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Travis Barker's weekend was an emotional roller coaster in El Paso -- it started with plans to visit a friend in prison and then rock out with his band ... but his band ended up in lockdown across the street from the slaughter as he was miles away visiting a friend in prison.

As you know, a gunman with an assault rifle opened fire Saturday morning at a Walmart in El Paso, TX ... killing 22 and injuring many others.

Blink-182 was in town for a show, and Mark Hoppus tweeted they were about to head to the mall where the massacre took place when they got word their hotel was on lockdown.

Barker wasn't with the band ... he had traveled 250 miles to visit rapper 03 Greedo at the Fort Stockton prison.

We're told Travis promised his friend he'd visit him whenever he was in Texas and made plans in advance to see him before the Blink concert. We're told he was at the prison visiting Greedo at the time of the shooting ... but didn't get word of it until after he left.

Travis was horrified at the news, but thankful his bandmates and the crew were okay. Blink-182 postponed its show out of respect and to show solidarity with the community.

As for Greedo -- we're told he's doing well behind bars and is staying positive and healthy. He's currently serving a 20-year sentence on drug and gun charges.

Beto O'Rourke is sick and tired of being asked if President Trump is racist ... and now he's ripping into the media for asking about something he feels is blatantly obvious to everyone.

The former Congressman from Texas, Presidential candidate and El Paso native was on MSNBC Monday morning, and blew a gasket while conveying his frustration following 2 mass shootings that left at least 29 dead.

Beto didn't hold back, saying, "Anyone who is surprised is part of this problem right now, including members of the media who ask, 'Hey Beto, do you think the president is racist?' Well, Jesus Christ, of course he's racist! He's been racist from before Day 1 when he was questioning whether Barack Obama was born in the United States."

The ex-Congressman had also lashed out at the media on Sunday ... using even more colorful language.

Beto's rant comes just 2 days after the majority-Hispanic city he used to represent came under fire from the 21-year-old gunman who stormed into a crowded Walmart and killed at least 20 people. The suspect wrote an anti-immigrant manifesto that echoes Trump's language and views about immigrants.

For what it's worth ... Trump partly blamed the shooting on video games.

Beto, clearly, isn't trying to hear that.

Hostages huddled inside an Arizona convenience store banded together to subdue a man police say fatally shot a customer moments before ... bum-rushing the suspect and tackling him to the ground in a wild incident that was caught on video!!!

Footage from the intense standoff is insane ... you see the gunman pacing around an aisle when one of the hostages suddenly engages him, wrestling him to the ground. As the struggle continues, an employee rushes over and starts smashing the alleged killer over the head with a crate.

With the gunman subdued, more hostages got in on the action ... stomping, kicking and absolutely pummeling the man as he squirms on the floor.

The unreal scene went down May 9 at a Circle K gas station in Phoenix ... and the surveillance video was just entered into evidence in the alleged killer's murder trial.

Cops shot the alleged killer, 53-year-old Joel McClain Carson, who police say walked into the store and killed a customer with a gunshot to the back of their head.

In the video ... you see the gunman barking at an employee to lock the doors, then he barricades the entrance with a donut display ... all while holding a handgun.

Once the hostages overpowered the gunman, they ran to the exit, broke down the barricade, unlocked the door and got the hell outta Dodge.

Roughly an hour later, a SWAT team makes its move ... entering the store before shooting and injuring the alleged killer.

Cardi B did not take the stage in Indianapolis Tuesday because of a security issue that threatened the rapper's safety as well as the venue she was supposed to perform at ... TMZ has learned.

Cardi was supposed to perform at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indy, but less than an hour before the sold-out show was scheduled to begin, the concert was postponed ... leaving tons of fans angry, upset and wondering what the hell was going on.

Cops put out a release saying, "This evening, there was a scheduled concert at Bankers Life. We were notified of an unverified threat to the artist and the artist canceled this evening’s concert - there is no immediate threat to public safety, this not an active incident. Ongoing investigation."

The venue says Cardi's show has been rescheduled for Sept. 11.

Cardi was inside the venue for soundcheck prior to the show, and posted a message to her fans after the announcement, issuing a heartfelt apology.

Cardi had another show postponed earlier this year in Baltimore ... but that was because she couldn't perform due to health issues from her recent plastic surgeries.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting might've been a whole lot worse had officers not responded so quickly and bravely -- according to one musician who was there as it all went down.

Tommy Huxley played Sunday at the festival with his band, Tommy Huxley's Blues Avenue, and when the first shots were fired, they were breaking down their equipment. Huxley tells us Gilroy cops were on the scene seconds later and searching for the shooter.

He gives a recap of how the terrifying incident unfolded, saying at first ... he thought he was hearing fireworks, but soon realized what was happening as people scrambled.

It sounds like a complete 180 from the good vibes being shared right before all this -- you can see Tommy and his band jamming out and people having a great time.

The moment people started running from nearby stages was also captured when the shooting first started, and it gives you a sense of just how scary it was. Another band was in the middle of performing when shots were heard, and people ran for their lives.

As you know, 3 people were killed and 12 others injured.

Listen to how Huxley describes Gilroy PD's response though -- sounds like 4 officers were frantically trying to get to the gunman and end the threat, which they ultimately did. The suspected  19-year-old shooter was shot dead in a standoff with police.

Authorities say the shooter used an AK-47-style rifle, which he purchased legally in Nevada earlier this month. Witnesses have said he was wearing fatigues, and that he was shooting at random. Two children -- aged 6 and 13 -- were among the fatalities.

The earthquakes that have rocked Southern California over the past few days have left one apocalyptically-inclined actor thinkin' the end is near ... so here are his ground rules.

We got 'Walking Dead' star Lawrence Gilliard Jr. out Saturday in L.A. -- just a day after Friday's scary 7.1 magnitude quake -- and asked him if he saw any similarities between the panicked vibes of the city and what he and others experienced on the show.

Unfortunately (for all of us, perhaps), he suggests ... uh, hell yeah. The fact folks are stocking up on supplies and planning for the worst ain't a good sign, but like he says ... "You gotta be prepared." BTW, Lawrence believes that all the preparation in the world won't do any good if/when the big one hits ... 'cause Cali would be well underwater. 

Not to worry though, LGJ's got a short-term plan to deal, for himself anyway. 

ICYMI ... California, and even parts of Nevada, felt the rumblings of the initial earthquakes and their aftershocks throughout Fourth of July weekend, and in some areas ... it caused some serious damage and freaky imagery ... like this here, where the ground starts to split.

Ridgecrest -- about 100 miles east of Bakersfield -- was reportedly hit the hardest, and it sent people scrambling for cover. Here's the scene from inside a restaurant around that area.

The Fourth of July got off to a terrifying start for folks in Southern California after a preliminary magnitude 6.6 earthquake shook for what seemed like an eternity.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake was centered in the Mojave Desert but people all over SoCal -- from Beverly Hills and Marina del Rey to Universal Studios, downtown L.A. and beyond -- felt the rolling tremor. Some folks in Vegas said on social media they felt it too.

At the epicenter in Ridgecrest, CA ... items toppled off shelves and mirrors came crashing down. The National Weather Service said no tsunami warnings are expected in California, Oregon or Washington. There are no reports of any structural damage to buildings or roads ... at least not yet.

The TMZ offices were certainly not spared, because the studio lights above our desks were swaying like there was no tomorrow.

So far, no reports of injury ... at least not yet. We're guessing some of the folks who work at 7-Eleven are picking up cans from the aisles. 

Capitol Hill is buzzing -- almost literally -- for the first Congressional hearing on slavery reparations in a decade ... because a huge crowd is waiting to see Danny Glover and Sen. Cory Booker testify.

The loud scene unfolded Wednesday morning in the halls of Congress, where a seemingly endless throng assembled to show support for an issue that's gained a huge amount of traction this year.

Ya gotta see the video ... wannabe spectators packed into a tiny hallway outside the hearing -- an obvious illustration of just how monumental the hearing is for millions of Americans.

Booker, one of several Democratic presidential hopefuls expressing support for some form of reparations, testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties ... and Glover was among the other speakers.

H.R. 40 calls for a commission to study and develop reparation proposals for African-Americans, plus a formal apology from the U.S. government for human rights violations and "crimes against humanity on African slaves and their descendants."

President Trump doesn't like having his train of thought interrupted, which he made very clear Sunday by demanding a redo when somebody coughed in the middle of his interview.

45 was chatting it up with ABC's George Stephanopoulos in The White House, discussing everything from the Mueller report to his still-unreleased tax records -- and as he was explaining the latter ... someone off-camera let out a heavy cough that threw DT off.

He stopped mid-sentence and asked George if they could run his answer back, 'cause he didn't appreciate the interruption. Trump said quite bluntly, "Let's do that over, he's coughing in the middle of my answer," going on to add, "I don't like that, you know?"

George seemed to indicate that the culprit was Trump's Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney, but it's unclear if it was in fact him. Whoever it was ... Trump definitely wasn't very nice in telling them to shut the hell up. In fact, he instructed them to leave the room.

"You just can't, you just can't cough," Trump told the cougher.

George and the ABC team reset and the Prez finished his tangent about his "fantastic financial statement." What's funny is that the gaffe made it to air during Sunday's broadcast.

Paris' archbishop ditched his holy headgear for something a little more practical during the first mass in the Notre Dame Cathedral since the fire ... opting for a helmet instead.

Archbishop Michel Aupetit and a number of his fellow clergymen held their first church service Saturday in a chapel behind the choir, which was deemed safe by construction experts who'd been consulted on the ceremony ... according to AP.

Auteptit wasn't the only one protecting his noggin from any potential lingering debris from the ravaged roof -- which was set ablaze in April. A bunch of other priests on hand, as well as about 30 others who were present, all appeared to be wearing hard-hat helmets.

Hey ... better safe than sorry, right? Authorities have said the place is still very much so in the rebuilding phase -- and will be for the next 3 years -- and it's likely somewhat hazardous after the inferno destroyed much of the roof as well as the structure's spire.

You don't wanna leave anything to chance ... or faith, for that matter. Treating it like a construction site's a good idea if you're going in there. And go in they certainly did.

According to reports, Saturday's mass marked the anniversary of the consecration of the cathedral's altar, which is apparently celebrated each year in June. Fire or not ... these guys clearly take the affair seriously enough to risk injury or worse.

What's also interesting ... if the priests were able to get in this early and hold mass, ya gotta wonder if they'll reopen their doors early to the masses as well.

A helicopter came crashing down on the roof of a building in Midtown Manhattan ... sparking a fire, according to officials.

According to the New York Fire Department ... the chopper made a hard landing Monday afternoon on the rooftop of a high rise, and a two-alarm fire broke out. One person, reportedly the pilot, died.

The building is on 7th avenue between 51st and 52nd Streets in the heart of Midtown ... and it's a wild scene outside, with tons of fire trucks, police and first responders. The building and several neighboring properties are being evacuated.

Witnesses say they heard a loud rumble in the area of the crash ... and in photos and videos from the scene, you see black smoke billowing into the sky.

It's unclear what led to the fiery helicopter crash, and some people are freaking out about a possible terrorist attack, though there's no official word.

Guests who went to Six Flags in Southern California on Sunday were met with flames and smoke as a wildfire erupted right next door ... and they were temporarily trapped.

The fire, which officials have dubbed the Sky Fire, broke out near Six Flags Magic Mountain and the adjacent water park, Hurricane Harbor, at around noon down in Santa Clarita ... literally a stone's throw away from the theme park and all the guests inside.

As the flames grew, a lot of patrons captured the panicked scene from the ground ... and even from still-operating rollercoasters up in the air. It's pretty insane to see.

One guest filmed the smoke billowing while ascending the park's biggest rollercoaster, Goliath, and the moment appeared ominous to say the least.

According to authorities, the fire has burned up to 50 acres and is 20 percent contained as of about 3 PM PT. At first, guests were being evacuated ... but were eventually told to bunker down in the park as all the exit roads nearby were closed for the time being.

Shortly afterward, the exits were reopened and people started to flee en masse. Six Flags says that the two parks are going to be closed for the remainder of Sunday, but surprisingly ... they're saying their doors will be open again Monday.

Dwyane Wade surprised the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by showing up to their graduation ceremony and telling them how to prepare for the next chapter.

The former Miami Heat star made an appearance Sunday at MSD's commencement, where he delivered a heartfelt speech about the impact the school shooting left on him and how he grappled with relating to students soon after the 2018 massacre.

D-Wade described the silence on campus about a month afterward, when he was invited as a guest to meet and talk with the grieving student body. To his surprise, he said that even his mere presence was able to lift spirits ... despite not being able to fully comprehend what they'd been through. The point ... a small act of kindness went a long way.

He went on to relate even further to the 2019 graduating class, telling them he too recently closed a big chapter in his own life -- Dwyane retired from the NBA this year -- but that he was still excited about the next steps, as they oughta be as well. He also imparted a team mantra he made up with his 2013 team.

Dwyane had the audience recite the mantra, which ended with a rousing "We fight!" call-back. He left the stage to huge applause ... clearly, he knocked it out of the park.

A massive cruise ship sent folks scrambling as it barreled into an Italian dock and bumped into a much smaller boat ... which looked like something straight out of an action movie.

The terrifying moment went down Sunday morning in Venice, where an MSC Opera cruise liner blared its horn as it roared its way toward a busy canal without any signs of slowing down. In video of the incident, you can see people fleeing the scene, realizing the ship wasn't gonna stop.

The ship eventually came to a halt after it pin-balled into the wharf, but not before it made contact with a much smaller tour boat along the way. Local media reports that at least 4 people sustained injuries in the crash -- none of them appear to be life-threatening, though.

As far as what caused this ... MSC Cruises is only saying the ship experienced a "technical issue" while attempting to dock, and an investigation is underway to figure out exactly what happened.

During coverage of the nightmarish collision, people couldn't help but compare the scene to the movie "Speed 2: Cruise Control" ... which ends similarly to the Venetian crash, albeit not nearly as dramatic.

5/12 8:00 AM PT -- A Secret Service source tells TMZ, the motorcade did indeed stop for a minute as CHP officers assisted the injured deputy, who suffered minor injuries.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip through L.A. was almost interrupted by a driver who hit one of the local officers helping escort his motorcade -- we say almost 'cause the rest of the fleet kept on going.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a CHP officer on a motorcycle was broadsided Saturday while blocking traffic for Pompeo's motorcade, which was getting off the 405 freeway at the La Cienega exit. We're told a driver -- who was going about 20 MPH -- made an illegal U-turn and clipped the guy.

Video of the scene shows the officer lying on the ground and being tended to by fire personnel that responded. Our sources say the officer was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.

Meanwhile, we're told the rest of the motorcade continued on its way ... seemingly unaware of the accident that just occurred behind them. That, or they were in a hurry to get the SoS somewhere ASAP.

It appears the driver in question lost his bumper in the collision too, but got out of his car to survey the damage. It's unclear if any arrests were made on the spot.

1:57 PM PT -- Russian investigators now say the death toll from the burning plane has jumped to 41, more than half the number of passengers on board originally.

A Russian airliner made an emergency landing Sunday when it caught on fire midair ... leaving at least 13 people dead, according to officials.

The horrific incident was filmed by multiple bystanders who captured the landing from Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport -- where the plane circled back to in order to land safely, per local reports. 73 passengers aboard were heading to Murmansk -- about a 2-hour flight.

In video of the landing, you can see the plane -- an Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet -- engulfed in a huge ball of flames as it skirted its way down the runway. Further footage shows multiple passengers evacuating the aircraft through emergency inflatable exits.

Paramedics and fire personnel rushed to the scene to the help. The passengers that safely made it off were fleeing the inferno they'd just been trapped in.

No official word on what caused the fire in the air -- some reports are surfacing that suggest a lightning bolt might've struck the plane up above ... but that hasn't been confirmed.

Russia's Investigative Committee says it has launched a criminal probe into the incident -- although it's not clear that foul play is suspected at this time.