MARK WALKER SAYS HE’S TAKING A NEW PATH INTO POLITICS, AND THAT BREAKING NEWS IS FIRST AT 4:00. WALKER ANNOUNCED THIS AFTERNOON THAT HE HAS ACCEPTED A JOB WORKING ON FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN. THAT CLEARS THE WAY FOR HIS OPPONENT, ADDISON MCDOWELL, TO BECOME A MEMBER OF CONGRESS. BILL O’NEIL JOINS US IN GREENSBORO WITH THE STORY. THE FORMER CONGRESSMAN HAD UNTIL TOMORROW TO FILE FOR THE RUNOFF. THE DELAY SPARKED RUMORS THAT PERHAPS HE HAD OTHER PLANS. A FEW HOURS AGO, HE ANNOUNCED THOSE PLANS. MARK WALKER SAYS HE WILL BECOME THE DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH FOR FAITH AND MINORITY COMMUNITIES FOR THE DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGN. THE FORMER SIXTH DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN SAYS HE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM MR. TRUMP YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. COULD YOU SHARE SOME OF THAT CONVERSATION WITH WHAT THAT WAS LIKE? AND IT WAS INTERESTING. IT’S ONE OF THE RARE TIMES THAT I FELT LIKE THERE WAS A CONCILIATORY, UH, APPROACH FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP. AND VERY GRACIOUS, I MIGHT ADD, THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY, UH, MUCH BETTER PREFER WORKING DIRECTLY WITH HIM IN THE WHITE HOUSE ON THESE INITIATIVES AND MAYBE OTHERS AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY GRACIOUS TO BASICALLY SAY, YOU’VE GOT A WHITE HOUSE POSITION IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO RUN FOR AN ELECTED POSITION. AGAIN. WALKER AND THE FORMER PRESIDENT HAVE A ROCKY PAST. MR. TRUMP ENDORSED TED BUDD OVER WALKER FOR U.S. SENATE IN 2022, AND THIS YEAR, THE FORMER PRESIDENT ENDORSED POLITICAL NEWCOMER ADDISON MCDOWELL OVER WALKER FOR THE SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL SEAT. WITH NO DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER, MCDOWELL NO LONGER HAS ANY ROADBLOCKS KEEPING HIM FROM WASHINGTON. ON THE SURFACE, IT WOULD LOOK LIKE A BRIBE GIVING YOU A JOB. YEAH, I THINK MY RECORD IS PRETTY CLEAR. UH, YOU KNOW, I’VE MET WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP, AND I HAD TO SAY NO, UH, FOR A DISTRICT SIX ENDORSEMENT. YOU MAY REMEMBER IN DECEMBER OF 2022. SO I HAVE A TRACK RECORD OF WHAT I’M DOING, WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. WALKER SAYS HE DID GET A PROMISE FROM DONALD TRUMP. FORMER PRESIDENT HAS PROMISED TO ENDORSE YOU IF YOU RUN FOR OFFICE IN THE FUTURE. HE HAS. HE GAVE IT TO 100%. IF WE CHOOSE TO DO THAT. WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU GIVE TO YOUR SUPPORTERS, MANY OF WHOM I WOULD IMAGINE WILL BE DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR THIS NEWS? UH, A LOT OF THEM, UH, WILL BE GRATEFUL THAT I’M NOT CALLING THEM AGAIN FOR ANOTHER MAX OUT CONTRIBUTION. I DON’T KNOW IF I SHOULD SHARE THIS LIKE THAT OR NOT, BUT BUT YOU KNOW ME, I’M KIND OF A I’M JUST GOING TO BE REAL WITH YOU. ADDISON. MCDOWELL IS A FORMER LOBBYIST WITH NO EXPERIENCE IN POLITICAL OFFICE. HOWEVER, HE DOES HAVE THE ENDORSEMENT OF DONALD TRUMP. AS FOR MARK WALKER, HE TELLS ME THAT HIS POLITICAL FUTURE REMAINS UNCERTAIN FOR NOW. IN GREENSBORO, I’M BILL O’NEIL, WXII 12 NEWS. BILL. THANK YOU. AND NORTH CAROLINA VOTERS WILL HEAD TO THE POLLS ON MAY 14TH TO DECIDE TWO STATEWIDE RUNOFF CONTEST. WE HAVE MORE DETAILS ABOUT THOSE RACES INSIDE THE COMMITMENT 2024 SECTION AT WXII 12.COM, AND ALWAYS ON OUR FREE MOBILE APP. ELSEWHERE TONIGHT, FOUR PEOPLE, INCLUDING TWO JUVENILES, ARE IN CUSTODY AFTER A SHOOTING AND A CHASE IN WINSTON-SALEM. POLICE BELIEVE TWO JUVENILES FIRED SHOTS ON PEACHTREE STREET AROUND 1130 YESTERDAY. OFFICERS TRIED TO PULL THE SUSPECT VEHICLE OVER AT THE SCENE, BUT THE DRIVER THEN TOOK OFF. POLICE SAY THE SUSPECT CAR CRASHED ON ARGONNE BOULEVARD BEFORE THE JUVENILES GOT OUT AND GOT INSIDE. ANOTHER CAR WITH FOUR INDIVIDUALS INSIDE THAT CAR BEYONCE, DURAN, JEREMIAH, FLOYD AND THE TWO JUVENILE SUSPECT WERE ALL ARRESTED AND CHARGED. IT COULD HAVE BEEN WAY WORSE IF I WOULD HAVE TOOK MY SON AND MY BABYSITTER WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN HERE, AND MY DOGS, MY SNAKES, EVERYTHING. WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE LOST EVERYTHING. HOME SURVEILLANCE CAPTURED THE MOMENT A FAMILY REALIZED THEIR HOUSE WAS ON FIRE. IT’S VIDEO YOU’LL ONLY SEE ON WXII 12 NEWS WINSTON-SALEM POLICE OFFICERS WHO JUST HAPPENED TO BE IN THE AREA HELPED GET THAT FAMILY TO SAFETY. MARIA DEBONE IS LIVE AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TONIGHT. MARIA, THEIR ACTIONS THAT DAY REALLY SAVED LIVES. YEAH. THAT’S RIGHT. OFFICERS WERE ABLE TO BE ON THE SCENE WITHIN SECONDS OF THE HOUSE CATCHING FIRE DUE TO RESPONDING TO A SHOOTING RIGHT IN THAT AREA. NOW, THE FIRE, THE FRIGHTENING SCENE WAS CAUGHT ON CAMERA AS THE HOMEOWNER’S BABYSITTER. THREE YEAR OLD SON AND PETS WERE ALL INSIDE. YOU CAN SEE OFFICERS HELPING THEM ALL OUTSIDE. HOMEOWNER SHANTE MILLER BELIEVES A STRAY BULLET HITTING AN ATV THAT WAS AGAINST THE BACK OF THE HOUSE CAUSED THE FIRE. MILLER SAYS SHE AND HER FOUR KIDS ARE NOW LEFT WITHOUT A HOME AND EVERYTHING IS DESTROYED, SO SHE’S WORKING WITH HOPE DEALERS OUTREACH TO GET CLOTHES AND ESSENTIALS. WE ALREADY LOST EVERYTHING, BUT ANYTHING WILL HELP. I’LL JUST BE GRATEFUL FOR ANYTHING. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A LOT. I APPRECIATE ANYTHING THAT I CAN GET THE FIRE. AND IF YOU’D LIKE TO DONATE ANY SUPPLIES YOU CAN REACH OUT TO HOPE DEALERS, OUTREACH AND I REACHED OUT TO WINSTON-SALEM FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR AN OFFICIAL CAUSE ON THE FIRE, BUT HAVEN’T HEARD BACK YET ON THAT NIGHT, LIVE IN WINSTON-SALEM, MARIA DEBONE WXII I 12 NEWS MARIA. THANK YOU. A LAW THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BAN TIKTOK PASSES IN THE US HOUSE. THE SOCIAL MEDIA APP HAS 170 MILLION PLUS USERS IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE. THE VOTE WAS 352 TO 65, WITH ONE MEMBER SIMPLY VOTING PRESENT. THE MEASURE NOW GOES TO THE SENATE, AND HERE IS WHAT’S AT STAKE. BOTH PARTIES ARGUE THE POPULAR SOCIAL MEDIA APP POSES A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT BECAUSE IT’S A CHINA BASED COMPANY, AND OFFICIALS SAY IT’S COMPELLED TO SHARE DATA WITH THE RULING CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY. TIKTOK HAS REPEATEDLY DENIED THAT BYTEDANCE IS AN AGENT OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. LAWMAKERS HAVE ALSO BROUGHT UP TIKTOK’S INFLUENCE ON YOUNG PEOPLE’S MENTAL HEALTH. AND HERE’S A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW NORTH CAROLINA LAWMAKERS VOTED ON THE TIKTOK BAN. THE LONE NO VOTE FROM OUR STATE’S DELEGATION CAME FROM REPUBLICAN DAN BISHOP. HE’S RUNNING FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL THIS YEAR. REPUBLICANS VIRGINIA FOX AND RICHARD HUDSON, ALONGSIDE DEMOCRATS VALERIE FUCCI AND KATHY MANNING, ALL VOTED YES. NEW INFORMATION REGARDING THE GREENSBORO CHILDREN’S CENTER ON HOBBS ROAD IN GREENSBORO THAT FACILITY WILL HOUSE UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN WHO HAVE NO LAWFUL IMMIGRATION STATUS IN THE U.S. CHRIS PETERSON JOINS US NOW FROM GREENSBORO. WITH MORE. THE OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT SAYS THIS FACILITY IS SCHEDULED TO BE OPERATIONAL ON FRIDAY, BUT THERE ARE NO PLANS TO HOUSE CHILDREN HERE AT THIS TIME. A PRESS RELEASE DATED JANUARY 19TH OF THIS YEAR FROM THE OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT STATES THE GREENSBORO CHILDREN’S CENTER HAS A CAPACITY OF 800 BEDS AND WILL HOUSE CHILDREN AGES 13 TO 17. THE RELEASE ALSO STATES. OPENING THE FACILITY WILL DEPEND ON A VARIETY OF FACTORS, INCLUDING CAPACITY REQUIREMENTS AND UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN. REFERRAL RATES, AMONG OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. CURRENT FACILITIES ON CAMPUS WILL BE UTILIZED FOR EDUCATION, HOUSING, MENTAL HEALTH, MEDICAL AND CASE MANAGEMENT NEEDS. GREENSBORO MAYOR NANCY VAUGHAN SHARED WITH WXII AN EMAIL FROM ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER TREY DAVIS. THE EMAIL STATES THAT HE RECENTLY RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM THE ORDER SAYING THAT THE GREENSBORO CHILDREN’S CENTER WOULD BE USED WHEN CAPACITY IS NECESSITATE. THE ORDER ALSO SHARED THAT TOURS OF THE CENTER WOULD BE CONDUCTED AFTER MARCH 15TH. HOWEVER, I NOTICED PEOPLE WALKING AROUND THE PROPERTY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. BOONE NEIGHBORS WHO LIVE ALONG JEFFERSON AND HOBBS ROADS DID NOT WANT TO GO ON CAMERA BECAUSE THEY SAY IT’S SUCH A HOT BUTTON TOPIC. THEY SAY THEY’VE NOTICED ACTIVITY AT THE SITE, INCLUDING BUSSES WITH TINTED WINDOWS ENTERING THE PROPERTY. THOSE NEIGHBORS ALSO TELL ME THEY’RE CONCERNED ABOUT SECURITY AND THEIR PROPERTY VALUES. THE ORDER SAYS THAT THEY OPERATE 289 FACILITIES LIKE THIS ONE ON HOBBS ROAD IN GREENSBORO. IN 29 STATES. THEY SAY THEY HAVE A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY WITH MINIMAL IMPACT TO THE NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES