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Cleveland Officials Search For Solutions to School Violence; Lifesaving Mission Takes Unexpected Turn

Aired October 11, 2007 - 15:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: More questions, new information, breathtaking video, and now a surprising arrest. One day after a young teen's bloody rampage at a magnet school in Cleveland, it's still a developing story.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: So, what's in your teen's bedroom? Do you know? You're looking at the contents of one teen's room in the Philadelphia suburbs. Now authorities want to know what was in the mind of that boy.

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

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

Straight to the Newsroom now.

Fredricka Whitfield working details on a developing story -- Fred.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, it's a shocking plan and heart-stopping evidence. Again, let's look at that video that Rob was referring to.

This is the arsenal that police in the Pennsylvania area, in the area of the Colonial School District, say was found in the home of a 14-year-old who was allegedly plotting a Columbine-style rampage at a high school, at The Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in Pennsylvania.

The majority of these weapons are B.B. guns, but still this is some serious stuff that was found in his home, all as a result of a tip that came into police, that this child, this 14-year-old might be planning such an assault. And so, police went to the home of this 14- year-old, talked to the parents, informed them of this alleged plan, were able to then go into the bedroom and find all of this.

A 9.-millimeter assault rifle is among that arsenal, air guns, hand grenades, a bomb-making book, videos of the 1999 Columbine attack in Colorado, and apparently notebooks that were filled with violence and some of his plan to be carried out at this high school.

So, Kyra and Rob, it is alarming, it's shocking, and bottom line it's hard to imagine this kind of arsenal in the household where there's a 14-year-old and the parents not know about it or perhaps be in some way a participant -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: I had a chance to talk with the district attorney actually from that area -- or -- yes, from the county, Fred, last hour. He said it's not clear how the boy actually got those weapons. And he also said that his office is still evaluating what charges, if any, the 14-year-old's parents might face. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE CASTOR, MONTGOMERY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The B.B. guns are not illegal and they can be bought anywhere. And there's no way of knowing how those were purchased. So, a 14-year-old is allowed to have a B.B. gun.

PHILLIPS: No, I'm talking about the assault rifle.

CASTOR: Well, the rifle itself, that is the information that we have is that his mother bought it for him at a gun show. We're evaluating now whether charges against her or anyone else in that household are warranted.

And I would think that this is a similar situation to what we have when he have straw purchases. You can't go buy a gun for someone else that you know is not allowed to own a gun for some reason, and in this case by virtue of age he's not allowed to own a gun, so that's likely to be a problem under Pennsylvania law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, at his news conference, the DA said that he didn't think an attack was imminent and he's not certain an attack was going to occur at all.

MARCIANO: 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; 911 calls recorded the chaos and confusion among students trying to get out of the line of fire.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Where is student at?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's in the building.

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? It was two or three.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

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

Here's CNN's Susan Roesgen the day after.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST 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 some trouble at this young man's home.

Also, they say that he went to 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 videotapes 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.

MICHAEL MCGRATH, CLEVELAND POLICE CHIEF: 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, some 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 will be talking about both metal detectors and warning signs, how to flag, red-flag students like Asa Coon before there's any violence.

Susan Roesgen, CNN, Cleveland, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: The school where the shootings happened seems an unlikely place for violence. SuccessTech is a magnet school with 265 students. It focuses heavily on technology. The school attracts high-achieving students who must apply for admission. SuccessTech has a 94 percent graduation rate and receives funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

It was named one of Ohio's school of promise just last week. It's not a traditional school building either. The school is in downtown Cleveland in a converted office space.

Just to add to this story, in the last couple of hours, we have received reports from the AP that the older brother of Asa Coon, Stephen Coon, a 19-year-old, has been picked up by police. Not sure why or if he's been officially arrested, but he's in police custody at this hour.

PHILLIPS: A minister in Fort Pierce, Florida, is calling for the suspension of a Fort Pierce policeman.

Back in July, officer Dan Gilroy right here arresting a 15-year- old girl for violating curfew when she bit him in the arm. Now, Gilroy punched her, then grabbed his pepper spray and shot it in the girl's face. The pastor says it's clearly excessive force.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, the case is being investigated by police internal affairs.

MARCIANO: Sources close to the highest ranking officer in the U.S. Marine Corps say it's just an idea, not an actual plan, but he's suggesting a redeployment of Marines out of Iraq.

Let's go now to our Barbara Starr at the Pentagon with this idea.

Barbara, what can you tell us?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rob, it is quite an idea, pretty shocking. Would the Marines really after all these years pack up and leave Iraq? The commandant of the Marine Corps, General James Conway, is making such a proposal. Why?

Well, there's a couple of reasons. General Conway believes the Marines could leave Iraq and leave the major fighting there to the Army while they go to Afghanistan and relieve the Army from the fighting there. He thinks it would be more efficient. He thinks with some of the progress being made in Iraq, the Marines could leave within the next many, many months, and he thinks the fight in Afghanistan, the small type of fighting that is going on, is much more suited to them.

Just one problem. Listen to what Defense Secretary Robert Gates had to say about this idea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GATES, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I have seen no plan. No one's come to me with any proposals about it. My understanding is that it's at this point extremely preliminary thinking on the part of perhaps some staff people in the Marine Corps, but I don't think at this point it has any stature.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Pretty interesting language, Rob, kind of puts a knife in it. And make no mistake, it is preliminary thinking, but not be the staff of the Marine Corps. This is the thinking of the commandant, the head of the Marine Corps. And the secretary of defense has made it pretty clear he's not ready to sign up just yet -- Rob.

MARCIANO: Barbara, curious what Army leaders are thinking. Are they saying anything, because they would be left holding the ball in Iraq.

STARR: Well, that's exactly right.

And, so far, they're not saying anything. By all accounts, they're pretty surprised by all of this. It would leave them pretty much holding the bag in Iraq at a time when they are stretched quite thin and doing 15-month tours of duty on the ground, while the Marines do seven-month tours of duty. So I think we can anticipate the Army will weigh in, in the days ahead -- Rob.

MARCIANO: Sounds like it's not going to happen anytime too soon.

Thanks for you report, Barbara Starr, from the Pentagon.

PHILLIPS: A lifesaving mission takes an unexpected turn. A police officer is suing the family of a child who almost drowned in a swimming pool. We will find out why.

MARCIANO: And a major city in the grips of a major drought. With outdoor watering banned already, what's next for Atlanta? Details are coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: I don't know if you remember seeing the video that we showed you. We just got permission actually to show it just a couple hours ago. It was some home video that was shot by a student.

This video right here. Warren Marks was in his math class and he happened to bring his video camera to school that day. Believe it or not, they're not allowed to bring electronics in there, but I guess for a situation like this, Warren must have made the right decision that day, because he was able to capture a lot of what happened and how students and police reacted when that 14-year-old student opened fire inside the SuccessTech Academy in Cleveland, Ohio.

And we were able to catch up with Warren Marks after we were able to see this video.

He joins us now live right there, not far from the academy.

Warren, can you hear me OK?

WARREN MARKS, SUCCESSTECH ACADEMY STUDENT: Yes, I can hear you.

PHILLIPS: All right. I was just telling our viewers about our conversation we were having a minute ago, that actually you're not allowed to bring electronics to school. And you realized, OK, you probably shouldn't have done that, but in this situation, you were actually able to capture something that nobody else was able to do.

So, tell me what happened. You're in your math class, business as usual, and kind of take me through what happened yesterday.

MARKS: OK.

Well, we were sitting in math class and we were on our way out. It was about 1:00 or 1:06. And as we walking out, there were a lot of kids running in one direction. And we thought, oh, somebody must be playing around or something.

But then they said they heard gunshots on the fourth floor. So the teacher had pushed us back into class to see what was going on. So, everybody was still talking and joking around, and things like that. And they started talking about the situation about the gunshots and things.

So, it was still kind of like, oh, OK, well, I still don't believe it, because it's SuccessTech and something like that doesn't happen there. But when the principal, Ms. Durant, came and said get in the closet, this is serious, that's when we found out it was serious.

And after that, our math teacher, she didn't have her keys to get into the closet, so we all got into a corner and pushed the tables over to protect ourselves, and things like that.

PHILLIPS: Wow.

So, Warren, let me ask you a question then, because I noticed when I first saw the video that everybody was laughing, and joking around. And so did everybody in the class think this was a joke?

(CROSSTALK)

MARKS: Yes. At first, you know, they thought it was just all fun and games, oh, like somebody just might be making a rumor or something. But when we found out it was true, it got real serious.

PHILLIPS: And there was a moment, too, in that classroom when someone stood up on a desk. We're actually looking at it right now.

MARKS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: And they said, hey -- yes, who is that?

(CROSSTALK)

MARKS: That's Timothy Riddick (ph).

PHILLIPS: So he's one of your classmates?

MARKS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: So one of your classmates stood up and said, look, this is not funny, guys; this is serious stuff going on?

MARKS: Right, right. He was trying to get everybody to calm down, and stop joking around, like, hey, this is a real serious matter and we need to sit down and hear what's going on.

PHILLIPS: Wow.

Now, I was giving you a little bit of a hard time. I said now, Warren, when you're shooting a video camera, you have got to raise the camera up a little bit so we can see the action better. And that's when you fessed up that, well, I wasn't supposed to have it in class, but you did continue to shoot anyway.

Tell me why you continued to shoot.

(CROSSTALK)

MARKS: Well, at first, I just wanted to see what was going to happen next. It was like, at first, I was talking to my friend. I'm like, yes, I'm going to get this on the news, just joking around and things like that, and, you know, that's what I was saying at first. But then, when I found out this was serious and they could really use this information, I decided to take it seriously and get as much information as I could.

PHILLIPS: Well, what do you think you were able to catch on that videotape that helped or is helping in the investigation? Have police been able to say to you, wow, Warren, we got this or we got that, and we appreciate you taking the risk, and rolling on that camera?

MARKS: Well, I'm pretty sure that parents, even though they couldn't get in, they really wanted to know what was going on inside. Their children were in there. They had no way to get inside to see if they were OK. So, I'm pretty sure they were glad to see, you know, the information that I had on what was going on inside the school building.

PHILLIPS: And I'm curious, Warren. You go to this academy that specializes in technology. Why did you purchase a video camera? Is this something of interest to you? Do you...

MARKS: Well, I have a lot of -- no, it's just I like electronics a lot. I have a lot of electronics at home. So, I decided to buy me a digital camera, you know, to add to my collection. So...

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Well, this was the day to bring it to class, right?

MARKS: Yes, I know. I know.

PHILLIPS: Final question, Warren. Did you know the shooter, the 14-year-old shooter, Asa?

MARKS: No, I didn't know him. I only had one conversation with him.

PHILLIPS: What was that conversation?

MARKS: And -- well, OK.

Our principal, Ms. Durant -- I went to my principal to talk to her about a few things. And she decided to go to the in-school suspension room where it was very quiet, so I went up there with her. And, at the same time, she went along -- Asa, you know, came along with us.

So as, you know, we got into the room, we sat down and we were having a conversation. And Ms. Durant asked the student what are you going to do when you get home? And he said, I'm going to go home and get on the computer for -- get online for a few hours.

So I went and asked, oh, do you play any games online? And he said, yes, he played this game called "Guild Wars." So, I asked if he played a game called "Halo 3," and he said no, he's never played that before. And those were like the only two things I ever said to him.

PHILLIPS: So, were you in suspension with Asa?

MARKS: No, I was just up there talking to Ms. Durant, just having a conversation with her for a few other things that happened in another classroom.

PHILLIPS: Got it. OK. So you have been helping out teachers on a number of things.

Well, it was interesting to see your videotape. Good job. I wouldn't lose sight of becoming a cameraman. You did a very good job, Warren.

MARKS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Appreciate it, Warren Marks.

MARCIANO: We may be hiring.

PHILLIPS: There you go.

Too many people, not enough water, it's problem in more and more places nationwide. And, here in Atlanta, it's getting worse.

Joining us with more on this story is CNN's Susan Candiotti.

From Miami to Atlanta, we're dry here. What's going on?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I know. Well, there's a drought in Florida, and there's a drought here. I don't need to tell you that, Rob, obviously, but the Atlanta region, including parts of Alabama, in the throes of a record drought, getting less than half of the normal amount of rainfall.

And the key source of water for this region is Lake Lanier. It is down 13 feet and dropping. Another 10 feet and regulators say they may no longer be able to open up the dam and allow water to flow downstream to supply other rivers and the like that help supply more water, drinking water, here to the Atlanta area.

And so, naturally, homeowners are worried about that. They already face certain restrictions now. And if the water level goes down even further, then they're saying they might have to impose regulations, stiffer regulations on businesses, on manufacturers.

So, tonight, on "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT," we are going to be talking to conservationists, to state officials, even to homeowners about what lies ahead and who if anyone is to blame for this.

MARCIANO: It's scary. It could be more than just brown lawns out there. It could be much, much worse.

CANDIOTTI: Much worse.

MARCIANO: I was out at Lake Allatoona, also a reservoir, a few days ago, and it's really startling just how low the water is there.

You're reporting everything on the Southeast.

(CROSSTALK)

CANDIOTTI: It's been a busy day.

MARCIANO: Busy for sure. You want to do weather, too?

(LAUGHTER)

CANDIOTTI: I will take a pass on that. You're the expert.

MARCIANO: It's good to see you, Susan.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Well, a stranger knocks on the door to sell a vacuum cleaner and ends up saving a man's life with a selfless act that amazed all of us. We will talk with him and the man that he saved straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Well, a life-saving mission takes an unexpected turn. A police officer is suing the family of a child who almost drowned in a swimming pool. We will find out why.

First, it could be the next big thing. Do you hate the thankless task of cleaning the gutters on your house?

Well, iRobot has created a gadget that will do it for you.

That story from CNN's Miles O'Brien.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CHIEF TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a robot on a dirty, dangerous mission that you would rather avoid, cleaning the gutters.

NANCY SMITH, IROBOT: It's actually pretty strong to be able to scoot all of the mess out. It is bidirectional.

O'BRIEN: It's called the Looj, like the speedy sled ridden by death-defying athletes. This Looj, made by iRobot, offers a not so death-defying way to avoid a household chore that can be a backbreaker, literally.

SMITH: So, this robot is waterproof up to one foot of water. If it is a mess, you just take a hose and wash it down. This is the handle that drives the robot.

O'BRIEN: But it does have limitations. It can't clean corners or downspouts.

BRAD LADNER, ATLANTA'S BEST GUTTER CLEANERS: It's not the debris in the gutters. It's clogs. The clogs happen in the downspouts. And if the machine can't get in there to clean the downspouts, then it's pointless.

O'BRIEN: And the guys who make their living doing this say there is something else to consider.

BRYAN ROBERTS, ANY GUTTER CLEANED: So, by having a technician up there, he can really locate, and inspect the roof and gutters to make sure that there's no underlying problems that the robot would miss.

O'BRIEN: But if you're a gadget loving do-it-yourselfer, this is one cool way to take that thankless task off the honey-do list.

Miles O'Brien, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Now to Pennsylvania, where a 14-year-old boy is in police custody, accused of planning a Columbine type attack. Take a look at the what police say they found in his home -- air guns, an assault rifle, hand grenades, bomb-making manuals and videos of the 1999 Columbine attack.

Here's what we know so far. Police say the boy felt bullied and tried to recruit another boy to take part in the plot. Well, that boy, a student at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, is the one that tipped off police. Authorities say the teen attended middle school in the district, but had been home schooled for the past year-and-a-half.

Still, the question remains how did the boy collect so many weapons?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE CASTOR, MONTGOMERY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I'm very, very upset about the role -- the lack of oversight that apparently the parents had in this case. We need to recognize that parents are the primary persons responsible for teaching young people the difference between right and wrong. And law enforcement is the last stop on that train. And we -- I've been very clear over the years -- and in the school safety recommendations we were very clear that, listen, there's only so much government can do. Parents have to take responsibility for raising their children. And here I think that we have clear evidence that that responsibility was abrogated. And if it was criminally abrogated, we're going to do something about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, the teen is expected to make a court appearance tomorrow. His parents may face charges, also, pending an investigation.

MARCIANO: Schools are closed the rest of the week in Cleveland, Ohio, as students, teachers, and, indeed, the city, try to come to grips with what happened at SuccessTech Academy. Fourteen-year-old Asa Coon, suspended days earlier, killed himself in the school yesterday after shooting up several classrooms.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: Within the past hour, police reportedly have taken Coon's older brother, Steven, into custody. No word why or whether it might be related to the shootings.

One of the four people wounded, a teacher, is still hospitalized in fair condition.

And we're learning more about the shooting victims. Two were teachers -- both men. Police say 42-year-old history teacher Michael Grassie was shot in the chest and underwent surgery. He's said to be in fair condition. Fifty-seven-year-old math teacher David Kachadourian was treated for a minor gunshot wound to the back.

Two students were shot -- 15-year-old Michael Peeks, he's in good condition; and 17-year-old Darnell Rodgers, who was shot in the elbow, he was treated and released. Another student, a 15-year-old girl, she hurt her knee when she fell and was trampled by other students.

PHILLIPS: Well, tonight on CNN's "OUT IN THE OPEN," our Rick Sanchez reports live from Texas on the fears immigrants -- both legal and illegal -- face in America.

He joins me now live from Irving with a preview.

What did you get yourself into -- Rick Sanchez?

RICK SANCHEZ, HOST, "OUT IN THE OPEN": I've got to tell you, the amount of response, Kyra that we've been getting on this from both sides -- e-mails, tens of thousands of people going on our Web site, sending letters, sending comments -- is really incredible. And the bottom line is this -- Congress, our lawmakers, in their infinite wisdom, have decided that they're not going to touch the immigration issue. They're not going to come up with a plan. They're not going to come up with any kind of comprehensive reform. Maybe it has a lot to do with the fact that there's an election around the corner.

But what they're not doing -- what they're not doing, local governments around the United States are doing. One of those local governments is right here in Irving, Texas. Irving, Texas, ala Dallas Cowboys. Their stadium is just down the street from where we are right now. They've decided that they're going to crack down on illegal immigrants in this country and certainly in their community. So there have been many arrests and a lot of deportations.

I'll give you another example -- Tulsa, Oklahoma. They have just passed a law that goes in effect in November that says if you have an illegal immigrant living in your house, if you have a illegal immigration working for you, if you give a ride to an illegal immigrant in your car, you can be in jail for as long as one year.

Well, as you might expect, this is getting hyperbole and lots of comments on both sides of the argument. A lot of people here are really feeling like they're in a quandary -- especially those in the middle. Remember, if the idea is to take out or create a process where some people stay and some people go, well, when you throw a big giant net in a place like Irving, Texas, you're going to get a lot of people who may be somewhere in the middle. Maybe their papers haven't been filed.

We talked to one lady just a little while ago -- interesting story. She's crying tears -- tears flowing from her eyes as she tells us. She says I'm not a Mexican. I'm not an American. I don't know what I am. She's been in this country since she was 2-years-old, Kyra -- 2- years-old. She speaks English the way you and I special English -- seemingly as American as anybody else. But she never got her paperwork filed. And now she's afraid -- living in Irving, Texas -- that at any moment she could be seen on the street, picked up for having a broken headlight and shipped back to Mexico -- a country she says she doesn't even know.

She doesn't know what it's like to go to Mexico. She doesn't feel like she's Mexican. She feels like she's really American. So we're really going to be drilling down on this tonight. We're going to be telling stories from both sides. We're going to be talking to the mayors. You know, there's a lot of people who are really upset about this. And then there are people who say but we've got to do something because, in the end, if they're illegal immigrants and if they're continuing to come to our country and if the government is not going to do anything about it, then by golly, we will.

It's a heated debate. It's extremely passionate. And we will continue to bring it out in the open tonight.

PHILLIPS: Well, you also talk to legal citizens who say they're afraid.

Why are they afraid?

SANCHEZ: Because when you have a law that goes into effect like this, it does give police a sense of that they need to be a little more wary of who's in their community. So there are people who are Mexican, but legal in their -- in terms of being Mexican-American. They were either born in the United States. But they have the appearance of being Hispanic. And they say to me on tape -- we'll have it tonight -- that they feel like people are stopping them, that they're being pulled over for things that they don't think other people would be pulled over.

One guy says look, they asked me for my immigration papers. I was born in the United States. I don't carry immigration papers with me where I go.

So they're starting to feel like they're being hassled.

The cops say, look, we're good guys. We're just trying to do our jobs. This is what's coming down from the state and from the cities, and, you know, it's a tough argument, no matter how you look at it. But it's one that this country, at some point, needs to grapple with. It would be nice if the people that we elect would be dealing with it, as well. But I guess they have other things to deal with right now -- Kyra.

MARCIANO: Ooh!

PHILLIPS: Yes, there's a little subtle oop.

All right, well, we -- I know you're going to be handling all angles of this.

We look forward to it.

Rick Sanchez, thank you so much.

You can catch more tonight, 8:00 Eastern...

SANCHEZ: Bye-bye.

PHILLIPS: All right, Rick.

He's "OUT IN THE OPEN" in Irving, Texas.

He's exposing the fears illegal immigrants are facing in America. You heard, he has talked to all sides of this controversy. That's tonight at 8:00, only on CNN.

MARCIANO: OK, a stranger knocks on a door to sell a vacuum cleaner. He ends up saving a man's life with a selfless act that amazed us all. We'll talk with him and the man he saved. That's coming up ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: A diplomatic flurry today between the United States and Turkey. The Turkish ambassador to Washington -- he's being called home in the wake of yesterday's vote by a House committee to label events that occurred during the Ottoman Empire genocide.

CNN's Paula Hancocks reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In 1915, during World War I, hundreds of thousands of Armenians died at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. The Ottoman Empire fought Russian forces and many Armenians sided with Russia. In reprisal, Turkey forcibly deported more than two million Armenians. Historians estimate the number killed through massacres or starvation may have reached 1.5 million. Turkey insists those numbers are inflated. A number of historians say it was the first genocide of the 20th century.

But Turkey has always emphatically opposed the use of the word genocide, saying there were victims on both sides as a result of civil war and the wider world war. Turkish leaders condemned a vote by a United States House of Representatives committee to classify the massacres as a genocide.

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The U.S. will weaken the unity that exists in this part of the world and Armenia will destroy our positive approach for the future.

Who benefits?

Only the Armenian Diaspora. HANCOCKS: The resolution calls for no action by the U.S., but that doesn't soften the blow on the streets of Istanbul.

SERDAR OZ, TURKISH CITIZEN (through translator): The United States is the last country who can say something about the Armenian genocide issue. They have to look at their own disasters first. They have to deal with their own genocides. There is no Indian race anymore.

HANCOCKS: Armenia's president welcomed the move, saying he has no doubt about what happened in 1915.

PRES. ROBERT KOCHARIAN, ARMENIA (through translator): The fact that Turkey has adopted a position of denial of the genocide doesn't mean it can bind other states to deny stark truths, as well.

HANCOCKS: Last year, the French parliament passed a bill making it illegal to deny the Armenians suffered a genocide. French-Turkish relations suffered as a result.

Almost one century since the Armenians died, Turkish sensitivities remain raw.

ANDREW FINKEL, TURKEY ANALYST: The Republic emerged in the ashes of the Ottoman Empire and Turkey portrays itself during that conflict as having been, in a sense, the victim of the Allied forces, that it was the one who suffered. And suddenly to be pictured as the aggressor -- it's an image which the Turkish history books just really can't accommodate.

HANCOCKS: Paula Hancocks, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Barack Obama says that one of the his opponents has flawed judgment.

Who is he talking about?

Well, she's leading the polls and she's definitely not a Republican. Wolf Blitzer joins us next with a preview of his Barack Obama interview.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, it was a that amazed all of us when we first heard about it. A vacuum cleaner salesman knocks on a woman's door. In the conversation, she just happens to mention that her boyfriend is ill and needs a kidney transplant. Well, she asked the salesman whether he would be willing to be tested to see if he was a match. It turns out salesman Jamie Howard was a match for Paul Sucher and he donated a kidney.

I spoke with both of them earlier in the NEWSROOM.

And I asked Jamie how he decided to volunteer to be a donor to a complete stranger.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JAMIE HOWARD, KIDNEY DONOR: Well, I called my wife, who is -- other than my children and my family -- is the most important person in my life. I 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 nonprofit 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 a very special part of the story. And you had mentioned it before -- and I hope you don't mind. I actually asked your parents for pictures of your sister, Cassie.

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 that it's because she -- it's just like -- she's side by side with God and they look over me.

PHILLIPS: So she's the first one that came to your mind when you thought...

HOWARD: Yes.

PHILLIPS: ...wow, should I do this for another 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 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.

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?

PAUL SUCHER, KIDNEY RECIPIENT: I definitely hugged him. I mean he was very serious about it. It was an emotional moment. I had -- you know, I had been looking for a kidney for close to three years. You don't want to get your hopes up real high, because, you know, we hadn't done 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.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, Paul is the father of five kids and he tells me that he's thrilled to have another chance to watch them all grow up.

MARCIANO: Barack Obama says the presidential campaign has moved into a new phase. He says it's time to spotlight his differences with Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

Let's bring in Wolf Blitzer now, who spoke with Obama today.

He's standing by for us in "THE SITUATION ROOM" -- Wolf, what did you learn?

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Well, he said he's going to -- he's going to be a new Barack Obama, basically. He's going to go on the offense -- offensive increasingly during these final 100 days before the voting starts in Iowa and New Hampshire. We're going to see a new and more aggressive stance and Barack Obama trying to differentiate some of his positions from Hillary Clinton's, from John Edwards'.

And I also had this exchange with Senator Obama today. I asked him to think along the lines of a vice presidential running mate.

Listen to this exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: If you do get the Democratic presidential nomination, would you consider Hillary Clinton as your running mate?

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: Oh, you know, I think -- I'm not going touch that one, Wolf. Right now, I'm worried about getting the nomination. We'll have plenty of time to take a look at who would be a good vice presidential candidate.

BLITZER: But would she be on the short list?

OBAMA: The -- yes, I think that Senator Clinton is a very capable person. Right now, my goal is to make sure that I'm the nominee and that she is still the senator from New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right, so Barack Obama speaking out in this interview. He also speaks at some length about today being the fifth anniversary of that Senate resolution authorizing war in Iraq -- the Bush administration going to war against Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

So a lot of good stuff coming up at the top of the hour in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

Also, a special interview with former Mexican President Vicente Fox.

We'll have all that and a lot more.

MARCIANO: It sounds like a jam packed show.

Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM" coming up in less than 10 minutes. We'll see you then, Wolf.

Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Well, until last month, he was the nation's top lawyer. Now he's hired one for himself. Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has hired prominent Washington attorney George Terwilliger. That's to help him weather a Justice Department investigation into whether he lied or misled Congress about the government's eavesdropping program. Now investigators are also looking into firings of eight U.S. attorneys.

Terwilliger was once a top Justice Department official himself and he is even mentioned as a possible successor to Gonzales.

MARCIANO: The closing bell and a wrap of the action on Wall Street. That's straight ahead. Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Good-bye to beautiful downtown Burbank. The peacock network is fleeing the nest. After more than half a century, NBC TV is moving its Southern California studios from Burbank to Universal City, the home of its corporate cousin, Universal Pictures. Beautiful downtown Burbank was a catchphrase on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In," which originated from NBC's Burbank studios during the 1960s. The Burbank studios are at long time home of NBC's "Tonight Show" and also hosted Bob Hope's comedy specials.

Have you ever been there?

MARCIANO: I haven't.

PHILLIPS: Well, when I tried to get in there as a kid to see Johnny Carson, I was too young. I got the boot. The peacock booted me.

MARCIANO: Look where you are now. PHILLIPS: There you go.

I never got to see him. Well, I thought that was a bummer.

All right, the closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.

MARCIANO: Susan Lisovicz is standing by with a final look at the trading day -- hi, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra and Rob.

Well, you know, Sir Richard Branson is endlessly entertaining. He is many things. He is a knight of the British empire. He is a billionaire. He is also now performing weddings.

Yesterday, in midair, he performed a wedding. Of course, there was a business angle to it. It was one of the executives from Virgin America getting married aboard a flight celebrating the launch from Virgin America from San Francisco to Las Vegas. That's where they're going to honeymoon, folks.

Also, Sir Branson, who can get a flight any time he wants, rang the opening bell this morning to launch yet another Virgin launch. This was for the initial public offering of Virgin Mobile.

And, you know, yesterday, Kyra, we told you about the goodie back from Tiffany.

PHILLIPS: Yes?

LISOVICZ: Yes, well...

PHILLIPS: And you only got water and a cookie.

LISOVICZ: Yes. Well, this is what we got from Virgin Mobile today.

It's looks strangely like something we see in our house, right?

PHILLIPS: Yes.

LISOVICZ: And what it is, it's making fun of the contracts you usually get -- your telephone contracts that lock you in, your mobile contracts, for a couple years, making fun of that. They're not going to do those kind of contracts. And that's what they gave to us. I have an extra roll for both of you, if you would like.

MARCIANO: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Thank you so much. I'll put it up on my mantle, right above the fireplace.

LISOVICZ: And finally, ringing the closing bell today, the U.S. Navy celebrating its 232nd birthday.

PHILLIPS: Wow! LISOVICZ: We've seen a sell-off on Wall Street, but anchors away -- back to you, Rob and Kyra.

MARCIANO: Nothing like body (ph) humor and a down market to close out three hours here.

Thanks, Susan.

LISOVICZ: You're welcome.

PHILLIPS: And something with the U.S. Navy. I don't know how that all fits together.

Thanks, Susan.

We're going to take to "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Wolf Blitzer.

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