Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Remembering the Victims of Newtown; Many Schools in U.S. Heighten Security; Principal's Husband Faces Life Not Imagined; Obama, Boehner Meet on Fiscal Cliff.

Aired December 17, 2012 - 11:30   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. MATT CREBBIN, SENIOR MINISTER, NEWTOWN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH: We needed to be together here in this room, in the gymnasium, outside the doors of this school, living rooms around the world. We needed to be together to show that we are together and united.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Those words from Pastor Crebbin last night resonating not only with me, but everyone watching had something to feel at that moment, as though he was speaking directly to them. In this crisis, there are so many people across the country, indeed, around the world that just somehow want this community to know that their hearts are with them. And that is really evident as you walk through this tiny town. You can see -- you can call it beauty behind me, but what you can't see are the makeshift memorials springing up all over town. People bringing whatever they can, from teddy bears to flowers and to trinkets, to homemade signs. I know we see it at so many tragedies, but when it comes to 20 small children, it just has a completely different feel.

And I want to show you one of these memorials I walked by earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BANFIELD: It didn't take long before this community began to start bringing Christmas trees to what's become a makeshift memorial not far from the school. And there are more than 20 of these decorated trees. Each one with stuffed animals, candy canes, bows, names and flowers.

What you see mostly is the repetition of 20s, at least 20, whether it is candles that are brought out, brought out in collections of 20, to represent these victims. You also see the flowers that have been but out from local florists. It's just remarkable, the sheer numbers of teddy bears here and stuffed animals.

You notice up here, one of the -- one of the permanent pillars, someone brought out, angel wings. There is a sign below saying, "We promise never to forget you."

Moving a little further on, you see the real collection of where this makeshift memorial started. It's a tent now. But everything is so wet from the rain. There's just hundreds of teddy bears and flowers and messages and candles. The ones that are still burning now under the tent.

And if you look up here you will see why. This is the permanent sign for Sandy Hook School. Just beyond here. Media is not allowed past this point, nor is the public. So this is where people congregated to bring their remembrances.

I spoke to man just a few moments ago who lives down the street. He was shaking as he put a few teddy bears down. I asked him, do you live here, and you seem so moved by this and -- it has been three days. He just said he needed a way to show how he felt. Just came by himself with teddy bears in his backpack.

You can see the signs everywhere. The angels here on the tree. It is just so moving to see what people have brought.

And over here, someone folded -- looks like at least 20 pieces of origami with the names of the victims. "Pray all the time." "Security guards at every school." See some political messages here. But really, for the most part, just memories and thoughts and love.

Here you can see the stars. This is Grace McDonnell's star. She was killed in the terrible tragedy. Here's Chase Kowalski. Clearly, there are so many. It's just remarkable to even try to name them all. Daniel Barden.

And you come to the end of the trees, but you can see that this is just about the only way right now, other than coming to the vigils, that people can somehow, somehow show how they are feeling, how they are just destroyed by this, and somehow remember those who have been killed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICIA LLODRA, FIRST SELECTWOMAN: I know that Newtown will prevail. That we will not falling to acts of violence. It is a defining moment for our town but it does not define us. We are Newtown, a special and caring place. We are defined by acts of courage, big acts of love, and by our continuing commitment and love for our children and families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Patricia Llodra, the First Selectwoman here in Newtown. That's like the equivalent of the mayor of these small districts. There are so many of them in this area in Connecticut. Just a few hours ago, news broke that in Ridgefield, which is about 20 minutes from where I'm standing, yet another school district went into lockdown. Obviously, nerves are on edge. But the report that came in officially was that someone who was driving by a nearby train station in Branchville saw someone with what appeared to be a gun, called it in, and the schools immediately went into lockdown. Now it is over now. The schools are not in lockdown anymore, but it gives you the feeling of how nervous everyone is, not just in this community but in communities throughout Connecticut. And I'm going to tell you, all the way down to Georgia as well.

My next guest is Corporal Jake Smith from the Gwinnett County police.

Corporal Smith, I understand that there are all sorts of different security measures going into place in your area as well and you are many miles and many states away.

JAKE SMITH, CORPORAL, GWINNETT COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT: Yes, that's correct. Our department, much like other departments throughout the country, have had an action plan in place for response to an incident like this. And we have been fortunate enough to not have to enact that plan in the past. We are doing so now. This is not in response to any specific threat. It is, as much as anything, to reassure our citizens and the public in Gwinnett County that we are present.

BANFIELD: There's just -- you know, Corporal, there's no template -- as Sanjay Gupta and I were saying earlier, there is no template to base our future actions on when it comes to an event of this magnitude here in Newtown, Connecticut. I have been hearing that at least one of the counties in your area is now requiring all of its schools to lock their doors at all times, all the classrooms. Also, there are extra parent volunteers on hand as well. I know you said it is not in relation to any specific threat but can you give me a feeling as to how you and your force are looking at what's happened here, and how that may change your planning in how to protect schools in your community going forward?

SMITH: Sure. Based on this action plan, what we have done and will continue to do for the next few days is we have taken every officer that's not already assigned to patrol and not already responsible for things like working accidents and responding to 911 calls, and we have taken them and assigned them to each of the 102 schools in our district. We have an officer stationed at each school. That will continue at least for the next three days when we will re-evaluate and see where we stand and where the nation stands with the reaction to this incident.

BANFIELD: Corporal Smith, I want to ask you something, and it is on a semi-personal level, but it has to do with your professional background, too. This perpetrator took a semiautomatic weapon and shot his way in through the security system. The principal had just implemented a brand-new security system at this school. It was as safe as any school across the country can be. This automatic weapon was no -- there was no match for it. And in that light, as you look to your future planning, and as school districts and police officers and police associations across this country look to try to protect their kids, is there -- is there really anything that you can do when faced with weapons like these that are out there?

SMITH: It is a very difficult question to answer. It gets into a lot of angles that I can't discuss with you here today. Police departments around the country have changed their policies and procedures on how we respond to certain incidents like this. In the wake of Columbine, many police departments went to a Patrol Rifle Program where police officers will be actually armed with more suitable weapons for dealing with someone who is armed in such a way. It is a very difficult question to answer when you speak about securing a facility like the school or a shopping mall or a movie theater or anything along those lines. It is one I'm not prepared to answer.

BANFIELD: Of course, those police often get the call after those weapons have been discharged. So it is -- it is not something that can be dealt with after the fact.

Corporal Jake Smith, thank you for your time. Best of luck to you as you continue your planning, and other police like you across the country who may be watching as well.

SMITH: Thank you.

BANFIELD: I just want to let you know that the new Newtown district officials are meeting today, as everyone expected they would be, but there are a couple of things they need to decide. They need to figure out how to get those children from Sandy Hook, from that elementary school, back into some sense of normalcy, back to the Chalk Hill Elementary in Monroe, a neighboring school that's empty but that is workable, and how they can get back into the classes and somehow get back to a life that they left behind, if that is at all possible.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANNEL MALLOY, (D), GOVERNOR OF CONNECTICUT: Each time the day gets a little longer, I will think and dream of the lives that might have been and the lives that were so full of grace. And when the flowers start to come out of the ground and when they rise up, I will know that we are in touch with those that we have lost in the last few days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: The lives that were so full of good, as remembered by the governor of Connecticut, Dan Malloy, speaking last night at that tribute that was held here where the president attended as well.

One of those lives, the principal of Sandy Hook Elementary, Dawn Hochsprung, who is being remembers by so many people, not only as a hero but just as a wonderful person. The people that know her best that can tell you about her were her family.

They were kind enough to let Gary Tuchman speak with them about their loss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Principal Dawn Hochsprung was quite a bit younger than her husband, George. But when they got married 10 years ago, both for the second time, she with two daughters and he with three, George was marrying his boss.

GEORGE HOCHSPRUNG, DAWN HOCHSPRUNG'S HUSBAND: She was assistant principal at our school. And I was a seventh grade math teacher at that time. And -- I just fell in love with her.

TUCHMAN: George made the big decision. The time had come to propose.

HOCHSPRUNG: She turned me down five times.

TUCHMAN (on camera): You asked to marry her but she turned you down?

HOCHSPRUNG: Five times.

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Five times.

TUCHMAN: What happened the sixth time?

HOCHSPRUNG: Sixth time, I'd wait until -- it wasn't such rough sailing.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Indeed. George had been popping the question on a sailboat they bought together.

HOCHSPRUNG: We got married out on a sloop out of Mystic.

TUCHMAN: Beth, Amy and Ann are George's daughters from the first marriage. Erica is Dawn's daughter from her first marriage. Her other daughter, Tina, was out while we were at the house. They are a blended but very close family with 11 grandchildren.

HOCHSPRUNG: Dawn and I built this beautiful house in the Adirondacks, our dream. And the dream was chronological dream. It was going to be Dawn's house, because I was going to die and it was going to be Dawn's. I'm much older than Dawn. It was going to be Dawn's house, and Dawn's children. And all these children can use the House on the lake and it would be wonderful. We built -- we built rooms downstairs for kids. It was going to be Dawn's house ultimately with all the children, all the children. Now it is me. I don't think I can do that.

TUCHMAN: I want to reiterate to George, you have these beautiful daughters and son-in-laws and grandchildren, everyone will be here to take care of you.

Is that right, ladies?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

HOCHSPRUNG: My job has always been to take care of other people. TUCHMAN: It is all right if some people take care of you for a while.

HOCHSPRUNG: No one has every taken care of me.

(CROSSTALK)

TUCHMAN (voice-over): While Dawn was the principal at Sandy Hook, George still taught at middle school where they met.

In the middle of the day Friday, this is how George found out what happened.

HOCHSPRUNG: The kids came up -- with a computer and said -- something is happening at Sandy Hook School and your wife has been killed.

TUCHMAN: George raced out of school into a nightmare. Like all the families of victims, they want to know more. On this day, they have learned more. Two teachers who survived told George they were having a meeting with Dawn when the shots started ringing out.

HOCHSPRUNG: Dawn put herself in jeopardy. I have been angry about that, angry, until just now, today, when I met the two women that she told to go run to shelter while she actually confronted the gunman. And she could not -- she could have avoided that. She didn't. I knew she wouldn't.

So I'm not angry anymore. I'm not angry. I'm not angry anymore. I'm not angry. I'm just very sad.

They were at the meeting. There were gunshots. Somebody shot the window. Somebody came in, into the -- not into the office but into the building, the foyer of the building, told us to go hide. And she and at least one other teacher ran out and actually tried to subdue the killer. I don't know where that comes from. Dawn was 5'2".

TUCHMAN: Everyone here is so proud. No one more so than Erica, who said her mom was always there for her daughters.

ERICA LAFFERTY, DAUGHTER OF DAWN HOCHSPRUNG: Every game, she was there. Every practice, she was there. All of my sisters' cheerleading stuff, she was there. Every dance competition, she was doing homework on the bleachers, but she was there. And she was my rock. My rock.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): And now she is a hero, too.

(on camera): The final thing I want to ask you is, what would you say to your mom right now?

LAFFERTY: Come back. Please, come back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (MUSIC)

ANNOUNCER: CNN's special live coverage continues from Newtown, Connecticut

BANFIELD: The president left the community of Newtown, Connecticut, last night to head back to Washington and, obviously, he has a lot of pressing business in Washington as well.

We have some breaking news out of the White House. I want to take you now to my colleague, Dan Lothian, who's covering for me down there.

Exactly what's happening, Dan?

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have learned from a White House official that President Obama is meeting here at the White House with House Speaker Boehner to discuss the fiscal cliff negotiations. As you know, there have been phone calls, and there's been a lot of optimism in recent days because of some willingness, apparently, to compromise on the part of Republicans. And so this meeting taking place within the hour here at the White House. It's unclear whether what we're seeing here is the last few minutes before a formal agreement is reached or still some tough issues to work out. But what I can confirm is that Speaker Boehner and the president, meeting here at the White House to discuss those ongoing negotiations to avoid the fiscal cliff.

BANFIELD: All right, Dan Lothian for us. Thank you.

I want to go over to Capitol Hill now where our senior congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, is also following the developments.

What can you add?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We can add some interesting new details about where the discussions are. This mostly comes from excellent reporting from our congressional producer, Deirdre Walsh. And that is, roughly a $2 trillion framework. This is something that Republicans are pushing, the conversations, right now. $2 trillion, about $1 trillion in new tax revenue, about $1 trillion in spending cuts.

I want to emphasize sources in both parties made clear that this is something that Republicans are pushing now. The big question, when you talk about the overall potential deal on this, especially, I'm told from Democratic sources, is whether or not the spending side, $1 trillion in spending cuts, is something that can pass the House and the Senate, specifically because what they're talking about is a lot of cuts to Medicare. And that is something the Democrats have resisted. So this is still fluid.

Oh, you know what, Ashleigh? As we're talking, I'm told in my ear that the meeting just concluded. It lasted 45 minutes. So hopefully, we'll get a little bit more detail about how this is going. But just the fact that they're talking face to face is a good sign.

BANFIELD: And obviously, the business of Washington continues.

Very much appreciated, Dana Bash, for following that for us.

Just want to wrap up from here in Newtown, Connecticut, if I can. Just as a reminder, there will be two funerals taking place for two of the 6-year-old children. Little Jack Pinto and Noah Pozner will be buried today.

Also, no school today for any of the children in this district. And they'll be returning tomorrow, but not Sandy Hook Elementary. They will not be returning. There are alternate plans being made for them.

The vigils continue almost around the clock. And there is word of a statewide vigil being planned as well. More information on that to be announced.

And the investigation, obviously, continues. The biggest question to be answered, why?

I'm Ashleigh Banfield reporting. CNN NEWSROOM continues after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)