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School Attack Thwarted; More Details Emerge in Cleveland School Shooting; Activists Allege Excessive Force in Arrest of 15-Year-Old; Auto Workers Back on the Job at Chrysler

Aired October 11, 2007 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: After the violence, the questions, the promises. The nightmarish visions of a short and bitter life and the way it ended. We're in Cleveland, the site of yesterday's shootings at SuccessTech Academy.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: And from Baghdad, our Nic Robertson weighs in on the potential colossal impact of a war on Iraq. The word is genocide. And 92 years later, Turkey still doesn't want to hear it.

Hello, everybody. I'm Rob Marciano, in today for Don Lemon at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

MARCIANO: And we want to get you straight to the news room now, where Fredricka Whitfield has details on a developing story, a Columbine-like threat.

Fred, what do you know?

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: That's right and this in Pennsylvania. Even though there was this very serious threat being made to a high school in the Colonial School District, school is still in session at the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School.

What took place is that apparently police got wind -- as well as the school district -- got wind of a 14-year-old's student -- or young person I should say -- who had threatened to carry out a Columbine- style attack at this high school, a school in which this child is not even enrolled.

However, police took it very seriously. They were able to contact this 14-year-old's parents and then able to go to the residence and actually take this child into custody after finding quite the arsenal: a 9-millimeter assault rifle, air gun, hand grenade, a bomb making book and videos of the 1999 Columbine attack in Colorado, and violence-filled notebooks.

However, the school district maintains that the school continues to be in session, the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in Pennsylvania.

Why this 14-year-old was planning to carry out such an attack is still unclear, and whether there may have been other students or young people involved in his alleged plot, that still unclear, as well.

However, the district attorney, Bruce Castor, said during a news conference that, despite all of this kind of information and the kind of evidence taken from this child's home, quote, "I do not think an attack was imminent, and I'm not certain that an attack was going to occur at all."

Still, they felt that they had enough information and enough evidence in which to take this very seriously, and thwart what they say was a Columbine-style attack planned -- Rob.

MARCIANO: Well, Fredricka, considering what happened this week at SuccessTech, this is at least a little bit comforting out of Pennsylvania. Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: That's right. Taking all of it very seriously.

MARCIANO: Kyra.

PHILLIPS: A day of "what ifs" and "I told you sos" and a search for solutions in Cleveland, Ohio, where just about this time yesterday a 14-year-old boy shot up his school.

Nine-one-one calls recorded the chaos and confusion among students trying to get out of the line of fire. Here's a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Where's the shooter now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's in the building.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, do you know where at in the building?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I ran out the school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was he threatening somebody with it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He shot it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He shot the gun?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many shots did he fire?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many shots did he fire? Two or three?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: When the gunfire was over, two teachers and two students were wounded. The young gunman is dead.

Here's CNN's Susan Roesgen on the day after. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Today, the Cleveland police are releasing a little bit more information about what happened at the school here behind me and what might have motivated the 14-year-old with the two guns, Asa Coon.

According to the Cleveland police chief, in the last two years they had responded to incidents at Asa Coon's home: domestic violence incidents, assault incidents, incidents involving property violations. So they know there was trouble at this young man's home.

Also, they say that he went into the bathroom of the school. They don't know how he got past the armed security guard at the front desk. But they say that Asa Coon went into the bathroom of the high school here, one of the bathrooms, changed clothes and apparently armed himself with three knives and two guns and two boxes of ammunition.

They also believe that they will learn more as they review the internal security tapes inside the videotape taken from cameras inside the school. But they say right now that they do believe that this was not a random shooting. They believe that Asa Coon was targeting at least two people.

CHIEF MICHAEL MCGRATH, CLEVELAND POLICE: He did go to a specific classroom and encounter a teacher. And as a result shot that teacher. He exited that room and looked for another teacher. And somewhere during the course of those events he fired some more rounds at another teacher who was trying to assist children exiting the floor.

ROESGEN: The police chief also said that there were some good things that happened, good procedures that were followed inside the school. For one thing, he said that when the shooting was over, they found two teachers and 12 students still locked in the library. He says that was the safest and smartest thing they could have done.

He also says that they have many more witnesses to interview, but he credited the lone security guard here for saving the life of one of the teachers by stopping the bleeding after he was shot.

Tomorrow here, the head of Cleveland public schools plans to introduce a new security plan for all the public schools in Cleveland that we'll be talking about, both metal detectors and warning signs, how to flag -- red flag students like Asa Coon before there is any violence.

Susan Roesgen, CNN, Cleveland, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And after we had learned about this yesterday in the afternoon, we found out that there was a student inside that school that actually had a home video camera. He had convinced his mom to let him take it to school just to bring it into the classroom. And just as the Code Blue went across the intercom in that school and teachers had to shuffle the kids out and get them inside of locked closets, this student started shooting this video camera. And we've just got approval to use it.

Warren Marks is the name of the student, and he was in his -- the name of the student. He was in his math class when he started shooting this video. Here it is unedited.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Quit talking. All my brother could die (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold on. Hold on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You all got to quiet down. Get down.

Hey. Quit laughing. This is not a joke. It's not a joke. Get on the floor and be quiet, please.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody, still (UNINTELLIGIBLE). People on the floor.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop talking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: We definitely don't want to downplay what happened yesterday. Obviously, it was very serious. A 14-year-old student opened fire in his school there in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, injuring four individuals, and then taking the gun on himself.

Obviously, you saw the students in that classroom, there was some laughter and smiles and giggling to go around. Obviously, did not realize the seriousness of what was happening inside their school. But that was raw and unedited.

And the student is Warren Marks. He happened to have his mom's video camera and just started rolling when everything happened, when the Code Blue came through. And they were told to go under their desks, go into a locked area, if possible. So you sort of got a feel for what had happened when those students really didn't understand what was taking place.

Warren Marks, once again, shooting this video. We just got permission to use it.

First chance to see what it was like inside one of those classrooms when they first found out that a student had opened fire, injuring two students and two teachers in that rampage before killing himself.

You saw -- I'm not sure if that's a teacher or a student that got up there to try to calm everybody down and say, "Look, this is serious. Stop laughing. This is for real."

Interesting insight to what happened yesterday afternoon inside that school.

We're also learning more about the shooting victims. Two are teachers, both men. Police say that 42-year-old history teacher Michael Grassie was shot in the chest and underwent surgery. He is said to be in fair condition now.

And then you had 57-year-old math teacher David Kachadourian. He was treated for a minor gunshot wound to the back.

Two students were shot, 15-year-old Michael Peek. He's in good condition. And 17-year-old Darnell Rogers who was shot in the elbow, treated and released.

Another student, a 15-year-old girl, hurt her knee when she fell and was trampled by other students.

MARCIANO: Well, the suspects in the bizarre mystery at sea case in South Florida are due in federal court this hour. Kirby Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo are being arraigned in Miami on murder charges. They're accused of killing the captain and three crew members of the fishing boat the Joe Cool.

Archer and Zarabozo were found on a life raft. The four victims haven't been seen since the suspects chartered the boat last month, reportedly for a pleasure trip to the Bahamas.

More from CNN's Susan Candiotti later in this hour.

Well, closing arguments heard today in the manslaughter case in Florida over a teenager's death at a boot camp for troubled kids. Yesterday the jury saw the videotape that prompted the Florida legislature to shut down all such camps. Here it is.

Seven former guards and a nurse are on trial in the death of 14- year-old Martin Lee Anderson.

The cause of Anderson's death is disputed. The former county coroner testified that the teen died of a sickle cell trait. Two other medical experts say Anderson died of asphyxiation brought on by the guards as a nurse stood by.

PHILLIPS: Let's get straight to the news room. Fredricka Whitfield working details on a developing story.

Hey, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Hey, Kyra. Well, was it a close call? A possible Columbine-type threat being thwarted in Pennsylvania in the Colonial School District, where authorities say they took into custody a 14- year-old child because this kid was threatening to carry out a Columbine-style attack on the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in Pennsylvania. And this young person isn't even an enrolled student at this high school.

However, police taking the information very seriously, going to his home, asking the permission of the parents, as well as informing them of this threat. Then they were able to go into the home and search the child's room, where they found quite the arsenal: a 9- millimeter assault rifle, air guns, hand grenades, a bomb-making book, videos of the 1999 Columbine attack in Colorado, and violence-filled notebooks.

So again, they were able to take this 14-year-old into custody. The school very pleased of hearing of this threat. However, they're carrying out school just as scheduled, so it has not been closed down as a result of this threat.

The 14-year-old in custody, but still unclear whether this 14- year-old had any accomplices. Were there any other young people or maybe even students of the school that were going to be involved in this? That's still unclear. But of course, when we get any more information about it we'll be able to bring that to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll keep tracking it. Thanks, Fred.

MARCIANO: Well, the gift of life from a total stranger. A vacuum cleaner sales man befriends an Idaho man who is in dire need after kidney. We'll talk live with both men in the NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: And a Florida teen punched in the face and sprayed with mace by a police officer. The case caught on tape. It's causing quite a stir, too. We've got the story.

MARCIANO: And is your job making you sick? Kyra, how are you feeling today?

PHILLIPS: I'm feeling good. I'm working with you.

MARCIANO: That's a good answer. Even better answer right there.

We're going to show you a new study that may shock you.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Want to show you that home video that we were able to bring to you just a few minutes ago and just show you a little bit of it once again.

Warren Marks was a student inside the SuccessTech Academy yesterday when a 14-year-old student opened fire on teacher -- on teachers and students after being suspended from school for fighting. Warren brought this camera to class after asking his mother if he could bring it into school. He started rolling video once that Code Blue came across the intercom. We're going to take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: You can hear the tears and the screaming and a lot of confusion. But it looked pretty calm as police were trying to get all those students out of the academy once they were able to corner the shooter, that 14-year-old student that came into the SuccessTech Academy yesterday, opening fire on two teachers and two other students. All four of those individuals survived that attack before the young shooter took the gun on himself, killing himself inside that academy.

Warren Marks was a student inside a math class there, and he had happened to have his mother's video camera with him in class. He's the one that started rolling as they were told to stay in the classroom. And then once they got the all clear, they calmly were escorted out by police.

Just an inside look at what happened yesterday in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.

MARCIANO: In Fort Pierce, Florida, today a lawyer invoked the Jena 6 in a broadside against the city police. Activists are outraged over police tactics used against a black 15-year-old girl who bit an arresting officer. Wow.

More on the story now from Brian Garner of CNN affiliate WPTV.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN GARNER, WPTV CORRESPONDENT: William Richardson, a local pastor and member of Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network, called the press conference here today on the front steps of the city hall here in Fort Pierce, Florida.

By his side, several other local pastors and community leaders, and Shelwanda Riley. She's the 15-year-old girl who's now been seen across the country in that squad car video.

Riley, as you'll recall, was arrested in July for a curfew violation. The Fort Pierce officer who stopped her turned on his dashboard video camera as he made the arrest.

He tells the girl to put her hands behind her back more than a dozen times in the video. She then bites the officer in the wrist, and he responds by striking her and pepper spraying her in the face.

Young Shelwanda Riley would not give her explanation of the events today. Reverend Richardson did all the talking for her. But he says the video shows the Fort Pierce Police Department needs systematic change.

REV. WILLIAM RICHARDSON, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK: We cannot allow for our chief to come out and support this officer, where we believe there was a clear case of excessive force. Whatever your opinion, there's a clear case here that it was excessive force, and this officer should not be working the beat while this investigation is pending.

GARNER: Richardson says he and the other pastors have met with the police chief, and they want to see changes in the way the local curfew law is enforced.

And as he mentioned, they also want to see the officer involved in this incident immediately suspended.

Now the police chief has called for an internal affairs investigation, but he has not suspended the officer at this point.

Also in attendance today, a member of a local law firm, very prominent law firm, Willie Gerie's (ph) firm, acting as a consultant for the girl's family, not saying if he has a civil lawsuit in the works here.

Organizers here trying to call on the same racial activism we saw in Jena, Louisiana. They're passing out flyers that read "From Jena to Fort Pierce, Enough is Enough". They're calling for a community- wide march on Monday here in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Reporting for CNN, Brian Garner. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: By the way, that rally, scheduled for Monday, also concerns the ongoing Jena 6 case in Louisiana and complaints about the cost of electricity.

PHILLIPS: Picket signs come down. Chrysler workers are building cars this afternoon after a quickie strike. So what's in the new deal?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Well, if you blinked, you might have missed it. Yesterday's walkout at Chrysler was shorter than one work shift. United Auto Workers are back on the job; a tentative deal is on the table.

CNN's Ali Velshi takes a look at it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just seven hours after Chrysler's 3,200 unionized workers in the U.S. walked off the job they were back.

Now, the details of the deal haven't been released, although Chrysler says it follows the same model that the UAW workers approved in their deal with GM after a two-day strike in late September.

Now, what that means is that Chrysler is transferring control of the workers' health care fund over to the union. Sources who are close to the negotiations say that workers are going to get a $3,000 signing bonus and that the UAW got some form of limited job security, combined with more early retirement buy-out packages.

Also like the contract at GM, new Chrysler workers will come in at a substantially lower hourly wage.

Now, the main issue for the Detroit three automakers has been the cost associated with providing health care for this huge number of retired auto workers and their spouses. Well, Detroit says it puts them at a major financial disadvantage, compared to their non-American competitors, who don't have all those costs.

Wages for all U.S. automakers are about the same, but Chrysler says when you count the extra benefits it has to pay, total hourly costs per employee are about $75. At GM they were about $73 an hour before the strike, and Ford says it pays about $70.

Compare that to Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai, all of which come in at under $50 an hour. Detroit says the difference is what makes it so hard to compete, because they can't put that extra money into cars.

Now what's next? Chrysler workers have to vote on this deal, and the UAW will start negotiating with Ford, which is considered the weakest of the three Detroit companies.

I'm Ali Velshi in New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Some companies are finding that there's a racial gap among workers when it comes to investing for retirement. Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with the latest on this financial divide.

Hi, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

This is a very troubling report from the Associated Press, which says that investor surveys and research by two large employers strongly suggests that African-Americans participate in retirement plans at far lower rates and are much less likely than whites to invest in the stock market.

For instance, the AP says nuclear power plant operator Exelon found 15 percent of African-American workers chose not to participate in 401 (k) savings program, compared to 10 percent of whites who opted out.

And the divide also extends to the level of participation. A third of African-Americans invested less than 5 percent of their salary, while only 14 percent of whites participate at that level.

This raises concerns in whether there will also be a gap in how comfortably we all retire. That's why Exelon says it's raising the issue and trying to address the problem.

And this come at a time when we're already -- lots of experts obviously, Kyra, saying that we as a people, Americans are not saving enough. The pension plans are going by the wayside and the responsibility of the 401 (k) puts it squarely on our shoulders.

So that's why studies like this, these kind of reports are so troubling, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, where else are we seeing this?

LISOVICZ: Well, McDonald's, for instance, the world's largest fast food restaurant operator, says it actually solved this problem just in the last few years by automatically enrolling its managers. It brought a 50 percent participation rate up among African-American managers in 2004 up to 95 percent today.

Perhaps more importantly, the question is why are we seeing this kind of disparity in investing? Financial experts blame poor instruction on financial topics at public schools and some misconceptions among some African-Americans about the risks involved in stocks.

(STOCK REPORT)

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll talk to you again soon. Thanks, Susan.

MARCIANO: Well, a suspected killers in the mystery at sea case in south Florida head to court, their arraignment taking place in Miami. We'll have the latest coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

MARCIANO: I'm Rob Marciano, in for Don Lemon.

We are getting new video right now from inside a school in the intense moments after gunfire rang out. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: Student Warren Marks at the SuccessTech Academy shot this video. He brought his camera to school. He was sitting in his math class when the code blue call came out, and this is what he rolled on.

You can hear the screaming and the chaos, but actually that was the point where police were able to get in and start bringing students out, once they were able to secure where that gunman, that 14-year- old student was. He actually ended up taking his own life with the gun he opened fire on, on those teachers and students. Four people injured in total. They all survived that shooting spree. A little chaotic there, as you can see student Warren Marks with his home-video camera shooting what had happened there when they got the call, that code blue across the intercom that a student had opened fire.

Now Darnell Rodgers, who's a senior, is one of the wounded students. He was shot in the elbow. He appeared on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING, along with his sister, who said this is not their first brush with gun violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DARNELL RODGERS, WOUNDED IN SCHOOL SHOOTING: I was walking up the stairs from the third floor, and like a bunch of students were running from the fourth floor, and they were saying, oh my gosh, and they were screaming and crying. I thought it was just a fight, so I didn't worry about it too much. So I just went to my locker. And when I went to my locker, I heard gun shots, so I was running toward the classroom. When I ran toward the classroom, I had got grazed with a bullet, and I didn't realize it yet, so I was still like in shock, and I was worried about my little sister and my little cousin.

TAYANA RODGERS, WOUNDED IN SCHOOL SHOOTING: I lost a brother before. My brother had been shot before, and he's dead. So I didn't want to lose another one. So when you hear your brother got shot, it immediately just clicked off in my head, and I started running, and I was going to run up to find him, but my principal came and she got me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: We're going to have a live interview with Darnell Rodgers next hour.

The shooter, Asa Coon, is being described as a troubled man who cursed at teachers and fought with his mother. He was under suspension for fighting with a classmate on Monday. It was a fight that was caught on surveillance tape. The two reportedly argued over the existence of God. Fellow students say that Coon worshiped rocker Marilyn Manson, not God. His motive for the shooting, though, still remains a mystery.

MARCIANO: Well, the suspects in the bizarre mystery at Sea Case in South Florida are in federal court at this hour. Kirby Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo are being arraigned in Miami on murder charges.

CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti is here in Atlanta. You're covering stories all over the southeast, but this one happened right in your backyard in Miami. Pretty bizarre one, for sure.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, NATL. CORRESPONDENT: It's bizarre, and all of us continue to have questions about it, Rob. At this hour, the only two survivors of the ghost ship Joe Cool are about to face a judge on new charges. Robbery suspect Kirby Archer and licensed security guard Guillermo Zarabozo are making a first appearance on a federal murder complaint. No surprise, because investigators say they didn't believe the story they were getting from both men. Archer and Zarabozo had said hijackers or pirates attacked and killed the captain, his wife and two other crew members, but let the two passengers live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX ACOSTA, U.S. ATTY.: In truth, we're unlikely to find the bodies of these four individuals, who were murdered on the high seas and whose bodies were thrown into the ocean. As of today, we have no witnesses. The crime took place aboard a ship isolated in the middle of the ocean.

Yes, we have strong historical, forensic and circumstantial evidence. That not only justifies, but requires that we proceed with a murder complaint.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: And that circumstantial evidence includes blood on the outside and inside of the fishing boat, conflicting stories from Archer and Zarabozo on where everyone was when the victims were shot, which way the bodies were thrown overboard, and what kind of gun was used.

Federal agents say the same gun killed the crew. Three bullet casings were found in the cabin, one on the outside deck. The FBI claims them men said all four were on deck when they were killed. But how do you prove what happened without bodies?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUY LEWIS, FMR. U.S. ATTY.: This is going to be an extremely difficult case for the government to make. You've got no witnesses. You've got no bodies. It's questionable how much forensic evidence that the government has. In essence, you've only got defendants who claim -- who've provided this government with their side of the story, and you've got the boat. That's it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: The two men are currently being held without bond on other charges, one for unlawful flight, the other for lying to federal agents. Their defense attorneys have had nothing to say about the latest development, and I doubt they'll have much more to say after today's brief court hearing.

MARCIANO: Sounds like a difficult case to prove. Any word on any kind of motive, where they might be headed? Any guesses from anyone down there?

CANDIOTTI: Boy, wouldn't we all like to know. In fact, if they were stealing that boat, why? And where did they intend to take it? Somewhere in Cuba, somewhere in the Caribbean? No one knows yet. And federal agents, if they know, haven't revealed yet.

MARCIANO: Hopefully we'll find out soon. Susan Candiotti, thanks, Susan.

PHILLIPS: Well, we're expect a police news conference out of Pennsylvania -- Plymouth, Pennsylvania actually. A 14-year-old boy in custody now, accused of planning a Columbine-time attack at Plymouth White Marsh High School. According to Plymouth Township Police, they say they received permission from the boy's parents to search their home after getting a tip from a high school student and his father. And when they did follow up on the tip, they say they found a 9- millimeter assault rifle, air guns, hand grenades, and explosive powder, including a bomb-making book, and videos of the Columbine shooting, with notebooks that detailed those violent attacks. All of that found in the boy's home. That boy now in custody. We're expecting a news conference out of Plymouth soon. We'll take it live when it happens.

MARCIANO: A heartwarming story here. You're probably ready for one at this point. A stranger knocks on the store to sell a vacuum cleaner, and he ends up saving as man's life with a selfless act that amazed us all. We'll talk with him and the man he saved, ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And "Fortune" magazine's 50 most powerful women. The list is out. Here's a woman whose business is breakfast. But before we tell you who she is, you have a chance to guess.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: At age 16 this woman worked as a waitress. Now more than 30 years later she's the CEO of that same restaurant. With over 1,300 restaurant locations nationwide, her California-based company raked in $45 million in profits last year alone. So, who was the woman who went from server to CEO? Find out after the break.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ranked 49th this year on "Fortune" magazine's Most Powerful Women in Business list, Julia Stewart, chairman and CEO of IHOP, the International House of Pancakes. Since Stewart took over in 2002, IHOP's stock prices have doubled. In July, she announced a $2.3 billion acquisition of Applebee's, forming the largest sit-down restaurant chain in the U.S. Her secret interviewing tip, Stewart takes potential employees out to eat because she says you can tell a lot from how a person treats a server.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, this next story may have you believing in fate, or at least thinking twice before you blow off the next salesman who comes knocking at your door.

Paul Sucher was among the 70-plus thousand people in the United States waiting for a kidney. He was in the last stages of his life- threatening disease when a stranger knocked on his door in Twin Falls, Idaho. That stranger was Jamie Howard. Howard wanted to sell Sucher a vacuum cleaner, but he didn't. Instead, he ended up giving Paul something he needed much, much more, a kidney.

What inspired this amazing generosity? Well, we've got Jamie Howard, salesman turned kidney donor and Paul Sucher, grateful kidney recipient. I understand he's running every day or at least almost every day. They are here to share the story.

Gentlemen, I love this. I hope we can -- my producers will not like this, but I would love to talk for three hours about this story. But Jamie, I want to start with you, you knocked on the door, Paul's girlfriend Andi (ph) answered the door. How did you work yourself into the home?

JAMIE HOWARD, KIDNEY DONOR: Actually, we're -- we -- we go to the door, we just offer to vacuum and shampoo for free. It's been Kirby's (ph) way for 93 years. We go in, we demonstrate the product, and if they like the product, we try to sell the product to them.

When I went into the home, his girlfriend Andi told me they'd really love the product, just right now, they could not afford to buy it. It's a great product, but due to medical costs and different things, right now, was not a good time. And I asked why and she explained the kidney, his kidney failure, and that he was in the last stages of it, and that he was on a waiting list that was so long that he might not get help.

And I got further into it and she told me that he was Type O Positive, which was odd because I'm Type O Positive. And when I told her that, she actually just asked if I would consider getting tested, and she honest (ph) ...

PHILLIPS: So she came right out and said, do you mind getting tested and would you, by chance, give my boyfriend a kidney?

HOWARD: Yes, she did, actually. And I made small talk to get out of the house real fast. I was like, well, that's something I'm going to have to think about.

And I went out to my work vehicle, I called my wife, who's -- other than my children and my family, are the most important person in my life. Told her what had just happened. I called my father, who is a doctor in our local area, and has also personally started and funded four non-profit organizations, so I've been around giving my whole life. And then I, of course, prayed about it and I all of a sudden just had a complete calming feeling.

PHILLIPS: OK, I want to stop you there because this is a very special part of the story. And you had mentioned before and I hope you don't mind, I actually asked your parents for pictures of your sister Cassie (ph) ...

HOWARD: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Please tell our viewers, at that moment when you stopped, about your sister, your guardian angel and why you prayed to her.

HOWARD: I apologize.

PHILLIPS: It's OK, it's a beautiful story.

HOWARD: My sister, Cassie Holden, she's my half-sister, she was kidnapped, raped and killed when she was 12-years-old. I was 16. Ever since then, I believe that she's actually my guardian angel, no matter what I've been through, no matter what kind of trauma, injuries, accidents, I always come out OK somehow, and I believe it's because she just like -- she's side-by-side with God and they look over me, and ...

PHILLIPS: So, she was the first one that came to your mind ...

HOWARD: Yes.

PHILLIPS: ...when you thought wow, should I do this for this other human being?

HOWARD: Absolutely. And you know, I've always wondered my whole life why at 12-years-old, she was taken away, and I was left here, and then for this to happen, it all kind of came together. That's why I had such a calming feeling. It was like -- it was like almost -- it was like OK, this is why I was left here. This is why I got to stay and she didn't.

And so, it made up my mind immediately. I hadn't even met Paul yet. I still hadn't met Paul. About 15 minutes -- after I walked out of the house, it was an overwhelming situation and I walked back in, I told his girlfriend, I said if there's any way that I can help, I would love to.

The odds of being a match were slim. I mean, slim to none. I mean, it's very hard to match.

PHILLIPS: So, at that moment, Paul, did you get the call from Andi, look, I talked to this traveling salesman, he was trying to sell me a vacuum, he's going to give you a kidney.

PAUL SUCHER, KIDNEY RECIPIENT: Well, she basically called me. I was at work, it was in the evening. And she just said Paul, I've got this gentleman here, I've been talking to him about your situation with your dialysis and your kidney, and he's willing to give you one and says he knows he's probably a match. He's got the same type of blood type. And I think you probably better come home and meet him. So, I got in the car and drove home. That's when I met Jamie and everything just took off from there.

PHILLIPS: So, when you first met Jamie, Paul, give me a sense for what it felt like, your first reaction, did you hug him? Were you not sure what to do? Did you believe this was really happening?

SUCHER: I definitely hugged him. I mean, he was very serious about it. It was an emotional moment. You know, I'd been looking for a kidney for close to three years. You don't want to get your hopes up real high because we hadn't done any of the testing yet at that point, and I knew there was a lot of hoops to jump through.

And over the next 90 days, we jumped through those hoops and everything came together and it was a perfect match.

PHILLIPS: And how do you feel, Paul?

SUCHER: I feel great. It's almost like it didn't even happen. I can't believe it.

PHILLIPS: And you're running every day, I understand?

SUCHER: That is correct. Up until the time that I got sick approximately three years ago, I was a long distance runner and as I became ill, I got to the point I couldn't even run around the block. The fatigue is so extreme, you know. And within two weeks after the surgery, I was able to take up my old routine and slowly work my way back into a regular routine of exercise.

PHILLIPS: And Paul, kind of give us a feel for where you were with regard to needing this kidney. I mean, this was pretty much the last stage, right? I mean, had you been thinking about how you were going to tell your children and deal with possibly, the end?

SUCHER: Well, full renal failure, I mean, I don't know how much you know about the process of dialysis, but it's a five-hour a day, three-day a week thing. You know, and you're basically getting a full transfusion, and then you go to work from there and try to maintain your job from that point. You know, there's times that you question whether it's -- it's a lot. You don't know whether you should keep going. There's a lot of people on dialysis in the United States.

But you just fight through each day as you go and hope that you move your way up the transplant list. We're listed with the Denver University of Colorado in Denver, Colorado, there's over 500 people currently on that list. That list is simply a cadaver list, which means you're waiting for a dead man's kidney.

To find a living donor like Jamie is huge because it's an instant thing. Two or three months later, you can actually be getting the surgery. If more living donors were aware that they could give their kidney away and not actually change their life expectancy at all, we could actually eliminate those lists. There's more than enough kidneys for everybody.

PHILLIPS: Well, there's a message there, but there's also an incredible message of just love and kindness and acts of humanity.

Jamie, what do you want people to take away from this?

HOWARD: Good question. I do appreciate that question also. Again, like Paul said, if more people knew about it and were actively aware of what actually goes on, I mean, my biggest thing right now is it's as simple as when you get your driver's license, say yes when they ask if you want to be a donor. You can't take it with you and you could possibly save somebody's life. In my case, I had the opportunity to sit next to the man who I saved, and that right there is the greatest feeling. All -- I mean, all -- everything that's going on right now, it's like a whirlwind, we're both in shock, we're tired. But the reality is that the end result was successful.

The funny part is when Paul was telling you the story about when we met, I actually told him. I said, you know, I'm going to give you my kidney. It's going to be a match. I mean, I just knew it was going to work, you know.

And Paul was right. He was a little skeptical and he had to be, step back a little bit because you know, he'd -- he'd been on the list for so long, and there are so many tests that can go wrong ...

PHILLIPS: It's probably hard to believe.

HOWARD: ...and everything, but it worked out perfect. And the people, the people at the hospital, our transplant coordinator, Bonnie Bagwell (ph), was amazing. Without their insurance company, I mean this was a quarter of a million dollar surgery. Without their insurance company through Citi Financial, his wife's employment, we would have never been able to do this. So, so many things came together and made it perfect. It was meant to be.

PHILLIPS: Well, and I'll tell you what. Cassie, your sister, not only lives on, Paul, you have had a second chance at life. Jamie, you are a true hero. It was wonderful talking to both of you. Thank you so much.

HOWARD: Thank you.

SUCHER: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: And here are some facts about organ donation. You heard the gentlemen, both of the gentlemen talk about this. More than 95,000 people in the United States, actually right now, are waiting for an organ transplant. And because of a donor shortage, an average of 17 people die each day while waiting. And last year, nearly 4,000 people died needing a kidney.

Several factors determine who will get an organ and their blood and tissue type, length of time on the waiting list, and the health of the patient. And if you think you've done enough by signing a donor card, only 35 percent of people who did that, actually end up giving organs. The reason: their families did not sign the consent form. So, it's important that you talk with your family about your wishes.

And if you want to know more about becoming a donor, you can find out online at kidney.org or organdonor.gov.

MARCIANO: He says you can't take with it you. It's not like he's giving away a 100 bucks.

PHILLIPS: Wasn't that great? Yes, exactly. You can't take it with you, you might as well donate it. Is that just the most incredible story. And you know what, and I meant to add, too, I did ask them, if Paul and Andi ended up buying a Kirby vacuum cleaner from Jamie.

MARCIANO: And?

PHILLIPS: No, they already had like three in the closet. They couldn't afford to do it.

MARCIANO: That's a terrific story.

PHILLIPS: Yes, it's pretty awesome.

MARCIANO: All right, when we come back, I want to get an update on that story out of Pennsylvania, where there was a Columbine-like threat that was thwarted. New details coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Stay with us.

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MARCIANO: Welcome back.

Want to get you straight to the news room now. Fredricka Whitfield with details in that story out of Pennsylvania. What do you know, Fred?

WHITFIELD: Right, well, Rob, if you're not convinced that a 14- year-old could possibly have a plan of attack on carrying out a Columbine-style attack on a high school, well, the Plymouth Township police say they want you to take a look at this.

This is the arsenal that the police put on display today as a result of what they say is collecting -- this arsenal from this 14- year-old's home. I'll go down the list for you. A 9-millimeter assault rifle, air guns, hand grenades, a bomb-making book, videos of the 1999 Columbine-style attack in Colorado and violence-filled notebooks.

Just look at this, all of this, they say, was confiscated from the home of this 14-year-old. They were tipped off that this child was willing to and ready to carry out this Columbine-style attack, pretty remarkable material. It's not clear if there were other young people that may have been involved.

But this attack allegedly was to target the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in Pennsylvania. Police say they are glad to have someone in custody, it's that 14-year-old. But they don't necessarily think that it was part of some widespread attack.

Here's the U.S. attorney or rather the district attorney, Bruce Caston.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE CASTOR, MONTGOMERY CO. DISTRICT ATTORNEY: It's my opinion that we have no reason to believe that this is anything other than an isolated incident, that there are not mad children gunmen throughout Montgomery County that are threatening to shoot up our school students. And the procedures that we have in place to keep the public aware that this issue is a possible problem, to contact police whenever they think that there might be a problem, and the close ties that the police in this county have with the school district has resulted in stopping a potential problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Again, that district attorney Bruce Castor, I mispronounced his name, Castor. I can't even read my own handwriting, Rob.

But the comforting thing in all this is that they were able to get to the bottom of this potential plot before anything terrible could have possibly happened -- Rob.

MARCIANO: Unbelievable that arsenal, Fredricka. We're going to talk more about this throughout the coming hours. You know, I assume he was living with his parents or a guardian?

WHITFIELD: Right.

MARCIANO: And this was building up in that home?

WHITFIELD: It was -- he was living with his parents and apparently, the police actually informed the parents that something like this was happening, and so the parents cooperated by allowing police to come in and end up seeing this arsenal.

MARCIANO: All right, Fredricka. Thanks very much. We'll get back to you on this story.

Much more coming up on the CNN NEWSROOM. Stay with us.

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