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11/24 10:30 AM PT -- Police are now saying that the man shot and killed Thursday night at the Alabama mall "likely did not fire" the shots that wounded and hospitalized 2 people, an 18-year-old and a 12-year-old.

Authorities say they mistakenly believed 21-year-old Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford Jr. was the shooter, but admit now "our initial media release was not totally accurate." Bradford -- who was shot and killed by an officer as he fled the scene -- is believed to have been involved in the altercation ... but was not the gunman.

The actual suspected gunman is still at large.

A confrontation erupted at an Alabama mall on Thanksgiving night, and it ended with a gunman injuring 2 before he was shot dead.

The incident went down at Alabama's largest enclosed mall -- the Riverchase Galleria in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover.

There was an argument between a 21-year-old man and an 18-year-old male. The 21-year-old pulled out a gun and shot the 18-year-old twice in the torso. An armed, off-duty cop who was working security shot the gunman as he fled, killing him.

A 12-year-old girl was shot in the melee, although it's unclear if the bullet was from the gun of the shooter or the officer.

The 2 victims are expected to survive. The 12-year-old girl had to undergo surgery. She's in stable condition.

President Trump forgot the name of the California town he was visiting, which had just been burned to ashes by wildfires ... calling it "Pleasure" instead of Paradise.

DT was touring the wildfire wreckage in CA Saturday alongside Governor Jerry Brown and Governor-elect Gavin Newsom -- seeing the damage from the Camp and Woolsey Fires firsthand. At one point, he made the embarrassing blunder ... and seemed to stick by his mistake at first, despite being corrected by a group of people.

He eventually corrects himself after enough people insist Paradise, CA is, in fact, called Paradise ... and not Pleasure. He also flippantly said ... "What a name." Paradise was the first stop of his California tour this weekend. At least 76 people have been killed so far from NorCal's Camp Fire, and least 3 have died from the Woolsey Fire down south.

Remember ... Trump originally placed blame on the Golden State as the fires were at their peaks, even threatening to cut federal funding from California if its alleged mismanagement of forests wasn't remedied "now." He changed his tune a bit Saturday, saying if people would just rake the dang grounds more, fires like these could be prevented.

Beto O'Rourke doesn't buy the criticism of Beyonce -- that she waited too long to throw her support behind him in the Texas Senatorial election -- to the contrary, he says it's hard to find anything from Houston more impressive than her.

We got Beto on Capitol Hill, and he can't say enough about Bey ... can't say enough because he's interrupted by a slew of fans who went nuts when they saw him.

As for Beyonce, some of Beto's supporters think it was too little, too late throwing her support behind him on the day of the election.

Gotta say ... he's about as genuine as they come -- unspotted by the ever-present phoniness of politics.

Marlon Wayans tells us Donald Trump should feel right at home at the scene of the destructive California wildfires ... because the comedian thinks the President is "the devil."

We got Marlon on Saturday at LAX ... and he tells our photog it's ironic Trump is visiting areas devastated by the Camp Fire because he feels POTUS is ultimately responsible for the deadliest fire in California history.

Check out the clip ... Marlon paints a picture of how he imagines Trump, and it's really dark.

Trump arrived in Northern California on Saturday and he's surveying fire recovery efforts and inspecting the damage.

When the wildfires started scorching California last week, Trump blamed the flames on poor forest management and threatened to cut federal funding.

Robin Thicke and April Love Geary lost it all in California's wildfires ... but you wouldn't it know it based on the new perspective they've gained in the aftermath of the inferno.

We got the couple Friday in Bev Hills and asked how they were holding up after their Malibu home burned to the ground. The singer told us they haven't even started thinking about rebuilding yet ... instead, they're squarely focused on something bigger than their own property.

We also asked them about P!nk and Carey Hart's issue with looters. As we reported, Carey put any potential looters on notice with a pretty menacing photo. Let's just say Robin doesn't share that concern, but for a very sad reason.

George Lopez was positive Donald Trump would let D.L. Hughley in the White House press room before Jim Acosta would ever be invited back, so imagine his SHOCK when he learned from us Jim's back in action!

Don't get George wrong ... he stands with Acosta. But, the Trump/Acosta fiery relationship makes George's attacks on Trump look like a pillow fight ... hence his surprise.

10:14 AM PT -- Trump just addressed the situation, and he issues a stern warning to reporters like Acosta ... follow the rules or end up back in court.

9:49 AM PT -- Acosta hit the ground running, and is already back at the White House just hours after his victory.

9:20 AM PT -- Sounds like the White House fully intends to challenge the judge's ruling. Sarah Sanders said, "In response to the court, we will temporarily reinstate the reporter's hard pass."

"Temporarily" being the keyword there.

Sanders added, "We will also further develop rules and processes to ensure fair and orderly press conferences in the future. There must be decorum at the White House."

Translation: They're not done battling Acosta.

President Trump had it out for CNN White House Correspondent Jim Acosta ... so says a federal judge who has just ordered The White House to give Acosta his press credentials back.

The judge didn't buy the White House party line, because it shifted from Acosta making contact with a W.H. intern as the basis for its decision, to Acosta's "general conduct."

The judge did not base his core ruling off the First Amendment but rather the Due Process clause of the 5th Amendment. The judge said the decision to revoke the pass was "so shrouded in mystery that the government could not tell me ... who made the decision."

The judge went on to say Trump has no obligation to call on Acosta during White House news conferences but Acosta has a right to due process before his hard pass can be revoked.

CNN and its chief White House reporter, Jim Acosta, sued Trump Tuesday after Acosta's hard pass was yanked following aggressive questioning last week during a press conference ... Trump and Co. pulled his pass after he made contact with a White House intern, who was trying to take the mic away from him.

CNN argued in court Trump was infringing on Acosta's 1st and 5th Amendment rights by pulling his press pass, adding the real reason behind the move is his extreme hatred for CNN.

For his part, Trump's White House lawyers responded by saying the Prez can pick and choose who gets on White House grounds to cover his administration.

Originally Published -- 7:28 AM PT

For Bella Hadid, the California wildfire's destructive path made things personal ... and now she's fighting to avert a looming threat triggered by the ravaging inferno -- mudslides.

The supermodel has donated $10k to the Malibu Disaster Prevention & Relief Fund. The GoFundMe page is spearheaded by the Point Dume Bomberos ... who need the money to pack sandbags, buy pool pumps, generators, respirators, cleanup materials and other tools.

Rain could arrive sometime next week and fire officials have said fast-moving mudslides -- possibly like the catastrophic one in Montecito earlier this year -- could be powerful enough to bring down trees and tons of other debris. Fact is ... torched terrain won't absorb the rain.

This would be devastating for Bella who, on top of losing her Montecito home in January from devastating floods, has seen the area where she went to high school decimated. The Woolsey fire's killed at least 2 people and burned nearly 100k acres and more than 400 structures.

Bella's not the only celeb pitching in to help Malibu get back on its feet. Patton Oswalt donated $5k to rebuild a horse ranch that burned down. Jon Favreau kicked in $1k to another Woolsey Fire relief fund and Sean Astin donated $1k to a similar cause.

Lady Gaga is walking the walk when it comes to helping California's wildfire victims ... and she's doing it with arms full of pizza.

Gaga hit up a Red Cross Shelter in the L.A. area Tuesday night to deliver goodies -- food, coffee and other items -- to hundreds of people displaced by the Woolsey fire. No tip necessary. She's all good.

Can't say she's not a woman of her word. Remember, Gaga -- who was also forced to evacuate -- went to a shelter over the weekend and told evacuees she'd stand by them through the crisis.

Kinda perfect timing that Tuesday happened to be World Kindness Day, and Gaga encouraged others to follow in her footsteps.

Gerard Butler says he's heartbroken for Californians who've lost their homes -- and, in many cases, their lives -- during the wildfires ... and he's asking for help as folks begin to rebuild.

The "300" star stopped off on the side of the road Monday near his now burned-out Malibu home and opened up about the painful experience of rummaging through the ashes of his community. He choked up a bit as he talked about how much other people -- especially in Northern Cali -- have lost.

As we reported ... Gerard found his home in ashes this weekend after returning to Malibu. He now says only half of his house is burnt, unlike many neighbors who've lost their entire properties. The silver lining ... he says he's going to rebuild, and hopes others will too.

Gerard also gives an important plug for the GoFundMe page launched to help the wildfire victims.

Paris Hilton's mom is right ... Paris is too busy to get married right now -- she's got her hands full helping a town in Mexico still reeling from a devastating earthquake.

Paris visited the town of Xochimilco on Monday to hand out pillows, and other items from her company, to families struggling to recover from the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck in September 2017. She hugged little kids and posed for pics as she dropped off the gear.

More than 100 people died in Central Mexico and tons of buildings were reduced to rubble -- so, humanitarian efforts are still much needed.

Paris teamed up with Un Kilo de Ayuda (One Kilo of Help) for this mission.

2:24 PM PT -- Liam returned to ground zero to visit what's left of his and Miley's home in Malibu. He toured the area with his brother, Luke. It appears the brothers have joined the recovery efforts ... riding around wearing a respirator to protect them from the poor air quality.

Miley Cyrus understandably says she's devastated after becoming one of the thousands of Californians who lost their homes in the wildfires around the state.

Miley says she, along with fiance Liam Hemsworth and their pets, escaped safely but the house has been reduced to rubble.

She tweeted, "I am one of the lucky ones. My animals and LOVE OF MY LIFE made it out safely & that's all that matters right now. My house no longer stands but the memories shared with family & friends stand strong."

Gerard Butler and Camille Grammer also lost their Malibu homes over the weekend.

At least 177 homes have been destroyed in SoCal by the fires and, in Northern California, more than 6,000 homes were lost -- in fact the entire town of Paradise has been wiped off the map.

At least 31 people have died from the fires.

Originally Published -- 6:00 AM PST

Hundreds of scared animals were helplessly fending for themselves in the midst of the raging California wildfires, that is until an army of humans descended on the ravaged areas to save them.

Check out the video ... tortoises, sheep, a llama, a rabbit, a mini-horse, chickens and an alpaca are all beneficiaries of the rescue effort.

There were scores of horses that had to be abandoned because their owners almost had to immediately evacuate. Many of the horses were tagged and let free, with the hope they would find their way to safety and then reunite with their owners.

It was treacherous work trying to save the animals ... many of which were scared and skittish.

A number of groups, including the Animal Hope and Wellness foundation had volunteers out and about trying to save the helpless creatures.

Former Playboy Playmate Jayde Nicole was among the cadre of volunteers, and she describes the difficulties of the rescue effort.

Several Pepperdine men's basketball players tell TMZ Sports they feared for their lives as the wildfires raged near their campus this weekend.

Flames have ravaged Southern California the past few days ... and when they crept up on Pepperdine's Malibu campus Friday ... students were forced to flee to the school's gym before they ultimately evacuated.

Pepperdine guard Jade' Smith says it was one of the most frightening things he's ever experienced.

"It was wild. It was crazy. It was honestly one of the scariest experiences of my life," Smith says.

"There was a point where they started to come around and it felt like they surrounded us almost."

The Waves postponed their game against CSU Northridge on Saturday ... and were thankful just to be safe when we got them ahead of their upcoming road trip at LAX on Monday.

"We were stuck in the gym and we saw the fire coming over the hill to the campus," forward Kessler Edwards says.

"It almost got some of the buildings."

Pepperdine is headed to Colorado for a game Tuesday before it hits the Bahamas for a tourney later this week ... and ya gotta hear how happy forward Kameron Edwards is to be leaving the fires behind.

Lady Gaga is putting her heart and soul into helping people driven from their homes by the California wildfires -- and she delivered an emotional speech to evacuees.

Gaga, who herself was forced to flee her Malibu home, showed up Sunday evening at a Red Cross shelter at Pacific Palisades High School, and told the displaced crowd, "I extend my love ... I know we do not know each other, but I love you. This is an emergency, but you are not alone."

She encouraged everyone to take advantage of mental health counselors on the premises, and to "share your stories and talk to each other during this time."

Gaga's home has reportedly survived the flames, so far, but it's obvious the danger of the Woolsey fire is taking an emotional toll.

We're told she spent about 90 minutes at the shelter. She took photos, handed out gift cards, and even sang to a 98-year-old woman who'd been evacuated.

As Gaga put it, "Let's keep the faith, together."

There's no doubt her time and words were greatly appreciated, and effective in lifting spirits.

10:21 AM PT -- Jemel's mother, Beatrice Roberson, filed a lawsuit Monday morning against the police officer who killed her son.

In the suit, she says the shooting was unprovoked, unjustified and "excessive and unreasonable."

She's suing the officer as well as the Village of Midlothian, and she's demanding damages in excess of $1 million.

A security guard who took down a man who opened fire in a bar was shot dead by a cop who responded to the 911 call.

Jemel Roberson was working security at Manny's Blue Room Bar Sunday at 4 AM in a Chicago suburb when several drunk patrons were ordered out. The guys left, came back with a gun and opened fire.

Roberson returned the fire and apprehended one of the men. Roberson placed his knee in the gunman's back and point a gun at him to stay still. An officer who responded to the 911 call fired at Roberson ... shooting him dead.

One of the bar patrons who witnessed the shooting said the cops "saw a black man with a gun, and basically killed him."

Roberson was a musician who played at several Chicago-area churches and wanted to become a police officer.

The Cook County Sheriff's Office has opened a criminal investigation into the bar shooting.

A GoFundMe account was established to pay for the 26-year-old Roberson's burial.