us here in brooklyn tonight. and janai, as you just reported there, authorities are looking to find any images from the surveillance cameras all throughout this neighborhood. we learned the cameras in the subway, as you pointed out, were malfunctioning, but our team has learned tonight that police did manage to get a picture of the suspect from a bystander? >> reporter: yeah, david. law enforcement sources tell us they were able to get an image of the suspect from video taken

by someone at the scene. and we can report tonight that they are circulating that picture and the on-going search for the man responsible. right now, you can hear the helicopter above, you mentioned at the top of the show. with no arrest yet, there is still quite a law enforcement presence in this neighborhood and other parts of the city as nightfall approaching and the shooter still out there, david. >> yeah, the presence is just extraordinary, the police presence here tonight. janai norman in brooklyn all day for us. we're going to turn now to the investigation and the manhunt under way right now. the nypd is surging forces, the fbi is here, too, and tonight, what they have found right here on the scene, and more on the suspect. and this vehicle they're now zeroing in on tonight. here's our chief justice correspondent pierre thomas now. >> reporter: tonight, police closing in on this u-haul vehicle. they want to know if it's connected to the new york subway shooter who opened fire on helpless commuters during the morning rush hour. federal authorities have been warning about so-called lone wolves for months. people with all kinds of

grievances, who may be mentally unstable, acting out violently. a law enforcement bulletin obtained by abc news calling this a coordinated attack, believes it was clearly planned, but motives remain unclear. authorities have not confirmed if there were any accomplices. what is clear, according to a senior law enforcement official, is that the shooter came prepared and fired indiscriminately in the smoke, apparently intending to kill as many people as possible. today, the shooting comes amid a spike in crime in many major cities, overall crime in new york rising more than 36% from this time last year. across the city, just last week, a 16-year-old girl was shot and killed walking home from school. in january, two nypd officers killed while responding to a domestic dispute. today, governor kathy hochul saying new yorkers are tired of the spike in crime. >> the people of the entire state of new york stand with the

pople of this city, this community, and we say no more. >> pierre thomas with us from outside the fbi. and pierre, what are your sources are telling you tonight about where this investigation stands? >> reporter: authorities are looking for any possible fingerprints on the recovered gun and other items discovered at the scene. and they are looking through video from witnesses and surrounding businesses, hunting for anything pointing to a suspect. of key interest tonight, that u-haul. was it tied to the suspect and they're focusing on a credit card found at the scene. david? >> pierre, thank you. you mentioned that u-haul. we do have one more note on this tonight, because our team has now learned how they might have linked the suspect to this u-haul vehicle. so, let's bring in abc's aaron katersky, who has been on the scene all day. and aaron, you learned it was that credit card that helped police find the u-haul. where did they find that card? >> reporter: they found that credit card right here at the subway station, right here at the scene, david, and they learned it had been used to rent a u-haul vehicle. police found it parked right

here in brooklyn about four miles away from the shooting scene. they called out the bomb squad, they're going through it now to determine how it might be connected to the suspect. and david, they found a number of other items on the subway platform that also point to the shooter's identity. david? >> aaron katersky, pierre thomas, and janai norman, thank you all tonight. in the meantime, we turn to the other major news this evening and the war in ukraine. for the first time tonight, president biden calling vladimir putin's actions a genocide. and there is growing concern tonight that russia might have used a chemical agent in an attack inside ukraine. there are unconfirmed reports they used that chemical agent in mariupol. the pentagon says it is now investigating. vladimir putin meanwhile today saying talks with ukraine are at a dead end. and tonight, ukrainian security forces say they are now captured a ukrainian lawmaker, a putin ally. that lawmaker's daughter is putin's goddaughter. abc's james longman in kyiv for us again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, as russian-backed forces

relentlessly pummel cities in eastern ukraine, officials are investigating reports of a possible chemical agent being used in an attack on mariupol. a right-wing ukrainian battalion reports a poisonous substance of unknown origin was dropped by a drone. that claim could not be independently verified, in part because of the intense fighting in the city. three of their members reportedly fell ill, but they were not said to be seriously injured. the u.s. says it's watching the reports closely. >> we're not in a position to confirm anything. i don't think the ukrainians are, either. we had credible information that russian forces may use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, that would cause stronger symptoms to akenp chkrnihters >>eporter: a spokesman for the russian-backed rebels fighting in the region denied today they have used chemical weapons in mariupol. but yesterday, that same spokesman said on russian tv

that his forces should use chemical weapons against ukrainian fighters, to, quote, smoke the moles out. as his troops prepare for a new offensive in eastern ukraine, president putin was in russia's far southeast today meeting with the leader of belarus, alexander lukashenko. putin declared peace talks "are at a dead end kwgts and vowed to continue the invasion, saying the military operation in ukraine is going "according to plan." but in reality, putin's forces were denied the quick victory he had hoped for, and he's had to withdraw his troops from around the capital to reinforce his military in the east. and tonight, ukraine security forces say they have found and detained fugitive oligarch viktor mevedchyk who they've been searching for since the invasion began. he is described as an important friend of vladimir putin who is the godfather to one of medvedchyk's daughters. he may well become a bargaining chip in any negotiations. and tonight, with vladimir putin gearing up for the second phase of his invasion, we're learning the united states will provide a further $450 million in military

assistance to ukraine. this is as president biden uses the word genocide for the first time to describe what's happening here. david? >> and that, of course, making global headlines tonight. james longman in kyiv for us again tonight. and james, as you know, the war in ukraine putting increasing pressure on the global economy. and here at home, the new numbers tonight. inflation now at the highest level since 1981. consumer prices up 8.5% over the past year. energy prices up an eye-popping 32%. americans now paying $325 more per month just for the essentials than they were paying this time last year. abc's maria villarreal is in texas tonight. >> reporter: tonight, those startling numbers from the government confirming what mary beth snyder is struggling withing right now. >> everybody is making tough choices. >> reporter: retired and on a fixed income, those tough choices include asking for help. this food bank outside dallas providing her with groceries she

just can't afford. >> it's very humbling to be on the receiving end when you have always been on the giving side. >> reporter: with inflation at an eye-watering 8.5%, families across the country reeling from the fastest rise in prices since the reagan administration. >> people are paying $325 per month more now compared to a year ago to buy the same goods and services. >> reporter: factors driving the price spikes include everything from russia's invasion of ukraine to supply chain snafus. record gas prices a huge factor, too, and in an effort to bring them down, president biden announced an emergency waiver to allow some gas stations to sell a higher blend of ethanol gas called e-15 during the summer. >> but here's what it means -- e-15 is about 10 cents a gallon cheaper than e-10. but it's not going to solve all problems, but it's going to help some people and i'm committed to do whatever i can to help.

>> reporter: david, it's worth noting that biden's move only effects about 2% of the gas stations nationwide. meanwhile, here at the north texas food bank, they say march was their busiest month in about a year, and they say it's directly attributed to inflation. they fear this may only get worse. david? >> mireya, thank you tonight. we're going to turn now to the pandemic and we are watching very closely tonight this rise in new covid cases across the country. in fact, the cdc reporting the ba.2 variant is now estimated to account for the vast majority of new cases in our country, 86% nationwide. more than 90% of new cases here in the northeast. and with that rise, dr. anthony fauci today saying the federal mask mandate for public transportation and air travel that was set to expire next week is now, quote, being very actively discussed whether to keep it. and on covid tonight, the startling images coming out of shanghai. a major spike in covid cases

there, and tonight, more than 25 million people are in lockdown, confined to their homes. drones flying past their homes, past their apartment buildings, with messages from the chinese authorities on what they can and cannot do. abc's brit clennett from hong kong tonight. >> reporter: tonight, aneerie lyzed with million residents under lockdown. two weeks in, officials are struggling to deliver groceries to residents who are stuck in their homes and some running out of food. >> i still have some cereal left. not much, but some fruits, i only have this lemon. >> reporter: at night, frustrated residents calling out to their neighbors. the ba.2 variant now fueling china's worst covid outbreak yet. infections are topping 26,000 a day, but officially, there have been no deaths reported. still, china is doubling down on its zero-covid policy, aimed at stamping out every infection.

government drones hover overhead, ordering residents to get tested. soow risk areas can now leave their homes, but all infected people are sent to hospitals or isolation centers. images like these from early in the lockdown sparking outrage. toddlers with covid separated from their parents, prompting officials to relax some of those rules. david, the u.s. has now ordered all nonemergency staff to leave sang high. the state department citing the outbreak itself and china's covid policies, including the risk of children and parents being separated. david? all right, britt, great to have you on the broadcast tonight, thank you. when we come back here, we are tracking dangerous storms tonight. tornado watches in the coming hours. and then dangerous storms tomorrow from dallas all the way up to chicago, moving east. ginger zee standing by, she'll time this out. who's on it with ? we're 25 million prescriptions strong. we're managing type 2 diabetes... ...and heart risk. we're working up a sweat before coffee.

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♪ announcer: building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc7 news. >> gunshots, today, unarmed man wearing a gas mask deploys smoke canisters and opens fire. >> at the moment, i did not think it was a shooting. it sounded like fireworks. i saw people trampling over each other, trying to get through to the door, which was locked. there was a lot of panic. >> imagine the panic and how scary this must have been. 19 sent to the hospital, but no injuries were life-threatening. thankfully, this could have been worse. good afternoon. i'm larry. >> the manhunt is underway in new york for the man who opened fire, sending 19 people to the hospital.

larry: we are live in new york with the latest. reporter: it is a little bit after 7:00 p.m. we have been waiting two hours for an update from the nypd on the investigation that has made progress, but the manhunt continues. you pointed out how much worse this could have been, here is proof. lawmeources say had jmedungttack. thcoulhacarnage. the subway trad the station, people slammed on the door to escape the carnage. when the train doors opened, a plume of smoke and commuters flowed out, some limping, and a massive shooter among those people. >>