. >>> THIS IS AN NBC NEWS SPECIAL
REPORT. HERE'S HARRY SMITH.
>> GOOD DAY FROM NEW YORK. BREAKING IN WITH AN UPDATE ON
THE RISING DEATH TOLL IN THE TERROR ATTACK TODAY IN
BARCELONA, SPAIN. POLICE NOW SAY 13 PEOPLE ARE
DEAD. 50 OTHERS INJURED.
THEY HAVE ARRESTED A SUSPECT AFTER A VEHICLE PLOWED INTO A
CROWD THERE. WE NOW HAVE NEW VIDEO OF THE
AFTERMATH OF THE INCIDENT. WE WANT TO WARN YOU, IN IS QUITE
GRAPHIC. POLICE SAY A VAN JUMPED A CURB
AND RAMMED INTO PEDESTRIANS IN A BUSY AREA POPULAR WITH TOURISTS.
IT'S THE RAMBLA. INWHO HAS BEEN TO BARCELONA
KNOWS IT. RIGHT TO NBC'S KELLY COBIELLA
WITH THE LATEST DETAILS. GOOD AFTERNOON.
>> Reporter: GOOD AFTERNOON. JUST IN THE PAST SEVERAL MINUTES
OR SO POLICE ANNOUNCED THEY HAVE ARRESTED ONE PERSON IN
CONNECTION WITH THIS. THEY SAY THEY ARE TREATING HIM
AS A TERRORIST ATTACKER. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THERE IS NO
ONE HOLED UP IN ANY BAR IN BARCELONA.
JUST TO TAKE YOU BACK AS TO WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE PAST THREE
HOURS OR SO, AS BARCELONA POLICE HAVE BEEN ON A MANHUNT FOR THIS
ATTACKER. 5:00 IN THE AFTERNOON, SPAIN
TIME, THIS WHITE VAN JUMPED THE CURB, ACCELERATED INTO THE CROWD
OF TOURISTS BY THE PLACA CATALUNYA, THE VERY HEART OF
BARCELONA, PACKED WITH PEOPLE VISITING THE CITY ON A BEAUTIFUL
SUMMER DAY. REPORTS THAT THIS VAN
ACCELERATED, ALSO THERE ARE UNCONFIRMED REPORTS THAT IT
TRAVELED SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET BEFORE FINALLY COMING TO A STOP.
THE IMAGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIC.
PICTURES OF PEOPLE LYING ON THE GROUND, NOT MOVING, VERY BADLY
INJURED. PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT INJURED, WHO
WITNESSED THIS STOPPED TO HELP. TRYING TO TREAT THE INJURED ON
THE SCENE. PARAMEDICS WERE THERE RELATIVELY
QUICKLY TRYING TO TREAT THEM AS WELL AND POLICE ON-SCENE
ACCORDING TO WITNESSES ALMOST INSTANTLY.
THEN OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST THREE HOURS OR SO, THEY HAVE
BEEN ON A MANHUNT FOR WHAT THEY SAID WAS AT LEAST ONE SUSPECT,
AND AS I SAY, JUST IN THE PAST FEW MINUTES, THEY ANNOUNCED THAT
THEY HAD ARRESTED ONE MAN. NO DETAILS, HARRY, ON WHERE THIS
MAN WAS ARRESTED OR THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THAT
ARREST. THEY ALSO HAVE NOT YET SAID
WHETHER THE MANHUNT IS OVER, OR WHETHER THEY'RE LOOKING FOR MORE
SUSPECTS. THEY DO SAY THAT THEY'RE
EVACUATING THIS PART OF BARCELONA BECAUSE OF AN ONGOING
POLICE OPERATION ESCORTING ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE
CENTER OF BARCELONA. HARRY?
>> KELLY, THANKS. >>> AND WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENT KRISTEN WELKER IS IN NEW JERSEY WHERE PRESIDENT
TRUMP IS ON HIS WORKING VACATION AND HAS MADE HIS FEELINGS KNOWN
JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO. KRISTEN, GOOD AFTERNOON.
>> Reporter: GOOD AFTERNOON, HARRY.
THAT'S RIGHT. PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS BRIEFED ON
THE ONGOING SITUATION IN BARCELONA AND HE TWEETED ABOUT
IT JUST MOMENTS AGO. THIS IS WHAT HE SAID --
THE UNITED STATES CONDEMNS THE TERROR ATTACK IN BARCELONA,
SPAIN, AND WILL DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO HELP.
BE TOUGH AND STRONG. WE LOVE YOU.
IT IS NOTABLE THAT HE REFERS TO IT AS A TERROR ATTACK.
OF COURSE, HARRY, ESSENTIALLY AGREEING WITH THE ASSESSMENT OF
OFFICIALS IN BARCELONA. THE FIRST LADY ALSO TWEETING
ABOUT THIS BEFORE WE HEARD FROM THE PRESIDENT.
SHE SAID, THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS TO #BARCELONA.
WE KNOW THAT A NUMBER OF CABINET SECRETARIES ALSO HAVE BEEN
BRIEFED. THE VICE PRESIDENT AND THE
SECRETARY OF STATE REX TILLERSON TALKED ABOUT THE ATTACK EARLIER
TODAY DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
TAKE A LISTEN TO WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.
>> I'D LIKE TO START BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE INCIDENT IN
BARCELONA WHICH HAS THE HALLMARKS, IT APPEARS, OF YET
ANOTHER TERRORIST ATTACK. WE OFFER OUR CONDOLENCES TO THE
LOSS OF LIFE AND THE INJURIES THAT HAVE OCCURRED TO MANY
INNOCENT PEOPLE YET AGAIN. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE
SITUATION. WE STAND READY TO ASSIST LAW
ENFORCEMENT, NATIONAL SECURITY AUTHORITIES IN SPAIN.
OUR CONSULATES IN BARCELONA AND OUR ENTIRE MISSION SPAIN TEAM
ARE CURRENTLY ASSISTS AMERICANS IN SPAIN AFFECTED BY THESE
EVENTS. >> Reporter: AND WE ARE
EXPECTING TO HEAR FROM VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE, WHO'S
TRAVELING IN BARCELONA, AND, OF COURSE, THE PRESIDENT KEEPING
CLOSE TABS ON THIS. NOT CLEAR YET WHETHER WE WILL
HEAR FROM HIM, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF TERROR ATTACKS
OVERSEAS FROM LONDON TO PARIS TO STOCKHOLM AND BEYOND SINCE
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS TAKEN OFFICE, AND, OF COURSE, HE MADE
THAT A KEY CAMPAIGN ISSUE, TO STOMP OUT THE THREAT OF
TERRORISM. TO DEFEAT TERRORISM.
IT'S BEEN A PILLAR OF HIS PRESIDENCY AS WELL.
SO TYPICALLY IN THE WAKE OF THESE ATTACKS, HE USES VERY
STRONG WORDS, AND, AGAIN, WE'RE TRACKING TO SEE IF WE HEAR FROM
HIM TODAY. AT THIS POINT, NO PUBLIC EVENTS
ON HIS SCHEDULE. TOMORROW HE TRAVELS TO CAMP
DAVID, MEETING WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT AND OTHER TOP
OFFICIALS. HIS NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM AND
INITIALLY THE FOCUS WOULD BE THE STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN.
THAT UNDOUBTEDLY WILL STILL BE UP FOR DISCUSSION TOMORROW, BUT
THEY WILL LIKELY ADDRESS THESE DEVELOPMENTS TODAY IN BARCELONA
AS WELL. HARRY?
>> KRISTEN WELKER IN NEW JERSEY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>> JOINING US AS WELL AS PETE WILLIAMS IN OUR D.C. BUREAU,
PETE, GOOD AFTERNOON. THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT YOU
END UP INVOLVED WITH ALL TOO OFTEN, IT SEEMS.
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT THIS AFTERNOON?
>> WELL, THIS HAS BECOME A MUCH MORE COMMON TERROR METHOD OF
ATTACK. IN THE LAST, SAY, TEN YEARS OR
SO SINCE AL QAEDA FIRST CALLED ON PEOPLE TO USE WHATEVER THEY
COULD GET THEIR HANDS ON TO COMMIT TERROR ATTACKS, INCLUDING
CARS, A CALL THAT WAS REINFORCED BY ISIS ABOUT FOUR YEARS LATER,
BY OUR ACCOUNT, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME 20 OR SO OF THESE VEHICLE
ATTACKS, AND MORE THAN HALF OF THEM HAVE BEEN IN JUST THE PAST
YEAR. SO THE NUMBER OF THEM HAVE
INCREASED HERE IN JUST THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
OF COURSE, THE MOST DEADLY WAS THE ONE A YEAR AGO IN MUSE,
FRANCE WHEN A TRUCK WAS DRIVEN INTO A TOWN OF PEOPLE IN A
SEASIDE RESORT AND KILLED 86 PEOPLE, BUT THIS ONE IN
BARCELONA, IF THIS NUMBER OF 13 HOLDS OR GOES HIGHER WILL
CERTAINLY RANK AMONG DEADLIER OF THESE VEHICLE ATTACKS.
THEY'RE VERY DIFFICULT TO DETECT IN ADVANCE.
OF COURSE, WHEN THERE ARE PLANNED EVENTS, LIKE
INAUGURATIONS, NEW YEAR'S EVE IN NEW YORK, AUTHORITIES CAN CLOSE
OFF THE STREETS WHERE LARGE CROWDS GATHER, BUT IN A
SITUATION LIKE THIS, JUST PEOPLE WALKING DOWN A CITY STREET IN A
BIG CITY, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP ALL OF THE TRAFFIC AWAY,
BECAUSE TRAFFIC IS WHAT BIG CITIES ARE ALL ABOUT.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT CITY POLICE AND AUTHORITIES AROUND
THE WORLD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS THREAT, BUT IT'S A VERY
DIFFICULT ONE TO PREVENT. THE BEST, OF COURSE, PREVENTION,
INTELLIGENCE, TRYING TO KNOW ABOUT THESE THINGS IN ADVANCE,
BUT IT DOESN'T TAKE MANY PEOPLE TO PLAN THEM, AND IF ONLY A FEW
PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED, THAT MAKES THE ABILITY TO GET INTELLIGENCE
ALL THAT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT, HARRY.
>> AND RAMBLA IS A PEDESTRIAN SORT OF BOULEVARD JUST CROWDED
WITH TOURISTS EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR.
IT'S, IN A LITTLE WAY, LIKE TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK, OR
DIFFERENT PUBLIC SPACES THAT TOURISTS FREQUENT, AND PEOPLE
BMUSTE SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS NOW, HOW IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU
PREVENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENING IN Y,AN KNOW, AREA
THAT'S SO -- SO FREQUENTED BY TOURISTS AND REGULAR CITIZENS?
>> WELL, A SIGN OF THE TIMES. SOME CITIES IN THE U.S. NOW, AS
THEY PLAN PUBLIC PARKS, OR PUBLIC GATHERING SPACES, ARE
PLANNING BALLARDS AND BARRICADES AS PART OF THEIR PLANNING TO
PREVENT VEHICLES FROM ENTERING THEM, BECAUSE IT IS JUST BECOME
ALL TOO COMMON EXISTING AREAS OF THE MORE DIFFICULT ONES TO
PROTECT, BUT YOU'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE OF THIS IN CITIES
AROUND THE WORLD, BUT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT UP BARRIERS
AROUND EVERYTHING. >> HMM.
PEOPLE WILLIAMS IN WASHINGTON. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>>> WE CONTINUE TO HAVE FULL COVERAGE THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON
MSNBC AND ON NBCNEWS.COM AND A COMPLETE WRAP-UP TONIGHT ON "NBC
NIGHTLY NEWS" WITH LESTER HOLT. FOR NOW, I'M HARRY SMITH.
NBC NEWS, NEW YORK.