DJs behind duchess prank speak out

The Australian radio network suspends all prank calls A review of relevant policies and processes is being conducted, the company says Nurse Jacintha Saldanha was found dead after taking the prank call on Catherine (CNN) -- An Australian radio network at the heart of a hoax targeting Prince William's pregnant wife canceled the show responsible for the prank on Monday, expressing deep regret following the death of a nurse who took a call from the DJs involved. The two DJs "will not return to the airwaves until further notice," the statement from the network, Southern Cross Austereo, said. The company also suspended all prank calls, pulled advertising and ordered a comprehensive review of relevant policies and processes. The DJs, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who were impersonating Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, called the hospital Tuesday and gained information about the condition of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge -- which they subsequently played on air. Radio station faces criticism Nurse found dead in Kate hoax On Friday, the nurse who transferred the call through to the ward, Jacintha Saldanha, was found dead after apparently committing suicide. "First and foremost we would like to express our deep and sincere condolences to the family ... for their loss. We are very sorry for what has happened," Rhys Holleran, the network's chief executive officer, said in Monday's statement. "We don't claim to be perfect and we always strive to do better. We have initiated a detailed and rigorous review of our policies and procedures to inform any improvements we can make." Opinion: Why airing the prank call was wrong London's Metropolitan Police have contacted Australian authorities in relation to the call, but "are not discussing about what or with who" they're talking, a spokesman told CNN. A spokeswoman for New South Wales Police in Australia told CNN: "As the investigation into the death of London nurse Jacintha Saldhana continues, New South Wales Police will be providing London's Metropolitan Police with whatever assistance they require." Ben Barboza, Saldanha's husband, expressed grief over his wife's death in a post on Facebook: "I am devastated with the tragic loss of my beloved wife Jacintha in tragic circumstances, She will be laid to rest in Shirva, India." Saldanha's daughter posted a photo of herself with her mother and wrote: "I miss you, I loveeee you. Jacintha saldanha." The chairman of the hospital where the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge was a patient slammed the Australian radio station's decision to broadcast the recorded prank call as "truly appalling" on Saturday, "King Edward VII's Hospital cares for sick people, and it was extremely foolish of your presenters even to consider trying to lie their way through to one of our patients, let alone actually make the call," wrote hospital chairman Lord Glenarthur. "The immediate consequence of these premeditated and ill-considered actions was the humiliation of two dedicated and caring nurses who were simply doing their job tending to their patients." "The longer term consequence has been reported around the world and is, frankly, tragic beyond words." Lord Glenarthur called on the radio station to take steps "to ensure that such an incident could never be repeated." The fallout from Saldanha's death has stretched from Britain to Australia -- with questions being raised about how far is too far in the effort to find out details about Catherine's pregnancy. Read more: Nurse's death casts glare on 'shock jocks' The Australian Communications and Media Authority, the country's media regulator, has not yet commented on the case. However, it will be "engaging with the licensee, Today FM Sydney, around the facts and issues surrounding the prank call," said the regulator's chairman, Chris Chapman. News of Saldanha's death broke Friday, with the hospital saying she "was recently the victim of a hoax call." London's Metropolitan Police said that Saldanha, 46, had living quarters in central London provided by her workplace. Police said they were notified Friday morning that a woman was found unconscious at the address. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are treating the death as "unexplained." A postmortem examination will be held this week, police said. A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said Saturday that he "thinks this is a very sad case and his thoughts are with her family and colleagues." Throughout the controversy surrounding the hoax, authorities did not identify the nurse. Her identity was released after her death. Audio of the call posted online suggests a woman spoke briefly to the DJs before she put the call through early Tuesday morning to the ward where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for acute morning sickness. "They were the world's worst accents ever. We were sure 100 people at least before us would've tried the same thing. ... We were expecting to be hung up on. We didn't even know what to say when we got through," Greig told listeners Thursday. Off the air, Greig and Christian tweeted about the practical joke on Thursday and earlier Friday, promising "more on the #royalprank." The pair's Twitter accounts were taken down late Friday. Some listeners applauded the prank, like one who identified himself as Guido on the station's Facebook page and wrote, "It is only a joke people! it was great i love it!!!" Others were outraged, with negative comments outnumbering positive ones on 2DayFM's Facebook page even before the nurse's death. "Your stunt was done at a time in this country where there is paranoia about the intrusion of the media into people's lives," Gary Slenders wrote. "I know you will say it is harmless fun, the management of 2DayFM will say that it won't happen again, but this is exactly where the phone hacking scandal started." The outcry grew exponentially after the hospital confirmed Saldanha's death, leading the Coles supermarket chain to remove all its advertising from 2DayFM. "This death is on your conscience," reads one Facebook post. Several accused the two of having "blood on your hands." Saldanha's family released a statement asking for privacy and directing questions to police. She is survived by her husband and two children. "We as a family are deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved Jacintha," said the statement, released by police. Saldanha worked at King Edward VII's Hospital for more than four years, and she was described as an "excellent nurse," well-respected by co-workers, the hospital statement said. The hospital "had been supporting her throughout this difficult time," it said. A St. James' Palace spokesman said: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are deeply saddened to learn of the death. "Their Royal Highnesses were looked after so wonderfully well at all times by everybody at King Edward VII Hospital, and their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha's family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time." Separately, a palace spokesman told CNN: "At no point did the palace complain to the hospital about the incident. On the contrary, we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and hospital staff at all times." CNN's Ed Payne and Nick Thompson contributed to this report.

Fewer homeless vets expected; 'alarming' trend in young

Gregory Bull / AP, file Homeless veteran Jerome Belton poses for a portrait at a homeless shelter in San Diego on September 19, 2012. A former Marine, Belton now lives on the streets in San Diego. By Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor As the latest report card arrives Monday on the Obama Administration's push to end veteran homelessness by 2015, some experts predict a further decline in the number of ex-service members sleeping in parks, under bridges or in public spaces.  But other advocates – including a small cadre of soldiers who use their spare time and combat skills to track, clothe and house veterans forced to live outside on home soil – say they're seeing an "alarming" rise in younger homeless veterans, many of whom fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will release Monday afternoon its 2012 count of homeless Americans – including a fresh tally of homeless veterans, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH). And the head of that nonprofit group expects HUD's status report will show that a fortified federal effort to house more disabled and low-income veterans is working. "I expect the number to go down because there's been a big increase in resources to make sure it does decrease," said Nan Roman, NAEH president. "There's been a lot of investment in newer strategies around housing – programs that are really solution-oriented." One of those approaches, Roman said, is a $60 million initiative by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that offers prompt financial help to ex-military members on the brink of eviction – or those recently turned out of their apartments. In fact, the VA estimates that its Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program will have helped the 42,000 veteran families by the end of 2012, according to an agency spokesman.  "Sometimes people get laid off, can't pay their rent, and lose their apartment. It's a high cliff to get back into an apartment because you have to pay the first and last month's rent plus deposits," Roman said. "In most places, that's $2,000 or $3,000, minimum. If you had $2,000 or $3,000, you probably wouldn't have gotten evicted in the first place. So this program helps with that sort of thing. "There's been a lot of determination at VA to make the homeless veteran numbers go down," she added. "I'll be very disappointed if they don't go down, frankly." AP Photo / Gregory Bull Veteran Arthur Lute holds his is 5-month-old son Evan in his one-bedroom apartment in Chula Vista, Calif. on Oct. 9, 2012. Lute's arduous journey from his days as a U.S. Marine to his nights sleeping on the streets illustrates the challenge the Obama administration faces to make good on its promise to end homelessness among veterans by 2015. VA spokesman Josh Taylor said the agency already has gauged critical gains as the rate of veteran homelessness dropped by 12 percent from 2010 to 2011. He cites, in part, SSVF – "our new homeless prevention and rapid re-housing program" which during the 2011 fiscal year helped house more than 35,000 people, including nearly 9,000 children, Taylor said. A second federal program – one forged through a HUD-VA partnership – gives "eligible veterans" vouchers to pay for stays "in a residence of their own," Taylor said, adding that nearly 40,000 veterans have accessed that program during the past two years. According to a HUD report issued in December 2011, there were 67,495 homeless veterans in this country - down from 76,329 one year earlier. The same report projected the homeless veteran population would shrink to 45,797 during 2012.  Click here for more military-related coverage from NBC News. In its 2013 budget request, the VA asked for $333 million in additional funding – an increase of 33 percent over 2012 – so that it could provide "specific programs to prevent and reduce homelessness," the VA said in making the pitch last February. The overall VA budget request for 2013 totaled $140.3 billion. "We have made good progress, but there is more work to do," Taylor said in an email to NBC News. "Our homeless initiatives are based on a strategy of rescue and prevention. Three soldiers leave war in Afghanistan only to battle post-combat demons. Producer: Meredith Birkett. Video editor: Shanon Dell / msnbc.com. "The unprecedented effort underway, and the unprecedented resources being dedicated to it, have played a major part in the reduction of the veteran homeless population over the past couple of years. That work is ongoing and we expect it will continue to show progress," Taylor added.  'They are coming back messed up' But in Southern California, where Army veteran Joe Leal routinely leads a handful of active-duty and former service members on personal missions to find and help homeless veterans living "beneath bridges and in canyons," Leal said he has encountered thousands of post-9/11 veterans without homes. "It's alarming," said Leal, an Iraq War veteran who founded the Vet Hunters Project in 2010. His group, funded by private donations, has worked to place more than 2,600 veterans in temporary or permanent homes, he said. "We house more Iraq and Afghanistan and younger veterans than older veterans. It used to be where a homeless vet was typically about 60 years old. Now, they're 22 years old," Leal said. "And a lot of them are female veterans who have witnessed combat. They are coming back messed up. They are coming back homeless." Monica Figueroa, 22, was an Army parachute rigger who served from 2009 to 2011, spending time in Germany, performing test jumps out of planes. She has a 17-month-old son and is married to Sgt. Jason Snyder, a 30-year-old Army reservist, who served four tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. While Snyder was still overseas, Figueroa couldn't hold a job and couldn't find a home for herself or her son. She slept in a car for several weeks near Los Angeles, she said. "When we met her, she was living in a garage where they repair vehicles," Leal said. "She was bathing in a sink where they wash car parts. Monica was just overwhelmed. She joined the military when she was young. She got out. She had a child. She was used to the fast pace of military life. And then, in getting out, the transition (preparation she received from the Army) was lacking. Lucy Nicholson / Reuters, file Army veteran Tara Eid, 50, writes an essay at New Directions women's house, a long-term transitional program for female veterans dealing with issues of homelessness, trauma and addiction, in Los Angeles, Calif., on November 18, 2011. Eid has seven children and was homeless many times over a period of 10 years. "A lot of the active-duty people are getting out even though they don't have a plan" for post-military life, he added. "They're so fed-up after five to six deployments. They say, 'I don't care what I do when I get out, I'll just figure it out when I get out, but I know I don't want to do this any more.' That's what I'm running into." The Vet Hunters Project helped Figueroa, her son and husband recently move into a furnished temporary apartment in Loma Linda, Calif., and enter a program that provides them financial counseling to prepare for an independent life. "Before this, my living situation was very unstable, moving from one house to another. Just jumping. Just living anywhere I could, with family members, friends, anybody who could help me for two weeks or so," Figueroa said. "I had to leave my son with my mother — there was no room for anyone else where they were living. So I stayed in a car that my dad owned. "The thing that made it very rough was I had no idea of the benefits I had. All I knew about was the GI Bill. Otherwise, no one ever explained anything else to me (about post-military benefits). I was not prepared for the transition." It's not uncommon, in fact, for the Vet Hunters to come across Army reservists who are still serving the country but who have no home, Leal said. "These guys show up for service looking sharp," Leal said. "Then they leave at the end of the day and go sleep in a Chevy."  More content from NBCNews.com: Disability-compensation claims for veteran lag as 'VA backlog' worsens Florida guide uses hunting as rustic therapy for combat veterans Google launches new website to guide veterans into civilian work force Fired-up congressional panel vows strict VA oversight PTSD may be overdiagnosed, but deniers 'wrong,' psychiatrist says Older vets to post-9/11 vets: 'We had it harder' Double amputee to potential congressional foes: 'Bring it' Hearing loss the most prevalent injury among returning veterans Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Singer Jenni Rivera dies in plane crash

NEW: Jenni Rivera told reporters hours before she died that she was happy with her life She was traveling with her publicist, lawyer, a family friend and two pilots, her brother said She had just finished performing in Monterrey, Mexico, when she boarded the plane The wreckage was found in Mexico's Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range, officials said Read a version of this story in Arabic. (CNN) -- Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera died when the small plane she was traveling in with at least five others crashed in the mountains of northern Mexico, her brother told CNN. Authorities notified the family there were no survivors, Gustavo Rivera said late Sunday. He planned to fly to Mexico early Monday to identify his sister's remains. There were conflicting reports about the number of people aboard the plane, which took off early Sunday from Monterrey, Mexico, and lost contact with air traffic controllers a short time later. Rivera said there were six people aboard: his sister, her publicist, her lawyer, a family friend and two pilots. The Civil Aviation Authority of Mexico said there were up to seven people on the plane, though it did not identify those believed to be on board. Mexican singer's plane missing The news from Rivera's brother confirmed what authorities would only publicly say they suspected earlier in the day. "The aircraft was destroyed, totally fragmented," Alejandro Argudin, director general of civil aviation, told CNN affiliate Televisa. He said he believed no one survived the crash. Rivera was known to fans as "La Diva de la Banda," or The Diva of Banda Music, establishing herself initially as a regional Mexican musical powerhouse with her banda and corridos, or traditional ballad, performances. In recent years, Rivera had been working to crack the U.S. market and was reportedly on the verge of a crossover with an English-language show inspired by the success of "I Love Jenni," a Spanish-language reality TV show on Telemundo's mun2 network. "We lost an awesome woman, mother, sister, friend and artist," said her business partner and manager Pete Salgado. Rivera was beloved by fans as much for her music as her over-the-top lifestyle that was chronicled in "I Love Jenni" on Telemundo. Born in Long Beach, California, to Mexican immigrant parents, Rivera, 43, released her debut album in 1999, according to her website. She followed that up with two more albums, including the 2003 album "Farewell to Selena" -- a tribute to slain Tejano star Selena Quintanilla -- that increased her popularity. Her father, Pedro, and two of her brothers also are well-known performers in Mexico and portions of the Southwestern United States. Rivera sold 15 million records, according to Billboard. She recently won two Billboard music awards, including favorite Mexican music female artist. She also was nominated for Latin Grammy Awards in 2002, 2008 and 2011. In October, People en Espanol named Rivera to its list of the 25 most powerful women. Famous for her music, she is also known for her tumultuous personal life. The singer was a single mom at the age of 15 and is the mother of five, her website said. In 2009, she made headlines when she was detained at the Mexico City airport with tens of thousands of dollars in cash. A year later, she made headlines again with the marriage to former baseball pitcher Esteban Loaiza, who played for the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. In October, she announced she was filing for divorce after less than two years of marriage. It was her third marriage. "I Love Jenni," which began airing on mun2 last year, featured her life on the road, balancing the duties of motherhood and stardom as she toured Mexico and the United States. She also was a judge on the popular TV show, "The Voice, Mexico," which was scheduled to air Sunday night. In its place, Televisa said it would air a special report about the singer. A fellow judge on the show took to Twitter after news of Rivera's disappearance. "My heart is devastated," wrote Beto Cuevas. "All my prayers are with you, Jenni, and your family." Rivera had a concert in Monterrey on Saturday night before boarding the Learjet early Sunday. In those final hours after the concert, Rivera opened up to reporters about her divorce and the inner strength she found, thanks to her family. "I'm so happy. So many strong things have happened in my life. I can't get up in the negative, which destroys you," she said. "I have brothers. I have children. I have nephews. And they keep me from focusing on the negative." Her plane took off from Monterrey at 3:15 a.m., according to a statement from the Transportation Ministry. Its destination was the airport in Toluca, near Mexico City. Air traffic controllers lost contact with it about 60 miles into the flight, the ministry said. Two helicopters assisting in the search for the plane spotted the wreckage in Mexico's Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range, the ministry said. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, and the ministry is investigating. Fans and celebrities took to social media to mourn the singer and television star who was known as much for her music as she was sometimes for her over-the-top antics. "Spent some time with Jenni Rivera recently. What an amazing lady ... Cool, smart, funny & talented. Such a travesty ... God Bless her family," actor Mario Lopez tweeted. Mexican singing sensation Paulina Rubio was inconsolable on Twitter. "My friend! Why? There is no consolation. God, please help me!" she tweeted. CNNMexico.com, CNN's Leslie Tripp and Chelsea J. Carter contributed to this report.

Obama, Boehner meet to discuss fiscal cliff

Aides to House Speaker John Boehner refused to provide details about his face-to-face meeting with President Barack Obama Sunday morning about the fiscal cliff. NBC's Mike Viqueira reports. By Associated Press WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner met Sunday at the White House to discuss the ongoing negotiations over the impending fiscal cliff, the first meeting between just the two leaders since they both won re-election.  Spokesmen for both Obama and Boehner said they agreed to not release details of the conversation, but emphasized that the lines of communication remain open.  The meeting comes as the White House and Congress try to break an impasse over finding a way to stop a combination of automatic tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to kick in at the beginning of next year.  Obama met in November with Boehner, as well as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. The president spoke by telephone with Reid and in person with Pelosi on Friday. The president is traveling to Redford, Mich., on Monday to promote his agenda in a speech to workers at an engine factory; auto workers helped Obama win Michigan in last month's election.  As cliff looms, both sides position on entitlements Obama has been pushing higher tax rates on the wealthiest Americans as one way to reduce the deficit -- a position Boehner and other House Republicans have been steadfastly against. Republicans are demanding steeper cuts in costly government entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.  One GOP senator said Sunday that Senate Republicans would probably agree to higher tax rates on the wealthiest Americans if it meant getting a chance to overhaul entitlement programs.  The comments by Bob Corker of Tennessee -- a fiscal conservative who has been gaining stature in the Senate as a pragmatic deal broker -- puts new pressure on Boehner and other Republican leaders to rethink their long-held assertion that even the very rich shouldn't see their rates go up next year. GOP leaders have argued that the revenue gained by hiking the top two tax rates would be trivial to the deficit, and that any tax hike hurts job creation.  CNBC's John Harwood says it has become clear that Republicans will give ground on tax hikes for the wealthiest Americans, but the question remains what Obama will give them in return. But Corker said insisting on that red line — especially since Obama won re-election after campaigning on raising tax rates on the wealthy --- might not be wise.  "There is a growing group of folks looking at this and realizing that we don't have a lot of cards as it relates to the tax issue before year end," Corker told "Fox News Sunday."  If Republicans agree to Obama's plan to increase rates on the top 2 percent of Americans, Corker added, "the focus then shifts to entitlements and maybe it puts us in a place where we actually can do something that really saves the nation."  Senate filibuster challenged in court Besides getting tax hikes through the Republican-dominated House, Corker's proposal faces another hurdle: Democrats haven't been receptive to GOP proposals on the entitlement programs. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on Sunday was skeptical about proposals to increase the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67. He said he doesn't see Congress addressing the complicated issue of Medicare overhaul in the three weeks remaining before the end of the year.  "I just don't think we can do it in a matter of days here before the end of the year," Durbin said. "We need to address that in a thoughtful way through the committee structure after the first of the year."  Assistant Majority Leader of the Senate Dick Durbin says the Democrats, President Obama are working hard to avoid going off the fiscal cliff. And hard-line fiscal conservatives in the House are holding fast to their position.  "No Republican wants to vote for a rate tax increase," said Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, chairman of the House Republican Conference.  Added Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.: "I'm not sure there is support for the rate hikes. There is support for revenue by cleaning up the code."  Still, at least one House Republican has said there is another way. Rep. Tom Cole, of Oklahoma, has said Obama and Boehner should agree not to raise tax rates on the majority of Americans and negotiate the rates for top earners later. Cole said Sunday that most House Republicans would vote for that approach because it doesn't include a rate hike.  "You know, it's not waving a white flag to recognize political reality," Cole said.  © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Snow blankets Upper Midwest, Northern Plains

Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images Snow falls over Lambeau Field as fans gather ahead of a game on Sunday in Green Bay, Wis. By NBC News staff and wire reports A wintry storm unleashed high winds, frigid air and heavy snowfall across the Upper Midwest on Sunday, with parts of Minneapolis getting more than a foot of snow, Weather.com reported.  Bone chilling winter temperatures were forecast to spread into much of the country on Monday. Parts of South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota were set to dig out on Monday morning as the season's worst winter storm passed through the region. Hundreds of accidents were reported by Sunday evening, and conditions were so dangerous that the Minnesota Department of Transport closed some of the state's highways Sunday night due to the blizzard conditions, KARE11.com, a local NBC affiliate, reported. "That wind and snow is making a combination that is a lethal one," said meteorologist Nick Walker on Weather.com. Storm pummels Upper Midwest , Northern Plains with heavy snow, wind The heaviest snowfall was reported in Sacred Heart, Minn., with more than 17.3 inches.  The seven inches of snow that fell on the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Sunday was already more than on any day last season, Weather.com reported.  More than 100 flights in and out of the airport were cancelled Sunday. A record snowfall of 10.2 inches was set at Twin Cities, Minn., on Sunday. The old record of 7.4 inches was set in 1961. NBC's meteorologist Dylan Dreyer reports. At Minneapolis's Metrodome, officials cranked up the heat to make sure that the snow didn't bring down its inflatable roof. Nearly two years ago, a storm that dumped 17 inches of snow in 24 hours tore holes in the dome, and forced the Vikings football team to play the final two games of the season elsewhere. The repair project cost $22.7 million. Single-digit temperatures were forecast to last into Monday morning, with the front set to spread as far south as Houston, Little Rock, Ark. and Memphis, Tenn., which were likely to see temperatures drop into the 40s and 50s. Watch the most-viewed videos on NBCNews.com Forecasters expect the extreme winter weather to end towards the middle of the week, with the mercury returning to more normal December averages. Chicago meanwhile, has recently enjoyed warmer-than-usual weather and was on track to break the record for the longest stretch of snowless days on Monday, NBCChicago.com reported.  Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. More content from NBCNews.com: Storm pounds Upper Midwest with heavy snow, wind Cops: 2 University of Colorado students fed pot brownies to classmates, professor 3 dead, 4 hurt in Central Calforinia shootings, chase Cyber-graciousness: Students set up Facebook sites for compliments On gay marriage, Supreme Court coud rule small, or big Video: Officers suspect high speed, alcohol in deadly NFL crash Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Del. man charged with stabbing elderly parents

By NBC10.com A Delaware man was in custody on Monday after stabbing his elderly parents, police said. The incident occurred Sunday at around 9 a.m. at a home in Greenwood, Del. where the suspect and his parents live, police said. Ricky Brewington, 51, allegedly used a butcher knife to stab his 80-year-old mother and 82-year-old father in the kitchen of their home. Investigators said the victims then drove to a local fire department for medical care, while Brewington called 911 to report the incident. Read more news on NBC10.com A police officer arrived at the home and took Brewington into custody without incident. His parents were taken from the fire station to Nanticoke Hospital where they were both in stable condition. Brewington was charged with attempted murder and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony. He was committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $150,000 cash bail. More content from NBCNews.com: Storm pounds Upper Midwest with heavy snow, wind Cops: 2 University of Colorado students fed pot brownies to classmates, professor 3 dead, 4 hurt in Central Calforinia shootings, chase Cyber-graciousness: Students set up Facebook sites for compliments On gay marriage, Supreme Court coud rule small, or big Video: Officers suspect high speed, alcohol in deadly NFL crash Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Gunman shoots woman, kills self outside Fla. church

View more videos at: http://nbcmiami.com. By Donna Rapado and Juan Ortega, NBCMiami.com A Florida church service ended in tragedy Sunday afternoon when a man shot a woman multiple times, then killed himself outside the building, authorities and witnesses said. Hundreds of congregants were exiting the sanctuary at Faith Center Church in the city of Sunrise just before 1 p.m. ET when the man began opening fire at the woman, possibly his ex-girlfriend, Sunrise police said. "It was crazy. We just started running because a stray bullet doesn't know anyone," said witness and congregant Herrietha Gary. "I've never been so scared in all the days in my life -- just frantic." Even though the armed assailant shot the woman several times, she managed to drive away, according to Sunrise police spokeswoman Officer Michelle Eddy. The shooting victim drove around the parking lot, where others found her, police said. Read more news on NBCMiami.com Also inside the vehicle was her 12-year-old daughter, but the girl was unharmed, police said. The armed man shot himself at the crime scene, police said. He was taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, Eddy said. The wounded woman was taken to Broward Health, police said. Her latest condition wasn't available. Their names haven't been released. Sheltered in car During the shooting, church leaders were ordering congregants back inside the church building, witnesses said. Other congregants already were in the parking lot. Gary, the witness, said she thought she was hearing firecrackers, but a couple hiding behind a car warned her about the danger, she said. Gary said she was with her grandchild at the time. "They were saying, 'Get down! Get down! There are gunshots!'" Gary said. "And I started hysterically screaming and running with my grandbaby.'" Gary and her grandchild found shelter in her car and were unhurt, she said. Congregant Daron Thompson said the shooting was "kind of strange." "You think to yourself, 'Wow!' You know? I mean, you don't expect something like this to happen at church," Thompson said. Faith Center Church at 5555 Northwest 95th Ave. -- also known as Faith Center Ministries -- drew a large turnout Sunday with a special guest speaker, congregants said. The church has a sprawling 75,000-foot facility, formerly known as Sunrise Theatre, according to its website. Police still are investigating the shooting.