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Zimmerman's Brother Speaks Out; $640,000,000: Largest Jackpot Ever; Romney's Factory Closing Story; Gingrich and Romney's Private Meeting; Anonymous Witness Describes Scene; Zimmerman's Brother Speaks Out; Great First Quarter For Stocks; Singing Under Alleged Influence; Getting To Know Trayvon Martin
Aired March 30, 2012 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Live from CNN headquarters in Atlanta, where it's noon Eastern Time, 9:00 a.m. on the West Coast -- I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Suzanne Malveaux, who's on assignment.
I want to get you up to speed for this Friday, March 30th.
The brother of the man who killed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin has spoken out. In a CNN exclusive interview, Robert Zimmerman, Jr. said medical records will back up his brother's claims that George Zimmerman was injured in a fight with the unarmed 17-year- old. The gunman's brother insists the shooting was in self-defense.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, JR., GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S BROTHER: When you say have a bag of Skittles and an iced tea, nobody just stands there with a bag of Skittles and iced tea. You return force with force when somebody assaults you.
George was out of breath. He was barely conscious. The last thing he remembers doing was moving his head from the concrete to the grass, so that if he was banged one more time, he wouldn't be, you know, wearing diapers for the rest of his life and being spoon-fed by his brother. And it would have been very George dead had he not acted decisively and instantaneously in that moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: A person who wants to remain anonymous tells CNN he saw two people in the grass that would seem like a scuffle. After the gunshot, the witness said he saw one of the men walking toward him. He said the man did not appear hurt.
Mitt Romney picked up the endorsement of another high profile Republican. This time, it's House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, a favorite of conservatives. Ryan says Romney is the best person for the job and has the best chance of beating President Obama. He also echoed the call for the party to coalesce around Romney.
And 19 people are under arrest after a series of raids by French police on suspected extremists. Guns and bullet proof vests were fond. The interior minister says those targeted support, quote, "an extremely radical ideology". Several cities were involved, including Toulouse, that's where suspected al Qaeda sympathizer was killed by police after 32-hour standoff earlier this month. The man was blamed for shooting attacks that left seven people dead.
And take a look at this video. It shows some scary moments for firefighters in Dearborn, Michigan. They were on the roof of a dry cleaner's building that was on fire, trying to ventilate the building. A news chopper was rolling when the roof started to give way, as you see right there. The firefighters had to scramble to make it off the section that was actually collapsing. They managed to make it to safety. No reports of injuries in that fire.
And the largest lottery jackpot ever has folks who have never bought a ticket before picking up numbers. It's now $640 million. The drawing will be held tonight at 11:00 Eastern Time.
Forty-two states, plus the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands, take part in the Mega Millions. Of course, the odds of winning are extremely long, one in 176 million.
All right. Let's get back now new developments in the Trayvon Martin case. For the first time, we're hearing from the brother of George Zimmerman, the man who shot the unarmed teenager. We're also hearing from someone described as a witness. Both have spoken exclusively to CNN.
Martin Savidge is in Sanford, Florida.
So, Martin, let's begin with Robert Zimmerman, Jr., the brother of George Zimmerman. What is he saying about the night that his brother shot and killed Trayvon Martin?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's interesting, Fredricka. Those two interviews you just mentioned are getting a lot of interest here in this particular community.
But you're right, Robert Zimmerman, this is the older brother of George Zimmerman. A couple of days ago, we heard from George Zimmerman's father. Now, we're hearing from the older brother.
In both cases, they have stressed the same story line: George Zimmerman was in the fight for his life. He had no choice to use his weapon to defend himself.
Here's the old brother last night on "PIERS MORGAN".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZIMMERMAN: The gun, I believe, was inside -- tucked inside his pants waist.
PIERS MORGAN, HOST, CNN'S PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT: Right. So he has pulled it out and he has fired it?
ZIMMERMAN: Well, he has taken control of his firearm. He prevented his firearm from being taken from him and used against him. And that's called saving your life.
What Trayvon said was either to the effect of -- I believe -- "This is going to be easy. You die tonight or you have a piece, you die tonight." And then attempted to disarm him.
So when you say have a bag of skittles and an iced tea, nobody just stood there were a bag of Skittles and an iced tea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: So, there you have it, the very dire nature of the narrative there, again coming from the family of George Zimmerman. We should point out that Robert was not an eyewitness, which brings us to the next important guest who was on "ANDERSON COOPER" last night, an eyewitness.
This is the first time we've heard of a person who has come forward, spoken to authorities and said they actually saw the struggle and saw when the gunshot was fired. They didn't want to give their identity. So, this is how they sounded on "ANDERSON COOPER" last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WITNESS: After the shots, obviously, a man got up, and it was kind of like that period of him -- I didn't actually watch him get up, but maybe within only a couple seconds or so, then he was walking towards where I was watching. And I could see him a little bit clearer. I could see it was a Hispanic man. And he was -- you know, he didn't appear hurt or anything else. He just seemed very -- you know, very worried or whatever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Meanwhile, state authorities have announced that they are clamping down, they're trying to shut off all the leaks that have been coming out regarding the investigation. But they're not going to be able to stop the eyewitnesses or the Zimmerman family. If they want to speak, they are free to do so.
WHITFIELD: So, meantime, Marty, what is the -- the man who claims to be representing or at one point will represent George Zimmerman, if George Zimmerman is ever charged, what is he saying about whether family members should be talking? Whether this continued dribbling of information further confuses the issue or whether it offers any clarity anywhere?
SAVIDGE: Well, we haven't heard from Craig Sonner on that particular issue. Except, you know, we should point out that we know that George Zimmerman's father is retired magistrate. It doesn't mean he was a judge, but a magistrate does have powers similar to a judge from Virginia. He can certainly give his own family, his own son, a lot of legal insight and a lot of advice.
As far as the family coming out and speaking and trying to frame exactly what they say happened with George Zimmerman, that appears what they want to do. They want to make sure the public is aware of his version of events.
Meanwhile, of course, the family of Trayvon Martin wants to keep people focused on the tragedy that happened to their son, and how they believe that it's unlawful that George Zimmerman, that is, has not been brought under arrest.
WHITFELD: All right. Martin Savidge, thanks so much, from Sanford, Florida.
And tonight, CNN's Soledad O'Brien leads a special town hall event about how this tragedy became a nationwide story and what it says about racial tensions in this country. Don't miss "Beyond Trayvon: Race and Justice in America." That's tonight, 8:00 Eastern Time, only on CNN.
All right. Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we're covering.
First, you got to be in it to win it. So, are you going to risk your hard-earned dollars for a shot at the biggest Mega Millions jackpot in history?
And this bus was launched by a tornado to a diner in Henryville, Indiana, last month. You recall that one. Now, new video from inside that bus.
Then, Mitt Romney wraps up endorsements, but why haven't we heard from George W. Bush?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. So, what would you do if you won the Mega Millions lottery tonight? It's the big trending topic on Twitter today. The Mega Millions jackpot is now a record $640 million. That's the largest lottery jackpot ever in the world. That's insane!
Well, here's what some folks are tweeting. This saying, "If I won the lotto, I would travel around the world watching horseracing and cricket until the money runs out which I bet will be next Tuesday."
And this from Krissandra1219, "If I won the lotto, I would buy me a brand-new Mustang, a husky puppy and a black Cadillac. Also a Lambo and beautiful Viper and shopping.'
Our Susan Candiotti is in New York, hanging out at a 7-Eleven, near the Port Authority terminal where I'm sure the line is long. Oh, I see it is.
So, Susan, how much action are you seeing? Is it just constant flow of people?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know what, it comes and goes. One thing to keep in mind, Fredricka, is that you can buy them in every state except for eight. So, there are so many locations that, oftentimes, you can have a line and it can disappear in two seconds.
Among those we found here is this gentleman, Alan Brown.
Alan, my friend, how many did you buy there.
ALAN BROWN, BOUGHT 35 TICKERS FOR COWORKRES TO BE "NICE": Thirty-five tickets. One for each co-worker and myself.
CANDIOTTI: Now, the story is that you bought these for them just to be a nice guy.
BROWN: Yes.
CANDIOTTI: Why did you do that?
BROWN: Because maybe give luck to me and somebody else at the department, we have a pool going on. But I decided to give everybody an individual a ticket.
CANDIOTTI: Out of your own pocket.
BROWN: Yes.
CANDIOTTI: But you're also part of a pool. How often do you do this?
BROWN: We do the pool every week.
CANDIOTTI: Every week. You know, it just went up to $640, Alan. How lucky are you feeling?
BROWN: I'm feeling so lucky to go out and buy tickets for co- workers. So, hopefully, it will bring some extra luck.
CANDIOTTI: Good for you. Good for you.
And you know what, Fred?
WHITFIELD: Yes?
CANDIOTTI: Alan says that if he wins, well, he'd stay on the job for maybe a month or so, and then he would leave and move. He would start a new life.
WHITFIELD: But then, Alan, since you bought some tickets for other people, not part of the pool, if any of them win, are you expecting that they are going to, you know, give you a cut?
CANDIOTTI: Oh, yes, do you think you'll get a piece of the action or 10 percent back, or some kind of percentage back of one of these 35 ticket wins that you're giving away?
BROWN: Hopefully, I will. If they don't, it will be like that.
But I have a feeling that they will.
WHITIFELD: Alan's good.
CANDIOTTI: Good for you. Good luck to you and everyone, right?
BROWN: Thank you.
CANDIOTTI: Fred, you have bought your ticket?
WHITFIELD: I have not purchased the tickets yet. I will be after the show.
Well, with that heart that he has. Somebody's going to win. Somebody that he knows that he's going to win simply by virtue of the fact that he's just too kind.
CANDIOTTI: That's right. You never know.
WHITFIELD: And how about you, Susan? Have you already been in line? Have you snapped up your tickets? If so, how many?
CANDIOTTI: Well, let's just say that I am already part of the office pool. So, someone else got that task. So, there are I think 10 or 12 of us. We'll see what happens.
WHITFIELD: All right. OK. Thanks so much, Susan. Appreciate that. All the best. Good luck on that, keep us posted.
I think that convenience store has actually hit the jackpot with so many people in line.
All right. So, if you won, that's a big if, of course, should you take the lump sum or annual payouts?
I'm going to talk to financial analyst Clyde Anderson in about 30 minutes with some key advice, also talk about why some shouldn't even buy a ticket. Why you shouldn't get on board.
All right. A heroic bus driver saves all of her kids as a tornado heads straight for them.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
RADIO: I see the tornado on the ground north of the school.
ANGEL PERRY, SCHOOL BUS DRIVER: If you got a book to put over your head. Do it. Get in the middle.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. We'll show you more of this incredible tape and how she was able to get them off of the bus just before that tornado hits.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Four weeks ago today, a series of deadly tornadoes tore through communities across the Midwest and South. Among the hardest hit, Henryville, Indiana, where this bus became the symbol of destruction after it was tossed into a restaurant by a twister. Carol Costello has the frantic minutes that led up to that iconic moment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PERRY: Are you guys OK?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): School bus driver Angel Perry is trying to calm her students as they race to dodge that F-4 tornado begins.
PERRY: We're going to go to the Baptist church, too. I don't know what else to do.
I stopped the bus for a second. I put my hands down, I said, Dear Lord, what do I do?
COSTELLO: Thinking fast, she quickly radios a dispatcher.
DISPATCH: I know you're busy.
CHILD: We should go back to the school.
PERRY: Shh, quiet!
COSTELLO: With chaos all around her, she makes a rash decision.
PERRY: Count how many kids we have, please.
Eleven. Thank you so much. If anybody needs to call their parents, we're going to go back to the school.
CHILD: I do. I don't know my parent's phone number.
PERRY: We'll call when we get to school.
RADIO HENRYVILLE: There is a tornado on the ground.
PERRY: Tornado on the ground. Quiet.
RADIO: I see the tornado on the ground north of the school.
PERRY: If you got a book put it over your head. Do it! Get in the middle.
COSTELLO: They got a minute and a half to get out of the way and find cover.
PERRY: There's a tornado right there, guys. Look, the funnel cloud.
COSTELLO: In a frantic state of mind, she calmly instructs her students on the next move.
PERRY: Don't block me. Don't block me. Guys we're just going to go as fast as we can into the school.
COSTELLO: They make it back to school. The tornado moves closer. They make a run for it.
PERRY: Everybody stay together. Our group together. Yes, go, go, go. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine -- come on! Come on. Ten, 11, go, go!
COSTELLO: Just moments later, the 18-ton bus moves across the parking lot into a car, lifts into the air and is thrown into a diner.
A picture that will never be forgotten in the city of Henryville -- the bus is now inside the restaurant. What also won't be forgotten are the lives saved and the heroic thinking of the bus driver.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Incredibly indeed. She's amazing. Perry and her passenger all survived reportedly no injuries.
Across Indiana, 13 people were killed in that storm.
And then imagine seeing this as you drive down the highway. It happened to a woman in Mexico who captured this twister after hail and high winds just outside of Monterrey. The woman says she has traveled the road every week for the past couple of years but has never seen anything quite like that.
Mitt Romney jokes about how his father closed a factory and moved production to another state. The Democrats don't think that's very funny, calling him out of touch. We'll take a two-hour political roundtable next.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Time now for the "Help Desk" where we get answers to your financial questions.
Joining me this hour, Jack Otter. He's the executive editor of CBSMoneyWatch.com, and author of "Worth It, Not Worth It?" And Stacy Francis, she's a financial adviser and the president of Francis Financial.
Now, Andy in Iowa is asking, "I'm 35. I make about $50,000 a year. I have $20,000 in the bank. My only debt is a $130,000 mortgage. How can I start planning for retirement and my 7-month-old daughter's college fund?"
Stacy, what should he do?
STACY FRANCIS, FINANCIAL ADVISER: Well, the first thing is I would do take a step back. He has $20,000 in cash savings. That might not be a big enough emergency fund for him. So, definitely beef up that emergency fund. The next thing is the step between retirement or college savings. Guess what? We're going to err towards that retirement. No one is going to give you a loan for retirement. So, beef up that retirement at work, open an IRA, and then only after a 529 plan for your daughter's college savings.
KOSIK: OK. I hope he'll follow your advice there.
All right. Let's go to another e-mail from John in Michigan. He's asking, "I'm considering investing $100,000 in an annuity. How much should I expect to pay in fees?"
Jack, how much?
JACK OTTER, AUTHOR, "WORTH IT, NOT WORTH IT?": OK, the first thing he's got to know is worth it are fixed immediate annuities. I don't think variable annuities are worth it. So, how much in fees. With the fixed annuity, it's actually tough to tell. The key is the return you get.
He's got $100,000 if he invests that with Vanguard. Let's say he's 65 -- I don't know his age. He would get $561 a month for life. That's a great deal. One of the problems that seniors have is they run out of money before they die.
KOSIK: Right.
OTTER: This guarantees it.
A variable annuity, it's an insurance product plus an investment product. He tends to pay high fees. If he has to get one, I would go with Fidelity or Vanguard. With Vanguard, you pay about half a percentage point, to 1 1/2 percentage points, depending on the various, you know, benefits that come with it.
But, you know, I'd rather he invest on his own. Invest in mutual funds. Invest in life insurance. Invest in bonds. Stay away from the variable annuity.
KOSIK: OK. All right. So, if you have a question you want answered, go ahead and send us an e-mail anytime to CNNHelpDesk@CNN.com.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Here's a rundown of some of the stories we're working on next:
Another gaffe for Romney on the trail. But the endorsements keep rolling in.
Then, in a CNN exclusive, we'll hear from the brother who shot Trayvon Martin.
And later, go ahead and check your 401(k). A market upswing may be very good news for your retirement fund.
This has been a busy week for Mitt Romney. He's picked up some major endorsements. There's also another Romney gaffe that late-night comedians are having a whole lot of fun on it. Wait until you hear Stephen Colbert's take on it.
Well, joining us to talk about all that and more, Democratic strategist Maria Cardona and Republican strategist Lenny McAllister.
Good to see you both.
We'll get to Colbert in a minute. But let's start with some new poll numbers. An NBC/Marist poll shows that Romney has 40 percent support among likely primary voters in Wisconsin, ahead of the primary Tuesday, Rick Santorum is at 33 percent, with Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich in the distance.
So, is this evidence that Romney is sealing the deal to win the nomination with the Republicans? Maria, you first.
MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I do think that we are in the final stretch here. And that Republicans, at least they hope, to be summing up this nomination and that Mitt Romney is going to be potentially the nominee. It's going to be interesting to see, Fred, in the Wisconsin primary, if he in fact is able to seal that deal with the most conservative voters, with the Tea Partiers, with the religious and social conservatives, that frankly, Rick Santorum has been the standard-bearer.
If he wins Wisconsin and he has yet to win over those voters, I still think it's an argument that Rick Santorum can continue to make, that Mitt Romney cannot make the deal, cannot seal the deal with those very important conservative voters.
WHITFIELD: Well, Lenny, how do you see it? You know, Mitt Romney picking up yet another endorsement, this time from Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. We know that George H.W. Bush, Barbara Bush, you know, Jeb Bush -- they have all thrown their support behind Mitt Romney. Does this indicate that there will be some kind of coalescing of the Republican base around Mitt Romney?
LENNY MCALLISTER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: We'll find out Tuesday. We can't make a determination of that quite yet because -- let's go back to Mississippi. He was ahead in the polls there and had the establishment behind him. He came in third place.
Then, you get to Illinois. He was up by double digits, had the establishment behind him there. And ended up winning by double digits.
I think Wisconsin is going to be the tie breaker. If he can keep that lead and avoid that Bradley/Romney effect, polling one way and voting another, he could avoid that like he did in Illinois, I think we'll finally see the final stage of coalescing behind Mitt Romney. He'll go ahead and do even better, of course, in D.C. against Newt Gingrich where Santorum is not on the ballot down there. And about the time he get to Yankee primary, it should be pretty much the final stage out at that point in time, if Wisconsin stays the way it looks right now in the polls.
WHITFIELD: So, I wonder if it's a couple steps forward, one step back. You've got the endorsements. But then there's the awkward moment that occasionally crops up, involving Mitt Romney. This latest one, he was taking part in a telephone town hall meeting this week. Romney brought up what he called a humorous story about his father closing a Michigan factory when he was ahead of American Motors.
Just listen to how comedian Stephen Colbert explains it all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN COLBERT, COMEDIAN: The man has finally found a way to connect with the common man. Humor.
On a recent conference call with Wisconsin supporters, he trotted out a favorite shaggy dog story, and this time, it doesn't involve strapping the shaggy dog to the roof of his car.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I recall at one parade where he was going down the street he was led by the band, his band did not know how to play the Michigan fight song, they only knew how to play the Wisconsin fight song. So, every time they played "On Wisconsin, on Wisconsin," my dad's political people would jump up and down and try to get them to stop because they didn't want people in Michigan to be reminded that my dad had moved production to Wisconsin.
(LAUGHTER)
COLBERT: Good stuff.
(LAUGHTER)
COLBERT: It's like he's on the blue collar comedy tour -- if the comedy was about losing blue-collar jobs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Ouch. OK. So Romney was trying to connect with Wisconsin voters, but he's talking about closing a factory which laid off, you know, hundreds of workers.
So is this just a harmless, gaffe, Lenny, or does it play into the real narrative that Romney is quote/unquote, "out of touch with everyday Americans?"
MCALLISTER: We've had months of evidence that he's out of touch, but that doesn't mean he's not a better choice for president because at this point in time, we want somebody to improve the economy.
We want somebody to be better in the white house and guide the nation back towards prosperity. So, yes, I'd rather have an out of touch president that gets this economy going and humming the way it needs to be.
Versus the president that we've had that is failing on Obamacare it looks like in the supreme court, has failed with the economy for the last years, had very few victories in the White House.
That's what Romney has to focus on if he's trying to connect as much as President Obama does. He's going to lose on that every single time. He has to show he'll be a better leader from the White House than President Obama. That's where he wins.
WHITFIELD: Maria, how costly might these gaffes be, in your view?
CARDONA: Well, I think there are very costly. If we have seen the recent CNN poll, Fredricka, it underscores exactly the opposite of what my dear friend, Lenny, is saying, which is that Barack Obama is the one that's connecting with voters and is one that is really speaking to the issue of job creation and economic growth and they're giving him credit for that.
In fact, the more they learn about Romney, bless his heart, the less they like him. These gaffes do not help because Lenny is right for months we've known that Romney cannot connect with the average voter, the average working American and understand what they're going through because he is a billionaire many times over.
Because he can only talk about car elevators and how many Cadillacs his wife drives and that's not something that voters tend to see in a president that they want to see that understands what they're going through.
Barack Obama is now beating him in all of the battleground states. In the nationwide polls, yes, the election is not tomorrow. But this is not a trend that is favorable for Mitt Romney.
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, now, let's bring Newt Gingrich into the equation here because we are hearing that there was a private meeting between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich that happened in Louisiana just last weekend before the state's primary.
And sources are describing this meeting as pleasant and productive. So when you add that Gingrich has cut back on his staff, is charging people $50 for a photograph with him.
Is this kind of the beginning, Lenny, of some deligate deal making, after all that anti-Romney talk that Newt Gingrich might be cozying up to Romney, making a deal?
MCALLISTER: I think that does look like the beginning of that. Furthermore, Newt Gingrich wants to sense it out. He's had an opportunity to tweak his legacy from the '90s into now. He can put a happy ending story on this if he does it with grace.
I think he's trying to find an opportunity to that. I think enough advisers, I think the money folks behind him as well have finally set, Newt, you missed your opportunity in Florida. You never had a chance to catch up.
Do this with grace, have a legacy and perhaps be part of a winning team where you can elevate from maybe speaker of the House to something even greater in a cabinet position should we have President Romney moving out of 2013 onward.
So I think this is a good move for Newt Gingrich. I think this is a good move for Republicans. Again, if Wisconsin plays the way Illinois has done, I think you'll eventually see by the end of April, Rick Santorum doing the same exact thing.
WHITFIELD: All right, fascinating every day. Lenny McAllister and Maria Cordona, thanks so much. Don't call it yet, right, anything can happen from day to day.
CARDONA: Anything can happen.
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much.
All right, for the first time, we're hearing now from George Zimmerman's brother.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's the neighbor that everybody would want to have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: We'll also hear from someone who claims to have witnessed the Trayvon Martin shooting and its aftermath.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A person who claims to have witnessed the deadly shooting of Trayvon Martin is speaking for the first time. Because of all the passion swirling around this case, the self-described witness has asked not to be identified, not even by gender. The person spoke exclusively to our Anderson Cooper. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two men on the ground, one on top of each other, looked like something horrible was happening. At that point, not looking out the window I heard yells for help and in the yells for help, I heard another excruciating type of yell.
It didn't sound like a help. It just sounded so painful, but I wasn't watching out the window during that. And then the next time I looked out the window, there's the same thing, two men, on the grass one on top of each other.
I kind of felt like they -- I couldn't see a lot of it because it was very dark. I felt like they were scuffling and then I heard gunshot, which, to me, were more like pops than they were like a bang.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, CNN'S "AC 360": You say gunshots, plural. Was there more than one, do you remember or was there just one? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, the sounds that I imagined were -- I was watching, it was more like a pop, and it definitely was more than one pop noise. I don't know if it was an echo or anything else, but it definitely made more than one pop.
COOPER: I know you said it was dark. I don't want to ask how far away you were because I don't want to give any identifying sense of where you were. But were you able to see who's on top, who's on bottom, were you able to see any faces or any details of the people scuffling?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, just that it was dark. I mean, the only reason I could say -- if I had to say who I think it was, I would have to say it would be the larger man because after the larger man got off, then there was a boy obviously now dead, on the ground.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: That witness says the larger man who got up did not appear hurt. And that could be a key part of the story because George Zimmerman claims that he was being brutally beaten by Trayvon Martin and then shot Trayvon Martin in self-defense.
George Zimmerman's brother is the latest to step forward with an account of what happened. Robert Zimmerman Jr. spoke last night in an exclusive interview with our Piers Morgan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT ZIMMERMAN JR., GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S BROTHER: He didn't pull out a gun and shoot him. George showed tremendous restraint.
PIERS MORGAN, HOST, CNN'S "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT": But he had a gun on him, right?
ZIMMERMAN JR.: He had a permit to carry that gun.
MORGAN: Where was the gun?
ZIMMERMAN JR.: The gun, I believe, was inside, tucked inside his pants waist.
MORGAN: Right. So he has pulled it out and he has fired it?
ZIMMERMAN JR.: Well, he has taken control of his firearm. He prevented his firearm from being taken from him and used against him. And that's called saving your life.
MORGAN: Right. So you believe, as a family, is this what George told you the next day, that Trayvon was trying to grab his gun to use against him?
ZIMMERMAN JR: My father also is on record yesterday night saying -- again, what Trayvon said was either to the effect of, I believe, this is go to come easy. You die tonight, or you have a piece, you die tonight and then attempted to disarm him. So when you say have a bag of Skittles and iced tea. Nobody just stood there with a bag of Skittles and an iced tea. You return force with force when somebody assaults you. George was out of breath. He was barely conscious.
The last thing he remembers doing was moving his head from the concrete to the grass. So that if he was banged one more time he wouldn't be wearing diapers for the rest of his life and being spoon- fed by his brother. And there would have been George dead had he not acted.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Robert Zimmerman Jr. says medical records will prove that his brother was attacked and his nose was broken by Trayvon Martin.
Wall Street is closing the books on the first quarter today and the numbers are looking pretty good. Go ahead and check out your 401(k) statement perhaps today.
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WHITFIELD: You just might be tempted to do a little dance when you check your 401(k) statement. The first quarter of the year ends today and it's been pretty awesome with all three of the major indexes posting solid gains.
Alison Kosik joins us from New York Stock Exchange with more on the rally and what's behind it. Boy, people are going to love this because for a long time we've kind of not wanting to look.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It's been a long time coming, hasn't it? So yes, that first quarter, January through March, could end up being the best quarter in a few years after you tally up all the numbers.
The Dow is up almost 8 percent. The Nasdaq higher by 19 percent. The S&P 500 is up 12 percent. In fact, all indices are getting pretty darn close to new milestones, and here's why, unemployment has been falling, which means more people have jobs.
They're spending more money, and that's helping the economy and then you look at growth. Growth has actually been picking up as well. Also, the Federal Reserve is promising to keep interest rates low for a while.
What does it makes cheaper to borrow money. Also it's kind of a confidence booster. That you know the fed kind of has the economy back. It certainly doesn't hurt that Europe's debt crisis has quieted down. That keeps the volatility at least in the stock market at bay -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Ahead to the next quarter, which begins Monday. What's in store? What are the odds that the gains will continue?
KOSIK: OK, so here comes the big "but."
WHITFIELD: Oh.
KOSIK: It's not all smooth sailing. Because you look at China. China is slowing. But we actually don't know by how much. So what that could wind up doing is affecting the U.S. It could be affecting Europe. And they're big trading partners of ours and Europe's.
Company earnings. That's coming up in a couple weeks. This is the January through March period. We're going see how these $100 a barrel oil prices are affecting corporate America. It's really going to be an interesting indicator as to the health of corporate America as well.
Economic growth is good now, but it is expected to slow this year. So these are some of the realities that we're going to have to be look forward to in this next quarter.
Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Very good. We will deal with the reality. Thanks so much, Alison Kosik.
All right, Alison, perhaps you saw this. It's Queen -- or heard this. It's Queen like you've never heard before.
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ROBERT WILKINSON (singing): Mama, just killed a man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Does he sound like Freddie? Belted from the back of a police car. There's more. You don't want to miss it.
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WHITFIELD: All right, move over Freddie Mercury, Queen. Police detained a man in Canada who was caught on camera singing the song. Their song. The suspected intoxicated man decided not to remain silent, but wasn't able to sing his way out of an arrest. Here now is Jeanne Moos.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What would we do without police dash cams showing us half naked speeders and even a bank robber eating the evidence. The "give me the money" note. But this Royal Canadian Mounted Police dash cam recorded something special.
ROBERT WILKINSON (singing): Galileo! Galileo! Galileo! Galileo!
MOOS: A guy in Edson, Alberta, was pulled over in a pickup.
WILKINSON: I didn't see that I was intoxicated when he grabbed me and I have an ear -- ear -- but it doesn't even matter. MOOS: Maybe he couldn't speak so well, but he sure managed to sing all of the "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen.
WILKINSON (singing): Mama, just killed a man.
QUEEN (singing): Put a gun against his head.
WILKINSON (singing): Pulled my trigger --
QUEEN (singing): Now he's dead.
MOOS: He sang the lyrics almost flawlessly for six minutes.
WILKINSON (singing): Easy come, easy go.
MOOS: Even after they arrived at the station house, the mounty let him finish the song.
WILKINSON (singing): Baby!
MOOS: The mounty only admonished him once.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE), calm down.
WILKINSON: I can't.
MOOS: A lot of people can't stop singing the "Bohemian Rhapsody."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): I see a little silhouette of a man. Scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the fandango. Thunderbolt and lighting, very, very frightening.
MOOS: Parts of the dash cam solo were frightening --
WILKINSON (singing): But, mama, ooo.
MOOS (on camera): You've got to give the guy credit. Even Beyonce messed up the words to the song and she was stone cold sober at a concert.
BEYONCE (singing): Put a bullet to his head.
MOOS (voice-over): Actually, it's put a gun to his head, not a bullet.
Authorities have charged Robert Wilkinson with drunk driving. He's an unemployed home brewer.
WILKINSON (singing): Let me go. We will not let you go.
MOOS: Wilkinson told "The Smoking Gun" that he's the one with the dash cam video go on to YouTube.
MOOS (on camera): Our police cruiser crooner did improvise just once at the very end of the song, and he did it in a whitty way.
MOOS (voice-over): Instead of singing "nothing really matters," he sang --
WILKINSON (singing): Nothing really matters, even the RCMP.
MOOS: In fact, he put on his glasses and awaited his removal.
WILKINSON: Do you have to cuff me? Physical violence is the least of my priorities.
MOOS: His priorities rhapsodizing like a bohemian.
WILKINSON (singing): Oh, mama mia.
QUEEN (singing): Mama mai, mama mia.
WILKINSON (singing): Let me go.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: On that high note or low note, let's change gears now.
Lotto fever is spreading across the U.S. and people are snatching up tickets. And they're hoping to win a record jackpot. More than a half billion dollars. So, let's stay you do win. Just what do you do with all that money? We'll talk to a financial adviser about the first step you need to take.
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WHITFIELD: He's been referred to as everyone's son. The killing of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin has triggered protests and discussions across the country. We know he was walking with a bag of Skittles and an ice tea when he was shot. Now many people want to know details about his life. Our George Howell takes a look.
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GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We've seen his picture everywhere, but who was Trayvon Martin? This is what the 17- year-old looked like days before his days was cut short. Jerome Horton knew Martin since he was a five year old boy playing football on his youth team.
JEROME HORTON, MARTIN FAMILY FRIEND: It was so funny. He was volunteering at the park. And I told him, I said, what are you doing? He just got into aviation school. And I said, what are you doing in aviation school? And he was like, oh, I wanted to fly planes. I said, no black people want to fly planes. And he goes, I'll be the first one.
HOWELL: Martin's parents enrolled him in Experience Aviation in 2009, a summer program that teaches kids all things aviation. The following summer, Martin returned to the program to work as a volunteer. And it was during that time his longtime friend and football coach says the teen made a big decision. HORTON: He played football all his life and just one day he just said he doesn't want to play football. He wants to be a pilot. And, I mean, we backed him on whatever he wants to do.
HOWELL: Trayvon Martin's close friend Darrell Green, better known as D.G., remembers that day.
HOWELL (on camera): Were you surprised?
DARRELL GREEN, TRAYVON MARTIN'S FRIEND: Not really.
HOWELL: Why?
GREEN: It's a dream that he wanted to be. And I was just hoping that he could make the dream and accomplish it.
HOWELL (voice-over): Martin attended Dr. Michael M. Krop High School in Miami. His mom described him as an average student. Horton says the teen's parents shared custody since their divorce and both played a very active role in raising him, but the teen still had a bumpy road in school.
HOWELL (on camera): According to a report by "The Miami Herald," Trayvon was suspended from this school three times for writing graffiti on walls, for truancy, and his most recent suspension, which his parents have acknowledged, suspended for 10 days after a school investigator here found an empty baggy with traces of marijuana in it.
SYBRINA FULTON, TRAYVON MARTIN'S MOTHER: Whatever he had or dealings with school, it was not criminal. It was not violent. He's never been arrested.
HOWELL (on camera): So when you hear about these things, you feel that's just --
HORTON: I feel that's just -- that's him being a youth. We've all -- I've done things when I was 14, 15, 16, 17 years old. But I look at me now. It all depends on -- I thank God for my mom and my dad.
HOWELL (voice-over): And Horton says that's the reason Trayvon Martin was in Sanford. His parents insisted he stay with his father during his suspension from school. Tracy Martin was out to dinner with his fiancee the night of the shooting. He left his son at home so he could watch the NBA all-star game.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the only reason he got a chance to go to the store is because he begged his dad to go to the store.
HOWELL: When Martin's father returned that night, he then assumed his son was out with his 20-year-old nephew, so he didn't panic. But when the 17 year old didn't return the next day, Tracy Martin tried calling his son's cell phone and got voice mail. He then called a police non-emergency number for the sheriff's office. Martin didn't learn his son had been killed until officers showed up at his front door with the news.
HORTON: What was Trayvon doing? He went to the store and he was coming right back. The sad part is, he never made it back.
HOWELL: George Howell, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Hello, again, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Suzanne Malveaux. Let's get you up to speed.
The brother of the man who killed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin has spoken out. In a CNN exclusive interview, Robert Zimmerman Jr. said medical records will back up his brother's claims that George Zimmerman was injured in a fight with an unarmed 17-year-old. The gunman's brother insists the shooting was in self-defense.
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ROBERT ZIMMERMAN JR., GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S BROTHER: When you say have a bag of Skittles and an ice tea, nobody just stood there with a bag of Skittles and an ice tea. You return force with force when somebody assaults you. George was out of breath. He was barely conscious. His last thing he remembers doing was moving his head from the concrete to the grass so that if he was banged one more time, he wouldn't be, you know, wearing diapers for the rest of his life and being spoon-fed by his brother. And there would have been George dead had he not acted decisively and instantaneously in that moment.
WHITFIELD: A person who wants to remain anonymous tells CNN that he saw two people on the grass in what seemed like a scuffle. After the gunshot, the witness said he saw one of the men walking toward him. He said the man did not appear hurt.
On to politics. The race to the White House. Mitt Romney picks up the endorsement of another high-profile Republican. This time it's House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, a favorite of conservatives. Ryan says Romney is the best person for the job and has the best chance of beating President Obama. He also echoed the call for the party to coalesce around Romney.
And the largest jackpot ever of lotteries has folks who've never bought a ticket before now picking numbers. It's now -- the jackpot is now $640 million. The drawing will be held tonight at 11:00 Eastern Time. Forty-two states plus the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands take part in the Mega Millions. Of course, the odds of winning are extremely long, one in 176 million.
