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Wolf

Bond Hearing Next Hour For Confessed Shooter; Roof Confessed To Shooting; Prayer Vigil Honoring Victims In Charleston Tonight; Prayer Vigil Honors Victims; Behind the Gunmen. Aired 1:15-1:30p ET

Aired June 19, 2015 - 13:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer. It 1:00 p.m. here in Washington, 6:00 p.m. in London, 8:00 p.m. in Baghdad. Wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us.

Up first, a confession and now charges filed in the church massacre in Charleston, South Carolina. When the gunman goes before a judge next hour, here are some of the latest developments. Law enforcement officials tell CNN Dylann Roof admits he opened fire on worshippers at the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Nine people were killed. A bond hearing for Roof is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Eastern. That's an hour from now. Police say he has been charged with nine counts of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.

Also, CNN's Evan Perez has learned details about the gun used in the shooting. Law enforcement officials tell him Roof purchased the weapon at a Charleston gun store in April. Just moments ago, the president of the NAACP joined others in calling the attack on the church a hate crime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CORNELL WILLIAM BROOKS, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NAACP: This crime is not merely a crime perpetuated against a church, not merely a crime perpetuated against a pastor, not merely a crime perpetuated against non-congregants. It is a hate crime. And as such, it is a crime perpetuated against the conscience of the country, the soul of the country and our values collectively as a country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The NAACP president, Cornell Brooks, will join me live later this hour.

Let's get details now on the upcoming bond hearing an hour from now and the gunman's confession to law enforcement authorities. Our Correspondent Martin Savidge is standing by live in Charleston. Our Justice Reporter Evan Perez, he's here with me in Washington. Martin, first to you. Give us a preview of what to expect at this hearing.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, all eyes are focused on the courtroom inside of this bond court case. And, essentially, about an hour from now, what's going to happen is you have the magistrate. And that magistrate is basically going to have Roof who will appear in front of him. But he's going to be doing it via a television link. And, as a result of that, you're not going to have the defendant inside the courtroom. Essentially, the judge is going to go over what are the charges against him? We know there are nine counts of murder. There's also a weapons charge. And here's the deal. This judge cannot set bond in this particular case because of the fact that there are murder charges. He doesn't have the jurisdiction. So, it's a foregone conclusion that bond's going to be denied here.

However, that said, we're going to have the judge go through the legal process. Explain it to Roof. On top of that, Roof may have things to say. The judge is going to ask him some questions. And here is the big thing we've learned. There are going to be representatives from the families of all nine people that were killed inside of that church inside of this courtroom and they will be given that opportunity to perhaps say something.

So, the outcome is a foregone conclusion. We know that bond will not be set. They can't do it. What we don't know is what's going to be said. And given the emotion surrounding this tragedy, there could be a lot -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And tell our viewers, Martin, what else we've learned about this guy, Roof, about his actions inside the church.

SAVIDGE: Yes, they're horrific. We already knew that this was a horrendous crime. But coming from those family members who have spoken to the few survivors they describe something that is beyond the pale. For instance, they say that not only did the suspect sit in for one hour and then, after the bible study session came to an end, began shooting. That, at one point, a young man rose up, a parishioner, and said, stop, stop. And, in fact, Roof is quoted as saying, No, I cannot stop. You rape our women. You're taking over our country. I will not stop." And then, he shot and killed the young man.

And the shooting spree continued. As he was walking out, he confronts an elderly woman. He says, have I shot you yet? She says, no. He says, I'll leave you alive so you can tell others what happened here. I'm going to kill myself. And then, he is said to have reloaded at least five times. To imagine that stress, the waiting, all of it is beyond compare -- Wolf.

BLITZER: It certainly is. Martin, stand by. Evan, you were the first to report that Roof had actually confessed to law enforcement. Tell us what else you've learned.

EVEN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, Wolf, we know that investigators believe he had arrived at these beliefs in favor of segregation and racism a long time ago. Now, we know he has confessed. The question now for investigators is, did anyone else know about this? How long has he been planning this? That is the question that they're focusing on. They're going through his computers. They're talking to relatives and to his friends to find out more about him.

[13:05:04] We've looked on his Facebook page. He didn't have a lot of friends. This is a -- very unusual for somebody of his age. It does appear that he was much of a loner but he was -- while he was alone, he was developing these very violent ideas and he carried them out this week.

BLITZER: You also have some new details about the gun that he used to kill these nine people. What have you learned?

PEREZ: Well, he bought this gun in April with money that was given to him by his father for his birthday. What happens in these cases, Wolf, is often people misunderstand, well, how can this guy get a gun? Well, he was facing serious charges of drug possession in South Carolina.

But under federal law, you pass a background check if you have not been found guilty of a felony. In this case, he had not been adjudicated yet. And that's why the gun he had, from all appearances, was completely legal for him to have.

BLITZER: So, even though he had been charged with a felony, he hadn't been convicted.

PEREZ: He had not been adjudicated.

BLITZER: As a result, in South Carolina, he could still go out and by a gun?

PEREZ: Exactly. And, you know, keep in mind, we're talking about a part of the country where people hold dear the second amendment. And it's certainly something that it would take a conviction for you to take away his rights.

BLITZER: All right, Evan, thanks very much. Martin Savidge, thanks to you as well.

The shootings have left the nation in shock and a community in mourning. Nine souls were lost on Wednesday, nine lives cut short, nine people who will be missed dearly. It's evident in the tributes.

Athena Jones has more now on how the family and the friends in Charleston, how they are honoring the legacy of their loved ones.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the heart of the tragedy in South Carolina --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our hope is in god.

JONES: -- to the historic walls of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Georgia. Thousands came to mourn nine of Charleston's most prominent educators and religious leaders killed inside Emmanuel AME Church Wednesday night, including four beloved reverends. Among them, 74- year-old retired Reverend Daniel Simmons, who attended the church every Sunday. 49-year-old Reverend DePayne Middleton-Doctor, who served her community in the learning center of Southern Wesleyan University. 45-year-old Reverend Sharonda Singleton, pictured here with her son on Monday, coached at a local high school. And the distinctive voice of Reverend Clementa Pinckney, leader of the Emanuel AME Church, was also silenced, gunned down as he preached.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And to see him die face down in the ground --

JONES: A state senator, Reverend Pinckney became the youngest African-American ever elected to the South Carolina legislature. After the shooting of Walter Scott by police, he stressed the need for police body cameras in South Carolina using powerful language.

REV. CLEMENTA PINCKNEY: And that a badge and a gun does not give someone superiority or will trump their constitutionally protected privileges and rights in South Carolina.

JONES: Friends and family are struggling to cope with the loss of so many inside a place of worship. Recent college graduate, Tywanza Sanders, just 26 years old, lost his life. Cynthia Hurd was 54 years old and worked for decades as a librarian. Now, as a tribute to her life of service, a library will be renamed in her honor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to know why would you do something like this?

JONES: Tim Jackson (ph) mourning the loss of his 87-year-old grandmother, Susie. He remembers her as a loving person with a great smile. Susie's 70-year-old cousin, Ethel Lance (ph), was also killed. And Myra Thompson, 59, was teaching the bible study held each Wednesday when the gunman opened fire. Of the 13 people inside Emmanuel AME Church that night, only three survived. One did so by playing dead. Another survivor telling family members the gunman told her he was letting her live so she could tell the story of what happened there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And Athena is joining us now live from Charleston. Athena, you're right outside that church. Tell us about the memorial behind you.

JONES (live): Hi, Wolf. Well, let me get out of the way here. You can see this memorial behind me. It's a makeshift memorial that has been growing by the hour. It is very hot out here, more than 88 degrees, very humid. And, yet, there has been a steady flow of people young and old. There were several young boys, as young as five or six, who came and laid flowers a short while ago. There was a man who came and knelt to pray. People are passing out water. All part of paying their respects to the victims of that terrible shooting on Wednesday night.

I can tell you that last night, there was a prayer service, a bringing together of several Presbyterian churches, white and black, from in and around Charleston. They packed into a church just behind this church. This is an area of many churches as you know. They packed in. There were many, many white faces, black faces, people rubbing each other's back, standing in a circle to offer words of comfort and to pray. This has been all about coming together. We heard from the mayor of Charleston, Mayor Joe Riley, who said this is a city that wants to unite in prayer and healing.

[13:10:06] And as part of that, they're holding a vigil later on tonight, 6:00 p.m., in an arena near here. A prayer vigil, one of many, many events that are being held to pay honor to these victims.

BLITZER: And we'll have coverage of that vigil later tonight during the 6:00 p.m. Eastern hour in the SITUATION ROOM. Athena, thank you.

Much more special coverage of the South Carolina church massacre coming up this hour. The president of the NAACP, Cornell William Brooks, he's standing by. He'll join me live with his thoughts on this tragedy. And I'll also speak with a close friend and colleague of the Reverend Clementa Pinckney about healing, forgiveness and what must change right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Let's get back to our stop story, the aftermath of the shooting in a historic African-American church here in the United States. Churches across the country are now planning vigils for the victims. There will also be prayer vigils in Charleston later this evening.

Joining us now from Charleston is the South Carolina state senator, Marlon Kimpson. Senator, thanks very much for joining us. I know you were a friend of Rev. Clementa Pinckney who was murdered in the church, also a state senator. You knew him, obviously, well. What would he be telling the community right now if he could?

STATE SEN. MARLON KIMPSON (D), SOUTH CAROLINA: Well, and we have some words of his that have recently been posted in the aftermath of a tragic shooting we had here most recently in North Charleston by a police officer shooting an unarmed citizen. He would be telling the nation to remain calm, but let's come away from this horrific experience with a proactive agenda. And that agenda should include improving race relations in the state of South Carolina and embracing the issues that device us. If we don't focus on the divisive symbols that exist in our state, the divisive rhetoric that circulates on the Internet and changing hearts and minds, then we have failed our mission.

BLITZER: You're referring to the confederate flag that still flies on the state grounds there in South Carolina? Is that what you're talking about?

KIMPSON: The confederate flag and other symbols, such as the statue of Ben Tillman.

BLITZER: What other - other symbols?

KIMPSON: The statue of Ben Tillman and there are a number of streets named in honor of the confederacy. Look, the fact is, is that we understand history and we understand the war, but this is 2015 and any symbol - any symbol that divides us is a symbol that stands in the way of progress. We must use our assets and use our resources and talents to employ devices which unite us and not divide us. BLITZER: So when you hear someone like our senator, Lindsey Graham,

from South Carolina, defend the flying on that confederate flag on the state grounds saying it's part of history, part of the legacy and it's part of what a lot of people in South Carolina look back, their grandparents, great great grandparents live through, you say to Senator Lindsey Graham and others, what?

KIMPSON: Well, let me say this. For every argument you can use some reasons to support it. My message to Senator Graham and others is, we are living in 2015. We are not fighting that war. There are symbols, including the confederate flag and other statues around this state that are continuing, dividing this nation. If you look at this incident and look at this gentleman's - or I shouldn't call him a gentleman, this thug's past who murdered eight people, including my friend and colleague, he has consistently used the confederate flag to promote hate. We need to spend our time in promoting unity.

And so we will go to the legislature. As you know it - the legislature had a compromise in the early 2000s and it's going to take two-thirds to remove that flag. But more importantly, we understand that we have to do this in a bipartisan way. And so it will be up to elected officials to make the persuasive argument and to the business community, quite frankly. We want to hear from you on this issue. Anybody coming to the state of South Carolina running for president, we want to hear from you on this issue. When you come here, be prepared to address the flag and the other divisive symbols in South Carolina, in addition law enforcement, in addition economic prosperity for all people, not just some.

BLITZER: I'm sure they'll be asked about guns, the ability to get guns in South Carolina and elsewhere as well. Senator Kimpson, thanks very much for joining us.

KIMPSON: Thank you for having me.

BLITZER: Up next, ignoring the warning signs. Should police have been tipped off about the admitted church shooter? We're going to take a closer look at responsibility and rules for tracking potential domestic terrorists.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:22:27] BLITZER: Let's get back to our top story, the deaths of nine people in a church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. Dylann Roof confessed - he's the confessed shooter, is expected to make his first court appearance in South Carolina at the top of the next hour.

Here with us in Washington right now is Cedric Alexander. He's our CNN law enforcement analyst, the DeKalb County, Georgia, public safety director and the president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.

Cedric, a roommate - a former roommate of Dylann Roof, the killer, the admitted killer in this particular case, said he had been planning this attack for six months. He had been making statements. When someone, a friend let's say, an acquaintance of someone hears someone ranting, talkings about black people, you know, they're taking over the country, they're raping white women, stuff like that, what should that person do?

CEDRIC ALEXANDER, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, certainly it's a real early indication that that person has really very violent tendencies. But really what I'm more concerned about, and we haven't talked much about here, Wolf, is this young guy, Roof, where did he acquire this type of attitude and hatred? Some will say it's symbolic of the symbols that was on his outer garments. But the question that comes to mind for me, hate is something that is learned. And where did he learn how to hate at that level?

Now, is there some mental health component maybe attached to this? Maybe so, because usually what you will find when people hate at that depth and that level to create the type of tragedy that he did, there's something else that I'm really concerned about in his own history as to where did he learn how to hate like that?

BLITZER: I don't know the answer to that but I -

ALEXANDER: No, we don't.

BLITZER: The Southern Poverty Law Center, which does research on these hate groups, these extremists -

ALEXANDER: Right.

BLITZER: Or racist hate groups, they've - they've pointed out, as recently as yesterday, there are a lot of these websites - ALEXANDER: Right.

BLITZER: You go to social media. You can find these hate groups promoting this kind of racist hatred.

ALEXANDER: Right. Right. And when we hear about it, and particularly as friends or family, we really have to take note to it because in too many cases we've seen the tragedies that have occurred out of those who take those kinds of attitudes and then make those actions come alive, as we saw in the case here with Roof.

BLITZER: Now, as you know, a church is the ultimate, quote, "soft target."

ALEXANDER: Right.

BLITZER: There's no real security at churches all over the country.

ALEXANDER: Right.

BLITZER: Historically, African-American churches.

ALEXANDER: Right.

BLITZER: This guy just walked in. He went to this Bible study, sat there for an hour just listening. They welcomed him.

ALEXANDER: That's right.

BLITZER: You know, he was a white guy. They welcomed him.

ALEXANDER: That's right.

BLITZER: He wanted to participate. They accepted him and then he went and took his gun out and killed someone.

[13:25:04] ALEXANDER: And that is what is so sad and tragic about this, Wolf, is, here's a church that's been around well over 100 years and the oldest AME church in the south. And it is very evident to me, quite frankly, that it was a planned target. If you look at the history of that church, certainly if you look at the demographic of that church, being an African-American church, and he walked into that church on that particular evening with people welcoming him to worship with him and he sat there with them for a whole hour. And even in that hour, he did not at any point ever join, ever change his mind or say I'm not going to do this and walk out. He went there to do what he intended to do. That's the depth of the hatred. That's the depth of whatever else that's going on with him that exemplified himself that night.

And the other part of this is, we're going to have to figure out in this country, how do we deal with people that have some mental health illnesses? Because I would suspect that there's some other stuff going on with him. But I'm not going to minimize for one second the idea that this was rooted in hate. And it is a terroristic act.

BLITZER: He drove, what, three, four hours from Columbia, South Carolina.

ALEXANDER: Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely.

BLITZER: Clearly he planned this. He spoke about it for six months.

ALEXANDER: He planned it and he also said I think to witnesses that he was going to kill himself, which never occurred because he got in that car and he drove for three or four hours -

BLITZER: He said he wanted to start a race war.

ALEXANDER: He wanted to start a race war, right. But, you know, if you listen to his rhetoric, "y'all are taking our white women. Y'all are taking over." If you listen to that rhetoric and ask yourself, "where have I heard that before?" You've heard that coming out of places like the Ku Klux Klan. You've heard that rhetoric comes out of places that are very anti-black, anti-Jewish, anti-establishment type of organizations. It's that same rhetoric to that same point.

BLITZER: Neo-Nazi white aryans.

ALEXANDER: Absolutely. Absolutely.

BLITZER: Not - most of them just talk -

ALEXANDER: Right. Right. BLITZER: They don't - they don't actually commit crimes like this, murder.

ALEXANDER: That's right. But - but - but here's the - but here's the thing. Who - he may have been involved with this in terms of the act itself, but I suspect that there may be others who may have put this young man up to this because when you look at him, when I see him on footage, he appears to me to be somewhat of a loner, someone who may be very depressed, someone who may have been marginalized and looking for a place to fit in, got fitted in somewhere by some group or organization maybe, right? And then he went out and he made this attack against these innocent people. So I hope part of this investigation also branches out beyond him and look to see if there were others that might have been involved.

BLITZER: And you've told me that they prudently, these churches, especially these coming Sunday, maybe should step up security a little bit.

ALEXANDER: And they will. They will across the country.

BLITZER: I hope so.

Cedric, thanks very much.

ALEXANDER: Thank you.

BLITZER: Cedric Alexander joining us.

Just ahead, the NAACP president is calling it a racial - an act of racial terrorism. He's joining us live from Charleston, South Carolina, Cornell Williams Brooks. We'll talk about the church massacre, the state of race relations here in the United States.

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