which this out. the 26th annual new year was held in san josé. the annual event is considered the largest new year event in the nation. it featured live music, food, hand-made crafts. as you can see right there, aztec dancers from across the u.s. from mexico were there as well. what a sight. i love it. >> nice weather for that. >> yes, under blue skies. thanks for watching. "nightly news" is next, and we will see you back here at 6:00. ♪ the projected landslide election victory in russia. called record turnout,

dissidents throwing molotov cocktails pouring dye in ballot boxe voters pouring dye in ballot boxes critics allege the vote was rigged. our keir simmons questioning putin late tonight. >> mr. president, is this what you call democracy? suspected coast-to-coast murderer in a >> police accused of a shootout of killing a police officer days after allegedly murdering an emt in south carolina and parts of south carolina sheltering in place again this morning, one day after a killing spree there left three dead. this carjacking victim speaking out today >> i was sitting in my car, and someone banged on my window, and then he pulled the gun out. and powerful volcanic eruptions in iceland with a state of emergency stunning images of lava flowing towards towns. and winter is not over yet. the dangerous cold snap about to send temperatures plummeting and on this st. patrick's day, the

country has gone green. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt >> good evening. i'm gadi schwartz. tonight in moscow putin is celebrating what appears to be a huge victory how is this for a land landslide. putin is projected to win 88% of the vote giving him another six years. of course, elections in russia are not considered fair or free to outcome was never in doubt but what was in question, how big would the protest vote be across russia, there was signs of opposition, molotov cocktails thrown as polling locations, protesters pouring dye in ballot boxes. and there was a call for those opposed to putin to show up at noon today to vote, and that may have led to long lines like these. in his victory speech tonight, putin said his win is proof the country is united behind him our keir simmons is in moscow and questioned putin tonight. >> reporter: election night in moscow, president putin celebrating a

landslide victory which was never in doubt, and his campaign headquarters nbc news, the first international news organization to question him >> journalist evan gershkovich spent this election in prison boris nadezhdin who opposes your war in ukraine, wasn't allowed to stand against you, and alexei navalny died in one of your prisons during your campaign mr. president, is this what you call democracy? >> reporter: ignoring gershkovich, putin said he was unpopular and navalny died that's life, he said days before his death he agreed to exchange him on condition he never returned the seized opposition leader alexei navalny before his death last month had called for protests at polling stations these lines of many young people looked like the response. among the 75 people detained was a man wearing a navalny t-shirt. others threw molotov

cocktails or poured dye into ballot boxes. navalny's widow yuliya joining a protest in berlin >> there could be no negotiations or nothing with mr. putin because he is a killer he is a gangster >> reporter: another opponent who spoke out against the war wasn't allowed to stand he voted today with his family, a stark contrast to putin who voted alone on a computer friday. >> our election is not very fair, of course sometimes we'll have normal democratic, free and fair elections. >> reporter: you believe that one day >> i believe, not, of course on this day >> keir joins us from moscow where the putin press conference just wrapped up and keir, russia says this is the biggest vote for putin in his 24 years of leading the country? >> reporter: that's right, gadi, and

russian officials say this is also the largest turnout of president putin's leadership there will be many around the world who will question that alexei navalny's wife yuliya calling on global leaders not to recognize this election gadi >> keir simmons in moscow thank you. back in the united states a dramatic early morning pursuit in new mexico ended a man hunt for a suspect believed to have killed a police officer there and a first responder on the east coast just days before priya sridhar reports on what we're learning about the suspect and his victims. >> reporter: a two-day cross-country man hunt has come to an end after a police shootout this morning. 33-year-old jeremy smith was captured after allegedly killing a police officer in new mexico before he was captured by authorities after being spotted by a gas station clerk. >> during this time as they had an eye on mr. smith, a foot pursuit ensued shots were fired some shots strike smith. >> reporter: authorities say officer justin harris

stopped to help smith with a flat tire on friday morning when smith allegedly shot and killed him police say smith pushed harris' body into the passenger seat before taking off in his patrol car which was later found abandon. >> the last words the officer uttered on this earth was to offer help to a man who was about to kill him. >> reporter: police when say when officer hair first approached smith, he was driving a car that belonged to felici friday her body was found and smita machado, a south carolina medic who was reported missing by her family thursday friday her body was found and smith is a person of interest in her death. >> we want to extend our heartfelt condolences to that community for their loss of a fellow first responder. >> reporter: tonight, tributes from across the country are pouring in for the two victims. machado is remembered as a loving mother, grandmother and dedicated first responder and

35-year-old justin hair, a devoted father of two girls who had another baby on the way. >> we'll spend our time focusing on honoring him the best way we can and grieving his loss. >> so priya, what are the next steps in this case >> right now smith is being treated in a nearby hospital as the investigation continues in both south carolina and new mexico gadi >> priya, thank you so much it was another terrifying day in pennsylvania parts of suburban philadelphia once again forced to shelter in place, just 24 hours after a killing spree started there and spread into a neighboring state. george solis has the latest this >> reporter: this was the scene this morning in bucks county, pennsylvania, in a suburb just outside philadelphia. >> right out my back window, there were cops running around with guns. >> reporter: for the second day in a row now, a community was placed in lockdown as authorities responded to the threat of an armed suspect. >> it's quite scary. >> reporter: according to police, this morning's standoff started with a man allegedly assaulted a

woman in this housing development. the suspect eventually surrendering after a two and a half hour standoff. >> we were able to successfully locate the gentleman and place him into custody. with that incident no injuries to police. >> reporter: less than 24 hours after the harrowing scenes in neighboring falls township, bucks county. >> i don't know if i've processed it, you know what i mean >> reporter: authorities charging 26-year-old andre gordon who they say murdered three of his family members before crossing state lines into trenton, new jersey, where police say he had taken hostages inside a home these dramatic images of s.w.a.t. officers pulling people from a roof the suspect somehow breaking through the police line, but later surrendered less than a mile from the home >> well, it's apparent that he left before the police arrived. >> reporter: tonight, court documents obtained by nbc news revealing norths say gordon used a so-called ghost gun to commit the murders and carjacked two individuals. police say one of those victims was sonya hansen. >> and when he pulled the gun out, and my grandson seen the gun. he is only nine years old.

he jumped out of the car and ran. >> reporter: gordon now faces multiple charges related to the murders, carjackings and possession of weapons, according to authorities. and back now with george in levittown, pennsylvania at the home where one of the murders took place do we know if the suspect will be charged in pennsylvania >> yeah, gadi, and first we should know that some people have been stopping by the home today, not saying a word you'll notice there may be plywood on the front door, possibly connected to the forced entry noted by authorities. as far as extradition, authorities tell me is expected, andre gordon is expected to be extradited back here to pennsylvania in the coming days. gadi >> george solis, thank you. liz i prime minister benjamin netanyahu is blasting recent comments by senate majority leader chuck schumer, and schumer the highest ranking jewish elected official in the u.s. said netanyahu and his cabinet are a barrier to long-term peace in the region today netanyahu firing back >> i think what he said is totally inappropriate. it's inappropriate for -- to go to a

sister democracy and try to replace the elected leadership there. >> the comments come as israel faces growing backlash over its invasion of gaza and to the 2024 election now with both president biden and former president trump locking up their nominations, there's a new bloc of voters who could decide the election they're being called the double haters because they don't like either candidate. so how will they vote come november? shaquille brewster talked to some of them in the swing state of wisconsin. >> reporter: excuse me there, how are you i'm from nbc news. can i ask you a quick question first thing that comes to mind. >> oh, boy >> reporter: what do you think when you see these two options? >> not great. >> reporter: in battleground wisconsin, the choice these swing voters face in november is one they prefer not to make. >> reporter: are you excited about these being your options >> quite honestly, no. >> i can't say i'm happy about either option. >> reporter: what's the word that you think when you see these two candidates running for president? >> oh, hell no >> reporter: they're the so-called double haters >> why is it them two

again? it happened four years ago. >> reporter: and they could decide the election by holding their nose and voting for one he party candidates, choosing not to wrote vote at all, or -- >> i'd like to have more choices >> reporter: funny you say that ask and you shall receive. >> well, look at that. >> reporter: does it change at all if i do that and give you a third option >> depending who it is. >> coca-cola or pepsi. maybe we do need a third option. >> reporter: support for third party candidates is one of the biggest wildcards this election. in a february poll, 21% of voters backed third party candidates with independent robert f. kennedy grabbing 15% for context, in 1992, ross perot snagged 19% of the vote in what's considered one of the more successful third-party bids and the options may grow the group no labels is vowing to field a unity ticket pairing a democrat with a republican. >> if somebody steps up to the plate other than these two i would

consider it. >> reporter: but the challenges are massive, getting on the ballot in all 50 states, fund raising and navigating hot-button issues like abortion, but perhaps the biggest hurdle -- >> reporter: if a third party option makes it easier for trump to win would you even consider it >> oh, no. >> reporter: absolutely not >> no. >> i believe it would be disruptive. >> reporter: perot was blamed for taking vote away from george h.w. bush and giving the presidency to bill clinton just as ralph nader is still attacked for shifting liberal votes away from al gore in 2000 >> it just doesn't get any closer than this. >> reporter: for many of these double haters they want top have the choice to vote with their heart. >> reporter: could you see yourself voting for a third party in this election? >> absolutely, i could. >> reporter: shaquille brewster, nbc news, wauwatosa, wisconsin and spring is just a few days away, but this winter weather is not behind us yet. look at this 21 million people

across parts of the south are under a alerts from now until tuesday. looking at temperatures in the 20s and 30s. it will be ice-cold as far south as montgomery, alabama. clear skies this weekend for a lot of the nation's biggest st. patrick's day celebrations no one throws a party like they do in boston here's their st. paddy's day parade, always a big turnout since it's got one of the largest irish populations in the country. in new york an estimated 2 million people lined up along fifth avenue to watch up alog bagpiper, floats and more on saturday meanwhile, they were seeing green for the 69th year for the dyeing of the chicago river. still ahead tonight, the massive new volcanic eruption rocking iceland. the wayfair vibe at our place is western. my thing, darling? shine. gardening. some of us go for the dramatic. how didn't i know wayfair had vanities in tile?

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and we are back with some astonishing new images out of iceland following another powerful volcanic eruption there. the massive lava flow snaking its way towards one town and forcing the evacuation of the world famous blue lagoon. josh lederman has the latest >> reporter: tonight, a blazen wall of lava is spreading across southern iceland a volcano spewing bright orange smoke seen here in stunning photos from a coast guard helicopter for the fourth time in as many months. this time threatening iceland's most famous tourist attraction, the blue lagoon hot

spring where bathers had just minutes to flee >> we are evacuating. >> look at that. wow! >> reporter: american melissa's vacation with her husband interrupted mid-meal >> as the waitress was bringing my wine we heard the sound go off and that's when my husband and i looked at each other and they said okay. evacuation en route. >> reporter: local media say hundreds in a town near the blue lagoon have now fled to safety. >> everybody was steady and prepared. >> meteorological authorities say the volcano erupted in 40 minutes and carved a fissure into the earth nearly two miles long triggering a state of emergency, an orange glow visible for more than 20 miles away in reykjavik, the capital. volcanos are common in iceland, which sits atop a geological hot spot this volcano has been erupting once a month since december, but this eruption appears to be the biggest yet.

no deaths have been reported and tonight defensive barriers built to contain the lava are holding so far, but scientists say it may only be the beginning. >> we might have eruptions in the peninsula on and off for the next few hundred years. >> reporter: a fiery future for an island where volcanoes are a fact of life josh lederman, nbc news >> we are back now in a moment with a closer look at the parachute technology that's just helped a california family survive a plane crash. plus, a major retailer is making some big changes to those self-checkout lanes. we'll tell you about that coming up

target stores are target stores are making a big change starting today you know those self-checkout lanes?

target is now limiting the number of items you can buy there to just ten the retail giant says it's working to make checkout lanes move faster, and is even experimenting with adding back more staffed checkout lanes to help shoppers with more merchandise a california family is alive tonight after a plane crash that could have been so much worse if not for the parachute technology that brought the entire plane down safely. steven romo has more >> we are getting reports of a plane crash 2650 east falwell road >> reporter: this is what first responders saw when they arrived at the scene of a small plane crash in northern california last week. a single-engine cirrus sr22 aircraft split in two and partially upside down. >> the three occupants are currently accounted for on the ground >> reporter: onboard tim and his partner and their 2-year-old daughter who suffered only minor cuts and scratches according to the mendocino county sheriff's office. >> oh, my god. oh, my god

sow, my god! whoa >> reporter: and in washington state. >> is anybody else seeing this? holy [ bleep ] >> reporter: this sr22 crashing in a busy bellevue neighborhood. >> we heard like a loud bang so we thought it was gunshots on something so we got scared >> reporter: neighbors saw two men climb out with no apparent injuries. >> i'm not surprised at all to see these stories. >> reporter: former ntsb investigator jeff gazettety points to the aircraft's build-in parachute system, or caps for short. >> rather than just having the airplane crash, they reach up, they pull a t-handle and it activates a rocket booster which pulls a parachute out and in eight seconds you are safely swinging underneath the parachute. it's really quite revolutionary. >> reporter: it sounds like once they're used is this survival rate with these one parachutes is it high? >> it is very high there are a handful of

fatalities or injuries that occurred even after deploying the parachute. >> reporter: according to the pilots association, there have been 128 saves and 263 survivors with this cap system. but gazettety warns a parachute is no replacement for good pilot training >> you know, you still need piloting skills to make emergency landings there are so many other aspects. but on those few select accidents in which a parachute comes in handy, this particular airplane has a very good success story. and when we come back, there is good news tonight the surprise of a lifetime for a beloved college security guard. how the students made it all happen. guard how t.he

♪ and there is good news tonight about finding family far from home and the college students coming together to show their dorm security guard just how much he means to them means t >> ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ >> reporter: for the students at rhode island's providence college, beloved security james mogaji is more than just a friend the guys like brandon, he's family. what is it about him that draws people in >> he's a beacon of light in our community. he's also smiling. he's always willing to help people. [ applause ] >> reporter: so they celebrated james on his birthday, because his own family lives across the globe in nigeria. >> i'm blessed because

this is the first time someone is going to celebrate my birthday for me since i've been in this country. thank you. [ applause ] >> reporter: that emotional moment setting the stage for another surprise [ cheering ] >> it's almost like you give him the birthday cake, and then you think, hey, wait what if he could celebrate with his family >> yeah. absolutely >> reporter: turns out, james hadn't been back in nigeria for more than a decade so they started an online fundraiser to buy him a ticket home, hoping to raise three grand by the end of the semester but they hit that goal in just hours. >> our gift to you is a trip to nigeria. >> reporter: giving james the good news. >> i don't know how much i can thank you i pray from the bottom

of my heart that god will continue to protect you guys, to make sure that you achieve your goals thank you from the bottom of my heart thank you, guys. [ applause ] >> we wanted to talk to james, but understandably, he is totally overwhelmed. what did he say after you presented him with that check >> he woke his family up and told them i said james, who's on the phone? he said it's my son. his son said thank you and god bless. >> that little boy said thank you for allowing his dad to come home. >> absolutely. thank you and god bless you. >> reporter: blessings for the man whose gone above and beyond to be there for them >> how about that? james is hoping to make the trip home to nigeria in june. oh, and by the way, it gets even better that online fundraiser the student started is now almost $30,000

that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday lester holt will be in tomorrow i'm gadi schwartz. thanks so much for watching have a great night ♪ birthday to you ♪

person dies after the car crash into the san francisco bus stop. three people are now dead. what we are learning about the lone surviving vi