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American Morning
Snow Storms Hit the Midwest; Bellagio Casino Heist Caught on Tape; School Board Members in Shootout Tell Their Story; Counting Down Cady Coleman's Launch; Assange Still in Jail; A Soldier's Story; New Survey Reveals High School Seniors Choose Pot Over Cigarettes;
Aired December 15, 2010 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. It is 7:00 here on this Wednesday, December 15th.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: It's not Friday.
CHETRY: Oh, goodness. It's certainly not Friday. Ten more days until Christmas, but boy, people in some communities have used up all the snow days already because of the weather that we've had.
ROBERTS: Can you imagine? Icy roads, mountains of snow, hundreds of drivers stuck in the bitter cold for as much as 24 hours. That's what your X-5 does when it slides off the roadway. The military called in to pull cars out of the snow drifts along the Canadian border. We're going to head to the latest rescue efforts in the arctic plunge in the east just ahead for you.
CHETRY: This is some of the most shocking video we've seen in some time, a terrifying shooting at a school board meeting in Florida. A gunman first going on a rant, then spray painting the walls with a "V" for "Vendetta" before opening fire point blank on board members, all of it caught on tape. We'll show you how everything ended just ahead.
ROBERTS: And it's a scene reminiscent of the movie "Ocean's 11," but this is more like "Oceans One," an armed gunman ripping off the Bellagio hotel to the tune of $1.5 million in chips. We're live in Las Vegas just ahead.
CHETRY: Up first, though, extreme weather, snow that simply won't stop. Another huge lake-effect storm tearing across the Midwest and upstate New York. It's still snowing right now. Up to 15 inches of new snow expected by tonight. And this is on top of all of the snow that fell on the ground in buffalo. The wind-chill's 10 below zero.
ROBERTS: This cold snap is literally stretching from one end of the country to the other, from the Canadian border in the north all the way south to Key West, winter hats and coats out. Cities in Florida flirted with record lows yesterday and they will again today.
CHETRY: And the search continues for cars buried in the snow this morning after a blinding snowstorm left some drivers stuck in some cases for 24 hours near the U.S./Canada border. Some people ran out of gas, even the plows couldn't get through. A lot of people said it was this layer of ice on the ground that made driving near impossible. More than 300 people spent a frigid night out in the elements.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's one thing to be in a whiteout. I've been in one before where it's like a ten-second gust of wind that came over. But this continued for 12 or 14 hours.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Plows are stuck, fire trucks are stuck, police vehicles are stuck. It's just a mess.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, some were rescued on snowmobiles, others had to be airlifted to a warm place by the Canadian military on choppers and a transport plane. Our Rob Marciano is live for us in Louisville, Kentucky, where it's barely cracking double digits this morning. And we've been talking about this stretching from Canada down to Key West. It seems very, very odd for this time of year.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We're certainly off to a fast start. I suppose what's rare about this, Kiran, is that we've had two cold snaps like this back-to-back. This is the second week in a row where we've had bitterly cold air masses drop down from Canada. And this one is even colder than the last.
And that creates a couple things. Obviously kind of gets you worn out as far as staying warm. But it deepfreezes the ground. So typically in December when we get our first snowfall or threat of the season, it melts when it hits the ground because the ground's still warm. But this go around, the ground is pretty much frozen. So anything that falls now and we're looking at another system coming through is going to fall and stick to the ground in a frozen form until temperatures warm well up above freezing.
They are well below freezing right now. You can probably see my breath through the camera. It is bitterly cold this morning in Nashville where it currently feels like seven degrees in Louisville. Nashville is 22. Here in Louisville, seven, five degrees in Cincinnati, the feels like temperature.
But the actual air temperature will be the key to determine how this precipitation falls. It's dry right now in Louisville, 13 degrees, it's 26 in Nashville and 26 in Paducah. So we're obviously seeing a dramatic warm-up as you get closer to the Gulf of Mexico, which is where that moisture is going to be tapped.
In Mississippi and Alabama, there it is. Some pinks on the screen indicating it's mixing in the form of some sleet, freezing rain, and snow. But this radar will continue to fill in throughout the day as this storm intensifies and continues to pick up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.
So winter storm watches, advisories, and warnings are posted. The pink area there, that's the worst spot, and that would be most of central Kentucky where the precip is expected to begin this afternoon in the form of snow, then go to sleet, and then eventually become freezing rain.
So, you know, we might see a couple inches of snow on the ground, but the big threat is going to be the freezing rain, and we could see a quarter inch to a half inch by this time tomorrow across parts of the Ohio and Tennessee valleys.
And that will slick up the roadways and potentially bring down power lines. And Louisville gas and electric has staff ready to go and they've overstaffed for this particular storm in the event it happens. And this is the area and the time of year right through January that gets pretty bad ice storms and we've got the ingredients in order right now.
It's 28 degrees in New York City, no picnic there. Pretty much the eastern half of the country, guys, continues to be in the grips of this bitter cold. And we don't see the pattern shaking down for another week and a half. So just try to stay warm. John, Kiran.
CHETRY: You too, thanks, Rob.
ROBERTS: Good week to spend inside snuggled by the fire with a nice, warm, cup of hot chocolate.
Talk about a freak storm. It was a tornado two weeks before Christmas and it was in Oregon. It tore a five-mile path through a town southeast of Salem around lunchtime yesterday, damaged dozens of buildings, tearing roofs off a few. No reports of anyone seriously hurt, though, thankfully. It's the first tornado of 2010 in the state, only the fifth in the past decade.
CHETRY: Well, also new this morning, a critical Senate vote scheduled for today on the tax cut deal that impacts everyone. The deal brokered by the president and Republicans debated well into the night last night, and it's expected to pass the Senate. But it's not clear what's going to happen when the measure reaches the House where opposition is much stronger.
ROBERTS: Well, the home where former president Bill Clinton spent the first four years of his life is now officially a historic site. The Clinton birthplace foundation purchased the home in Arkansas back in 1997. But it wasn't until yesterday that the deed was transferred over to the federal government. An official dedication will take place in the spring of next year.
CHETRY: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was granted bail but is still in a London jail for now because a lawyer filed an appeal immediately. Assange is wanted in Sweden on alleged sex crimes. The next hearing is expected to take place within the next two days.
Also, filmmaker Michael Moore offering $20,000 out of his own pocket to help bailout Assange.
ROBERTS: Here's some interesting news. A man may have been cured of HIV in Germany. Researchers there report that back in 2007, the man who also had leukemia had his immune system wiped out with chemotherapy and radiation. He then received a bone marrow transplant. And now three years later, the man remains free of HIV. One AIDS doctor here in the United States said it probably is a cure, but it comes at a bit of a price.
CHETRY: The popular artificial sweetener saccharin no longer considered a potential health risk. The government removing it from the EPA's list of hazardous substances. The sweetener can be found in diet drinks, chewing gum, mouthwash. It was labeled a potentially cancer-causing substance in the 1980s, but a reevaluation found that not to be the case.
ROBERTS: Oops.
CHETRY: Were you laughing at Tab?
ROBERTS: No, I would never laugh at Tab.
CHETRY: Because most of the new use aspertaine.
ROBERTS: I just go with the regular sugar stuff, and then I don't have to worry about it.
CHETRY: Well, still ahead, we have to show you this amazing video at a school board meeting in Florida when a gunman opened fire, taking aim at the superintendent. Incredibly, he was not hurt. He's going to be joining us next along with a board member who tried to stop the attacker by trying to hit the gun out of his hand with her pocketbook.
ROBERTS: And a gunman wearing a motorcycle helmet robs the craps table at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. He takes $1.5 million worth of casino chips. How did he get in and out without being stopped? We're live in Las Vegas just ahead.
CHETRY: Well, started out as a college prank. Frosty then gets mowed down by a city bus and the driver is now paying the price. Eight minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: A horrifying confrontation at a school board meeting in Florida that was streamed live online and captured on tape. We want to warn you the video you're about to see is graphic and it's also very disturbing.
Clay Duke spray painting the wall with this symbol, similar to something from the movie "V for Vendetta." He then turns. He has a gun in his hand, excuses everyone from the room except for six male board members, eventually facing down the school superintendent and firing two shots at him point-blank. Incredibly, no one was hit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just listen to me for a minute. I don't want anybody to get hurt. And I have a feeling what you want is for the cops to come in and kill you because you're mad. You said you're going to die today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But why? This isn't worth it. This is a problem. Please don't. Please don't. Please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't you understand?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The shots that you heard off camera were from a security officer who wounded the gunman. Clay Duke then took his own life. Bill Husfelt is the superintendent who tried to talk Duke down, and Ginger Littleton is the school board member who actually tried to disarm duke using her purse.
And Ginger, we've got that unbelievable video of you trying to knock the gun from his hand. But first of all, Bill, I mean you look at this video. It's beyond shocking. What was it like to actually be there?
WILLIAM HUSFELT, SUPERINTENDENT, BAY DISTRICT SCHOOLS: It was surreal. We use that word together. I started using it last night and Ginger was using it this morning. We're at a board meeting and we're talking about technology and headlights, and the next thing we know this guy's got a gun in our face. And so, you know, there's nothing you can do to prepare or think that's coming.
ROBERTS: You talked with him very calmly and very reasonably. We want to play a little of that in just a second. But all through that, was it going through your mind that, oh, my god, we could all die here?
HUSFELT: He'd already told us that he was going to die. He was prepared to die, and we were going to die, as well. And so we -- we knew -- I mean, you could tell by the look in his eyes that there was going to be some killing going on. And so he made up his mind.
Right there where you're showing where he shoots at me, I knew he was getting ready to pull that trigger just the way he was acting.
ROBERTS: And how do you react when you see somebody level a gun at you like that knowing that he's going to pull the trigger?
HUSFELT: I just asked him not to shoot. I didn't want him to shoot, but I'm going to tell you this -- if I was killed, I knew where I was going to end up. But, you know, there's -- it's a miracle. There's no other excuse for it. God blocked those bullets, I have no doubt about that.
But Mike Jones is a hero.
GINGER LITTLETON, BAY DISTRICT SCHOOLS: That's very true.
ROBERTS: Yes, he was the security chief who took him down.
And Ginger, you were almost a hero and almost a victim at the same time. We've got this video. You were excused from the room. And here you are sneaking up behind him. You take a big whack at his hand with your purse, didn't knock the gun out of his hand. And right at that moment, we hear you cry out. And I can only imagine what was going through your mind at that moment. I'd love you to tell me about it, was "Oh, my god, it didn't work, I'm about to die."
LITTLETON: That's pretty much what was going through my mind. I was concerned about my guys. They were lined up like ducks in a row. He was already basically standing on the same level with them. I knew something bad was going to happen. That was my only option was to see if I could at least hurt him or somehow or other detain until somebody got there to help us. Because my guys had three-ring binders and pencils for protection and that was all.
ROBERTS: Wow. So again, when you took a swing at him with your handbag there and the gun didn't come out of his hand, obviously everything was a blur. But what was the thought that raced through your mind at that moment?
LITTLETON: My thought was that plan "A" had failed and I didn't have a plan "B," which was probably not one of the smartest things I ever did.
ROBERTS: Wow. He pointed the gun at you. He said something angry to you, but he didn't pull the trigger. You must have felt God intervened right at that moment.
LITTLETON: I did. I don't know why he didn't pull the trigger. My sense -- and I probably disagree somewhat with Bill is that he wanted to be killed rather than kill. But as time passed, obviously, it appeared that he was getting more and more ready to do some real damage. And we're so thankful Mike Jones saved the day. He saved all of their lives because he came in just in the nick of time or there would have been a lot more bloodshed yesterday morning.
ROBERTS: You know, Bill, we heard in some of the dialogue back and forth where you said I get the sense that you want the police to come in and kill you, suicide by cop I guess it's called. But let me play a little bit of the video where you're trying to reason with the guy and then I want to ask you about it. Let's play that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUSFELT: Will you let them go?
I mean, but you're obviously upset at me. So why are they here? Just listen to me for a minute. I don't want anybody to get hurt. And I've got a feeling is what you want is the cops to come in and kill you because you're mad. Because you said you're going to die anyway.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So, Mike (ph), I've got to ask you -- you had to be at that moment, you had to be terrified. How did you maintain that sense of calm in trying to talk to him?
HUSFELT: Well, as Ginger said, we were defenseless. The only thing we had -- the only thing we had -- the only thing we could possibly do was buy time and try to talk to him because he had us. I mean, he could just sat there and picked us off. And I think he had every intent. I think the more you watch it, if you notice even after he misses me and he gets shot, he's reaching over looking trying to shoot again. So he's serious about it.
ROBERTS: Yes.
HUSFELT: I mean, right here, you watch that, he's reaching still trying to shoot.
ROBERTS: Wow.
HUSFELT: So, you know, I'm just thankful none of us were hurt. We could be having a lot different kind of day than we're going to have.
LITTLETON: That's very true.
ROBERTS: It's just millimeters. That moment where he pulls the trigger and you clutch at your chest, what did you think had happened to you at that moment.
HUSFELT: Well, he's as close to me almost as this camera is. And it was pointed right at me. And so, I was trying to turn kind of sideways and put my hand up there and, you know, it's just all reactionary. It's just, you know, who knows what you do in a situation like that. But we were all scared and doing a lot of praying. I can tell you that.
ROBERTS: I read one statement that you made. I guess it was yesterday. You thought at that moment that he actually had shot you?
HUSFELT: I did. You know, I heard it, saw him pull the trigger, and so, I hit the ground and I said to myself, well, if I've been shot, it sure doesn't hurt like I thought it would. And so I could hear right after he took the first shot, I could hear Mike coming into the room and more shots being fired. And I -- you know, it's just -- it's -- I'm just so thankful to be able to be here and talk with you. It's not something I want to do. But I am so thankful to be able to do it.
ROBERTS: Wow. I'll tell you, it's just -- it's the most shocking video that I have seen in a long, long time. And we are certainly glad that you're all here to talk about it.
Bill Husfelt, Ginger Littleton, thanks so much for joining us this morning and sharing your story. It's just unbelievable.
LITTLETON: Thank you.
HUSFELT: Thank you.
CHETRY: God bless the two of them.
ROBERTS: Wow.
CHETRY: And everyone else who dealt with that. I mean, it's a sad day for everybody. It's certainly sad for the family of the suspect, as well. But it could have ended so much worse.
ROBERTS: But when Bill said if I'm shot, it sure doesn't hurt like I thought it was going to.
CHETRY: I know.
ROBERTS: And he also said that his thoughts went to his family. When he thinks about that, that's what brings the tears to his eyes.
CHETRY: It must be hard also to see the video played out. I mean, you know, you make snap decisions in a state of shock and then you see it later, and Ginger said maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to try to hit the gun out of his hand, but she was doing what she thought was possibly going to save her life and the lives of others at that exact moment.
ROBERTS: Yes, and could have cost her her life, as well. But just for some reason he didn't pull the trigger.
CHETRY: Coming up, is this any way to treat a snowman? This was a prank at a university, ended up getting the bus driver in a heap of trouble after he crossed the lane to mow down a snowman in the middle of the street. It's all over YouTube. We're going to have that and the other top stories coming up.
Twenty minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Well, after sifting through the 25 billion tweets, Twitter is out with its list of the top trends for 2010. Coming in at number 10 was Paul the octopus. You remember him. He shot to fame for predicting the results of the World Cup matches. He's very accurate in doing it. Teen pop star Justin Bieber snagged the number eight spot. Number five, again, with the World Cup, the vuvuzela. The World Cup came in at number two. And the number one trending topic of the year, the gulf oil spill.
CHETRY: That's why people can't say enough to Americans, why aren't you into more of the World Cup soccer? You know, three out of the top ten trending things were all about World Cup.
ROBERTS: Yes. And poor Paul the octopus, too.
CHETRY: He passed away ---
ROBERTS: Met his demise a little while ago.
CHETRY: -- after his accurate predictions.
Well, his desk makes the North Pole look like a Christmas shanty town. Check this one out. A company in Canada held a contest encouraging staff members to decorate their cubicle. So here's the winner.
I mean, how hard do you have to work on this? And how much money do you think he spent? He built a shed in the middle of the office. He mounted antlers. You get a full-sized tree inside, stockings hung by the chimney with care. And yes, there was a chimney. He actually brought in a wood-burning stove, as well. So he took it to the next level. Certainly deserves to win.
ROBERTS: Those creative Canadians.
Why did the bus driver cross the road? To mow down the snowman. The hit-and-run cost the driver his job after this video was posted on YouTube. Students from the University of Illinois had placed the snowman on the road to see what would happen -- what it was the city bus driver came along and said, oh, target, crossed the road to do it. That was the fatal error.
Now the students are feeling guilty. Not about frosty, but about the bus driver losing his job. They have started a save the bus driver Facebook page. But clearly a violation of policy there crossing the road to do that.
CHETRY: Yes.
Well, still to come this morning, the countdown is finally on for astronaut Cady Coleman. Do you remember her? She's about to head to the International Space Station. Coming up, a look inside her grueling training.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty-seven minutes after the hour. CNN exclusive now. American astronaut Cady Coleman now counting down the hours until her journey to the International Space Station.
CHETRY: It's been a long year. And we've had an all-access pass to Coleman's grueling training for the mission. And our John Zarrella joins us live from Miami.
I know you've been following her for her year-long journey, periodically checking in with us. You must be just as excited as her family at this point.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, it really is true. It is amazing. About seven hours from now, Cady and her two crewmates will be lifting off from Baikonur in Russia on a Soyuz rocket, headed for their six-month stay on the International Space Station. And we really did have unprecedented access that NASA gave us. And, of course, it would not have been possible had Cady not agreed to allow us to go along for this ride.
You know, and I talked to her just before she -- last time I interviewed her, she said -- I said, what are you going to be thinking when you get up to go up those stairs to the rocket? And she said I'm just going to be nervous and I don't want to break anything when I'm getting inside the capsule. It's a little bit like how Cady is. And here's a sample of just who Cady Coleman is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA (voice-over): Cady Coleman, mother, wife, astronaut. Later this week, space station resident.
CADY COLEMAN, NASA ASTRONAUT: I think just being up there and realizing that I really live here is something that you just can't really grasp until you get up there.
ZARRELLA: What you do grasp very quickly, the kind of person she is. For instance, a gesture of support for women with breast cancer.
COLEMAN: I have a roll of pink ribbon also rolled up, you know, wound up and squished in a zip lock bag. But I think it's a special way to think about the folks that are struggling with that down here on earth.
ZARRELLA: Listen to what she believes is important.
COLEMAN: One of the things that we can do up there is actually just be a presence that some, you know, little girl, little boy looks up and thinks, you know, she looks like a real person. Maybe I could do that job.
ZARRELLA: Cady has done this job before flying twice on space shuttle missions, but never this. She'll fly on a Russian rocket to the International Space Station and live there for the next six months conducting science and medical experiments. Bone loss, blood pressure studies.
JOSH SIMSON, CADY'S HUSBAND: I'm sustained through that, knowing that this is what Cady wants to do. This is what she lives her life to do.
ZARRELLA: And given the chance, this wouldn't be her last flight.
COLEMAN: I'm so ready. Would it be so terrible to go again?
ZARRELLA: Better get through this one first, Cady. She and her crew mates have been Russia for a few weeks now awaiting their ride. The rigorous training there and in Europe, Japan and the U.S. is over. Now until they fly, it's about ceremony and photo ops.
Press conferences.
COLEMAN: So a little tiger just like this one is already onboard the station. So this one I will give to my son before I launch.
ZARRELLA: And paying tribute, laying red carnations at the grave of Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space. Something called a fit check too where the crew and their space suits are stuffed into the capsule to as the name implies, to make sure they fit.
The next time they're inside will be at the launch pad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: 2:09 p.m. Eastern time lift off from (INAUDIBLE), and that'll really just be the beginning of the journey for Cady and her crew mates. And you know, next week, I'm going to have an opportunity to actually talk with her from space. It'll be her first interview she does with us from the International Space Station. I'm pretty excited about that. I'm not sure she's going to be so excited. I keep finding her and bugging her. John.
ROBERTS: Well, I think - why don't you hitch a ride and go visit her in person -- John.
ZARRELLA: I think all three of us should, that would be terrific.
CHETRY: I don't know about being away for six months, though. Do they offer, you know, any type of commuter shuttles back and forth, every now and then?
ZARRELLA: No, don't forget, Kiran, the only ride in town after is going to be the Russian Soyuz because shuttle's going away next year. So I think we'd be stuck for the full six months.
CHETRY: Unless you can get Richard Branson to pick you up, I guess you are.
ZARRELLA: Now, there you go.
ROBERTS: How's the weather looking for the launch, John? Any possibility of a delay?
ZARRELLA: No, and you know, the difference, of course, with the Russian rockets from the space shuttle, they pretty much fly in just about anything. So very, very little chance that there'll be any delay this afternoon. Tomorrow, of course, we'll bring you that live. And Cady and Paolo Nespoli, the Italian astronaut actually taped a short message for us just before they lifted off. So I'm going to bring you that tomorrow.
CHETRY: Wow.
ROBERTS: Looking forward to that.
CHETRY: They thought of everything.
ROBERTS: Thanks, John.
ZARRELLA: Yes, they did.
CHETRY: Top stories now in digging out cars buried in snow. Amazing video from Ontario, Canada, where a brutal snowstorm left more than 300 people trapped in some cases for 24 hours. Here's what it looks like right now. Lake effect snow still blasting places like upstate New York and Ohio, bone-chilling cold is also settling in more than half of the country this morning.
ROBERTS: Developing this morning, Greece rocked by a massive strike and violent protest. The crowds in Athens are angry over changes to labor laws and pay cuts. Austerity measures that are required to the massive bailout that Greece received earlier this year from the IMF. Today's strike shutting down mass transit, also affecting banks, airlines, and hospitals. CHETRY: Well, we just had a chance to talk to two school board members lucky to be alive this morning after a very disturbing situation last night at a school board meeting. You can see from this video, it captured Clay Duke spray painting the wall at the Bay County Board Meeting at Panama City, Florida. Then after talking back and forth for a while, he opened fire on the board members. Incredibly, none of the school officials were hurt. The entire ordeal caught on that camera and even streamed on the internet. Warning, though, the video you're about to see is very graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This isn't worth it. This is a problem. Please don't. Please don't. Please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to - don't you understand?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: He was eventually brought down by the school board's security officer Mike Jones who the school board members are hailing a hero this morning. Police say he then fatally shot himself. It is still not clear, though, what his motive was.
ROBERTS: And you can see Ginger Littleton, a school board member who is (INAUDIBLE) to knock the gun out of his hand with her purse.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange granted bail but staying in a London jail, at least for now, that's because an attorney representing Swedish prosecutors filed an appeal. Assange is wanted in Sweden on alleged sex crimes. The next hearing is expected to take place within the next couple of days.
Meanwhile, filmmaker Michael Moore offered $20,000 out of his own pocket to help bailout Assange saying Assange is under attack because he had the courage to expose American war crimes.
CHETRY: Well, this morning, a fixture on the Las Vegas strip, the Bellagio is down, technically, about $1.5 million in chips. The casino was robbed early yesterday by a gunman wearing a motorcycle helmet.
ROBERTS: Surveillance cameras captured him bolting the Bellagio to his getaway vehicle.
CNN's Casey Wian is live in Las Vegas. And any leads on who this fellow is this morning, Casey?
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT:: Well, one of the leads that authorities have is the fact that this guy when he walked into the casino went directly to the craps table and he bypassed a nearby cage where there was cash available. So police believe he was clearly going into the casino with the intent to take these chips and not take cash.
Here's how it all unfolded. Late yesterday night, about 10 minutes to 4:00 yesterday morning, he pulled up on a motorcycle at one of the valet parking entrances of the Bellagio Hotel. Immediately left his motorcycle outside, walked into the casino, went up to the craps table, pointed a gun at the patrons said nobody move and he took $1.5 million worth of chips.
Now, some of those chips ranging in value from $100 chips to $250,000 chips. He immediately left the building the same way he came into the casino, got on his motorcycle, headed west on one the east-west arteries here in Las Vegas, out toward the 15 freeway and then disappeared into the night.
Now, what police say is that no one tried to stop him as he left the casino, but casino employees called 911 while he was still in the building. No patrons were hurt during this robbery. And right now, this robber remains at large. John, Kiran?
CHETRY: You said $250,000 chips. Did you mean $25,000, or do they have them that big?
WIAN: No, they have them that big.
CHETRY: Wow!
WIAN: No, I'm sorry, you're right, $25,000 chips, I think is the correct number. And what's interesting about that is that the large chips have security devices. Some of the casinos - the Bellagio won't tell us what security devices they specifically employ. But many of the casinos do have transmitters in these chips and they have other security measures to make sure that someone can't steal these high- value chips and cash them in later.
One of the theories that police are looking at is that maybe this robber may have had an accomplice, someone who is a known gambler or someone who is known to the casino who may have been more easily able to cash these chips in. But they're saying it's going to be very, very difficult for him to get any significant amount of cash from these chips.
ROBERTS: They think he might have pulled off another heist at another casino in the last week or so?
WIAN: Absolutely. Last Thursday there's a casino called the Sun Coast, which is off the strip about 20 minutes from here. In that case, another motorcycle rider, this time dressed differently. He had a silver helmet on, but he also pulled up to the casino on a motorcycle, walked in with a gun, but he took $20,000 in cash from the cage. So his target was a little bit different. But they do believe based on the description and the M.O. that it's the same guy.
CHETRY: Right.
Casey, it just seems amazing, you talk - you know, casinos are renowned for their security. That he could just walk in that easily and make off with $1.5 million in chip without anybody stopping him.
WIAN: Yes, it really does. But unlike the movies, you know, the casino security guards and casino employees didn't want to confront an armed man, apparently. And so they let him walk out and called 911. Let the police handle the situation.
I mean, imagine if they had pulled a gun on him and a shootout ensued inside the casino, that could have been a really ugly situation. So that's clearly why they didn't try to stop him.
ROBERTS: Wouldn't be good. Casey Wian for us along the strip this morning. Casey, thanks.
CHETRY: Well, an alarm clock nothing compared to a drill sergeant's wake-up call. Get up, get dressed, get out. Up next, a soldier's story. Following recruits as they get off the bus at basic training to the beginning of their lives as soldiers.
It's 38 minutes past the hour.
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ROBERTS: Coming up on 41 minutes after the hour. Not too long ago, Will McLean was playing high school football in California, dreaming about a career in the NFL.
CHETRY: Yes, that must seem like a lifetime ago now because he is in the military and nobody's playing any games.
Jason Carroll with the "Soldier's Story" this morning. We followed Will and his poor mom and dad, his mom was crying when he decided to go to the recruiting station and enlist.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Both of you guys have been along for this ride and it's been a very long process for everyone involved in all of this. You know, we've watched Will McLean transformed himself into a soldier during the past year. But in order to do that, you have to begin somewhere. Here's a taste of how it all started for Will.
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WILLIAM MCLEAN, JR., U.S. SOLDIER: I William McLean Jr. -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you understand?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, drill sergeant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations on your enlistment to the military!
CARROLL (voice-over): Just 12 hours after taking the oath, Will finds himself half way across the country at Ft. Leonardwood, Missouri.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Take out your bags!
CARROLL: Basic training begins now. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any and all electronic items, take them out and put them in the air. You're not allowed to authorized to have the following items, drugs and narcotics, aspirin, vitamins, cigarette, papers, water pipes, drug paraphernalias, cocaine, (INAUDIBLE), gambling devices, playing cards, dice, all that crap is gone! McLean!
CARROLL: What do you think about this recruit?
SGT. CRYSTAL SCOTT, U.S. ARMY: He looks to be a bit overweight here. He looks to be not in physical condition and that's going to be a challenge down the road.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Extra-large regular. Extra-large regular, have a seat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you will lay those collars down flat, do you understand?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do it.
CARROLL (on camera): Anything about the process so far, any surprises or anything that's -
MCLEAN: I expected there to be tons of paperwork, there was, of course. I expected them to come yelling on the bus, they did. You know, I mean, the only thing I'm surprised I haven't had to do push- ups or anything yet so that's always a plus.
CARROLL: Well, it's coming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, drill sergeant!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do not share bunks. One private, one bunk. You understand?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, drill sergeant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go. Hurry up.
CARROLL (voice-over): Day one is almost over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go. Hey, you two right here.
CARROLL: The prospect of a good night's sleep is at hand. Well, maybe not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is going on?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go, let's go. Let's go.
(END VIDEOTAPE) CARROLL: Those are just a few clips from a documentary we put together for you. And it's not just will that you will see in our one-hour documentary, but also Latricia Rose, a young mother struggling to become a soldier to care for her family. And also Sgt. First Class Randy Shorter, a combat veteran fighting an ever changing enemy in Afghanistan. We followed them there as both of you well know. All of this being put together for a one-hour documentary that we hope to bring you.
ROBERTS: So you spent an amazing amount of time with these folks, got to know them. Were you really glad that you got a chance to say thanks very much.
CARROLL: No, I actually miss them. Each and every one of them.
ROBERTS: No, no, no. I don't mean that. Were you glad you weren't there going through the drills yourself?
CARROLL: Oh, yes, absolutely.
ROBERTS: That's what I meant.
CARROLL: I mean, we were talking during the break, you know, how real it seems when you're in there that very first night going through all that. You know you have to admire all of them for what they do.
CHETRY: And every single person basically is putting their own life on the line, you know, to fight to defend our freedom. And it's amazing. I mean, you know, from the very day you sign up at the recruiting station, this is real.
CARROLL: It is very real. And it's fascinating to watch their transformation and to bring people who - I don't come from a military family. And so for me, this goal was to bring people like myself closer to the military experience to give people an idea of who these men and women are.
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ROBERTS: You spent a lot of time with them in a number of different places. Got a real appreciation for the job that they do.
CARROLL: It was an incredible experience.
ROBERTS: Yes. I mean, they are all our heroes.
CARROLL: Absolutely. Each and every one.
ROBERTS: Good deal, Jason. We're looking forward to seeing it. Our one-hour documentary tracks military recruits every step of the way. "A Soldier's Story" airs Saturday, December 18th -- that's this coming Saturday -- at 8:00 p.m. And again, the next day, Sunday, December 19th, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Jason, thanks so much. CHETRY: Freezing rain. We have sleet, we have snow, ice. It's going to get rough across the country today. No one really is spared, unless you live in Dallas. I think it's pretty nice there. That's about it. Rob Marciano braving the elements outside, as well. He's got the icy details up next.
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CHETRY: Well this is about as good as it gets on the East Coast today weather-wise. A look at Miami, Florida, courtesy of WSBN this morning, where it is sunny, 48 degrees only. A little bit later it's going to be sunny and only going up to a high of 65. One of the warmest spots, though, in the country.
ROBERTS: Yes. And Dallas, and I guess, Phoenix. They're cracking the 70s. But beautiful sunshine there in Florida for us this morning.
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CHETRY: This morning's top stories just minutes away, including what women want, especially the 20-something known as the millennials and why we should care. There's a new study on women in their 20s; their desires, what they see for their futures, and how they are shaping the world.
ROBERTS: Big stars, big giving. Actor Ed Norton, "Fight Club," "Rounders," "The Incredible Hulk." He's now raising the bar for giving back with a major online charity drive.
CHETRY: Also, the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame's class of 2011. Did Bon Jovi make the cut? Who got in and who got a snub? Those stories, plus "Time's" Person of the Year coming up at the top of the hour.
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ROBERTS: More high school seniors now choosing pot over cigarettes, if you can believe that. That's one disturbing find in a new report being released by the federal government on kids today and drugs.
CHETRY: Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us this morning with all of the details.
I mean, I guess, you know, you don't want kids doing either one. But this is pretty startling -- marijuana use over taking cigarette use.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I had to read this study a couple of times because these are quite staggering numbers. And this was based on a pretty large survey, 46,000 students, high school students around the country.
It is a survey, so that's going to have certain limitations. But the numbers, as you said, are pretty stunning. More high school seniors now using marijuana versus cigarettes. Twenty-one percent of high school seniors using marijuana versus 19 percent of high school students -- seniors using cigarettes. It's remarkable. Take a look at the numbers across the grade. Eight percent of eighth graders, also marijuana; 21 percent of 12th graders as mentioned; 6 percent of seniors say that they're smoking marijuana on a daily basis. I think that may be the most alarming number and that's gone up. Those numbers have all gone up steadily over time . Cigarette has sort of -- was coming down for a period of time and then just sort of has plateaued over the last few years.
They looked at a bunch of other drugs, as well. Ecstasy, for example, as one of the other drugs. They've also seen a gradual increase in the use of ecstasy, again, among high school students.
ROBERTS: So that's the reason, Sanjay, that the numbers are going up?
GUPTA: Well, you know, I looked at the study pretty carefully. I think there's a couple of things here.
First of all, there's been a lot of debate recently in the public about the legalization of marijuana. And I think the message that some high school students are getting, well, look, is it it's potentially going to be used for medicinal purposes, how dangerous can could it be? It's what's known as the perceived risk index. As perceived risk goes down, usage typically goes up. That seems to be one reason.
Another thing is that cigarette prices did seem to go up. And the population that's most sensitive of prices of cigarettes are really going to maybe diminish their use based on cost are going to be kids, or students in this case. They don't want to pay the extra money so cigarette use came down for a period of time.
But it's hard to know exactly. This perceived risk thing, there's a lot of different factors that can influence that.
CHETRY: The other thing that's startling is availability. I mean, where are sixth graders getting marijuana so easily?
GUPTA: Right, right. I mean, are they getting it from older students in the same school? Or do they get it from people in the community? It's hard to believe.
You remember, Kiran, we talked a lot not that long ago about kids getting medicines from their medicine cabinet --
CHETRY: Right.
GUPTA: -- and that has gone up, as well.
But this sort of rise most sharply in marijuana use, I think was a little bit surprising. Again, I want to point out once more, this is a survey, so these are students actually filling things in. And that's always going to have limitations as far as a study goes. But if you compare this from year to year to year, you definitely see a trend going on.
ROBERTS: All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta for us, this morning. Doc, good to see you. Thanks so much for that.
GUPTA: Good seeing you. You got it.
ROBERTS: Top stories coming your way right after the break. Stay with us.
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