sold out the venue. him trying to tell jokes while the warriors are playing memphis grizzlies. couldn't see that happening. thanks for watching nightly news is up next. we are back at 6:00. hope you can join us again then. massive tornado that tore across a kansas town terrifying video of the twister ripping through a residential area from above you can see the devastating scope of the damage. dozens of homes destroyed. cars tossed. homeowners assessing the damage today miraculously, no one was killed russia's new warning. anyone transportg arms to ukraine is a target in an nbc news exclusive we go inside the massive u.s. military operation to pack, ship, and fly weapons to the region. >> are you worried you that could be a target for russia new video of angelina jolie in

ukraine meeting with refugees, apparently rushed to safety when air raid sirens go off. manhunt. after an imprisoned accused killer and his corrections officer go missing. police fear she was in on the plot. >> at this time everything indicates that she assisted in this case. bill murray breaks his silence on allegations against him that shut his new movie down >> i did something i thought was funny, and it wasn't taken that way. and remembering naomi judd the matriarch of the judds, country music's biggest mother/daughter duo, died suddenly while struggling with mental illness. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with jose diaz-balart. good evening more than a dozen tornadoes touched down across the plains late friday, but one did the most damage. this is that tornado as it barreled toward andover, kansas, tearing through fields this is what it looked like as it struck a residential area

the damage today, astounding dozens of homes destroyed. stores and other structures leveled and just as stunning, that as of now, everyone survived. and tonight, the dangerous weather threat far from over 25 million from texas to wisconsin facing severe thunderstorms, even more tornados morgan chesky starts us off tonight from andover. >> this is andover, kansas right now oh, my gosh. >> reporter: tonight, a terrifying play by play >> that is [ bleep ] crazy. >> reporter: a fast-moving tornado caught on camera, tearing through anything in its path >> oh, my gosh look at that >> reporter: the twister striking around 8:30 friday night, carving through the wichita suburb of andover, where thousands took shelter. the storm the most destructive of 14 reported tornados from

nebraska through kansas its high winds shredding homes, hurling cars hundreds of yards, and damaging nearly a thousand buildings in just minutes. >> it was crazy. you won't forget it. it was just a deafening sound. >> reporter: as the twister struck, this man's family huddled in their basement, trying to reach his daughter at a nearby friend's house >> going down the street at night, you didn't know if your daughter was still okay >> no, i was frantically calling and calling. there was no service and it would have hit their house before it hit ours and they lost -- they didn't have significant damage, but they had a little damage over there. so -- and i ran down the block, and she was already running towards me >> reporter: crews have just started the daunting task of cleaning up miles of debris authorities say four people were injured, but remarkably, no one died >> for a tornado, any tornado, that is an amazing feat, and especially one that traversed about six miles through the

populated area >> reporter: a twister hitting andover almost 31 years to the day after another nightmare. an ef-5 monster in 1991 that killed 17 people tonight, andover telling a different story, as families take their first steps toward recovery. >> and morgan joins us from andover morgan, the search is going on all day just to be sure no one is under all that debris. >> reporter: jose, you're absolutely right. i spoke to the captain in charge of the search efforts he says every single one of these damaged buildings have been searched not once but twice, just to ensure that absolutely everyone has been accounted for. meanwhile, the national weather service says this tornado that left behind this incredible swath of damage is an ef-3, meaning the winds hit up to 165 miles an hour late friday night jose >> morgan chesky in andover, kansas, thank you. and now to our other top story, the war in ukraine we've been reporting on the soldiers and civilians making a last stand inside a steel plant in mariupol

tonight, we're hearing directly from them it comes as russia's latest offensive is once again stalled matt bradley has more from ukraine >> reporter: tonight, rage from the besieged city of mariupol >> basically they want to kill as much civilian ukrainians as possible that's genocide. that's their exact words. >> reporter: but a brief moment of hope at least 20 civilians were allowed to leave the azovstal steel works where ukrainian soldiers are making their final stand. but there are still as many as 300 civilians holed up inside the plant, among them, 30 to 40 children, according to one soldier who spoke to me from inside the foundry. >> they want to wipe out the witnesses of their war crimes they want to bury everything here under a pile of dust >> reporter: they're running out of food and water. many are badly wounded. russia's attacks on the steel plant have continued, despite president vladimir putin's claim that the whole city is now in russian hands. mariupol is a problem for putin. the russian military

had hoped to refocus their forces elsewhere in ukraine's donbas region, where russia's fresh offensive is stalled. according to british defense intelligence, russia is suffering from weakened morale, poor tactical coordination, and inconsistent air support. still, the threat of war remains felt throughout the country. this video, not verified by nbc news, appears to show hollywood star and u.n. special envoy angelina jolie in lviv today rushing to safety amid air raid sirens she had been meeting displaced ukrainians there. the western city of lviv has been a refuge for ukrainians fleeing the fighting in the east. cities like mariupol, where soldiers in that steel foundry say they're prepared to fight to the end >> the only way to stay alive and to win is to fight. but because if you're surrendering, it's a great shame. >> reporter: and we're hearing new reports of yet another missile strike on the southern

port city of odesa, this time taking out a runway at the city's airport. joe say? >> matt bradley, thank you. russia's foreign minister warned today that any weapons shipments to ukraine are, quote, fair game to target. the u.s. is undeterred, though, supplying billions in military aid tonight, in an nbc news exclusive, we take you inside america's massive operation to get weapons inside ukraine and into the hands of the soldiers fighting russia here is courtney kube. >> reporter: this giant cargo plane loaded with lethal and vital cargo destined for the ukrainian military every few hours here at dover air force base, these commercial cargo planes depart. the pilots, civilians. with president biden pledging another $20 billion in u.s. security assistance this week, the u.s. military is working overtime to deliver. this is ammunition for

155 millimeter howitzers. large artillery pieces which u.s. defense officials hope will help stop russia's new advance in the east of ukraine. we're in the cargo hold of a 747. it can hold about 42 pallets like these each of these carry 72 artillery rounds so, we're talking about 3,000 rounds in this plane they're being loaded now. they could be in the hands of the ukrainian military in a matter of just a day or two this is the second mission for tim sherman and mauricio ruiz, former military pilots what is it like to fly a giant aircraft full of explosives? >> i mean, you obviously know there's explosives down there. >> moving airplanes from a to b, and that's it. >> you just try to take off nice and easy and land nice and easy so you don't have any cargo shifting during the process. >> reporter: every day unmarked tractor trailers arrive packed with explosives from ammo depots across the country. they line up at dover, dubbed the super port for military equipment to ukraine >> we have moved over

7 million pouns of material to ukraine on over 60 missions >> reporter: colonel barry flack commands the group that does the heavy lifting of ordnance >> can you walk us through some of the weapons that you have moved out of here into eastern europe >> we've moved anything from 9 millimeter pistols to javelins to stinger missiles >> reporter: those javelins and stringers have been instrumental in taking out russian tanks and planes it's a fast-paced ballet of lethal weapons in a giant mechanized warehouse >> i, you know, see it on the news, that, you know, they're actually using the equipment that we're sending out. >> when you're the one to help them, it just feels good >> reporter: it takes about ten hours to fly to the drop-off point in poland. how the weapons then get to ukraine is classified for fear of russian attacks. are you worried at all that when you fly these things in that you could be a target for russia >> is it a possibility? yes. but we can't think about that >> reporter: courtney kube, nbc news, dover air force base

and now to the nation's capital where one of its biggest parties is back in full swing tonight people, including the president, gathering for the first white house correspondents' dinner since the start of the pandemic. the president's attendance comes as concerns grow about the rising covid cases around him josh letterman has more >> reporter: tonight, a washington tradition is back. more than 2,500 journalists, politicians, and celebrities packed into a hotel ballroom. just as new covid cases are popping up around president biden. vice president kamala harris and a top white house official both testing positive this week dr. fauci pulling out of the dinner, citing personal factors >> you should accept a person's personal decision >> reporter: but mr. biden is going the first time a president has attended since 2016 the white house saying he'll take extra precautions and stay socially distant >> it's important to him to attend the dinner to honor the work of journalists. >> reporter: despite rising covid cases, mr. biden's decision

sending a message, this summer, big social gatherings are fair game. >> it will look as if we're back to the time before the pandemic. politically, that's good for him >> we can have those large indoor events at this stage of the pandemic, recognizing that, for some people, it might be more risky than for others. >> reporter: everyone attending tonight's dinner, myself included, has to be fully vaccinated, test negative within 24 hours, and be able to prove it with this app. over the years, the dinner has been a rare chance for journalists and politicians to set political fights aside and laugh at each other and themselves >> i said to him the other day, george, if you really want to end tyranny in the world, you're going to have to stay up later [ laughter ] here's our typical evening. 9:00, mr. excitement here is sound asleep and i'm watching "desperate housewives." [ applause ]

>> donald trump is here tonight say what you will about mr. trump, he certainly would bring some change to the white house. >> reporter: as president, trump skipped the dinner, in 2018 sending his press secretary sarah sanders instead. >> i think she's very resourceful. like, she burns fat and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye. >> reporter: tonight, president biden's turn to show that america is ready to laugh again. josh lederman, nbc news still ahead tonight, the manhunt in alabama after an inmate and a corrections officer go missing. was she in on the escape plot?

we're back with a deepening mystery in alabama where a man hunt is underway for an escaped inmate accused of murder and the corrections officer who was supposed to be guarding him both went missing. and now police believe she may have been in on the plot. maggie vespa has more. >> reporter: the frantic search is on for an accused killer and a female sheriff's deputy who walked him out of jail. >> what does the evidence tell you about how this unfolded >> the evidence indicates that she assisted in this case. we're not clear as to whether she assisted willingly or if in some form or fashion she was coerced or forced to assist >> reporter: the wild tale began friday morning when the caravan left the alabama jail near huntsville

lauderdale county authorities are working with the fbi to find 38-year-old casey white and corrections officer vicky white. the duo share a name but are not related. clues trace back to 9:41 a.m. friday when deputy white picked up casey white from his cell to take him for a mental health evaluation nearby. you now understand that that appointment never existed? >> exactly >> reporter: by 3:30 p.m. friday, alarm bells. authorities realized the pair are gone. quickly, a major break. they later discover deputy white's patrol car had been parked at a local shopping center since 11:00 a.m. the deputy and her inmate, nowhere to be found. also missing, her 9 millimeter handgun the sheriff tells me she has an exemplary record spanning 17 years and had just submitted her retirement papers thursday >> we're all in shock. >> reporter: tonight, the sheriff warning the public, casey white is an extremely dangerous man. he currently faces a capital murder charge for the 2015 stabbing of connie ridgeway prosecutors say white confessed to the

brutal killing in 2020 while in prison for a previous violent crime spree, which ended on police dash cam after a high speed chase he later pleaded not guilty to the ridgeway killing and tried to escape the same jail he left friday, that plot foiled. at the time ridgeway's family was grateful. >> it's a relief to know that we're getting closure and that our mother can finally rest in peace. >> reporter: two years later, that security shattered after a successful escape. tonight authorities wonder, did he have help maggie vespa, nbc news we're back in a moment with bill murray's first public comments on allegations of inappropriate behavior that shut down his latest film. plus the tragic loss of country singer naomi judd her family says her death is the result of mental illness

ford is recalling more than 250,000 explorer suvs tonight because they can roll away unexpectedly while shifted into park the recall includes certain 2020 to 2022 explorers as well as explorer police hybrids. the company says it knows of no crashes or injuries at the time owners will be notified by mail starting in june today, actor bill murray is speaking out for the first time about allegations of inappropriate behavior that halted production of his latest film "being mortal. this is what he told cnbc >> we had a difference of opinion i had a difference of opinion with a woman i'm working with i did something i

thought was funny, and it wasn't taken that way. the world is different than it was when i was a little kid what i always thought was funny as a little kid isn't necessarily the same as what's funny now. >> murray didn't share details on what was done or to whom. he was originally cast to play a starring role in the film which was to be released in 2023 now it's unclear what the next steps will be for that film. and now to the death of country singing superstar naomi judd, half of a mother/daughter duo, the judds. the pair dominated the country charts in the '80s and '90s. in the years since, naomi had been open about her struggles with depression. tonight her family says she died suddenly due to mental illness. kathy park has more. ♪ love can build a bridge ♪ >> reporter: tonight the world of country music has lost a legend ashley and wynonna judd have lost their mother ashley posting on instagram, we lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental

illness. we are shattered we are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public we are in unknown territory. naomi judd, gone at 76 years old, with half of the grammy winning duo the judds, with her daughter wynonna the group is set to be inducted into the country music hall of fame tomorrow. over a 30-year career, the judds ran up 14 number one songs, hits like "mama he's crazy. ♪ mama, he's crazy ♪ >> reporter: to "girls night out. ♪ girls night out, honey there ain't no doubt ♪ >> reporter: but it was not a life without struggles. naomi judd was an early advocate for de-stigmatizing the issue of depression. >> i want to let the world know that it's not a character flaw it's a disease >> reporter: she opened up about her challenges with mental health on nbc's "today" show >> you talk in the book about thinking about, wanting, to

commit suicide >> yes that's how bad it can get. you can get down and it's so hard to describe because you get down in this deep, dark hole of depression >> reporter: tonight, tributes pouring in from music city and around the world travis tritt writing, naomi judd was one of the sweetest people i've ever known. carrie underwood adding, sing with the angels, naomi. maren morris posting, honor to a witness "love can build a bridge" just a few short weeks ago. that performance at a country music television awards show, one of naomi judd's final shining moments. kathy park, nbc news when we come back, the woman who became a runner after losing a leg. you will not believe how many marathons she just ran in a row.

there is good news tonight about not letting anything stop you and the amputee runner who is making history by blazing a trail for other athletes >> here we go! >> reporter: with every stride, jackie hunt just reached a milestone some might have said seemed impossible this week, the 46-year-old broke what could be a new world record, the first woman to run 102 marathons in 102 straight days. >> there still is, i'm

sure, a lot of pain involved in what you do >> you know it's gonna hurt but you kind of, yeah, just push yourself and keep going for it >> reporter: jackie ran 26.2 miles a day around her arizona neighborhood, on treadmills, and even in the boston marathon more than 2,600 miles in all the proof now set to be reviewed and verified by guinness world record experts for jackie, it's been a way to empower other athletes with disabilities to push beyond their limits. >> what inspired you to go for the record and break it >> i was just like, it would be really cool if someone with a prosthetic could actually break it and show the world what you're capable of. >> reporter: remarkable, considering the sport never even crossed her mind until after she lost her lower left leg to cancer in 2001. >> before my amputation, i was never a runner and i kind of wanted to test it and see and i fell in love with it. and ever since then, i've been pushing boundaries

>> reporter: she started racing in 2006 after moving to the u.s. from south africa since then, her love of running has earned her headlines across the globe. and it's given her a platform to help other amputees who also want to break barriers. >> i'm raising money for amputee blade runners who provide amputee running blades why i wanted to focus on it, running blades are really expensive >> reporter: she's already raised over $40,000. >> the amount of people who reached out to me and said, i've run the most i've ever done because i've been watching your journey. it's just been phenomenal >> reporter: a trailblazer now inspiring others one mile at a time >> what would you say to people who are right now going through those moments of difficulty and maybe, maybe don't quite see light at the end of their tunnel? >> take every day a step at a time take at a deep breath and let yourself deal with what you need to deal with. and it's okay. but just hold on to hope >> and listen to this,

jackie just ran two more marathons, finishing her 104th today. that's more than 2,700 miles, about the distance from l.a. to new york city. that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday kate snow will be here tomorrow night i'm jose diaz-balart thank you for the privilege of your time good night right now at 6:00, new details about the sudden death of a police officer revealed. the emotional statement from the chief and why other officers in the department could face

investigation. also, a frantic crash along the coast. two people dead. another still missing. what we are learning about one of those victims. and they could be soon be walking off the picket lipos and back no the hospital. the potential negotiations being made between nurses and stanford hospitals tonight. >> the news at 6:00 starts right now. i am terry mcsweeney. audrey has the night off. tonight, we have exclusive, new details about the mysterious death after young san jose police officer. a fentanyl overdose is to blame. it is a story we first broke on the digital platforms this morning. nbc's marianne favro outside head kwaers with the story. marianne? >> any allegations of ill deal drug use bay san jose police officer is concerning, and he says that no officer will get a free pass. officer packer