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Gunmen Open Fire in Kenyan Mall; Baton Rouge Flooded Ahead of College Football Game; House Passes Bill to Defund Obamacare; Actor has Tourette's Syndrome
Aired September 21, 2013 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If this legislation is not enacted and we embark on a government shutdown, the consequences are severe.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN ANCHOR: Closed for business. That'll be the message from Washington if Congress doesn't pass a budget in the next nine days. We'll explain exactly how this is going to affect you.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: A Colorado town devastated by floods, thousands forced to leave, and at least one dead. But the worst is not over because we have just learned the entire water supply is contaminated.
Freddie versus Jason, Hatfield versus McCoy, LSU versus Auburn -- what's the common thread? Famous rivals, of course. Today's "Bleacher Report" previews today's epic football battle.
BLACKWELL: Good morning, everyone, I'm Victor Blackwell.
YELLIN: And I'm Jessica Yellin. It's 10:00 on the east coast, 7:00 on the west coast. You're in the CNN Newsroom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.
YELLIN: First, a terrifying attack is unfolding this hour at an exclusive shopping mall in the heart of Kenya's capital. You're looking live at the scene of the Westgate mall in Nairobi. At least 20 people killed and 50 people wounded according to a Red Cross official.
BLACKWELL: This, we also have new video in to CNN. This is inside the mall. You can hear the gunfire. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNFIRE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: You can also see the people here with guns. Here's what happened. Gunmen ambushed the Westgate shopping mall, this is in Nairobi. A number of people have been taken hostage right now. It's not clear how many. But a Kenyan government source tells CNN that the attackers appear to be of Somali origin. You can see here the chaos outside of the mall. Authorities there in Nairobi have asked people to stay off the roads and stay away from the mall. Military there also asked the local media in Nairobi not to televise anything live, because the gunmen at some point -- or possibly still -- are watching screens in the mall.
YELLIN: Terrifying. I'm joined now on the phone about Nairobi by Zulobia Kassam. She was at the mall and is the aunt of CNN international anchor Zain Verjee. Ms. Kassam, thanks for being with us. Can you tell us what you saw?
ZULOBIA KASSAM, WITNESS (via telephone): Well, we had gone to coffee at the Westgate mall. After finishing our coffee, we went up to the supermarket, did some shopping. We had just barely entered and the lights went off. And it's strange that the generator didn't come on for quite a while, and we thought that's a bit weird.
The next thing we know, we heard some shots and people rushing. So we rushed to the back up to the supermarket and shut ourselves, trying to get anything that would save us from a random shooting, because we heard random shots all over the place. And it was quite terrifying. In fact, we even heard shots 30 feet from us, and at one stage, I thought come near us.
And it was just so worrying and, you know, people praying and crying, and it was rather traumatizing for everybody. And at one stage, we heard that there are terrorists, that they were holding hostages, and that they were all over the mall, you know, taking people and shooting coffee -- people having coffee and lunch at restaurants, and it was just a random shooting and lots of people were hurt.
And we were stuck in the same place for over two hours, and this was on the ground floor of the supermarket. And finally after two hours, a security guy came and told us that it was safe for us to go. So hurriedly we left and we saw lots of blood, sandals and shoes, you know, flung everywhere. And in the part of the storage, you know, where they keep the stores of excessive supplies, and then we went onto the road, the main road, and again we heard shooting.
So we just rushed to the end of the road and tried to get away as fast as we could. And I believe now there are people still there and they are evacuating people. So we are very lucky that we managed, my family and I, to get out after two hours.
BLACKWELL: We've been describing this as an upscale mall. You say there's a supermarket there. Can you tell us more about Westgate mall?
KASSAM: Well, Westgate is a very modern mall. There are lots of restaurant areas and shops like Nike, clocks that have just come in, and the supermarket is a huge supermarket on the ground floor. And on the other levels, there are all these designer shops and restaurant areas, so people having lunch and coffee. There were literally thousands of people at this stage. And all of a sudden, when we heard everybody rushing, and it was terrifying when we heard the shot the random -- randomly being shot, just shooting people randomly on the top floors, and inside, not very far from us, as well. YELLIN: Ms. Kassam, just a horrifying experience for you. I'm curious, you said it was a security guard who came to tell you are now safe to leave. What kind of response was there when you got out? Did you see enormous military presence there? And who helped you out as you left?
KASSAM: At that time there wasn't a military presence. They told us while we were inside that we sort of heard, you know, online, people going on their phone, we're going to get the police and we're going to get the army. But we physically didn't see anybody. We just saw the normal -- maybe a security guard or a police officer in plainclothes asking us to go.
And we were quite hesitant to leave, actually, because we thought, you know, if it is not certain that -- we were sure they were still there. But we had no choice, but we left. And thank god, because I see people leaving now, after three, four hours later than I did. And lots of people who are dead and so many injured. So it's a blessing that we were safe.
BLACKWELL: Tell us more about when you left the supermarket and you walked through this mall. You said there was blood, you saw shoes. Describe more for us who you saw, the injured, and what else you saw inside Westgate.
KASSAM: No, I didn't see any injured people, but I saw -- as I said, you know, 30 feet away from us, we heard these shots. So there was some blood there. And they had already taken the people out probably who were hurt, and the storage area where we were evacuated had a lot of blood and shoes. But I physically didn't see anybody. I just saw lots of water bottles and blood. That's about it, and we just rushed. They said hurried up, and we rushed out. And this was pretty early in the process of the siege. So I feel we are very lucky.
YELLIN: You said you saw the -- when the attack first unfolded, the lights went out and nothing else came on until you heard the shots. Did you at any point see an attacker or hear an attacker speak?
KASSAM: We heard the shots. You know, as soon as the lights went off and didn't come on, we thought this is quite strange. Normally in the supermarket, the generators would come on. And we also thought automatically the doors would shut, but they didn't. So we thought probably there's just robbers. We didn't know who it was. But we heard so many shots everywhere, so we knew this is more than just a robbery.
BLACKWELL: Now, you didn't see the shooters, that's correct?
KASSAM: No, I didn't, because I went right at the end of the supermarket, and I hid myself there. I'm on holiday here, and this was really scary.
BLACKWELL: Now, outside the mall, we have some live pictures here of tanks, the military now around this mall. Again, they've asked people to stay away from the mall while this continues. What did you see outside, some of the triage operations, the victims outside? What did you see once you left the mall?
KASSAM: Actually, we heard a lot of helicopters and choppers, you know. That's all I saw. And I didn't see -- and we saw about five or six people lying on the floor being carried away. This was pretty early in the process that I had come out. But now, watching on television, I can still see there's so many people being evacuated and not in very good condition. I believe there are about 60 people dead. The hospitals are fully saturated. The hospital's not very far from the Westgate mall. So they're sending them to other hospitals. I think there are a lot of casualties.
YELLIN: Did they debrief you? Did they ask you to come to police headquarters with them afterwards, or are you now watching this yourself unfold at your hotel?
KASSAM: No, I'm watching it on television, because, I mean, we didn't hear anything -- nobody telling us anything, what happened, or no notion of what was going on. And since when these people even came out after we leave, I was hesitant because I was sure there was people still inside the mall who shoot randomly. But we took the risk. But there's still people being evacuated now, three hours later.
BLACKWELL: It's 5:10 p.m. in Nairobi right now. What time did you hear these shots fired -- the first shots fired today?
KASSAM: I heard it about 20 past 12:00.
BLACKWELL: OK. So it was the middle of the afternoon at a pretty upscale, popular mall.
KASSAM: Yes, yes.
BLACKWELL: It would have been crowded.
KASSAM: Yes, we believe they came at 11:00. But we were having coffee then. And we didn't hear anything, but as soon as we enter the supermarket, that's when I heard the shots, about 20 past 12:00.
BLACKWELL: And you're looking at some of the video from Reuters earlier. This is the scene outside of Westgate. As we know from authorities there in Kenya, 20 people killed, 50 people injured. The latest we have is that there are people who are being held hostage. We do not know how many. And from another Kenyan government source, the attackers appear to be of Somali origin. Ms. Kassam, while you were hiding, essentially, during this attack, was there anything else you heard, or was it completely silent where you were? Did you hear gunshots? Did it seem as if it was, you know, gunshots in quick repetition, or they were handguns? Describe for us what you heard.
KASSAM: No, they sounded like AK-47s, and, you know, there was a crossfire at several stages of the time the period we were there. You know, all of a sudden, it would get quiet, and then a random -- and then a lot of shooting. Initially, it was random. You know, I think when they entered the areas simultaneously, they shot randomly at people. And this is random shooting. You know, at one, and then we had crossfire. BLACKWELL: And we're now showing people, video from inside the mall. You can see people who are hiding behind posts. You can see a helmet there. Again, of the 20 dead we have from sources there in Kenya, we do not know if these were 20 people who were shopping there, if some of them are military, if some of them are police who responded, or if some of them -- some of the attackers who went in this afternoon and started shooting at the Westgate mall. Again, this is still happening, still hostages inside the mall.
YELLIN: Ms. Kassam, when you decided to go to Kenya, did you have concerns about violence before you made this trip?
KASSAM: Yes. I mean, there's lots of -- it's very terrifying everywhere you go. Around the area where I'm staying right now there's break-ins every night at 3:00 in the morning. And it's just really terrifying. You know. We just don't know why, but all of a sudden, there's been an influx of attacks.
YELLIN: Will it make you think twice?
KASSAM: I beg your pardon?
YELLIN: Will you think twice about returning?
KASSAM: You know, I'm going -- I'm going next week. I came here for a couple of weeks to see family, dad, my mother-in-law. So hopefully, I'm planning to go back to London next week.
BLACKWELL: All right, Zulobia Kassam who was inside the Westgate mall when this shooting happened this afternoon in Nairobi, Kenya, thank you so much for speaking with us. We are happy that you are OK. But unfortunately, what we have from sources in Kenya -- 20 killed, 50 injuries, that's from the Kenya Red Cross, and a hostage situation that continues. Again, though for describing what you saw and what you heard inside that mall.
A quick break, and we'll have more of our breaking news out of Nairobi in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: A live look outside the Westgate mall in Nairobi in Kenya where there was a shooting this afternoon there. It's 5:00 p.m. there now. Someone who was inside the mall we just spoke with said this happened around 11:00 or 12:00 this afternoon, where attackers went in. We now know that 20 people were killed, 50 wounded. That's from the Kenyan Red Cross. And there is, right now, an active hostage situation, we're told, as the military there now negotiating with the attackers who have hostages inside the mall. We do not know how many, but what you're looking at here is video from inside the mall as people try to protect themselves behind posts and walls here.
YELLIN: A harrowing experience in an upscale mall in Kenya's capital. Busy afternoon for shoppers when suddenly the lights went out, gunshots broke out, and for several hours some people were in hiding while the attackers, according to one eyewitness, continued to terrify the people inside until many of the people could escape. Still, others, as you say, Victor, others are still inside being held hostage right now.
BLACKWELL: Of course, this is -- because this story is still happening, we'll continue to follow this throughout the hour. The breaking news there in Nairobi, again, 20 killed, 50 injured.
But there is still the nine-day deadline here in the U.S., because with one vote, House Republicans have set the stage for a government shutdown.
YELLIN: And if one happens, it could touch you, your vacation plans could be a bust. Soldiers, say good-bye to your paychecks. Need a passport? Good luck with that. CNN's Erin McPike is in Washington, D.C., this morning. You have been following all of this, I know, Erin. Can you explain to us all what is going on?
ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jessica and Victor, the Republican-led House of Representatives tied their mission to defund Obamacare -- so pull all funds to fund health care coverage -- into this federal spending bill that would keep the government running just through December 15th. But this kind of tactic wouldn't fly in the Senate, which is, of course, controlled by Democrats, and that's the next stop for this bill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCPIKE: In the coming week, the battle will shift to the Senate. But on Friday, it was a rare moment for House Speaker John Boehner. United Republicans celebrated their vote to defund Obamacare.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) HOUSE SPEAKER: The American people don't want the government shut down, and they don't want Obamacare.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The yeas are 230 and the nays are 189. The joint resolution is passed. Without objection a motion to reconsider is laid on the table.
MCPIKE: All but one Republican voted for the measure, and two Democrats joined them, prompting this exuberant response.
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY, (R) HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP: Today when we acted, it wasn't just a group of Republicans but it was a bipartisan vote.
MCPIKE: It was a show of force from conservatives, who insisted on defunding Obamacare as a condition for approving a bill that keeps the government running. But their effort is dead on arrival in the Senate, and Democrats seized on the potential consequences.
NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA) HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: What is brought to the floor today is without a doubt -- without a doubt a measure designed to shut down government. It could have no other intent. Its purpose is clear.
MCPIKE: House Republicans are working to shift blame for the threat of a government shutdown onto Democrats, who control the Senate. REP. ERIC CANTOR, (R) HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: Now, it is up to Senate Democrats to show some responsibility and follow the House's lead.
MCPIKE: They're putting the squeeze on vulnerable Democratic senators up for re-election in red states.
CANTOR: I want to know where Senator Pryor stands for protecting the middle class from the consequences of this horrific bill.
MCPIKE: Cantor singled out Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor and three other Democrats -- Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, and Mark Begich of Alaska. But two of these senators, Landrieu and Begich, have already told CNN they won't vote to strip money from health care.
Just nine days remain for the Senate to vote on its plan to fund the government without cutting Obamacare and pass the buck back to the House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCPIKE: Now, the deadline, as we've been talking about all morning, is fast approaching. It is on October 1st, and this bill is going to the Senate next week. They will debate it all week. The expectation is that the Democrats will take out this condition of defunding Obamacare and then take only 51 votes to pass it and send it back to the House. We expect the House will be in session next week but go down to the wire and vote on this again. Jessica and Victor?
YELLIN: Yes, the Senate is the president's hope right now. Erin McPike, thanks so much for reporting live from Washington this morning.
BLACKWELL: Still to come on Newsroom, Carlos Diaz is live in Baton Rouge at the biggest college football game of the weekend. But, Carlos, I looked up at the return monitor, and I thought I was looking at Colorado. What's going on behind you?
CARLOS DIAZ, BLEACHER REPORT: Yes. I tell you, it looks like I have a lake behind me. This is one of the main roads leading into Tiger stadium. We have such massive amounts of rain last night here in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that this is what the roads look like heading into Tiger stadium. In fact, I was helping push two police officers who got their motorcycles stuck on this road. I was helping push them off of this road. We have this and all of the weather you need to know about Baton Rouge, Louisiana, coming up, as we preview the rivalry between LSU and Auburn. It's a wet one, but still going on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: It's a Saturday in September. That means it's time to talk college football. We're a couple of weeks into the season, and our very own rivalry express is on the road.
YELLIN: Yes, the bus is heading to eight campuses over the next couple of months to check in on all of the year's biggest games. BLACKWELL: Carlos Diaz has the greatest assignment of the day. He joins us live from the first stop of the trip, Baton Rouge. Carlos, you know, the best job of the day going to the game, but you had to go through all of that stuff behind you, and so do all of the fans to get to the stadium.
DIAZ: Victor, no one promised me this at all.
(LAUGHTER)
DIAZ: Having to walk through this water here. You guys are dry in the studio. I'm telling you, a lot of people are concerned, because it is very wet. As you can see, it looks like a lake behind me. No. This is one of the main roads heading into Tiger stadium. You can see as I walk out into the road, this is the actual road, and this is how deep underwater the roads are in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, because of the massive amounts of rain we had last night.
You can see this unfortunate tailgater over here couldn't get his car out. It is crimson, so the Alabama-haters in Alabama don't mind the car being under water. We saw somebody get a ticket because they tried to go through here. As you just saw, I was pushing two police officers and their motorcycles through here that stalled because they tried to get through this muck and this rainwater, which is basically flooded a lot of the streets here in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Now, I know what your next question will be, Victor and Jessica. Will they still play the game tonight? Two words -- heck yes, because these people were tailgating on Friday night before the rain got here. But I can tell you that it's going to get worse. This is not going to subside. They're calling for 100 percent chance of thunderstorms at around noon here in Louisiana. So this rain is -- the water levels are not going to get lower. They'll be getting higher before game time. But they will have a game, if there is no lightning, of course, in the area. They will have a game tonight between LSU and Auburn, a rivalry that's been going on since 1901.
YELLIN: So are people planning to get there early? Are they rowing in? Are they taking their boats over? What's the plan?
(LAUGHTER)
DIAZ: I do see two jet skis down here.
YELLIN: That's a good call.
DIAZ: There are two jet skis way down there. You know what, this is proof that LSU people truly know how to tailgate, because they saw the weather conditions. They knew what was going to happen. I talked to a lot of them yesterday. That's why a lot of them came in even earlier than normal. And they were here Friday morning instead of Friday night. This is not tailgating for a few hours before the game. They tailgate from Friday until Sunday -- a day after the game. It's a whole weekend experience here in Death Valley, which is the place where LSU plays football. Guys? BLACKWELL: Watch the coverage and all of the performances, the music, and the food, and having a good time. A little damper today, but folks will get to the game. Carlos Diaz, thank you.
YELLIN: It's a good look to you.
DIAZ: Thank you, guys.
BLACKWELL: Still to come on Newsroom, review time. We are putting the new iPhones under the microscope, the gold, the gray, the silver, the green 5C. We'll see if it lives up to the hype.
YELLIN: Of course, we'll check out fun videos of fanatics who are waiting in the long lines to get their new phone.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: Welcome back. We'll get to the breaking news happening in Nairobi in just a minute. But thanks you for joining us in the Newsroom. I'm Victor Blackwell.
YELLIN: And I'm Jessica Yellin. Here are five stories we're watching this morning.
Number one, there is more bad news for a Colorado community hit hard by devastating floods. The town of Lyons is waking up without water this morning. Authorities say E. coli has been detected in the water supply, forcing the water to be shut off. While no strains of the bacteria are harmless, E. coli can cause pneumonia and other illnesses. Authorities are warning people not to return to their home until the water supply has been cleared.
Number two, the president is accusing House Republicans of trying to manufacture a crisis. The GOP has pushed through a spending bill, one that defunds Obamacare. The president says he'll veto the bill, setting up a possible government shutdown in nine days.
BLACKWELL: Three, now, Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel spoke out last night, calling for an end to violence in the city. Now, he consoled the grieving families. You'll remember, a gunman shot and injured 13 people. This was at a park on Thursday. Police say the shooter used an assault-style rifle and the shooting may be gang-related. Among the recovering victims is a three-year-old boy who was shot in the ear.
And more violence out of Chicago now. We've just learned that 10 people were shot, five of them killed since last night. The shootings were separate incidents, and they were not tied to Thursday's mass shooting there.
Number four, Allegiant is trying to get passengers to the destination today after it had to take nearly all of its 80 planes out of service as 52 of the 61 planes were grounded yesterday, and that's so Allegiant could check emergency exit slides to make sure they were up to date. On Monday passengers and crew had to use exit slides when smoke detectors went on an Allegiant flight in Las Vegas. YELLIN: Number five, the death toll rises in Mexico after deadly storms ripped through the Pacific. Authorities say more than 100 people have been killed, 68 other people are still missing after record rain caused devastating mudslides. Thousands of tourists remain stranded in Acapulco. On Friday, rescue teams delivered food and medical supplies to areas hardest hit by the storms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.
BLACKWELL: And we've got new details now on the breaking news out of Nairobi. That's where armed gunmen have ambushed an upscale shopping mall. We've learned that at least 20 people have been killed. Right now, you're looking live. This is outside the Westgate mall in Nairobi where this is still happening, because there are hostages, we're told, inside the building.
YELLIN: The gunmen burst into the mall several hours ago, shooting indiscriminately, wounding many, and taking some others hostage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNFIRE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YELLIN: That video came into CNN just a little while ago. You heard the gunshots in the background. CNN has learned that the gunmen appear to be of Somali origin. It's still unclear how many hostages have been taken, but police are trying to retake the building.
BLACKWELL: NTV reporter Ken Mijungu is joining us live on the phone. Ken, tell us what is happening inside the mall now, and tell us about the people inside Westgate.
KEN MIJUNGU, NTV REPORTER (via telephone): Right, entered the mall, the security is trying to conduct a rescue operation, and it's an incredible story, just gunshots as I was on standby. A lady came over said a man wants to be rescued at this time. The rescue has been going on for the last eight hours and operation started about an hour ago.
Because the Westgate mall is very big building and there are several businesses. So she managed to hide behind the clothes on one of the shelves and that's how they -- how they managed to get out. And currently they're out. And they -- she managed to get out. So currently what's happening is the rescue operation is in there. The policemen, special security are in there trying to rescue as many people as they can, and they began around five minutes ago, and that's the last sign we have of gunshots.
So we have seen an increased presence of policemen here and special exits on the rescue. We still don't have information because they're not yet out. But we are indeed here, and as much as you can see, that's the information we have currently.
BLACKWELL: Again, Ken Mijungu with our CNN affiliate NTV there at the scene in Nairobi. You're talking about the rescue operation and the special police there inside the mall, trying to rescue these hostages. We have a tweet from the Kenya police where they tweet, "We are not taking chances and rescued hostages are being screened." So as they bring people out, they want to make sure that they are with the people who are the victims of this and not necessarily the people who staged this attack who are hiding and trying to attack the police, then.
Let me also ask you about what you told our producers that just a few moments ago, there was more shooting there. Tell us about that. Again, we're getting new video in here. This is from KTN earlier outside the mall. But as we watch this video, Ken, tell us about the shooting that happened more recently, just a few minutes ago.
MIJUNGU: All right, they're shooting, suspected to be -- because we were not allowed to get as close as we could, near the shooting -- after all, the shooting was from inside, but we suspect an elite team is conducting the rescue operation, because before that, there was quite some gunfire and people getting out with a gang, and particularly there were policemen, and (INAUDIBLE) coming out with bloody clothes. But the gunfire that we heard about five minutes ago is said to be from the rescue. The commanders are getting into the building for the operation.
So we think it's just gunfire to allow them to cover them in order to get inside the building, and those are the last gunfire we had. Currently, they're inside there, and we have spoken to the government officials who are here. And as soon as they get out, they'll be able to give us the information, because it's been quite a number of people getting out of the building again, and we haven't seen any more casualties from the shooting inside the door. We can be sure if anyone here, policemen, or anything about seven to ten rounds that were fired in the last four, five minutes.
BLACKWELL: All right, Ken Mijungu with our affiliate there, NTV. Thank you for your reporting. We'll continue to cover this.
Also another tweet here from Kenya police, "We urge media analysts to desist from speculating on the incident," and they then write, "Let us do our bit." Police there on the scene, live picture, 20 killed we're told by the Kenyan Red Cross, 50 wounded, and the hostages inside this mall at this hour, now coming up on 20 to 6:00 in the evening there in Nairobi.
YELLIN: And it sounds like still a very active scene with that rescue operation just under way. And a short time ago, we spoke with Zulombia Kassam. She was at the mall and is the aunt of CNN international anchor Zain Verjee. She said her experience was just terrifying. Listen to what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KASSAM: We had no choice but we left, and thank god, because I see people leaving now, even after three, four hours later than I did. And lots of people who are dead and so many injured. So it's a blessing we were safe. I didn't see any injured people. As I said, 30 feet away from us, we heard these shots. So there was some blood there. And then they had already taken the people out probably who were hurt, and the storage area where we were incarcerated, there was a lot of blood and shoes. But I physically didn't see anybody. I just saw lots of water bottles and blood. That's about it. And we just rushed. They said, hurry up. So we just rushed out, and this was pretty early in the process of the siege. So I feel we are very lucky.
YELLIN: You said you saw the light -- when the attack first unfolded, the lights went out and nothing else came on until you heard the shots. Did you at any point see an attacker or hear an attacker speak?
KASSAM: We heard the shots. You know, as soon as the lights went off, and they didn't come on, we thought this is quite strange. Normally in a supermarket, the generators would come on. And we also thought automatically the doors would shut, but they didn't. So we thought probably they're just robbers. We didn't know who it was. But we heard so many shots everywhere, so we knew this is more than just a robbery.
BLACKWELL: Now, you didn't see the shooters, that's correct?
KASSAM: No, I didn't, because I went right at the end of the supermarket, and I hid myself there. I'm on holiday here, and this was really scary.
BLACKWELL: Now, outside the mall, we have some live pictures here of tanks, the military now around this mall. Again, they've asked people to stay away from the mall while this continues. What did you see outside, some of the triage operations, the victims outside? What did you see once you left the mall?
KASSAM: Actually, we heard a lot of helicopters and choppers, you know. That's all I saw. And I didn't see -- and we saw about five or six people lying on the floor being carried away. This was pretty early in the process that I had come out. But now, watching on television, I can still see there's so many people being evacuated and not in very good condition. I believe there are about 60 people dead. The hospitals are fully saturated. The hospitals not very far from the Westgate mall, full up. They're sending them to other hospitals. I think there's a lot of casualties.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
YELLIN: Zulobia Kassam talking to us a short time ago. Just a mall in the middle of the afternoon, they're all there shopping, and then suddenly this breaks out. It's like something that could happen anywhere.
BLACKWELL: Yes. And you at home, I mean, there's a chance when you head out today you'll stop by the mall. It's Saturday. A lot of people do that. We know this was a popular mall with 80 shops. Zalobia said there were thousands of people there, undoubtedly. And when you go and you never expect anything like this. And we know now, unfortunately, 20 people -- at least 20 people have lost their lives. Quickly, I want to read something we got from the Kenya interior ministry, a tweet they sent out. They've evacuated another team of hostages. They're asking people to pave way for ambulances, making their way to Westgate mall and to respective hospitals. The hospitals there are full. We'll continue to cover this breaking news.
A quick break. We'll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
YELLIN: New this morning, a spokesman for the U.N.-backed chemical arms watchdog says the Syrian government has handed over details of its chemical weapons stockpile. The U.S. and Russia have called on President Bashar al Assad's regime to turn over and destroy its chemical weapons. If Damascus does not comply, it could face military strikes.
BLACKWELL: That threat of a government shutdown, it's sinking stocks.
Smiling faces and applause, but the Dow tumbled Friday after House Republicans pushed through a spending bill that defunds Obamacare. That increases the likelihood the government will be forced to shut down in just nine days. Now, the Dow Jones Industrial average lost 185 points. It ended the day at 15,451.
YELLIN: Still ahead -- there is a huge stigma attached to Tourette's syndrome, but one television actor will not hide in the shadows, and he has a new partner in his fight
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YELLIN: The big finale for Showtime's hit series "Ray Donovan" is tomorrow. Dr. Sanjay Gupta profiles Dash Mihok in today's "Human Factor."
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DASH MIHOK, ACTOR: I was a fighter.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Dash Mihok is a fighter, both on and off the screen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the Donovan family, boxing is a part of life.
GUPTA: On Showtime's "Ray Donovan," the fighting takes place in the ring. But when the cameras stop rolling, Dash fights for something quite real.
MIHOK: I've had Tourette's syndrome since I was six years old. Part of the reasons I became an actor was probably because I was experienced so well in hiding it and I was acting all the time.
GUPTA: When Dash is acting, you barely notice his Tourette's, but look what happens when he loses that focus or he becomes distracted. Tourette's is a neurological disorder that causes repetitive, involuntary movements, even sounds sometimes, that are called tics. MIHOK: Growing up in New York City can be a very tough place. You know, schools are tough enough. But New York, there are so many people around that there's people are looking at you all the time.
GUPTA: Tourette's is genetic, and as it turns out, both of Dash's sisters have it as well. Here he is at age 11 talking with Tourette with his sister Gwen. This is a video for the Tourette's syndrome association.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll have to look at it in a funny way or I just can't concentrate.
MIHOK: Dash has come a long way since then, appearing in film the like "Romeo and Juliet," "The Thin Red Line," and "Silver Lining's Playbook." And while his career was taking off, it was this report on CNN.com that caught his eye.
GUPTA: His mother taped him ticking to show others how severe the condition can be.
MIHOK: A young man with Tourette's syndrome who was brave enough to start his own website to educate people about Tourette syndrome.
GUPTA: Together, Jaylen and Dash captivate their student audience, working with Jaylen's Challenge Foundation to put a stop to bullying. And when they're not raising awareness about an often misunderstood disorder, they hang out like brothers.
MIHOK: I'd like to say to anybody who's watching this that I'm just like you, and just a little bit different, and you're a little bit different from me, and I have nothing but love for you.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
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BLACKWELL: Meet the new king of Chicago. Lincoln Park Zoo is showing off its newest resident, baby rhino there. This eastern black rhinoceros was caught on camera. Up until now he has been spending quality time behind the scenes with his mother. A 200-pound baby, 200 pounds here, born August 26th.
YELLIN: That is cute. And if you like that, check out this adorable video. An otter playing -- finding a rock to play with, batting it around before rolling over and playing a solo game of catch. Did you catch that? He really has fantastic eye-paw coordination. One YouTube commentator wrote, "Does anyone get sad when this video ends?" We do. Then we hit replay.
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YELLIN: How cute is that? Awesome.
BLACKWELL: I'm a bigger fan of the rhinoceros.
YELLIN: The rhino? BLACKWELL: Yes, I like them both.
YELLIN: I love the baby pandas personally. That'll do it for us today. Thank you for watching.
BLACKWELL: Never really fell in love with the pandas.
YELLIN: What?
BLACKWELL: I know. I never really fell in love with the pandas.
YELLIN: Retract that.
BLACKWELL: I'm waiting for them to get older, because they --
YELLIN: Oh, god. End it right there.
BLACKWELL: All right.
YELLIN: Over to you Fredricka.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We love all things animal.
BLACKWELL: I have to check my Twitter now, because I know people are angry. Hey, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Thank you so much, Victor and Jessica, great to see you all.
