♪ ♪ captioning sponsored by cbs >> brennan: panic at the malls. fights and stampedes all over the country. what caused the violence?over >> i seen a girl get trampled over. like, it was scary. >> brennan: also tonight, 75 years later, the leaders of the u.s. and japan make history at pearl harbor. as gun violence skyrockets in one city, what has another done to bring it down? a survivor's story. stranded, she walked 26 miles through the snow. ep i was afraid to fall asleep. in my mind, if you fall asleep, you freeze to death. >> brennan: and... >> ben kenobi, where is he? >> come on! >> brennan: we'll remember carrie fisher, a "star wars"

princess who battled demons on and off the screen. >> what the hell are you doing? >> somebody has to save our skins. this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> brennan: good evening. scott is off tonight. i'm margaret brennan. this is our western edition. it was a free-for-all at mall after mall last night. fists went flying. so did chairs. in some cases, word spread mistakenly through social media that shots had been fired. with all the concern over terrorism, there was mayhem as police moved in and hundreds of shoppers tried to move out, some getting trampled in the stampede. all of this took place on one of the busiest shopping days at around 15 malls across the country. one big question is whether the fights were part of an organized attempt to disrupt shopping. manuel bojorquez begins our coverage. >> reporter: this fight broke out last night at a mall in fort worth, texas.

when police arrived, they found a melee of more than 100 teenagers. >> this is crazy. >> reporter: brianna austin was there and recorded it live on facebook. >> i remember people were looking for their kids. they were looking for-- they were looking for family members. i just kept hearing people, "where is somebody? where is this person?" they couldn't find them. >> reporter: so it was chaos. >> it was very chaotic. ur reporter: over the course of a few hours monday, more than a dozen similar incidents occurred in as many states across the country, like this one in unachwood, ohio. d at mall had to be temporarily shut down until law enforcement could regain control. mall-goers were stunned. tr running, screaming. iseen a girl get trampled over. like, it was-- it was scary. it was really scary for real. >> reporter: at this suburban chicago mall, more than 1,000 shoppers were inside when this fight erupted. geght juveniles were arrested on

charges ranging from disorderly conduct to battery and resisting police. in some cases, large groups seemed to randomly start running in one direction or falsely yell claims of shots fired, inciting confusion and chaos. police believe some of the disturbances were triggered by posts on social media and even ncspired copycats, but there is no evidence of a coordinated effort behind all of them. still, austin finds it disturbing. s. it's very dangerous. it's very dangerous. but sometimes kids don't think about how dangerous things can be until it's too late. >> reporter: no serious injuries have been reported, and all the wlls, including the one here in fort worth, reopened today. but, margaret, one mall in north errolina announced it would bar unaccompanied minors after 5:00 ksm. for the rest of the week. >> brennan: thanks, manny. well, as you can imagine, volatile incidents like these put police in a very dangerous

situation. anna werner has more on this. >> reporter: back in august at j.f.k. airport, this sound captured on a cell phone sent people running, fearing a potential shooter. r: >> we heard shots and everybody just pushed their way in. >> reporter: but there was no shooter. in that instance and others, former f.b.i. assistant director ron hosko says police must act as if it's a real emergency. >> it doesn't take very much for that rumor of "shots fired" to start. and, of course, that's going to ramp up a police response. >> reporter: last night, it was the sound of a chair thrown anring a fight, mistaken for a gunshot, that set off a panic inside this elizabeth, new jersey, mall. police responded by searching the mall with long guns and atutting down roads.

>> the initial patrol units are going to have to get into the situation, assess it, and relay riat information back to other potential arriving police or to potentially wave off other police officers. if reporter: these crowd reactions have posed difficult challenges for authorities this year, and it's why police in fort worth, texas, said they couldn't take any chances yesterday. >> any time that we're hearing a toll shooting and it's the day after christmas, you have tons of people, you know, holiday shopping. of course, the response is going to be just like that. d.'re going to get in here as a fast as we can, and that's exactly what happened. se reporter: what did happen here at that mall in new jersey, margaret? fist fights, involving 100 to an0 people. >> brennan: wow. anna, thank you. bll, a suspicious bag at new york's trump tower caused a rscurity scare this afternoon. visitors ran as police evacuated the lobby. the president-elect is away at his florida estate, and the

utl-clear came a few minutes later. the unattended bag contained children's toys. today, the leaders of the u.s. and japan made history in hawaii, 75 years after the attack that plunged america into world war ii. it was the first time a japanese keader has visited the memorial to the sunken battleship the u.s.s. "arizona." orip reid is at pearl harbor. >> reporter: at the u.s.s. "arizona" memorial, president obama and prime minister shinzo abe honored the 1,177 sailors who perished when the ship was bombed on december 7, 1941. in all, 2,400 americans died in the surprise japanese attack on to wl harbor that drew the united states into world war ii. h ( translated ): we must never repeat the horrors of war again. >> wars can end. the most bitter of adversaries

can become the strongest of allies. >> reporter: today's ceremony is the second in a pair of solemn visits. seven months ago, president obama became the first sitting u.s. president to visit hiroshima where the u.s. dropped an atomic bomb in 1945 that helped force japan to surrender. more than 100,000 japanese were killed. while there were no apologies, the carefully staged events are ttended to strengthen ties totween the two countries and to help close the still-lingering wounds of war. president-elect donald trump criticized japan during the campaign for not paying the u.s. n ough for its defense and even n ggesting that japan develop its own nuclear weapons. we asked u.s. ambassador to japan, caroline kennedy, who abounded the ceremony, if she's concerned about u.s.-japanese relations during a trump presidency. m i think the alliance is so strong and it has so much bipartisan support, president trump, i think that he'll recognize that. >> reporter: 95-year-old navy

veteran sterling cale is a survive of the pearl harbor attack. >> they never said they were sorry for pearl harbor, but if they see him over there going to the "arizona" memorial, the action is better than words. >> reporter: there is one aspect of this reconciliation that is perhaps regrettable, margaret, fed that is that there are so few pearl harbor survivors alive to see it. >> brennan: chip reid, thank you. well, 2016 has been a very violent year in chicago, and there's been no let-up during the holidays: 753 homicides this year, a jump of 58%. police say most of the victims were targeted by gangs. here's dean reynolds. >> reporter: the long weekend's carnage included a shooting at a family holiday party, an armed ambush of a motorist, and on christmas day itself, the murder la 25-year-old jamil farley, who

was shot to death outside the labor of love apostolic church, barely two hours after pastor anthony williams had led the congregation's christmas service. can you believe that there was a murder outside a church on christmas day? th yes. i believe that. that's not the first. >> reporter: this afternoon, he welcomed the victim's mother, june bolden, to plan a funeral. and to lose him on christmas. >> christmas, yes. i still can't believe it, but i know he's not around me. >> reporter: is this a irticularly violent neighborhood in the context of chicago? >> yes. yes. >> reporter: i mean, are shootings common around here? >> yes. hr reporter: in fact, there wns a second fatal christmas day shooting just down the block from the church, and when we visited this afternoon, there was a heavy police presence in the area. the violence here has prompted the police to look elsewhere for advice. police superintendent eddie johnson recently toured new

gork's police training academy and plans to introduce chicago recruits to new york-style training methods next year. in addition, johnson said he will continue to press for longer jail time for gun offenders. >> i am not a fan of mass incarceration or disroportionate arresting of minorities. but the simple fact of it is i don't care how you're wrapped. if you pick up a gun and shoot somebody, you should go to prison, period. t reporter: over the next two years, margaret, the city plans to hire an additional 1,000 police officers to try to combat oe rising tide of violence, eveh is showing no sign of abating, even on christmas. fo brennan: thank you, dean. as chicago searches for a solution, there is good news in another big city that has struggled with violence. newark, new jersey's murder rate has dropped 10% in 2016. other crimes are down, too. so what's changed? a re's demarco morgan. >> reporter: in a city where

violent crime scenes were all too familiar and the police iepartment is under the watch of a federal monitor, police chief darnell henry and other city officials have been working with state and county law enforcement to reduce crime. >> crime is down, but you still have a long ways to go. >> yes, we do. we're going to work harder. 2017, we're definitely going to ask the men and women on the force to give a little extra. >> reporter: newark has not only added more police. they have reassigned many of them to street beats and partnered with citizens' groups to promote community policing. public safety director anthony ambros says the city is targeting gun violence, adding more officers to its shooting g sponse team. >> we're treating it like a homicide. we're sending out intelligence e ople. te're sending out a team of detectives and taking these tople off the street before they did their second shooting gs a murder. >> reporter: non-fatal e ootings are down 21%. robberies are down 23%. auto theft is down 16%. newark mayor ras baraka.

you can't do it alone. the community has to be a part of the process. >> absolutely. they have to have faith and confidence that the police are e ane to help them and not to occupy their neighborhood, that when they see violence and crime, they report it. >> cassandra dock is a community advocate here in newark. the numbers are down. >> well, you know what? i don't like to use that word "down" because when you say that to a mother, particularly, you haow, a mother that just lost her child, that doesn't set well with that mother. >> reporter: there have been three homicides here in newark since last week. margaret, officials say they are not claiming victory with today's announcement. they are simply calling it progress. >> brennan: hard work. demarco, thank you. well, searchers today recovered the flight data recorder from the russian jetliner that crashed into the black sea ofristmas day. it was found about a mile off the resort city of sochi. the data could help determine what brought the plane down. all 92 people on board were killed.

there's a lot more ahead, including this: >> reporter: coming up on the "cbs evening news," an up-close look at the nation's first offshore wind farm. >> brennan: and later, we'll look back at the life of carrie fisher. when you have a cold, you just want powerful relief. only new alka-seltzer plus free of artificial dyes and preservatives liquid gels delivers the powerful cold symptom relief you need without the unnecessary additives you don't. store manager: clean up, aisle 4. alka-seltzer plus liquid gels. you totanobody's hurt, new car. but there will still be pain. it comes when your insurance company says they'll only pay three-quarters of what it takes to replace it.

what are you supposed to do? drive three-quarters of a car? now if you had liberty mutual new car replacement™, you'd get your whole car back. i guess they don't want you driving around on three wheels. smart. with liberty mutual new car replacement™, we'll replace the full value of your car. liberty stands with you™. liberty mutual insurance. whfight back fastts, with tums smoothies. it starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue. and neutralizes stomach acid at the source. ♪ tum -tum -tum -tum smoothies! only from tums people spend less time lying awake with aches and pains with advil pm than with tylenol pm. advil pm combines the number one pain reliever with the number one sleep aid. gentle, non-habit forming advil pm. for a healing night's sleep.

>> brennan: a mighty wind blows off the coast of rhode island, off the coast of rhode island, and now, for the first time, that energy is being harvested to light homes. jericka duncan went out there to snke a closer look. >> it's awesome, isn't it? >> reporter: yeah, it is awesome. >> it's just spectacular. it's the first of its kind in the u.s. >> reporter: 15 miles off the coast of rhode island, these 600-foot turbines stand, anchored in 90 feet of atlantic waters. they're expected to generate enough energy to power 17,000 homes. wiff grybrowski is the c.e.o. of fepwater wind, which built the wind farm.

>> we see offshore wind producing a lot of energy for hee united states, particularly here on the east coast and the northeast where the wind is rally strong. >> reporter: these turbines will most benefit block island. because of its location, 45 minutes by boat from the mainland, it currently gets its oil and gas shipped in. residents pay a premium at peak times, nearly 60 cents per kilowatt. the wind farm is expected to cut that cost to about 24 cents. that's great news for 68-year-old steve draper. ess family runs one of the oldest businesses on the island, the 1661 inn. e my bill last year was somewhere around $200,000. stu try everything to cut your cost, but it's a major factor oring business here. >> reporter: while countries like denmark have been using offshore wind farms since early 90ss, u.s.-based projects have been stalled due to court fights per environmental fears and

protests over the turbines blocking beachfront views. >> it took a long time to get here. >> reporter: how long? >> it took us eight years to build this project. >> reporter: other projects are in the works, potentially bringing 200 more wind turbines to the area within the next 10 years. eaeve draper expects people will ept used to the new scenery. >> we all got used to telephone poles and telephone wires in our view, and they're not beautiful. >> reporter: a view of the future powering the future. jericka duncan, cbs news, off the coast of block island. nd brennan: coming up, a mother's dangerous hike to save her stranded family is being called a christmas miracle. mari. it was her french name. then she came to louisiana as a slave. i became curious where in africa she was from. so i took the ancestry dna test to find out more about my african roots. the ancestry dna results were really specific. they told me all of these places in west africa. i feel really proud of my lineage, and i feel really proud of my ancestry.

ancestry has many paths to discovering your story, get started for free at ancestry.com proof of less joint pain. and clearer skin. this is my body of proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis with humira. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. humira is the number #1 prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection.

want more proof? ask your rheumatologist about humira. humira. what's your body of proof? spending the day with my niece. that make me smile. i don't use super poligrip for hold, because my dentures fit well. before those little pieces would get in between my dentures and my gum and it was uncomfortable. even well fitting dentures let in food particles. just a few dabs of super poligrip free is clinically proven to seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. so it's not about keeping my dentures in, it's about keeping the food particles out. try super poligrip free. i'm good. i just took newl take mucinex clear and cool. ah! what's this sudden cooling thing happening? it's got a menthol burst. you can feel it right away. wow, that sort of blind-sided me. and it clears my terrible cold symptoms. ahh! this is awkward. new mucinex clear & cool.

feel the menthol burst. while powerful medicine clears your worst cold symptoms. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. the markets change... at t. rowe price... our disciplined approach remains. global markets may be uncertain... but you can feel confident in our investment experience around the world. call us or your advisor... t. rowe price. invest with confidence. bounty is more absorbent,mom" per roll so the roll can last 50% longer than the leading ordinary brand. so you get more "life" per roll. bounty, the quicker picker upper >> brennan: tonight, a pennsylvania family is sharing a pennsylvania family is sharing a a markable story of survival. it began last week with a drive e the north rim of the grand canyon and ended in a desperate hike to safety. here's john blackstone. >> reporter: from the warmth of her hospital bed, karen klein

and her husband, eric, described how a christmas trip to the grand canyon with their t -year-old son almost turned tragic when they hit bad weather. >> major roads were closed and impassable. >> reporter: their g.p.s. showed an alternative down an unpaved road. >> then it became a little more harried. the car got stuck in the-- stuck in the mud. >> reporter: karen, 46, a intness enthusiast who had grown up camping and hiking, set off alone, searching for cell service to call for help. >> it really didn't feel like there was a point of no return until it started to snow, it was night time, and karen was not in the car any longer. zi reporter: afraid to sleep in freezing temperatures, karen hiked for 11 hours, often struggling through deep snow. >> i didn't have winter boots. wi shoe had filled up with snow, and i couldn't put my shoe back on. >> reporter: by sunrise, with no sign of his wife, eric and honeson hiked to higher ground

where they did find a cell phone signal and called 911. a massive search discovered karen asleep in an empty cabin near the north rim of the grand canyon. she had walked almost 26 miles. >> it wasn't about surviving for in. i just kept thinking, i have to do this for my son. i have to do this for my husband. >> reporter: she remains in the hospital being treated for frostbite and dehydration. john blackstone, cbs news, san francisco. >> brennan: next, on screen and off, carrie fisher lived a remarkable life. same nose. same toughness. and since he's had moderate alzheimer's disease, the same never quit attitude. that's why i asked his doctor about once-a-day namzaric. (avo) namzaric is approved for moderate to severe alzheimer's disease in patients who are taking donepezil. it may improve cognition and overall function, and may slow the worsening of symptoms for a while. namzaric does not change the underlying disease progression.

don't take if allergic to memantine, donepezil, piperidine or any of the ingredients in namzaric. tell the doctor about any conditions including heart, lung, bladder, kidney or liver problems, seizures, stomach ulcers, or procedures with anesthesia. serious side effects may occur, including muscle problems if given anesthesia; slow heartbeat, fainting, more stomach acid which may lead to ulcers and bleeding; nausea, vomiting, difficulty urinating, seizures, and worsening of lung problems. most common side effects are headache, diarrhea, dizziness loss of appetite, and bruising. (man) dad and i shared a lot of moments. now we're making the most of each one. (avo) ask about namzaric today. but when we brought our daughter home, that was it. now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me. every great why needs a great how.

>> look, your worshipfulness. let's get one thing straight. let's get one thing straight. i take orders from just one person, me. >> it's a wonder you're still oive.

will somebody get this big walking carpet out of my way? >> brennan: carrie fisher as princess leia. the "star wars" actress died fridy in los angeles after reportedly suffering a heart attack last friday on a flight from london. costar harrison ford said, "carrie was one of a kind-- brilliant, original." her mother, debbie reynolds, emid, "thank you to everyone who has embraced the gifts and talents of my beloved and amazing daughter." td filmmaker george lucas had this to say: "in 'star wars' she was our great and powerful princess-- feisty, wise, and .ull of hope." ben tracy looks back. >> what the hell are you doing! >> somebody has to save our skins! >> reporter: when the world first got to know carrie fisher, she was already royalty, princess leia in the 1977 film "star wars." >> i love you. >> i know.

soneeporter: fisher was a rare princess, revered for her beauty and her "take no prisoners" eersonality. she went on to play the iconic role three more times, including just last year in "the force awakens." >> our system is the next krget. >> you know, i think you got exactly the same eyes as your epther. >> reporter: her career in hollywood spanned more than four decades. she flirted with warren beatty in "shampoo..." >> they're not. >> they are. >> they're not. i'm nothing like my mother! >> reporter: ...and was meg ryan's gal pal in "when harry met sally." >> he just spent $120 on a new nightgown for his wife. i don't think he's ever going to have her. >> no one thinks he's ever going to leave her. >> a radiant bride and a handsome groom, debbie and eddie are finally mr. and mrs. >> reporter: carrie fisher was born into show business in 1956, the daughter of singer eddie fisher and actress debbie reynolds.

ask in her semi-autographical book "postcards from the edge," fisher wrote about her relationship with her mother and her own drug addiction. in 1990, the book became a hit film starring meryl streep and shirley mcclaine. >> remember my 17th birthday party when you lifted your skirt up in front of all those people? >> i did not lift my skirt! >> including that guy michael. >> it twirled up! >> this is my house. >> reporter: in 2009 on pbs, she told charlie rose she was no longer held hostage by her ioblems with addiction. >> and i'm proud of myself that i've been able to get through 'tis stuff, and i'm-- i've been able to-- i can't overcome it, but i can use it instead of it use-- i have problems. problems don't have me. i'm not afraid of anything. >> reporter: carrie fisher was 60 years old. ben tracy, cbs news, los angeles. >> brennan: she'll be missed. that's the cbs evening news. for scott pelley, i'm margaret brennan. thanks for watching and have a great night.

forced to move. and only kpix 5 has learned why... the circus is coming to town! good eveni overworked bay area police officers who live in rvs are being forced to move. only kpix 5 has learned why. the circus is coming to town. good evening, i'm veronica de la cruz. >> i'm allen martin. we first told you about san jose cops living in rv to get rest last summer. now we have learned then forced to move out again. only on "5," kpix 5's kiet do at the vacant lot they are leaving. kiet. >> reporter: yeah. the circus will be here in just about six weeks. they have cleared out all the vehicles out of the lot to get ready for all those performers to come in here, that big structure. this is the only rv that's left here. this is the last man standing of the broader story, however,

is that the city actually supports these officers living in these r vs and not throwing them out in the cold. when the big bright red signs went up in this parking lot warning all the san jose police officers living in rvs to get out by the 26th or risk getting towed the police union phone started ringing. >> the circus is coming to town. >> reporter: cirque du soleil is coming back to san jose as they have been doing for the past decade. problem is, the city-owned parking lot the circus always used had become an rv park for exhausted overworked police officers. back in august kpix 5 was the first to break the story about a dozen officers who worked 17- hour shifts but lived as far away as tracy and stockton so instead of driving home they lived in the rvs during the workweek. now the lot is mostly empty. at first it seemed like they were getting kicked to the curb but not so fast. >> the nice thing is