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Charleston Church Shooting Suspect Behind Bars; Anger Over the Confederate Flag; Shooting Suspect to Appear in Court; Remembering the Victims; Interview with Malcolm Graham; Suspect Confessed to Killings. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired June 19, 2015 - 10:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[10:00:14] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now in the "newsroom" --

Happening now in the NEWSROOM.

JOEY MEEKS, FRIEND OF DYLANN ROOF: He wanted segregation.

COSTELLO: Inside the mind of the alleged gunman behind the Charleston church massacre.

MEEKS: I think he wanted something big like Trayvon Martin. He wanted to make something to spark up the race war again.

COSTELLO: Dylann Roof in court in just hours, accused of killing nine people.

SYLVIA JOHNSON, FRIEND SURVIVED SOUTH CAROLINA CHURCH MASSACRE: He said, no, you raped our women and you are taking over the country.

COSTELLO: Is he a terrorist? And the Confederate Flag still flying on the ground of the South Carolina capitol.

REP. MARK SANFORD (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: I guess for some folks, that represents heritage, for others it represents hate.

COSTELLO: Should it come down?

Plus --

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We, as a country, will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries.

COSTELLO: After this massacre President Obama calling for gun control, again.

OBAMA: I have had to make statements like this too many times.

COSTELLO: Will it get traction this time around?

Let's talk. Live in the CNN NEWSROOM. (END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

A community grieves and a nation weary of senseless killings gropes for answers. Why did a gunman murder worshippers inside an iconic southern church?

New this morning two law enforcement officials telling CNN that 21- year-old Dylann Roof has confessed to the shootings. And in another chilling twist, one source says his goal was to ignite a race war and those who knew him back that up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEEKS: He wanted segregation.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What did he wanted to see happened? How is he going to do this?

MEEKS: I think he wanted to me something big like Trayvon Martin. He wanted to make some -- spark up the race war again.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What kind of guns did he have?

MEEKS: A .45 Glock.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: 45 Glock? Did he carry it around?

MEEKS: In his car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Here is an image of Roof with that car. The license plate boasts Confederate States of America. And in another Facebook photo a sullen Roof wears the flags of two former white supremacist governments, Apartheid era South Africa and the former country of Rhodesia. Today his attack ripples across the United States, stoking new discussions of race, hate, and gun violence.

We're covering all angles of this unfolding story. Let's begin our focus on the suspect. Alisyn Camerota has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How are you feeling?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Why did you do it?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How did you feel?

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Behind bars this morning, alleged mass murderer Dylann Roof accused of killing nine people Wednesday at a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Want to talk a little bit more about --

CAMEROTA: This cell phone video captured moments before the carnage shows Roof sitting at a table with a small bible study group. The 21- year-old inside for about an hour before opening fire with a .45 caliber pistol. One of the survivors pleaded with the gunman to stop.

SYLVIA JOHNSON, FRIEND SURVIVED SOUTH CAROLINA CHURCH MASSACRE: After the young man tried to stop him from doing what he wanted to finish off, he said, no, you raped our women and you're taking over the country.

CAMEROTA: After the massacre, Roof fled the scene, and less than 14 hours later --

DEBBIE DILLS, REPORTED SIGHTING OF SHOOTING SUSPECT: It was God who made this happen.

CAMEROTA: Floral shop owner Debby Dills spots the alleged shooter more than 200 miles away in North Carolina. Following Roof until police arrested him without incident.

DILLS: God heard the prayers of those people and he just used us as vessels to get his work done.

CAMEROTA: Roof's roommate telling ABC News he was, quote, "big into segregation," alleging Roof was plotting something like this for six months. Roof's childhood friend tells the network --

MEEKS: I think he wanted something big like Trayvon Martin. He wanted something to spark up the race war again.

CAMEROTA: This Facebook photo revealing two flags on Roof's jacket, one from Apartheid era South Africa, the other from the former Rhodesia when it was rules by a white minority now called Zimbabwe.

MAYOR JOSEPH RILEY JR., CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: There's something weird and bad and hateful going on in his mind.

CAMEROTA: The community left reeling. The governor of South Carolina fighting back tears.

GOV. NIKKI HALEY (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: The heart and soul of South Carolina was broken, and so we have some grieving to do, and we've got some pain we have to go through.

CAMEROTA: President Obama said he and Michelle personally knew several members of the historic Emanuel AME Church.

OBAMA: To say our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families and their community doesn't say enough to convey the heartache and the sadness and the anger that we feel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[10:05:02] COSTELLO: Alisyn Camerota reporting. Thanks so much. Dylann Roof will go before a judge 2:00 p.m. Eastern. That's this

afternoon of course. He's preparing to face justice at the hands of the courts and the charges just came over -- I think authorities have charged him, and I'm reading this because I just got it in my e-mail box. This is from the Charleston Police Department.

The bond hearing as I said 2:00 p.m. Eastern today. Dylann Roof charged with nine counts of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, so as you can see he's not charged with domestic terrorism. But this is the latest information we're getting from the Charleston Police Department and, of course, as I've said, Dylann Roof will appear in court in Charleston, South Carolina, 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Of course CNN will cover that hearing.

All of this happening as the people of South Carolina try to heal. Many people in the state are turning to the capital and asking why the confederate flag still flies. Earlier this morning Governor Nikki Haley deferred when questioned about whether that flag should come down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALEY: My job as governor is to bring everybody back together. We've got to heal. This is a state that's broken and this is a state that's hurt, and so what you're seeing is we're trying to pull that together.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: But what's your position on the issue?

HALEY: You know, right now to start having policy conversations with the people of South Carolina, I understand that's what you all want. My job is to heal the people of this state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: On Twitter anger over the flag is evident. One person wrote to Governor Haley, quote, "Shame on you for not taking a stand against the flag of a culture of hate against blacks."

I'd like to talk more about this. I want to bring in Valencia Wicker. She's an anchor for CNN affiliate WCIV in Charleston.

Thank you so much for being with me this morning.

VALENCIA WICKER, ANCHOR, WCIV CHARLESTON: Good morning. How are you?

COSTELLO: I'm good. Again thanks for being here. What do you make of Governor -- of Governor Haley deferring on the confederate flag question?

WICKER: You know, that's been a talked about question in South Carolina. They ask all the time, what is her issue or what is her take on the confederate flag at the capitol? And the thing is, is that it's one of those talks about issues that she will not target. She often does as she did today and just says, you know what, this is my issue and this is not what I'm going to talk about, and so we're used to that kind of response from her. COSTELLO: There was some sort of compromise reached over where

exactly the confederate flag would fly over the state house. Can you tell me about that?

WICKER: Well, I'll tell you this. The confederate flag, especially when Glen McConnell was at the capitol, it was one of those things that people were so adamant that it needed to come down. It was a history that they were not -- that they -- especially the African- American community was not happy with, and they thought it misrepresented what South Carolina was and how they were moving forward.

So it's one of those things that, you know, the African-American community is hurting right now and they're really looking for our state leaders and for our city leaders to come together and help us heal as a people.

COSTELLO: Tell me about -- you know, I don't know if healing can start just yet, but, I mean, you live and work in South Carolina, so tell me, is the community drawing together? How are people feeling?

WICKER: I'll tell what, Carol, my father is an AME pastor. My grandfather or my great uncle who is like a grandfather to me served as the African-American -- as African-American Methodist Episcopal bishop of the Seventh Episcopal District which is South Carolina. I knew these people. I shook these people's hands. My uncle just sent me a picture of me standing in Emanuel AME Church with him just about a year ago when he preached a revival there.

So this is personal. I can tell you that it's hitting our community, our hearts. Even in listening to your coverage before coming to me, it shook me. It made me cry. I had to hold back tears. This is something that -- these folks are no strangers to our community. These are people who invited folks into their homes for dinner. These are people's teachers, their fathers, their aunts, their uncles, it is personal. And I cannot explain to you the anguish that our community is feeling right now.

COSTELLO: Valencia Wicker, thank you so much for being with me this morning. I appreciate it.

OK. So Nick Valencia, he's outside the courthouse where Dylann Roof will appear before a judge in just about four hours.

And, Nick, we just learned Roof will be charged with nine counts of murder. You talked with the judge. What did he say?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I just spoke to Skip Gosnell who's the magistrate here who will be overseeing, presiding over this hearing. He tells me it will be more of a procedural hearing to formalize those murder charges of the nine innocent lives taken at the hands of Dylann Roof.

He woke up today, this morning, in a North Charleston County Jail. We are told that he's going to appear via video link. Some of that having to do with the media frenzy surrounding this story. [10:10:09] We're also told that he could perhaps be currently in

isolation separated from the rest of the prison population and perhaps even on suicide watch. Again, we just spoke to the judge who tells us that this will formalize those nine murder count charges against the suspect saying that this is really more of a procedural hearing. He couldn't get into too many of the other specifics or details of the case obviously, but he does tell us that this will take place at 2:00 p.m. right here in this bond hearing courthouse behind me -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Nick Valencia reporting live from Charleston this morning. Thank you.

Still to come on the NEWSROOM, they were brought together by faith and torn from their families by hatred. But that's not how they're being remembered today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:15:21] COSTELLO: Now let's focus on the victims of that horrific shooting rampage in Charleston, South Carolina. They include a beloved church pastor and state senator, Clementa Pinckney. An 87- year-old grandmother Susie Jackson. She was the oldest victim. Her cousin, 70-year-old Ethel Lance was also killed. 74-year-old retired reverend Daniel Simmons who attended the church every Sunday was killed.

Also killed, 49-year-old Reverend Depayne Middleton-Doctor and 59- year-old Myra Thompson, who was teaching bible study. 54-year-old Cynthia Hurd worked decades as a librarian. That workplace will be renamed in her honor. Sharonda Singleton was 45 years old. She coached at a local high school. And the youngest to die, 26-year-old Tywanza Sanders.

CNN's Athena Jones is in front of the historic church where a memorial is rising. She has more.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning -- good morning, Carol. There has been an outpouring of grief and also sympathy and words of comfort for the victims, for their families, and for the entire community.

You can see here behind me we're right outside Emanuel AME. There is a growing makeshift memorial here, signs, cards, flowers, stuffed animals. There's a sign that reads, "Mother Emanuel, Jesus is your super hero."

I can tell you that last night we went to a prayer service at a church just behind Mother Emanuel. This of course is the area of many churches. It was several Presbyterian congregations coming together black and white. Several speakers to offer words of comfort to each other. Afterwards they walked over here to lay down flowers outside of this church.

We're also hearing from the survivors, from the family members of victims like Chris Singleton, whose mother Sharonda Singleton died on Wednesday night. She was just 45 years old. Let's listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS SINGLETON, MOTHER KILLED IN ATTACK: I just think about her smile. She smiles 24/7. That's what I'm just thinking about to push me on and do stuff like this. Just thinking about her smile. We will get through it. Our church will get through it. It's tough times but I know for a fact everybody will press on.

Love is always stronger than hate, so if we just love the way my mom would, then the hate won't be anywhere close to where love is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: In addition to that prayer service I mentioned last night, there was also a candlelight vigil just across the street, and tonight the city of Charleston is hosting a prayer vigil in a stadium not far from here. So there's still a lot of grief, a lot of sorrow, and some anger as the community here digests what happened on Wednesday night -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Athena Jones reporting live from Charleston this morning.

President Obama and the first lady have both expressed their condolences to the victims' families. On Thursday President Obama called the rampage heartbreaking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Any death of this sort is a tragedy. Any shooting involving multiple victims is a tragedy. There is something particularly heartbreaking about a death happening in a place in which we seek solace and we seek peace, in a place of worship.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: For my next guest, heart break is probably an understatement. His older sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed. The dedicated library worker spent more than three decades in public service. She's described by her family as a beautiful person. Her brother, former North Carolina state senator, Malcolm Graham, joins me now.

Thank you so much for being with me this morning.

MALCOLM GRAHAM, SISTER KILLED IN CHARLESTON SHOOTING: It's a pleasure to be with you.

COSTELLO: Tell us about your sister.

GRAHAM: Cynthia was a wonderful woman. She was a sister, a community worker, a dedicated librarian, loved life, loved her community, and loved her God.

COSTELLO: And she was a great supporter of you personally, right?

GRAHAM: Yes. She was my confidant. She encouraged me to get involved politically and supported me every step of the way. When I ran for Congress and came up short, she encouraged me to do it again, and so she was my mother figure. My mom passed some 20 years ago, so Cynthia was my big sister, but she was also my mother figure and I'm going to miss her dearly.

[10:20:00] COSTELLO: We're getting new information about what the killer shouted out inside that church right before he opened fire. He said he wanted -- well, actually he told police he warranted to start a race war. When you hear things like that, what goes through your mind?

GRAHAM: Our country is just so full of hate, and I think sometimes it starts in the body politics where we are so focused on separating ourselves economically and trying to blame others for our shortcomings, and deeply rooted in hate. And so it angers me. It angers me that someone can hate a country, a body of people, and do something so senselessly. I'm just devastated.

COSTELLO: Do you think that this suspect, this killer, is a terrorist?

GRAHAM: I think he committed a terrorist act, yes, and based in hatred. I mean, what else could it be? I try to rationalize the incident, and there's no rationalization for it other than pure hatred.

COSTELLO: The president talked about the need for tighter gun control. You say we need to revisit the conversation about mental health. It just seems like we have these conversations every time something tragic like this happens, and nothing ever changes.

GRAHAM: Well, we've been here before, and this is a little different. Certainly a gun was involved, but this was hate, and the gun was the tool that he used to exercise that hate. Certainly we need to revisit gun laws. Certainly we need more help for mental health, but as we know, more information today than I knew yesterday, this was simply hate.

COSTELLO: You probably have not had the time to think about this, but will there be something that we all learn from this?

GRAHAM: I think that hopefully we recognize in our public policy that we are all Americans and that it doesn't matter whether you're a DRR, that our public policy must reflect that we must help everybody and that there's no winners and losers. And so hopefully, you know, we will address the issue of (INAUDIBLE), we address the issue of mental illness, but we'll also find a way in our hearts to love one another and that we are one America.

COSTELLO: Malcolm Graham, thank you for being with me this morning. I appreciate it.

I'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:27:13] COSTELLO: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me. We're learning more about the suspect behind the Charleston church massacre. According to our sources, Dylann Roof has confessed to the shooting that left nine people dead during a bible study on Wednesday night.

CNN justice reporter Evan Perez is tracking all of this from D.C. He has more new information.

Tell us, Evan.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, what he said to investigators was that he was trying to start a race war. That's what Dylann Roof told the FBI and Charleston detectives who were in North Carolina to interview him before they started the proceedings to bring him back to South Carolina to face these nine murder charges that prosecutors there have now charged him with.

We're also learning, Carol, that he bought this .45 caliber handgun from a gun shop in Charleston, South Carolina. He bought it himself. He was able to pass a gun background check, and this was money we're told from his grandfather, by his grandmother that it was money from his father that was given to him on his birthday in order to buy this gun -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So back to the charges against Dylann Roof, he's charged with nine counts of murder and illegal -- I'm sorry, what's the firearm charge? He's charged with a firearm charge as well.

PEREZ: Right, exactly.

COSTELLO: So if authorities were in the future to charge him with terrorism, where would those charges come from? Would they come from local police or the prosecutor's office or would they come from the feds?

PEREZ: You know, it's complicated. I think it's clear to most people who watch what happened, they clearly would say this is terrorism. The problem is that there's a legal definition that the Justice Department has to reach, and one of the things that they're looking at is the statements that he made not only to the police but also to the victims. If you will recall yesterday we reported that one of the things he said was that he was there to shoot black people, and so the question remains is, was he trying to intimidate the civilian population? That's one of the characterizations of the federal terrorism law.

A second one is whether or not he was trying to change government policy. Again, that's something that has to be looked at. Right now they're looking at it as a hate crime because that's an easier thing for them to focus on right now, Carol. But it is something -- it's a great question. It's something that I think a lot of people are asking the Justice Department to revisit.

COSTELLO: Evan Perez reporting live from Washington. Thanks so much.