Is going on here. They know this will cause major issues. The Board Chairman jack evans talked about how he felt the entire metro area would be affected. Impact the metro region. He said the safety is paramount in the situation. We know they talked to the o. P. M. About making adjustments. But we dont know what they are. We know they have had some communications with the Public School system in d. C. We dont know exactly where those talks are now. Wiedefeld indicated there might be a Transportation System that could be put in place. Some buses for both regular passengers and perhaps for school children. We will have to see. Reporting live, Richard Reeve, abc7 news. Leon thank you. You hit it on the head. This is going to affect the entire region. Because of that as you might of commuters draws to job. We pick up the Team Coverage from the rosslyn station in arlington. You have talked to folks who expressed shock at the news. Mike frankly, leon, they dont believe me. They are just hearing about this from us or more twitter or from our coverage. Many people hear at rosslyn just learning about this. On the message board here by the Arlington County there is a warning to riders they can expect the shutdown for 29 hours starting at midnight. But many folks here just getting word and just starting to contemplate what it will mean. Unprecedented shut down of the entire system impacting 700,000 people. More than 700,000 people ride metro rail on the weekdays on average. That will have a major spillover effect on the highways and the roadways on the metro buses. And the other folks who take cabs or yubeer. It will have a major spillover effect. Many people, not just metro riders today and the drivers and the others who ride the bus are concerned about what it means for them in the commute tomorrow. I talk to several people. Here is their initial reaction. I wont be able to get to work. I dont think. I am probably two hours out of here. I have to find a bus or walk. Its been bad for a long time. It is only going to get worse. If anything they have to shut it down for a month to fix the whole system. Mike as i mention the bus concern is front and center for many people who ride metro bus. I talk to a guy a couple of minutes ago in the span of 30 seconds realized that the metro rail shut down. He said good thing i ride the bus and soon realized a lot of the people, hundreds of thousands of the metro riders will be looking for alternate options and many will likely turn to the metro bus. We will stay on the story to bring you all alternative options to get to work. We will have the latest on the developing story. Leon you can tell that man he wont be lonely tomorrow. Thats for sure. Shutting down metro will have a huge impact on the roads. The kids trying to get to school. Anyone using the rails will be affected. Chris papst has a look at the contin general plans taking place. Chris government officials and employees are starting to hear what will happen tomorrow. D. C. Public schools just released a statement. This is seconds ago saying the schools tomorrow, march 16 will be open. They say they are working with metro to add additional bus services. Even though school will be open tardy and absences will be excused. Office of the Personnel Management we have if messages and the em saying they are working with the wmata, d. C. , Regional Government and the entities to assess the Current Situation and see what is likely to happen tomorrow. O. P. M. Will have agencies on the status of the federal government soon. They did not identify what soon means. We assume its an hour or two. People will need to plan for what they have to do tomorrow. Senator mark warner from virginia is released a statement saying this is disappointing that it has come to this but people do depend on theafety of metro. They are glad that wmata management is treating safety with a sense of urgency. Congressman connelly of virginia took it a step further and encouraging o. P. M. To grant unscheduled leave to workers, federal workers in the light of what will happen tomorrow and other congressmen take it further. Congressman don buyer is encouraging all employees including the office of all employers i should Personnel Management to be generous and flexible in the face of tomorrows unprecedented metro shut down. This is clearly affecting many people and only a way that weather in the news industry affects almost everybody. This is having that same type of effect. 13,000 people taking the trip to metro every day. I am two of the trips. I take metro to work and back home. Im one of many people trying to figure out what i will do tomorrow. One of the more of the hundreds of thousands. Leon you will have plenty of company in your misery, chris. That is for sure. See how it plays out. A lot of cooperation to get through the next 36 hours here. Be sure to tune in good morning washington. We will start at 4 00. Julie will have traffic update all morning long. Alison now we have new developments in the last two and a half hours. As the Prince Georges County state attorney announced new charges in the death of officer jacai colson. Today we have new about what happened in the moments before the bullet started flying. Outside the district three headquarters. Maryland bureau chief brad bell is there live with new developments today. Brad . Brad new information on two front. Charges of the suspect and the shootout itself which left the district iii Police Station riddled with bullet holes. This image a screen grab that the police say was taken from the videotape attack on the Prince Georges County district iii station that show michael ford gun in hand. The video taken by the brothers malik and elijah. Multiple sources say malik and elijah can be heard laughing as michael shoot at police, laughing at attempted mass shooting and suicide by police. The laughter turning to crying as the brother is hit twice and falls to the ground. It defies l fire chief among those who have seen the video. An ambulance crew also comes under fire. I dont want to think about the what ifs but we could talk about more carnage here. The shootout ends and realize one of their own officer jacai colson is dead, victim of friendly fire. They said someone must be held accountable for colsons death just as if they held the gun. We reviewed the facts with the Police Department and agree there is probable cause to file charges in this case. There are other charges, including conspiracy, assault. But a commissioner found no probable cause for murder and additional handgun charges. Alsobrooks says she will seek indictment for murder. We will apply the law of the facts to the man with a gun in his hand will be charged when he is released from the hospital. He was shot twice in the gut the injuries are not life threatening. Leon across the board. Friends, family, colleagues calling officer colson a leader, a hard worker and a caring individual. Amy aubert spoke with law enforcements today some speaking out for the first time to say the one of a kind officer will never be forgotten. I spoke to the High School Basketball coach with the commander and they say the same thing. This is the kind of guy you want on your team. A day spent remembering a fallen officer. This is devastating. Not only if for officers that knew him best but the throughout the region and throughout the country. Flag flying at half staff. Memorial growing in front of the department. In honor of an officer colleagues call a leader. Courageous and dedicated. The man if you had a daughter you would want marrying. Lively, vivacious. Funny. Not only good at his job he is that guy that you want on your team. Major jason boag is the commander of the Narcotics Enforcement Division with the department and says the team is like a family. Wonderful kid. He said colson started out young and proved them pition and the decision to be there. He stood out. He had a smile and was willing to help people. Leading a helping hand anywhere he could. He was the first person here in the mor ready to work. Put in a full days work. Team coming together to remember their brother. This is a young officer that the Department Says had a bright future. Live in Prince Georges County, amy aubert, abc7 news. Is that the maryland house passed a bill named by a Police Officer killed by suspected drunk driver. Named after officer noah leotta it would require anyone convicted of drunk driving to have an inner lock installed in the vehicle. They will determine if driver had anything or too much to drink. The measure is expected to pass the senate. Governor hogan said he will sign it. Alison all right. Coming up, as new evidence comes to light about concussions in the nfl. Find out how the local g kids safe when they play sports. Leon plus d. I wouldnt encourage anyone bystander that was watching to just go jump in and give at it shot. This is video that has gone viral and has the creators giving a warning to anybody watching this. Our phone lines are open for you to call our tax accountant who are here to help you out tonight. A panel of them in the help center. They are here ready to answer the questions with a month left before the filing deadline. Call 7032369220. Lines are open until 6 30. Alison metro will not be running at all tomorrow. Anywhere. The entire system shutting down for at least 29 hours. So crews can emergency inspections after the cable fire near the Mcpherson Square station monday morning. So the federal government and d. C. Schools are now working with metro on some contingency plans. The d. C. Schools will be open. However tardy or the absent students will be excused. Well let you know as soon as we hear anythi story out of Prince William county where the debate over changing the name of a middle school is getting ugly. We are talking about mills e. Godwin middle school in woodbridge. Diane cho went to the school to see what is going on. Diane the middle school named after the former governor but someone proposed changing it after longtime Africanamerican Community leader hampton. The same School Board Member referred to godwin as a segregationist governor after the last meeting and recently discovered the Confederate Flag with racial slur written on it in the family mailbox. This comes after they deadlocked in two votes trying to name Elementary School. The first was to try to name it after fallen firefighter wilson and the second vote to name it after hampton and they agreed in a compromise to name the New Elementary School after wilson and change the Godwin Middle School to am the idea is their legacy is one that should inspire students if for future. The Facebook Page stop the godwin name change popped one 500 likes and change. Org petition with 700 supporters this afternoon. Where the controversy comes in some are saying lets not rename the school that already has a name. Keep that one and give one of those individuals to another school going forward. Alison diane cho reporting. A note to pass along. We at abc7 are proud to join the Parent CompanySinclair Broadcast Group to announce a new scholarship program. The Diversity Scholarship Fund to provide Financial Support for College Students interested in broadcasting, journalism or marketing. T need financial help. Its to help students who want career in broadcasting to complete the education. If you want to find out more and apply online just go to our website. Wjla. Com. Leon go to gulf coast. Heavily traveled interstate 10 between texas and Louisiana Closed now. Its not expected to reopen for two days. Alison the National Park service changed the dates again. This time pushed back. The peak bloom date for the Cherry Blossom. The peak bloom is now predicted to start march 23 and 24. Last week b weather the dates were moved up. Then the recent temperatures and blooming phases prompted the change. By the way, abc7 is proud to be a sponsor of the Cherry Blossom festival. Wherever they may be. We dont care. We are happy to be part of it. The question is if this is good or bad news. A lot of folks like the move but others who make their plans may not be happy. Alison yaw cant please everyone. Doug looking forward to it. Mild days tomorrow and friday. This is a trip. Well see what happens here. Higher. We jump out of the 50s to the 60s quickly. Now we are looking live at the national harbor. Its 64 at the Reagan National airport. Ten degrees above average with the north northwesterly wind at 9 miles per hour. 61 in frederick. Still cloudy in hagerstown. 52 in annapolis. The nav academy the winds out of the northwest are coming across the severn river where the water temperature is chilly. That is why they are only 52 degrees. For another couple of months we will see the wind direction near bodies of water that drastically change the air temperature. 68 in richmond. 74 in roanoke. 79 in charlotte. 63. Cooler air behind a frontal system in col umbus. What will happen next we have a quiet night with the clear to partly cloudy skies. We have evidence on s clear skies south and west. The temperatures are warmer. With that, a warm front that is moving through central illinois. Storm center in front behind it. Tornado watch posted for a big chunk of the northern half and the western half of the state of illinois tonight. Primary day in illinois as well. This line of heavy storm could move in to chicago land later tonight. Well deal with the front tomorrow with showers. We will keep an eye on the cold front. Future cast with clouds coming through in the morning. Temperatures hit 70s. Then the front will get closer and scattered showers. Thunderstorm through 6 00. After that most of the rain is east of town. Cooler air upcoming weekend. Hourly forecast for tomorrow, 16th of march, partly sunny skies and increasing clouds in the afternoon. Isolated showers and the thunderstorms. 71 or 72. As we get through the weekend, it looks like it will turn cooler on friday. The highs of 58. Partly cloudy and chilly. 51 on saturday. Sunday you see high of 47. There will be a storm center coming up to the south and east, coastal storm. It will produce rain and chilly rain at that. We will watch the storm develop closely. It should be out of here on monday but stay chilly. Hopefully by the end of next week we are in the 70s again. Alison back to spring. Doug nice thought. Alison we like it. Leon then well have another date for the Cherry Blossoms. Still ahead on abc7 news at 5 00 the woman whose name is synonymous with saint takes a step closer to becoming one. Tax time creeping up on us quickly. We have the experts to help. We will explain how coming up in a minute. But first, quick look at abc7. Just go to wjla. Com to become an abc7 fan. Get emails about the favorite shows and the contests right in your email. Leon speaking of favorite shows as we head to break get ready to see Harrison Ford grab the fedora again. They announced that he signed on the reprise the role of indiana jones. Rickthere wi we need women in congress. If we want to be heard, it was the women who forced republicans to include Womens Health and contraceptive coverage in the Affordable Care act. In congress, ill fight for pay equity, family leave and tougher gun safety laws. And, as an environmentalist, ill work combat climate change. I know as a journalist and as a Senior Executive in business that when women are at the table, we get things done. Im Kathleen Mathews and i approve this message. Alison 7 on your side is getting closer to tax day. We have a few extra days so the i. R. S. The pushing back the deadline for everyone april 18. Now joce sterman is in the help center with a panel of experts ready to answer the tax questions. Joce two things in life are certain. Death and taxes. I cant help you with the first one but taxes we have you covered. Virginia society c. P. A. s here taking tax questions until 6 30 tonight. Give us aal call. 7032369220. Wi have experts here. They are prepared. The phone lines are blowing up. They are here to answer any question you have to be here another hour or so. 7032369220. Leon coming up at 5 00 sorry. There is a special place in hell for actions like this. Leon we take you to capitol hill with the water crisis in michigan. Alison later uninvited guests. Look at the new residents who seem to calld general home. Leon we are keeping a close eye on development after metro announced it will be shutting down the entire system. Starting at midnight tonight. Well have the latest plans we have heard of. We have it after the break. Alison back with an update on the breaking news. Metro plans to shut down the rail system for emergency inspections. The decision comes after the cable fire that was near the Mcpherson Square station monday. Richard reeve is live outside metro headquarters with the latest on the major, major announcement. Rich . Richard that is right. Metro general manager Paul Wiedefeld saying because of yesterdays fire and in the wake of what happened, Mcpherson Square, he thinks there were commonalities between the two cases where there was fire on the rails. He felt it was the right thi