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Erin Burnett Outfront

Witnesses Homecoming Prince Opens Fire In School Cafeteria; NYC Police: Ax Attack was "Act of Terror"; Nina Pham Beats Ebola, Meets Obama

Aired October 24, 2014 - 19:00   ET

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

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT tonight, breaking news, a deadly high school shooting, the freshman homecoming prince killing one student, wounding four more and then killing himself. Some witnesses are saying it may have been over a teenage romance gone bad, all of it played out on social media today.

Plus terror in New York, two policemen seriously wounded by a self-radicalized man with a hatchet. Police tonight calling it an act of terror.

And new details about where Ebola patient, Craig Spencer, went in the days before his diagnosis, we went step by step. This as a health care worker just back from West Africa is under mandatory quarantine by the governor of New Jersey. Let's go OUTFRONT.

Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett. Breaking news, a deadly school shooting in Washington State, it happened in the cafeteria in Marysville-Pilchuck High School, 35 miles north of Seattle.

Witnesses say the student, freshman, Jaylen Fryberg, simply walked up to one table and started shooting students from behind with a 40-caliber handgun. A young woman was killed, four other students wounded and then the gunman turned the weapon on himself taking his life.

Right now, there are three students in critical condition fighting for their lives with serious head wounds. One witness said the students were his friends, that it was not a random act.

Witnesses say that Fryberg had recently broken up with his girlfriend. The two were tweeting out a failing relationship. There is this from him to her, "I should have listened. You were right. The whole time you were right."

His last tweet saying, "It won't last. It will never last." His social media account show him hunting, fishing, using rifles. He was announced as the high school's freshman homecoming prince just last Friday.

Our Susan Candiotti is in Marysville tonight. She is at a nearby church. Susan, the story as it played out today on social media, on live television, was one of the most strange stories we have heard in a very long time in terms of their relationship. What more are you hearing?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, it's certainly whenever any of these school shootings happen, it rattles a community. In this particular instance, as you said, we have been hearing a lot from people who knew him, who are telling us about what they saw in the cafeteria, and what they know about him.

And social media is, as you pointed out, playing a huge role in this. We are hearing from people who knew him, who knew they say what was going on in his life, and that is where a lot of information is coming from that is certainly something that law enforcement sources tell us they are looking at in addition to talking to the friends and family who knew him.

But Erin, we also have new information tonight on the weapon that was used in this case. It's described by law enforcement sources as a .40-caliber berretta, described as a high capacity hand gun, semiautomatic. But it did not have an extended magazine on it.

At this point, we don't know whether they found any afterwards, but it's something that they're looking at. Also, this information, the gun we are told has been traced according to sources and it belongs to his father.

Now, as part of any investigation, a search warrant is now being prepared and is being executed at the family home so that they can look more into what other weapons might have been in the house.

You recall you may also have seen that there may have been some social media postings, including Facebook, that show the suspected shooter in this case posing with guns, saying that his parents had given him guns.

But we don't know whether that has anything to do with this particular instance. Again, social media postings are very critical to this investigation because there are so many of them out there. But at this time, we want to concentrate on the victims in this case.

As you know, two dead, four injured and three of them critically, people here are trying to wrap their arms about what happened here. And at the high school tonight, there will be a vigil in memory of the lives that were lost here -- Erin.

BURNETT: And Susan, we know that one other student has been killed. We know that was a girl. Do you know the other three students, the ones that are now in critical condition? Is there any update on their condition and whether they are going to make it?

CANDIOTTI: No update at this time. But we believe that a news conference will be held in the not too distant future. So hopefully we'll be getting updates about that.

BURNETT: All right, thank you very much, Susan Candiotti.

And the FBI is now in Marysville to try to assist in the investigation. Evan Perez is OUTFRONT. Evan, what is the FBI looking for? We just heard Susan reporting on this gun, that it was his father's gun, that there wasn't an extended magazine, at least as far as they can figure right now.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE REPORTER: That's part of the investigation of the FBI is focusing on, which is to try to figure out what might have driven this gunman to do this.

As Susan point out, he did a lot of social media, as a lot of young people his age do. What we have seen from that is some indication that in the last few weeks and especially in the last few days, he seemed to be really signaling that something big was happening.

And he seemed to be almost giving up on whatever it was that was bothering him, and so that's going to be a big part of what the FBI does, which is to look at maybe some behavioral analysis of this kid to try to understand and maybe try to prevent these things.

BURNETT: Certainly I think so many watching saying it is incomprehensible that this could happen yet again in this country, a country that is so far failed to pass more gun legislation. Thank you very much, Evan Perez.

Well, the cafeteria was filled with students at the time of the shooting. Two of those students are with us now. Nate Heckendorf is a junior at Marysville-Pilchuck High School and joining me on the phone is Rachel Heichel. She is a freshman.

I'm sorry for both of you and what you saw and endured today. I know that you -- Rachel, I know you know both Jaylen and also one of the victims. Can you tell me what happened today in that cafeteria?

RACHEL HEICHEL, WITNESSED SHOOTING, MARYSVILLE, WASHINGTON (via telephone): We were sitting, eating lunch and we heard about five or six gunshots. As soon as that happened, everyone -- most of the first instincts were to run out of the cafeteria.

BURNETT: And I know you -- where did you go then? How close were you, Rachel?

HEICHEL: I was pretty close. I was a couple tables away actually from Jaylen and we all -- most of us ran out the back door. We ran pretty far away from the scene and went to the church nearby.

BURNETT: Rachel, I know also that you knew Jaylen, but you also knew -- you know one of the victims, a girl. Can you tell me about her?

HEICHEL: Yes, I do. She's a very great person. She was very caring and she was always very comforting person and always loved the people around her. She was -- she was very supportive of all of her friends and very open to be there for her friends at all times.

BURNETT: Do you know anything about the relationship that she had with Jaylen? Was there is a relationship or do you have any sense to why he shot the people he shot?

HEICHEL: I don't. I know that they were all pretty good friends, and I have no idea why he would go for those people at all.

BURNETT: What do you know about him? The country is now hearing about a young man that ostensibly seemed happy, a young man that loved to be outside, and a young man who was the homecoming prince. What did you know about him?

HEICHEL: I knew that he was -- that's what I knew. He was a really nice person and he was athletic. He loved hunting, and he loved, you know, the people around him and he was just a great person. He was very outgoing. Yes, he was just a great person.

BURNETT: Obviously not something that you would expect to hear. I think a lot of people, Rachel, when they hear you talking say that it's not what they expect to hear either when you hear someone committing something so horrific.

Nate is with us now. Nate, you were also in that cafeteria. I know that your cousin knew Jaylen, the man who did the shooting here. What do you know about him? What kind of person was he?

NATE HECKENDORF, MARYSVILLE STUDENT WHO WITNESSED SHOOTING: Well, I was actually on the outside of the cafeteria. I heard the gunshots go off, and he was actually my best friend's cousin, but you know, I know the shooter. I know he's a good kid.

He is well respected in the community, and like I said, he is a good kid, he was homecoming prince. So a lot of people had good hopes for him and thought the best of him.

BURNETT: So there's nothing from how you see it that would explain something so horrific happening?

HECKENDORF: You know, I didn't even see it -- I saw him this morning actually. Before first period, I got to see him today and I just said, you know, how are you doing, buddy? I hope everything is going OK, because recently there was a suspension involved.

So I just talked to him, told him he could come to me any time, he wanted to. He said OK, thank you. He did a little hand shake and he was off. He looked pretty content with life so I didn't think anything of it.

BURNETT: How do you feel tonight, but I want to ask this to both of you? Nate, you both are speaking so clearly and so concisely and so honestly. But I can't imagine what you're feeling right now.

HECKENDORF: You know, I'm shocked just like everyone in this community as -- you know, my prayers go out to the families of the victims, the shooter's families and my prayers go out to the witnesses who also saw it. We're all going to come together from this.

BURNETT: Rachel, how are you doing now that -- you were just two tables away and you saw this happen.

HEICHEL: Yes, definitely really heartbreaking and disturbing kind of to know that this actually happened in our school and that this is actually a good friend of mine. It's just something that it's going to take time to cope with. I just feel so bad for everyone who this happened to and who experienced this.

BURNETT: Nate, you just said you saw him this morning and that he seemed -- I think the word you used was content. You've been saying you can come to me any time because he had just gone through a suspension.

As we're all trying to understand what could have gone so horribly wrong to cause someone to do something so horrific, do you know what the suspension was about, anything?

HECKENDORF: You know, there were a lot of stories going about the suspension and you know, I don't know the full story, so I don't want to put anything out there. I know there was bullying involved in a couple words said towards him that he obviously didn't like. There was a fight that happened and he was suspended.

BURNETT: All right. So that gives us a little bit of a sense. So you're saying it's something he did in response to bullying it sounds like?

HECKENDORF: Yes, it was something in response to the bullying. I'm not saying the shooting was particularly the reason of that, but the suspension was from bullying and a fight that had broken out between him and another classmate.

BURNETT: All right, well, thank you for sharing this, both of you. I know it's hard for you, but we are grateful for you taking the time.

Next, it looked like a teen love affair gone wrong. In many ways it looked typical when you saw it on social media. But it's ended in such utter horror. A disturbing story, all of it online and in plain sight.

Plus new details about where the Ebola patient in New York went before ending up if a hospital. We have every single step of the way as New Jersey quarantines a woman back from West Africa tonight.

And was Dr. Craig Spencer a hero or not? Volunteering to treat Ebola patients in West Africa, but should he have known better when he came home?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Breaking news on the deadly school shooting just north of Seattle, a student, whom witnesses say was the homecoming prince opens fire in the high school cafeteria, killing a young woman and wounding four other students before turning the gun on himself.

Three of those students are in critical condition tonight, all of them with serious head wounds. And tonight, we are learning more about the shooter, who is said to be freshman, Jaylen Fryberg.

Students say he was very popular, played football, was recently named to the homecoming court, so what made his commit this heinous crime. His social media pages show a much more troubling side, a romance gone wrong? Kyung Lah is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Social media shows two images of Jaylen Fryberg. Just days ago, he was announced as Marysville-Philchuck High School's freshman homecoming king, a popular kid, friendly.

Fryberg's Facebook account shows his active engagement and pride with the Native American the Tulalip tribe. He loved the outdoors. Smiling here fishing on a boat and in other pictures hunting.

This picture on Instagram shows him holding a rifle. This is not a weapon believed to have been used in the fatal school shooting. Fryberg seems to love his family writing, "Probably the best birthday present ever, I just love my parents."

But turn to Twitter and a second more troubling image appears. In recent months, the freshman tweeted multiple times a day, "It breaks me. It actually does. I know it seems like I'm sweating it off, but I'm not. And I never will be able to. I'm tired of this expletive. I'm so expletive done."

And 34 hours before today's shootings he sent this, "It won't last -- it will never last." Frankie Pina, a friend of Marysville shooter, Jaylen Fryberg told CNN that this horrific incident came out of nowhere.

FRANKIE PINA, FRIEND OF SHOOTER (via telephone): I think his girlfriend broke up with him and -- I mean, the tweets everyone has been re-tweeting throughout the past couple of days like their conversation has been pretty -- pretty brutal, honestly. So that could have been affecting it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNETT: Kyung, you know, when you hear those tweets and many others full of expletives, you know there's been direct threats gunmen have posted in social media on some other shootings. You see those threats in advance. Have you come across this yet or does it really seem to be a lot of these tweets are between him and this girlfriend?

LAH: It seems to be in reaction to this girlfriend and the reason why we are so interested in the social media postings is -- because a lot of times these are the red flags. You may recall, the Alavista shooting.

There were more direct threats and were video posting saying that he was going to do x, y and z so law enforcement right now, Erin, combing through the social media postings. We haven't come across any direct threat, but certainly having those answers about why is so critical in trying to prevent the next one -- Erin.

BURNETT: Kyung Lah, thank you very much.

And now OUTFRONT, a former special agent in charge with the ATF is Special Agent Matt Horace and psychologist, Wendy Walsh. Good to have both of you with us.

Let me start with you, Matt. You actually used to live right here near Marysville so you are very familiar with the area and I know therefore, you know, it is a personal shock when people say this could never happen and it has now happened somewhere where you were from.

When you hear about what we're now learning, it appears there is a social media trail and full of expletives and full of anger, does this surprise you?

MATT HORACE, FORMER SPECIAL AGENT IN-CHARGE, ATF: Well, it doesn't surprise me. This is the 74th school shooting in the last 18 months in the United States and it thinks of us to look at aspects of what with is going on with our children.

In this case, there are tweets and Facebook postings and pictures with guns and all other kind of things that could have alarmed someone along the way. In this case it didn't. So unfortunately, we are yet again at another school shooting with more death and carnage and we're left to answer, why, how and who was responsible?

BURNETT: Seventy four in 18 months is a stunning number. Wendy, you just heard Kyung's report and some of these posts on social media. I just wanted to read another one. He tweets, all right, you expletive got me. That broke me. It breaks me. It actually does. I know it seems like I'm sweating it off, but I'm not and I'll never be able to."

And you see these and then you see what happened. And it is aching to actually read these. When you hear these tweets, what do you think?

WENDY WALSH, PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, my first thought as a parent is why aren't his parents reading these tweets, why aren't they following him on Twitter? It is a public broadcast around the world, and why aren't school officials watching them?

I mean, clearly, we all need to as parents follow all of our children's social media. Secondly, in looking at the Twitter feed, I see that, you know, remember this is not a fully developed brain.

This child was a middle schooler not too long ago and a lot of sexually explecite stuff, a lot of sexual frustration and obscenities and loves of guns. So if you take that whole cluster, a youthful young brain, a worshiping of guns and loving hunting, very angry and a recent suspension from school, you have to start to look at it in context.

BURNETT: I want to ask you about that suspension. Wendy, we just heard from a young man, a junior who said he had spoken to Jaylen this morning saying, I know you're back from the suspension, let me know if you need anything.

Now he told us that the broad outlines of what he thinks happened. There was an incident where he was bullied and he had a fight with somebody and then as a result was suspended. Again, that's just what he said we don't exactly know the details here.

But I asked this only in the context of we have only also heard that he was the homecoming, quote/unquote, "prince." When you hear that, you think about a popular kid, who everybody likes, which by the way, is what we are hearing from all these other kids.

And that doesn't fit the profile that a lot of people have about the loner kid who nobody really understands who is over in the corner that people usually associate with these kinds of things.

WALSH: Well, there is something else we can also add as an over-arc to that and those are the reports that he was going through a break up with his girlfriend. You know, attachment injuries are a rupture in a relationship at a critical moment of need.

So here we have a critical moment of need. He's being bullied and there was a suspension because of it and perhaps this was part of the rejection by this girl. I'm not going to hang out with a guy who is going to be suspended or getting into fights and not to blame her by any means, by the way.

No woman should be forced to ever go out with anyone. The point I want to make is that here is a young developing brain, who is slowly shifting his secure base of his parents into his young adult -- not even adult.

Adolescent romantic attachments and because he was pretty predisposed to enraged with this, this attachment entree could have erupted into violence.

BURNETT: Matt, what do you make of this, the fact that we are hearing a suspension, possible bullying again from another student, but also around some who is the quote/unquote, "homecoming prince," the popular kid that everybody seemed to like.

HORRACE: Everything was not as it truly seemed in this case. And at the end of the day, this is a young man who apparently had problems at some point in time, he had access to firearms and he used a firearm to kill other children in a school.

A place where people expect their children to go to school and be safe from things like this from happening, and at this point, unfortunately, we have deceased victims and the perpetrator who was deceased and all at the hands of a firearm.

BURNETT: Thank you very much, Matt and Wendy.

OUTFRONT next, trains, taxis, restaurants, a bowling alley, Ebola patient, Craig Spencer was all around New York the past few days. We traced every step.

Now there is a mandating quarantine from some coming from the Ebola zone. We'll tell you what the new rules taking effect tonight are.

And he unselfishly volunteered to treat Ebola patients, but did Spencer selfishly expose others to the virus.

And two New York police men attacked by a man yielding a hatchet and now it is not random, they are calling it an act of terror.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Breaking news, the governors of New York and New Jersey announcing a mandatory quarantine from anyone returning from the Ebola zone in West Africa who had direct contact with an Ebola patient. Meanwhile, Dr. Craig Spencer, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in New York City is now in stable condition.

Spencer's fiancee and two other friends are still under quarantine. Those new rules in New York and New Jersey would mean that Spencer wouldn't have been able to do what he did the past few days.

Because officials are now tracing all of his movements since he returned from treating Ebola patients in Guinea and Jason Carroll traced those steps.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dr. Craig Spencer's apartment in Harlem is sealed, off limits to all except health department officials who sent in experts to decontaminate his unit, all of this as they piece together spencer's whereabouts prior to being diagnosed with Ebola.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been tracking down and seeking to account for every minute since 7:00 a.m. on October 21st.

CARROLL: Spencer returned to the United States on October 17th, after treating Ebola patients in Guinea. Feeling fine, he was checking his temperature twice a day. On Tuesday, October 21st, 7:00 a.m., again, no fever, but spencer tells investigators that morning he was feeling fatigue and exhaustion. Still, around 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday --

(on camera): Spencer stops here in the Greenwich Village at the meatball shop, a popular chain here in New York City, as of Thursday afternoon, the meatball shop, but there is a sign on their front door that says, by tonight, they will be back open.

(voice-over): At 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, he heads to the Highline, a popular elevated walkway on Manhattan's west side. He stops here at the -- * JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: -- the meatball shop

was closed, but there is a sign in the front door that says, by tonight, they will back open.

(voice-over): Four-thirty p.m. Tuesday, he heads to the High Line, a popular elevated walkway on the Manhattan's West Side. He stops here at High Line's Blue Bottle coffee stand.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Health Department came here this morning and just to make sure that we were safe. I don't think anyone is unhealthy. Everybody is healthy and happy.

CARROLL: Fifty-thirty p.m., Spencer takes the one train back to the 145th Street station near his home.

Wednesday, October 22nd, still no fever. One o'clock that afternoon, he goes for a three-mile-run along Manhattan's riverside drive and West Side Highway.

Fifty-thirty early Wednesday evening, he hops on the subway. Destination: Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

(on camera): Spencer took the A-train and then the L-train to Williamsburg. Medical detectives know that. They also know at that point, he was feeling fatigued but he still was not running a high temperature.

Well, the A-train, like most trains in New York City, can get pretty crowded, but health officials say when Spencer took the train, he was not exhibiting any symptoms and therefore, they say, he was not contagious.

(voice-over): Two of Spencer's friends join for the subway ride to The Gutter bowling alley in Williamsburg. The Gutter now temporarily closed for cleaning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I definitely would not voluntarily go there right now.

CARROLL: Wednesday, 8:30 p.m., health officials say Spencer left the bowling alley and took the taxi service Uber.

Ten-fifteen a.m. Thursday, Spencer reports a temperature of 103 to Doctors Without Borders and the city health department was notified. He's immediately transferred to Bellevue hospital and isolated. City officials confident Spencer was not widely contagious.

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), NEW YORK: Casual contacts cannot lead to acquiring this disease. The only threat is if one has come in contact directly with the bodily fluids of someone who has this disease.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: And, Erin, despite the mayor's words, there are still a number of people that we spoke to today who are still feeling uneasy about an Ebola patient being here in New York City. But having said that, Erin, I spoke to just as many people, whether they'd be on the subway or out on the High Line earlier today, who feels those city health officials have the situation under control -- Erin.

BURNETT: Jason, thank you.

Joining me now is the New York City health commissioner, Dr. Mary Bassett.

Dr. Bassett, thank you so much. Obviously, this is a day you have prepared a long, long time for.

I knew New York City feels like it is ready.

The question a lot of people have is, Dr. Spencer wasn't going to work during the incubation period because he didn't want to be around patients and checking his temperature twice a day as he was told to do, but this is the second health care worker who was doing that self- monitoring who ended up contracting Ebola. And a lot of people just don't understand, he was still using mass transit, he was going to restaurants.

And they think -- all right, here is common sense, if you are treating Ebola patients and if you're told not to go to work, because it might be risky, why would you be going to restaurants and using mass transit?

DR. MARY BASSETT, NEW YORK CITY HEALTH COMMISSIONER: Well, let's keep in mind Dr. Spencer was well. He was well when he left Africa and he was well when he left for Europe. So, when he came through he had no fever and he felt good and he was checking his temperature twice a day.

I think it is a policy of Doctors Without Borders that they ask people to self isolate. It doesn't mean that you don't leave your house. It means you restrict yourself to -- well, to seeing a few people. At least that's what he did.

But the important thing is that he was feeling well, we know that when people have Ebola infection and they're not symptomatic, they're not infectious.

BURNETT: Right. Now, I know he was feeling sluggish as the nurse had as well. So, they are looking at those times but obviously they feel that's low risk. It does, though, bring the question, because the governor, obviously, of New York, as well as the governor of New Jersey, have announced a mandatory quarantine that would have applied to Dr. Spencer.

Well, let me just read the quote, you tell me whether it would --

BASSETT: OK, I haven't seen anything in writing about it.

BURNETT: All right. So, here's what they said, they said, "There will be a mandatory quarantine for any individual who had direct contact with an individual infected with the Ebola virus in one of the affected West African countries."

That obviously would have been applied to Spencer.

BASSETT: That would apply to him. Some of the other things I've seen, they describe high-risk patients and we don't consider somebody in general who uses personal protective equipment, that's the gear that people have all seen, there is a picture of Dr. Spencer in that gear --

BURNETT: Hazmat. BASSETT: And we don't consider them high risk looking after a

patient with Ebola because protective gear works.

BURNETT: Early today, I spoke with the office of emergency management commissioner here in New York City, Joe Esposito. And I just want to play to you what he said when I talked to him about, is this just the first case that we might see here in New York City?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Do you expect there will be more Ebola in New York City? Because it kind of seems definitional that there will be.

JOE ESPOSITO, OEM COMMISSIONER: Well, just because it's New York City and the amount of people that come through this city from other countries, you would think that we have a higher probability of having more cases. Will we have more cases? Yes. Have we put things in place to deal with it? Without a doubt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Do you agree with both these things?

BASSETT: Absolutely.

BURNETT: So, we have more cases? Yes. Are we ready? Yes.

BASSETT: You know, we are a global city. We have one of the world's busiest airports. We've also welcomed people from all parts of the world. So, if there's anyplace where we really should be prepared as we are, it should be New York City.

So, you know, we have had our first patient. Will we have another one? I think that we certainly will not be surprised.

BURNETT: Well, Dr. Basset, thank you so much.

BASSETT: Thank you. It's a pleasure.

BURNETT: And OUTFRONT next, Ebola patient Craig Spencer, he followed protocol. But should a doctor who treated people in West Africa have known better?

And the self radicalized man who took a hatchet to two policemen. New York officials are now calling him a terrorist.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Breaking news: an American doctor diagnosed with Ebola is in stable condition at a New York City hospital. Dr. Craig Spencer's fiancee and friends are now under quarantine. Officials are trying to trace any other possible contacts.

There is no question Spencer was heroic. He had traveled by choice to West Africa to treat Ebola patients, risking his life. But many are outraged he traveled around the most populated city in the United States when he was feeling, quote, "sluggish" from returning from treating those patients.

Miguel Marquez is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dr. Craig Spencer, hero or zero? With Ebola in NYC trending on Twitter, social media cast harsh judgment on the doctor working to save the lies of others.

(INAUDIBLE) wrote, "Why the hell is a Doctor Without Borders not being quarantined after treating Ebola patients. Was the urge to bowl that overwhelming?"

He did bowl at The Gutter in Brooklyn, took three major subway lines, visited a city park and went out to eat -- all of that in seven days upon his return. Many New Yorkers and the Internet went just a little crazy.

Jacqueline K wrote, "He's a selfish, self-centered Upper Manhattan uber doctor who refused self quarantine after returned from Africa."

People who live in Spencer's building aren't calling names. They are on heightened alert.

DERICK GORDON, NEIGHBOR: Knowing that it's come here now, I mean, honestly, it's really very scary. Yes.

MARQUEZ: In this picture, even through full protective gear, you can see Dr. Spencer's smile. He posted it to Facebook on September 18th -- just about the same time he began a month-long stint for Doctors Without Borders in Guinea. Today, the disease there, widespread, nearly a thousand dead. On October 14th, he departed Guinea, went to Brussels and on to New York where he was screened at JFK. No sign of Ebola.

Many see his work and efforts in hard hit West Africa, where nearly 10,000 have the disease, as heroic. Sara Cowan (ph) offered, "Thanks to Dr. Craig Spencer and all the others health care worker who put themselves at risk."

Talk show host Rachael Ray added, "Sad for another hero doctor suffering with Ebola."

Twenty-four Doctors Without Border staffers have contracted Ebola, 13 have died. The organization says Spencer followed its strict protocols and reported his symptoms promptly, adding, "As long as the patient hasn't developed symptoms, the risk of contagion is close to zero."

KEITH WRIGHT, NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLYMAN: It's a worldwide health crisis that has affected Harlem.

MARQUEZ: It's come home and some like Mike Gardner want a zero tolerance policy. Doctor Spencer, he wrote, "I hope your medical license is revoked and you are prosecuted."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: Now after about eight hours that New York City hazmat teams are up in the Dr. Spencer's apartment, the lights have gone out. It looks like their work is completed. They have been scrubbing and sanitizing it all day, but there is not anything that goes by with Ebola that people don't notice.

We ran some tape yesterday of police officers outside this address. They were wearing gloves. One of them discarded them in a receptacle, a public receptacle. Everybody went a little crazy with that on Twitter. It turns out, every time New York City police officers put up some yellow tape, they are meant to wear rubber gloves, they have to wear rubber gloves. In this case, they did not go up to the apartment.

So, just because you see a picture doesn't necessarily make a fact or make something true -- Erin.

BURNETT: All right. Miguel, thank you very much.

You have people were sending me that today too and I have to make sure they all knew. No, they didn't go near the apartment but people were quick to be afraid about that.

All right. Joining me now is CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

And, Sanjay, you just heard Miguel's report. Look, there is a lot of anger out there, as he was just sharing, on social media, people like, look, you did something heroic, but you are a doctor. You're a doctor. Why were you doing this?

I guess the bottom line question is, now there's new -- in New York and New Jersey, if he came back today, he would be put in mandatory quarantine. Should he have stayed in his apartment?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, look, first of all, you know, the Doctors Without Borders have very specific guidelines on this. And I've gone through this and they specifically say that quarantine -- self-quarantine is neither recommended nor is it warranted.

So, it's important to point out this guy comes back from doing the work he's doing overseas, taking care of patients, risking his own life to do, and then he's following the exact guidance that he's been given. They say, live your life. If you get sick, if you start to develop a fever, take your temperature, if you develop a fever, then call us and an action plan will be put forth.

But that's -- he did exactly what he's supposed to do. So, the idea that because he is a doctor, he should have somehow quarantined himself, I get that thinking and I understand that fear. But this is a collision of science and social fear. And, Erin, one of the things is going to change. It's not the

science. The fear will change. Right now, you can understand why there's so much fear, but over time, people will understand that he was really not a threat to the general public. And that's really the largest issue here.

BURNETT: And do you have any sense, Sanjay, of how he could have -- you know, we have pictures of him on the Facebook page in a hazmat suit. Any sense of how possibly he could have contracted it?

GUPTA: Now, you know, it's unclear, you know? The whole organization, they've been doing this sort of work for decades. They really haven't had -- they've had very few people who have gotten infected in this case, most of them this year.

Most likely it occurred at some point when he was removing his gear. You can imagine contamination on your gloves and your gown somewhere, taking off that gear somehow, a contamination probably occurred. But that's the most likely scenario. But it is rare among the organization.

BURNETT: It certainly is. They have had a great track record. Thank you so much, Sanjay.

And OUTFRONT next, a craze man with a hatchet attacked two policemen. Tonight, New York officials are learning about his extremist beliefs.

And, nurse Nina Pham. This is the wonderful story of the day. Healthy, out of the hospital, getting a special congratulations before heading home to Dallas.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Breaking news, officials now say the hatchet attack against the New York City police officers yesterday was an act of terror. A man welding an axe charged four officers, leaving one in critical condition. This is the video of exactly how it happened. It's a chilling shot, as you see this man with the hatchet, just frozen there on the street.

They say the suspect was self-radicalized, similar to the attackers in two incidents have happened earlier this week in Canada. A Canadian soldier was shot and killed on Wednesday, guarding Canada's National War Memorial, and another soldier was killed in a hit-and-run by a car on Monday.

Deborah Feyerick is OUTFRONT.

And, Deb, I knew last night as this was breaking and we first saw this video, which is just horrific to just imagine sort of the thing happening, that they were unsure exactly what the cause was. And now, they are saying they believe it was an act of terror. Why?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's interesting. It's actually still up for debate. You're absolutely right. New York City's top cop Bill Bratton came out and he said, you know, this is an act of terrorism. And he felt comfortable calling it an act of terror.

However, his chief intelligent guys said, you know in the suspect's mind, yes, it was an act of terrorism and now the FBI is going to launch a power investigation to make its determination. And the reason for this is because nobody wants to get out ahead and start calling crazy acts, acts of radicalism and extremism. What we know is that this was a loner, as you mentioned, converted to Islam two years ago. His focus online, his digital footprint had been on anti-white and anti-government rhetoric.

And all of a sudden, in the last sort of couple of months, he had changed. He was paying very, very close attention to what extremists were doing online.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN MILLER, NYPD'S DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF INTELLIGENCE AND COUNTERTERRORISM: He has an extensive social media presence we have been able to look at some of that. The common thread that goes through those conversations are anti-Western, anti-government and in some cases, anti-white.

And in addition, more recent indicators based on the search of his computer show activities visiting Web sites that are focused on designated terrorist groups, al Qaeda, ISIS, al Shabaab, as well as looking at different acts of violence, including beheadings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: So, he was really doing something minute by minute or event by minute kind of analysis of what was going on. His catalyst was watching the Canadian shooting, the parliament shooting, that's when he decided to take his action and use the hatchet against the four police officers.

But even in Canada, law enforcement, they have been very, very careful and very measured. Clearly, there is no question, an element of extremism, what is sort of causing them to do this. But in the case of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the head guy there, he said, look, we have to look at the radicalization, but also the criminality, drug abuse, violence, all of that.

So, this may have been a very, very bad week. Authorities are all on guard for other attacks. Right now, they're sort of -- they're testing the waters on this one.

BURNETT: We have to hope this is just a few events.

FEYERICK: Yes.

BURNETT: Deb, thank you. And next, the wonderful story of the day. You all know her, Nina

Pham, right? I mean, we all fell in love with her, the first person in the United States to contract Ebola. Well, guess what? That's her today. She is back. Her emotional thank you is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: It was just a few weeks ago, the shocking news that a young Dallas nurse had contracted the deadly Ebola virus. Today, though, the amazing news, Nina Pham is better, and going home -- but not before President Obama got a chance to meet her.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nina?

BURNETT (voice-over): For health care workers battling Ebola, it was a signature moment of triumph. Twenty-six-year-old Nina Pham, the Dallas nurse who was the first person to contract Ebola inside the United States, heading home, free of the virus.

NINA PHAM, DALLAS NURSE: I feel fortunate and blessed to be standing here today. I would, first and foremost, like to thank God, my family and friends. Throughout this ordeal, I have put my trust in God and my medical team. I am on my way back to recovery even as I reflect on how many others have not been so fortunate.

BURNETT: But before a flight to Dallas, a short trip to Washington, D.C., for a presidential hug. It was a very different scene from the last time Pham spoke on camera, teary-eyed and seriously ill in a Dallas hospital bed.

Pham contracted Ebola, while treating Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in America. She tested positive for Ebola at Texas Presbyterian hospital on October 11th. Five days later, surrounded by health workers in full hazmat suits, she was flown to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. There, doctors were cautious.

This was the head of the NIH just one week ago.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NIH: This is a serious infection. She is getting the optimum care. It would not be appropriate to predict when she gets out. She will get out when she is well enough and free of virus.

BURNETT: What's next for Nina? She's headed home, taking time to regain her strength and get back together with the love of her life.

PHAM: So, with gratitude and respect for everyone concerned, I ask for my privacy and for my family's privacy to be respected as I return to Texas and try to get back to a normal life and reunited with my dog, Bentley.

(LAUGHTER) (END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNETT: How sweet. We wish her the very best.

Anderson starts now.