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CNN Live At Daybreak
City Hall Shooting: N.Y. Councilman Killed
Aired July 24, 2003 - 06:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The gunman is dead, the victim is too, but so many questions remain. The shooting at New York City Hall and the reasons for it are somewhat baffling for police. Why did it happen? And how did someone with a gun get in?
Live to New York City now and Elaine Quijano.
Good morning -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
Well the flags outside City Hall in New York are at half-staff, and now the mayor is vowing to make whatever changes are necessary to ensure that another security breach doesn't happen again.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The shooting happened in the balcony of the New York city council chambers just minutes after Councilman James Davis, a former police officer, entered the building together with his political rival Othniel Askew.
GEOFFREY DAVIS, BROTHER OF JAMES DAVIS: How is it that City Hall -- how can this happen in City Hall?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Geoffrey, turn to us here and tell us what...
DAVIS: That's what I'm concerned about.
QUIJANO: According to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Councilman Davis had bypassed the building's metal detectors, as was customary for elected officials. And Askew, carrying a silver .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun and four extra bullets in his socks, say authorities, apparently had done the same.
RAYMOND KELLY, POLICE COMMISSIONER: Witnesses say they saw Askew standing over Davis repeatedly firing shots. A New York City police officer assigned to City Hall was down on the main floor of the council chamber as the shooting took place. He drew his weapon and fired six shots up at Askew.
QUIJANO: Both Askew and Davis died. Now the mayor says everyone entering City Hall will be required to go through magnetometers.
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK MAYOR: Tragically, we live in a world where we have to balance security with people's rights to come and go. QUIJANO: Meanwhile, those who knew the gunman are stunned.
CHENI YERUSHALMI, FRIEND OF OTHNIEL ASKEW: I mean I feel very terrible about the whole incident, about this whole situation. I don't know what could have led to it. You know, that's it, it's just totally out of character.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUIJANO: Now as for the investigation, the FBI says that yesterday morning a man claiming to be Othniel Askew called their office and accused James Davis of harassment. They say this caller did not make any kind of threats.
Meanwhile, James Davis is being remembered as a person who was passionate about politics and who fought hard against urban violence.
We're live in New York. I'm Elaine Quijano.
Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Elaine.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 24, 2003 - 06:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The gunman is dead, the victim is too, but so many questions remain. The shooting at New York City Hall and the reasons for it are somewhat baffling for police. Why did it happen? And how did someone with a gun get in?
Live to New York City now and Elaine Quijano.
Good morning -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
Well the flags outside City Hall in New York are at half-staff, and now the mayor is vowing to make whatever changes are necessary to ensure that another security breach doesn't happen again.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The shooting happened in the balcony of the New York city council chambers just minutes after Councilman James Davis, a former police officer, entered the building together with his political rival Othniel Askew.
GEOFFREY DAVIS, BROTHER OF JAMES DAVIS: How is it that City Hall -- how can this happen in City Hall?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Geoffrey, turn to us here and tell us what...
DAVIS: That's what I'm concerned about.
QUIJANO: According to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Councilman Davis had bypassed the building's metal detectors, as was customary for elected officials. And Askew, carrying a silver .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun and four extra bullets in his socks, say authorities, apparently had done the same.
RAYMOND KELLY, POLICE COMMISSIONER: Witnesses say they saw Askew standing over Davis repeatedly firing shots. A New York City police officer assigned to City Hall was down on the main floor of the council chamber as the shooting took place. He drew his weapon and fired six shots up at Askew.
QUIJANO: Both Askew and Davis died. Now the mayor says everyone entering City Hall will be required to go through magnetometers.
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK MAYOR: Tragically, we live in a world where we have to balance security with people's rights to come and go. QUIJANO: Meanwhile, those who knew the gunman are stunned.
CHENI YERUSHALMI, FRIEND OF OTHNIEL ASKEW: I mean I feel very terrible about the whole incident, about this whole situation. I don't know what could have led to it. You know, that's it, it's just totally out of character.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUIJANO: Now as for the investigation, the FBI says that yesterday morning a man claiming to be Othniel Askew called their office and accused James Davis of harassment. They say this caller did not make any kind of threats.
Meanwhile, James Davis is being remembered as a person who was passionate about politics and who fought hard against urban violence.
We're live in New York. I'm Elaine Quijano.
Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Elaine.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
