answering questions. next, the latest on the investigation into a kidnapped central valley family now found tonight, several breaking stories as we come on the air. the deadly stabbing spree on the las vegas strip. tourists and residents attacked at random. the images coming in at this hour. at least eight people stabbed. at least two people killed tonight. several victims in critical condition. the suspect armed with a large knife. also tonight, overseas, the horrific scene unfolding. at least 36 killed during a massacre at a day care center in thailand. more than 20 children among the victims. 2 to 5 years old. the gunman, a former police officer. the breaking news from the white house tonight. president biden pardoning thousands of americans convicted of simple marijuana possession under federal law. mary bruce live at the white house. the developing headline from the pentagon tonight.

a covert u.s. raid in syria, taking out a top isis leader. one of two leaders taken out. martha raddatz standing by. herschel walker, the republican senate candidate in georgia tonight, taking questions about the report he paid for an ex-girlfriend's abortion. as a candidate, he opposes abortion rights, no exceptions. rachel scott in georgia. the death toll rising after hurricane ian. more than 120 people killed in florida alone. and now the plan to set up some sort of an amphibious landing to try to get power trucks to areas where they're most needed. to january 6th, and tonight, the breakinging headline. the first member of the proud boys to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy. the war in ukraine tonight. and with russian men fleeing russia to avoid vladimir putin's draft, the russian nationals showing up in alaska, asking the u.s. for asylum tonight. in new york city, an nypd cruiser out of control. ten people injured, several in critical condition tonight.

and at the end this evening, america strong. the other home run, and it was a storybook ending. good evening and it's great to have you with us here on a very busy thursday night. we begin opportunity with the horrific scene unfolding today on the las vegas strip. a deadly stabbing spree. at least two people killed, several others in critical condition tonight. a suspect is in custody at this hour. a large knife reportedly found at the scene outside the wynn hotel. ambulances rushing the injured to hospitals. metd ickes doing triage on the streets in broad daylight. leading us off tonight, abc's will carr. >> reporter: stopt tonight, a shocking stabbing spree in the heart of the las vegas strip. the horrific scene unfolding shortly before noon when police

say a suspect with a large kitchen knife attacked. witnesses describing the horror. >> i see a cry drop right there and then his girl starts screaming. i hear more screaming down here and then immediately after that, more over here and i'm like, okay, this is even worse than i thought it was. >> reporter: one witness taking this video at the scene, saying it shows a performer on a stretcher. there are reports some of the victims were female entertainers who take pictures with tourists on the street. police swarming las vegas boulevard, immediately shutting the strip down from the winn to the venetian casino. at least two people killed, six others wounded, including three in critical candidate. police releasing this video which says shows the suspect fleeing. officers taking a suspect into custody in front of the venetian hotel, reportedly with a significant amount of blood on his sleeves. >> our officers immediately responded and were able to take the suspect into custody very quickly. and we were also able to start

rendering aid to victims. >> reporter: tourists horrified by the violence. >> we were just there, like, ten minutes s prior to this whole stabbing. it's very concerning. >> reporter: david, tonight, as authorities are processing this scene, they say this was an unprovoked attack and that the victims were a mix of local residents and tourists. david? >> will carr leading us off tonight. will, thank you. we turn now to the horrific attack overseas in thailand. a massacre at a day care center. a gunman killing 36 people, more than 20 of them children, just 2 to 5 years old. the suspect, a former police officer. here's abc's maggie rulli tonight. >> reporter: tonight, thailand in shock after a former police officer killed at least 36 people in the deadliest rampage in the country's history. among the dead, at least 22 children raging in age from 2 to 5, shot or stabbed to death as they napped at a day care center.

police saying the attacker went into a frenzy. one teacher who encountered the shooter saying she put her hands together in prayer as he reloaded, because she didn't know what else to do. at least two teachers were also killed. the gunman continuing his deadly attack as he fled. at least ten others wounded. police say he later fatally shot his wife and a young son at home. then killed himself. tonight, as coffins were carried out of the school, grief-stricken families still gathered outside the day care center. authorities say the former officer had been fired and was facing drug charges. he'd appeared in court just hours before going to pick his son up from the day care. when he didn't find him there, police say he began the massacre. tonight, police acknowledging a delay in their response due to the school's remote location. and david, police are now conducting an autopsy on that former officer's body to see if there were any drugs in his system. and tonight, authorities say that thailand's king has promised to pay all medical bills and funeral expenses for

those victims. david? >> maggie rulli tonight, thank you. also breaking news from the white house tonight. a new executive action from president biden pardoning thousands of americans convicted of simple marijuana possession under federal law. let's get right to our senior white house correspondent mary bruce live at the white house with late reporting. mary? >> reporter: david, the president has now pardoned all people with a marijuana conviction of marijuana possession under federal law. that clears about 6,500 people convicted between 1992 and 2021. biden saying sending people to jail for simple possession has upended too many lives, saying it's time to right these wrongs. and he is urmging governors to pardon those convicted of state charges, which make up for the vast majority of convictions. the president is also ordering his administration to review how marijuana is classified, saying that it makes no sense that it is a schedule one drug in the same class as heroin and lsd. but david, the big picture here, this is an important first step

towards decriminalization. th president is making good on a promise he made during the campaign. david, of course, this announcement coming just 33 days before the midterm elections. david? >> major move from the president tonight. mary, thank you. there's also a developing headline from the pentagon at this hour. the u.s. now confirming tonight that u.s. special forces have killed an isis leader during a daring raid in syria. one of two isis leaders now taken out in the last 24 hours. let's get right to our chief global affairs correspondent martha raddatz, who also has late reporting for us tonight. >> reporter: good evening, david. this was a risky and rare air assault mission into syrian government territory, right on the border with turkey, with u.s. special operations forces dropping from helicopters in the dark to target the senior isis leader. the pentagon says he was smuggling fighters and weapons for isis operations. he was killed in the raid, and several others were detained. but that raid was followed by a u.s. air strike, which the pentagon says took out the number two isis leader in syria.

david? >> yeah, this was something. one killed in the raid, one killed in the air strike. and martha, stick with us here, because there's news tonight coming in involving north korea. north korea flying military aircraft near the south korean border and of course, it comes just hours after firing that sixth missile last night. the sixth missile in just a little more than a week. let's get back to martha on this, following this, as well. and how is the u.s. responding to this, martha? >> reporter: well, david, those 12 north korean war planes did fly near the border of south korea, which is highly provocative and that prompted the south koreans to mobilize 30 military jets in response. this comes as the u.s., japan, and south korea are conducting missile defense drills in the waters off the korean peninsula with war strike from the reagan strike group. that, of course, followed north korea's ballistic missile launches. but tonight, the pentagon says they are seeing preparations for a possible north korean nuclear test. david? >> all right, we'll stay on this, of course.

martha, thank you, on both fronts tonight. we turn now to georgia, where herschel walker took questions today about that report that he paid for an exgirlfriend's abortion. now, this has become an issue, because as a candidate, he opposes abortion rights with no exceptions. abc's rachel scott on how he answered. >> reporter: tonight, republican senate candidate herschel walker facing reporters for the first time since that explosive report he once paid for an ex-girlfriend to get an abortion. as a candidate, walker opposes abortion rights, without any exceptions. >> i know why you're here. i do. and you're here because the democrats are desperate to hold onto this seat here. they're desperate to make this race about my family. >> reporter: it comes just hours after the daily beast reported the woman walker allegedly urged to have an abortion is also the mother of one of his four children. she has chosen to remain anonymous, telling the daily

beast, "he didn't accept responsibility for the kid we did have together, and now he isn't accepting responsibility for the one that we didn't have." abc news has not independently confirmed the story. the woman showed the daily beast a receipt from an abortion clinic and a $700 check she claims is from walker. she says he gave her this get well card, too, adding, "he didn't express any regret. he said, relax and recover. he seemed pretty pro-choice to me." walker insists the story is not true. >> this here the abortion thing is false. it's a lie. >> reporter: one person who clearly doesn't believe him -- his own son from his first marriage. >> don't lie about your life. you don't get to pretend you're some moral family guy. you don't get to pretend all these things. do not lie. >> reporter: your own son has said that you're not a family man. he has called you a liar. why should georgia voters believe your words over his? >> because i love my son so much. he's a great little man, i love him to death. you know what? i will always love him no matter what my son says. >> reporter: when asked about that $700 check he allegedly

sent the woman to pay for the abortion, walker said he gives money to people all the time. republicans are banking on this race to help them win control of the senate in november, david. >> rachel scott, thank you. and we should note that rachel will have much more later tonight on the issue of abortion in america, part of a new program "impact by nightline" on hulu. rachel and the team reporting on this issue, viewpoints from all sides. the news continues here and now to florida. search and rescue crews still going door-to-door and now the new plan tonight to try to get power trucks where they're most needed. victor oquendo from florida now. >> reporter: tonight, authorities saying they've searched more than 90,000 structures for survivors. florida task forces four and five going door-to-door on pine island today. the death toll from ian in this state alone now above 120. so far, the leading cause of death reported to be drowning. eight days after the hurricane, families salvaging what they can. that's the water line? >> yeah. >> reporter: rita easter helping

her elderly parents whose home flooded. >> we're a very small family. we just don't have any help. oh. >> reporter: it's hard. it's hard. like more than 80% of florida residents, her mom and dad did not have flood insurance. for those left picking up the pieces after ian, many of them are coming here to this pop up resource center. they're calling it an insurance village where they can get answers that will help them get their lives back on track. and some here whose homes have been battered by hurricanes before are bracing for a long struggle. people like nancy bolt. >> i fought my insurance for five years for my irma claim, almost five years before i got a settlement. and that was only a third of what i should have gotten. >> reporter: tonight, some 200,000 homes and businesses are still without power. this neighborhood included. today, florida's governor ron desantis saying they're working on some kind of amphibious lnding like you'd see in the military for some of the hardest hit areas like sanibel, where

they would bring utility trucks just onshore to help get the power back on. >> that would be an incredible effort. victor oquendo, thank you. now to january 6th. tonight, one of the leaders of the proud boys extremist group is now the first to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy. here's our chief justice correspondent pierre thomas tonight. >> reporter: tonight, a senior member of the proud boys admitting to planning a violent assault on the u.s. capitol days before the january 6th insurrection. jeremy bertino pleading guilty to seditious conspiracy and agreeing to cooperate in the ongoing investigation. bertino admitting that he was part of the proud boys so-called ministry of self-efense, which the justice department says plotted to use force to block joe biden's certification as president. prosecutors say proud boy leaders, in order to keep former president trump in office, were, quote, willing to do whatever it would take, including using force against police and others to achieve that objective. bertino admitted that the attack

on the capitol was hardly spontaneous. acknowledging that on january 4th, two days before the riot, he received encrypted chat messages indicating that members of the ministry of self-defense were discussing the possibility of storming the capitol. bertino faces up to 30 years in prison. david, he will be sentenced in february. >> pierre thomas with us tonight, thank you. we turn now to the war in ukraine, and with russian men fleeing russia to avoid vladimir putin's draft, now comes word of russian nationals showing up in alaska, asking the u.s. for asylum. here's our chief foreign correspondent ian pannell now. >> reporter: tonight, the exodus of fighting age men from russia taking a new turn. two russians who fled the country to escape putin's draft requesting u.s. asylum after showing up on a remote alaskan island in the bering sea. they're now in anchorage tonight, according to alaskan governor mike dunleavy. >> this was a surprise to us. who knows what's going to happen

in the future, if more individuals from russia are trying, you know, to leave russia through the bering strait. >> reporter: in ukraine, russian troops are in retreat across several fronts tonight, leaving behind new evidence of atrocities. in pisky-radkivski, we were taken to a house of horrors. inside this tiny cramped room, detainees say they were beaten, shot, and many appear to have had their teeth pulled out by russian troops. this gruesome box of teeth discovered by the team in the yard outside. olexandr is deputy head of the team looking into possible war crimes. he says in practically every town, there were such places where people were brought in for interrogation and torture. it's hard to imagine it gets any worse, but today, the investigators got a tip on a suspected mass grave. hidden deep in the woods near borova, the forensics teams unearthed this a torture pit dug into the ground. and buried in a shallow grave at

the bottom, they discovered two bodies. both were wearing civilian clothes, handcuffed, shot, and one had their skull caved in. the team fear there are multiple more bodies buried near by. this is the real story of russia's war in ukraine. david, investigators here in kharkiv say more than 530 civilian bodies have been discovered in this region so far, and worrying signs of what appears to be a deliberate campaign of torture by the russians to terrorize the population into submission. david? >> just extraordinary. ian pannell, our thanks to you and the team again tonight. back here at home now, and to uvalde, texas. the school district has fired a newly hired school police officer after reports she is currently being investigated for her conduct responding to the mass shooting at the elementary school in may. she was a state trooper who arrived at robb elementary but without her required rifle and vest, prompting the investigation in the first place. the school district hired her, though they knew she was under investigation. news of her hiring drew outrage

and a protest outside the school administration building just this morning and hours later, she was let go. when we come back on this busy thursday night, the nypd cruiser out of control here in new york city. several people in critical condition tonight. and news this evening on the tour family members kidn millions have made the switch from the big three to the best kept secret in wireless: xfinity mobile. that means millions are saving hundreds a year with the fastest mobile service. and now, introducing the best price for two lines of unlimited. just $30 per line. there are millions of happy campers out there. and this is the perfect time to join them... with the best mobile price for two lines of unlimited. take the xfinity mobile savings challenge and see how much you can save.

switch to xfinity mobile today. tonight, a frightening scene in the streets of new york city. authorities say ten people were struck by an out of control

police car in the bronx. several are in critical condition. two officers among those hurt. police officials say they were responding to a call when they collided with a vehicle in heavy traffic. their cruiser jumping the curb. police say lights and sirens were on at the time. there is a sad turn tonight in the case of four family members kidnapped in morn california. authorities now say a farm worker found the bodies of the mother, father, their 8-month-old daughter, and their uncle in an orchard. the discovery coming just hours after investigators released surveillance video appearing to show the family being taken at gun point from their trucking business on monday. police say a former employee is in custody after attempting to take his own life. when we come back here tonight, we turn to your health and the new study this evening suggesting the healthiest window suggesting the healthiest window of life is busy.

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finally tonight, they were so proud of dad. tonight, a storybook ending. >> let's hear it for stephen vogt. >> reporter: it was the final game for stephen vogt before retiring. his family in the dugout, his wife alyssa and his children, payton, clark, and bennett.

>> all right, vogt kids, let's see what you got. >> reporter: payton and clark throwing out the first pitches. dad catching. >> nice pitch! well done, vogt kids! >> reporter: then making their way to the p.a. booth, announcing their dad. >> all right, ready? now batting -- >> now batting -- >> our dad -- >> our dad. >> number 21 -- >> number 21. >> stephen vogt! >> stephen vogt! >> reporter: then, during the bottom of the seventh -- >> vogt drives one, right field! did he do it? he did! are you kidding me? >> stephen vogt hits a home run. >> asked for one more heroic moment from stephen vogt and he gave it to his. >> reporter: afterwards, saying it was everything i could have dreamed of. >> i just enjoyed every second of it and my family and friends and just my teammates and

coaches and just everybody, the fans. it was just a thrilling, thrilling moment. >> we're all cheering for stephen vogt. i'm i'll see you tomorrow. good night.

>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. >> something has happened. >> we can just enjoy our lives and go about our business and leave this planet were soft and it was. >> less than a month ago from california we were this close to turning off all the lights. we don't have all the answers. >> today leaders came together to look for solutions to climate change. kristen: partnering up and pushing to build a low carbon economy of the future. larry: more on exactly what that means for you. >> west coast leaders committed to fighting the climate crisis. today in san francisco they signed a major climate agreement to pave the way for more rock risk.